faith + inspiration, Family | 19 Comments May. 15

my first trimester experience

Hey guys! So, now that we have officially announced baby sims coming in November, I wanted to share with y’all what my first trimester was like! This was such a hard secret to keep for 8 weeks, so today I want to quickly fill you in on my experience so far, what I’ve learned, helpful apps, and a few other random things. (I partially want to share this because when we first found out we were pregnant, I scoured any blog I could for any kind of pregnancy tips or any info on what the heck I was supposed to do now haha. Can I take advil? Should I stop taking melatonin? Can I still drink coffee? When do you start doing something for stretch marks?! etc.) I researched like a mad woman from the second we found out we were pregnant, because your first appointment with the doctor typically isn’t until 8 or 9 weeks. How was I supposed to wait 3 weeks with all of these questions?!

So, we found out that we were pregnant when I was 5 weeks. (At the time I was thinking we were like 3 weeks pregnant. I had no idea you technically count the two weeks before you ever even ‘conceived’. Still so confusing to me haha). I had a feeling end of February that I might be pregnant. I can’t really explain why…I just felt like I was. I wasn’t nauseous, didn’t have any symptoms…I just had this feeling. So, I bought a pack of 3 tests..and I took all 3 tests over the course of about 7 days. Why? Because all 3 of them were negative…but I just refused to believe that was true! I knew I was pregnant. I could feel it.

One Thursday night when Michael was in class, I was walking Beau around the neighborhood and praying about it. I told the Lord I felt so disappointed that those tests were negative because I really thought I would be pregnant. Something in me just felt like I needed to go buy one more test, but I refused. I mean, I already had 3 negatives! When I was praying about it, I said “If I’m supposed to take another test, I’m gonna need you to give me some major sign that I need to go buy another one.”

Well, the next morning I was running with Beau and while we were running, I noticed that my boobs were hurting! (Sorry for any guys reading this haha). I took that as a sign to buy just one more test…and that one was positive!!! I always thought I would tell Michael in some really cute sweet way when I got a positive sign…but as soon as I saw that “+” sign, I just started yelling “OOOHHHH MY GOSH” and crying and laughing and Michael instantly ran upstairs haha. It was truly one of the most special, sweetest moments of my entire life. Both of us were just so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.  (So, moral of the story…apparently pregnancy tests can’t detect things THAT early on lol).

ANYWAY. Onto the actual pregnancy things! I called my doctor right away to make an appointment, but they said you usually don’t have that first appointment until 8 or 9 weeks. So, I downloaded an app called Ovia which I love! (I downloaded several pregnancy apps haha but Ovia has definitely been my favorite). It has “food safety look up” “medication safety look up”, and also gives you an update on baby every day, and an update on baby’s size every week! This week the app told me that baby can bend his or her elbows, move around, and even suck their thumb! Ah, gives me chills just thinking about it. So, I love this app and highly recommend it.

Between the time we figured out we were pregnant and my doctor’s appointments…like I said, I researched a lot. I know people say “google is a pregnant woman’s worst enemy”, but I didn’t just look at random forums. I made sure to look at actual medical websites, or ask friends who are nurses or doctors. I wanted to know if I could still work out, if I should be eating any differently, etc. To be honest…I was extremely paranoid my entire first trimester – but especially between weeks 5 and 8. I know how common miscarriages are, and my heart truly goes out to any momma who has experienced this heartbreak. I was very fortunate in my first trimester to hardly have any symptoms – no nausea, no food aversions…I was tired, but not like “I can’t function” tired. I was still able to run and do flywheel without missing a beat. All of this is a huge blessing, I’m aware! But, when you have tons of friends also in first trimester who are puking or super nauseous or can’t get off the couch because they’re so tired…my paranoia got the best of me. I kept doubting that I was actually pregnant…that this was all just too good to be true.

For anyone who has never experienced this before, I realize I probably sound like a crazy person right now. But, I think Satan really knows how to get us where we are weak and how to make fear a very real enemy. And my fear got the best of me for a lot of my first trimester. It really wasn’t until my 12 week appointment when we got to hear that sweet heartbeat that my fears were calmed (at least for the time being). So, I don’t share all of this with you guys so that you think I’m crazy…I share it to let you know, fear and anxiety are very real struggles that so many people face. Whether it’s related to pregnancy or not. And I want to share what helped me battle this fear throughout my first trimester (and even still today):

1. Don’t keep it to yourself. You might think if you say your fear outloud to a friend or to your husband, you’ll sound crazy. Maybe you will, but you need to talk to someone about it. I would text my mom and sisters or talk to Michael or women in our small group about my paranoia. I would just ask for prayer for peace. Prayer is so powerful, and talking through your fears is also super helpful. Don’t leave it in the dark and don’t keep your fears and anxieties to yourself. You’ll make it worse and overanalyze things to death.
2. True peace does not come from circumstances. The truth is – yes. Miscarriage is very common, and it’s so sad. I could not find peace in the fact that “I’m sure the baby is fine and completely healthy”, because honestly…I didn’t know that! I had to find a deeper peace that’s found in this truth: God is good, He is loving, and He is in control no matter what. No matter what my circumstances are, I can rest in that and trust in that.
3. Prayer prayer and more prayer. When I would start to feel anxious or fearful, I wouldn’t let myself dwell on those thoughts. I would instantly pray for the baby and for the baby’s safety, and I would ask the Lord to redirect my thoughts and bring me peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but instead, pray about everything” – Phil 4:6

So, that was all very raw and very real…but I wanted to put it out there for anyone who might be having that same struggle during their first trimester. Or, for anyone who’s been battling fear and anxiety in another area in life! It’s still something I battle daily with pregnancy but feel like I’ve made a lot of progress over the past few weeks.

SO. Outside of the fear and paranoia…honestly, pregnancy so far has been amazing. Other than being tired (and super irritable from weeks 10-12 lol sorry babe)…I have felt great! I’ve also been way more emotional than usual, and craved even more sweets than I usually do (which is saying something). Oh, and diet lemonade from Chickfila, and anything dark chocolate. Pregnancy really is even more amazing than everyone says it is though. Every day I wake up I feel this overwhelming gratitude that the Lord has blessed us with this gift. And everyday I can’t wait to read an update on what the baby is doing today. It truly is the most amazing miracle I could ever fathom! I can’t wait until baby gets bigger and I can feel him or her move! Confession: I definitely poke my belly pretty often to try and see if I can feel the baby wiggle haha. Nothing yet!

Other differences I’ve noticed: my skin *insert upside down smiley emoji*. First trimester my skin was actually great. But within the last 2 weeks I’ve definitely had annoying breakouts that I can’t seem to keep under control. I’m still using all of my Drunk Elephant products though, other than Babyfacial because of the salicylic acid! (Which is so sad because I’m obsessed with that mask). I checked with my doctor and all of these are safe to use during pregnancy. But again, make sure you check with your doctor and don’t take my word for things! Hoping my skin will calm back down soon. I’m sure the surplus of sugar I’ve had recently isn’t helping the situation!

I haven’t had any nausea, but…digestion issues are real haha. I won’t go into further detail than that, but, I’ve definitely had some stomach issues, without the nausea! 

Like I said, I’ve still been working out about 5 days a week since being pregnant. And it honestly makes me feel so much better! I have more energy, my mood is better…I love it. I have definitely shifted my mindset though with my workouts. Before being pregnant, my mindset was “push yourself. push through. you can do this. you’re getting stronger”. And now, if I’m starting to feel tired or out of breath, my mindset is “let’s take it down a notch”. So, I still run. But instead of running 6-7 miles at an 8:30 pace, I’m doing 5 miles at an 8:55 pace to make sure my HR doesn’t get too high. I still do the stair master, but instead of doing high intensity intervals, I put it on a lower setting so my HR doesn’t shoot up to 170. My doctor told me anything I was doing before pregnancy, for the most part, I can continue doing. I’m just modifying things to make sure I don’t get too hot, or my HR doesn’t get too high. I’m also hydrating A LOT more than I used to. Tons of water before, during, and after a workout! (If you are pregnant though, make sure you talk with your doctor about what would work best for you and your body! Everybody is different).

Outfit Details: Tie Front Top (similar here and here) | Distressed Jeans (fit tts, wash is ‘old hangouts’) | Platform Espadrille Sandals | Gucci Crossbody here and here | Tassel Earrings

Okay, that was a lot of information and kind of all over the place! Just wanted to update you guys on these last 8 weeks. Also, I am obviously 100% SO NEW to this whole pregnancy thing! So, if you guys have any tips or apps or advice, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Also wanted to add in here…for anyone who has experienced miscarriage or is going through that now…please know that my heart truly breaks for you and I pray for God’s peace and comfort all over you and that situation. I don’t want this post to seem insensitive to that heartbreak in any way. My heart really does go out to you and prayers are with you!

Thanks for reading friends, and for joining me in this journey!

About laurenkaysims