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You’ve done it, this is the last week of your first trimester.
Every single one of your baby's main organs and body systems are ready, and they’ll continue to grow over the coming months. Chances are you’ve had your first scan now but if you haven’t had your appointment get in touch with your GP or midwife.
Ready to do a pregnancy announcement? You might want to wait until after 12 weeks when your chances of miscarriage drop dramatically. Or keep quiet until your scan so you can share your pictures.
But you might need longer to adjust to your news or have told the whole world weeks ago. There are no rules about sharing, do it when it suits you. One thing to watch out for though is “helpful” people sharing your news on social media before you. So if you do let people know you might want to ask them nicely to keep the secret. It’s also a chance to have a bit of fun with a creative pregnancy reveal.
You might be wayyyy off thinking about childcare but some places have waiting lists of 1-2 years so it’s worth wrapping your head around the options.
What does my baby look like?
After last week’s venture into the world of veg we’re back to the fruit. Your baby is about the size of a strawberry.
Over the last three weeks, your baby has doubled in length. And it's not just their size that's developing rapidly, this week their pituitary gland (a small gland below their brain) starts to work, creating their very own hormones.
Those hands and feet now have tiny fingers and toes, along with nails. You probably won’t feel any movement yet but there’s a whole load of backflipping going on as your baby moves around in their amniotic fluid.
Why am I still sick?
If you’ve read a bit about pregnancy you might be under the impression that there’s some magical alarm that goes off at 12 weeks and all your pregnancy symptoms vanish. Nope, that’s not always the case.
You’ll probably notice most of those pesky early symptoms like sore boobs and nausea get better but they can also linger well into your second trimester. And for some people the vomming is all day and turns into something a little more serious.
Read: Survival tips for when morning sickness doesn't stop at 12 weeks.
You might have heard of Hyperemesis Gravidarum as Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and future queenie had it during both her pregnancies.
What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a condition in pregnancy where you suffer from severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. This is more than a quick barf or two in the morning. And if you get it you can quickly lose the ability to function at all. At its worst, it can land you in hospital on a drip.
No one really knows what causes HG, but if you can’t keep anything down, feel constantly sick, or lose weight, you need to get in touch with your GP (or midwife if you have one).
There’s no cure but there are some safe medications to help you cope and manage the symptoms. Chucking up all day is not normal so if you’re suffering, bug your doctor until they do something about it.
Newly pregnant and want some help or support? Join us on Facebook, 70,000 mums who know exactly where you’ve been.
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