Pregnancy: 1st Trimester Part 1
Dr. Isabel Blumberg explains pregnancy symptoms you can expect during the first trimester, including morning sickness, exhaustion, and cramping.
Pregnancy is a long process but it doesn’t have to be a scary one. In this video, Dr. Isabel Blumberg explains what you can expect when you are first pregnant. The first trimester is the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and the time when your baby will start to form organs in their body. Pregnancy symptoms include exhaustion, cramping, skin breakouts and tender breasts. 75% of women will experience nausea and vomiting, or morning sickness, during their first trimester. Follow Dr. Blumberg’s tips to lower your stress levels and feel more like your regular self.

This video features Isabel Blumberg, MD. Dr. Blumberg is a clinical instructor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science.
Duration: 3:07. Last Updated On: Nov. 8, 2017, 6:14 p.m.
- 00:00 [MUSIC]
- 00:07 Hello and welcome to HealthiNation.
- 00:09 I'm Pat Murphy.
- 00:10 So you've just found out you're pregnant.
- 00:12 Congratulations.
- 00:14 You probably have a lot of questions as your body adjusts to
- 00:17 the baby growing inside.
- 00:18 Well there's a lot that you can do to make the pregnancy go smoothly.
- 00:22 Dr. Isabel Blumberg is going to explain how you'll feel,
- 00:26 what your baby is experiencing, and
- 00:28 what type of medical care is recommended during the first few months of pregnancy.
- 00:33 Although many people think of pregnancy as nine months,
- 00:36 it actually lasts a big longer, about 40 weeks.
- 00:40 It starts with the woman's last menstruation and
- 00:42 ends with the baby's birth.
- 00:45 Pregnancy can be divided into three trimesters based on
- 00:48 the development of the baby.
- 00:49 During the first trimester, or first 14 weeks, is when the baby's cells will
- 00:54 organize into what will become organs like the heart and lungs.
- 00:58 You won't see much change in your physical appearance, but
- 01:01 you will feel big changes in your body.
- 01:03 Some of the most common symptoms include exhaustion, cramping, skin breakouts,
- 01:09 and tender breasts.
- 01:10 Still, others might experience spotting and
- 01:13 other PMS symptoms, frequent urination, backaches, leg cramps, and mood swings,
- 01:19 then finally nausea and vomiting, most often referred to as morning sickness.
- 01:25 This term, morning sickness, can be misleading because many women
- 01:28 experience these symptoms throughout the day.
- 01:31 About 75% of pregnant women will experience this nausea and
- 01:35 vomiting during their first trimester.
- 01:38 Taking a vitamin B6 supplement can help ease the nausea.
- 01:42 You should also try to avoid fatty, acidic, or hard-to-digest foods.
- 01:48 Although these symptoms are unpleasant for
- 01:49 the mom, as long as you stay hydrated and can maintain a healthy diet and
- 01:53 weight, the nausea and vomiting should not affect the baby.
- 01:58 Most women will not see significant weight gain during this trimester.
- 02:02 On average, you should expect to gain no more than ten pounds during
- 02:06 the first trimester.
- 02:08 If you are normal weight when you conceive,
- 02:10 you should expect to gain a total of 25 to 35 pounds throughout pregnancy.
- 02:16 But remember, just because you're technically eating for
- 02:19 two doesn't mean you should eat twice as much.
- 02:22 Typically you should plan to eat an extra
- 02:25 calories a day throughout your pregnancy.
- 02:27 You should maintain a healthy diet rich in nutrients, protein, and calcium.
- 02:33 Anemia is common in pregnant women.
- 02:35 So you should make sure to get plenty of foods full of iron.
- 02:38 Continue taking prenatal vitamins, which contain folic acid.
- 02:43 Avoid foods high in mercury like tuna fish, raw foods like sushi,
- 02:47 or undercooked meats or eggs.
- 02:50 Also, avoid soft unpasteurized cheeses.
- 02:55 Pasteurized means that the food has been heated to destroy potentially harmful
- 02:58 viruses and organisms.
- 03:00 You should also consult your doctor before taking any prescription or
- 03:04 over the counter medications.
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