I had a beautiful journey through out my pregnancy, with little ups and downs of course. My biggest support was my hubby on whom I used to throw lots of tantrums. Thanks to my mood swings 😉 I got lots of suggestions from people on Do’s and Don’ts. I followed few and ignored the rest as I knew what’s best for me and my little one.  Let me give you an overview on what you feel on every stage, or rather every trimester.

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First Trimester (week 1-week 12): I got to know I was pregnant almost 1.6 months later. Till then the only signal my body gave was to throw up (vomit). I ignored it considering acidity 🙁

So, First Trimester is the tough period. Body undergoes several changes. There are Hormonal changes that affect almost every part of the body. Some Changes includes Extreme tiredness, Nausea, Mood swings (this will be your friend till end), heartburn, weight gain, irritation etc… However, these are all normal and you can easily overcome. Just a little change in your routine can take care of all the above changes in your body. All these problems will go away as your pregnancy  progresses. Some women might not feel any discomfort at all which is also very much normal.

I am a fan of non-vegetarian food, however used to get nausea due to Non veg food and even through the smell of coffee in my first stage. I could not even see pictures of Non veg food.

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Second Trimester (week 13- week 28): This phase is much easier as compared to the earlier. Most women declare their pregnancy news at this stage. I did that too 🙂 Your nausea and fatigue have come down and you start feeling more confident. Your abdomen starts expanding a little bit as your baby grows. There are lots of physical changes happening like a line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline, Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks, Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain, swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face.

By God’s grace, I did not have any swelling issues. I was on my toes continuous with a little weight put on over the tummy side. I was active, followed by routine and stuck to it as far as I could. I used to walk around post meals, do light exercise and stay happy. Get into a routine of sleeping on your left side. For better comfort hold a pillow between your legs. Start having Shatavari and milk before going to bed. There are various flavours available. You can choose as per your liking. You can continue having Shatavari post-delivery too.

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Third Trimester (week 29 – week 40): This stage is again a little grim as you might have a little discomfort like shortness of breath, Heartburn, Swelling of face, ankles, trouble sleeping as you might feel heavier. During this stage, you can feel your baby’s movements. Some may start getting those movements by end of Second Trimester.  This is the phase where you are done waiting and can hardly wait to hold your baby in your arms. All you can do, is just wait and pray for the baby to come out into the world smiling! It’s like testing your patience which adds on to your Mood swings.

My hubby was always the target 🙂 I used to go mad on him without a reason or used to cry watching comedy or even flop films. I would start crying every time I would see a baby’s picture.

I had crossed by 9 months and my baby was relaxing in the womb with no sign of coming down. However, my water level was reducing day by day which was a risk factor and finally I was induced. But I had a normal delivery and I was very happy about that.

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Few tips to remember:

1. Keep Calm
2. Have strong will power. It really does wonders. Be confident that everything will be alright and it will work in that direction.
3. Read good books. Read books to your baby. Trust me your baby is listening to what you read, talk, listen to etc.. Listen to good music that will relax your body. You might feel the movement when you listen to a loud music too.
4. Talk to your baby. You are creating a bond already. Your baby recognizes your voice when he/she is in the womb itself.
5. Many elder people will give you lots of suggestions. Take in what you feel is right and don’t feel over pressurized or demotivated.
6. Engage in some Prenatal classes and take your hubby along. I joined a prenatal class in Pune. It was fun. It had one hour exercise and 1 hour lecture on what is your body going through. Let your hubby also understand what we are going through 😉
7. Most important, EAT RIGHT. Do not focus on quantity, focus on quality. Eat after intervals. Keep your dinner light to avoid heart burns.
8. Take sufficient rest and enjoy this period.

Image Source: www.essentialbaby.com.au