ASK: What are the physical changes that happen in my body during the first trimester?

[TRANSCRIPT OF ANSWER]

Physical Changes During The First Trimester

“During the first trimester, there are several big physiological changes that are happening. It is very confusing for people because the baby is like a centimeter big, but one of the big things that are happening is the body is changing to be able to support the pregnancy long term. So there’s a lot of hormonal changes that help the uterus grow and (allow) for the placenta to form. Also, the mom’s blood volume expands to help nourish the baby.  Digestion slows down so that she can digest more minerals and vitamins and all her nutrients to feed the baby.”

Physiological Changes in Pregnancy

“After fertilization happens, very quickly things start changing within the mom’s body. So the egg and sperm meet and form the little embryo. That immediately starts changing how the uterus is acting and even gives some feedback to the ovaries and they will start producing pregnancy hormones until the placenta takes over.” 

“It takes several weeks before the placenta is developed enough to take over the production of hormones. So a lot of moms will notice right away those changes in how they feel and even how the uterus feels. Even though the uterus is going through a lot of changes and the baby’s growing very quickly at first, most women don’t notice that at all, as far as the size of the uterus. They don’t show, but they may notice some changes in their breasts and just in the way their body feels because of the general hormonal shift.”

Morning Sickness in Pregnancy

“A lot of moms will notice morning sickness pretty soon after she would have missed her period. So around a month or so after her last period. Two weeks into the pregnancy, the progesterone levels in the mom’s system start to go up significantly. This causes morning sickness. It causes a lot of changes in blood sugar levels and so forth. Moms tend to notice that early in the morning, but not always. Some people have sickness throughout the day or more in the evening. It’s also a good sign that mom’s pregnancy hormones are high enough to sustain the pregnancy.”

“All these big changes that are happening with the mom’s body are to help sustain the pregnancy and to help the mom have a healthy pregnancy to keep the baby growing safely. And one of the side effects is as often morning sickness from the increased progesterone in the mom’s system. That shows that the pregnancy is going to keep going and the baby’s going to be healthy.”