What to Expect when you are Expecting by the_insta_midwife

What to expect when you are expecting! By The Insta Midwife Cara McCarthy

 

What to expect when you are expecting! By The Insta Midwife Cara McCarthy

Hello!  My name is Cara and I am a Qualified Midwife who has worked in the NHS for the last 4 years. I specialise in antenatal care and postnatal care and I have a special interest in education. I love working with women to ensure they have all the tools to equip them with the knowledge to empower them on this magnificent and yet, sometimes, scary journey to motherhood. As my first blog for Style My Kid I thought I would start at the very beginning ....

First Trimester

Finding out you're pregnant may be a huge surprise, or it may be long awaited!  It could also be long awaited AND a huge surprise, but whatever the journey to expecting a baby, here you are reading this and, probably,  lots of other things to research this exciting new journey!

Around the time that you are expecting your period, you may just feel bloated and not realise you are pregnant yet, and it is only after a few days of realising you are late, you take a test - CONGRATULATIONS!

 

So, what can you expect in these first 3 months?

Bloating and tiredness are very common in the early days, and you may experience some light cramps too and this can be totally normal.  As the embryo implants and the body starts to support the development of this new baby, it can take a huge toll on your body.  During the next few weeks your body is working hard to develop a support system for your baby, growing the embryo and ensuring that the body is supplying all the right hormones to build a placenta that will eventually take over all the functions required to give your baby a blood supply, oxygen, nutrients and take away waste products. 

 

Feeling Different?

All of these goings on in your body can lead to some unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vomiting. In some cases the vomiting can become quite severe (Hyperemesis), and this can lead to hospitalisation in serious cases.  Some other symptoms can include, but are not limited to, back ache, tender breasts, tiredness and fatigue, decreased or increased appetite and some women have reported a change in their sense of taste.

 

Midwife Help

The first few weeks can be tough, but there are some things to look forward to!! At around 8 to 10 weeks you will have your booking appointment with a midwife where you will discuss your medical history and set out a care pathway dependent on your individual needs, and you will have a scan at around 12 weeks where your pregnancy is confirmed and an estimated due date is confirmed.

You will be offered some screening at these appointments, which your midwife will discuss in depth with you, but they include some blood tests to check iron levels and blood type and group, and your baby can have some chromosomal abnormalities screened for too.

The first few months of pregnancy can feel very overwhelming, they can feel exhausting, and it can all feel a bit scary, and this is all normal.  You are not alone in feeling these things, but many women find that one they have their scan, and they get to the end of the first few months, they start to feel much better and start to really enjoy pregnancy once the second trimester starts!

Cara

Cara McCarthy is a qualified Midwife providing antenatal and postnatal online support and evidence based advice.

We are very pleased that Cara has joined our group of Resident Experts at Style My Kid and hope to bring you lots of advice her and from all our brilliant ladies on our Blog pages.

You can find out more about Cara and follow her on instagram @the_insta_midwife and watch her tutorials on You tube.

 

 

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