My First Trimester Recap

In case you missed it last week, I shared some pretty big news on the blog: we are officially expecting Baby Hartman in 2021!

Since that post was all about our journey leading up to my first positive test, I wanted to dedicate a separate post to the rest of our first trimester story. So, today as promised, I am sharing all of the juicy details surrounding my first 3 months with Baby Hartman!

To answer the 2 most asked questions since we announced: Our official due date is April 17th, 2021 which is 1 day before Sam’s birthday, and we found out the day after we took our announcement photos that we are having a BOY!

Ever since Sam and I started the conversation around having kids, our families have been convinced that we would have boys. I think that it has to do with the idea that I am super feminine and people would assume that I want to dress up a little girl in pink bows and tulle skirts. It’s actually quite funny because, while I am very girly, I have always felt like I would be a great boy Mom.

He may not be twirling around in ballerina shoes, but one thing is for sure: our little man is still going to be stylish. In short, I want to dress him exactly like Sam. If Sam wouldn’t wear it, it’s not going in his wardrobe. Well, aside from the diapers and bibs, ya know?

We had a feeling from the very beginning that I was pregnant with a boy and, while we eventually would love to have 1 of each, we were genuinely so excited when we found out. The night that we got the results I could not stop smiling and saying to Sam, “it’s a boy, it’s a boy!”.

I think that knowing the gender has helped me soak in the reality that I really am pregnant. It has definitely helped this process feel more “real” since I can now imagine our life with him in my arms.

In regards to his name, Sam and I have had it picked out for a few years now. Before our wedding 2 years ago, Sam was searching through unique baby names online and came across this one paired with Sam’s middle name. The very first time he said it to me I immediately fell in love and we have been locked in on it ever since.

I think we are going to wait to share his name until he is born, but I have a feeling you will love it just as much as we do.

Before I dive into the many blissful aspects of my first trimester, I first want to speak on a few of the not-so-Instagrammy moments.

Our Early Scare

If you’ve been following my story for a bit, you know that our fertility journey has not been the easiest, to say the least. After getting diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, and iodine poisoning, we were told that my chances of getting pregnant were extremely slim. We were told by one doctor in particular that if I did get pregnant with my body being in the condition that it was in, it could potentially be life-threatening for me and/or the baby.

At the time of my diagnosis’, we had no idea how long my healing process would take.

Fast forward to August of this year after hundreds of lab tests, adjusting and readjusting prescription medicine, and countless doctor visits, I found out unexpectedly that I am pregnant! Since I was solely focused on improving my health and had not even discussed my fertility with my doctor since my diagnosis, I was feeling quite nervous going into my first appointment after finding out.

I trusted deep down that I had gotten pregnant for the first time now because my body was finally allowing me to do so, leading me to believe that I was able to conceive and carry. But, of course, the anxiety and fear crept up on me often, especially in the first few weeks after we found out.

My first appointment was with my Endocrinologist and, thankfully, the moment I walked in with tears in my eyes she congratulated me and reassured me that God’s timing is perfect and that this is what is meant to be, no matter what my medical “plan” had been.

The day following that appointment, I started spotting and then bleeding a little more with sharp cramps at one point pushing me into fetal position. I was convinced that my biggest fear was coming true.

After calling my OBGYN, they squeezed me in for my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and 4 days due to the symptoms. I can’t even express to you how difficult that 40 minute drive was to the doctor. I cried and prayed and begged that our baby would be okay.

When the technician scanned over to the baby and his little heartbeat fluttering on the monitor, I felt like I was witnessing a miracle. I laid there completely speechless with tears of relief rolling down my cheeks.

My OBGYN scheduled blood tests immediately which confirmed that I am O-, a rare blood type which only 7 percent of the population has. With this knowledge, I returned the next day and got a RhoGAM shot as a preventative measure to avoid further complications, just in case the baby’s blood supply came into contact with mine.

I was able to return back to my OBGYN at the 8-week appointment for my first “official” ultrasound which also helped ease my anxiety since they were so close together. But, I have to say that up until my 12-week appointment, I experienced the most anxiety I have ever felt in my life. It came in waves and some days were definitely better than others.

Managing Anxiety

The 1 thing that I will say that helped with keeping things in perspective was when I was feeling extremely anxious, I would pause and ask myself, is this a “what if?” or a gut feeling?

I kept finding that the scenarios I was anxious about were “what if?’s” in my mind.

Then, that lead me to realize that there is ALWAYS going to be a “what if?” in every season of life. If I don’t cut off my anxiety now during my pregnancy, it’s not just going to disappear once the baby is born, right?

When he’s born my anxiety is just going to shift into worries about driving with him in the car, sleeping in his crib, and then him hanging out with bad friends, and…. what if he gets hurt walking down the street? The list could go on and on.

I’m not sure if any of this even makes sense because I’ve never said it out loud, but in a weird way, knowing that there are SO many things to feel worried about makes me feel less anxious. It allows me to let go and be at peace with whatever happens since I am not in control anyway.

In the end, whatever is meant to happen will, and most of the time the things we worry ourselves so sick about either doesn't wind up happening at all or it actually turns out to not be as bad as we would think.

I have decided that I want to look back on this pregnancy as a joyful time where I soaked in and appreciated every moment for what it was instead of being consumed by fear.

“Morning” sickness

Now, onto “morning” sickness. I experienced quite a bit of all-day nausea leading up to my 2nd trimester, although it still pops in randomly now. I threw up probably 10-15 times total in my first trimester, and honestly it didn’t bother me a ton. I feel so grateful to be pregnant and for me and the baby to be healthy, so these short occasions where I haven’t felt well really haven't been anything to complain about.

I actually thought it was kind of neat to experience the “morning sickness” I had heard so much about. It’s such a fascinating thing that our body reacts that way. Especially on the days that I didn’t “feel” pregnant or feel tired at all, the nausea and throwing up reminded me that my body is working so hard to literally create life inside of me. In a way, it made me feel more connected to my pregnancy - like I was really experiencing the first trimester.

Cravings

Let’s get down to the fun stuff: food cravings! I am always so curious to hear what other pregnant women are craving; that’s usually my first question when someone announces! Since the beginning, I haven’t really wanted anything sweet like ice cream or chocolate. I’ve definitely been leaning toward more warm and savory comfort food.

The only 2 meals that I’ve craved consistently throughout have been Indian food (chicken tikka masala, lamb saag or curry, and garlic naan) and fried chicken sandwiches (with spicy mayo, pimento cheese, or cole slaw). So random!

I’ve recently become addicted to watching Guy Fieri’s show, ‘Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives’, and that is usually where I find the latest thing that I NEED to have. Sam loves when I do this because that usually means that I won’t stop obsessing over it until it is in my mouth and my plate is clean. I almost cried one weekend over a meatball sub that I wanted SO badly on our way to Tilghman when I found out they wouldn’t be open.

When it comes to food aversions, I can’t complain too much because nothing makes me want to puke, I just don’t really feel “in the mood” for our old go-to’s lately. During the first few weeks, I was eating every different kind of meat, vegetable, and fruit and loving it.

Then, at about the 9-week mark, I started to get a lot more picky and sticking to some key staples like bone broth, strawberry banana smoothies, butternut squash soup, mango, kiwi, apples, almond butter, and mainly chicken.

Weight gain

Before I found out I was pregnant, I can’t remember the last time that I weighed myself on a scale. So, at my first doctor’s appointment after finding out, they weighed me in at 99 lbs. From that point until my appointment this morning (I’m now 14 weeks and 4 days), I have gained 9 lbs. I was a little shocked at first when I saw this number jump so quickly, but felt relieved when I was told that this is healthy for my size.

From the beginning, I have reminded myself not to worry about gaining weight as long as it is healthy for the baby. I think our bodies are so incredible for what they can do, and I am putting my fears about gaining weight aside so that I can make sure that our baby boy grows strong and stays in my belly as long as possible.

It’s such a strange feeling looking at my belly growing bigger right now just because it looks like a flabby beer gut, but I definitely feel like I am embracing it. I’m excited for it to get round and hard so it looks more like I’m pregnant and less like I just ate too many cheese fries.

Exercise

It’s no secret that I’m the worst with working out. I genuinely don’t enjoy going to the gym or running and I have always thought of it as some type of torture or punishment. Gym class in middle school and high school used to be my cue for going to the nurse or wandering through the halls endlessly hoping that no one would realize I had skipped the entire class. Simply put: it ain’t my thing, folks.

Now, when it comes to relaxing, outdoor walks, I’m all about it. I could walk outside all day from one town to the next if you’d let me. So, my goal lately has been to do 1-hour walks through our neighborhood at least 4 times per week to stay healthy and in shape.

Another thing I have gravitated toward over the past few weeks has been gentle, 30-minute prenatal workouts at home via Youtube (linked here). These are quick, painless, and make me feel like I am doing something positive for the baby and prepping for labor. My goal has been to do these 3 times per week and I just squeeze them in whenever I am feeling energized.

Purchases

My first pregnancy purchase was actually something I bought online 7 years ago and didn’t open until I was around 9 weeks pregnant - yes, really (apparently that’s how crazy I am; fun, right?). I bought the book, “Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting” after seeing a girl I knew from high school share it during her first pregnancy.

Don’t ask me why I decided to buy this book 2 years into dating Sam at a point when we didn’t even know if we wanted kids, but I did… and then I saved it and carried it with me to every house we’ve lived in and didn’t open it until 5 weeks ago.

Was it worth it? 1,000% yes. It is probably one of my favorite books I’ve ever read and immediately upon starting it, every word began chipping away at my fears and made me even more excited for this bebe.

Unlike other pregnancy books (so I’ve heard), it does not go over all of the potential risks and traumas, adding to the long list of your existing worries. Instead, this book focuses on humor, lightheartedness, and some wonderful advice for every step - from your first trimester to toddler years.

I am only about halfway through right now, so I’ll have to give a full report once I finish it, but I would definitely recommend it to other Mommas-to-be already.

Aside from that book, I haven’t purchased a ton of other items. I bought a comfy mauve pink “Mama” lounge set, baby shoes to announce with, and some clean beauty items.

I’m going to share the pregnancy-safe beauty buys that I recommend in a different blog post because I made a ton of changes since I found out!

Gratitude

I know that I expressed this a lot in my last blog post announcing our pregnancy, but I truly could not feel more grateful. Being pregnant with our first child is the biggest blessing that Sam and I have been lucky enough to experience.

Neither of us take a single moment of this for granted and all of the anxiety and complications in the world could not steal the joy that we feel for this new chapter.

I am officially in the 2nd trimester and 14 weeks and 4 days pregnant as of today! Baby Hartman is the size of a peach according to my “Bump” app (which I highly recommend). They call this trimester the “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy because of the increased energy and appetite, and thicker, shinier hair.

All in all, I can’t say that I disagree with experts labeling this the “honeymoon phase”. It does feel pretty dang magical.

Thank you for sticking around for another pregnancy-related post! I am so thankful to have you on this journey with us and I truly appreciate every comment and message of encouragement and excitement from ya’ll!

Shop this post:

Want more pregnancy-related posts? Read We’re Having a Baby! and My Fertility Journey and Autoimmune Disease Diagnosis.

xo Anna Elizabeth