1st Trimester
Month 1
Body Shop: How You’ll Change
Don’t be surprised if your first month of pregnancy is a roller coaster of emotions. You may also feel fatigued and experience nausea, food aversions or cravings.3 Every woman’s symptoms are different, so don’t assume the worst. You may have them all, just a few or none at all.
Mommy-Do List: Things to Do this Month
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Stock your kitchen with healthy foods.
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Drink at least six to eight, eight-ounce glasses of water every day, plus another eight ounces
per hour of light activity.2 -
Look for prenatal exercise classes in your area.
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Find out about your health insurance maternity coverage.
Nutrition Watch: Eating Right for Two
What you should eat during pregnancy is no different than what you should eat any other time: a healthy, balanced diet filled with plenty of dairy products, leafy green vegetables, legumes and protein.1 Experts also recommend you drink lots of water to carry nutrients through the blood to your baby.2
Speaking of nutrients, here are a few you may want to pay particular attention to:1
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Folic acid: This vitamin helps prevent neural tube defects and abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord.1 It can also reduce the risk of early delivery, low birth weight and poor fetal growth. Try to get one milligram per day throughout your pregnancy by eating fortified cereals, leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, lentils and orange juice.
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Calcium: Good for the development of strong bones and teeth1. Shoot for 1,000 milligrams per day from dairy, salmon, baked beans, broccoli and fortified fruit juices and breakfast cereals.
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Protein: Vital to nourishing your baby and creating new tissue.1 You need at least 60 milligrams per day from foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, peanut butter and tofu.
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Iron: Iron is essential to support your baby’s continually increasing blood volume.1 Make sure you get 30 milligrams per day by eating lean red meat, poultry, fish, nuts, spinach, tofu and dried fruits.
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Prenatal vitamin: Even if you eat right, you may miss out on important nutrients. Ask your doctor if you need any special supplements or vitamins.
1st Trimester
Month 2
Body Shop: How You’ll Change
Now is the time you’ll start feeling the effects of pregnancy. You may feel tired, have tender breasts and experience frequent urination and nausea.1
Your emotions may also be unpredictable and take you from being irritable one minute to elated the next. Whether you experience some of these or none at all, don’t worry-you’re normal!2
Mommy-Do List: Things to Do this Month
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Stock your kitchen with healthy foods.
-
Drink at least six to eight, eight-ounce glasses of water every day, plus another eight ounces
per hour of light activity.2 -
Look for prenatal exercise classes in your area.
-
Find out about your health insurance maternity coverage.
Nutrition Watch: Eating Right for Two
What you eat while you’re pregnant is important, but what you don’t eat is too. Take a look at this list of foods to beware of:
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Raw shellfish:
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Pâté
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Soft cheeses such as bleu cheese, feta, goat, brie and Camembert
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Unpasteurized milk and juices
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Undercooked or raw meats including hot dogs and deli meats
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Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs such as tiramisu and mousse
1st Trimester
Month 3
Body Shop: How You’ll Change
You’re likely to continue having many of your early pregnancy symptoms during the third month. You may also notice additional veins appearing on parts of your body as the blood supply increases. Your abdomen, along with your appetite, will probably get bigger by the end of the month.1
On the emotional front, things are still a little topsy-turvy as you swing from joy and happiness to fear and misgivings. It’s perfectly normal due to the hormonal changes occurring in your body and the very emotional event occurring in your life.1
Mommy-Do List: Things to Do this Month
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Water helps carry nutrients through your blood to the baby, so try to get at least eight eight-ounce glasses per day. Remember, caffeinated drinks like coffee, cola and tea are diuretics that can make you urinate more, and they count toward your total fluid intake.2
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Buy or borrow maternity clothes.
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Rearrange your schedule to make sure you get the rest you need.
Nutrition Watch: Eating Right for Two
You may resist the idea of gaining weight during pregnancy, but it’s important to your baby’s growth and development. The amount that should be gained varies from mom to mom, but here are some general guidelines to give you an idea. Your health care provider will help you decide what makes sense for you.3
Pre-pregnancy Weight |
Recommended Weight Gain |
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|---|---|---|
Underweight |
28 to 40 pounds |
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Normal weight |
25 to 35 pounds |
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Overweight |
15 to 25 pounds |
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If you’re expecting twins or triplets, you’ll likely need to gain more weight. Check with your health care provider to determine what’s right for you.3 |
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Nursery
Nursery