CONGRATULATIONS on Your Pregnancy
When your excitement turns into ‘help there is so much to think about’ – you need a list and a plan. Here are some of the things you can add to your 1st trimester to do list.
Begin Managing Your Current Lifestyle
Make your day to day activities pregnancy safe. The 1st trimester is a dynamic change for your body. Change what you can change to help manage both physical and emotional stressors.
- Prolonged walking, standing or bending may need to be modified, especially in the 1st and 3rd trimesters.
- Work deadlines and responsibilities may need to be more flexible if morning sickness, fatigue or dizziness occur.
- This is a good time to look at your food choices.
- Look at your exercise routine and in general, at this stage be guided by how you feel on the day. If you are planning on beginning an exercise programme
do something you enjoy, preferably with fresh air and friends. Make it ‘your peaceful time’ and most importantly set your goals gently. Pregnancy is not the time when you set out to ‘get fit’. Remember, a little does a lot!
- Be aware of chemicals in your environment eg. gardening or doing housework.
- Check you are drinking chemical free water, avoid fluoride and filter out chlorine.
- Stop Smoking and Alcohol Intake and Minimise Caffeine
Decide When to Announce Your Pregnancy
This is a good one to sort out early on and is a personal decision. Close family, extended family, close friends, other friends, the boss, work mates – the world!! Make a time line for when you want to confirm their speculation!
Time Line Your Appointments With Your Care Provider – discuss the antenatal blood test and whether or not you will have the fourteen week ultrasound scan.
Start Taking Belly Photos – if you want to. A week by week, or month by photo journal, is a sweet little idea.
- Choose clothing you can wear for all of your pregnancy to show your growing baby bump eg. a tube dress or stretchy fitting top
- Pick the same spot for each photo
Collecting Nursery Items and Baby Needs
Make a list of everything you would like to set up your nursery, and how you can budget for it. eg. borrowed, second hand, home made or gifted. Don’t forget to budget in nappies; there are several options and all of them are expensive.
Finally, in the 1st trimester, begin your baby names list and don’t share it with ANYONE. If you need some inspiration you may find some here.
Happy Planning.