First Trimester Recap

HOW WE FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT 

After the miscarriage in the spring, we were intentional to make trying again very low pressure and just be patient for the right timing. Anyone who has tried to get pregnant knows that the several week waiting period to see if you’re pregnant can feel like an eternity. Noah and I had been wanting to get tattoos together, so we went ahead and booked appointments. The day before our appointment, my cycle was late and I just had that feeling. So, I went ahead and bought a test. Guess who didn’t get a tattoo the next day? 

FINDING OUT I WAS PREGNANT WITH TWINS 

When I had my miscarriage, we found out at my first sonogram at 9 weeks. When I had my first sonogram for this pregnancy at 6 weeks, we came in with zero expectations and guarded emotions. What a surprise when my doctor turned the screen around to show not only baby A, but a baby B too! We could see two distinct sacs and hear both heartbeats which was a HUGE relief and milestone we hadn’t been able to experience yet. We’ve always joked about having twins, little did we know it would be a reality. 

SYMPTOMS 

Looking back, the first symptom I had was that I was starving all the time. I couldn’t sleep through the night without waking up hungry (which I’ve never dealt with before). Overall, first trimester was ROUGH. I was completely exhausted, dealt with very bad nausea, and had a lot of dizziness. However, anyone who’s had a previous loss knows that bad symptoms are something to be thankful for. When we found out I had two babies in there, my extreme sickness made a little more sense (it can be common for the symptoms to be worse with multiples). As a very active and social person, this time period was difficult because I had to say no to a lot of things and just push through the things I couldn’t say no to. I told a lot of close friends early on, but it is a difficult thing to make excuses for being out of it without sharing the news.

FAQ SO FAR… 

Did you do IVF?
NOPE! They were spontaneous twins!

Are they identical?
They are di-di twins (one of the many terms I didn’t know until I found out I was pregnant with twins haha) so we will not know until they are either different genders (automatic fraternal) or until after they’re born. 

What kind of twins are they?
If you aren’t familiar with twins, you’re probably not aware of there being more to twins than them being identical or fraternal. I didn’t know much more until we were on this journey! Our twins are di/di (dichorionic/diamniotic). This simply means that they are completely separate in the womb, with separate chorions and their own amniotic sac. My doctor quickly assured me that this is the safest type of twin pregnancy with the least amount of complications.

Do twins run in your family?
Yes, actually! We’ve always kind of joked about the possibility of having twins but never truly imagined it would become our reality.

Are you going to find out the gender?
Absolutely, I’m too much of a planner to wait! We actually found out last week at my anatomy scan so I will post the genders with my second trimester recap.

What’s different about a twin pregnancy?
Obviously every pregnancy is unique but the biggest things have just been extra doctor appointments (since any pregnancy with multiples is automatically considered high risk). A lot of people say that twin pregnancies can have much worse morning sickness, which I feel like I felt that during my first trimester haha. In general I’m measuring bigger than average but it wasn’t necessarily visibly noticeable during the first trimester. The biggest differences will definitely become evident the further we get into the pregnancy.

WHAT I LOVED DURING THE FIRST TRIMESTER

• Belly bands: Since you aren’t ready for maternity clothes in the first trimester, belly bands are the perfect way to make your jeans last a little longer when your bloating really bad. Plus, they can offer support if you are having early round ligament pains. You can get belly bands pretty cheap but I went ahead and splurged on one from BLANQI with extra support since I knew I would need later in the pregnancy.
• My bedside snack stash: Since I kept waking up in the night hungry and because eating in the morning before getting out of bed helped with morning sickness, this thing was a life saver! This bedside stash was filled with granola bars, different types of crackers, pretzels, and fruit snacks. 
• Ginger gum: To help with nausea throughout the day, I kept packs of this gum everywhere from my bedroom to my car. You can buy ginger gum at a lot of health stores but I bought these off Amazon.
• Smoothies: Because I couldn’t stomach much food, smoothies were a food I could actually look forward to and they made me feel good about getting some nutrition in my body (in addition to prenatal vitamins). 
• The Bump and What To Expect Apps: Since you aren’t showing yet and first trimester sonograms are minimal, pregnancy apps are a great way to understand what your body and baby is doing each week. Download those here and here.