Doula Blog
All about Pregnancy, Birth, & Postpartum
Early pregnancy can be a time filled with many different emotions. I was so shocked and grateful to be pregnant that I didn't want to admit that pregnancy is tough. Your body is growing a literal human and that takes an enormous amount of energy. Make sure to give yourself grace in the process and the freedom to experience it in a balanced, rounded way. Pregnancy hormones (HCG, estrogen, progesterone to name a few) can produce a variety of symptoms. Each person experiences first trimester differently but here are some of the most common ones: Morning sickness (all day sickness for many), food cravings/aversions, frequent urination, insomnia, bloating, headaches, anxiety, feeling hot/heart beating faster, mood swings and fatigue. I decided to write this post as an encouragement to those in their first trimester. In my experience (I was 9 weeks pregnant as I started to compile these tips!) first trimester can be a time of great excitement, shock, joy, overwhelm and even loneliness. Many people choose to wait until the end of first trimester to tell family and friends and it can leave people feeling alone in their fatigue/nausea etc without experienced-mother-friends to lean onto for support. Many women don't see their midwife or OB until the 8-week mark or even later and that leaves many weeks of navigating the changes to your body on your own. These are some tips I've learned along the way and hope it is helpful to anyone going through first trimester keeping it a secret <3 You are seen, you are loved, you are capable, you are growing a human and that takes a lot of energy, emotion and sacrifice. You are incredible and your body was designed to create, grow, nourish and birth this baby <3 You are never alone. Tips for common pregnancy symptoms as outlined above that has worked (or at least helped A LOT) for me. Some may seem silly but if you're in the throws of first trimester like me, you might feel like trying anything to help you through. Also note that it is always wise to keep in communication with your midwife or OB and this is not prescriptive advice just encouragement and tips from what has been helping me. If you are dealing with more severe symptoms of any kind (mental or physical) always reach out to your provider for additional tips. Good luck!
Lastly, Know that first trimester symptoms largely go away by second trimester but that may not be at 12 weeks (like all the apps and friends say!!).. or 13.. or 14. For me I have felt much better since around 14.5 weeks and I am finally enjoying some long-awaited 2nd trimester bliss! You can do it! You are doing it. You are stronger than you think. You are the best mama for your baby. Blessings, Michaela Helpful encouraging video: (3) HOW TO SURVIVE THE FIRST TRIMESTER: My 10 Step Routine! - YouTube
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“Doulas empower you to make informed choices during pregnancy & birth and encourage you to trust in your body's ability to birth”
I have paused my doula business for now to pursue other roles (check out my About Me section to learn more!) so I have decided to share my template I created to help mothers and families start to envision their birth. I hope you find this to be a good launching pad for preparing for your birth! Let’s get started! Envisioning your baby’s birth…
This is a template to introduce different types of interventions & comfort measures. Some are specific to hospital settings. Feel free to ask me any questions to clarify options/help you make an informed decision when planning!
Consider including a line that says something similar to: THANK YOU to my nurses and doctors/midwives for taking such good care of me! I also encourage you to write (potentially on a different sheet of paper if birthing in a hospital) how you envision the space in terms of lighting (dim/bright), comfort measures you’d think you’d like/dislike, how you envision your partner/doula helping you, labor project? Postpartum planning? Etc. Use the birth support sheet as a guide! Remember, this is your body, birth, & baby. You always have a choice for interventions, place of birth, midwife or OB, and you can always change your mind. Creating a Birth Vision instead of a Birth Plan may allow you to be open minded to the unpredictability of birth. You can write this the way YOU WANT to. You can go into as much or little detail as you’d like. Sometimes, it is helpful to keep it less than one page double spaced and include only what you’d really like the doctors, nurses, midwives to know about you and your wishes. Medical providers, especially in the hospital, generally have more than one pregnant woman in labor so the more concise the more likely they are to read it, remember it and respect your desires. Happy birthing! Michaela |
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