1ST Trimester - 0 - 12 Weeks
We all know that your body changes during pregnancy and two changes we can see very early into pregnancy are larger breasts and a slight belly. Have you thought about what the body is doing internally to support the growth of a baby throughout a pregnancy?
A lot of the time a woman may not even realise she is pregnant during the first 4 -6 weeks of the 1st Trimester. During this time, the baby's spine is developing which is a critical time of the pregnancy and considered to be the most dangerous time for miscarriage.
During my 1st Trimester I felt very fatigued and always remember falling asleep on the sofa in the middle of the afternoon which is something I would never normally do. When I fell pregnant I wasn't aware that the body requires no extra kilojoules during the 1st and 2nd Trimesters and found myself indulging in larger portions at meal times and eating foods that I perhaps would not have eaten before know I was pregnant.
How the Mum to be is feeling: -
- Fatigue, Nausea, Vomiting (morning sickness) - usually same time each day
- Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar
- Increase Urination - due HCG hormone
- Reflux / Indigestion
- May experience nose bleeds, gum bleeding due to extra blood and elasticity of veins
More changes in the body include:-
- Up to 30% more blood
- Resting Heart Rate increases by 10 -15 Beat Per Minute
- Cardiac Output can increase by up to 50% during pregnancy
- Decreased oxygen intake so it is harder for you to breath
- Relaxin Hormone is released during pregnancy which softens joints and ligaments particularly around the pelvis ready for the birth of the baby.
Kegels Exercises - Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles
It is recommended that women begin Pelvic Floor Exercises at the beginning of their pregnancy and continue to do these until the birth of the baby. Kegels are used to strengthen pelvic floor muscles which in turn prevent or treat urinary stress and incontinence that affects 70% of women.
For more information read part 3 of our 3 part series or contact Vision Personal Training Prahran
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
