Your First Trimester in the Covid 19 Pandemic
The first trimester of any woman’s pregnancy usually brings a mix of excitement, often disbelief, uncertainty and for some women, worry. Worry is often around hoping that the pregnancy continues- I see this so often with the women that I’ve worked with who’ve been trying to conceive for quite a while.
In April, 2020, being pregnant in your first trimester is a completely different experience to that which generations have ever experienced. The way a woman takes care of her mental, emotional and physical health is as important as ever. It’s a time of worry, change and uncertainty worldwide as social distancing is enforced, borders are closed and many workplaces and businesses are forced to shut down. Now, more than ever women need support as they’re entering a major time of transition- their journey into motherhood. Connection is a pivotal part of this.
There are so many beautiful changes taking place in the first trimester- an embryo is developing rapidly and has a fully functioning heart at around 6 weeks (wow) but the mother’s body is rapidly changing- hormonal changes, immune changes, changes to blood, kidney function and physical structure. All of this happens without a mother even having to think about it or make it happen.
Fear and worry can set our nervous system down a path that leads to the fight, flight or freeze response. During the first trimester I really want to help you exist in the exact opposite of this, where you’re operating from your parasympathetic nervous system and are able to relax and feel calm. This is so important for your mental health
While I could list a hundred (or more) different things you could possibly begin to work on right now I want to keep this simple and manageable so I just want to touch on three.
1. Trust that you and your baby are already working together as a team. Go all in and allow yourself to feel all the hope and excitement that may be there. If worry comes up, acknowledge it and then come back to the knowledge that your body is amazing. You could try repeating affirmations such as “I send love to my body and my baby”, “My hormones are in harmony to support pregnancy” and “My body and my baby know exactly what to do”. One day you mind find yourself saying this before you’ve even had to consciously stop and think it.
2. Make sure your body is in optimal health and that your receiving the best nutrition that you can so that you can help to manage any symptoms that come up. I suggest to all my mum’s that they aim to get 10-12 hours of sleep every 24 hours and one benefit for most people of not having a commute to work is that it may be more achievable now than ever to get to this magic number. Make sure you first trimester blood work is assessed from optimal levels so that your preparing your body to best handle the changes that are coming (feel free to reach out to me if you want me to help you with this).
3. Stay connected. Stop and ask yourself, what do you need to feel connected at this time of social distancing? This can vary for all of us based on our personalities and if we’re an introvert or extrovert. Human’s all need connection but the way this looks can be different for all of us so really check in with what you need right now.
It’s so important to me that you’re feeling supported so please reach out to me at jaclyn@jaclynharris.com if you know you need some further care and support.
To watch the full video talking through the importance of holistic First Trimester care now along with that from your midwife or OB then click on the picture below.
