The First Trimester Turmoil

Hey Loves! I am so excited that Carrie finally announced her pregnancy. We can now start to talk not only about maternity fashion but also pregnancy, health, and newborns. Becoming a mother is an unbelievable time in a woman’s life but it can be extremely intimidating and scary. As we help Carrie prepare for her new addition, we will make sure to help all of our FF mothers-to-be with amazing tips and blogs to make sure you know everything you need to know before bringing home your new little one.

Although these past three months have been filled with happiness and excitement for our new Forever Freckled addition, it has also been filled with frantic phone calls, scary moments, and tears. In my opinion, the first trimester is the hardest. We have to deal with the nausea, extreme fatigue, and the “chubby phase” along with a lot of uncertainty and fear. I remember being pregnant with Mason and being so overwhelmed with all the tests and what they meant. I can only imagine how hard it is for someone who is not in the medical field to understand the different tests and complications that can occur in the first trimester. So today I wanted to discuss some of the more common complications and tests that occur in the first trimester.

A chemical pregnancy – This is a complication that women are becoming more aware of because we are able to detect pregnancy as soon as 6 days before our missed period. A chemical pregnancy is a miscarriage that occurs during implantation and accounts for 50-75% of all first trimester miscarriages. A woman will get a positive pregnancy test but unfortunately start to bleed a few days after her expected period. The egg and the sperm come together but do not implant into the uterus. It is usually caused by chromosomal abnormalities. Unfortunately I have experience with chemical pregnancies. I had a miscarriage in between the birth of my amazing son Mason and my beautiful daughter Charlee. I am aware of the pain and stress this can cause. The best advice I can give is to remain positive and understand that it is not your fault. There are a lot of resources and help out there for you!

I am a carrier for a genetic disease – My sisters and I are of Jewish descent, so when we found out we were pregnant, we were tested to make sure we were not carriers of certain genetic diseases that are more common within the Jewish population. If your test indicates that you are a potential carrier of a certain genetic disease, DO NOT PANIC! Do not google the disease and assume your child is going to have it. Many of the genetic diseases require both you and your partner to be carriers before there is even a chance for your baby to have it. Even if both parents are carriers, it does not necessarily mean your child will have it. Take it one step at a time and speak to your doctor about how common the disease is and the mode of inheritance.

There is a new test that will let me know if I am having a boy or girl in the first trimester? – Yes! Although the non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) screening has become extremely trendy due to it ability to tell parents the gender of their baby earlier on in their pregnancy, it was actually designed and is utilized to detect Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. This cell-free fetal DNA test can be done as early as 11 weeks into your pregnancy. The test uses a blood sample to measure the relative amount of free fetal DNA in a mother’s blood. It is thought that the test can detect 99% of all Down syndrome pregnancies. You should speak to your doctor about whether it is covered by your insurance as it can be expensive!

These are the most common issues and questions about pregnancy that I get asked by friends and family, but it only covers a few of the many test you will have done. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor about other tests and common complications! Please email us with any new questions or topics you want to discuss! See you next Wednesday.