During the first 6 to 10 weeks of your pregnancy, your body goes through many changes. Your baby grows very quickly, even though you can’t feel it yet. You may start to feel different, both in your body and your emotions. Because each pregnancy is unique, there’s no right way to feel. You may feel the healthiest you’ve ever been, or you might feel tired or sick to your stomach (“morning sickness”).
These early weeks are a time to make healthy choices and to eat the best foods for you and your baby.
This is also a good time to think about birth defects testing. These are tests done during pregnancy to look for possible problems with the baby. First-trimester tests for birth defects can be done between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the test. Talk with your doctor about what kinds of tests are available.
How can you care for yourself at home?
Eat well
Go to Canada’s Food Guide at https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/ to make sure you are eating a variety of foods each day. In your second and third trimesters most women will need to eat more of these healthy foods for healthy weight gain. Talk to your doctor or midwife about what is right for you.
Eat at least 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks every day. Eat fresh, whole foods, including:
- Vegetables and fruits. Be sure to include a variety of colors. Try pears, apples, berries, broccoli, cabbage, and leafy greens.
- Whole grain foods. Enjoy a variety of whole grains including quinoa, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, oatmeal, or brown rice.
- Protein foods. Try protein foods like eggs, beans, fish, poultry, lean meat, peanut butter, milk, fortified soy beverages, yogurt, and cheese.
- Healthy fats. Choose foods with healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish, and corn or olive oil.
Drink plenty of fluids. Make water your drink of choice. Avoid sodas and other sweetened drinks.
Choose foods that have important vitamins for your baby, such as calcium, iron, and folate.
- Dairy products, tofu, canned fish with bones, almonds, broccoli, dark leafy greens, corn tortillas, and fortified orange juice are good sources of calcium.
- Beef, poultry, liver, spinach, lentils, dried beans, fortified cereals, and dried fruits are rich in iron.
- Dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, liver, fortified cereals, orange juice, peanuts, and almonds are good sources of folate.
Choose fish that are lower in mercury. These include salmon, rainbow trout, pollock, herring, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, and canned “light” tuna.
Cope with morning sickness
- Sip small amounts of water, juices, or shakes. Try drinking between meals, not with meals.
- Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. Try dry toast or crackers when you first get up, and eat breakfast a little later.
- Avoid spicy, greasy, and fatty foods.
- When you feel sick, open your windows or go for a short walk to get fresh air.
- Try nausea wristbands. These help some people.
- Tell your doctor or midwife if you think your prenatal vitamins make you sick.
Things to consider
There are several things you should avoid while you’re pregnant. Take notice to follow this list of warnings. Talk to your doctor if you need help.
- Don’t smoke or be around people who do smoke. Smoking raises your risk for miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, and other health problems.
- Don’t use drugs. Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and other drugs increase your risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and birth defects. Your baby could be born addicted to the drug you’ve been abusing. This is called neonatal abstinence syndrome. It can cause severe health problems for your baby.
- Don’t drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol is the major cause of preventable birth defects, including fetal alcohol disorder.
- Don’t clean your cat’s litter box or eat raw or undercooked red meat. You could get toxoplasmosis, a disease that can cause birth defects.
- Don’t douche. Your vagina doesn’t require cleansing in addition to normal bathing. Douching disrupts the helpful bacteria that keep your vagina clean.
When to see a doctor
Call your doctor if you have:
- Blood or fluid coming from your vagina.
- Sudden or extreme swelling of your face or fingers.
- Headaches that are severe or won’t go away.
- Nausea and vomiting that won’t go away.
- Dizziness.
- Dim or blurry vision.
- Severe pain or cramps in your lower abdomen.
- Chills or fever.
- A change in your baby’s movements.
- Less urine or burning when you urinate.
- An illness or infection.
- Any other symptoms that bother you.
Questions to ask your doctor
- What medicines can I take during pregnancy?
- When should I start taking a prenatal vitamin? What kind is best?
- How much folic acid do I need to take each day?
- How can I prevent or reduce swelling?
- How much weight should I gain while pregnant