Hormone changes play a big role in making you feel tired, especially the hormone progesterone. This hormone rises sharply in the first trimester. In addition, as blood volume increases to supply the developing placenta and fetal circulation, your heart pumps faster and stronger.
An increase in energy levels during the second trimester is often what leads expecting mothers to take advantage of this time by baby planning, setting up the nursery, and shopping for things your baby will need.
It's normal to feel fatigued and even exhausted during the first months of pregnancy. Fatigue, even extreme fatigue, is an early sign of pregnancy that nearly all women experience in the first trimester. It's also very normal in the third trimester, affecting an estimated 60 percent of all pregnant women.
Although experience with fatigue tends to vary, most women will feel more tired than usual during their pregnancy. Fatigue during pregnancy is most common during the first trimester. It tends to go away during the second trimester, but will usually return in the third trimester.
For many women, the extreme tiredness of the first trimester is quite a surprise. And it's an especially hard transition for those who are normally go-getters with lots of energy. Women who usually need only 6 hours of sleep at night often find they need nearly double that during these first weeks of pregnancy.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Sleeping for more than nine hours per night, without disturbance, during pregnancy may be associated with late stillbirth, according to US researchers. Their study suggested that maternal sleep habits, including lengthy periods of sleep without waking more than once in the night, may be associated with foetal health.
When you're pregnant, you need more of some nutrients, including protein, folate, iodine, iron and some vitamins. Vitamin B12 and vitamin D are also particularly important since they support the development of the baby's nervous system (B12) and skeleton (D).
Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).
Orange juice is good to drink while you're pregnant, but you should only have it when it is pasteurized and fortified with calcium. This is especially good to consume if you have high blood pressure or your obstetrician has told you that you are at risk for it—also known as preeclampsia—during your pregnancy.
Foods with carbohydrates are good to rapidly increase body energy levels. Along with carbs, foods high in fiber, protein, or healthy fats are excellent to provide longer-lasting energy. Ditch poor quick fixes and foods such as energy drinks, sugar candies etc. And include yourself to eating healthy food.
Bananas are one of the best foods for energy. They're packed full of energy-rich carbohydrates and contain potassium and vitamin B6, both associated with energy production. Eating just one banana before a 75km cycling trial has proven just as effective as drinking an endurance-boosting carbohydrate drink.
What vitamin provides the most energy? The eight B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, biotin, folate and B12) provide the most energy, as they aid in cell metabolism, help the body transform carbohydrates and fats into energy and carry energy-nutrients around the body.
At least 7 in 10 pregnant women have morning sickness in the first trimester (first 3 months) of pregnancy. It usually starts at about 6 weeks of pregnancy and is at its worst at about 9 weeks. Most women feel better in their second trimester, but some have morning sickness throughout pregnancy.
If you do start having cravings, it'll probably be in your first trimester (it could be as early as 5 weeks into pregnancy). They'll get stronger in your second trimester, and then eventually stop in your third trimester. Cravings come in all shapes and sizes. Some women crave fatty foods like chips.
At 10 weeks, you'll likely have had your first prenatal visit, where your healthcare provider has confirmed your pregnancy and assessed any risks. So, it might be a good time to share the news! But you may want to wait a couple more weeks when the risk of miscarriage is lower.
Your hormones in the third trimester
Estrogen and progesterone peak around 32 weeks and your estrogen levels are the highest they will ever be during this trimester—six times higher than before pregnancy, says Babicki-Farrugia. This is definitely the time to start taking your newborn checklist seriously.
Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.