First Trimester

You - Month 1

Prenatal Care Appointment

During your first month, you should have your first prenatal care appointment. (You'll have a prenatal care appointment each month until month 9, when your appointments will become weekly.) At this month's appointment, your health care provider will exam you to confirm your pregnancy and assess your health status, record your complete medical history, and give you some routine tests. You may be given some of the following common prenatal tests:

• a pregnancy test
• a blood test to determine your blood type and to check for anemia
• urinalysis to screen for sugar, protein, white blood cells, blood, and bacteria
• blood screens to determine immunity to diseases such as rubella
• tests to disclose the presence of sexually transmitted infections and some other diseases
• genetic tests for sickle-cell anemia or Tay-Sachs disease
• a Pap smear for the detection of cervical cancer
• a gestational diabetic screening test

The tests you receive will depend on your personal and family medical history, so don't be concerned if your doctor does not perform all of the above tests.

Physical Symptoms

During your first month of pregnancy, you may begin to experience certain signs and symptoms of pregnancy: you may experience fatigue and sleepiness, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, food aversions or cravings, and/or breast changes. You may experience all of them, just a few, or none of them (if your lucky!).

Emotional Symptoms

Emotionally, you may feel irritable, have mood swings, may act irrationally, and be quick to cry. It is also common to have a variety of feelings about being pregnant, including misgivings, fear, joy, and elation.

Want to chat? Stop by our Pregnancy chat room.

Want more? Add your due date to your list of calendar events for a look into your pregnancy day-by-day!

Next: Month 2 - Your Baby >>