Your first trimester: what to expect
Common changes in weeks 1–12, early warning signs and how to start antenatal care on time.
In the first twelve weeks your body is doing enormous work, even when nothing shows yet. Tiredness, sore breasts, nausea and a sudden dislike of familiar smells are all common, and they usually ease by week 14.
Book your first antenatal visit as soon as you think you are pregnant. At that visit you will be weighed, your blood pressure taken, and you will be offered tests for anaemia, HIV and syphilis, plus iron and folic acid to start straight away.
Eat small meals often rather than three large ones, drink water through the day, and rest when your body asks. If you are vomiting so much that you cannot keep fluids down, that is not something to wait out.
Key points to remember
- 1Start antenatal care within the first 12 weeks.
- 2Begin iron and folic acid as soon as they are given to you.
- 3Small frequent meals settle nausea better than large ones.
When to get help
Go to a clinic straight away if you have vaginal bleeding, severe one-sided abdominal pain, fainting, or you cannot keep any fluid down.
Ask privately