First Trimester Diaries: Weeks 7-13

I can’t believe I’m already through my first trimester. Weeks 7 through 13 felt like a mix of fast-forward and slow motion – some days flew by, while others asked me to slow down in ways I wasn’t expecting. This stage brought a whole new wave of experiences, from the first real symptoms to the quiet moments where it all started to feel real.

There were highs, there were harder days, and a lot of learning in between. But more than anything, I feel incredibly grateful to be on this journey. These weeks stretched me, surprised me, and reminded me just how much can change in such a short time. Here’s a look into what weeks 7–13 really felt like for me.

Week 7

Week 7 was when everything started to feel very real. This was the first week I truly experienced all the classic pregnancy symptoms people talk about. I was constantly hungry, but at the same time, every single food sounded awful. Even just thinking about certain foods would make me feel sick. I pretty much lived off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crackers, and coconut yogurt with fruit and granola because those were the only things I could tolerate. And the bloating… it came out of nowhere and was honestly insane lol. I swear I looked four months pregnant just from the bloat — I’m not even exaggerating. I definitely had to get strategic with my outfits, sticking to oversized tops and loose-fitting jeans to hide my “bump.” Honestly, thank goodness for the chilly, rainy spring weather in Pittsburgh because it made it so much easier to bundle up and keep things under wraps haha. Surprisingly, my energy this week was actually pretty good. I challenged myself to walk for an hour a day on the treadmill no matter what, and it felt really doable. Staying active throughout my pregnancy is something that’s important to me, and this felt like a realistic goal to stick to. Anything extra, like Pilates or getting in more steps just felt like a bonus! I also decided to get a private ultrasound and pay out of pocket for it ($80). My insurance wasn’t able to get me in for an ultrasound until the end of May, and I was feeling really anxious to just know that everything was okay and see a heartbeat. I went through Peek a View in Pittsburgh (North Hills), and they were amazing. The experience was so calming & the ultrasound tech was such a pro, overall it gave me and my husband Luke so much peace of mind. We were able to see our baby, and everything looks healthy so far. The heartbeat measured at 158, which was such a huge relief and an emotional moment I won’t forget. It felt so good to finally have that reassurance while waiting for my official appointment.

Week 8

Week 8 brought my first OB appointment, which felt like such a big milestone. I did find out that my current doctor who I absolutely LOVE no longer delivers babies, which I was honestly pretty sad about! But overall, the appointment itself was really informative. They officially confirmed my pregnancy with bloodwork and a urine test, which made everything feel even more real. Also… somehow I went my whole life not knowing my blood type lol. I found out I’m A+, which means I’m Rh positive and thankfully low risk, so I won’t need the Rhogam shot. My doctor also recommended a new group of female doctors that I’ll be seeing throughout my pregnancy and who will ultimately deliver my baby, along with the hospital she thinks is the best fit for me. As someone who struggles with anxiety, being able to talk through all of those details made such a difference. It gave me a sense of clarity and comfort moving forward. I really trust her opinion, so I’m feeling excited (and honestly relieved) to meet my new doctors soon and continue this journey with a team I feel good about. Week 8 felt much better symptom-wise compared to week 7. My nausea and bloating improved significantly, and I started to feel a bit more like myself again. I’ve been trying to take each day as it comes, because I’m learning just how quickly things can change from one day to the next and that’s okay. More than anything, I just feel incredibly grateful for a healthy baby and this experience overall.

Week 9

Week 9 felt like a turning point because my nausea went away — truly a miracle. I still had a few food aversions though, and meat was especially unappealing this week. Chicken and ground beef were both giving me the ick, so I’ve mostly been living off carbs and fruit since they’re the only things that sound good right now. I also had my first appointment with my new OB office and got to meet a few of the doctors. The whole experience made me feel really taken care of, and the office itself was so nice and updated, which made me feel even more comfortable. Luke came with me, and we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat together. It was our first official medical ultrasound, and the doctor confirmed that the baby is measuring right on track, which was such a relief and so exciting to hear. I also got the paperwork for my bloodwork for the NIPT test, which I’ll be doing during week 11. Luke and I decided we do want to find out the baby’s gender, so we’ll be able to learn that through the test along with some additional health information. We’re praying for healthy results and trusting that everything continues to look good for our sweet baby!

Week 10

Not much changed during week 10 besides ongoing bloating and food aversions. My energy also came in waves – some days I felt totally fine, and other days I felt like I could barely get through the day. It still felt very early and unpredictable, which I think is just part of this stage.

Week 11

During week 11, I was finally cleared to do my NIPT test, so I went in for bloodwork. I ended up having several additional labs done that my doctors recommended, and they took twelve vials of blood, which felt like a lot more than I expected. I’ve never had that much bloodwork done at once before, so I left feeling a little lightheaded and spent the rest of the day resting and trying to stay hydrated.

This week was also a bit anxiety inducing because I was waiting on results and checking my phone constantly. It took about a week to hear back, which felt like forever in the moment.

Week 12

Luke and I got the call from our doctor that all of our tests came back normal and that we had a healthy baby. That moment was such a huge relief for both of us! Honestly one of those “exhale” moments you don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath for. We were also given access to our results through the patient portal and found out we could see the baby’s gender there. We decided to look together, and we both had a feeling it was a boy going in… and we were right!! We’re having a baby boy due in December!

Week 13

By week 13, I finally felt ready to start sharing the news with family and close friends. It made everything feel even more real. We surprised my parents with a cake from my favorite bakery in Pittsburgh, Oakmont Bakery, that said “baby” on the outside and when they cut into it, it was filled with blue icing. They were completely shocked and so excited to become grandparents. From there, my parents basically ended up telling the rest of the family like a game of telephone lol. We also surprised Luke’s parents in a similar way, with cupcakes that had the same reveal. They were so emotional and happy & it was such a special moment.

Telling both sides of our family & our friends has been one of the most meaningful parts of this experience so far. We feel really lucky to be so supported and surrounded by so much excitement for this little boy!

xo, hannah