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Jen Russum

You are here: Home / Narratives of Grace / The First Trimester

The First Trimester

January 13, 2015

Now that I’m 18 weeks pregnant, I’m finally getting around to documenting the first trimester of this pregnancy…
I took ZERO bump pics during the first trimester, but here is our family of four when I was 13 weeks.
Overall, it was a fairly easy trimester compared to what some women experience at the start of pregnancy. However, it was definitely not as smooth as with Zianne. I felt nauseated for weeks 6-9 and really struggled to find food that sounded appetizing. One night I finally made this honey garlic chicken recipe that I had pinned ages ago, but by the time I had it on the table I could barely bring myself to look at it, much less eat it. As Micah and Kayla were raving about the recipe, I got up suddenly, spit my current bite into the trash can, and went to lie down on my bed in the dark. I have never thrown up during pregnancy, but I got very close to breaking the streak that night. I also struggled a bit more with fatigue this pregnancy. I didn’t really feel tired throughout the day like many women do, but I would fade so quickly in the evening. Zianne goes to bed around 8pm, and many nights I would put her down and then have to coax myself to stay up past 9pm. I am a night owl by nature, so this was a strange feeling for me.
I also hilariously ran two 5Ks during my first trimester. I ran the first one with all the girls in my community group when I was four weeks. I had no idea I was pregnant and was annoyed that I ran about a minute slower than I usually do. I immediately signed up for another race the following month to “beat” my slow time. Joke was on me. I found out I was pregnant a few days later, and then had to mentally and physically prepare myself for another race at 9 weeks since I had already paid for it and roped a few friends into running with me. I did NOT beat my time, but I was only two seconds slower which I was actually kind of impressed by.
The other strange thing that happened during the first trimester was that my hip started hurting me the DAY AFTER I found out I was pregnant. I had significant hip problems at the end of my pregnancy with Zianne, and at five and a half weeks pregnant I started experiencing the same type of pain this time. I went to the chiropractor and I’ve been feeling better, but it’s official that the relaxin hormone and my hips do not get along. I’m hoping regular chiropractic appointments throughout this pregnancy prevent me from running into major hip pain later on.
So that is how my first trimester went down. It wasn’t as easy as last time, but overall I seem to be blessed with really smooth pregnancies. {Although my second trimester has been throwing me for a loop… but more on that later!}

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Comments

  1. Christy

    January 13, 2015 at 2:40 PM

    I am SO eager to find out the similarities and differences between my previous pregnancy and my future ones, and between Grayson and my future babies!! Now that it's possibly in the near(ish) future, I think about it a lot! In a way, I wish someone could guarantee me that everything will be the exact same. While it wasn't easy all the time, I also had a fairly uneventful pregnancy and Grayson has always been an easy baby (save for STILL not sleeping through the night!). But on the other hand, it's exciting to think about a brand new experience and all the wonder that comes with learning about your new baby who is a unique individual! I'm so excited for you and can't wait to follow along again! 🙂

Hi. I’m Jen Russum and this blog is where I’ve been sharing narratives of God’s grace for more than a decade now. Some might say “blogs are dead” but I’m waiting for them to come back around like mom jeans and 90s flannel. I enjoy my coffee iced, my summers hot, and my dinner parties long with lots of laughter. I process all of life’s deepest, darkest, and happiest moments by writing essays in my head. When I have the time, some of these essays get typed up and shared here. I’ve always loved to write, and I hope my words bring you joy and encouragement.

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