6 Tips for Your First Trimester during Surrogacy
As a gestational carrier, you probably already know what it’s like to go through the journey of pregnancy. However, after you’ve decided to help another family achieve their dreams of having children, preparing yourself mentally and physically for the changes your body will go through is important. During your first trimester of pregnancy, there are a lot of ways to increase wellbeing for both you and the child you will be carrying.
Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado is here to outline some helpful tips for your first trimester.
6 Tips for Your First Trimester
Pregnancy is a journey that gestational carriers selflessly undergo to help intended parents who may not be able to have children of their own. While Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado understands that pregnancy may be difficult on your body at times, these tips for your first trimester should help to make the process as smooth as possible. From self-care tips to when to see a doctor, there are numerous ways to help:
- Find a doctor you are comfortable with for prenatal visits
Prior to your first trimester, it’s important to make sure you have a doctor you feel comfortable with seeing for the rest of your pregnancy. This will help you establish trust in them, especially since they will be supporting you throughout your gestational journey. It can be difficult if you don’t feel confident in their experience, or if they seem off-put by your choice in any way. Once you have done this, be sure to schedule your prenatal visits at least once a month, or every four weeks, during your first trimester. In these visits, you can discuss all of the important aspects of your pregnancy to ensure all is well. Seeking prenatal care as early as possible is a great way to help ensure that the baby will be born healthy.
- Manage symptoms of morning sickness
Morning sickness is a very common phenomenon that often occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. The main symptoms of morning sickness include nausea and vomiting, and there are many home remedies to address them. However, it’s best to speak to a healthcare professional if you are experiencing symptoms. Some women feel that ginger and vitamin B6 are excellent options for helping reduce their symptoms, but speak to a doctor first.
- Keep your body active with low-impact exercise
Doctors recommend that women in their first trimester get approximately two and a half hours of exercise per week. Just be sure that for this duration of time you stick to low-impact exercises, such as swimming, walking, and yoga. All of these activities decrease the risk of overexertion or too much fatigue. While exercising is very beneficial during your first trimester, remember to know your limits and pace yourself accordingly.
- Take a good nap when you need it
As a gestational carrier, you probably already know that the first trimester of pregnancy can be quite tiring. There will be nights where good sleep may be difficult to come by. If that is the case, indulging in a good nap will help you feel much more rested. Finding time in your day to squeeze in a quick nap could be extremely helpful in reducing the fatigue associated with first trimester pregnancy.
- Make sure to stay fed and hydrated
The saying that you are eating enough for two during pregnancy definitely holds true to some extent. However, during your first trimester, you don’t need to double the amount of food that you are eating. Approximately 300 extra calories is just enough to help feed the baby. Ensuring that you are eating nutrient-rich foods and drinking enough water will not only keep you and the baby healthy, but it will also help you to feel more energetic.
- Invest in comfortable bras and clothing
The first trimester of pregnancy may also be associated with tender breasts and some weight gain. Therefore, investing in comfortable bras and clothing could make a world of difference in how you feel in your day-to-day life. Having a store associate recommend their best items for comfort is one way to find great clothes. As your pregnancy progresses, maternity clothing may be the most fitting option for your wardrobe.
During your first trimester of pregnancy, your body is undergoing many changes. It’s important to ensure that you are staying active and healthy to help ensure that the baby will be as well. Prior to the pregnancy, make sure to discuss expectations and involvement with the intended parents to help prevent any confusion.
Are You in Need of Advice as a Gestational Carrier?
If you are preparing for your journey as a gestational carrier, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado is here to support you. Along with tips for your entire pregnancy, we will make sure you have legal representation, medical care, and hands-on support throughout the entire surrogacy process. We also have resources to help match gestational carriers with fitting intended parents! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information or with any questions that you may have.
If you are interested in surrogacy and want to learn more about your options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Call us: 720-371-1099, Call or Text us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Ashley Nies is an undergraduate student at Stanford University who is studying Human Biology and Political Science. Ashley is largely interested in various aspects of health and healthcare, and writes about these topics. She has taken classes on rhetoric, ethics and social media in health, as well as other creative writing classes during her freshman year at Stanford.
Ashley is from Las Vegas, Nevada, and considers herself to be fun-loving and adventurous. She values the importance of combining STEM with liberal arts education and hopes to integrate these in her writing.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!