8 weeks pregnant whats normal?

[hippy3]

Hi I am eight weeks pregnant. And the last couple of weeks I have felt quite low. Which is REALLY unlike me. I am delighted that I am pregnant and my OH has been nothing but supportive, but I seem to have lost interest with everything. And can just about manage to do my 40 minute walk into work.
I have been feeling nauceous the last couple of weeks. And really itchy for some bizzare reason?

Also is it right that there are no changes physically until after 12 weeks...my stomach looks swollen! i am wondering if im going to be massive? I dont over eat i am veggie and I have a really healthy diet...so just wondering if this is normal....? :)

Anything and everything is normal and nothing is normal. By that I mean if you have no symptoms thats also normal! You may get symptoms mentioned in the books or you may get ones no one mentions! Apparently one of the earliest signs are nipple changes with bumps appearing round the outside- well I still don't have those bumps and I'm 36+5!

There can be lots of physical changes in the first 12 weeks or none at all. Most of the physical changes are how you feel and how your body is reacting to the massive spike in pregnancy hormones. Its normal to feel low and weepy. Its normal to be absolutely knackered and its normal to feel on top of the world with tonnes of energy. Horses for courses.

Swollen tummies are a sign of the increased progesterone hormone which can cause bloating. Just when that dies down, its replaced by a proper bump! I burped and passed wind for Britain and was really bloated. Its nothing to do with over eating. However, sipping warm water with ginger and having stuff like peppermint tea can help. Nausea and itching all common. You may also feel absolutely starving hungry and won't be able to get by on what you ate pre-pregnancy. Its not the time to diet, if you need to eat more, do, but if you can eat more and not eat total crap then do that . Have you joined an ante-natal thread to chat to some like minded people here?

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck x

Congrats hippy3.

I second Elsa it's all normal and nothing is normal.

As for the itching there is something called choleostasis (sp?) which is unlikely but I would mention it to your mw/gp at booking.

There are also plenty of past threads on here about itching this is a recent on www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1035517-mad-itchiness-burning-at-top-of-bump

I don't know what is normal, but I have also found that the middle part of the first trimester really brought me down, although,like you, I am delighted to be pregnant, have a lovely DH, etc. Although nausea and tiredness have been a pain, one symptom I found most difficult is that I seem quite depressed and I normally have no tendency for depression at all. It is not what I have expected, which is perhaps one of the reasons why I have been a bit worried as well.

However, I try to rationalise it, not worry too much and hope it will get better soon. I am now 10+3 and my will to live is slowly edging its way back :).

I've been a bit up and down hormonally right from the start. I'm 18+4 at the mo and still have this to some extent. I also can relate to the general feeling of not being interested in normal stuff, but I think this for me mainly relates to me being tired and only feeling like I have enough energy (physically and mentally) for a limited amount of 'stuff'.

I also had a bigger tummy at about 10 weeks, not a bump, but just really uncomfortable in normal clothes, ended up secretly unbuttoning jeans when sat down etc!

One of the things that I hated about the early months but that is a bit better now is that everything tasted and smelt weird. I had a really strong sense of smell, and anything I ate tasted odd, and as a real foodie this was a bit cr@p really.

As others have said, everything is normal and nothing is normal, as everybody really is different and we all manage things differently. I am usually quite upbeat and so do struggle a bit with the 'blues' that I have at the mo, as I just feel a bit low and sorry for myself, but am not used to feeling this way so am being a bit pathetic with it really!

I also struggled with the waiting for stuff. You find out you're pregnant and it's life-changing and you want to be pro-active and 'do' stuff to prepare for this massive change, but there's so much you can't do as things take time. E.g. waiting for 12 week scan was interminable, and now am waiting for 20 weeks and it also feels like it's ages away. To be honest, apart from taking folic acid and not drinking, the only thing that I did immediately on finding out I was pregnant was join mumsnet as I realised I knew nothing about pregnancy or babies!

So I can sympathise, sometimes I feel special and excited about the life within me and sometimes I feel ambivalent about pregnancy in general (although I'm really happy to be having a baby). I do also find the constant worry drags me down a bit, as it's not stuff that I can 'fix' which is my normal approach to things that worry me.

D

Just realise that my post is tres depressing. I'm not moping about all day honest! just have a few ups and downs. I think we probably all do!

D

Not depressing Deliaskis.. nice to know I'm not the only one feeling bleurgh. All I seem to say is 'I don't feel like it' :(

I've been growing tomato plants since the spring and doted on them and they've been thriving and since I've found out I'm pregnant I just don't care... in fact they've all died. Goodness, hope I'm better at nurturing baby than I am plants.. just don't seem to get excited about much. I think it's a combination of feeling knackered and worry. I always go into hibernation when I'm worrying about stuff and I seem to have worried a lot about things going wrong since finding out I'm pregnant. Having said that I had a good day on Sunday and gave the kitchen a good tidy up and made a roast dinner.. must energetic I've felt for a couple of months so perhaps it's passing!

lucieloo LOL at your tomato plants, it reminded me of a friend whose DH said he didn't think they should get a puppy until she could remember to keep her mobile phone charged!

'I don't feel like it' is how I feel too, I am forcing myself to do stuff but really....I don't feel like it!

Having spent most of my twenties swearing I would never be a whingeing pregnant woman, I think I may actually be one after all!

D

Meant to say actually weekends I feel a lot better, and I think it's because I can have naps etc. and do stuff just for me rather than for work/Brownies/general survival (i.e. up, eat, work, home, eat, bed). Sunday I made a Christmas cake and roast dinner so that was a nice day!

D

Worse, I can't even be bothered to throw away their dried up brown carcasses!

But you're right weekends are better, I had a good weekend, went out for a walk and got some fresh so definitely think it's starting to get better. I'm 11+2 at the moment and feel better than I did at 8 weeks so hippy3 I think what you are feeling is very normal :)

I can't be arsed doing anything and I'm 24 weeks.

This is my first pregnancy - I started showing at about 8 weeks too so that's nothing to worry about, I felt a but better after my 12 week scan because it all feels more 'real'. I felt generally yukky but I know some lucky people who haven't really felt anything (which is also 'normal').

Having now had my 12 week session with my midwife I would really monitor your 'low' feelings. Everyone is really aware of post-natal depression and on the look out for it but you can also suffer from depression in pregnancy and it's more common than you might think.

Monitor how you're feeling, if you feel that you're feeling low for a high percentage of the time or it's accompanied by feelings of hopelessness then go and see your GP (better safe than sorry), they may get you involved with your midwife a bit earlier which may help (the first scan is a big stepping stone) or they may decide on a course of treatment that will help.

Good luck! x

I am 7 weeks and worry about everything and by Wednesday I am shattered after only 3 days of my working week I panic about how can I hope until May so hoping it gets getter.

I also recommend joining a tread for people at the same stage as you; I found it really helps me not feel so isolated and 'un-normal'

At eight weeks I felt dreadful as I had constant nausea and I was so tired al the time. I couldnt concentrate on anything at work and became incredibly unproductive. Anything you feel is normal as you are feeling it. Try not to worry and relax and just treat yourself and indulge in sleep or naps or foods you like etc when you need to. Its a long road ahead and you will need the energy. Good Luck and Congratulations.

I am 8 + 2 and sooooooooo tired - could seriously sleep for Britain! I feel quite lethargic and 'cba' too. I am 'between jobs' at the moment and am so grateful that i can have a lie in and take it easy. I never thought i would be pleased to not be working but it has been really useful!

I am also very windy/burpy (rather embarrassing in public ) and feel like I am eating cotton wool rather than food sometimes.

So good to read these messages. I am 7+3 and it feels like the time is dragging. I'm absolutely shattered and incredibly windy / burpy but besides that, not much else. Started feeling pukey as soon as I wake up but the key thing is the lethargy. I am finding it hard to get through my working day! Heaven knows how I am going to work over the next eight months!

Have my first scan scheduled for 10 + 3 weeks and am petrified they won't find anything there. Keep waiting for twinges that will indicate a MC or an ectopic pregnancy. Wish I could at least be talking about it to people.