TTC DC1, what to expect?

[Phosphene]

Hello,
My partner and I want to TTC as soon as possible after our wedding. A friend of mine is pregnant at the moment and she feels horrible. Tired, sick all the time, can't smell food... Please tell me not every pregnancy is like that. I am really worried that this will happen to me too.

Everyone is different! It's impossible to say what it will be like for you, sadly. But for what its worth I have had barely any symptoms with either pregnancy, bar extreme tiredness (am 23 weeks with #2).

Everyone's pregnancies are different, unfortunately my pregancy has been horrible - had HG, got flu, got norovirus, anaemia, vaginal prolapse... But I know so many other pregnant people at the moment and they have all breezed through it.
I'm 33 weeks now and feeling a lot better, and now I'm feeling better I could not be more excited about cuddling my baby for the first time

75% of pregnant women suffer morning sickness to some extent - that could be anything from a bit queasy to full-on vomiting and hospitalisation! It really is the luck of the draw, and being prepared for ways to ease it.

FWIW I had a very easy first pregnancy, virtually no nausea, no stretchmarks, no physical symptoms really except tiredness but I suffered badly with antenatal depression. So far this pregnancy I've been sick but no hormonal side effects!

It really is all worth it though, otherwise people wouldn't be crazy enough to do it more than once

The first hurdle is actually getting pregnant so I would try to concentrate on getting your BFP and try not to think too much beyond that. There is no way of knowing how your individual pregnancy will go so there is no point stressing abut what might or might not happen.

I am 24+2 with DC1 and I have found that setting little milestones which I don't think beyond is mentally very useful. I had MS from 7-16 weeks but it wasn't unmanageable and I was only actually sick about once a week. Visualising your baby at the end of it makes it all seem worthwhile.

If you haven't already, I found joining a TTC first baby thread on MN's conception board was very supportive to chat to other ladies in the same boat.

Good luck!

I read your title and thought what cavort said - making babies is not always as straightforward as you might think! Expect it to take a bit of time. (we thought it would be quick but we had underlying fertility problems).

Get prepared beforehand - make sure you're taking folic acid for three months before you start TTC. Concentrate on just having regular sex to start with (three times at week, every week). Get an idea of your cycle length and see what happens.

All pregnancies are different. I actually have had most of the symptoms you describe in your friend but wouldn't say I've had a bad pregnancy! Quite sick to start with - DH had to do most of the cooking for a while! - tired in the first trimester. Second trimester was generally good - baby starts kicking, you have more energy. Now I'm 33 weeks I'm tired and pretty ready to get this baby out but really, can't complain! :)

As everyone says, all pg are different. That being said, mine (in terms of morning sickness at least) has been almost identical to my mother's and my sister's. So you could try looking to your female blood relatives to get an indication of what yours might be like.

Good luck with TTC. As well as being prepared for it taking a long time, be prepared for it happening instantly (which it did with us, which is in itself quite emotionally challenging if you were expecting it to take a while!)