hi everyone i'm dr kirby orban and i'm a pediatrician and i'm dr sarah bjorkman and
i am an ob gyn so we've been going through pregnancy ourselves documenting week by week
everything that's going on with us working to bring high quality medical information about all
things pregnancy to you and a lot of the topics we've covered over the past three months have
kind of been talking to the pregnant mamas out there and so this week we wanted to do
something a little different as we're nearing the end of our very own first trimester we're
going to take off our white coats to tell you everything a partner needs to know to be
prepared for the first trimester so mamas go grab your partner because this episode is all for them
for all of you who find yourself in the role of dad partner or support person in pregnancy
this episode is for you your partner's journey to becoming a mama may feel like
a wild and crazy ride but know that even though you aren't the star of the show
um you play an incredible supporting role in this pregnancy
so to help you help this mama to be we're gonna give you a little bit of information in the next
couple of minutes about baby's development all the changes that are going on with mom herself
and even a couple tips about how you can be a loving and supportive partner along the way
so first let's talk about the basics pregnancy is counted in weeks and your little human is expected
around week 40 aka your due date those 40 weeks of pregnancy are then split into three trimesters and
the first trimester spans from conception until 13 weeks and six days so what's happening with baby
as it turns out some pretty amazing things happen with babies development during this first
trimester it all starts with one egg and one sperm meeting in a fallopian tube and then six to nine
days later you've got an embryo implanting in the uterus where babies gonna grow and develop over
the next nine plus months by week five there's a beating heart for baby by week eight babies got
hands and feet eyes and ears developing and then by the end of the first trimester babies
starting to look like well a baby um they've got fingers toes a nose and they are even starting to
move around in the uterus these movements probably can't be felt yet by mom but you could definitely
see them on an ultrasound at this time yeah some other fun facts about baby by the end of the first
trimester is they're starting to pee starting to yawn and may even be sucking on their thumb
so let's talk about what's going on with mom the big changes you can expect to see in your partner
during this first trimester are both emotional and physical finding out you're pregnant can be
one of the most exciting and also fearful times in a woman's life yeah and so these emotions whether
positive or even seemingly negative are totally normal and you as partner are in a very unique and
special place that allows you to offer support comfort and encouragement that no one else can
so in terms of the physical stuff by six weeks is usually around the time those early pregnancy
symptoms start to kick in so your partner may be experiencing things like breast tenderness
fatigue frequent urination some smell aversions and even mood swings
eight weeks is usually a time that morning sickness is really in full swing
um but remember that morning sickness is kind of a misnomer it can frequently be all day sickness
and all-day nausea and your partner may just be feeling sick and kind of miserable all the time
some women managed to dodge this bullet and feel okay but just expect that some extra naps are
likely in her future as well as possibly saltine crackers and anti-nausea medicine
finally some other changes you can expect from your other half are no alcohol limited caffeine
and some diet modifications so what about you what's going on with you as partner during this
first trimester so while you're definitely not the star of the show there are many opportunities for
you to be involved uh the biggest thing is just an opportunity to show how excited you are for
this new human that's going to be entering the world in the next year this is also a great time
to offer a reassurance to your partner about your commitment to them that you're going to
be there through pregnancy parenthood and beyond another really thing important thing to have on
your calendar marked down as a special day is the day of that first ob appointment so this can be a
pretty magical visit a time for you to go and see baby on ultrasound for the very first time
and maybe hear that heartbeat for the first time as well unfortunately in the era of coven i wasn't
able to go in person but was able to join via facetime and so well it can be incredibly lonely
to go to these visits alone at least i got to be there somewhat in part virtually by joining in
it also allowed me to chime in for some medical history that was important for that visit too
and on that note it's not only important for mama to be going to the doctor but it is time
for you to schedule a checkup for yourself as well mostly to make sure you are up to date with your
immunizations especially the flu and pertussis no matter what happens during this first trimester
it is important to remember that your job as partner is to be supportive and encouraging along
the way yeah so we hope this quick video helps you to be prepared as a partner for what lies ahead if
you have any questions leave them below and dad's partners if you have any advice for the other dads
and partners to be out there please leave those tips below we will see you next week bye guys
we're doctors but not your doctors anything we've
said in this video is for education or entertainment purposes only it is not
medical advice any specific medical questions you have should be directed to your provider