First Trimester Recap: Life, Baby, and the Wild Blur of Becoming
The blur, the bloating, the baby, everything I felt, feared, and found joy in during the first 13 weeks.
Hi my dear friends,
I can’t thank you enough for the incredibly kind words after we announced that Baby Boy Lypen is arriving this October (!!). It’s been the biggest, sweetest secret, and now that the news is out, I can finally start sharing what’s been going on behind the scenes.
Something I want to call out from the get-go: I haven’t found many people online who share pregnancy content from the POV I’ve needed. There seems to be two camps—either all-consuming, oversharing daily symptom logs, or the super negative, “everything sucks” vibe. And while yes, the symptoms are real and rough (no denying that), I’ve found very little out there about how to keep living your life while you’re pregnant.
That’s what this little corner of the internet is about: podcasts I’ve listened to, snacks I’ve inhaled, products that helped, and the big feelings in between. Because the only thing I know for sure? Life hasn’t stopped since we found out we were pregnant.
So, let’s start from the beginning.
On Finding Out
After 8+ years on the Mirena IUD (which I truly loved), I got it out last summer to start getting periods again. It felt like being in high school all over—trying to relearn how my body worked, what to track, what ovulation even meant. I started using the Flo app, but quickly realized my ovulation days were way off. After a few disappointing cycles and negative tests, a friend recommended Mira, and while it felt like a full-on science experiment (so. much. data.), it helped me realize we’d just been mistiming everything. I will note, it’s also really expensive- but I found it personally worked better than the cheaper test strips (but these also have worked for my friends too, so honestly could have been just luck!)
Around this same time, I was going through an intensely stressful period at work. In January, I got laid off—something I didn’t realize I desperately needed until it happened. Two weeks later, I took a test and… there it was. Two pink lines. I was 3 weeks and 6 days. Shocked, scared, happy, numb—but mostly? Calm. Like this baby had been waiting for me to exhale.
Marc was working from home that day. I didn’t even tell him I was taking a test—I just ripped the bandaid off. When it turned positive, I took a deep breath and went to tell him. His reaction mirrored mine: a swirl of disbelief and joy.
We told almost no one in those early weeks, other than my brother, who was about to graduate from medical school at the time. I needed at least one person to talk to and get some guidance on nutrition, doctors, and all the things.
Waiting for that first heartbeat appointment at 7 weeks was rough. I felt weirdly alone. I wasn’t ready to share yet, but also felt like I was walking through a major life transition in total silence. And that was hard.
But here was the lil bean at our first appointment!! We kept calling him “Lentil Lypen” because early on he was the size of a “lil lentil’ and the name just stuck.
The First Trimester Feels
Let’s talk symptoms. Because... wow.
Nausea: Not like any nausea I’ve felt before. This wasn’t “I can’t eat,” it was “I HAVE to eat right now or I will be sick.” Every two hours. I lived on protein snacks—Sisterland yogurt (the best), Chomps, and Aloha bars. Truly feel like this baby is part Greek yogurt. But the good news is that the nausea goes away after you eat!!
Fatigue: Intense. I started taking Unisom at night to help with sleep and nausea—game changer. And also fell in love with making Matcha, with this Matcha. A way better sustained boost of energy, and made me want to vom less too :).
Cravings: I thought I'd have intense, weird cravings, but honestly all I wanted were cold things—fruit, yogurt, smoothies. No wild combos, just fridge-cold comfort.
Sweats & Swelling: Every morning I’d wake up drenched. The answer? Cooling pajamas. (Linked my favorite here!) I also started dry brushing and using my gua sha to help with circulation and swelling. Could be placebo... but it’s working.
Emotions: This part hit me hardest. I cried a lot. I felt isolated, overwhelmed, and deeply uncertain. I ended up upping my Prozac dose from 20mg to 30mg (under guidance from my doctor), which helped me feel more like myself again. Also: we were in the middle of closing on our condo and figuring out my next career step. It was... a lot.
The Turning Point
At 7 weeks, we heard the heartbeat. It was magic. Slowly, we started telling close friends and family. I was so nervous—like the words wouldn’t come out right. But the joy in their reactions gave me permission to finally start getting excited, too.
Around 10 weeks, we closed on our condo. Two weeks later, I hit the 12-week mark. The clouds started to lift.
I also booked a midweek spa day at Auberge WildFlower Farms with my best friend since I was six. We’ve both been going through big life changes, and it was exactly what I needed. Quiet, grounding, perspective.
What Helped Me Thrive (Not Just Survive)
Tracking Tools: The Mira app. Nerdy, but it worked.
Supplements: I'm a vitamin girly at heart. My lineup includes a science-backed prenatal with methylfolate, fish oil, magnesium, and a probiotic- helped a lot with constipation. (I also love Rhonda Patrick’s recommendations.)
Pregnancy Pillow: I hated the huge C-shaped one (arm asleep, every time). Got this smaller wedge from Instagram and it’s perfect for back-sleepers.
Cooling Pajamas: These saved me from the midnight sweats.
NA Drinks: Honestly? I miss wine. But the worst experience of this trimester was a NA IPA from Athletic Brewing. Had it at a St. Paddy’s party, vommed all night. Never again. Bring on the real Cab come November! But I’ve been LOVING having a lil Poppi soda every night in a wine glass. My special treat!
Self-care rituals: Dry brushing + gua sha. Little things, but they made me feel more me in a time when my body felt foreign.
A Final Thought
The first trimester was physically intense, but emotionally even more so. I felt big, bloated, puffy, tired, hopeful, scared, proud—and sometimes all in one day. But the biggest thing I’ve learned so far?
Pregnancy doesn’t stop your life. Life keeps going.
You just start living it as someone new. This was step one in unlocking a whole new version of who I am—and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thanks for being here for the ride.
Love you friends,
Julian
Love this! And love hearing about your journey. You’ll be so glad you wrote it all out later!
So excited for you and loved the honesty in this.