First Trimester: What to Expect and How to Look After Yourself
Common early symptoms, healthy habits to start now, and when to call your doctor.
Before you use this guide: This is general educational information, not an individual medical assessment. We do not identify a clinician reviewer on this page, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor, midwife or paediatrician.
The first trimester covers weeks 1 to 12. Your body changes quickly, even though you may not look pregnant yet.
Common early symptoms
- Tiredness, often more than usual
- Nausea, with or without vomiting (often called morning sickness, though it can happen at any time of day)
- Tender or swollen breasts
- Needing to pass urine more often
- Food cravings or aversions, and mood swings
Healthy habits to start now
- Book your first antenatal appointment as early as you can.
- Take folic acid as advised by your doctor. It is usually recommended before conception and through the early weeks.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking.
- Ask your doctor before taking any medicine, herbal product or supplement.
- Eat small, regular meals. Plain foods and sipping fluids through the day can ease nausea.
- Wash fruit and vegetables well and avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs.
When to call your doctor
Contact your doctor promptly for heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fever, or vomiting so often that you cannot keep fluids down.
Trusted resources to read next
These public health resources provide additional information. Guidance can vary by country, so prioritise advice from your own care team and local health service.
- NHS: Pregnancy — Pregnancy care, common symptoms, screening and complications.
- NHS: Week-by-week pregnancy guide — Pregnancy development and care by week.
This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.