Tripti Mishra

My hospital team strictly advised me to get a check-up before traveling in the first trimester. They gave me specific travel guidelines and emergency contact numbers, so definitely ask your doctor first.

It is purely because of pregnancy hormones increasing melanin. I noticed it during my pregnancy and even after my C-section, it slowly goes back to normal after some months of breastfeeding, so don't worry.

Hormonal changes in the first trimester affect your gut directly. Frequent bowel movements can happen as your body adjusts. Just drink plenty of water and if it turns into severe diarrhea, call your doctor.

Make sure you ask the lab if it's a fasting test or non-fasting, so you don't waste money having to redo it. Sometimes the test takes 2 hours and multiple blood draws, so pack a homemade lunch box to save on hospital canteen costs.

I felt a strange kind of fatigue and breast tenderness around 10 days after ovulation, even before I missed my period. It felt like my body was whispering that a sweet little life had started. It was such a beautiful, quiet realization.