Health & Wellness

What to Expect During Your First Trimester of Pregnancy

July 20, 2025

Bryony Deery is opening up about the first trimester of pregnancy, and she’s not holding anything back. The popular UK Pilates trainer is known for founding the popular health and fitness app Pilates By Bryony and for hosting Beyond the Mat. Now, the health influencer and founder is embarking on a new journey—motherhood. She is expecting her first child with her husband, Kaspar Basse, in early 2026.

The first trimester can be tough, but—take it from Deery—it does get better. In the hopes of helping other women, Deery shares her experiences during the first trimester of pregnancy on a recent episode of Beyond the Mat—from the moment she found out she was expecting to the physical symptoms and the emotions that followed.

If you’re expecting or a first-time mama-to-be, keep reading for some valuable pregnancy tips and tricks.

What surprised her the most

Deery discovered she was pregnant when she was six weeks along, while filming wellness content in Los Angeles. Symptoms she noticed right away were exhaustion, nausea, and sensitive boobs. “I was exhausted and not really understanding why I was so tired and finding everything so difficult,” she recalls. “I was feeling wiped out at the end of the day, but normally, I have so much energy.”

Another thing that surprised her was her aversions to certain foods. “I tried to get food in where possible; it’s really weird,” Deery says. “You feel so sick, but you know the only thing that will make you feel better is food. Food is such a turn-off; it’s a vicious cycle.”

First-trimester challenges

Deery’s pregnancy symptoms really kicked in around seven weeks, and they piqued between nine and 12 weeks. The symptoms started to fade away between 12 and 14 weeks. “Everyone’s journeys are completely different,” Deery says. “My first trimester wasn’t rainbows and unicorns, and I was shocked at how tough I found it.”

Deery was surprised that she also had a lot of anxiety during her first trimester. “I had moments of feeling really flat and deflated,” she shares. “I felt like my identity became my sickness, and I found it really hard.”

Deery goes on to caution listeners about giving pregnant people advice, saying that she has tried every trick in the book to deal with nausea. Although well-intentioned, many people tried to give her advice. “If one more person told me to eat ginger, I was ready to absolutely scream,” she says. “They all said it as if I had not heard it before.”

Pregnancy tips for the early months

Movement is going to be your best friend during your first trimester of pregnancy. Deery was filming live fitness classes during her first trimester, which was a mental struggle. “I would tell myself that movement is not going to make me feel worse; it’s actually going to make me feel better,” she says. “It’s the one thing I can do to feel like me.”

Deery encourages women in their first trimester to squeeze in a workout if they have a window during their day. This is especially true for women who are accustomed to regular exercise. “I would encourage everyone to do movement as they were before; Medically, you don’t have to change anything,” she says.

Other pregnancy tips that helped Deery are journaling daily and finding things to distract her—like calling a friend or watching a silly television show. “Things that take your mind off it help,” she says.

Additionally, eating little and often is beneficial. Deery says it’s essential to eat as soon as you wake up. She ate a lot of fruits, yogurts, and porridge. To get protein, she’d add protein powder to her yogurt or eat protein pancakes. “I really did not want any form of protein, so I was trying to hack my nutrition,” Deery adds. “I was basically only craving very bland foods like porridge.”

Pregnancy milestones

During her first trimester, Deery recalls hanging on for dear life. She surveyed her friends to determine when the turning point occurs and when the sickness shifts. “One week felt like a month for me,” she recalls. “I felt so in the trenches with my sickness that I imagined it might stay like this for the whole of pregnancy.”

Now that she is well into the second trimester, Deery can attest to the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s insane all that I can do now,” she says. “I’m filming three classes in one day. I’m eating more normally, and I’m able to be up past 8 p.m. and go to the dinners.”

Her encouragement for women is to celebrate the journey, even through the ups and downs. “What your body is creating is unbelievable,” she encourages. “I have never been so in awe of the female body. So don’t worry. The end is in sight.”