Pregnancy Trimesters
Pregnant Stages: The Three Trimesters
Pregnancy Trimesters |
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Pregnancy TrimestersContents • First Trimester: Week 1 to 12 |
All About Pregnancy |
What Are Trimesters?
Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks if dated from the first day of your last period. Those 40 weeks are divided into three periods called trimesters. Each trimester lasts about 3 months. The changes that occur within a woman’s body and the development of the baby at each stage of pregnancy and trimester are fairly standard. Your doctor or OB/GYN will talk you through those stages as well as give you a prenatal care guide. Meantime, here is an overview of what to expect.
The first twelve weeks or first trimester of pregnancy can be busy! It starts with putting your pregnancy team in place and choosing the OB/GYN, and then the first of the prenatal visits begin, the first ultrasounds, deciding which prenatal vitamins to take and looking at options for prenatal birthing classes. Meantime your body is changing, your hormones are all over the place and a little baby is on the way. What Will Happen to You • Morning Sickness: technically called 'morning' but it can happen throughout the day. The cause is not known, but it may be linked to high levels of pregnancy hormones. Morning sickness can start as early as week 2 and continue for most of the first trimester. Fortunately many of these pregnancy symptoms disappear as the trimester progresses - and some women are fortunate not to even experience them at all. If you have been pregnant before, just because you experienced a rough first trimester in your last pregnancy, does not necessarily mean you will in the next one. If you have a spare moment, do check our Childbirth Guide, the more you learn now, the longer you have to consider your options.
What Will Happen to Baby • Your baby will develop from a tiny blip of a few cells to about 8-9cm in length. The placenta is fully formed by the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and the embryo becomes known as a fetus. Second Trimester: Week 13 to 27 The most exciting milestone of the second trimester of pregnancy is when you feel your baby move for the first time. This can happen any time from the fourth week onwards. The second trimester is usually the most enjoyable period of pregnancy because you are still small enough to move around comfortably and many of the earlier symptoms of pregnancy such as morning sickness have disappeared. This is likely to be the first time you consider buying maternity clothes. You might find this useful: When should I start wearing maternity clothes? What Will Happen to You • You start to look pregnant as your belly becomes rounder. Pregnancy weight gradually increases. What Will Happen to Baby • This is the first time you are likely to feel your baby move and typically it happens in the fourth month. However, it may be that you do not feel the flutter of movement until much later, this is not uncommon. Third Trimester: Week 28 to 40 The end of the journey is finally approaching! Some of the discomforts you suffered in the second trimester can continue and may even become more difficult. During the third trimester of pregnancy: What Will Happen to You • Shortness of breath, but this eases after the baby drops. What Will Happen to Baby • The baby's lungs develop, so that by week 32 he or she is more likely to survive if born prematurely. Related Articles How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?
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For more about what to expect while pregnant, see the following: • Prenatal Tests - Regular scans and 4D scans. Back To Homepage: Womens Health Advice |
WOMENS HEALTH ADVICE: ABOUT PREGNANCY |
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