Pregnancy last about 40 weeks from the first day of your last normal period to the time of delivery. The 40 weeks are divided into trimesters, with each one lasting for three months, or around 12 to 13 weeks. During each trimester, changes take place in a pregnant woman's body. Here are what you can expect during the different stages.
First trimester (1 to 12 weeks)
During the first trimester hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. Missing your period is often the first sign that you're pregnant. Other changes may include:
- Morning sickness
- Mood swings
- Heartburn
- Extreme tiredness
- Tender, swollen breasts
- Cravings for certain foods
- Constipation
- Passing urine more often
- Heartburn
- Headache
You may need to adjust your normal schedule as your body changes, such as getting up earlier or eating more frequently. Thankfully, the majority of these discomforts will subside as your pregnancy goes on.
Furthermore, other ladies might have no discomfort at all! If you've already given birth, you can experience different emotions this time around.
Each pregnancy is unique, just as every woman is.
Second trimester (13 to 28 weeks)
The second trimester of pregnancy is usually simpler for most women than the first.
However, it is as crucial to remain educated about your pregnancy during these months. You may find that symptoms such as nausea and exhaustion are subsiding.
However, other, more apparent changes to your body are now taking place.
Pregnacy become more visible during the second trimester . During this stage your abdomen will expand as the baby continues to grow. Here are some other changes you can expect during your second trimester.
- A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
- Body aches, such as thigh pain, back pain, abdominal pain, groin pain
- Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks
- Numbness or tingling hands
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face
- Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet
Third trimester (29 to 40 weeks)
The third trimester is the final stage of pregnancy. Some discomforts you had in your second trimester will likely continue, along with some new ones. In the third and final trimester you will notice more physical changes, including:
- Shortness of breath
- Hemorrhoids
- Trouble sleeping
- Tender breasts
- Heartburns
- The baby 'dropping' or moving lower in your abdomen
- Heartburns
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face
- Heartburns
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face
- Contraction, which can be a sign of real or false labor
As your due date approaches, your doctor will do a vaginal exam to assess your development.
The final countdown has started, so get pumped!
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