Pregnancy stages are divided into three stages. All the stages are called as trimesters. Each trimester consists of three months. The word ‘trimester’ comes from the Latin word that means ‘three months long’. These three trimesters of pregnancy are classifications of the entire pregnancy
period of forty weeks into smaller and separate stages since the mother and baby are encountered as different types of pregnancy events.
First trimester of pregnancy is the early stage of pregnancy from the period of conception to twelve weeks of gestation. In other worse, about fourteen weeks from the fist day of the last menstrual period i.e. LMP.
During this period of pregnancy, a pregnant woman may experience the dreaded morning sickness. Here, morning sickness need not be occurring in the morning but it can happen during anytime. The breasts are enlarged and may be sore. During the first trimester, the growth and development in embryo and in the woman causes many changes; physically and mentally.
A pregnant lady may notice no period or a light menstrual period. There can be blue lines under the skin over her breasts and on the abdomen. The waistline may be expanded. The breasts grow larger and therefore there might be protruding nipples. Other common signs of early pregnancy or first trimester in woman include nausea that is sometimes coupled with vomiting (morning sickness), food aversions and cravings. A pregnant lady may experience heartburn and indigestion. Fatigue, tender breasts, complexion problems etc are not uncommon. A pregnant lady will need to urinate often and may suffer from constipation, dizziness, headaches and faintness.
The healthy first trimester is important for the normal development of the fetus. It is during the first trimester that the fetus is more likely to get damaged from the substances like drugs, medications, alcohol and illnesses like rubella. The care is to be taken to avoid all these. During this first trimester, both the fetus and mother’s body are changing rapidly. During the first eight weeks, a fetus is called as an embryo. The embryo grows quickly and by the end of first trimester it becomes fully developed structure and now it is called as fetus. It can weigh about ½ to one ounce and measure about 3-4 inches in the length.
The second stage of pregnancy lasts until the end of the 7th month and is many times the comfortable period of pregnancy as most of the women will regain some of their energy level and moreover, they are now accustomed to bear the child and its presence.
During second trimester, the continuous growth and development in the mother and fetus can cause many changes in both of the bodies; in fetus and in mother. Pregnant woman may notice that the abdomen is now bulged and coming out of the body frame. By the end of second trimester, the uterus may move near ribcage, the skin of the abdomen and breasts stretches and therefore, stretch mark may be noticed. Around weeks 16-20, there is something called quickening. This is nothing but the movements of the fetus inside the abdominal cavity. These movements are important signs indicating that the fetus is alive and therefore, apart from being a sign, this carries emotional value to the mother. A pregnant lady feels that something is there inside and knocking her abdomen indicating the presence.
There could be brown, uneven marks on the face and the skin pigmentation may change on the abdomen, breasts and pubic area. There could be darkening of the nipples indicating some hormonal changes in the body due to pregnancy. Many pregnant women notice that a dark line from the naval down to the middle of the abdomen is now noticeable.
The second trimester often delivers a welcome energy boost to a lady and there is almost termination of the morning sickness. Some pregnant women may feel nasal congestion and occasional nose bleeds. Whitish discharge from vagina and less frequency to urinate are common. There can be constipation, increase in appetite. The breast tenderness generally comes down. There changes can be attributed to lower levels of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin hormone). Here will be adjustment to the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones.
The Braxton Hicks contractions are noticed in which, the uterus becomes hard and tight and then relaxes. There will be leg cramps, backache and fatigue. In the fetus, the development continues rapidly from now until birth. The organs of the fetus such as heart, kidneys develop further. The eyebrows and fingernails form and the skin become wrinkled and it is finely covered with hairs. The periods of activities continues as the fetus now moves kicks, sleeps and wakes up.
The emotional changes occur in the pregnant lady and now she shows the proud of being pregnant. The fetus is growing and now the bulging of abdomen is visible confirming pregnancy to everyone around.
During the second trimester, the umbilical cord continues to thicken, as it has to carry nourishment to the fetus. On the other hand, harmful substances can also pass through it and therefore, this is the period where the care in diet is the most important factor. Alcohol, tobacco, too spicy food, junk food fully refined food could be bad for fetus. A pregnant lady is to be provided with nutrients rich food with more vegetables, fruits and fresh juices.
The third trimester of pregnancy is usually spans weeks twenty-eight through forty weeks, though healthy infants may be born a bit early or late. Although most pregnant women undergo many of the physical and mental changes during this time.
The third trimester marks the preparation at home. The third trimester brings lots of happiness not only to the expecting mother but also to everyone in family. The entire family paves the way to welcome a new soul in their home. A pregnant lady is blessed by lots of people around and everyone starts preparing for forthcoming arrival of new baby.
On the other hand, the fetus continues to grow and reaches to its full size at the end of ninth month. The weight, size and body systems finish maturing partially. A pregnant lady may put on weight even in this period. Many times, she experiences false labor pain.
The third trimester will be the last and a lady should be prepared to welcome a newborn baby. It is advisable to start taking childbirth classes in the preparation for the big event. This is extremely necessary if the pregnancy is for the first time. If you are planning to breastfeed, which you should, then take classes for that too. A pregnant lady can also go for post-natal care books and books on breastfeeding.
As the expected delivery, date comes nearer, the excitement increases and finally, the child arrives.
During all the trimesters, one has to follow the diet chart given by the dietician and to take all the medicines prescribed by gynecologist. Regular check-up during the whole period of pregnancy is must so that you do not miss any of the abnormalities.
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