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A New Mom’s Guide to the Three Stages of Pregnancy

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Couple examining pregnancy test in bed

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! This will be one of the most exciting times of your life. Right now, you are probably nervous and curious about what to expect.

Nearly 123 million women get pregnant each year, so you are certainly not alone even if it may feel like it right now.

Let’s help ease some of your anxiety by going over what to expect during the three stages of pregnancy. Keep reading to learn about the different trimester stages, symptoms, baby development, and procedures during your 9-month journey to motherhood.

The Different Trimesters

You may wonder how long does each trimester lasts. The typical full-term pregnancy is about 40 weeks and is group into three stages known as trimesters. You, along with your baby, will go through major changes during each of these 12- to 13- week phases:

  • 1st Trimester: Conception to 12 weeks
  • 2nd Trimester: Week 13 to week 27
  • 3rd Trimester: Week 28 to birth

All pregnancies are different, so you may have symptoms that others do not. You may experience some symptoms when your hormones change and the baby grows.

First Trimester

The egg is fertilized and then implants to the uterus. The baby is just an embryo with just two layers of cells. From these two layers, the baby develops all body parts and organs.

Your Changes

The first change you may notice during this trimester is missing your period, which is usually one of the first indicators you are pregnant. Your hormones are surging and changes affect just about every organ of your body.

Symptoms you may experience include:

  • Tender breasts
  • Nausea or vomiting (known as morning sickness)
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Food aversions and cravings
  • Mood swings

At the end of this trimester, your uterus will start growing outside of your pelvic cavity. This is what causes your body to look pregnant. You may also notice less pressure on the bladder until the baby gets even larger.

You should take good care of yourself. This means you may need to go to bed earlier to get more rest. You may also need to eat smaller meals throughout the day to help combat nausea.

Baby’s Development

The brain and spinal cord start developing at about 4 weeks. Around week 8, your baby’s heart forms and beats with a regular rhythm.

Around week 6, your baby will sprout arms, legs, hands, and feet. Wondering when you will know the sex of the baby? The external sex organs form and reveal at around week 12.

The baby grows rather quickly during this trimester and averages about 3 inches long at the end of week 12 (or about the size of a plum).

Tests

Your doctor will probably confirm your pregnancy with another urine test. You will also get your initial blood workup to check for any abnormalities. You may even get your first ultrasound.

Second Trimester

If you experience morning sickness during the first trimester, you may be relieved to know it will most likely get better in the second trimester. This is because your body has adjusted to all those hormone changes. You may also sleep better and have more energy.

Another exciting time in the second trimester is feeling your baby’s first moves.

Your Changes

You may feel some swelling in your feet and ankles along with leg cramps. As your belly grows, you may feel some pressure and achiness in your abdomen.  Unfortunately, you may also get some congestion like a cold.

Some women get hemorrhoids during this trimester. If you do, talk to your doctor about relief. Try to drink plenty of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

Varicose veins are also another symptom that may appear at this stage.

Try to stay active during this stage to reduce swelling. You can walk or even swim for exercise. Try to eat healthy foods and elevate your feet when resting.

Baby’s Development

Your baby will have major growth spurts. Around week 16, your baby will double his or her weight and add inches. The baby will also start to move her arms and legs, so you’ll feel some jabs and kicks.

Other major developments in this trimester include:

  • Nails grow on fingers and toes
  • The baby begins to suck and swallow (may even taste some of the food you eat)
  • The brain has the biggest and most important growth
  • Eyelids can open
  • Eyelashes and eyebrows are visible

At the end of this trimester, the baby weighs about 2-3 pounds. He is also about 13-16 inches long (or the size of rutabaga).

Tests

During the second trimester, you will get the full anatomy ultrasound screening to check your baby’s development. They will also do a quad screen to check risk factors and do the glucose test to look for gestational diabetes, which is rather common.

Third Trimester

You are now in the final countdown. Your abdomen will also stretch as you finish this stage, so it may feel tight. Your uterus grows to accommodate that baby and can put pressure on your bladder once again.

You may also notice that your fatigue has returned. You may find it harder to get comfortable at night.

Your Changes

You may experience some of these symptoms in the final trimester:

  • Stretch marks
  • Indigestion and heartburn
  • Constipation
  • Leaky breasts
  • Vivid dreams
  • Practice contractions or Braxton Hicks

It’s important to start practicing Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor. You may also want to sleep on your left side for the best circulation. Also, try adding pillows between your legs to get more comfortable.

Baby’s Development

Your baby is on the fast track in the last weeks of pregnancy. The brain continues developing along with the lungs and kidneys.

The baby can now see and hear. In the last part of the trimester, babies can also cry and suck their thumbs.

Your baby will prepare for delivery by turning head-down and begin dropping. The average birth weight is 6-9 pounds and about 9-21 inches long (the size of a watermelon or jackfruit).

Tests

Your doctor will do any stress tests and monitor the baby’s heartbeat. At each appointment, your doctor will screen your blood pressure to watch for any spikes. They will also do a Strep B test to see if any antibiotics are needed after birth.

Enjoy Your Three Stages of Pregnancy

Being pregnant is a journey you probably won’t forget. Through each of these three stages of pregnancy, keep a journal of your thoughts that you can share with your child later in life.

Want to learn more about parenting? Keep checking out our site for advice and get ideas on what to do when the baby is here.

Prepare for childbirth with these top tips

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The thought of giving birth is scary for all soon-to-be moms. While you have no doubt that you’ll experience a lot of pain, nothing can quite prepare you for how it feels. Plus, a difficult birth could cause a health problem for your baby (see this Waco Erb’s palsy lawyer). It’s no wonder that you’re anxious about giving birth.

While some issues during childbirth simply can’t be prevented, the key is to be prepared for what the time might bring. Having a greater understanding of your body and what it goes through will make the process a whole lot smoother. The following tips will help you to prepare for the most significant day of your life.

Look after your body

You might have started looking after your body in preparation for pregnancy. Now that you’re pregnant, that shouldn’t stop. Your body is always a temple, but it’s even more important than ever. You have your baby’s health to consider as well as your own. But looking after your body will also help you to prepare for childbirth. A fit and healthy body will cope better during and after labor. So, make sure that you are eating well and exercising regularly. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, cut down on salt and quit drinking. Healthy and safe exercises for pregnant women include swimming, yoga and walking – but you can still lift weights and go running if you do so with caution.

Go to classes

Antenatal classes offer a wealth of information for a pregnant woman who’s concerned about childbirth. You will be told of the many options during childbirth and learn practical, hands on exercises to make the birth feel easier. Knowing what could happen during labor will make you feel more confident when the time comes. All pregnant women should understand their body and what it goes through during pregnancy and birth. Their spouse or partner should, too.

Organize a birthing plan

A birthing plan is a record of what you would like to happen during the birth. You can organize it with your midwife or caregiver. Organizing a birthing plan will help you to be more prepared for birth, as it ensures that your requirements are followed. Your birthing plan might include information about who you want with you during the birth, whether you want medication, and if you require any additional comfort, such as dimmed lights or music. It gives you a sense of control when your body is acting in a way that it never has before.

Ask around

Preparing for childbirth means understanding the process. So, if you’re feeling uneasy, ask those who’ve been through it. Your mum, grandma and friends can be a wealth of information, and it’s important to have conversations about childbirth. A prepared soon-to-be mother does their research and asks questions.

Prenatal Yoga: The Best Yoga Poses for Pregnant Moms

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Once your pregnant, you begin to notice all of these changes that your body goes through. Things like indigestion and back pain can prove to be a nuisance throughout your entire pregnancy.

Little did you know that yoga can prove to be extremely beneficial for expecting mothers. In this article, we are going to tell you the best yoga poses for pregnant women to work into their daily routine.

Continue reading for these particular yoga poses.

Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women

Yoga is a practice that teaches people how to control their breathing as well as becoming centered and grounded within themselves. Most that engage in the practice find that not only does it work on mental and spiritual strength, but it also aids in strengthening the body as well.

This strength is vital and helpful to women that will need the power to make it through the changes their body is going through pregnancy and have an easy labor.

Ankle to Knee Poses

The fantastic part about doing the ankle to knee pose is that it helps to stretch the hips. Another benefit is that it helps to relieve back pain that comes from carrying your unborn child by opening your back muscles, including the glutes.

Forward Bend

This is another pose we recommend when you’re trying to find relief from back pain. And we must admit it feels pretty good to let your stomach hang without having all of the weight on your back.

When doing the forward bend, focus on your breathing and relaxing into the pose. It’s optional to sway from side to side, but the motion helps to relieve trapped tension in the back.

Wide-Knee Children’s Pose

When performing this pose, focus on relaxing and allowing your body to restore itself. This pose is beneficial because you’re given a chance to rest your belly on the mat and stretch your hip flexors in preparation for labor.

As your belly continues to grow, you’ll likely find this is one of your go-to poses.

Legs on the Wall

If you’ve found that your experiencing swelling in your legs and feet during pregnancy, this pose is for you; this pose will allow you to elevate your feet, reducing the swelling in your legs.

However, as pregnancy continues lying on your back will become uncomfortable; therefore, we recommend lying on a pillow of some sort so that you’re not flat on your back.

Easy Pose

The last pose we are going to talk about should be done at the end of your practice. It helps to open up the back and hips, but the purpose of the pose is to thank your body for what it’s doing.

It’s also an opportunity for you to become one with your body and take the time to feel your baby in the womb. It’s essential that your instructor has a yoga teacher certification to ensure that you and your child remain safe during the practice.

Let’s Practice

When yoga poses for pregnant women are used, you’ll find that it can help make the labor process less intensive. This is because your body has continually been stretched and kept flexible for the journey ahead.

If you’re looking for more advice and articles that are beneficial for an expectant mother, read the other items on our blog.

5 Ways to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy

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Whether it’s your first or second child, preparing to start or continue a family is a beautiful step to take. It will likely change your life in ways you would never imagine and also add a new dynamic to your family. Housing a baby in your body for nine months isn’t an easy thing to do, so it’s important that you’re as prepared as possible. This means being mentally prepared by having as much information and knowledge as possible as well as being physically prepared. There are several ways that you can get physically prepared and most include making modifications to your lifestyle. This article is going to help you get started by giving you 5 ways that you can begin to prepare your body for pregnancy.

Get a Check-up

Before doing anything, one of the first things you should try when preparing your body for pregnancy is to go and get a full pre-pregnancy checkup. If you’ve never had one before, ideally the appointment will begin with the doctor going through yourself and your partners’ medical history. They may then go on to run a blood test as well as a pap smear in order to check for any conditions that could affect your likeliness of getting pregnant. Some other diseases they may be likely to check for are hepatitis B, HIV, Herpes, or other STDs. Depending on your ethnicity, they may also check for genetic diseases such as sickle cell, Thalassemia, or Tay-Sachs disease as they could affect your baby in the long-run. When going for a checkup, it is also important that you discuss any existing medical conditions that you may have with your doctor too. If, for instance, you have high blood pressure, epilepsy, diabetes, or asthma, keeping these illnesses under control is crucial. If it is discovered that you’re unable to carry a child for any reason, then you could also explore options such as adoption or a surrogate pregnancy in which another woman helps you carry your baby but uses your eggs.

Find Out When You’re Most Fertile

Tracking your cycle is another way that you can prepare for pregnancy. Everyone has a time of the month where they happen to be most fertile. You should, therefore, try and figure out when your most fertile period is as this will likely help you get pregnant faster. If you’re wondering how you can do this, you can begin by recording the beginning and end of your cycle every month. You should also look out for any irregularities such as abnormal bleeding and spotting. It is said that you’re likely to ovulate halfway through your cycle which is day 14. Your fertile window should begin at about day 10, so you’re more likely to get pregnant if you have sex between day 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle. There are apps available that can help you identify your fertile days such as Fertility Friend, Glow, Clue, Ovia, Period Tracker and Conceivable. Aside from these, there are several others that you can look for in your app store. Also, if you’ve been on birth control, it’s a good idea to stop so that you can get back into the swing of a regular cycle again.

Avoid smoking and Drinking

If you happen to be a smoker or heavy drinker, then while preparing for pregnancy you should think about dropping those habits. This is because they can make it difficult for you to get pregnant as well as cause complications in your pregnancy too. Research shows that it’s likely that drinking more than five alcoholic beverages on a weekly basis could cause lower fertility. This could be because alcohol is said to depress the adrenal glands and slow the release of hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands which could directly impair your egg health and libido. You shouldn’t worry too much if you consume alcohol moderately, however, as this shouldn’t affect your ability to conceive. In terms of smoking, apparently, 10 or more cigarettes a day could affect your ability to get pregnant. More specifically, smoking can cause blockages in the fallopian tube, increase chances of an ectopic pregnancy, damage your eggs as they develop in your ovaries, cause cervical changes and increase your risk of miscarriage. For these reasons, it may be best to just avoid these things altogether.

Stress Less

When you’re under a lot of stress, it can make getting pregnant more of a challenge. Some ways that stress can affect fertility is by affecting the functioning of the hypothalamus which is the gland in the brain that regulates your appetite, emotions, and most significantly the hormones that tell your ovaries to release eggs. When you’re stressed, this could mean that you ovulate later in your cycle or you don’t ovulate at all. This then obviously has a direct impact on your ability to get pregnant. You should also note that it is sudden stress, both positive and negative, that could have an effect on your cycle. Some ways to manage your stress levels to speed up the process include taking time out to relax, not overburdening yourself. and engaging in relaxing activities on a regular basis.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is an important step you should take when preparing your body for a baby. Being physically active prepares your body for the many changes that are going to happen during and after pregnancy. It should give you the energy that you need, ease constipation, help lift your spirit and reduce the chances of high blood pressure. Working out could also help prepare your body for labor which can be a stressful and challenging time for both you and your baby. For these reasons, it’s best to get into an exercise routine before getting pregnant.

Certain studies link exercise with fertility, and you can confirm with your doctor any recommended or restricted activities as you prepare to get pregnant. You may have also heard of wearing compression clothing when exercising. These garments are designed to help boost blood circulation and provide relief from muscle soreness.

For pregnant women who may be experiencing swelling in the ankles and lower leg, wearing compression socks may help in that area. On your to-buy list, consider having a pair of compression socks for exercising, walking, and traveling before and during pregnancy. They can come in a wide-calf option to get the right fit.  

When preparing for pregnancy, it is likely that you feel many different emotions in addition to a little anxiety. It can be nail biting waiting for a positive pregnancy test every month as well as challenging trying to make lifestyle changes. You should remember, however, that everything happens in its own time, so the best thing may be to relax, look after your body and think positively in the interim.

What Happens During the Second Trimester of Pregnancy

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What Happens During the Second Trimester of Pregnancy

A lot can happen throughout your pregnancy. There will be highs and lows as it progresses—each trimester different than the others.

For some expectant mothers, the first trimester is where all the bad stuff happens: morning sickness, nausea, lightheadedness, mood swings—you name it! You’re dreading to know what’s in store for you next. But what really happens in the next trimester?

Whether you’re preparing to bear a child or nearing the second trimester yourself, this guide will help you learn what to expect during months 4 to 6 of pregnancy.

The Momma’s Guide to the Second Trimester

Good news! By the second trimester, you should expect all the nasty stuff that irked you in the last three months to fade. Your energy and mood are back—it’s like being your old self again.

Many expectant moms love the second trimester. They regard it as the easiest stage throughout their pregnancy.

While you’re feeling a lot better, you will experience major changes during this phase. And it’s important to know what to expect to help you prepare for them.

Your Baby’s Growth

Your baby is growing fast! As you enter week 18, your baby will weigh as much as a chicken breast. He or she will likely pack on the pounds by the end of the second trimester.

Another thing to be excited about is the fact that you can now feel little jabs and kicks in your belly!

Here are more fetal developments you can expect:

  • Skin, hair, and nails.Your baby now has tiny hairs—and eyelashes too. He or she will be covered with a downy fuzz known as lanugo. Vernix caseosa follows on; this greasy layer will protect your baby’s skin from the acid in amniotic fluid.
  • Your baby starts sucking and swallowing to prepare for life outside the womb.
  • Your baby’s brain now regulates his or her heartbeat. You should clearly hear it with a stethoscope come week 20.

Your Changing Body

During the second trimester, your body should be transforming from looking plump to actually looking pregnant. For some women, certain symptoms from the first trimester may persist, but there will be new changes as well.

  • Breast enlargement. Your breasts will continue to grow to prepare for breastfeeding. On the brighter side, much of the tenderness you’ve felt from the previous trimester should be wearing off. It’s best to go one size up or more when wearing a bra to keep you more comfortable.
  • Heartburn and constipation. During this stage, your body is producing more progesterone, a muscle-relaxing hormone. It affects the esophageal muscle that keeps the acid and food down in the stomach and pushes your food through the intestines. You can avoid heartburn by having small frequent feedings. Meanwhile, taking more fiber and extra fluids should keep constipation at bay.
  • Skin changes. A dark line on your abdomen, called linea nigra, will start to appear. This skin change is usually temporary and should fade away after giving birth. You may also notice spider and varicose veins appearing on your legs. This is due to the increasing pressure in your lower limbs.

Your Weight Gain

Expect to gain pregnancy weight during the second trimester. This is due to your growing baby and your increasing appetite. If you had a normal weight pre-pregnancy, it’s advisable to gain around one pound a week, with a total of fourteen pounds throughout the trimester.

But don’t overdo it. Packing on way too many pounds increases your chances of pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes and hypertension.

It’s best to discuss weight requirements with your doctor so you’ll know how much weight to gain throughout pregnancy.

Your Prenatal Care

Prenatal care during the second trimester will focus on your baby’s development and detecting any pregnancy problems.

Your healthcare provider will regularly check your weight and blood pressure, as well as the size of your uterus. Your doctor will often want to listen to your baby’s heartbeat. He or she can suggest a screening test using a reliable ultrasound transducer to find out your baby’s sex.

You’re almost there!

While you’re waiting for your belly to pop, take advantage of the second trimester. Pamper yourself while you can. The third trimester is on its way, and before you know it, you’ll be holding your tiny bundle of joy in your arms.

Image: https://www.babble.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/489226561-624×416.jpg

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