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Pregnancy Week by Week (First, Second, and Third Trimester)

What are the changes that happen to a woman’s body during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of her pregnancy?
Body aches
chest changes
Constipation
Dizziness
Fatigue, sleep problems
Heartburn and indigestion
Hemorrhoids during pregnancy
Itching
Leg cramps
Morning sickness
Nasal problems
Numb or tingling hands
Stretch marks, skin changes
Swelling
Urinary frequency and leaking
Varicose veins
Pregnant or Not? How To Know
To learn whether you are pregnant or not, a pregnancy test may provide you with the answer. This test can be done in the privacy of your home using one of several available test kits. Or the test can be performed in your doctor?s office or clinic. Home pregnancy tests are always done on urine while those in a doctor?s office or clinic may be done on urine or blood.
Pregnancy definition and facts*
A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks and is grouped into three stages, or trimesters.
Symptoms and early signs of pregnancy include
the absence of menstrual periods,
chest changes,
tiredness,
nausea,
mood swings, or
other symptoms.
A pregnancy test measures the level of hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the urine or blood. The test may be positive before the first signs of pregnancy develop in some women.
Symptoms of late pregnancy can include
heartburn,
difficulty sleeping,
swelling of the ankles or fingers,
hemorrhoids, and
mild contractions.
Many of these symptoms result from the weight gain and enlarging uterus in late pregnancy.
By the end of 37 weeks, a baby is considered full term and its organs are ready to function on their own.
As you near your due date, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth. Most babies “present” head down.
Babies at birth typically weigh between 6 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 2 ounces and are 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges.
How many weeks is a normal term pregnancy?
Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, counting from the first day of your last normal period. The weeks are grouped into three trimesters (TREYE-mess-turs). Find out what’s happening with you and your baby in these three stages.
What is the first trimester of pregnancy (week 1-week 12)?
During the first trimester your body undergoes many changes. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. These changes can trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy. Your period stopping is a clear sign that you are pregnant. Other changes may include:
Extreme tiredness
Tender, swollen br**sts. Your bosoms might also stick out.
Upset stomach with or without throwing up (morning sickness)
Cravings or distaste for certain foods
Mood swings
Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)
Need to pass urine more often
Headache
Heartburn
Weight gain or loss
As your body changes, you might need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, small meals. Fortunately, most of these discomforts will go away as your pregnancy progresses. And some women might not feel any discomfort at all! If you have been pregnant before, you might feel differently this time around. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.
What is the second trimester of pregnancy (week 13-week 28)?
Most women find the second trimester of pregnancy easier than the first. But it is just as important to stay informed about your pregnancy during these months.
You might notice that symptoms like nausea and fatigue are going away. But other new, more noticeable changes to your body are now happening. Your abdomen will expand as the baby continues to grow. And before this trimester is over, you will feel your baby beginning to move!
As your body changes to make room for your growing baby, you may have:
Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain
Stretch marks on your abdomen, br**sts, thighs, or buttocks
Darkening of the skin around your bosoms
A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. Patches often match on both sides of the face. This is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy
Numb or tingling hands, called carpal tunnel syndrome
Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet. (Call your doctor if you have nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice or fatigue combined with itching. These can be signs of a serious liver problem.)
Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)
What is the third trimester trimester of pregnancy (week 29-week 40)?
You’re in the home stretch! Some of the same discomforts you had in your second trimester will continue. Plus, many women find breathing difficult and notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often. This is because the baby is getting bigger and it is putting more pressure on your organs. Don’t worry, your baby is fine and these problems will lessen once you give birth.
Some new body changes you might notice in the third trimester include:
Shortness of breath
Heartburn
Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)
Hemorrhoids
Tender br**sts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum (kuh-LOSS-struhm)
Your belly button may stick out
Trouble sleeping
The baby “dropping,” or moving lower in your abdomen
Contractions, which can be a sign of real or false labor
As you near your due date, your cervix becomes thinner and softer (called effacing). This is a normal, natural process that helps the birth canal to open during the birthing process. Your doctor will check your progress with a vaginal exam as you near your due date. Get excited – the final countdown has begun!
How will my baby develop week by week?
First Trimester (week 1-week 12)
At 4 weeks:
Your baby’s brain and spinal cord have begun to form.
The heart begins to form.
Arm and leg buds appear.
Your baby is now an embryo and one-fifth of an inch long.
At 8 weeks:
All major organs and external body structures have begun to form.
Your baby’s heart beats with a regular rhythm.
The arms and legs grow longer, and fingers and toes have begun to form.
The s*x organs begin to form.
The eyes have moved forward on the face and eyelids have formed.
The umbilical cord is clearly visible.
At the end of 8 weeks, your baby is a fetus and looks more like a human. Your baby is nearly 1 inch long and weighs less than 1/8 of an ounce.
At 12 weeks:
The nerves and muscles begin to work together. Your baby can make a fist.
Eyelids close to protect the developing eyes. They will not open again until the 28th week.
Head growth has slowed, and your baby is much longer. Now, at about 3 inches long, your baby weighs almost an ounce.
Second Trimester (week 13-week 28)
At 16 weeks:
The external s*x organs show if your baby is a boy or girl. A woman who has an ultrasound in the second trimester or later might be able to find out the baby’s s*x.
Muscle tissue and bone continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton.
Skin begins to form. You can nearly see through it.
Meconium (mih-KOH-nee-uhm) develops in your baby’s intestinal tract. This will be your baby’s first bowel movement.
Your baby makes sucking motions with the mouth (sucking reflex).
Your baby reaches a length of about 4 to 5 inches and weighs almost 3 ounces.
At 20 weeks:
Your baby is more active. You might feel slight fluttering.
Your baby is covered by fine, downy hair called lanugo (luh-NOO-goh) and a waxy coating called vernix. This protects the forming skin underneath.
Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed. Your baby can even scratch itself.
Your baby can hear and swallow.
Now halfway through your pregnancy, your baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 9 ounces.
At 24 weeks:
Bone marrow begins to make blood cells.
Taste buds form on your baby’s tongue.
Footprints and fingerprints have formed.
Real hair begins to grow on your baby’s head.
The lungs are formed, but do not work.
The hand and startle reflex develop.
Your baby sleeps and wakes regularly.
If your baby is a boy, his testicles begin to move from the abdomen into the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs have formed in the ovaries.
Your baby stores fat and has gained quite a bit of weight. Now at about 12 inches long, your baby weighs about 1½ pounds.
Third Trimester (week 29-week 40)
At 32 weeks:
Your baby’s bones are fully formed, but still soft.
Your baby’s kicks and jabs are forceful.
The eyes can open and close and sense changes in light.
Lungs are not fully formed, but practice “breathing” movements occur.
Your baby’s body begins to store vital minerals, such as iron and calcium.
Lanugo begins to fall off.
Your baby is gaining weight quickly, about one-half pound a week. Now, your baby is about 15 to 17 inches long and weighs about 3 to 33⁄4 pounds
At 36 weeks:
The protective waxy coating called vernix gets thicker.
Body fat increases. Your baby is getting bigger and bigger and has less space to move around. Movements are less forceful, but you will feel stretches and wiggles.
Your baby is about 16 to 19 inches long and weighs about 6 to 6½ pounds.
Weeks 37-40:
By the end of 37 weeks, your baby is considered full term. Your baby’s organs are ready to function on their own.
As you near your due date, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth. Most babies “present” head down.
At birth, your baby may weigh somewhere between 6 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 2 ounces and be 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges. But healthy babies come in many different sizes.
Everyone expects pregnancy to bring an expanding waistline. But many women are surprised by the other body changes that pop up. Get the low-down on stretch marks, weight gain, heartburn and other “joys” of pregnancy. Find out what you can do to feel better.
Body aches
During pregnancy, you might have:
As your uterus expands, you may feel aches and pains in the back, abdomen, groin area, and thighs. Many women also have backaches and aching near the pelvic bone due the pressure of the baby’s head, increased weight, and loosening joints. Some pregnant women complain of pain that runs from the lower back, down the back of one leg, to the knee or foot. This is called sciatica (SYE-AT-ick-uh). It is thought to occur when the uterus puts pressure on the sciatic nerve.
What might help:
Lie down.
Rest.
Apply heat.
Call the doctor if:
The pain does not get better.
chest changes
During pregnancy, you might have:
A woman’s br**sts increase in size and fullness during pregnancy. As the due date approaches, hormone changes will cause your br**sts to get even bigger to prepare for breastfeeding. Your br**sts may feel full, heavy, or tender.
In the third trimester, some pregnant women begin to leak colostrum (coh-LOSS-truhm) from their br**sts. Colostrum is the first milk that your br**sts produce for the baby. It is a thick, yellowish fluid containing antibodies that protect newborns from infection.
What might help:
Wear a maternity bra with good support.
Put pads in the bra to absorb leakage.
Call the doctor if:
You feel a lump or have bosom changes or discharge (that is not colostrum) or skin changes
source: Medicinenet

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