Pregnancy Stages, week by Week…
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) to the birth of the baby.
This period is divided into three stages, called trimesters (First trimester, Second trimester and Third trimester).
From the day of conception to about the 12th week of pregnancy marks the first trimester.
From week 13 to 27 the second, and the third trimester starts about 28 weeks and lasts until birth.
First Trimester: Early Changes in a Woman’s Body
A missed period may be the first sign that fertilization and implantation have occurred, ovulation has ceased, and you are pregnant.
Hormonal changes affect almost every organ in the body like :
- Extreme fatigue
- Tender, swollen breasts. Nipples may protrude.
- Nausea with or without throwing up (morning sickness)
- Cravings or aversion to certain foods
- Mood swings
- Constipation
- Frequent urination
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Weight gain or loss
First Trimester: The Baby at 4 Weeks
At 4 weeks, your baby is developing:
- The nervous system (brain and spinal cord) has begun to form.
- The heart begins to form.
- Arm and leg buds begin to develop.
- Your baby is now an embryo and 1/25 of an inch long.
At 8 weeks, the embryo begins to develop into a fetus. Fetal development is apparent:
- All major organs have begun to form.
- The baby’s heart begins to beat.
- The arms and legs grow longer.
- Fingers and toes have begun to form.
- Sex organs begin to form.
- The face begins to develop features.
- The umbilical cord is visible.
- At the end of 8 weeks, your baby is a fetus, and is nearly 1 inch long, weighing less than ⅛ of an ounce.
First Trimester: The Baby at 12 Weeks
The end of the first trimester is at about week 12, at this point in your baby’s development:
- The nerves and muscles begin to work together. now baby can make a fist.
- The external sex organs show if the baby is a boy or girl.
- Eyelids close to protect the developing eyes. They will not open again until week 28.
- Head growth has slowed, and now the baby is about 3 inches long and weighs almost an ounce.
If you take the test less than 7 days before your last menstrual period, it may give you a false result. If the test is positive, it is more likely that you are truly pregnant.
Second Trimester: Physical and Emotional Changes in a Woman
Once you enter the second trimester you may find it easier than the first. Your nausea (morning sickness) and fatigue may lessen or go away completely. However, you will also notice more changes – That “baby bump” will start to show as your abdomen expands with the growing baby. By the end of the second trimester, you will even be able to feel your baby move!
Some changes you may notice in your body in the second trimester :
- Back, abdomen, groin, or thigh aches and pains.
- Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs and buttocks.
- Darkening of the areolas (skin around nipples).
- A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline (linea nigra).
- Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. This is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy (melasma, or Chloasma facies).
- Numb or tingling hands (carpal tunnel syndrome).
- Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet.
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face.
Second Trimester: The Baby at 16 Weeks
Like you, your baby continues to develop :
- The musculoskeletal system continues to form.
- Skin begins to form and is nearly translucent.
- Meconium develops in the baby’s intestinal tract. This will be your baby’s first bowel movement.
- Baby begins sucking motions with the mouth (sucking reflex).
- The baby is now about 4 to 5 inches long and weighs almost 3 ounces.
Second Trimester: The Baby at 20 Weeks
At about 20 weeks in the second trimester :
- The baby is more active. You might feel movement or kicking.
- The baby is covered by fine, feathery hair called lanugo and a waxy protective coating called vernix.
- Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed. Your baby can even scratch itself now.?
- Your baby can hear and swallow.
- Now halfway through your pregnancy, the baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 9 ounces.
Second Trimester: The Baby at 24 Weeks
By 24 weeks more changes occur in growing baby :
- The baby’s bone marrow begins to make blood cells.
- Taste buds form on the baby’s tongue.
- Footprints and fingerprints have formed.
- Hair begins to grow on the baby’s head.
- The lungs are formed but do not yet work.
- The baby has a regular sleep cycle now.
- If the baby is a boy ?, his testicles begin to descend into the scrotum. If the baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs has formed in the ovaries.
- Baby stores fat and weigh about 1½ pounds, and is 12 inches long.?
Third Trimester: Week 29 – Week 40 (birth)
The third trimester is the final stage of pregnancy. Discomforts that started in the second trimester will likely continue, along with some new ones. As the baby grows and puts more pressure on internal organs, you may find difficulty breathing and have to urinate more frequently. This is normal and temporally.
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face.
- Haemorrhoids
- Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum.
- Your belly button may protrude.
- The baby drops or moves lower in the abdomen.
- Contractions can be a sign of real or false labour.
- Other symptoms you may notice in the third trimester include shortness of breath, heartburn, and difficulty sleeping
Third Trimester: Changes as the Due Date Approaches
Other changes are happening in your body during the third trimester that you can’t see. As your due date approaches, your cervix becomes thinner and softer in a process called effacement that helps the cervix open during childbirth.
Third Trimester: The Baby at 32 Weeks
At 32 weeks in the third trimester, the baby’s development continues :
- The Baby’s bones are soft but fully formed.
- Movements and kicking increase.
- The eyes can open and close.
- Lungs are not fully formed, but practise “breathing” movements occur.
- Baby’s body begins to store vital minerals, such as iron and calcium.
- Lanugo (fine hair) begins to fall off.
- The baby is gaining about ½ pounds a week, weighs about 4 to 4½ pounds, and is about 15 to 17 inches long.
At 36 weeks, as, the due date approaches, your baby continues development :
- The protective waxy coating (vernix) thickens.
- Body fat increases.
- Your baby is getting bigger and has less space to move around. Movements are less forceful, but you will still feel them.
- Your baby is about 16 to 19 inches long and weighs about 6 to 6½ pounds.
Third Trimester: The baby at 37 to 40 Weeks
Finally, from 37 to 40 weeks the last stages of the baby’s development occur :
- By the end of 37 weeks, your baby is considered full term.
- Your baby’s organs are capable of functioning on their own.
- As you near your due date, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth.
- The average birth weight is between 6 pounds 2 ounces to 9 pounds 2 ounces and the average length is 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges, but healthy babies come in many different weights and sizes.
Pregnancy Weight Gain
The amount of weight a woman should gain during pregnancy depends on her body mass index (BMI) before becoming pregnant.
Women who are a normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 pounds.
Women who are underweight before pregnancy should gain more.
Women who are overweight or obese before pregnancy should gain less.
Weight Gain Distribution
Women gain weight all over their bodies during pregnancy. Fetal weight accounts for about 7 1/2 pounds by the end of pregnancy.
The placenta, which nourishes the baby, weighs about 1 1/2 pounds.
The uterus weighs 2 pounds.
A woman gains about 4 pounds due to increased blood volume and an additional 4 pounds due to increased fluid in the body.
A woman’s breasts gain 2 pounds during pregnancy. The amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby weighs 2 pounds. A woman gains about 7 pounds due to excess storage of protein, fat, and other nutrients.
The combined weight from all these sources is about 30 pounds.
Pregnancy Complications
Pregnant women may experience certain complications and symptoms as the fetus grows.
Anaemia, urinary tract infection, and mood changes may occur.
An expectant mother may experience high blood pressure (preeclampsia), which increases the risk of preterm delivery and other potential dangers for the baby.
Severe morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum causes persistent nausea and vomiting, particularly during the first 12 pregnancy weeks. This may lead to first trimester symptoms of weight loss and dehydration, requiring IV nausea medication.
Pregnant women should be aware of the possibility of developing gestational diabetes. It causes symptoms like excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, and fatigue. Obesity and excessive weight gain are possible, especially as the pregnancy progresses. Women are supposed to gain weight during pregnancy, but excessive weight gain may be associated with symptoms that put mother and baby at risk. Ask your doctor how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy.
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Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.
Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.
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