An average pregnancy lasts nine months or forty weeks. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful but equally overwhelming phases by millions of women worldwide. Your body undergoes many changes due to varying hormone levels during pregnancy. These hormones affect your body and mind. If you are expecting or trying to get pregnant, knowing the changes you’ll experience can help ease the process.
The first trimester of pregnancy begins from the week of conception to the twelfth week. Your body experiences man changes. Almost all the organs of your body experience hormonal changes. A skipped period is the first sign of pregnancy. During the first trimester, you’ll feel exhausted. As your body gets busy making a suitable environment for the new being, your breasts swell and feel tender.
Pregnant women start producing the HCG or human chorionic gonadotropic shortly after the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus’s lining. This hormone can lead to the most common early symptom of early pregnancy – nausea and vomiting. You may also experience cravings, sensitivity to certain foods, and heartburn. Fatigue can also lead to headaches. In most cases, women are excited during the early days. However, you may experience lows and mood swings as well.
The thirteenth week of pregnancy brings the second trimester and lasts till the twenty-eighth week. Many women feel easier during this trimester, perhaps because they’ve acclimated to the changes in their bodies. Though fatigue and nausea start to fade, other interesting changes begin to occur. Yes! This is the time when your baby bump starts appearing as your baby grows inside your womb. As your body makes room and space for the growing fetus, you may experience body aches, stretch marks on the breasts, thighs, abdomen, darkening of nipples, and other forms of pigmentation.
Your ankles, fingers, and face start to swell as well. The swelling may be due to the pressure from the growing womb or because your body holds more water than usual. Your moodiness may go away, but you experience other changes like forgetfulness. Many women complain about being more disorganized. Since your body goes through many physical changes, you may have lots of emotions about the way you look. Your baby starts moving by the end of this trimester, bringing excitement and feelings to the end of this phase.
The third trimester is the last one and begins at week twenty-nine and lasts almost till week forty. During this period, you’ll feel the stretch and discomfort as your baby matures. The growing fetus pushes on the organs, and you may feel the urge to urinate again and again, your hunger is reduced, and you may also experience shortness of breath. The mammary glands get ready and may leak watery material. Your belly grows, even more, making your belly button stick out. Hemorrhoids and urinary incontinence are common during this trimester.
Nearing labor, you may start to feel your baby moving lower in your abdomen. The false labor contractions, also known as Braxton Hicks contractions, start preparing your body for actual labor. Your cervix may become thinner and softer, making your birth canal ready for the birthing process. You may feel forgetful and anxious about childbirth. The discomfort and fatigue may make you more irritable than before. The pregnancy period ends when you give birth, and the new one comes into your life!
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!