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Early Pregnancy - A Critical Time

March 19th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Seeing the first ultra sounds of your developing baby, hearing its heartbeat the firt time and feeling its first kick, are amazing moments during your pregnancy. But these are not the first or early signs of your pregnancy. Early pregnancy signs are rarely as pleasant and often include morning sickness, bleeding, fatigue and cramping. These early pregnancy signs are more like common unpleasant ailments.

First Trimester Symptoms

Early pregnancy symptoms occur during the first trimester, or first three months. During the first three months, the fetus is developing all of its organs and your body is going through alot of changes. Few pregnancy symptoms are present during this first month.

The second month you should start to experience morning sickness and possibly vomiting. Although it is called morning sickness, it can be felt any time of day or all day depending upon the woman. Light spotting or bleeding may also occur which can be mistaken for a period. The bleeding is called implantation bleeding and occurs when the fetus implants itself into the uterus.

During the third month, early pregnancy symptoms should be more profound and include:

1. headaches;
2. severe mood swings;
3. constipation; and
4. heartburn.

Your baby has grown to about four inches long and has most of his or her body parts. Your baby’s head makes up approximately 50% of its total body at this stage of pregnancy.

Early Pregnancy - Special Care

Most physicians will agree that the first three months are the most critical during any pregnancy. During early pregnancy, your baby is developing all of its vital organs as well as its brain. That’s why you need to see your doctor as soon as you learn that you are pregnant.

You need to begin a pregnancy fitness and nutrition program as early as possible to ensure the health of your developing baby. Your baby has very special needs during this stage which will require you to change your diet, your vitamins and perhaps other habits. Your doctor will work with you with respect to all of these areas and more.

It is also a great time to start planning how you are going to care for your baby after its born. This may include finances, going on maternity leave, quitting your job permanently, hiring a nanny, moving to a bigger house, building a nursery, etc.

Early pregnancy detection is vital to the health of your baby. It is also the time that you can begin planning needed lifestyle changes and preparing for your baby’s future.

There are many decisions that you and your spouse need to make, changes that need to take place before baby’s arrival, and you only have eight to nine months to get many of them accomplished. This is a very exciting time and a very busy time as well.
To Your Health,
MyPregnancyStages.com

The Stages of Pregnancy - The Pregnancy Trimesters

March 13th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

The stages of pregnancy are commonly called trimesters.  The three trimesters span a total of forty weeks.  The first and second pregnancy trimesters are each thirteen weeks long and the third pregnancy trimester is 14 weeks long.  Your forty week pregnancy begins with the first day of your last menstrual cycle.  The standard use of a pregnancy start date, the forty weeks and the pregnancy trimesters (or stages) is critical because of the difficulty in determining the date of conception.  Doctors needed a standard pregnancy cycle so they could define the normal symptoms and growth expected during each week and stage of pregnancy.  All pregnancy resources use this same standard pregnancy cycle.  This is the same cycle your doctor will use to determine if your baby is developing normally.

Stage 1 of Pregnancy:  The First Trimester

The first stage of pregnancy is probably the most critical.  During this stage both you and your baby are experiencing alot of changes.  It is extremely important to identify your pregnancy as early as possible so you can begin to take special care of yourself to ensure the health of your baby.  Your fitness and nutrition are very important during this period.  Most miscarriages occur during the first pregnancy trimester. 

The first trimester is when your baby is going through the the most critical phases of its development.  By the time you are 13 weeks pregnant your baby has all the parts of an adult, can make a fist, is roughly 3 inches long and weighs a little more then an ounce.  The baby’s sex organs have also developed but are usually too small to identify at this time.

Morning sickness and vomiting are common during this stage of pregnancy and may be the first recognizable pregnancy symptom you experience.  For many woman, this symptom ends before the second stage of pregnancy begins.  You may also experience breast tenderness, spotting, mild cramping and fatigue.  Many early pregnancy symptoms may be difficult to detect since they are similar to menstrual cycle symptoms.  It is usually advised that you avoid all prescription, over the counter and herbal medications during this stage of pregnancy to avoid potential birth defects, malformations and miscarriage.  Although you have started to gain weight, there is usually no need for maternity clothes at this time.

Stage 2 of Pregnancy: The Second Trimester

During the second stage of pregnancy you will be more aware of the impact pregnancy is having on your body.  You will gain more weight and become easily fatigued.  It is important to listen to your body and to get additional rest.  Everyday activities can become exhausting.  Your nutrition and fitness is critical during every stage of pregnancy to ensure your baby gets the nutrients it needs to develop and grow.  Exercise is very important during pregnancy and can minimize some of your discomforts.  You also want to monitor your weight gain.  Gaining too much weight or too little weight are both unhealthy for you and your baby.

For most women, morning sickness and vomiting has ended or will end during the first few weeks of the second pregnancy trimester.  Pregnancy symptoms that typically develop during the second or third trimester include: heartburn and indigestion, back pain, gas and bloating, constipation, leg cramps and hemorrhoids.  Your pregnancy will be showing and maternity or loose fitting clothes will be needed.  During this stage of pregnancy you will be able to feel your baby’s movements and notice their waking and sleeping patterns.

Your baby is growing fast during the second pregnancy trimester.  By the end of your 26th week of pregnancy your baby looks similar to a newborn, has fully developed eyes, has finger nails and finger prints, has eyebrows and eyelashes and baby’s skin is less transparent because of the development of fat.  Your baby is now 12 -14 inches long and weights about 2 1/2 pounds.  Your baby’s sex can easily be determined.  If you gave birth at the end of the second pregnancy trimester your baby could survive with modern medical technology.

Stage 3 of Pregnancy: The Third Trimester

During the third stage of pregnancy, you have a big belly and your baby is kicking.  You are still fatigued, feeling a little fat and anxious to meet you new baby face to face.  Your baby is also getting anxious.  Most of the symptoms from the second pregnancy trimester are still present and your back aches may worsen because of the additional weight.  Your baby is growing very fast and gaining the most weight now.  Although birth weight varies, the average birth weight for newborns is between 6 and 9 pounds.

Congratualations, you made it!

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