What to expect week by week during pregnancy?

What To Expect Week By Week Pregnancy

The first trimester of pregnancy is made up of week 0 to week 12. Infact the first trimester can be a very trying and turbulent time for many pregnant women as their body’s get accustomed to the nausea, aches and pains associated with pregnancy. Physical changes in a woman during the first trimester include tenderness of the breasts that are preparing themselves for breastfeeding. Many women also feel overly tired and exhausted during their first trimester on account of the emotional and physical demands of pregnancy. However, this feeling of fatigue is likely to gradually diminish and be replaced with renewed energy in the months to come. Similarly during the first trimester pregnant women typically go through bouts of moods swings and nausea or morning sickness which may even lead to vomiting. This mostly caused by the constant stretching of the uterine muscles and increased levels of estrogen. In such cases, women should consume plenty of water and eat frequent small meals to prevent dehydration and weakness. Some other physical changes experienced by women during the first trimester are dizziness, leg cramps, and frequent urination, heartburn.

The second trimester spreads from week 13 to week 28 of pregnancy and is considered to be the most enjoyable for most women. While early pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness may decrease during this trimester there are other new ones that come up such as lower back pain, vaginal discharge, and itching all over the body or in certain parts of the body. Towards the end of this trimester most women may be able to detect fetal movement which is called quickening and is in the form of a light flutter. Any increase in vaginal discharge or the presence of blood should be reported to the doctor immediately as it could indicate a more serious problem. The final trimester of pregnancy comprises of weeks 28 to 42. During this trimester both the baby and the mother are growing at a rapid rate which should be supplemented by a healthy diet comprising of foods that are rich in calcium, protein, vitamins, minerals etc. Some women may also experience swelling of the hands and feet due to water retention. There is also an increase in the body temperature hence during this trimester women should wear loose cotton clothing to stay comfortable and cool. Some women may even feel uterine contractions called Braxton Hicks contractions towards week 20 which do not last for long and are not as frequent as pre labor contractions.

Submitted by P T on June 26, 2010 at 08:29

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