Trimester Of Pregnancy – Pregnancy is an exciting and life-changing experience for women, but it can also be a time of uncertainty and confusion. Understanding the different trimesters of pregnancy and the changes and milestones that occur during each one can help ease some of the anxieties and prepare women for what to expect. Pregnancies are divided into three trimesters, with each marking significant phases of development.
Trimester Of Pregnancy
First trimester
Puring the first trimester (upto12 WEEKS), your baby will go through a tremendous amount of developmental change, rapidly growing from a few cells to a visibly obvious human. Your baby will spend the next couple of trimesters growing, gaining weight and fine-tuning the development of their major organs. The first trimester is pretty tough for some women, as the fluctuation in pregnancy hormones can cause nausea, also known as ‘morning sickness’. Other symptoms such as aversion to certain foods, breast tenderness, mood swings, strange tastes in your mouth, fatigue, and a change in sense of smell can be common during the first trimester too. During this time, you should have had an initial appointment with a midwife or doctor called the “booking appointment!.
Second trimester
The second trimester starts at13 WEEKS and is the stage when many women find that their early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea have started to ease. Your baby is now growing rapidly and is moving lots in the womb. You may not be able to feel this antil around 16-22 weeks, but some women feel it sooner, especially if they have had a baby before. The baby’s genitals are usually identifiable on ultrasound by around 16-17 weeks, so if you want to find out the sex of the baby, you can ask at your 20-week “anomaly scan’. You may find that your clothes are beginning to feel tight at the start of the second trimester or you may not! Everyone is individual and some ‘show’ earlier than others.
Third trimester
By the time the third trimester starts at 28 WEEKS, your baby has developed into an amazing little person! They are guite active now and you should be feeling movements regulariy each day. They spend their time guiping amniotic fluid (the liguid that surrounds the baby) in the womb and peeing it out again, and sometimes suck their thumbs to practise feeding and for comfort. They can also recognise your voice when you speak. You may find that your baby is very active at night when you are resting, as you are not walking around rocking them to sleep!
A lot of brain and lung development needs to occur between 28 and 40 weeks. Although a baby born at 28 weeks has a good chance of survival with neonatal intensive care, a baby born closer to 40 weeks will be less likely to need any interventions. The last few weeks of your pregnancy will feel tiring due to carrying your rapidIy growing baby, you may find that you are constantly running to pee, and the baby’s head may put pressure on your pelvic floor, making it difficult to walk without waddling! This stage is the home Straight and it won’t be long before you’re holding your baby in your arms.
Trimester Of Pregnancy
