Pregnancy heaven

Three stages of pregnancy

There are three stages of pregnancy: first trimester, second trimester and third trimester. Each stage of pregnancy lasts about three months. In addition, each stage of pregnancy will bring changes in your body, how you feel, and the development of your baby (of course!).

In the first stage of pregnancy, or the first trimester, you have just found out you are pregnant. You may be overjoyed or unpleasantly surprised. In either case, you will definitely be more focused on yourself. Your feelings will be charged from the blast of hormones your pregnancy is now producing.

Some of the body changes you may experience in your first trimester are: slight weight gain, a thickening of the waist, breast tenderness and/or swelling, nausea, increased tiredness, increased urge to urinate.

By the end of the first stage of pregnancy, your baby has developed all of his/her organs, begins movement, and is about three inches long and weighs about one ounce.

In the second stage of pregnancy, or the second trimester, you will be very focused on the changes in your body. Many women experience a leveling of their hormone surges and feel pleasantly “balanced.” You may begin to feel even more movement from your baby and have dreams about him or her.

During the second trimester, you may notice these changes in your body: your nipples become darker, you may develop dark spots on your face (which usually fade after delivery), your breasts become heavier and larger, and your belly will become bigger.

By the end of the second stage of pregnancy or second trimester, your baby's heartbeat gets stronger and can be heard by a stethoscope, your baby responds to noises, your baby's movements increase dramatically. Your baby is about 14 inches long and weighs about 1.5 pounds.

In the third stage of pregnancy, or the third trimester, you may begin to feel impatient about having to wait for baby to be born. You may also feel anxious about the coming delivery. At the end of the third trimester, you may begin what is called “nesting.” This is when you may have more energy and start preparing for the baby's arrival by getting the nursery organized, having an overwhelming feeling of needing to clean, etc.

In the third trimester, you may experience some of these changes in your body: your belly will have expanded even more, your breasts will be larger and heavier, you may have a dark line running up the center of your belly to your belly button, you may have a constant back ache and leg aches, and you may experience contractions of your uterus that are painless called Braxton-hicks.

At 38 weeks, within the third trimester, your body is getting ready for childbirth and your baby usually (not always though) turns so its head is in the pelvic region. You may feel an even more increased urge to urinate frequently because of pressure on your bladder.

By the end of the third trimester, your baby is usually about 18 to 20 inches long and 6 to 8 pounds. She or he has experienced enormous growth in the past three months and will be ready to meet you!

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