Pregnancy Stages: What To Expect
When you've conceived a child, your first thoughts may be of the baby, and how it will develop. However, it is also very important to think about the next nine months, and how you will also change during this time. You can be prepared by learning about what will happen during the three pregnancy stages, and by planning for the birth.
Once conception takes place, the first of the three pregnancy stages is called the first trimester. Most women discover that they are pregnant by the time they're about halfway through this stage. Common pregnancy symptoms like fatigue, morning sickness or frequent urination begin to appear at this time. The first trimester lasts for three months.
The 2nd trimester is the next of the pregnancy stages. It is at this point (during months three to six) that your stomach will begin to expand and you will show the pregnancy. At this point it may become harder to sleep or be comfortable while you lie down.
It's at this moment during the second trimester that your baby will begin kicking. As he or she does so, you may feel these motions. Some women find them alarming, but they are a sign that the baby is active. At the end of this trimester, baby will be around 10 inches long and beginning to grow hairs.
The baby is fully formed in the third trimester but needs these last three months to grow and develop lung and heart functions. Your body will undergo even more changes as the baby grows. You may need to urinate more often (as the baby puts pressure on your bladder), and it may be difficult to balance with your stomach, now bigger.
At the time of the third of the three pregnancy stages that you should begin to take birthing and breastfeeding classes. Having a partner to learn proper breathing may be helpful. It also may help at this point to watch birth videos so that you know what to expect. Ask your obstetrician about joining classes and obtaining video.
It is at this moment too that you may want to consider what you want to occur during the birth. It is traditional for a woman to give birth in a hospital with pain medication, however many women opt for less traditional methods. For example, some women choose to give birth with no medications. Others pick a home birth as the best option usually with the help of a midwife. Some women even pick a waterbirth, where the birth occurs in a large bathtub full of water or in a hot tub.
In the excitement of pregnancy, it is easy to forget to plan for the pregnancy stages which will occur. By knowing what to expect, and having a proper plan in place, surprises are limited and the mother's comfort is put in the forefront. With all of these options, visiting with an obstetrician is the best plan, as he or she can give you further resources and choices.
The three pregnancy stages are called trimesters. In the first trimester, women realize they're pregnant due to fatigue, mornin sickness, and other symptoms. During the second trimester, the baby will begin kicking and growing hair. In the third trimester, the baby is fully-grown and finishing lung and heart development. During the third trimester, you should begin educating yourself by taking birthing and breastfeeding classes, watching birth videos, and planning how you wish to give birth. You can deliver in the hospital with painkillers, naturally without painkillers, at home assisted by a midwife, and even waterbirth, delivery in a tub of warm water.
Published July 25th, 2007





