What to Expect During Pregnancy

What to Expect During Pregnancy
FACT: Did you know that pregnancy is counted from the first day of a woman’s last period. This means that at conception, the unborn child is already considered two weeks old!
The First Trimester(Week 1 - Week 12)
• There is no menstruation or menstruation becomes very light.
• You may feel nauseous. Some women vomit. (”Morning sickness” can happen any time of day — it may help if you eat small meals throughout the day, a snack on crackers or toast, or drink juice or lemonade.)
• Breasts engorgement, the breast may be tender.
• Nipples and the area around the nipples called the areola get darker and broader.
• The urge to urinate more often.
• You feel tired through out the day.
• You may become constipated and have heartburn.
• You may have headaches.
• Mood swings — feel angry, sad, or happy for no apparent reason.
The Second Trimester(Week 13 - Week 26)
• You will notice a significant weight gain.
• You can feel the movement of the fetus..• The skin on your stomach stretches and may get dry. Appearance of striae gravidarum starts to appear.
• Your breasts get bigger. It’s time that you should wear a good supportive bra.
• You may still experience heartburn, indigestion, and constipation.
• You may get nosebleeds.
• Your feet, hands, ankles and face may swell (this is called edema).• A dark line called Linea Negra develops on your skin between your navel and your pubic area.
• A “mask” or darker area or pigmentation called Chloasma may develop on your face. (It disappears after the pregnancy ends.)
• You may begin to develop varicose veins.
The Third Trimester(Week 27 - 40)
• You can see the fetus move from the outside, your abdomen may become lopsided as your baby moves and change position.
• Your navel pushes out.
• You begin to feel backpains.
• You begin to walk differently (duckwalk) to house the weight of the fetus.
• You experience painless “practice” contractions called Braxton Hicks.
• You have shortness of breath.
• Finally, it’s labor day!