When you are expecting your body and mind will start to go through many changes and this could cause your physical and mental health to fluctuate. It can be nice to know what to expect and how to get ready for the changes to come.
In the Beginning
There are many symptoms that will start to occur when you become pregnant. A huge sign of becoming pregnant is the pause of your menstruation cycle. This is what alerts most women to try to take a test. From there, you may also feel the physical symptoms of nausea, breast changes, dizziness, or light blood spotting. While these may be common for women to experience in the beginning, it is not to say that all women will go through these changes.
First Trimester
During the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, the early-stage symptoms may continue or get more intense. You may be throwing up more frequently or start to get dizzier and tired more often than before. This first trimester is where the baby starts to grow the fastest. By the end of the 13 weeks, the baby will be three inches long with a spine, brain, and heart. Additional symptoms in this stage could include mood swings, weight gain or loss, strange food cravings, and heartburn.
Second Trimester
The second trimester goes up to week 28. The first stages of symptoms will slow to a stop and you may start to feel a bit more energy. With the growth of the baby happening fast, a little discomfort is common. You may feel some back pain, swelling of the face, fingers, and ankle, or adopt carpal tunnel for some time. During this stage, you can also expect to start to feel the baby moving around. At week 28, the baby will be around 14 inches and have eyebrows, fingerprints, and eyes.
Third Trimester
The third trimester covers the weeks 29 to 40, up until birth. At this point, the discomfort of having a growing human may continue or get worse as the baby gains weight. Throughout all three trimesters, with the changing of physical and mental health, it is important that a woman’s health takes priority. The back pain, need to urinate, and indigestion may increase in these last weeks. You may also have a difficult time sleeping or sitting and lying comfortably. Towards the end of the last trimester, the baby will have grown to a total of 16 to 19 inches and weigh around 6 to 10 pounds. That weight and change can affect a woman’s physical health. Paying close attention to the changes and discomforts that come with pregnancy can help work out solutions.
Through the full three trimesters, your body is going through tremendous changes. You will feel the physical and mental symptoms that go along with growing a fetus, however, gaining a better idea of what is to come can help you prepare for them.