What To Expect
1st Trimester
In the first month of pregnancy your baby is about a quarter inch long and weighs less than one ounce. By about week 6, baby starts to sprout arms, legs, hands and feet. Hair, skin and nails develop between 5 and 8 weeks. By 14 weeks your baby is about 3.5inches long and weighs little more than one ounce with all major organs developed.
Symptoms
In the first three months you will experience many changes! Symptoms of pregnancy vary greatly between women; you may or may not experience:
- Stopped period
- Enlarged tender breasts
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Food cravings or aversions
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Mood swings
What You Can Do
In the first trimester you should:
- Start taking a prenatal vitamin, if you are not already taking one. You can purchase one at your local pharmacy over the counter or ask your provider to send in a prescription if you prefer.
- Book your first OB visit around 6 to 8 weeks from your first day of your last period. Consider genetic testing. There are several options and they should be discussed at your first obstetrical visits.
- Make time for fitness. 30 minutes 3-5 days per week is an excellent start. Try walking if you have been sedentary.
- It is safe to have sex if you feel like it, unless your doctor has advised you otherwise.
- Start thinking of a name for your baby, it’s never too early to start this process!
- Plan to announce your pregnancy. Think about when and how you’ll tell everyone the good news! Most women wait till the end of the first trimester, when the risk of miscarriage is lower.
2nd Trimester
Your baby is growing incredibly fast! He or she now has completely formed eyelids that react to changes in light. The entire body is covered in lanugo, a soft hair. Also the external genitalia become distinctly male or female! Your baby may start to suck his or her thumb now, as the sucking reflex is quite strong already. At about 20 weeks your baby is about 7 inches long and weighs between 10 and 12 ounces.
Symptoms
In the second trimester (weeks 13-28) you may experience:
- Increased appetite
- Abdominal expansion
- Skin stretches
- Aches from stretching of uterine ligaments
- Dark line may appear down middle of stomach
- Brown patches may appear on face
- Feet and ankle swelling
- Back and hip pain
- Fetal movement may begin to be felt towards the end of the second trimester
What You Can Do
In the first trimester you should:
- Stay active, skipping activities that could cause you to fall
- Drink plenty of water
- Set up your registry
- Install a car seat
- Think about child care, daycare centers have waiting lists so start to look early
- Decorate your nursery
- Sign up for child birth and baby care classes
- Rest and relax, perhaps take a baby moon?
- Create a birth plan
3rd Trimester
It’s the start of your final trimester! Your baby’s taste buds are developed and he or she can respond to the changing tastes of the amniotic fluid. Their skin is less wrinkly as fat begins to fill in their contours. Your baby can make grasping motions with their hands. At 28 weeks your baby weighs about three pounds and is approximately 11 inches long. In the last month your baby should put on about half an ounce of fat each day and the lanugo is almost gone.
Symptoms
In your third trimester (weeks 28-40) you may experience:
- Strong fetal movements
- Shortness of breath
- Need to urinate more often
- Nipples may leak yellow, watery colostrum
- Navel protruding
- Contractions, may be Braxton hicks
- Pelvic discomfort, as baby may shift to a head down position
What You Can Do
In your third trimester you should:
- Decide if you are going to get an epidural, make sure to note this in your birth plan
- Pack your hospital bag, include an outfit to bring baby home in, clothes for yourself and your partner, snacks, and cell phone chargers
- Keep track of fetal movement
- Watch for labor signs and symptoms, time contractions
- Take a hospital tour, so you will know where to go on the big day
- Choose a pediatrician
- Buy any last minute baby gear you may still need
- Look into getting a breast pump if you are planning to breastfeed
- Take a breast feeding class or read a book
- Take pregnancy photos
- Stock your fridge, freezer and pantry, grocery shopping is the last thing you’ll want to have to do when you bring baby home
- Stock up on diapers and wipes
- Find child care for your other children for when the time comes
Irregular Symptoms
If you experience the following symptoms call your Doctor’s Office.
If you cannot reach your doctor’s office, go to the nearest Emergency Room.
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Severe pelvic pain
- Painful urination
- Fever over 101.5 F
- Severe puffiness in the hands/face
- Changes in vision
