What to Expect in Pregnancy
by Ronnee Ruselle
Congratulations!! One of life's great miracles is about to happen for you. It can be nerve wracking but also exciting. Here is a rundown on the trimesters so you know what to expect in the exciting upcoming months. Every person is different and so is every pregnancy. This Calendar is a general estimate of what you can expect. Make allowance for yours to have some differences.
The First Trimester
Your pregnancy will be measured from the start of your last menstrual period so even though you may be 4 weeks pregnant, medically you will be classed as being 6 weeks pregnant. In the first 7 to 10 days the fertilized egg makes its way to your uterus where it will settle into the endometrial lining.
At five weeks, your embryo measures two millimetres. Eyes, ears and an opening which will become a mouth begin to develop. Legs and arms begin to form. The umbilical cord is developing. You may already be feeling the effects of morning sickness, possibly vomiting or nausea, fatigue, dizziness, headaches and irritability. Tis is because your uterus is expanding rapidly and your oestrogen levels are higher, but chin up, although this can continue until around week 12 or 13, it will then subside.
During this time, it's important that you have prenatal vitamins such as folic acid. They contain many important nutrients that reduce defects in the baby's development.
By week 8 your baby is about 2.5cm long and weighs about 1 gram. It has a brain, heart and limbs. The facial features become more recognizable and elbows, fingers and toes are more noticeable. As your uterus is about as big as an orange, you may see changes in your waistline. Those first time mothers may not show as easily as those who have already had a baby. Your breasts may be enlarging and you may experience skin breakouts due to hormones.
You may be suffering some indigestion. This is because the food moves slowly through the body allowing the nutrients to be absorbed better by the baby. To help decrease the discomfort that the indigestion can cause you, try wearing loose fitting clothing and eat frequent, small meals.
By week 9 Testes and Ovaries have formed although an ultrasound will not detect the gender as the external genitalia has not formed yet.
In the third month, the baby is about 8 cm long, weighs about 14 grams and has formed most of its body parts. It has fingers, toes and hair. Fingernails and genitalia are forming and the child is beginning to use its digestive system. You may find you won't need to use the toilet as often because the uterus is shifting upwards, relieving pressure on the bladder. The first trimester can be exhausting but soon you'll feel much better.
The Second Trimester
The baby is around 16cm long now and weighs around 45 grams. The placenta has taken over the sustaining your baby's nutrition. The foetal organ development is almost complete so the drain on your body is less and you begin to get your energy back. Baby is free to move and will be doing somersaults which you may feel as a fluttering movement from around 18 to 22 weeks. You may experience nosebleeds as your blood content almost doubles.
In the fifth month, baby is about 25cm long (around half the length that it will be at birth) and weighs about 283 grams. Its movements will be more easily felt although they may still be fairly rare. You may become aware of the baby's sleep wake cycles. An ultrasound will show the gender of your little one, but accuracy varies. As hormones may dry your skin out, it's a good time to use a light moisturiser and drink plenty of water to ease any irritation and to keep your skin supple and soft. Baby has teeth buds and may be sucking its thumb. It is developing finger and toe pads and is covered in a fine hair called lanugo.
Baby is about 30cm in the sixth month and weighs around 595 grams. Eyebrows and eyelashes are forming and baby can still move around so may not be facing down as yet. You may feel your uterus tightening. This is called Braxton Hicks contractions and it's the body preparing for the birth. These contractions are harmless and do not affect the baby so don't worry unless you have say more than four an hour at which point, you may want to make a call your doctor just to check that all is as it should be, but don't panic. By week 24 your baby experiences rapid eye movement which shows he or she is dreaming. Your little angel can hear you so feel free to talk to it and play it music and it may jump at sudden loud noises. You may experience some pains in the legs and lower back. Water retention and the loosening of joints may make you a little clumsy and hormones can cause forgetfulness. It's not long now till you get to hold your little bundle of joy in your arms.
The Third Trimester
Your baby grows to around 35cm long and weighs around about 1kilo. Growth of your baby is slowing down but the final touches are being put into place. The brain is still developing and the lungs prepare for breathing air. Ensure you are getting enough rest as well as calcium for strong bones for both you and baby. Your baby's eyelids begin to open in the seventh month and respond to light and dark in the womb. Baby begins to turn his/her head down. The laguno and a creamy substance called vernix which protects baby's skin are now disappearing. This can be swallowed by baby and stored in the bowels. This is the meconium which the baby releases in the days following birth.
The waddle you've developed is due to a hormone called Relaxin that softens hip joints. Make sure your hospital bag is packed and ready. Try to remain calm. You will suddenly get the 'nesting' urge to tidy, fix and prepare everything. Lots of decisions will most likely still need to be made and excitement is building towards that special day. It can be nerve wracking, especially for first time mothers, so ensure that you have a relaxation routine and pamper yourself. The birth can occur from two weeks before the due to two weeks after so if baby does not arrive on the day you expect, don't fret.
Post birth
You may find that you're hungrier than usual, but choose healthy nutritious foods keeping in mind that what you eat will go to your baby in your milk. This includes your drinks. Alcohol and caffeine will also pass onto your baby possibly causing sleep disruptions. You will begin to burn off the stored fat in your body but be patient, as it will take several months to return to your original size. Don't diet, just eat healthy, moderate portions and try a gentle regular exercise such as swimming or walking each day.
Enjoy your baby and don't be afraid to seek help with the care of your child. If you don't have much access to family and friends, then take advantage of any professional or government services available to you. This is a huge responsibility and one of life's greatest blessings so remember that you are human and it takes time to adjust to each child you have. Don't try to be super mum. A lot of people will contribute to your child's experiences in the years ahead so there's no reason why it can't start now. You will go through a gamut of emotions and thoughts. Take it a step at a time as you are growing and learning too along with your child.
All the best!