Posted on May 26, 2009 in Latest News
Staying fit and healthy during pregnancy is dream of every expectant mother. For this, knowing about the stages of pregnancy is important. This is because each pregnancy stage, also known as trimester, brings with it different growth and developmental changes for the growing fetus and the mother. The right knowledge can help in preparing the expectant mother to deal with pregnancy, avoid stress and have easy delivery.
Trimesters of Pregnancy
The trimesters of pregnancy are as under:
- First Trimester Pregnancy: It begins from conception (fertilization of eggs by sperms) to 12 weeks. The implantation of fertilized eggs into the uterine wall triggers a series of hormonal changes inside the body. The hormonal changes, in turn, bring in a number of physical changes in the body of the mother. This can cause a variety of symptoms like breast tenderness, nausea with or without vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, increased urination, extreme emotional sensitivity (mood swings), constipation, etc.
- Second Trimester Pregnancy: This stage starts from 13 to 27 weeks of pregnancy. The second trimester pregnancy is considered as the easiest part of pregnancy. Many of the symptoms of the first trimester pregnancy such as morning sickness, fatigue, etc may disappear during this stage. The breasts may continue to grow and start secreting colostrum near the end of the second trimester. Colostrum is a high-calorie high-protein nourishment helpful in nurturing a newborn. The second trimester also brings in happy moments when a mother can feel the movement of growing baby inside her womb.
- Third Trimester Pregnancy: The last trimester of pregnancy also known as the third trimester starts from 28th week up to birth of the baby. The stage is marked by continuous growth of fetus. Mother can feel frequent movement of fetus especially between 27-32 weeks. But, during the final two months, the pregnant mother may feel less movement inside her womb. This can be because of the large size of the fetus that may not find enough space inside the uterus to move around easily.
Some of the common symptoms observed during the third trimester of pregnancy can be back pain, pelvic pain, hemorrhoids and constipation, extreme fatigue, Braxton Hicks contractions, heartburn, difficulty in breathing, frequent urination, sleeping difficulty, etc.
A pregnant mother may want to take frequent deep breaths to help providing increased amount of oxygen to the growing baby. Also taking healthy food, adequate rest and doing regular exercise during pregnancy can help in healthy growth of a baby.
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