Pregnancy brings along with itself so many wonderful feelings and surprises. There is the initial feeling of excitement and then the changes ensue that sends a would-be-mother into a roller coaster ride of emotions. The first trimester of pregnancy is perhaps most difficult for a woman as her body adapts to the hormonal changes along with the emotional upheavals.
Let us explore and see what surprises awaits a would-be-mother in her first trimester. This will equip her to understand the changes of her own body and also help her to know more about her growing baby.
Pregnancy continues for about 40 weeks starting from the first day of the last period and the first trimester starts from first day of last period and ends at week 13.
The first trimester is marked by drastic changes for the mother starting from her lifestyle to her body and moods.
First pregnancy trimester
Physical changes during first trimester of pregnancy
Let us first discuss about the physical changes that causes lots of discomforts and pains to the mother.
- The first change that happens to a woman’s body in her first trimester of pregnancy is the splurge in the hormones. These hormones affect every organ of her body. The breasts feel tender and may increase in size as the milk glands start developing.
- You may feel extremely tired and dizzy.
- A lot of women complain about morning sickness. They feel nauseated and tend to vomit a lot. Although it is named morning sickness but it actually occurs any time in the day and night. The symptoms usually go away as the pregnancy progresses but some women experience them till the third trimester.
- You may develop craving for certain types of food or distaste for some.
- Mood swings are also common as the body tries to cope with the changes.
- Some women may have constipation.
- Tension headaches and heartburn hit some women very badly.
- You may feel the urge to urinate more often as the increased uterus puts pressure on the bladder.
- Weight may increase or decrease during the first trimester.
- A lot of women experience changes in their skin thanks to the increased blood and hormones. The lucky ones start glowing and the unfortunate would-be-mums may get the worst outbreak of pimples and dark patches.
- By the end of first trimester your body will start showing signs of pregnancy and you may need to change your clothing sizes.
Life style changes during first trimester
These physical changes demand some lifestyle changes from the mother.
- The would-be-mum has to give up drinking alcohol and smoking.
- Caffeine intake should be avoided.
- Increase fluid intake to remain hydrated.
- Ensure that your diet is healthy and nutritious. In fact a healthy diet is the key to a healthy pregnancy.
- You must develop an exercise regime to stay fit.
- Try to take adequate rest and think positive about the pregnancy which will see you through with the discomforts that first trimester brings.
Prenatal visits to doctor
- The first trimester of pregnancy is also marked by the first prenatal visit. Your doctor will perform lot of tests on you to know about your general health and blood count, blood pressure and infectious diseases.
- He will also give you a probable due date. You have to visit the doctor every month to know about your health and the baby’s growth.
- You should not take any medicine without consulting your doctor.
- You may be required to take supplements of iron, calcium and folic acid.
- The doctor will inform you about the precautions you must take for the healthy growth of the baby.
- Miscarriage is a common phenomenon in the first trimester so you should be very careful. Bleeding, cramping and passing of clots should be immediately reported to the doctor.
Exciting phase of pregnancy during first trimester
Now let us come to the most exciting part of first trimester of pregnancy which is the baby’s growth.
- By the fifth week of pregnancy the baby develops into an embryo from a mass of cells which is barely visible to the naked eye.
- The spinal column and heart starts to develop and the heart starts beating also.
- By the middle of second month the arm buds develop and the hands start developing. The baby is about quarter inch long and the brain, eyes, ears and pituitary glands start developing. The sex organs begin to form.
- At the end of second month the baby develops into a fetus with developing bones, teeth and webbed fingers. The baby will start responding to the touches from outside the uterus.
- By the end of the third month the baby starts growing very fast and doubles her length. Nails starts growing in those tiny fingers and she will start urinating as her kidneys are fully functioning.
- By the end of first trimester the baby gets more organs functioning like liver and her bone marrow can produce red blood cells for her.
- Hair starts showing on her head.
First trimester of pregnancy is just the beginning of a new life which will slowly unfold fully in second and third trimesters.
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