week-by-week

Pregnancy is the golden time of life for every woman. The period in which a fetus develops inside the womb of a woman or uterus is called pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy lasts 9 months, or 40 weeks or 280 days. Symptoms of pregnancy- 1.  Missing your period  If you're expecting a baby and you miss your period, it is because of your pregnancy. However, some women have an irregular menstrual cycle and might miss their periods for a month or have a delay of one or two weeks, proving the symptom to be wrong.   2.  Morning sickness The state of feeling nauseous and an uncomfortable condition is known as morning sickness. Regardless of the name, it can happen during any time of the day. During pregnancy, morning sickness can happen as early as two weeks. A woman can have morning sickness with or without vomiting, depending completely upon the individual. It is not necessary for every woman to feel nauseous. Some might not feel it while others might feel it a lot and very often. However, morning sickness can also result from dehydration. 3.  Sore and swollen breasts Due to the hormonal changes in your body during pregnancy, you can feel your breasts swollen, tender and sore. Once your body starts adjusting to the hormonal changes, this can decrease with time.  4.  Frequent urination One of the signs of pregnancy is increased urination. Due to the increased blood in your body and an extra amount of fluid processed in your kidneys, you may find yourself urinating more frequently. 5.  Tiredness (fatigue) Again, hormonal changes can result in tiredness. Mainly, the hormone progesterone plays a big role in making you feel tired. You might feel sleepiness all the time, not wanting to get out of bed, lack of energy, not being able to do anything or feel sluggish. It is a common symptom and is likely to occur in every woman.  There are some symptoms which are not common and may or may not even happen. These include- Implantation bleeding (spotting)  Cravings for food/Constant hunger Cramps Mood swings  Headaches and dizziness Constipation

During 1st trimester  In the first trimester of fertilization and implantation, the baby is initially just an embryo: all organs and body parts will develop from two layers of cells. Growing fast, your baby will soon be the size of a kidney bean and be constantly on the move. The heart is beating fast and the gut is forming. Your budding son or daughter’s earlobes, eyelids, mouth, and nose are also taking shape.  2 weeks pregnant  This is a potentially life-changing week. You ovulate, and if the egg meets the sperm, you get pregnant! Blastocyst  3 weeks pregnant  Your baby is a small ball – called a blastocyst – made up of hundreds of rapidly multiplying cells.  4 weeks pregnant  4 weeks deep in your womb, your baby is an embryo made up of two layers, and your primordial placenta is developing 5 weeks pregnant  Your little embryo is growing like crazy and you may notice pregnancy discomforts like breast pain and fatigue.  6 weeks of pregnancy  Your baby’s nose, mouth, and ears begin to take shape at 6 weeks. You may experience morning sickness and spotting. 7 Weeks Pregnancy  At 7 weeks your baby – still an embryo with a small tail – is forming hands and feet. Your uterus has doubled in size. Your baby is still in the womb at 8 weeks 8 weeks pregnancy Your baby is constantly moving, even if you don’t feel it. In the meantime, you may be making decisions about prenatal testing. Baby in the womb at 9 weeks 9 weeks pregnancy Your baby is now almost 1 inch long and looks more human. You’ve probably noticed that your waist is getting fatter. Baby in the womb at 10 weeks 10 weeks pregnancy Your baby has passed the most critical part of his development! Organs and structures are in place and ready to grow. Baby in the womb at 11 weeks 11 weeks pregnancy Your baby’s hands will soon open and close into fists, and tiny tooth buds will appear under the gums. Baby in the womb at 12 weeks 12 weeks pregnancy Your child’s little toes may curl up, their brain will go wild, and their kidneys will start to urinate. Baby in the womb at 13 weeks 13 weeks pregnancy It’s the last week of the first trimester! Your baby now has exquisite fingerprints and is nearly 3 inches long.

The second trimester of pregnancy, which lasts from week 14 to week 27, is frequently regarded as the finest time of pregnancy. Many people experience a reduction in morning sickness and exhaustion at this stage of the pregnancy. During this trimester, your foetus (unborn child) will also continue to develop, gaining weight and assuming the characteristics of a new born. During the second trimester, you’ll have an ultrasound to check sure your foetus is growing normally and to determine their sex. 14 weeks pregnant Your baby’s tiny features make different expressions. And you may feel more energetic and less nauseous. Baby in utero at 15 weeks 15 weeks pregnant Your baby can perceive light and develop taste buds. Do you have a stuffy nose? It’s a surprising pregnancy side effect. Baby in the womb at 16 weeks 16 weeks pregnant Get ready for a growth spurt. Over the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and increase his length by inches. Baby in the womb at 17 weeks 17 weeks pregnant Your baby’s skeleton changes from soft cartilage to bone and the umbilical cord grows stronger and thicker. Baby in the womb at 18 weeks 18 weeks pregnant Your baby’s genitals are developed enough to be seen on an ultrasound. Hungry? An increase in appetite is now normal. Baby in the womb at 19 weeks 19 weeks pregnant Go ahead and sing: your baby may be able to hear you! And if your sides hurt, it could be girdle pain. Baby in utero at 20 weeks 20 weeks pregnant Congratulations, you are halfway through your pregnancy! Your baby is now swallowing more and producing meconium. Baby in utero at 21 weeks 21 weeks pregnant Can you feel your baby moving? Those early flutters turn into full-fledged kicks. Cool fact: she now has eyebrows! Baby in utero at 22 weeks 22 weeks pregnant Your baby is beginning to look like a miniature new-born. And your growing belly can turn into a hand magnet. Baby in utero at 23 weeks 23 weeks pregnant When you are out, your baby can feel the movement. Pretty soon you may notice swelling in your ankles and feet. Baby in utero at 24 weeks 24 weeks pregnant Your baby is long and slender, like an ear of corn. And your growing uterus is now the size of a football. Baby in utero at 25 weeks 25 weeks pregnant Your little one will start adding some baby fat and growing more hair. Your hair can also look extra shiny. Baby in utero at 26 weeks 26 weeks pregnant Your baby breathes in and out small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is a good breathing exercise. Baby in utero at 27 weeks 27 weeks pregnant Do you feel a tickle? Your baby may hiccup. He also opens and closes his eyes and even sucks his fingers.

Your little one will be much larger in the third trimester, growing from around 2 ½ pounds and 16 inches long at 28 weeks gestation to between 6 and 9 pounds and 19 to 22 inches long by 40 weeks. Because your baby is growing so fast, don’t be surprised if that growth spurt (along with a reduction in living space) results in some serious kicks and jabs in your stomach. Here are some of the highlights of your third trimester of pregnancy: Bone. When cartilage turns into bone at 7 and 8 months, your baby will get calcium from you – so make sure you’re eating plenty of calcium-rich foods. Hair, skin and nails. By the 32nd week of pregnancy, the baby’s formerly transparent skin becomes opaque. At week 36, fat continues to accumulate as your baby sheds cheese grease (the waxy substance that protects skin from your amniotic fluid) and lanugo (the warm, hairy coat). Digestive tract. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, meconium — or the baby’s first feces, which consists mostly of blood cells, cheese smear, and lanugo — begins to build up in the baby’s intestines. Five senses. Your baby’s touch receptors will be fully developed around 29 or 30 weeks. At 31 weeks pregnant, your baby is picking up signals from all five senses, discerning light and dark, tasting what you are eating and listening to the sound of your voice. Brain. In the third trimester, your baby’s brain is growing faster than ever, testing some nifty skills like blinking, dreaming and regulating body temperature. Around 34 weeks gestation, the baby’s body turns south and assumes a head-down-down-up position – unless, of course, your baby remains stubbornly breech, in which case your doctor will likely try turning the baby manually Week 37.

What to hold in the third trimester With your bulging belly and lower than usual energy levels, you might not be doing much these days. The good news is, now that you’re in your third trimester, you don’t have much time. Here are a few things to avoid in your third trimester – many of which you’ll be able to do again soon! Travel. This may seem obvious, but as your due date approaches, you probably don’t want to stray too far from home. Also, some modes of transportation — such as air travel — are banned after around 36 weeks of pregnancy (and maybe earlier), depending on airline policies. Lie on your back Chances are you haven’t slept or done abdominal exercises in a few months. But you should also avoid lying flat on your back during pregnancy, as the combined weight of your uterus and baby can compress the vein that carries blood from your lower body to your heart, causing nausea and shortness of breath. Hot tubs and saunas. You’ve never needed a long soak again — and yet you must avoid hot tubs and saunas (especially anything that raises your indoor temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit) until you deliver. When taking a bath, keep the water at around 97 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit and monitor the levels with a thermometer. And of course, be careful not to lose your balance in the tub. Sport in warm temperatures. You don’t have to stop exercising during your third trimester, but you should avoid exercising in hot weather. After all, now is not the time to try hot (Bikram) yoga. Stay indoors to reduce the chance of overheating or dehydration. Alcohol. No amount of alcohol has been proven safe at any point during pregnancy — so make a mocktail out of it. Raw or undercooked foods. Raw and undercooked foods (mainly poultry, eggs, meat or fish) can harbour infection-causing bacteria, so you should keep them out of your diet for the rest of your pregnancy. Unpasteurized dairy products and juices. You may not come across unpasteurized milk or juice very often, but you can come across certain cheeses made with unpasteurized milk. For example, soft cheeses like brie, goat, and feta are common culprits. Check the label to ensure the product was made with pasteurized ingredients.

Things to monitor You’re nearing the home stretch, but there’s a lot to do in the meantime. Here are the top to-dos for the third trimester. Track the movement of the foetus. From around week 28, you should start counting your baby’s kicks regularly and noting any changes in activity, especially around the 9th month. Watch your weight. Your pregnancy weight gain accelerates in the early third trimester and slows as your due date approaches. You may even lose a pound or two. If you haven’t gained enough weight or gained too much, work with your doctor to adjust your pregnancy diet to get back on track. Keep moving! As long as you have your doctor’s okay and follow some fitness safety precautions, you can safely continue your pregnancy-safe exercises until your due date. Schedule your third trimester check-ups. Expect your glucose screening around week 28 (or early in month 7) if you haven’t already had it, an anaemia test at month 7, and your group B strep test at month 9. Also at your ninth month your doctor will do an internal exam of your cervix to see if obliteration and dilation (the thinning and opening of your cervix) has started. If you’re classified as “high risk,” your doctor may also schedule a biophysical profile or non-stress test in the final few weeks just to make sure everything is going as expected. Do a hospital tour. If you haven’t already, month 7 is a great time to take a tour of the hospital or birthing centre where you plan to give birth. Choose your baby’s paediatrician. Interview a few candidates with a list of questions around week 32 and pick your favourite. Buy baby equipment. Make sure you have the necessary baby equipment – specifically a crib, a stroller, a car seat (which you will need to bring your baby home from the hospital), a changing table and a baby monitor. With this in mind: Have your car seat professionally installed. Get formed In addition to taking a antenatal class — which will help you feel more prepared for the entire birthing process — you may also want to consider infant resuscitation and baby care classes. Prepare for breastfeeding if you plan to do so. The best time to learn about breastfeeding is before the baby is born. You may even want to take a breastfeeding class or hire a doula or lactation consultant for advice or help now or later if you need it. Find out more about the work phases. Prepare for your baby’s birthday by learning what to expect during early, active, and transitional labour, as well as baby pushing and delivery of the placenta. Think about how you want to treat labour pain. Would you like an epidural or other medication to treat labor pain? Are you considering a natural birth, possibly in a birthing pool? Now it’s time to discuss your options with your doctor. Check your birth plan. Whether you want an epidural or not, by when and who cuts the umbilical cord, create or finalize your birth plan. (Just remember, when it comes time to push the baby out, things don’t always go exactly as planned – the most important thing is that you and your baby stay safe and healthy!) Furnish your children’s room. Get all the essentials you need for your child’s room. And don’t forget baby essentials like bottles, baby clothes, nappies, wipes, pacifiers and formula (if you don’t plan to breastfeed). Remember your baby bump. Take some nice bump shots – you can hang them up in the nursery or add them to your baby’s photo album later. Stock your fridge. You may want to prepare a few meals to keep in your freezer for the first few weeks when you are busy with a new baby and recovering from the birth. Plan financially. The costs of having a baby can add up quickly, so create a new family budget and start following it accordingly. Pack your hospital bag. Pack light—but don’t forget a few home comforts you’ll want to take with you to the hospital. Arrange a cord blood bank. If you’re considering cord blood storage – public or private – make sure your doctor is aware of your plans, and don’t forget to pack a cord blood kit that the bank will send you in your hospital bag. Find out what happens after childbirth. Find out what happens after childbirth as your body repairs itself and you begin to adjust to your new role. Prepare for your baby’s first year. Find out about all the exciting milestones in your baby’s first year – there’s so much to look forward to!