Index
Pregnancy is surrounded by joys and is a wonderful time for women. Expecting a baby, generating and nurturing it in your womb can become a real adventure! But what to expect in the weeks of gestation? What does each quarter hold for the future mom? What about Dad? How to make him interact better with the weeks of gestation? The first few weeks of pregnancy can reserve many changes! Come on!
First Quarter – Discovery Phase
The first trimester of pregnancy must be surrounded by care by the pregnant woman. Although the first 12 weeks of pregnancy have the specter of vulnerability and have to be taken with some special care and attention to any bleeding or pain that is too much, this is also a great time for the future mom. In the first two weeks of pregnancy the woman still does not know that she is pregnant , but may have some symptoms such as:
- Abdominal pains (cramps and stinging)
- Swelling
- Headaches
- Salivation
- Lack or excess of appetite
- Sickness
Fertilization can happen on the 14th day before the probable date for the period, but only when there is a lack of menstruation a woman may suspect that you are pregnant. The changes in early pregnancy are subtle, they happen slowly until the positive comes, it can only be a very strong resemblance to the symptoms of PMS .
From the discovery of pregnancy, this around the 5th or 6th week of gestation, the woman’s body begins to transform more quickly. Bloating that makes the belly seem to last longer can stress due to the significant hormonal increase of that early stage. This swelling is a good sign, it means that the body is producing enough hormone to maintain pregnancy.
Around the 7th week of gestation, the first ultrasound can be done. Certainly if the LMP account for pregnancy is correct, the ultrasound doctor may be able to see and hear the heartbeat of the little one who is growing healthy in his mother’s womb. In the 8th week of pregnancy, the mother may feel unwell, sleep takes over the body.
An immense urge to eat something or total repulsion may appear suddenly. While all of this is happening, hormones are in full swing! The uterus begins to grow inside the abdominal cavity and some discomfort may appear. Some women experience this discomfort from the beginning of pregnancy, but some women may experience more intense pain during this phase, as the uterus now begins to expand more significantly.
She does not appear to be pregnant yet, but the pregnancy may show in her body. Hair, nails and the shine of the look can become more lush. Do not forget to start skin care at this early stage. Almond creams, moisturizers and oils are a good choice for maintaining skin elasticity. At 12 weeks of gestation, the woman’s body has more significant changes , at this stage some women may already have a more prominent belly and even feel some butterflies in the womb.
From here nausea and sleep can end like a magic trick, as the second trimester of pregnancy begins. The changes coloring of certain parts of the body are also common. The groin, armpit and nigra line just gave a sign of life . All of this, of course, driven by the hormones of pregnancy.
For Dad: The first few weeks of pregnancy for Dad must be very patient with Mom. Hormones can turn you into a completely different person! Crying hour, now super happy. A real roller coaster of emotions due to the considerable increase in hormones.
Important: All changes, especially weight gain and belly growth, must be monitored by the obstetrician and noted on the prenatal card.
Second Trimester – The weeks of pregnancy bring intense changes!
The changes in the second trimester are considered the most significant of the entire pregnancy! The belly grows visibly and the difference in the size of the belly from one week to another is impressive! At 12 weeks of gestation the baby must undergo an ultrasound to measure the nuchal translucency and, of course, the anxiety to detect whether everything is going well and to find out the sex of the baby can cause a furor among the family and of course, for the parents. You may be able to get an idea of sex if you look at the fetal tubercle .
In the second trimester, the baby’s first movements can also be felt, most certainly around 16, 17 to 20 weeks, the baby’s movements may become more noticeable to the mother only. From 12 to 26 weeks of gestation the changes are greater due to the growth of the uterus and relocation of Organs internal organs of the pregnant woman. Everything changes a little bit, including the stomach, heart and spine that undergo significant changes in this phase.
A tip for pregnant women: do you want to improve the pleasure of sex during the gestational phase? Use water-based lubricating gels that play the role of cervical mucus and still control vaginal pH, reducing the chances of proliferation of fungi and bacteria responsible for infections. Famivita has developed the perfect lubricant for pregnant women and pregnant women, the FamiGel . You can buy it here in our online store.
Main Body Changes in Pregnancy
Mom can start walking like a “paw” due to the weight that can already bother you when you move and even sleep. Feeling heavy after the 20th week of gestation is very common, but not only for the baby but for the whole work.
The mood may continue to change, but it will certainly be more subtle than in the first quarter. Hair, skin, everything is beautiful but the weight… Be very careful with your food. Desires are very common and moderation is essential. Eat healthy foods to send more possible nutrients to the baby and stay in shape without gaining too much weight and this phase is essential for the woman to take care of herself. The false contractions may also appear at about 22 weeks of pregnancy and are perfectly normal.
For Dad: If possible, accompany your wife to all prenatal consultations and ultrasound exams. Seeing what’s going on with mom can make you feel more relaxed and it’s gratifying after an ultrasound that managed to see the baby with a little finger in his mouth, sobbing or doing somersaults.
Third Quarter – Final straight!
Tired, breathless and sleepless nights … but with the certainty that every discomfort is worth it. With every baby move, mommy is more and more sure of it! The last few weeks of pregnancy can cause anxiety and wait for mom, but nothing better than helping to spend time preparing the trousseau and the little room. The body seems heavier and heavier each day, and you are slower and really are.
Getting up can be quite an adventure near the end of pregnancy. Pelvic pains are part of everyday life, because in this phase the baby grows up with full steam. Usually they gain about 40 to 60 grams a day until the day of birth . Cramps, these are the villains for many women. They usually appear in the last trimester or in the last weeks of pregnancy, as well as some diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome. It is worth remembering that any discomfort should be reported to the doctor who accompanies the pregnancy. A well-done prenatal is synonymous with an unhealthy and frightless pregnancy.
The ideal is for the woman to gain about 1 kg per month of gestation, overdoing the food can make her gain up to triple and thus recover later it becomes another battle. Preparing for breastfeeding during the weeks of gestation is essential! Making a preparation of the nipples is a good idea! A vegetable sponge can do the job, just rub the nipples during the bath with an intensity that will support without forcing to hurt. This preparation makes a kind of calluses that will help and a lot in the first weeks of breastfeeding.
Low belly pains will certainly appear, it is up to the pregnant woman to decide if it is time to go to the doctor to check for the possibility of a urinary tract infection that is common in the last weeks of pregnancy. If there is significant discomfort when urinating or walking it is time to speak to the doctor. Urinating without realizing it is also one of the wonders of pregnancy! Many women complain about wet panties constantly in the weeks of the final stretch and it is a perfectly normal event to happen. Only worry if the intensity of this liquid is increased and if there is a sign of the smell of bleach.
Next to delivery, the pregnant woman may have a sign of the mucous plug, a secretion that makes sure that no bacteria or intra-uterine infection enters. If the discharge is accompanied by rhythmic pain and loss of fluid, the doctor should be consulted immediately.
For daddy: feel your baby’s movements as much as you can! Interacting with your child can bring an incredible memory after birth. The baby does hear, even more deep voices like that of his parents. Give Mom a lot of support, in this final phase she will be very tired and may not want to have frequent relationships as in the second trimester. Patience and love are the two key words for these last few weeks of gestation.
Mom enjoy every minute of pregnancy! Despite the discomfort everything is worth it! Pregnancy is a magical stage for women, live with intensity!
Taking advantage of the space, I want to tell a novelty to our readers. In partnership with the Famivita company, we developed a line of products focused on the fertility of men and women. If you know someone who is trying to get pregnant, it’s worth the tip! Fertility vitamins of the FamiFerti woman , which potentiates ovulation and strengthens the uterus and endometrium, ovulation test and pregnancy. You can purchase them here in our store.
See also: Pregnancy Calculator and Uterine Height – What It Means in Pregnancy
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.