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Pregnancy Week by Week Guide!
Women's Healthcare Topics is dedicated to helping you have a smooth and successful pregnancy. On this page, you will find informative and helpful information to get you through each week of your pregnancy.
There are forty weeks of pregnancy, which are split into three trimesters. Under each pregnancy week, you will find valuable facts about your baby's development, changes that are occurring in your body, and pregnancy symptoms that you may be experiencing.
Have pregnancy questions? We have the answers to the most commonly asked questions about pregnancy, from early pregnancy symptoms to complications that can arise in your pregnancy.
Click on the pregnancy week that you're interested in. Follow along week by week as you progress throughout your pregnancy. Feel free to read ahead. We want you to get the most out of your pregnancy week by week!
The first 12 weeks of your pregnancy are critical for your baby's development, so it's very important that you abstain from bad habits (including smoking, drinking, and drug use), and you engage in a healthy lifestyle of good eating habits and regular exercise.
Although you are technically not pregnancy during pregnancy week 1, 2, and 3, these articles offer helpful tips on ovulation and conception. Starting on pregnancy week 4, you will be officially pregnant. Your partner's sperm and your egg will have created a new life!
Once you are pregnant, your body will undergo rapid emotional and physical changes. In the beginning of your pregnancy, you won't be showing yet, but you will soon feel pregnant. Don't be surprised if you start to experience morning sickness, fatigue, breast tenderness, and mood swings. These are all normal early pregnancy changes.
As you near the second trimester, many of these unpleasant pregnancy symptoms will begin to go away, and you will notice more physical changes, such as your breasts becoming larger and waistline expansion.
Your baby is undergoing dramatic changes during these first 12 weeks. In the first trimester, all your baby's major organs are forming, including the brain, heart, and nervous system. That's why it is critical that you eat right, exercise regularly, and avoid unhealthy habits and bad lifestyle choices during this period of pregnancy.
In the first trimester, you should set up regular prenatal visits to monitor your baby's progress. Most pregnant women visit their obstetrician for the first time between week 8 and week 10 of their pregnancy. In most cases, your healthcare provider will conduct a full physical examination, review your medical history, and perform an ultrasound at one of the first visits. Around week 12, you may be able to listen to your baby's heartbeat for the first time!
If you want in-depth information about the first trimester of pregnancy, check out our book, Your Pregnancy MD: The First Trimester. |
You've survived your first trimester! The second trimester of pregnancy is often called the "honeymoon" stage of pregnancy, as many of your early pregnancy symptoms (such as morning sickness and fatigue) have decreased or gone away completely. The pregnancy hormones that were causing you so much trouble in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy will begin to level off during the second trimester.
Although you get a much needed break from fatigue, nausea and vomiting, don't be alarmed if you begin to experience new pregnancy symptoms, including lower backaches, ankle swelling, trouble balancing, and wild mood changes.
As your body is expanding, many women also begin to experience stretch marks on their breasts, belly, and buttocks. If you are worried, you may want to invest in pregnancy skin care products, such as creams and belly oil. If you have trouble sleeping, consider using pregnancy pillows to relieve your discomfort.
The most exciting part of the second trimester of pregnancy is feeling your baby kick for the first time. Between week 17 and week 20 of your pregnancy, you can start to feel your little one flutter within you.
During the second trimester of pregnancy, your baby is growing quite rapidly. By week 27, your baby may weigh around 1.2 pounds and measure around 8.5 inches! |
You're almost there! In the third trimester of pregnancy, your baby is continuing to grow and your body is preparing for the labor and delivery process. In this last trimester, your baby's lungs and respiratory system are undergoing maturation. Your baby’s lungs are actually the last organs in your little one’s body to fully mature. They won’t be ready for life on the outside until you reach 37 weeks pregnant. If your baby is born prematurely, he or she may need medical help to breathe. Fortunately, in today’s advanced medical world, neonatal intensive care units are equipped to help preemies. In the third trimester, your baby has a very high survival rate if he or she is born early.
During the third trimester, your fatigue will come back. You may also experience varicose veins, swollen legs and hands, hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, nosebleeds, and difficulty sleeping and getting comfortable. As labor approaches, your baby will “drop” into your pelvis. For first-time women, this may occur several weeks before your labor actually begins. (For second-time women, it may happen after you go into labor.) When your baby drops, you’ll get some relief from your uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms.
As you near your baby's birthday, don't be surprised if you begin to experience false labor pains (also called Braxton Hicks contractions). Many women confuse these contractions with real labor pains, which last longer and get closer together.
Between pregnancy week 37 and week 40, your baby is mature and ready for birth. These last weeks of pregnancy are often very exciting for the new mom-to-be and her family. Pretty soon, your baby will be born! A full-term baby can arrive anytime between 37 weeks pregnant and pregnancy week 42. (After week 42, your baby is considered post-term and will need to be delivered to avoid any complications.)
Congratulations new mom and dad! |
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