Congratulations! You’ve become pregnant. For a
healthy pregnancy, you must be knowledgeable about what is going to happen to
you and your baby—especially if this is your first pregnancy.
The First Trimester
The Happenings
Conception
takes place (week 1).
Breakthrough
bleeding may happen (week 2-3) (why:
fertilized egg becomes embedded in the lining of the uterus).
The
breasts feel fuller and more tender (week 5-6) (why: stimulation of milk-producing glands). The nipples become
darker with bluish veins (why:
increase of blood supply to breasts).
Morning
sickness (week 6-7) may occur. Morning sickness that begins in the first
trimester may last until early second trimester. It is generally not harmful to
the baby unless you have the following:
You
vomit blood.
You
have lost several pounds.
You
vomit as soon as you drink even water.
You
vomit well past the fourth month of pregnancy.
The dos
and don’ts of morning sickness
Do
suck a slice of fresh ginger in your mouth on rising every morning or any time
you feel sick.
Do
get sufficient sleep.
Do
eat small meals.
Do
eat more cold foods (why: they are
less aromatic and therefore less likely to trigger vomiting).
Do
eat more carbohydrates.
Do
get a higher dose of vitamin B6 (50 milligrams).
Do
get acupressure wristbands from the Internet (why: they are worn to overcome seasickness).
Don’t
let yourself become hungry.
Don’t
get out of bed too quickly; stretch yourself first before getting out
of bed.
Don’t
stress out; avoid any time stress.
The
skin around the nipples begins to grow darker (week 6-7) (why: blood
supply to the breasts increases significantly).
The
waistband becomes tighter (week 8-9) (why: the uterus doubles in size).
Anxiety
and irritability may develop for no apparent reason (why: change in hormones); hands and feet become warmer (why: increase in blood volume);
dehydration becomes more frequent (why: extra fluids are needed by the uterus)
(week 9-10).
The
body weight may have increased by 2 to 3 pounds (week 10-11).
The
risk of miscarriage is reduced by approximately 65 percent (week 12).
The Second Trimester
The Happenings
Most
discomforts experienced in the first trimester should disappear by the second
trimester.
Constipation
may become more frequent (why:
higher level of progesterone may affect muscles of the intestine; growing size
of the uterus affects bowel movements). Do drink more water, and eat more
fruits with fiber, such as apples (week 14).
Baby
begins to move (week 16-20).
Perspiration
may become more common (why: weight
of the uterus increases, affecting body movements).
Dark
patches of skin may develop on the face (week 17-18).
Breasts
start leaking colostrums, the baby’s first food (why: the moisturizing substance protects the nipples during
breastfeeding) (week 20-23).
Indigestion
and heartburn may develop (why: larger and heavier abdomen may affect the
digestive system) (week 22-23). Do take smaller meals with snacks; take
a walk after meals.
Backache,
pressure in the pelvis, cramps in the leg may occur (week 24-25). Do be
mindful of posture, and do get plenty of sleep.
Stretch marks begin to
develop around the breasts and abdomen (week 26-27). Do rub coconut oil
on breasts and abdomen.
The Third Trimester
The Happenings
Discomfort
in the ribcage may occur (why: the
uterus is pushing up against the bottom of the ribcage, forcing the ribcage to
spread out) (week 28-30).
Varicose
veins may be formed (why: pressure
is exerted on veins from legs to the heart) (week 28-30).
Episodes
of forgetfulness or lack of concentration may occur (why: preoccupation with childbirth) (week 30).
Backache
may intensify (why: change in the
center of gravity) (week 31)
Better
digestion and breathing may result as the baby gets into the head-down position
(week 32).
Hands
and feet become swollen (why: due to
fluid retention in the body). Do wear loose-fitting clothing (week 33).
Aches
and pains may occur in the pelvis area (why:
due to hormone relaxation and increase in baby’s size) (week 34-35).
Hardening
(about 30 seconds) and relaxing of the uterus becomes increasingly frequent (week
36-37)
Anxiety
and depression may occur (why: due
to physical discomfort and worry about the forthcoming childbirth) (week 38).
The
uterus is taking up all the space in the pelvis and a great deal of room in the
abdomen (week 39).
During
the final phase of the third trimester, the body weight normally plateaus; some
weight loss may even occur.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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