Stages of pregnancy development first trimester

You are pregnant and excited! Its a time thats full of learning, changes and anticipation. One of the fun things to learn is what changes and growth are going on inside your body as your new baby is growing.

The weeks of your pregnancy are measured by the date of your conception. In other words it is 14 days prior to the date you expected your period. This can be tricky if your periods are irregular and you arent sure when you are expecting your period. However, the doctor will be able to do ultrasounds that can date the pregnancy rather accurately and your delivery date can be calculated.

During week 3 the baby will be implanting into the moms uterus. Sometimes during this process the woman will feel some cramping and may spot for a day or two. The moms body will also release an immunosuppressant protein that will prevent the body from seeing the baby as an invader. The baby is about 0.1 to 0.2 mm in diameter.

During week 5 of the stage of pregnancy development mom is usually really tired and sleepy. In fact she probably yawns all day. Shell be feeling breast swelling and tenderness, possible morning sickness, frequent urination and possible headaches from the rise in hormone levels. Sleeping in a bra at night may help with the breast tenderness to give you more support. During week 5 the babys heart will begin to beat! By the end of week 5 the spinal cord has fused and the baby is between 1.5 to 2.5 mm long.

Stages of pregnancy development continue to change each week. During week 7 the bones of the hand are formed and the baby is about 7-9 mm. You cant distinguish a boy from girl quite yet on ultrasound. The nose is forming and the second set of kidneys are being formed. Your baby will actually have three kidneys development during this period of their development. During the 7th week woman may find that their faces break out due to the changes in hormone. In fact you may find you feel like a teenager again! There are also early pregnancy classes that are available for you and your partner that may help make the transition more real. Contact your local hospital, birth center or midwife for information about current classes.

Dad may have questions at this point about having sex during pregnancy. Men may feel strange having sex with a pregnant woman but it is perfectly safe assuming there are no problems with the pregnancy. Many women may have decreased libido during the first trimester but that returns in the second trimester when the level of fatigue she is experiencing decreases.

During week 10 of the stages of pregnancy development the woman is still experiencing fatigue and nausea. The good news is that this should hang on for just another week or two. Your belly may start to pooch a bit at this time but it will be from bowel distension and not the growth of your uterus. For fun you may want to measure your waist and compare it to measurements later in the third trimester. Your baby has achieved an astounding 1800% growth rate and now measures 27 mm to 35 mm. Your baby has toes, eyes, upper lip, ears and external genitalia. The heart is beating at 160 beats per minute.

In the final stage of pregnancy development in the first trimester you may actually start to feel better from your extreme tiredness and nausea. Its week 12 and your abdomen will start to expand soon especially if this isnt your first pregnancy. The placenta will begin production of the hormones to support the pregnancy and your risk of miscarriage has decreased significantly. At this point your baby has the exact same structure it will have at birth but the brain isnt the same. The little one weighs about 14 grams and is about 3.54 inches long. If your practitioner uses a Doppler you might be able to hear the babys heart beat at this visit.

The stages of your pregnancy development are exciting. Most of the real changes and development happen in the first trimester of pregnancy and growth happens in the second and third trimesters. Enjoy yourself, there is more to come!