The first trimester of pregnancy – a brief overview

The journey to human creation is an epic one and it’s a process that every human has gone through!

Nine months can seem like a long time when you’re pregnant and you may have a lot of questions on what pregnancy will look like. This article will give a brief overview of what to expect in the initial stages of pregnancy.

The first trimester is perhaps the most physically and emotionally draining stage of pregnancy, but knowing what to expect will help.

Most women tend to realise they’re pregnant only after the first missed period, which would be the 5th week of pregnancy. You probably won’t even realize that you’re pregnant during the first month!

The baby’s nervous system would already have started to develop by this stage and the foundations for major organs will already be in place by the start of the second month.

During this first trimester, the baby will go through numerous stages of development. It will start out as a fertilized egg after conception before developing into a blastocyst, an embryo and then a fetus.

The body will begin to undergo hormonal changes which will affect every organ system of the body over the course of the first 12 weeks.

These hormonal changes will lead to other potential symptoms including tiredness, ‘morning sickness’ and constipation.

Mood swings, headaches, heartburn and weight loss or gain are other symptoms that can occur. This will vary from woman-to-woman as every pregnancy is unique, so you might only experience a few of these symptoms.

Most of these symptoms can be easily dealt with through various techniques, including deep breathing and yoga, and shouldn’t be a cause for too much concern. But it is important to mention that being in good health will help the baby as it continues to grow.

Other lifestyle changes to make to combat these symptoms include having small meals throughout the day, going to bed earlier and avoiding any stressful situations. Prenatal vitamins and a healthy diet are also crucial to your baby.

It’s pertinent to add that most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this first stage therefore it’s crucial to get the body checked out by a medical professional.

The growth of the baby increases rapidly from the 6th week onward and you may even feel the baby’s heartbeat through an ultrasound scan!

The first trimester is undoubtedly a mentally and physically challenging time for a woman and it’s important to try and develop the habit of taking good care of yourself during this stage.

Things should however be much easier in the second trimester as the body begins to adjust to the hormonal changes, something that will be looked into in more detail in a future article.

Sources:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy

https://www.gov.uk/browse/childcare-parenting/pregnancy-birth

About the author