Pregnancy is a joyful and exciting period in a woman’s life. All nine months give her an unforgettable range of sensations. Therefore, everyone wants to know absolutely all the stages of development of the baby. Consider pregnancy by trimester and week. The entire process of gestation consists of three trimesters. Information about each of them is entered in the exchange card of the future mother. For a more detailed study of fetal development, each week of pregnancy is taken into account.
The birth of a new life
When conception occurs, the DNA of the egg and sperm fuse. Then a new organism is formed, containing genetic information from women and men in equal parts. The future embryo already at the time of fertilization inherits a certain appearance, character, as well as the nuances and characteristics of physical and psychological development. The sex of the child depends on the chromosome of the sperm. If a sperm with chromosome Y takes part in fertilization, a boy will appear, and if X is a girl.
First trimester of pregnancy
Every woman should track pregnancy by trimester and week. Especially important is the first trimester. This period consists of 12 weeks or 3 months. It is in the first trimester that a new life is formed. Obstetrician-gynecologists put the gestational age from the first day of the last menstruation. During the first month of pregnancy, many women are not aware of their own interesting situation, and this period passes with them quite simply psychologically.
Nutrition of the future mother
In the second month, a woman usually finds out about the birth of a new life. From the sixth week of pregnancy, you must register with the antenatal clinic for pregnancy. All doctors advise women at this stage to pay attention to their health.
Throughout pregnancy, it is necessary to eat a balanced diet, take folic acid, and, if necessary, multivitamin complexes, and not be nervous. The first symptoms of toxicosis may appear, which often lasts in women up to the fourth month. These include morning sickness, as well as sudden changes in mood. This condition is explained by hormonal changes in the body.
The condition of a woman in the first trimester
Studying information about pregnancy by trimester and week, we can conclude that it is the first trimester that brings the most discomfort. This period is quite difficult for a pregnant woman. Severe toxicosis, which manifests itself in bouts of nausea, may be disturbing. Familiar foods can cause stomach rejection and become nasty in smell. You can relieve nausea with acidic juices, citrus fruits, and peppermint toothpaste. A woman may lose weight due to lack of nutrition. This condition, although due to physiological reasons, should still be under the scrutiny of a physician. Despite feeling unwell, a woman needs to attend scheduled medical examinations at the doctor throughout the pregnancy. For trimesters and weeks, these examinations are appointed already at the first visit to the antenatal clinic.
In the first trimester, you must protect yourself from lifting weights, wear loose clothing that does not squeeze the pelvic organs, and also not be in smoke-filled rooms. Due to hormonal changes, taste preferences may change. Despite the desire to eat something harmful, you need to try not to eat chocolates, chips and other foods that are not useful. It is better to replace them with natural sweets: honey, fruits, freshly squeezed juices. As for the woman’s weight, in the last week of the first trimester of pregnancy, it can increase or decrease (it all depends on the transferred toxicosis) by only 0.5-1.5 kg.
Child development in the first trimester
After fertilization of the egg, the embryo becomes unicellular. After just a couple of days, the number of cells increases to two. Then the cells begin to grow and grow at a tremendous speed. Within a week, the small embryo becomes like a ball filled with liquid.
Before the formation of the placenta, he will feed on substances that will flow to the uterus. If the process is started successfully, the fetus will begin to grow and develop. In the presence of serious diseases in a woman or pathology in an embryo, nature will start the rejection process in the first days of fertilization. In this case, menstruation begins.
First month of development
Many vital organs form in the fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy. How many weeks this is, not every woman knows, because some do not even know at this time about the presence of pregnancy. The first trimester consists of 12 weeks. From the third week you can determine the onset of pregnancy by increasing the level of the hCG hormone. Until the second trimester, it will grow, which will indicate the normal development of the fetus.
Only at the end of the first month of pregnancy does the fetus turn into a full-fledged embryo. From the ectoderm (the outer part of the embryo), tissues begin to form, which will subsequently develop into organs and life support systems. Then the beginnings of the skeleton, muscles, and skin appear. From the mesoderm (the middle part of the embryo), the heart, circulatory system, kidneys, genitals are subsequently formed. The endoderm is responsible for the development of the digestive system and the gastrointestinal tract.
In the first month of pregnancy, important organs such as the chorion and amnion appear. Chorion is responsible for the growth and development of the placenta, and the amnion creates the membranes that are needed for the growth of the baby in the uterus. In four weeks, the embryo grows to only 0.5-1 mm.
The dangers of the first month
The main danger of this period is an ectopic pregnancy. This pathology occurs when fertilization occurs prematurely, and the fetus attaches outside the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy is interrupted for medical reasons. Therefore, the sooner a woman goes to the doctor and does an ultrasound scan, the easier it will be for the body to undergo cleansing. You can verify the correct attachment of the fetal egg after 3 weeks from the date of the proposed conception.
Second month of child development
When the gestational age reaches 5-6 weeks, it is necessary to come to the hospital in order to register for pregnancy management. This important event cannot be neglected - the child and the expectant mother need timely medical care, thanks to which it will be possible to observe the development of the embryo.
At 5 weeks, the rudiments of the hands that resemble small oars are already forming in the fetus. By the 6th week, the embryo has noticeable outlines of the face, nose, eyes, mouth, legs and arms. The fingers on the hands at this time are still too weakly developed, but the child's hands can already be compressed and bent at the elbows. The same thing happens with the lower extremities - the legs bend easily at the knees.
From the 5th week, the formation of the mucous plug filling the cervical canal takes place. She will protect the fetus from various infections that a woman can catch during pregnancy. The mucous plug comes out in the last week of the third trimester of pregnancy or in the birth process itself. Much depends on the condition of the woman. Most often, she leaves a few days before giving birth.
At the 7th week, the baby's heart becomes four-chamber. The formation of large blood vessels, the tip of the nose, and also the brain begins. Fingers appear on the arms and legs, and the child himself can begin to move, making light tremors with his limbs. By week 8, the full development of the reproductive system begins. Finally, it will be formed only by the 9th week, but it will not be visible on ultrasound. It is possible to determine the sex of the child only after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In the second month of pregnancy, an umbilical cord forms, which for 9 months will connect the woman with the baby. It is she who is responsible for providing the baby with oxygen and all the necessary useful elements. The umbilical cord also removes all the products of its metabolism.
Child development in the third month
In addition to the formation of vital organs, in the third month the embryo is already in the fetal bladder. Inside, it contains anatomical fluid, which in many ways resembles amniotic fluid. The embryo floats freely in the bladder, being attached to the placenta with an umbilical cord. He can push, but the woman does not yet feel these important shocks. They can be felt only from the second trimester of pregnancy. It is difficult to say which week strong tremors will begin, since all babies develop and grow in different ways.
At this stage of pregnancy, the embryo only vaguely resembles a little man. He has a big head and eyes, long arms, short legs. There are already fingers on the limbs, ears, nose, lips are visible on the ultrasound, all milk teeth are laid. By the end of the third month, his height reaches 10 cm, and weight - only 15 g.
The condition of the woman in the second trimester
This period lasts from the 13th to the 26th week. The second trimester of pregnancy passes for many easily and safely. A woman feels comfortable, and toxicosis practically does not bother her. Mild nausea can occur only in the morning. Many note that in the second trimester there comes a feeling of peace, anxiety and tension disappear. It becomes easy for the expectant mother, and all the troubles of the first trimester remain in the past. The stomach begins to grow, and it is already possible to accurately determine the gender of the child.
Child development in the second trimester
From the 13th to the 26th week of growth in the womb, the child increases from about 10 to 30 cm. Never in a person's life grows as fast as in the second trimester of pregnancy. The baby will weigh from 800 g to 1.5 kg by the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. From which week the most intensive growth will begin , largely depends on the state of health of the mother.
The skin of the child becomes red and wrinkled, and its surface is torn by a cheese-like lubricant that protects against amniotic fluid. During this period, the child begins to actively move, open and close his eyes. Also in the second trimester, the accumulation of necessary subcutaneous fat occurs. The baby’s body is covered with fluff, the cartilages in the ears are still quite thin, and the nails on the fingers have not yet grown. In boys, the testicles in the scrotum are not yet lowered at this stage. However, in case of premature birth at 6 months, doctors will be able to save the baby and leave him.
The condition of the woman in the third trimester
This final stage of pregnancy lasts from the 27th to the 40th week. 3 trimester of pregnancy involves an active set of kilograms. The norm is considered to be a weight gain of 300-350 g for each new week. The stomach begins to grow also quickly. From this there are problems with night sleep, it becomes uncomfortable to move around. A woman may feel clumsy and slow at the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Week by week its weight is increasing. For the entire pregnancy, from 8 to 14 kg can be gained. Most of them appear in the third trimester. Do not worry about this, because the third trimester will pass as quickly as it happened with the first and second. The expectant mother will begin to languish in anticipation of the upcoming meeting with the baby.
Child development in the third trimester
Knowing from what week the third trimester of pregnancy begins to especially affect the well-being of a woman, you can ease the last days of bearing a baby. From the 25th week it is recommended to begin preparations for the meeting of a new family member. At later dates, the expectant mother may not have any strength left for pleasant chores. In the last months of pregnancy, the baby is significantly gaining weight and increasing in size.
He becomes cramped in the uterus, so he squeezes his arms and legs. The formation of all major organs and reflexes also ends. The kid already has dreams, and his nervous system is actively completing its development. By the ninth month of pregnancy, the fetus is turned head down, preparing this for the birth. In the last weeks of a mother’s stomach, the baby usually weighs between 2.6 and 4 kg.
Pregnancy is a great time for every woman. Staying in this position, you must constantly be monitored by a doctor, keep calm, protect yourself from various infections, stress, as well as eat right and walk more in the fresh air. Performing these recommendations, you can not worry about your own condition and development of the baby.