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1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester

During the period of carrying a baby, the expectant mother carefully monitors her well-being, worrying, first of all, about the health of the fetus.

Important!

To avoid groundless worries, a woman should know which symptoms are quite normal for pregnancy or, on the contrary, pose a danger to both her and the child. Acquaintance with relevant literature or conversations with specialists will be especially useful for girls who are preparing to become a mother for the first time.

A woman already has her own experience with a second pregnancy. She can compare her feelings, catch possible deviations from the norm.

Well-being during pregnancy depends on the age of the expectant mother, on the initial state of her health and even on the sex of the child (although the latter statement has not been scientifically proven and is in the nature of a sign). A young girl without malformations and chronic ailments will more easily endure pregnancy. And qualified specialists will help a woman with certain diseases to give birth to a healthy baby.

Despite the fact that bearing a child is a unique and highly individual process, there are a number of characteristic features in the state of health at different stages of pregnancy:

• The first trimester is often accompanied by some emotional instability of the expectant mother. At the same time, her general well-being is characterized by weakness and drowsiness. A rare woman in the first trimester bypasses toxicosis: its mild degree in the form of morning sickness is a completely expected phenomenon.
• The second trimester of pregnancy is considered the most comfortable and carefree. The expectant mother will soon feel the timid movements of her baby. Her appetite is noticeably improving.
• Pregnancy in the third trimester, approaching its end, brings a number of physical difficulties due to a significant increase in the size of the uterus. The psychological well-being of the expectant mother is characterized by a balance of two processes - the fear of childbirth and the anticipation of the joy of the upcoming meeting with the baby.

Feeling well in the first trimester of pregnancy

Shortly after conception, a kind of revolutionary transformation of the hormonal background takes place in the body of a woman. The endocrine system of the mother tries to create the most favorable conditions for the intrauterine development of the fetus. A woman's well-being during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, changes primarily under the influence of progesterone - the ovaries begin to actively synthesize this hormone after fertilization. Thanks to progesterone, the vessels that feed the pelvic organs expand. Thus, the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the embryo improves, and other organs of the expectant mother find themselves in a somewhat deprived position.

Important!

The redistribution of blood in a woman's body in the first trimester of pregnancy leads to a slight drop in blood pressure, which may cause increased drowsiness, absent-mindedness, fatigue and general weakness.

In the early stages of bearing a child, a woman's well-being can be overshadowed by toxicosis of varying severity - from mild nausea to persistent vomiting in response to food intake or certain odors. Experts will help to cope with malaise by recommending fractional meals and a special medical and protective regimen of the day in the first trimester. Prolonged toxicosis can cause hospitalization: it interferes with the normal absorption of food, as a result, the full supply of the baby with the necessary substances.

During pregnancy, taste preferences may change, some quirks may appear. A woman begins to feel an aversion to meat, gravitates towards salty foods and is ready to absorb chalk, tooth powder or dry pasta with pleasure. Such a perversion of taste is often explained by the development of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.

In the first trimester, the expectant mother notes discomfort in the mammary glands, pigmentation of the nipples, increased vaginal discharge, increased urination. These processes are physiological. But the appearance of pulling pains in the lower abdomen and blood from the genital tract are pathological symptoms. To maintain pregnancy, you should immediately seek medical help.

The well-being of the expectant mother: the second trimester

The first three dangerous (due to the relatively high risk of miscarriage) months of pregnancy have passed. The second trimester of childbearing has begun. The baby and mother are used to coexistence. Toxicosis receded, general well-being improved. The woman's tummy is noticeably rounded and clearly pleasing to the eye.

Closer to the 20th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother listens especially carefully to her well-being, waiting for the first time to feel the baby moving.

An increase in the level of estrogen and, as a result, the retention of excess fluid in the body of a pregnant woman can adversely affect her well-being in the second trimester. It is not so much the obvious swelling of the lower extremities that is dangerous, but the swelling of the placenta that is not visible to the eye, the development of which can disrupt the blood supply to the fetus. Refusal of liquid food is not the best solution to the problem. After all, water, along with foods rich in vegetable fiber, helps to avoid the development of constipation in the second trimester.

The expectant mother's appetite has noticeably improved. When catching up, do not overdo it, remember the list of prohibited foods: fast food, fatty, spicy, smoked dishes, raw eggs, sushi, moldy cheeses, carbonated drinks, coffee, alcohol. Give preference to healthy food: meat, lean fish, cereals.

The second trimester is a time of strict control over body weight. An increase of no more than 300 g is allowed weekly. In the third trimester of pregnancy, this increase should not exceed 400 g. In case of excess weight, the doctor will review the diet of a pregnant woman and prescribe fasting days.

Pregnant woman's well-being: third trimester

From the 27th obstetric week, the third trimester of childbearing begins. Pregnancy, approaching completion, introduces a number of physical inconveniences into the well-being of the expectant mother. By the end of the third trimester, the maximally enlarged uterus causes some displacement of the internal organs. The woman is worried about shortness of breath, lower back pain, frequent urination, possible constipation, varicose veins in the legs.

Psychological well-being in the third trimester is often disturbing, fear of childbirth may appear.

Important!

In the third trimester, you need to carefully monitor your well-being in order to timely detect possible pathological phenomena (preeclampsia, placental abruption) and seek help.

In the last months of pregnancy, the growing baby becomes cramped in the uterine cavity, and the expectant mother no longer feels timid movements, but active pushes with her hand or heel.

In the third trimester, the harbingers of childbirth (sagging abdomen, training contractions, mucus plug discharge) will tell the woman that the meeting with the baby will take place very soon.

Good health during pregnancy is an indicator of its favorable course. The deterioration of the condition of the expectant mother is the reason for a visit to a specialist.

what happens in 1, 2, 3 months

Wise nature endowed a woman with everything she needs to carry and give birth to a child. But this does not prevent expectant mothers from being interested in what is connected with conception, pregnancy and childbirth - asking important questions and looking for answers to them. They want to know what happens in the first trimester of pregnancy, how the baby develops, what processes take place in the body, what can and cannot be done. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Excursion to obstetrics

First, let's define the terminology.

The entire pregnancy (gestation) of a woman lasts 40 weeks (280 days). These data are conditional, because normally, childbirth can begin at almost any time for a period of 37-42 weeks. This entire period is divided into three trimesters. The first trimester of pregnancy lasts from the first day of the last menstrual period until the end of the 13th week.

The division of pregnancy into weeks and trimesters is accepted in obstetrics. But women more often measure this period by months. This is not entirely correct, because one month includes 4 or 5 weeks. Therefore, in the article we will focus specifically on the obstetric weeks of gestation, but we will also correlate them with the months familiar to many women.

What happens in the first trimester of pregnancy

Obstetricians calculate the gestational age from the first day of the last menstruation. This is convenient - after all, most women keep a calendar and know this date. However, there is still no fetus during this period. Conception happens later - during ovulation, after about two weeks. It would be possible to count the gestational age from the moment of conception, but this date is difficult to calculate. In addition, ovulation may not occur in the middle of the cycle, but much earlier or later - and then it will be even more difficult to calculate it.

So, there are two stages of pregnancy:

• Obstetric - from the first day of the last menstruation.
• Embryonic - from the moment of conception.

We will focus on the obstetric period

In the article we will divide this period into weeks, not stages. Conventionally, the first trimester of pregnancy can also be divided into three months.

First month of pregnancy

The first month of pregnancy is the period from the 1st to the 4-5th week.

No baby in the first two weeks. During this period, the woman's body is preparing for a possible pregnancy. Follicles mature in the ovaries, one (rarely two or more) dominant follicles stand out among them. If ovulation occurs, the egg is released from the follicle. When it meets sperm, fertilization occurs and new life is born.

In the third week of gestation, the fertilized egg moves through the fallopian tubes. Its task is to get into the uterine cavity and attach to its wall. This happens on the 7-8th day after conception - by the beginning of the 4th week. After implantation, the development of the fetal egg, the new life in it, continues. By the way, a child in early pregnancy is called an embryo, and after a full 8 weeks it will be called a fetus.

At the 3rd week, the embryo is a multitude of cells that are constantly dividing and developing. By the end of the first month of pregnancy, it already begins to influence the hormonal background of a woman due to the production of its own hormone - hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). It is by the concentration of the hormone that it is possible to determine whether conception occurred in this menstrual cycle.

In the 1st month of gestation, the woman's well-being practically does not change. And only at the end of the 4th week toxicosis can develop. It is manifested by nausea, vomiting, increased salivation and weakness. Many women do not have toxicosis - and this is also a variant of the norm. The belly in the first month of pregnancy is not yet visible.

The second month of pregnancy

The 2nd month of gestation is the period from the 4-5th to the 8-9th week.

In the early stages of pregnancy, the active development of the embryo continues. It still has a C-shape. By the end of the 4th week, limb rudiments are formed, a circulatory system and a two-chamber heart rudiment appear. At the 6th week, the heart begins to beat - and it can be heard during an ultrasound.

At the beginning of the 5th week, further development of the nervous system of the embryo takes place. The rudiment of the brain is isolated, conditions are created for its further differentiation.

On the 6th week of the 1st trimester, the organs of vision develop, the rudiments of the genital organs appear. The heart becomes three-chambered. At the 8th week, the sex of the embryo is determined - but it cannot yet be seen on ultrasound. As a result of all these transformations, in the second month of pregnancy, the fetus acquires a clear human appearance.

A woman's feelings change in the middle of the 1st trimester. Symptoms appear, which are usually called characteristic signs of pregnancy:

• Nausea, vomiting, increased salivation - this is how toxicosis manifests itself.
• General weakness, fatigue.
• Sudden mood swings.
• Frequent urination.
• Breast augmentation and enhancement of its sensitivity.
• Increased sensitivity to odors.
• Predilection or aversion to certain foods.

The belly is not yet visible in early pregnancy. The uterus is already growing, but so far it is completely in the pelvic cavity and does not go beyond the womb. But the breasts in the 2nd month of pregnancy already noticeably increase, become sensitive or even slightly painful.

The third month of pregnancy

The 3rd month is the period from the 8th-9th to the 12th-13th week.

In the third month of pregnancy, the further development of the child continues. Now it is called fruit. Its head, rudiments of limbs, torso, rudiments of eyes, nose and mouth are clearly visible. The fruit reaches the size of a goose egg.

On the 9-10th week, the cerebral cortex differentiates in the fetus, and the development of the nervous system continues. By the 12th week, foci of hematopoiesis appear in the bone marrow, and the first cells appear in the blood. At the 13th week, the formation of all organs of the fetus is completed, and the placenta is formed.

The placenta in early pregnancy is usually low, near the cervix. It provides the baby with everything necessary - oxygen and nutrients, and removes metabolic products. It connects to the fetus through the umbilical cord, in which two arteries and one vein pass. Gradually, the placenta migrates and by the end of the second trimester, as a rule, takes the correct position.

The feelings of a woman in the 3rd month of pregnancy remain the same. As before, she feels weakness, mood swings, changes in taste preferences. There may be signs of toxicity. But some women do not notice significant changes in their well-being - and this is also the norm.

The belly is not visible at the 3rd month. Only on the 12-13th week the uterus goes beyond the womb. A slight rounding of the abdomen will be visible only at the 14-16th week.

What problems can be in the first trimester of pregnancy

The expectant mother should be alerted by the appearance of such symptoms: There are no periods during pregnancy. Seek medical attention if bleeding occurs.

If you experience any unusual sensations and symptoms, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible!

What examinations are needed in the early stages of pregnancy

To confirm the fact of pregnancy, you can donate blood for hCG as early as the 1st month. This hormone rises 8-10 days after conception - after the implantation of the embryo. It is recommended to donate blood for hCG immediately after a missed period.

If hCG is positive, you need to contact a gynecologist and get registered. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may refer you to an ultrasound scan. With ultrasound in the 1st trimester, from the 3rd-4th week, you can see the fetal egg, from the 6th week, you can hear the fetal heartbeat. The next ultrasound, if there are no other indications, is carried out for a period of 11-14 weeks. This will be the first screening where you can assess the condition of the fetus and placenta, make sure that there are no malformations and other complications.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, all women are recommended to be screened:

• Pass blood and urine tests (the list will be issued by the attending physician).
• Get checked out by a dentist and an ophthalmologist.
• If necessary, visit other specialists (for example, an endocrinologist - if there is a thyroid disease).
• Make an ECG and consult a therapist.

All this is necessary to make sure that the expectant mother is healthy, can bear and give birth to a child.

Many women wonder how to behave if the pregnancy is less than a month old. Here are some recommendations:

In the first trimester of pregnancy, all women are advised to be screened:

• Give up alcohol and quit smoking if you did not do so before conception.
• Do not take medicines without a doctor's prescription.
• Avoid overheating and hypothermia.
• Do not take x-rays, MRIs, or similar procedures unless you have a strong indication and a referral from a doctor.
• Do not overexert, reduce physical activity, including in sports.
• Avoid stressful situations.

In the following weeks of the first trimester, the recommendations remain the same, and nutritional advice is added:

• Eat often, in small portions, 5-6 times a day.
• Eat only fresh produce.
• Avoid foods that increase the symptoms of toxicosis and provoke constipation.
• Avoid feeling hungry, but don't overeat either.

It is worth noting that the nutrition of the expectant mother affects not only her, but also the baby, and it is worth taking a responsible approach to this. Yes, a special universal diet has not been developed, but the doctor may recommend that the expectant mother adhere to a certain diet after the examination (add certain foods to the diet if any elements are missing, etc.).

It is recommended to follow the general principles of a healthy diet:

• Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits and greens - up to 5 servings per day.
• Limit salt and added sugar intake.
• Reduce the proportion of animal fats in the diet.
• Refuse fried, spicy, salty foods, sausages and smoked meats.
• Prefer whole grains.

If you need to follow a special diet for health reasons, you should discuss this with your doctor.

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