What to Expect: Your Personal Pregnancy Chart
Pregnancy is an exciting time of big life changes, new experiences, and the glow of new life. It’s also a time when your body goes through lots of transformations.
Here is an outline of what changes you can expect to experience as your pregnancy progresses, as well as guidance on when to schedule doctor appointments and tests.
Your first trimester (Up to 12 wks./First 3ree months)
Congratulations you are pregnant. You feel wonderful when you hear these words from your doctor, or you see those two magical lines in your pregnancy kit. We count age of pregnancy from your first day of last menstrual period. From now onwards you need to be careful of your own health as it affects you and baby both.
What to expect in the first trimester
First trimester may be risky, because during this time major baby parts in the body of the baby are forming. So, any uncontrolled medical condition, any wrong lifestyle and dietary choices or unsupervised medicine taken at this time can cause birth defect or abortion. You don't need bed rest or taking special medication or special care to have safe pregnancy. Infact walking, having moderate exercises cause good effects. Stop smoking and alcohol immediately. Alcohol consumption causes “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome”. Baby is known to born with physical, mental and behavioural problems. Please don't use any recreational drugs.200 mg per day caffeine intake is allowed in pregnancy, means you can have two small cups of coffee per day. Remember caffeine is also present in health drinks, dark chocolates and tea. Please remember never do any self- medication in pregnancy. Most of the medicine in pregnancy are not safe. Discuss with your doctor before taking any medication.
If you are fond of cats, avoid cleaning cats' litter. If you must then wear gloves to prevent toxoplasmosis infection. It can cause abortion and birth defects. Avoid taking raw uncooked meat to prevent the risk of salmonella and listeria infection. Wash your fruits and vegetables before eating.
Its normal to have lots of nausea, vomiting, acidity and heart burn. Make sure to avoid spicy and oily food. Take food at small frequent interval. It's also good to take Digene,Eno,Pudin Hara and Ginger. Ginger lozenges and capsules also help. It is perfectly ok to lose little weight in first trimester.
You may feel tired, sleepy and lethargic. There is no medication for this. There is lot of work, lot of activity going on inside. So, your body feels tired. Please make sure you are sleeping adequately; you are well hydrated and eating reasonably. Keep yourself active even in this period. You don't require to do strenuous exercises.Walking,gentle stretching exercises,yogas,pillates are safe. Low back pain, pain or stretching sensation in lower abdomen due to stretching uterus is also normal.Incase if you experience severe pain or blood-stained discharge, it's a time to talk to your doctor.
You may even get some acne. Over the counter medication for acne are not safe, before using them talk to your doctor. Darkening of skin on cheeks,abdomen,breast and inner thighs are commen.Nothing to be done.
You may be in trouble due to constipation. This happens due to reduced intestinal motility secondary to high level of HCG hormone in pregnancy. Take diet which is rich in fibers and increase intake of liquids. Be also physically active.
Tender, swollen breasts due to hormones are also normal. You don't need to worry. All these symptoms tend to disappear by the end of first trimester.
First trimester may be uncomfortable and tricky, but if you follow all these small precautions, you easily sail through it.
Visit to doctor
Visit to your doctor as soon as possible.
Doctor will take detail history and examine you. You will be advised for blood investigation and dating scan. Doctor will start folic acid and may prescribe certain other vitamins. Recommended doses for folic acid is 5 mg per day. It is known to prevent neural tube defect and other birth defect in baby. Any chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension and thyroid need to be well controlled. You may have 4 weekly visits to your doctor. At the end of this trimester doctor will advise you NT Scan and double marker test.
Your second trimester (13-27 Wks./4-6 months)
It is called “The golden or honeymoon period “of pregnancy. As all the discomforts of first trimester have disappeared now, and all major troubles of third trimester have not yet begun.
What to expect in the baby
By the end of first trimester your baby looks like a miniature human being with small head,buttocks,spine,hands,legs already developing. By the end of first trimester the length of foetus is 5 inches and weigh just 50 grams. By the end of second trimester baby length is about 12 –14 inches and weigh about 1 kg.
The major organs of baby have developed. The heart and lungs are functioning. Baby has toes, fingers along with nails on it.Baby also has fingerprints by now.
Baby’s ears become sensitive to the sound by 22 weeks and starts responding to the sound by 24 weeks. Baby may not be able to hear things very clearly as enclosed with many layers of mom’s tummy. If you talk to your baby, it makes him very alert, and its heartbeat increases. By 16 weeks eyes start seeing. By 24 weeks if you put spotlight on abdomen of mom, she may feel kick. Baby suck amniotic fluid and pee into it. When baby swallows this amniotic fluid, many times it irritates diaphragm and baby experiences the hiccups. Baby starts moving by 8th or 9th weeks of pregnancy, but movements are very small and most of mothers don't experience those movements. Mother is typically able to feel the movements by 18-20 weeks of pregnancy.
What to expect in the mother
First trimester problems like nausea,vomiting,altered taste-smell and fatigue all these symptoms actually start settling. The mother appetite improves. She starts to eat better, and she starts gaining weight.80% of women actually lose weight in first three months of pregnancy. By 4th month weight just stabilizes and typically after 5th month weight gain starts happening after that woman typically gains weight about 1-2 kg per month. This is the time when baby bump starts appearing in the 5th month in lean mother and bit later who are on higher side.
Breasts are bigger,sensitive,areola are darker, and some stretch marks will appear. This is the time in investing in one /two pair of good well supporting pregnancy bra.
Many women notice certain darkening of skin of the face, known as chloasma or mask of pregnancy. Dark black line starting below naval and going up to hair line is known as Linea nigra. Many notices darkening of arms,groins,inner thighs due to hormonal changes.
Stretch marks happen due to stretching of skin leading to breaks in collagens and not due to scratching. Amount of stretch marks depends on size of baby and skin type.
Sometime nasal stuffiness and nasal bleeding may occur. Inner lining of nose (mucosa) may swallon up. Use steam, normal saline or inhaler for this.
Visiting to dentist once in pregnancy is very important.Dental infections are one of the reason for premature labour pain.Bleeding from gums are also very common during pregnancy.In case that happen please visit to your dentist and make sure you are cleaning your teeth and flossing after all meals.
Legs cramps in pregnancy are trouble especially during evening.Make sure you are walking around,be active,wear comfortable shoes,at night take a warm shower,do massage your legs and do leg stretches.
Pregnancy piles may be bothering you alot,make sure you do not have constipation, try doing sitz bath (in shallow tub put warm water, put betadine solution and sit into it). Over the counter piles medicines are available and may consult even your doctor.
Pain in back may happen due to pressure of the uterus.It is not orthopaedic problem.Be active,wear low shoes,hot fomentation and pain relieving ointment may help you.Make sure of adequate calcium and vitamin D supplementation.Sleep on left side and keep a pillow between your legs.
Rond ligaments pain occuring one or both sides of your lower tummy and become more when you turn sides in your bed. These ligaments keep uterus in place. Due to growth of uterus these ligaments get stretched. Don't worry about these pains, they are harmless. Take rest.
Thin watery discharge is very common, these are due to hormonal changes. If discharge becomes reddish, greenish or foul smelling or curdy white, these are sign of vaginal infection. You must inform you doctor.
Urine infection, burning, frequency or pain during micturition , are very very common. Big uterus makes bladder to be completely empty difficult. It should be treated. These infections could be a reason for premature labour.
Visit to doctor
Once in every 4 weeks for history, examination ,blood pressure,weight,pregnancy growth and heartbeat of baby.
At 18-20 weeks, detail scan called anomaly scan would be done. At 24-26 weeks screening for gestational diabetes is done. It may be done earlier if you have high risk of developing diabetes.
Vaccines are given for tetanus, diptheria , pertussis and influenza. Iron, calcium ,vitamin D and DHA are prescribed.
Your third trimester (28-40 wks./7-9 months)
You’re almost there! Welcome to your third trimester!
What to expect in the baby
Baby's sense organs are functioning very well. Baby can hear almost all sounds. Baby can see, can make out day and nighttime. Baby is most alert when it is listening to mother’s voice. Baby can smile, baby can blink, baby can even cry inside. Baby is sucking its own thumb. Baby is developing a good muscle tone; bones are becoming harder. Now you need good amount of calcium. Only in third trimester baby movements are well coordinated and form a pattern, before that movements are erratic. Good fetal movements are sign of good fetal health. Your doctor will ask you to keep a track on baby’s movements.
What to expect in the mother
It is a difficult time of pregnancy. You gain significant weight during this time as your baby keeps on growing. Bumps are heavy. The hormones your body is making at this stage cause your joints to loosen. Abdomen is aching, back is aching, buttocks are aching, leg are aching. Throughout the day you need to be active to overcome pain. Wear low heal comfortable shoes. Sleep or rest on your left side with use of big pillow between your legs. Make sure your posture is erect. You can use hot fomentation and in extreme pain even can take tablet paracetamol.
Now uterus has erratic contractions. These are called Braxton hicks contractions. They don't have pattern. They are painless.They don't increase up to a strong labour pain.
o bleeding or blood-stained discharge should be present. In case if you notice a discharge, which is a mucoid and blood stained, maybe you could have passed your mucous plug. Losing the plug means you’re one step closer to labour. In case if you notice a fresh blood, placenta may have got detached or it may be low lying placenta. Bleeding in pregnancy is never normal and should be reported to doctor immediately.Vaginal discharge in pregnancy is normal if it is clear, mucoid and without any smell. A thin clear watery discharge could mean, your water bag may have broken. If this happens, put a clean pad and make your backpack and reach the hospital immediately.
It is also very common to have frequent urination. As by this time baby’s head comes down and put pressure on urine bag. If it is associated with pain or fever, it might be symptoms of urine infection. Sometimes even urine may leak out on coughing or sneezing.Keigel exercises help in controlling this. Avoid drinking lots of fluids before going to bed.
Varicose veins become prominent. This is because big uterus blocks the blood flow from legs to heart. Blood tends to accumulate in veins, Superficial veins in legs become swollen, purplish and
even legs become swollen. Make sure to walk. Raise your legs. Reduce added salts in your diet (stay away from Pickels, chutney), use pregnancy stockings.
Breasts become larger, more sensitive, areola on the breast become darker. Stretch marks are seen on the breast. You may see yellow sticky liquid from the nipples(colostrum). Please don’t worry in case breasts are leaking their own, just wipe them off. Don't squeeze them.
Emotional changes (variation in mood) may happen during this time. This is perfectly alright if you are not feeling happy all time. Every woman goes through emotional changes due to hormonal changes in pregnancy. Try to talk to your relatives and friends about this.
Its good time to enrol in childbirth classes.
Visit to doctor
Visit to your doctor becomes frequent. From 28 to 36 weeks, it is every 2 weekly.36 weeks onwards it becomes weekly. Pelvic assessment check-up at 37 to 38 weeks will be done as doctor wants to check your bony pelvis to know whether baby will pass through this passage or not during labour. Your doctor may recommend a nonstress test to check on the baby if you don’t go into labour by your due date. If you or the baby are at risk, labour may be induced using medication, or in an emergency doctor may perform a caesarean delivery.