First Trimester of Pregnancy - What to Expect

If you are in the first trimester of your pregnancy, then congratulations. You have made good progress, and the days of morning sickness, nausea, and food aversions are about to be over. While many women continue to show these signs even in the later months, many are happy to say goodbye to such symptoms.
Soon you will be a mother to a little baby. While you are happy at the prospect of holding your baby, some factors make this difficult. This article can help you know everything about the first trimester of pregnancy. There are some 1st trimester do’s and don’ts and it is essential to know about them. Reading this article would help you in knowing all about it.

How Long Does First Trimester Last?

How long is the first trimester is the question that new mothers ask. Knowing that you are pregnant makes you feel you are on cloud nine but as time goes by you begin to get frustrated. The first trimester is often the hard one. Your body begins to realize the existence of a new being. During the first trimester, your body adjusts to the changes and this is the reason that it feels some unusual conditions.
The first trimester of pregnancy is about 13 weeks long. If you carry the baby to full term, it makes 40 weeks. The first trimester is around 13 weeks long, and the first day of your last menstrual cycle is known to be the first week of your pregnancy.
You might be thinking, “when does the first trimester end?”. Keeping the above calculation in mind, as soon as the 13th week is over, you step into the second trimester of your pregnancy. You can use different applications to keep track of pregnancy and this way, you will know when the first trimester ends.

Your Baby’s Development During the First Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy starts with a mass of cells. This mass of cells turns into a fetus. The size of the fetus is about the size of the plum. The first trimester your baby would develop spinal cord, brain, heart, and limbs. Your uterus would become a home, and your baby would develop the placenta for nourishment. As soon as the first trimester ends, your baby would have all the organs intact in place.
The first trimester is not only challenging for some mothers but also very exciting. Most of the development takes place during this phase. Some of the milestones are given below:

Implantation in 4 Weeks

The mass of cells would implant in the uterus. The inner cells form the embryo, while the outer cells would become the placenta. The placenta would be responsible for providing nourishment to your baby in all these weeks.

Your Baby Would Take Shape in 6 Weeks

Around the time of six and seven weeks, the heart, lungs, and other organs would begin to develop. This is the time when limbs will form with fingers and toes.

Your Baby Will Move in 9 Weeks

You would begin to feel movement in 9 weeks. However, you will not be able to feel any movement until the first trimester ends.

You Will Hear the Sound of your Baby’s Heart in 10 or 11 Weeks

As you reach 10 or 11 weeks, you will be able to hear the sound of your baby’s heart.
These are some of the milestones that you will see during the first trimester. If this is your first pregnancy and you are finding it hard to deal with the symptoms and your new condition, then visit NetParents. Here you can find all the information there is about pregnancy. The information about pregnancy week by week and baby’s development can help you in getting through these months.

First Trimester Symptoms

As mentioned before, the first trimester is usually the hard one. Many pregnant women think, “when does the first trimester end?”.
Why?
Well, some first-trimester pregnancy symptoms make this phase much harder. Some of these symptoms are given below:

Bleeding

As soon as you conceive, the fertilized egg is implanted in your uterus. This might make you feel cramped and there might be spotting. While it is normal, it is suggested to consult the doctor.

Nausea

One of the first-trimester pregnancy symptoms is the queasiness that is usually felt in the morning. It is called morning sickness. Morning sickness is one of the common conditions that pregnant women experience. It is recorded that more than 50% of pregnant women get morning sickness during pregnancy. Some ways can help you alleviate the nauseous feeling and one of them is to get rest and nap during the day.

Frequency of Urination Increases

The onset of pregnancy brings many hormonal changes. As your baby develops, you feel the need to urinate more often.

Pregnancy Glow

With the increased amount of blood combined with hormonal changes, your skin would glow. The pregnancy glow comes during the first trimester.

Hormonal Acne

While morning glow is part of the first trimester, many mothers experience acne. An increase in the production of oil clog pores which leads to hormonal acne.

Cravings

Another first-trimester pregnancy system includes cravings. As you enter your first trimester, you would begin to have unusual cravings. Foods that were previously not good, you will have an urge to eat them.

Tender and Swollen Breasts

Your breasts become swollen in the first trimester.
These are some of the symptoms that mothers experience during the first trimester. There are some 1st trimester do’s and don’ts and you should keep them in mind. The most important one is to have a proper diet. 13 months is how long the first trimester is. So make sure you take care of yourself during this time.

Think About the Baby and Take Care of Yourself

The first trimester of pregnancy is not less than a challenge. Your body experiences many changes, and these changes often make you cranky and frustrated. Thinking about your baby and taking care of yourself would help you to get through it.