PREGNANCY DEVELOPMENTAL CHART FOR MOTHER AND BABY

FIRST TRIMESTER: Week 1-12

You may experience food cravings, morning sickness, mood swings due to hormonal changes, swelling and aching of breasts, feeling of fatigue and low energy level, constipation, frequent urination. At the end of first trimester, you may gain 2 to 5 pounds.

Baby’s Development:
During the first trimester, the baby’s brain and spinal cord is forming. Baby’s heart and lungs is beginning to develop. Legs, arms, fingers and toes are starting to form. Heart begins to beat on the 25th day of pregnancy and head is now much larger than the body. Baby’s mouth forms 20 tiny buds that will later on develop as teeth. By the end of the first trimester, the baby is 4 inches long and weighs about 1 ounce.

SECOND TRIMESTER: Week 13- 28

Continuous gaining of weight, breasts continue to swell, but less sensitive. There will also be lesser visits to the bathroom due to urination compared when you are on your first trimester. Lesser morning sickness episodes. You will start to gain appetite and gain more energy. There is also a possibility of swelling of hands, ankles and feet in as early as the 13th to 14th week. Heartbeat may increase and you may experience shortness of breath.

On the 16th week your uterus will continue to rise above your belly and your pregnancy will start to show. Light or dark patches may appear on your face. And you may have a dark line from your navel down the middle of your abdomen.

You may also experience irregular contractions more commonly known as “Braxton Hicks.”
Heartburn can also be experienced.

Stretch marks may also appear on your belly and breasts. You may feel itchiness on your abdomen and scratching your belly can also cause stretch marks later on.
You may also experience leg cramps during the night.

Baby’s Development:
Baby’s eyelashes and eyebrows are starting to grow. Fingers, fingernails and toes are already more defined and developed. By the end of the 17th week, a baby can make a fist you may feel that the baby is starting to move.

By the end of the 28th week, baby can now kick, cry, suck his or her thumb.
Baby’s skin is still very wrinkly.

Hair starts to grow on head. Baby will be able to open and close his or her eyelids. And eyes are now completely developed.
Baby can also experience hiccups during the second trimester. And by the end of the 28th Week, the baby will now weigh around 2 pounds and will be up to 14 inches long.

THIRD TRIMESTER: Week 29 – 40

During the final trimester, your belly will rapidly increase in size. You may feel you are getting heavier and may easily lose balance and fall so you need to be careful. Since your uterus is growing, your hip joints are looser and you may experience aches in the lower part of the body. Though hip joint aches may be normal during the third trimester, if the pain is getting worse, consult your doctor to avoid preterm delivery.

You may get dizzy when you stand up suddenly. You may also feel your baby kicks inside your womb, against your ribs.

First sign of breast milk may leak from your breast. (Colostrum)

Frequent urination.

Swelling of hands and feet may increase.

You may easily get tired.

When you are on the 38th to 40th week of pregnancy, you may feel that the top of your uterus is now pressing against your ribs and you may experience shortness of breath. Baby drops into pelvis before birth. And just before labor, you may feel sudden burst of energy.

Baby’s Development:
Baby is now fully developed. Body is well formed and defined. Can now open eyes and see light, though still blurry. Fingernails are developed and growing. Most babies grow about 20 inches and weighs around 7 pounds or heavier by the end of third trimester.

If you are familiar with the changes you are going to face during the first, second and third trimester you will be able to undergo pregnancy as comfortable and avoid any complications during labor and childbirth. Reading comfort tips during pregnancy will also help you feel better during these 9 months and will aid you to have a more comfortable pregnancy.