The stage of pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. During pregnancy, the body of pregnant women will experience changes and adjust to the growth and development of the fetus in the womb. Then, what are the changes that will be experienced by pregnant women at each stage of the pregnancy? Let's find out.
Women experience menstrual cycles every month. When the monthly cycle stops, it could be a sign of early pregnancy. Nevertheless, pregnant women can sometimes experience symptoms similar to menstruation, it's just that the amount of blood that comes out is very small.
The cessation of the menstrual cycle is only one of many signs of pregnancy. When gestational age increases, various changes will occur in your body and a number of symptoms also appear. The symptoms and changes that you experience are not always the same, depending on the stage of the pregnancy.
Get to know these stages of pregnancy
Every trimester or stage of pregnancy lasts between 12-14 weeks. As mentioned earlier, pregnant women will experience symptoms and physical changes that may differ in each trimester.
First Trimester
The first trimester of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual cycle to the 13th week of pregnancy. In this trimester, physical changes are not very visible, but there are some symptoms that you may experience.
During the first few weeks of pregnancy, hormone levels will change significantly. As a result of the pregnancy hormone, you will experience several symptoms of pregnancy, such as:
- The breast feels painful and looks swollen.
- The body feels tired easily.
- Morning sickness (morning sickness), but this nausea may occur in the afternoon, evening, or night.
- Emotions tend to change, for example from happy to anxious, or suddenly sad.
Some other symptoms that can appear during the first trimester are headaches, constipation, feeling more frequent urination, cravings, and changing sexual desire.
If you are late for your period and find any of the above symptoms, try to do a pregnancy test with a test pack. If the results are positive, chances are that you have a body of two.
When the pregnancy is confirmed, you are advised to start seeing a gynecologist at least 6-8 weeks after the last day of menstruation. This examination aims to ensure pregnancy, check the condition of you and the fetus, as well as determine when further tests are carried out.
Second trimester
The second trimester of pregnancy lasts from the 13th to the 27th week. Some women may feel more comfortable than the first trimester of pregnancy.
During the second trimester, nausea usually begins to subside, emotions are more controlled, sexual arousal returns to normal, the body no longer feels tired, and sleeps more soundly. You will also begin to feel the first movements of the fetus.
At this stage of pregnancy, physical changes begin to appear and body shape will change a lot. Your stomach and breasts will increase in size, and the skin around your stomach will darken. Stretch marks also begin to appear in several parts of the body, such as breasts, buttocks, thighs, and abdomen.
Not only that, a number of other symptoms can also arise, including dizziness, back pain, thighs, or pelvis, leg cramps, and vaginal discharge. In certain cases, you can also experience urinary tract infections or fake contractions. Immediately consult a doctor if you feel these symptoms.
One nice thing you can experience during the second trimester, is when you can see and know the sex of the baby through ultrasound examination (USG). Typically, doctors start running scanning tests to check the condition of the fetus at around 18-22 weeks' gestation.
Third Trimester
The third trimester is the last stage of pregnancy which lasts from the 28th week until delivery. This stage will test you more physically and emotionally than the previous stage of pregnancy.
At this stage of pregnancy, the doctor will advise you to check the uterus more frequently to monitor your condition and the fetus and to determine the appropriate delivery method later.
At this stage, changes in body shape are increasingly visible, because the stomach grows. Your weight will increase by around 9-13 kilograms. As a result of this weight gain, back pain that you have felt since the previous trimester can become more severe. You can even experience swelling in the legs.
The closer the time of delivery, the fetus will grow bigger. This will make the uterus bigger and possibly compress the chest cavity. As a result, you can feel uncomfortable when breathing. Not only that, increasing the size of the fetus will also suppress your bladder. As a result, you feel like urinating more often.
You can also feel anxiety that is worse than the previous stage of pregnancy. Anxiety can be triggered by fear of childbirth or doubt that you are not able to be a good parent. It is recommended that you consult a psychologist if you experience this.
Other symptoms that can appear during this third trimester include:
- The body feels tired quickly.
- Insomnia.
- Leg cramps occur more frequently than before.
- The breast secretes fluid.
- Dry and itchy skin, especially in the abdomen.
- Varicose veins.
- Hemorrhoids.
- Sexual desire decreased again.
- Heartburn or painful sensations appear in the chest and upper abdomen (solar plexus).
- Experience fake contractions more often
During pregnancy, you should pay more attention to the health of yourself and the fetus in the womb. Regular exercise, eating good food for pregnant women, reducing stress, and avoiding unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking or consuming alcoholic beverages, are things that need to be applied.
Not only that, make sure you always check the womb regularly to the obstetrician. The doctor will help and give advice regarding how to maintain health during pregnancy. Handling will be done immediately if the doctor discovers disorders or abnormalities, both yourself and the baby in the womb.
