Pregnancy
A baby is a precious gift – congrats on pregnancy
Pregnancy is a special condition in the life of the woman in which many physiological changes takes place in the body. Obstetrics is (from the Latin obstare, "to stand by") is the branch or medical specialty that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period (including care of the newborn), and the profession who is doing all this is called the obstetrician.
The common changes that occur are in pregnancy are missed period, breast changes, nausea, vomiting, bloating, weight gain, headaches, food cravings, difficulty sleeping, swelling of the ankles or fingers, hemorrhoids and mood changes. As your body changes, you might need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, small meals. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.
Here are some of the facts about the pregnancy below
- A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks and is grouped into three trimesters of roughly 12 weeks each
- By the end of 37 weeks, a baby is considered full term and its organs are ready to function on their own.
The woman faces the following problems which are embarrassing
- Excessive trips to the bathroom
- Excessive tardiness the moments become slow and tardy
- Excessive stupidity or foggy-headedness - occur due to mood changes and high hormonal levels
- Excessive flatulence
- Excessive appetite (gluttony) - it is also in part due to taste alteration that occurs during pregnancy.
Changes in First Trimester ( 1st week to 12 weeks of pregnancy period)
- Extreme tiredness
- Tender, swollen breasts. Your nipples might also stick out.
- Upset stomach with or without throwing up (morning sickness)
- Cravings or distaste for certain foods
- Mood swings
- Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)
- Need to pass urine more often
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Weight gain or loss
Changes in Second Trimester (13 weeks to 28 weeks )
- Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain
- Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks
- Darkening of the skin around your nipples
- A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
- Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. Patches often match on both sides of the face. This is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy
- Numb or tingling hands, called carpal tunnel syndrome
- Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet.
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly - this could be a sign of pre-eclampsia - consult immediately)
Changes in Third Trimester (29 weeks to 40 weeks)
- Shortness of breath
- Heartburn
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly - this could be a sign of pre-eclampsia - consult immediately)
- Hemorrhoids
- Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum
- Your belly button may stick out
- Sleep problems
- The baby "dropping," or moving lower in your abdomen
- Contractions, which can be a sign of real or false labor
How will my baby develop week by week?
First Trimester (week 1-week 12)
At 4 weeks:
- Your baby's brain and spinal cord have begun to form.
- The heart begins to form.
- Arm and leg buds appear.
- Your baby is now an embryo and one-fifth of an inch long.
At 8 weeks:
- All major organs and external body structures have begun to form.
- Your baby's heart beats with a regular rhythm.
- The arms and legs grow longer, and fingers and toes have begun to form.
- The sex organs begin to form.
- The eyes have moved forward on the face and eyelids have formed.
- The umbilical cord is clearly visible.
- At the end of 8 weeks, your baby is a fetus and looks more like a human. Your baby is nearly 1 inch long and weighs less than 1/8 of an ounce.
At 12 weeks:
- The nerves and muscles begin to work together. Your baby can make a fist.
- Eyelids close to protect the developing eyes. They will not open again until the 28th week.
- Head growth has slowed, and your baby is much longer. Now, at about 3 inches long, your baby weighs almost an ounce.
Second Trimester (week 13-week 28)
At 16 weeks:
- The external sex organs show if your baby is a boy or girl.
- Muscle tissue and bone continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton.
- Skin begins to form. You can nearly see through it.
- Meconium develops in your baby's intestinal tract. This will be your baby's first bowel movement.
- Your baby makes sucking motions with the mouth (sucking reflex).
- Your baby reaches a length of about 4 to 5 inches.
At 20 weeks:
- Your baby is more active. You might feel slight fluttering.
- Your baby is covered by fine, downy hair called lanugo and a waxy coating called vernix. This protects the forming skin underneath.
- Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed. Your baby can even scratch itself.
- Your baby can hear and swallow.
- Now halfway through your pregnancy, your baby is about 6 inches long.
At 24 weeks:
- Bone marrow begins to make blood cells.
- Taste buds form on your baby's tongue.
- Footprints and fingerprints have formed.
- Real hair begins to grow on your baby's head.
- The lungs are formed, but do not work.
- The hand and startle reflex develop.
- Your baby sleeps and wakes regularly.
- If your baby is a boy, his testicles begin to move from the abdomen into the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs have formed in the ovaries.
- Your baby stores fat and has gained quite a bit of weight. Now at about 12 inches long.
Third Trimester (week 29-week 40)
At 32 weeks:
- Your baby's bones are fully formed, but still soft.
- Your baby's kicks and jabs are forceful.
- The eyes can open and close and sense changes in light.
- Lungs are not fully formed, but practice "breathing" movements occur.
- Your baby's body begins to store vital minerals, such as iron and calcium.
- Lanugo begins to fall off.
- Your baby is gaining weight quickly, about 200 gms a week. Now, your baby is about 15 to 17 inches long.
At 36 weeks:
- The protective waxy coating called vernix gets thicker.
- Body fat increases. Your baby is getting bigger and bigger and has less space to move around. Movements are less forceful, but you will feel stretches and wiggles.
- Your baby is about 16 to 19 inches long and weighs about 2.75 to 3 kg
Weeks 37-40:
- By the end of 37 weeks, your baby is considered full term. Your baby's organs are ready to function on their own.
- As you near your due date, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth. Most babies "present" head down.
- At birth, your baby may weigh somewhere between 6 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 2 ounces and be 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges. But healthy babies come in many different sizes.
Shreeya Gynae Clinic
C - 63, Preet Vihar, Vikas Marg,
Delhi - 92, (Opp. pillar no. 78)
India
M: +91 8826629271
PH: + 91 11 22549342
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The contents in this page are only for patient information and not for self treatment.
The patient is advised to take professional consultation.
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