The early stages in pregnancy are usually a time of new discoveries for most new couples. This is the time when the anticipation regarding whether or not you are indeed pregnant has faded off and you are waking up to the realization that you are actually going to be parents in the next few months.
As such, it is important for you and your spouse to find out all that you can about this stage so that you are better able to handle all of the challenges that the pregnancy is likely and bound to bring along.
In addition, they are very many changes that are going to take place in the body of the expectant mothers throughout the stages in pregnancy and the only way to know how to handle these changes successfully is by finding out in advance all of the information that appertains to the same.
The stages in pregnancy
In general terms, most medical practitioners and maternal healthcare professional divide the duration of pregnancy into three distinct stages. Each stage has its own unique characteristic as well as expected changes both in the health and the behavior of the expectant mothers.
The main question here therefore is what are the main stages that one needs to go through during pregnancy. The subsequent parts of this article will be dedicated to answering this question by examining each of the three main stages in pregnancy.
The first stage
The first stage of pregnancy is also normally referred to as the first trimester basically simply because it is the first of three equal time intervals. It is supposed to last for a total of about 14 weeks starting from the time when the baby is conceived.
For most pregnant women, especially those that are carrying their first pregnancy and have had no previous experience of the same, the first trimester proves to be a very tough and trying time both physically and emotionally.
One of the reasons why the first pregnancy stages are normally so draining on the expectant mothers is because of the many physical changes that are taking place in the body at the time in readiness for the growth and successfully development of the fetus. It is at this stage that morning sickness sets upon the women.
Morning sickness refers to a combination of symptoms of nausea and vomiting that come over expectant mothers during the early stages in pregnancy and contrary to what the name suggests, it does not only occur in the morning but can take place throughout the day within the first trimester.
The second stage
This is the period after the first three months of pregnancy and it is usually not as trying since the expectant mothers have become accustomed to the pregnancy and are better able to handle the same. The fetus continues to grow inside the womb and body hair and a strong heartbeat are present by the time it is 16 weeks old.
The third stage
The last trimester extends from the end of the second trimester and sums up the remaining stages in pregnancy until the time when the baby is born. It normally ends after the 35th week with the delivery of the baby.
