Being pregnant is a special time in your life. To know the progress of your pregnancy and what you will feel in the coming months makes it more interesting. So, here we bring you your personal guidebook to know your pregnancy stages.

Signs Of Pregnancy

If you are unsure, yet curious about your pregnancy, then here are some signs to help you out. The first and the most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period followed by nausea and vomiting, also called morning sickness. But, it is not necessary that every woman experiences morning sickness. Breast enlargement is also one of the common signs of pregnancy and a large number of women experience it.

If you have these symptoms, then you are pregnant. A full term pregnancy takes about 40 weeks. These weeks are divided into three trimesters.

Pregnancy Trimesters

• First Trimester (Week1-week12): In this trimester, your body undergoes a lot of hormonal changes. You may feel tired and nauseous. You may also experience food cravings, headaches, swollen breasts, and constipation. Maintaining a balanced and nutritive diet will help you overcome these initial pregnancy hiccups. At this time the baby’s brain, heart, and spinal cord are developing. Arm and legs also appear. All the major organs of your baby develop by the end of this trimester. Baby’s heart beats in a rhythm now and arms and legs continue to grow.

• Second Trimester (Week13-week28): As your baby grows, your abdomen expands. Baby starts making movements and you may now feel your baby move in the womb. At this stage you may have body ache, especially in your back and thighs. Stretch marks may also appear around your abdomen, thighs, and hips. Baby’s muscle tissue and bones continue to develop in this trimester too. Now your baby can hear you. Skin, eyelashes, fingernails, toenails, and hair develop on your baby’s body. Vital organs are now fully developed.

• Third Trimester (Week29-till the birth): In this trimester, the baby grows fast and moves a lot. This may put pressure on your organs, but you need not worry. You may feel a little breathless. Heartburn, swollen ankles, tender breasts, and contractions are some signs you will notice in this trimester. Your baby kicks forcefully and gains weight. Your baby has fully-functional organs and less space to move.

The pregnancy cycle is full of developments which make your baby grow. Now that you know your pregnancy stages, you can prepare yourself for what you may experience and how you may feel.