When the egg is fertilized and implants in the uterus; you will have a positive when taking the pregnancy test; from that moment begins a new stage for your life. Ideas and emotions will spin in your head; A new life is growing within you that will be with you in nine months to keep you company for the rest of your life.
If the test you performed is a home test, then the first thing you should do when obtaining the positive is make an appointment with your gynecologist and confirm the pregnancy through a blood test or an ultrasound. After confirmation comes the news to the father and family and friends, what a thrill! Although you may feel a little scared, you should not worry , it is normal to fear the unknown if you are a new mother or if you have already had a baby, although you already have the experience, no pregnancy is the same as the previous one .
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The most important thing is that you must start to take care of yourself, eat correctly , if you have habits such as smoking, drinking coffee and alcohol; you should leave them because this could cause serious damage to the baby’s nervous system and apart from causing a low birth weight could also cause premature delivery; and for you, these bad habits can cause heartburn, vomiting and stomach heaviness; So for your well-being and that of the baby, forget about alcohol, cigarettes and coffee for about a year.
Try to slow down your daily routine; You must work calmly, slowly and without haste, without physical or mental stress. Even if you think you can with your normal rhythm, your body is working for the baby; for what it will take from you, your energies and will practically force you to calm down through an unjustified fatigue according to you; and a drowsiness that is due to the fact that the belly is growing and the internal organs will press on the diaphragm, increase the respiratory rate and the drop in blood pressure.
Hormonal changes are also coming , one day you will be sad, another day happy and there will be times when you will feel irritated, in a very bad mood; do not worry about the people around you, they will know how to understand you; Because the advantage of being pregnant is that you can do many things and excuse yourself for your condition.
You have to deal with internal and external changes, from morning sickness to the growth of your body; that will make you lose clothes; You should then buy clothes that are preferably cotton and that stretch to adjust to the changes that you will have during the next few months.
As for morning sickness ; not all women have them, there are some who suffer them stronger than others; but whatever your case, breathe! They will disappear after week twelve. And all the bad will be compensated when your baby’s muscles develop, by the fourth month you will feel his kicks , and you will be as excited as when you heard his heart beat for the first time.
Being a mother is a blessing from God , the happiest stage you have ever experienced; however, you must go through stages that are made up of a series of physical changes for you and your developing baby ; from the first day of conception to the day of delivery; If you are interested in knowing what will happen month by month and week by week with your pregnancy, continue reading that here you will find all the information you need.
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Index
First month of pregnancy
In the first month, when you notice the absence of the period, and confirm the pregnancy, you will begin to feel the common symptoms, without appreciating any physical alteration ; These symptoms could be nausea and enlargement of your breasts, in addition some of your senses will be sharpened, such as that of smell.
The wall of the uterus will thicken, and the cervix will soften as the placenta and umbilical cord begin to form, the first month is crucial you may not find out that you are pregnant until you do a test or an ultrasound and therefore could risk to have a spontaneous loss if you exercise strength or consume alcohol or drugs due to ignorance of the pregnancy.
To overcome the first month of pregnancy, you should start by choosing your gynecologist who will assist you throughout the process and will recommend you perform some tests and take vitamins and folic acid, and you should also start a healthy diet , and you should avoid stress and strain or sudden movements. Remember that pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, and each month it is subdivided into four weeks; so your first month runs from week 1 to week 4.
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Pregnancy Week 1
In week 1 it is very difficult for you to find out that you are pregnant since the lack of your period is the first warning that will make you suspect your pregnancy and you will not have it until week 3 or week 4 that your cycle should be fulfilled and lower the expected menstruation.
When the egg is fertilized by the sperm in this first week, the endometrium and the uterine walls begin to thicken so that the fertilized egg is implanted. Once implanted, the pregnancy begins without your knowing it, you may feel pelvic pain and increased cervical mucus.
In week 1, the blastocyst is formed with more than 100 cells that begin to separate, those of the outer ring form the placenta and those of the interior (stem cells) will become the embryo that will grow in the uterus for the next nine months . This new life measures less than a grain of rice, a millimeter.
If you have planned pregnancy then you must already be taking folic acid to reduce neural tube problems; because it closes in the first weeks after conception and folic acid reduces this risk and the risk of miscarriage.
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Pregnancy Week 2
In week 2 the embryo develops , it has a tiny head, its trunk and a tail , in these first weeks it begins to develop foundations of its organs, nervous system and features; Two minimal eye cavities will appear and also the shape of their ears in the primary phase.
The development of the embryo in week two is rapid; it makes room for bones, muscles and organs with its digestive system included; In addition, the neural tube without skin or bones develops that will become the brain, spinal column, spinal cord and your nervous system.
Also in this week the placenta continues to form, it is the one that will nourish the baby in the following months, the volume of your blood increases to respond to the baby’s demand for oxygen , although it is still very small, it only measures a few millimeters.
The symptoms are practically the same as those of week 1, but your nausea will be more frequent, and you may have vomiting generally in the morning hours; your breasts will be larger that maybe a little sore and you will feel a slight pressure in the pubic area.
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Week 3 of Pregnancy
In week 3 your baby’s heart begins to form , a cell spontaneously contracts and creates a chain reaction that will cause the heartbeat, these cells will take over until the brain can take charge of these beats .
Meanwhile the heart distributes food and oxygen to the embryo, with a pulsation of 150 per minute ; however, it is in week twelve that you will be able to hear it during the ultrasound, and in week 27 it will be heard by those who lean on their belly.
It is normal if you feel abdominal pressure and the urge to urinate due to the growth of the uterus to adapt to the new life that it will welcome. Due to the symptoms described and if you had an unprotected relationship, you will begin to suspect pregnancy.
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Week 4 of Pregnancy
In week 4 the baby will begin to grow very quickly, one millimeter per day, his eyes are distinguished although they are still only two black dots , he will also have lumps in what later will be the arms and legs. This week you will have layers of tissue that shape the baby’s face.
Already in week 4 your body will adjust the measurements of your abdomen to adapt them to the baby who from now on will grow very fast and the suspicion will be confirmed very soon; which will change your life because you will have to start making changes in your daily routine, make appointments for the gynecologist, perform a series of exams and change your eating habits.
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Second month of pregnancy
In the second month you will notice more symptoms and morning discomfort caused by hormones in pregnancy, you will feel a fatigue caused by hormonal changes; your breasts are more noticeable than in the previous month and your waist is widening . While internally the umbilical cord already has its shape and the amniotic fluid maintains the temperature and protects the baby as well as allowing it to move.
Due to the hormonal changes that I mentioned, you are going to experience sudden changes in your mood. Although this should not worry you, it is normal in your condition and the people around you will understand.
In the second month it is time for you to go to the first consultation and keep in mind that he will send you to perform some blood and urine tests. It will also give you your first echo to visualize the embryo sac and the embryo. Remember that the second month starts from week 5 to week 8.
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Pregnancy Week 5
The symptoms that I mentioned earlier, some women do not feel them until week 5, like the absence of your period, in week 4 maybe you thought it was a simple delay and you did not go to the doctor but already in week 5 both the symptoms and the absence of the period will be more noticeable and your breasts will be very sensitive, the nipple area will be darker and you will have drowsiness,
You can already confirm the pregnancy because in this week the increase in estrogen is more evident along with the high levels of progesterone and the hormones human chorionic gonadotropin that will give the positive in the home tests.
Once you confirm your suspicions if you did not do it in week 4 then now if it is time for you to go to the gynecologist, it is really important that this week you have a review with him, so that he can guide you and through examinations and ultrasounds you know how is your baby and how are you. Although to know for sure if there is an embryo, it is generally expected until week 6.
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Pregnancy Week 6
In week 6, the embryo has its eyes more defined and a little more separated , and its head compared to its body, is large, and measures a total of about four millimeters, which can be visible in the ultrasound, together with the heartbeat. heart and neural tube that will be closing by this week, so if you haven’t taken folic acid yet, start doing it soon.
You will still suffer from the symptoms of pregnancy, that is, nausea, morning vomiting, frequent urge to urinate, your breasts larger and add a heartburn. While your baby is growing really fast, his brain vestige is forming, the rhomboencephalon, and organogenesis (the formation of most organs) is taking place.
This week your ultrasound will be intravaginal because the abdominal route will not be perceived well; The doctor will ask you questions about family history, previous pregnancies, and about your way of eating and toxic habits such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, also about drug allergies and maternal and paternal inherited diseases.
In the first consultation and the following ones that will be carried out every month, your blood pressure will be measured and you will be weighed, your weight allowed to increase during pregnancy is a maximum kilo and a half per month, this is because if you gain much more than that it will be harmful to you and your baby because you increase the chances of hypertension, preeclampsia and seasonal diabetes or have a macrosomic baby, weighing more than four and a half kilos at birth.
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Pregnancy Week 7
In week seven your baby has doubled in size , already measuring more than a centimeter; his head is still larger than his body and the shapes of his arms and legs are more visible ; his heart is divided into two chambers, his lungs, his brain, nostrils and eye sockets begin to appear.
Your intestines are also developing, and your pancreas is already making insulin . On your part, you continue with the hormonal process that continues to cause vomiting, exhaustion and abdominal inflammation, although by week 7 your belly will not yet be noticeable. You must eat well, especially foods against constipation because your intestinal loops have slowed down your movements due to the increase in relaxin and progesterone, although constipation may occur later.
Surely by this week you are already doing blood tests such as HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, toxoplasmosis and rubella.
If you do the ultrasound, the gestational gallbladder of approximately three centimeters will be shown there and your embryo will measure one centimeter but its shape will not yet be well defined; and the most exciting thing is that his heart will beat strong and you will be able to hear him.
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Week 8 of Pregnancy
Although this is week 8, your baby could have a lower gestational age, since your baby measures two centimeters and undergoes great morphological changes, his eyelids appear, and the retina begins to develop , the tip of the nose appears and his ears take more shape.
The arms and legs grow, the elbows also appear and the grooves of the fingers of the four extremities begin to form . While you will already be passing the symptoms a bit, although in many women the symptoms are until the end.
Your baby is already growing at maximum speed and your abdomen and waist will grow soon, you could feel pain in the lower abdomen or stitches, do not be alarmed, it is due to the growth of the uterus and it is normal . Perhaps from this week on, leg cramps will also appear, especially at night.
If you do the ultrasound this week, you could already do it abdominally and it is important that you feel like urinating so that the uterus and the embryo sac with your baby can be better visualized. It will visualize some movements of the embryo that you will not feel but you will be able to see it through the ultrasound.
From here you will enter the final stage of the first trimester, and you will have to go to the doctor every four or six weeks depending on whether everything is going well, and if you do not have a recent cytology, one will be done.
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Third month of pregnancy
During the third month of pregnancy, it is most likely that your belly is not yet noticeable ; However, there are times when you will notice a bulge that others will not notice because it is you in your privacy who explores your body and you want to see the changes that your baby generates in you, it is an intense emotion that you feel for that baby that grows inside you and you do not know if you are giving him life or he fills you with life.
The best thing about starting the third month is that the chances of miscarriage decrease, and your baby is already firm and well protected in the uterus; and during this month your breasts are heavier and larger, and the areola will be dark . You will have gained a kilo if you have not vomited much, but if you have been unappetizing and with morning vomiting, perhaps instead of gaining you have lost weight.
From the third month you need to eat well, rest and take good care of yourself, it is a relief that the symptoms are attenuating and by the following month they will probably disappear although this is not the case for some women. It is also good to hydrate your skin to prepare it for the stretching that it is about to suffer.
Your baby at the third month moves and bounces off the walls of the uterus even though you still do not notice it, he already has his arms and legs so he will also kick you but calm that soon he will do it with more strength to make himself felt. Also his head during this month will be proportional to his body and by the end of this month your baby will have given a great stretch, measuring about ten centimeters.
Remember that the third month goes from week 9 to week 12 where you end the first trimester and you can be calmer because at the beginning of the second trimester the risks of miscarriage will have decreased considerably as I mentioned.
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Pregnancy Week 9
By week 9 of pregnancy, your baby will already be three centimeters long, and already takes the shape of a human being because it no longer has a head and tail, but rather well-defined limbs, its head and trunk proportional, its arms and legs already with hands and feet. and their respective names. Her little face has her eyes and eyelids, and her mouth is appreciated this week even if it opens and closes.
Their genitals will not be able to be differentiated yet, but sometimes there are doctors who try to guess and confirm their success or error later; Although it is observed, it is a protrusion called the genital tubercle that will give rise to the male or female genital organs.
For your part, you will still feel pelvic pain, and your waist will be wider and you will notice it when your clothes begin to feel very tight. And your baby in the ultrasound if he is awake you will see how he moves up and down and you will even be able to see his hands and legs move ; but her sex still not as previously stated.
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Pregnancy Week 10
Already in week 10 you will be able to know how much your baby weighs, the average is 5 grams, while you can begin to gain approximately one kilo now that you will hardly suffer from your symptoms ; Although your mood swings and emotions are still latent and you will continue one day angry another day sentimental due to hormones.
While your baby already measures four centimeters this week, and you can already see how his hands open and close and he places them near his mouth ; her face is rounded, her mouth also opens and closes but her eyes not yet, they remain closed.
In week ten the mineralization of your baby’s bones progresses quite a lot, especially in the skull; and the ultrasound will be able to see the intracranial structures; This week the chorionic biopsy can be done in case any abnormality has been detected, this consists of determining genetic abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome ; removing with forceps part of the placental villi through the cervix. It is done a few weeks before, between weeks 9 and 11 of pregnancy and after it you must rest for 48 hours.
You, mommy, must gain a kilo or kilo and a half per month, you need to eat well to meet the demands of pregnancy ; In week ten you may already notice a lump that another does not, and you will be very sensitive, because your clothes will be a little tight and your bras will not be said.
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Pregnancy Week 11
In this week 11 she is about to pass to the fetal stage ; ending the embryonic stage, you should perform an ultrasound to determine if there are malformations, if any limb is missing and possibly you can also know with a low percentage the sex of your baby.
In this week the neck and chin appear because the head is separating from the chest ; Fingernails are also beginning to differentiate and genitalia can be distinguished with more precision, but in a common ultrasound they will not be seen well but in 3D.
Your baby is between four to six centimeters tall and may be weighing about eight grams, and your uterus grows as your baby does. In you body changes may be already beginning to notice , be careful with the sun, spots may appear on your face called chloasma gravidarum hyperpigmentation, use sunscreen.
In week 11 you will continue to feel; Or you will begin to feel cramps in your legs and a feeling of heaviness, circulation is diminished by the compression of the uterus in the veins.
In ultrasound, gestational age can be better determined by measurements of the biparietal diameter; length of the femur, and abdominal circumference ; Although you have according to your account the last date of menstruation eleven weeks, the gestational date will be told by the measures mentioned.
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Pregnancy Week 12
In week twelve the first trimester ends as well as organogenesis ; most of the fetal structures are already constituted and your embryo is already in the fetal stage so it is now a fetus and is no longer an embryo; and its growth is more accelerated from now on.
Your baby this week weighs about eight grams or up to fourteen grams and measures approximately six centimeters from the head to the tailbone and his fingers already have separate movements as the bones are growing.
It is possible to determine the sex, and your baby is developing more and more, his nails and even hair appear, his small intestine already contracts to transport food and also begins to stretch his neck and move more.
However, if you are a new mother it is still too early to feel it, but if you have already been a mother then you may be feeling it. The great thing is that most mothers stop having symptoms from now on, and a small percentage will continue to have them longer.
The ultrasound in this week could give you more assurance of the sex of your baby, the heartbeat will be perceived and it will be measured; Furthermore, this echo is very important because malformations can be diagnosed and the measurement of the nuchal fold determined, which is considered a marker of genetic alterations such as Turner and Down syndrome.
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Fourth month of pregnancy
You have already passed the first trimester but it does not mean that you are going to neglect yourself, in the fourth month you should take good care of yourself, as much or more than the first three months, although you will feel better, maybe even tired and your belly could already begin to show.
You can carry out your daily tasks normally without exerting force, since your belly is still small, perhaps the change will only be noticed by you , but remember that your baby grows daily and if today you do not even have a belly, tomorrow it could be bigger.
By the fourth month, your baby’s body begins to grow more proportionate and his external sexual organs are already clearly distinguished if your baby has a favorable position at the time of the ultrasound, the boy will show his penis and scrotum while the girl is your vulva will be noticeable.
Your baby has its most developed senses at this stage of your pregnancy and even reacts to light and sounds, especially your voice ; It is time to start communicating with him, talk to him or sing him lullabies that he recognizes at birth; he also tests the amniotic fluid and swallows it to test when he is in the outside world and can swallow his food; Finally, I could touch you and react to those stimuli.
Soon you will feel his kicks more strongly because his skeleton begins to harden, you will feel excited when it happens and you will go from laughing to crying but it will be a genuine emotion because your hormones no longer alter your smoke, at least not as strongly as at At the beginning, this fourth month you will be stabilizing in many aspects and your stage will be calmer.
If your clothes fit tight and you haven’t bought prenatal clothes, it’s time for you to do it because your belly will start to show itself from one moment to the next from this month. And if you were hiding your state it is better that you begin to be sincere because your baby is growing and with it your body; You will not be able to hide the lump that grows under the belly.
Once the symptoms cease, you can start to feel more hungry and want to eat everything, although it is advisable to eat well you cannot eat “everything” since there are foods that could harm you, and more if they are fried because remember that you can only go up to the maximum kilo and a half monthly.
The fourth month of pregnancy is between weeks 13 and 16 and the second trimester begins from here.
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Pregnancy Week 13
Your baby’s growth is rapid , it already weighs between thirteen and twenty grams , measuring approximately three inches; the organogenesis is finished and from this week their organs will also grow due to a great proliferation of cells that characterizes this stage.
Your baby’s facial features are being molded and his eyes are now just spaced and his ears are also taking their place; while the intestinal loops are no longer inside the umbilical cord, which originally formed a hernia, but are inside the abdominal cavity.
You will be prone to gaining weight , take care of this, because the second trimester is just beginning and if you do not control yourself by the third trimester you could gain much more than allowed . Your breasts are large and the areola is dark; You could also secrete yellow liquid , it is your milk known as colostrum and it is normal, if you do not do it right now this week, you will secrete it in the following weeks.
In week 13 you can get the vaccine against the flu virus because the process of forming your baby’s organs and others has finished and he is no longer at risk. You can talk to your gynecologist about this, it is important that you get vaccinated to protect you and your baby.
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Pregnancy Week 14
At week 14 your baby still has very thin skin, revealing blood vessels . Your baby is measured in parts by ultrasound; the head, abdomen and femur, however this week your baby is already approximately nine centimeters and weighs about twenty-five grams.
You, on the other hand, should have excellent oral health since your gums may bleed because you have thickening and greater vascularity in them . Try using a soft bristle brush like a child’s and a toothpaste for sensitive gums; In addition to this thickening in the gums, your nose will also grow because the same thing happens in the blood vessels of the nasal walls.
Your baby can appreciate the lenses inside the eyes and also differentiates brain structures , it is also possible to count the fingers of his hands and feet as long as the position is favorable at the time of the ultrasound.
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Pregnancy Week 15
In week 15 the ossification process of the bones already begins and by having strong bones you could feel your baby; try to be attentive and with your partner there to create a bond between the three in their first kicks. In addition to being stronger, your baby is covered by lanugo, a very fine hair.
Your baby is already approximately ten centimeters and weighs fifty grams, twice as much as the previous week. For your part, you may experience rhinitis gravidarum which is a nasal blockage that prevents you from breathing properly due to the enlargement of the nasal turbinates; you can use anti-histamines but consult your gynecologist.
While your skin also changes, spots and moles may appear, and the linea alba, the brown line between the pubis and the navel, will be more noticeable but will disappear months after delivery. Regarding the diet you have, remember that you could suffer from constipation, and you also tend to gain weight quickly; eat correctly because all the nutrients will be passed to your baby through the placenta.
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Pregnancy Week 16
In week 16 you should already notice the fetal movements , but if it does not happen, do not worry; take the corresponding ultrasounds and you will know that everything is going well; it is just that you should pay attention to the kicks, when you shower or when you eat it could move more.
Your baby already has his limbs developed , his nails, and his eyebrows also have them for this week; It measures from eleven to eleven and a half centimeters and weighs approximately eighty grams , and its entire body is covered with lanugo, this hair at birth will largely fall out so that the new hair follicles give rise to thicker hair.
You will notice the movements as mentioned, you could feel like bubbles, butterfly flaps or gases, for this reason you probably think that you have not felt your baby but if you have felt something like that then it is your baby kicking or dancing inside you .
As for you, your gum could be the same, if it has not bled you could do it this week, you will also produce more saliva known as hypersialorrhea due to the increase in estrogens, you can use astringent rinses. Besides this; you will still feel cramps especially at night when you sleep; These involuntary and painful contractions are due to compression of the nerves in the legs by the uterus.
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Fifth month of pregnancy
During the fifth month you will already be able to feel your baby, he will react to sensory stimuli especially if you talk to him, or sing to him also if you are in light or dark, he already distinguishes although in reality he cannot see as such.
The fifth month your belly is already noticeable, to the point that you must wear loose or prenatal clothing ; Your hips adjust to support the weight of your baby and you will walk a little differently, this is because the pelvis must allow an increase in the cavity, enlarging the gap of the baby’s exit within a few months.
Your baby in the fifth month may no longer move much, but if it will accentuate his kicks , it is that he is growing and his space cannot adjust to his size as such, that is, he can no longer dance inside the uterus; rather, their movements are limited. Your baby already feels what you feel, so try to pass positive energies to him ; It is not scientifically proven but it is assured that when you are sad your baby stops moving and being still, as if letting you know that he also feels sad.
The fifth month begins in week 17 and ends in week 21; You can create sleeping habits for your baby from now on and maybe, just maybe at birth he wants to sleep at the time he sleeps now in the womb.
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Pregnancy Week 17
At week 17 your baby is covered in fat, an adipose tissue that keeps him warm and also regulates the body’s metabolism, and moves strongly in the uterus; it measures approximately eleven to thirteen centimeters and weighs about one hundred grams, it already looks more like a newborn; He is in a semi-flexed position with his hands close to his chin and his feet crossed below the outlet of the umbilical cord.
Sleep and wake up, it is comfortable within you; feeling safe and secure; while you are undergoing external changes such as the growth of your belly due to the fact that your uterus already measures a little more and has a more oval shape and is moving towards the intestinal loops; It is attached to the pelvic wall by round ligaments that can cause pain as it grows, try to sleep on your side to rest and not strain these ligaments.
Regarding nutritional needs, you should consume about 71 grams of protein per day while carbohydrates would be 175 grams ; It is also important that you eat foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 6 and omega 3 that you can get in fish ; and you should also consume dairy products to increase calcium.
In the ultrasound corresponding to week 17 you could visualize your baby’s spine , his cervical, lumbar and dorsal vertebrae, also the thoracic cavity with the heart and ribs and his abdominal cavity. And your baby is fully formed and it is exciting to see him even though he needs to grow up to be ready and have him in your arms shortly.
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Pregnancy Week 18
At week 18 your baby is almost five inches or more and weighs about one hundred and fifty grams , his heart is divided into two atria, two ventricles and his four valves and can be seen on ultrasound as well as being heard. On the other hand, the baby’s legs and feet are molded and the cartilaginous portions that have formed the baby’s skeleton can already be seen.
You have probably already gained about four or five kilos of weight and you are also likely to urinate more frequently due to the compression of the uterus. Also, if you have not suffered constipation so far, that is good for you, but you should still prevent it because the compression of the uterus on the sigmoids and the rectum plus the intake of iron during pregnancy possibly causes constipation. To prevent this, try to drink plenty of fluids, and eat vegetables and fiber.
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Pregnancy Week 19
At week 19 the brain and spinal cord continue to develop. You and your baby will continue to go through physical changes, and you can already have the morphological ultrasound this week or the next. You will see that your baby measures between thirteen and fifteen centimeters and weighs about two hundred grams; His nervous system continues to develop and his body shape is already like that of a newborn with fat and lanugo.
As for the changes in you; By week 19 you will notice more vaginal discharge, it should be white or yellowish; It is normal and is known as leucorrhoea, caused by increased blood flow in the vaginal mucosa and the lips of the vagina will be more bulging. On the other hand, you should avoid stressful situations because increased blood flow or anemia typical of pregnancy could cause heart palpitations.
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Pregnancy Week 20
The main thing this week is to perform the morphological echo that explores the baby’s anatomy to detect any malformation it may have; your baby measures almost sixteen centimeters this week and weighs about two hundred and sixty grams.
Your baby’s skin already has two layers, the epidermis and the dermis; In the dermis wrinkles appear in the hands and feet, which give rise to the characteristic patterns of the human being because they are different for each being.
Fat begins to appear under the skin and the glands secrete a whitish and pasty substance known as vernix caseosa that protects your baby’s skin against the aggression of the amniotic fluid.
Meanwhile you may be feeling dizzy, due to the hypotension typical of pregnancy that appears in the second trimester and it is because the uterus is compressing the aorta artery and the vena cava, you could prevent dizziness by lying on your side and preferably on the left . You could also get dizzy from anemia, very low iron levels, or altered blood sugar levels.
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Pregnancy Week 21
In this week 21 your baby already weighs three hundred grams and measures approximately eighteen centimeters , although from this week it will not grow as fast as weeks ago, however, for you it will be a big change because from now on your abdominal muscles they begin to stretch and the growth of the uterus will already be more evident.
Swallowing amniotic fluid is what your baby is doing this week; and its digestive system is maturing and growing since it absorbs a part in the small intestine and the rest in the large intestine, it is worth mentioning that this amniotic fluid contains nutrients that favor your baby.
Fetal movements are easier to notice on your part and also on the part of the father and other family and friends who want to feel it, and you could start calling him by the name you chose for him or her, among all the voices the only one who hears with better clarity is yours, that of his mother ; because the other voices must cross several barriers; like mommy’s skin and even amniotic fluid that will distort the sound a bit.
On week 21 your navel may flatten or come out, you may also feel pain in the groin due to the distention of the round ligament anchored to the uterus, in front of the tubes and when it is stretched, it distends and causes pain that you could soothe with acetaminophen .
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Sixth month of pregnancy
When you are already six months pregnant, you enter the end of the second trimester, one of the most comfortable of the pregnancy stage since the discomforts have stopped and your belly is not so big, so you feel normal but with a life growing inside of you, although the third trimester is also full of changes during the sixth month you will be able to feel when your baby hiccups, and the movements will be more noticeable so much that you will be able to record your tummy and play with your baby who every time hears your voice with more clarity.
In the sixth month your skin could change color and appear brown spots because the increase in estrogen affects the skin pigment (melanocytes) affecting freckles or birthmarks; as well as the area from the forehead, nose and mouth to the chin, a pregnancy mask that bears the name of chloasma.
In this month the chances of you suffering from digestive problems increase; This is because high progesterone levels slow down digestion; and the food will then last longer in the stomach; So that it does not affect you, it is best to eat little but frequently and if you suffer from constipation; which is also caused by progesterone; you can consume many fruits rich in fiber and liquid such as apple and drink plenty of water.
While you now suffer from stomach problems; your baby continues to grow and by the sixth month it will measure about eight inches long and weigh more than half a kilo , with a thin skin but it will no longer be transparent but rather reddish and wrinkled, because it has not yet formed layers of fat that are missing and it is in this month when the baby opens his eyes.
Your six-month-old baby is already kicking, possibly sucking on his thumb, opening and closing his mouth, and responding to sounds and your voice; The cells that control thought are beginning to develop, and he is also sleeping and waking up during the day and night.
As you do not need your lungs yet, until now they are immature organs filled with amniotic fluid and it will be in a few weeks that the alveoli develop completely. You, on the other hand, must already know their gender and by now you must be doing the necessary purchases because your belly is much more noticeable and now there is less time for your baby to be with you.
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Pregnancy Week 22
In week 22 your uterus has grown a little more and generates consequences in the venous return, you feel heavy legs not to mention having to deal with varicose veins, and your weight for this week may have increased by five or six kilos and your ankles could swell especially at the end of the day and more if you have been standing for a long time.
The baby is already about nineteen centimeters and weighs approximately three hundred and fifty grams ; already in his face you can distinguish the eyelashes and eyebrows, also his nails. Your liver begins to work; but its ability to metabolize bilirubin and produce bile begins before birth; this is why there are premature babies who tend to turn yellow. Your baby at week 22 could survive if for some reason he must be born prematurely; but it must be kept in an incubator so that it completes the processes that it would complete in the uterus until week 36.
From week 22 you can already hear your baby’s heart at home with a domestic stethoscope , it will be much easier for your relatives because they will support their ear directly to your belly, it beats quickly about 120 and 160 beats per minute compared to yours which does it at half your baby’s heartbeat, 60 and 80 beats per minute. Although you should not be scared but feel or hear their heartbeat, it is due to the baby’s movements and different postures.
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Week 23 of Pregnancy
By week 23 your baby weighs almost half a kilogram and is twenty centimeters long , his skin is wrinkled and thin, and the fine hair that covers it is covered with lanugo, and the most important thing in this week is that the cartilaginous skeleton The baby is turning into bone tissue , from the center of each bone to the ends.
On your side, although the safest thing is that the initial symptoms have stopped; You have other symptoms such as swelling in the ankles and also in the wrists, in addition to the pain in the sides and the pubis, it is because your baby is growing more every day, and your waist has disappeared and your belly is quite evident as well as your baby’s movements.
To alleviate the pain, try to perform massages, it is time for your partner to also get involved because from now on you could limit your movements and you will need all the help possible when entering the third trimester. Try to rest and do not gain too much weight, since your uterus has grown and will continue to grow, so these aches and pains will be relieved with rest and massages, and after delivery, everything returns to its place.
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Pregnancy Week 24
In this week, number 24 your baby is rounder, and weighs approximately 600 grams, measuring 21 centimeters ; it floats in the amniotic fluid that still has enough room to allow your baby to move and change position. For your part, it is time to perform the test to rule out anemia and gestational diabetes.
It is very likely that this week the iron levels decrease because the number of red blood cells decreases due to the increasing demands of your baby and it absorbs what you have from you; making you feel tired, dizzy and pale in case you have anemia; The test measures the hematocrit, the percentage of red blood cells in the blood and by hemoglobin.
If you have anemia during pregnancy, the maternal hemoglobin concentration will be below 11.00 g / dL , and your baby could be born with a low weight, could be born prematurely, and if the levels reach below 8.5 g / dL, perinatal mortality could occur . . So you should be attentive to the symptoms and mention it to your gynecologist at your next appointment.
If the glucose test in the blood gives you 140, you could have diabetes and by not controlling it generally with diet; The consequences would be: there will be a metabolic decompensation and diabetes will continue after pregnancy, while the consequences for your baby range from fetal macrosomia, shoulder dystocia during delivery, metabolic complications for your baby as well and a tear in the birth canal from the excessive weight of your child.
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Pregnancy Week 25
At week 25 your baby is weighing 700 grams and is measuring 22 centimeters in length of the skull-rump. He will adopt the fetal position by turning head down but it does not mean that he is ready to be born and he will stay that way; Due to its size, it can move and adopt different positions several times during the day.
The eyelids open and you can see their eyes, if you get a 3D echo you could run with the luck of seeing your baby with his eyes open and sticking out his tongue that at week 25 already moves it to the sides and out ; he yawns, gestures and smiles too. Babies at this age have been shown to dream in the womb.
For your part, you are more anxious because the birth of your baby is closer and closer, you have gastric reflux and heartburn, and your belly is already bigger but it will continue to grow ; wear cotton clothes and follow your usual diet so you don’t gain weight.
Although you may feel sorry with your partner, in this week and the following weeks it is very possible that you have gas and flatulence that cause pain that you could confuse with contractions, it is normal, you should only avoid foods that cause gas and drink chamomile infusions or fennel.
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- 25 Weeks of Pregnancy – Complete Gestation step by step
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Pregnancy Week 26
This week your son has already gained 200 grams so he now weighs approximately 900 grams, and measures 23 centimeters without counting the legs, he already has waking and sleeping cycles creating a pattern that you will know when he stops moving that he is asleep and when he moves much is evidently awake and attentive to outside sounds. The five senses have already been developed and it is time for you to interact with your baby by playing music and talking to him.
For your part, you must be attentive to vaginal infections, urine infection is very frequent and that is why every month your gynecologist asks you for a urine test , the need to go to the bathroom multiplies, but you do not urinate in quantity. Pay attention to symptoms such as: pain or stinging when urinating, and blood in the urine; You should go to the doctor with a urine test preferably because he will send it to you anyway.
Here you will see our analysis of the 26 Weeks of Pregnancy; Complete Gestation step by step
Seventh month of pregnancy
In the seventh month you start the third and last trimester, a month of impatience, you will feel tired and affected by the weight of your belly and your own, you could also have back pain and swelling in the legs; also heartburn.
In this month you should use moisturizing creams although you should have already started months ago, however now it is essential to prevent the appearance of stretch marks , your uterus reaches the navel and you may feel an oppression in the lungs, apart from your heart beats faster to be able to pump the volume of blood that has increased.
During this month and the next two you should check your blood pressure to detect risks of pre-eclampsia in time, you will also present breathing difficulties due to the pressure on the diaphragm due to the weight of the baby; you can also have urinary incontinence and constipation.
If you feel mild contractions, do not be alarmed, they are not dangerous and are known as Braxton Hicks contractions, although if you must be vigilant in case of premature labor, you should control their frequency.
Your baby is already approximately 27 centimeters and weighs 1200 grams , his lungs are not yet mature and his body temperature is deficient, however you could already have your baby and he would survive.
Your agility to move and your balance are not the same anymore, so you must be careful to fall and hurt yourself and your baby. The seventh month runs from week 27 to week 30.
For more information, see our article on: Stretch Marks: Prevention, Treatments and Causes
Pregnancy Week 27
Your baby by week 27 already weighs one kilogram and is 34 centimeters from head to toe; it is already in the final stage of its development. You will notice the linea alba more due to the increase of melanin in the abdomen and you will have it until months after your baby is born.
By now your breasts have not stopped growing and are already three times larger than the original size, stretch marks and veins may appear, and you will notice the morgagni glands, milk will flow from your nipples. You will feel again the mood swings that had stopped but this is due to your level of anxiety and concern for your baby who is approaching his birth.
Maybe you feel a pain in the back and also in the lower abdomen, is that your baby now weighs more and you have also gained several kilos, try not to exert yourself too much because you will feel a lot of pain in the pelvis, it is time to take things easy .
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Pregnancy Week 28
Your baby weighs 1100 grams and measures 35 centimeters at week 28; the weight of your brain increases and it is no longer smooth, but grooves appear; your baby is already beginning to have more fat under the skin so it will look fuller and more rounded.
This week it will be difficult for you to fall asleep because your baby moves a lot and it will not be easy to adopt a comfortable posture, both for you and for him, so you will sleep at times but you will be awake a lot, so in the morning and during the day you will be tired
This gestational insomnia is very frequent, if it is not due to the movements of your baby, it is due to the release of sex hormones that control sleep and wakefulness. Try to drink teas to help you sleep so that the next day you have energy and can face the future with optimism.
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Pregnancy Week 29
At week 29 your baby weighs 1250 grams and measures a little less than forty centimeters from head to toe; in her little face you can see her eyebrows, her eyelashes and how she opens and closes her little eyes; his mouth and moves his hands; He feels ready to be born, but he still has a few more weeks to go before his weight and size are ideal.
As it grows you will need a moisturizing cream for stretch marks on the belly, thighs and chest, it should be a cream that keeps your skin flexible and stimulates the connective tissue, such as almond oil.
By week 29 you can have an ultrasound to hear your baby’s heartbeat, see the amount of amniotic fluid and generally see if your baby is fine.
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Pregnancy Week 30
In this week your baby should weigh about 1350 grams and measure less than forty centimeters even because his growth continues but a little slower than before; It has a more limited space in the uterus, however it can change position even if it is painful for you.
You begin to retain more fluids , your ankles and hands swell ; you should have a low salt diet and do some special exercises for you; You have already gained eleven to fifteen kilograms throughout your pregnancy, you may feel very hot and dizzy; when in doubt it is good that you always measure your blood pressure.
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Eighth month of pregnancy
You are already in month eight, and you carry out your ordinary activities with difficulty , you are nervous because you are already in the penultimate month and it is inevitable to feel fear, fall into both positive and negative thoughts, fill yourself with doubts and uncertainty and especially anxiety about have your baby in your arms.
You should go for a walk, not too far but to a place that relaxes and distracts you as well as helping you with your circulation when walking; Your ankles may not allow you to move much, use hot and cold water to reduce inflammation, the need to urinate will be more frequent even when you are lying down ready to sleep.
Your baby has almost no space to float this month, so the movements you are used to will decrease, and it will seek to adopt the fetal position that it will have during delivery. You must already be prepared because you are entering the final stretch, you can prepare your suitcase from now on ; and specify with your doctor everything you need and what are the symptoms that you should pay close attention to.
Pregnancy Week 31
At week 31 your baby weighs more than a kilo and a half and measures 40 centimeters , possibly already adopting the cephalic position although it can still vary and the uterus is becoming small and will not be able to move much. This week you should perform the echo to know the state of the amniotic fluid and the placenta; That is if you did not do it in the previous week.
It is worth mentioning that if you have followed a diet rich in fiber, you probably do not suffer from constipation and therefore not from hemorrhoids, the only thing that could be affecting you is the limited mobility you have due to the size and weight of the belly, and the fatigue that you feel. You may also notice your vulva swollen due to the pressure that your baby exerts on the pubic region.
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Pregnancy Week 32
Your baby weighs less than two kilograms and measures 42 centimeters from top to bottom ; their lungs are not yet mature, the reason is that they do not have a substance that prevents the alveoli from collapsing and remaining open; it is known as pulmonary surfactant; if the pregnancy ends for any greater reason, they could be matured with corticosteroids.
Using intrauterine corticosteroids will prevent hyaline membrane syndrome, the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, and respiratory distress syndrome. You will need to monitor your baby’s movements as his fetal activity decreases and could be due to several factors.
Many mothers decide to prepare before delivery and it is highly recommended to do so; You will take as a course where you will learn breathing techniques, preparation of the perineum for childbirth and relaxation techniques. They will also give you theoretical classes on pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and baby care.
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Week 33 of Pregnancy
At week 33 your baby weighs two kilograms and measures 43 centimeters , possibly he has already adopted the cephalic position and his movements are limited because each time he is larger than the space that the uterus provides, and the amniotic fluid you have. Your baby may hiccup in the womb and you will feel it bringing relief because it indicates fetal well-being.
You may be experiencing low back pain that is complicated by sciatica from the pressure of the uterus on the nerve . This pain can give you along the buttock, the thigh and the entire leg to the foot, you can do Pilates to calm the lumbosciatica or go to a physiotherapist to relieve your pain.
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Week 34 of Pregnancy
Your baby weighs less than two and a half kilos and measures 44cm, your baby does not move much because he has almost no space , but if he kicks you and lets you know with his hands that he is fine. Your internal organs are leaving room for your baby and you will feel pain in the ribs, choking and dizziness not to mention gas in the intestine.
Due to the displacement of the intestinal organs towards the diaphragm you will breathe faster and you will feel suffocated because you cannot breathe deeply, but your baby receives oxygen normally.
This week you should have an appointment with the gynecologist week by week; and it is essential to perform an ultrasound to assess the amount of amniotic fluid, the correct fetal growth, and the degree of aging of the placenta; also the signs of fetal maturity, the intestinal loops and the structures of the head and brain.
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Pregnancy Week 35
By week 35, the baby’s lungs are mature and you should be aware of signs of premature labor such as shortening of the cervix and contractions, however it is still early to give birth, but your baby is putting more and more pressure on pelvis and vulva . It weighs two and a half kilos and measures 45 centimeters.
If you have a threat of premature labor such as uterine contractions and shortened cervix, you should be given betamethasone for two days. These days you will feel a lot of pressure in the pelvis because your baby is already beginning to enter the birth canal and this will sometimes prevent you from walking because the cramps are unbearable . But you should not confuse this pain with contractions that are generated under the baby’s nest.
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Ninth month of pregnancy
The ninth month is the last, as who says it is the end of a stage of a path that will open doors to another stage, another path with new experiences, being a new mother you will learn that the story of your baby and you does not end, but That is just beginning, you will face so many new things, but if you have already been a mother, each baby is a totally new and different experience for each baby, although they have grown inside you, they will not be the same.
It is important to know that the stage of pregnancy usually ends in week 40 but already from week 36 your baby will be ready, you will only have to wait for labor pains. You only have a few weeks left to experience what it is like to have a life within you, a being that you protect much better while being there; but that soon he will come to this world and you will protect it just as much or much more.
In this last month your baby should already be fitted for delivery, his head towards the pelvis and you will no longer feel that pressure on the ribs or on the internal organs leaving space for example in the stomach, you will feel some relief because you will breathe better.
Although the relief will be at the level of the ribs, your uterus will press on the bladder and will make you want to go to the bathroom more often; and as your baby descends closer to the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor, you will feel many cramps that you can relieve with massage
You are already in the month where your baby is going to be born, however it will continue to grow inside you until the last moment, when that moment arrives you will feel rhythmic, strong labor contractions, a couple of them every ten minutes, for an hour, it will occur membrane rupture and you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Pregnancy Week 36
Already the 36th week of pregnancy could be the 38th week of gestation depending on the size of your baby’s femur, although this varies depending on each baby; you are ready for your baby to come to this world; His development is now complete, with the maturation of his lungs which means that he can breathe without difficulty.
In this week you could give birth although it is considered pre-term, since deliveries are generally 40 weeks so that you do not suffer any complications, neither you nor your baby who could be prone to jaundice, is when they turn yellow.
During this week you will feel vaginal contractions and discomfort because your baby is already embedded in the pelvis, weighing a little less than three kilos and measuring less than fifty centimeters; however, you will continue to gain weight and develop even if you feel ready to leave what has been your home for nine months.
They will perform a recto-vaginal culture this week , to rule out the presence of the germ known as: streptococcus agalactiae which is part of the vaginal flora, if the baby comes into contact with this germ at the time of delivery it could become infected and have a meningitis or sepsis.
From week 36 you should be attentive to the symptoms that will indicate that you are in labor, although if you have a scheduled cesarean section this is usually done at 38 weeks, you should consult your gynecologist.
The symptoms of natural labor are as follows:
- Abdominal pressure, you will feel intense pain in the lower pelvic area.
- Frequency of increasingly intense and unbearable contractions. They do not disappear and take more and more between thirty and seventy seconds, they are like cramps in the back and are also similar to menstrual pain at first, the cervix begins to contract until it reaches ten centimeters of dilation.
- There are vaginal secretions that have accumulated in the cervix that, when dilated, expels that mucous plug.
- When the cervix begins to dilate, your doctor will do the touch and tell you how many centimeters you are wearing.
Between those symptoms and the continuous check-up with your doctor, you are already prepared for the arrival of your baby, a large and completely healthy boy or girl who changed your life during the pregnancy stage and will change it with his birth.
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Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.