There are three pregnancy stages, which are called trimesters. Each stage lasts about three months. During each of these stages, the mother-to-be experiences new changes in her body as the baby grows and develops inside the womb. One of the major changes is that your belly expands and your emotions are like a roller coaster. You will probably cry for no apparent reason, so that your partner feels as if he has to tiptoe around you. You will probably be very fearful about what is going to happen to your body and of course you will have fears about the health of the baby. These are natural emotions that every pregnant woman experiences and should not be cause for alarm.
During the first stage of pregnancy, which lasts until about the 12th week, you will have to learn about being pregnant. This is when you will start to feel more tired than usual and have to take frequent naps. You will also start making frequent trips to the bathroom because the baby growing in the uterus places more pressure on your bladder. Morning sickness is a symptom of this stage when you feel nauseated in the morning or at various times of the day. The smells of cooking could make you feel sick and many women actually lose weight during this stage. Eating plain crackers helps to alleviate the feeling of nausea, but if you are actually throwing up a lot of the time, your doctor can give you suggestions as what to do. Some of the other changes you will experience during this stage include decreased interest in lovemaking, breast tenderness, expanding belly, and an increase in your basal temperature.
It is during the second stage of your pregnancy that you will start to look pregnant with a growing belly. The nausea and fatigue start to decline during these weeks and you will start to take an increased interest in sexual activity. The sexual organs and breasts have increased bloodflow, which will make them more sensitive. The baby starts to move during the fourth month and this is an exciting time for mothers-to-be as it makes the pregnancy more real for them. The first ultrasound usually occurs about the 18th or 19th week and it is them you can see the life that is growing inside you. Some of the physical changes you will notice in your body during this stage include milk leaking from your breasts on times and pressure on the lower parts of your body, which could result in haemorrhoids or varicose veins. When you visit your doctor, you will be able to hear the baby`s heartbeat.
The last stage of pregnancy is the third trimester. You will probably feel uncomfortable because your body is larger. This is especially true of it is during the hot weather of the summer. You will become impatient and want the baby to be born as soon as possible. You will start to feel excited about the baby and start nesting, which refers to making a room in your home for the baby and shopping for baby clothing. This is probably the most uncomfortable stage as you will experience backache and leg cramps and the need to urinate increases. During this time you will likely experience false labor, called Braxton-Hicks contractions, which are painless contractions of the uterus as it moves the baby into the birth canal. Sometimes, these contractions can be quite painful, but they usually subside after a very short time.