Pregancy Calendar: A calendar of each week of pregnancy. What to expect in each trimester.
The first weeks and Months of pregnancy:
You may have just realized you are pregnant. Pregnancy dating begins from the start of your last menstrual period. It may be only a week since you found out that you are pregnant, but inside
your uterus, much is happening. The fertilized egg has completed a seven to ten day journey to the uterus, where
it settles into the endometrial lining. It has divided in two: one part becoming
the placenta and the other, the embryo. From a medical perspective, even though
you have been pregnant for two weeks, you are technically four weeks pregnant. At five weeks, your embryo
measures a mere two millimeters, but every organ is already under development.
Even facial features, such as eyes and ears, begin to form. Leg and arm buds
sprout outward! By the time you are six weeks along, you KNOW you are pregnant. How can
something that only measures four millimeters be making you so ill? Nearly one
half of pregnant women suffer from "morning sickness," which actually may occur
at any time during the day or night, and can be attributed to a higher level of
estrogen as well as the rapid expansion of the uterus. It may be difficult to
stomach those prenatal vitamins, but they are very critical at this stage of
development. Prenatal vitamins contain many important nutrients, including folic
acid. Studies show that folic acid helps reduce the incidence of neural tube
defects. Even in these first few weeks, you may have a host of symptoms, from
dizziness and irritability to fatigue and headaches. "Will I have this to look
forward to for the next nine months?" You may be thinking. But rest assured,
many of these symptoms will vanish by the beginning of your second trimester.
Quick-Guide Pregnancy Calendar For each trimester
More coming soon.
|
