As many women would agree, becoming pregnant is one of life's greatest joys. While an amazing process, if this is your first child, you may be unaware about the upcoming changes to your body.
You're bound to have countless questions since it'll seem nerve-wracking at first, but by the time your third trimester rolls around you'll be acting like a pregnant pro.
Even though we and everyone else around you can tell you're with child due to the size of your belly, you might be oblivious to size of the baby inside of you.
It might take a while for you to notice a bump, but your fetus is growing at a rapid pace, which is comparable to the size of at least 40 different kinds of foods.
But, aside from the comparison of fruit to your fetus, there are several different changes to the body all woman will experience during their three trimesters of pregnancy.
First trimester
During your first trimester, your hormones will be in for a truly dramatic shift. Along with the dreaded morning sickness, you're most likely going to experience extreme fatigue and urination, mood swings, constipation, heartburn, headaches and tender, swollen breasts. The first trimester is also the time period where most miscarriages and birth defects to your offspring will occur.
Eight weeks
Congratulations, your offspring is officially risen to the title of embryo and can now be called a fetus. All of the fetus's major organs have begun to develop (along with their fingers and toes), their heart has begun to beat, and their face begins to map out its unique features.
While you won't be able to determine the sex just yet, their sex organs do begin to form.
By this time, the fetus is about an inch long, weighs less than one eighth of an ounce and is the size of a raspberry.
12 weeks
You're officially three months pregnant, meaning it's the perfect time to tell all your family and friends. Along with sharing the good news, you can also tell them your child's sex (if you chose to find out), that their nerves and muscles have begun to work together, and their eyelids will close to protect their sensitive eyes. The child is about three inches long, weighs almost an ounce, and is the size of a plum.
Second Trimester
Let's celebrate! You're four months pregnant and your morning sickness (should) have either lessened or disappeared. Your stomach will become noticeably bigger, stretch marks on abdomen, breasts, thighs, or bum can show up, along with patches of darker skin over your cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip.
16 weeks
Welcome to being four months pregnant. Your baby's skin is finally forming (but is still translucent in color) and will begin sucking motions in their mouth. The fetus is between four to five inches long, weighs about three ounces, and is the size of an avocado.
20 weeks
Get ready to feel some movement! After five months, you'll finally be able to feel some kicking from within your stomach, letting you know your baby is ready to play.
Your child will start to develop a fine layer of hair called lanugo will cover their shoulders, back, and temples. They will also have a waxy and whitish protective coating called vernix to protect them from their. long exposure amniotic fluid. Along with forming eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails, the baby can not only scratch itself, but also hear and swallow. At the end of the month, the baby will be about 10 inches long, weighs around a half a pound to a pound, and is the size of an artichoke.
24 weeks
At six months, your baby is in a crucial stage of development. Their bone marrow has started to produce red blood cells, they're forming taste buds on their tongue, and they finally have fingerprints and footprints!
Your baby will begin to grow hair on its head, their skin will become reddish in color (although their veins will still show), their lungs will begin to form, and will start to develop a regular sleep schedule.
If you're expecting a boy, his testicles will begin to "descend into the scrotum." But, if you're having a girl, their uterus and ovaries will be set in place, with the latter already having its own set of eggs. The baby is now about 12 inches long, weighs between one-and-a-half to two pounds, and the size of a cantaloupe.
Third trimester
Look at you, you've finally reached your third trimester and the finish line is in sight! You'll experience discomfort as your baby will start to put pressure on your internal organs, which can lead to breathing difficulty and an increased need to urinate.
But fear not, these symptoms should go away once you pop out your little bundle of joy.
28 weeks
You are now seven months pregnant and life can't be better (for the baby that is). They have begun storing body fat, and can finally hear. The baby will start to respond to certain stimuli, such as sound, pain, and light, and the amount of amniotic fluid has started to go down.
If your baby is born premature, they are more likely to survive after the seven month, and is around 14 inches long and weighs between two to four pounds, and is the size of an eggplant.
32 weeks
If you've been bothered by your baby's kicking, I have bad news for you, because you're going to feel it even more. While they'll be soft, their bones are fully formed and they can open and close their eyes, and will "practice" breathing.
The lanugo on their body will begin to fall off and they'll be able to store vital minerals, including iron and calcium. Now around at five pounds, the baby will gain a half pound every week for the rest of the pregnancy, is between 15 to 17 inches long, and is the size of a pineapple.
36 weeks
At 36 weeks pregnant, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and while you'll still feel your baby move around inside you, it will be with less force. The vernix surrounding the baby will thicken, and their body fat is still increasing. They will be about 16 to 19 inches long and weighs about six to six-and-a-half pounds, and is the size of a Swiss chard.
37 to 40 weeks
When you reach 37 weeks pregnant, you can finally give a sigh of relief, because you've reached full term! Your baby's organs can function on their own and will begin to put itself in a head-down position in preparation for their birth.
When your newborn enters the world, they will weigh between six to nine pounds and be between 19 to 21 inches long. If they reach a full 40 weeks, they will be the size of a jackfruit.
Interested in more stories about pregnancy? Take the time to check out these feel good pregnancy reads:
- Wife Surprises Navy Sailor Husband With Life-Changing News At The End Of His Deployment
- After An Agonizing 4-Day Labor, Newborn Arrives In The Most Adorable Way Ever
- Having A Child On My Own Was The Toughest Decision I Ever Made - But I Don't Regret It One Bit
[H/T: Cleveland Clinic, OnHealth]