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Fetal Development - Learn More About The Stages Of Pregnancy

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Pregnancy is a wonderful part of any womans life. During the stages of pregnancy its important for every pregnant woman to closely monitor whats going with her body to ensure that both mother and child are safe and healthy during the pregnancy.

First Trimester

During the first trimester a womans body will be constantly changing and she will be experiencing conditions that may be unfamiliar to her like tiredness, morning sickness, changes in the size or her breasts, vomiting and of course nausea.

One of the hallmarks of the first trimester is also excessive urination due to the hormones that are circulating in the blood of a pregnant woman.
As the first trimester comes to a close and the remaining weeks of her pregnancy a mother will be able to measure the growth of her baby in terms of nuts and then eventually fruits. By the end of the first trimester the fetus will have grown to the size of a small nut and has started showing typical signs of life like a heartbeat. During this stage its important for a woman to monitor her health and whats going on inside of her carefully to insure that her baby develops normally and no problems occur.

Many woman who get pregnant are already physically fit and stay active during their entire pregnancies but for those who were not exercising before getting pregnant its important for them to start a light exercise regimen which includes walking for at least ten minutes per day and some form of light aerobic or yoga workout at least three days per week.

Second Trimester

When the second trimester arrives a womans body will start to go through more dramatic changes by the time she reaches her sixth week of pregnancy. One of the most common things that she may also experience during this time in her pregnancy are Braxton Hicks Contractions plus she will begin to feel her pregnancy belly become more prominent and some women will actually begin to feel their babies moving inside them.

Be the time she reaches her twentieth to twenty second week her belly will start growing down to her naval. Many women will notice that their breasts will start producing colostrum during this time in their pregnancies as well too.
As many women approach the end of their second trimester they may begin to develop hemorrhoids or varicose veins because the blood vessels in their bodies have changed due to pregnancy. Some women may also develop a skin condition called chloasma or melasma during this time but thankfully it disappears after a woman gives birth.

By the end of her second trimester her baby will begin to show more signs of development and will have grown to roughly eleven to fourteen inches in length and weigh around one and a half pounds.

Third Trimester

As a woman enters the third trimester or the stage that many people call preparation time a womans body will become less tolerable of the pain that shes experiencing and lower back pain will become more common on a daily basis plus her breasts will feel loaded as they are getting ready to provide her baby with the milk that she will need.

Many women will experience leg cramps, frequent urination and even the inability to control their bladders during this time in their pregnancies. Braxton Hicks Contractions will also occur more frequently as well too and its important for a woman to know the difference between Braxton Hicks and regular contractions.

When a woman is truly having labor contractions they will last longer, come closer in frequency and be stronger in intensity than Braxton Hicks Contractions. When a mother to be is having Braxton Hicks Contractions she will notice that they are closer together but are not the same in consistency.
Braxton Hicks Contractions are very common during the various stages of pregnancy, the best way for a woman to know if shes having them or not is to sit down or lay down because in many cases BH contractions have been known to start due to excessive movements and will usually stop if a woman takes time to rest.

If contractions are coming closer than twelve minutes apart and she hasnt reach thirty seven weeks in her pregnancy yet a pregnant woman should visit her local emergency room because she may be in pre-term labor and the contractions can usually be stopped with the use of medication and rest.
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