WEEK BY WEEK PREGNANCY CHANGES.

"Early stage pregnancy the baby is called "embryo"

For most women, especially for those who are planning to get  pregnant, when their monthly menstrual cycle is late,they assume that she is pregnant.There are not any immediate, pregnancy symptoms during the first four weeks.

SIGNS

• fatigue
• loss of interest in things
• mood swings
• constant need to urinate

During the first four week, the fertilized egg moves down the fallopian tube and divides into more and more cells. It reaches the uterus about 3–4 days after fertilization. The dividing cells then form a ball that floats free in the uterus for about 2–3 days.

Pregnancy begins when the ball of cells attaches to the lining of the uterus. This is called implantation. 

It usually starts about 6 days after fertilization and takes about 3–4 days to be complete. Pregnancy does not always occur. Up to half of all fertilized eggs pass out of women’s bodies during regular menstruation before implantation is complete.

1-4 WEEKS

          First month of pregnancy starts from 1st week and ends in the 4th week.

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• the embryo size is 0.6cm
• blood vessel formation begins
• heart forms and begins to beat
• eyes and ear begin to develop
• tail forms
• body system begins to form
• limb buds develop

SYMPTOMS 

• digestive problems like gas
• constipation
• tender breasts
• fatigue
• mood swings
• morning sickness
• hormonal changes

These symptoms vary from woman to woman, and most women don’t feel these changes.


5-8 WEEKS
        Second month of pregnancy starts from 5th week and ends in the 8th week.

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• the baby size is 3 cm and weight 1 g.
• limbs become distinct
• heart becomes 4 chambered
• eyes are far apart & eyelids are fused
• nose develops and is flat
• face is more humanlike
• bone formation begins
• blood cells start to form in liver
• tail disappears
• mojor blood vessels form
• many internal organs continue to develop.

 SYMPTOMS 

 The second month is often when pregnancy symptoms become very noticeable. 

• breast tenderness
• fatigue
• frequent urination
• heartburn
• nausea and vomiting
• heart heats faster and harder than usual to carry the extra blood.

9-12 WEEKS
             
                 Third month of pregnancy starts from 9th week and end in the 12th week.

                         "From 9th week until birth we called as FETAL PERIOD" during this period tissues and organs that developed during the embroyonic period grows and differentiate."


CHANGES IN THE BABY

• baby size is nearly 7.5 cm and weight 30 g.
• head constitutes about half the length of fetal body.
• fetal length nearly doubles
• brain continues to enlarge
• face is broad,with eyes fully developed,closed and widely separated.
• nose develops a bridge
• external ears develop
• bone formation continues.
• heartbeat can detected.
• gender can identify
• fetus begins to move,but its movements cannot be felt yet by the mother.
• body system continue to develop.

 SYMPTOMS 

           Many of the pregnancy symptoms from the first 2 months continues, and some other noticeable changes are:

• vomiting
• breasts continue growing and changing
• areola(the area around the nipple) may grow larger and darker.

"Most early pregnancy loss happens in the first trimester"., from the 1st month to 3rd month of the period is called first trimester,it is the critical stage of development,  all the major organ system appear,during this time the developing organ will fast effects from drugs,radiation and microbes"

             "SO BE MORE ATTENTION AND CARE IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER"



13-16 WEEKS

                        Fourth month of pregnancy starts from 13th week and ends in the 16th week.its the beginning of the second trimester.


CHANGES IN THE BABY

• the baby size nearly 18 cm and weight 100 g
• head is relatively smaller than rest of body
• eyes moves medially to final position
• ears moves to final positions on sides of head
• lower limbs lengthen
• fetus appear even more humanlike
• rapid development of body system occurs.

 SYMPTOMS 

             Some of the early symptoms begins during this month. Nausea is usually reduced. and some other symptoms are:

• shortness o breath
• dizziness
• gum bleeding
• constipation
• breast changes

17-20 WEEKS

                    Fifth month of pregnancy starts from 17th week and ends in the 20th week.

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• the baby size nearly 25-30 cm and weight is 200-450 g.
• head is more proportionate to rest of body
• eyebrows and head hair are visible
• browm fat forms and is the site of heat production
• fetal movements are commonly felt by mother.

SYMPTOMS

• Women usually feel fetal movements. and other all symptoms of the fourth month continue this month.

21-25 WEEKS

                           

                        Sixth month of pregnancy starts from 21st week 

    

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• head becomes even more proportionate to rest of body.
• weight gain is substantial
• skin is pink and wrinkled
• fetuses 24 weeks

SYMPTOMS

                  symptoms of the fourth month & fifth month continue this month. and some other changes are:

• Shorthness of breath may improve.
• breasts may start producing colostrum(tiny drops of early milk) .This may continue throughout pregnancy.
• some women have braxton(hicks contractions),they feel like a painless squeezing of the uterus or abdomen.

26-29 WEEKS

            Seventh month of pregnancy starts from 26th week.

CHANGES  IN THE BABY

• babys size is 32-42 cm and weight 1100-1350 g
• head and body are more proportionate
• eyes are open
• toenails are visible
• body fat is 3.5% of total body mass
• central nervous system is developed enough to control breathing and body temperature.

SYMPTOMS

         pregnancy symptoms of earlier months continue. some are:

• woman's uterus continues expanding.
• back pain are common.

30-34 WEEKS

                  Eighth month of pregnancy starts from 30th week.

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• baby's size is 41-45 cm and weight is 2000-2300 g.
• skin is pink and smooth
• fetus assumes upside down position
• body fat is 8% of total body mass

SYMPTOMS

• Women often start feeling tired
• More difficult time breathing as the uterus expands up. They may get varicose veins in blue or red swollen veins most often in the legs.
• Hemorrhoids can be painful and itchy and cause bleeding.
• Women may also get stretch marks where skin has been expanded. Braxton-Hicks contractions,
• heartburn, and constipation may continue. Women may urinate a bit when sneezing or laughing because of pressure from the uterus on the bladder.
• Hormones may make hair appear fuller and healthier.

35-38 WEEKS

                       

                Ninth month of pregnancy starts from 35th week

CHANGES IN THE BABY

• baby size is 50 cm and weight is 3200-3400 g
• by 38 weeks circumference of fetal abdomen is greater than that of head
• skin is usually bluish pink
• body fat is 16% of total body mass

"Even after birth an infant is not completely developed an additional year is required,especially for complete development of nervous system."

SYMPTOMS

                  By the end of pregnancy, the uterus has expanded from a woman’s pelvis to the bottom of her rib cage. Pregnancy symptoms in the tenth month largely depend on when the fetus drops down into lower part of the uterus in the pelvis.

Shortness of breath, heartburn, and constipation usually improve when the fetus drops. But the position of the fetus lower in the pelvis causes frequent urination and trouble holding urine.

The cervix will begin to open — dilate — to prepare for delivery. This may happen a few weeks before delivery, or it might start when a woman goes into labor. A woman may feel sharp pains in her vagina as the cervix dilates.

After the newborn is delivered, the placenta and other tissues also come out of the woman’s body. This is called the afterbirth.