Pregnancy Week by Week
Congratulations on your pregnancy! It can be a wonderful feeling to know that you are bringing new life into this world; no doubt it is a little bit daunting as well. Don't worry, most women upon finding out they are pregnant for the first time, experience a lot of mixed emotions. It's probably fair to say you have lots of different questions in your head at the moment, so we thought we'd help out by providing some pregnancy week by week highlights and what it in store for you.
At five weeks your baby is about the size of a grain of rice, during the next four weeks it will grow to about the size of a broad bean. During the pregnancy week by week the embryo will continue to develop, however even at this early stage your baby will have a brain and spinal cord.
Two weeks later, your baby's arms and legs will first appear as small buds. You're the arms and legs will continue to grow throughout the pregnancy week by week. At the twelfth week, you baby's body will have taken shape. The twelfth week is usually a good time to let friends and family know that you are pregnant as the risk of miscarriage reduces significantly.
It is possible you are experiencing different feelings of pregnancy week by week. The first trimester is usually about change and letting your body get used to the enormous physical changes required in preparation for having a baby. You may experience sickness and very likely to feel tired and worn out, these feelings will change throughout your pregnancy week by week.
As you enter the second trimester, you body will most likely have calmed down and got used to all of the pregnancy week by week changes required. The second trimester should be about you regaining some sort of control of your body and emotions. Now is the time to consider a family holiday or a short break. Many women also speak of a sudden rush in energy, known to many as the nest building period.
Pregnancy week by week at this stage is usually fine if you're having a trouble free pregnancy, you'll start to show and no doubt begin to think about life with your new brood. You'll also be able to find out what the sex of your baby is during the ultra scan. Many expectant parents like to know the sex of their baby in advance as it helps them with their preparations, while other couples prefer the surprise. It really comes down to personal choice.
As you enter the third trimester, you may find that your emotions are up and down as you advance your pregnancy. Many women start to think about the process of birth, how painful it might be and whether or not they should opt for a natural birth or not. You might also start to have doubts about your skills as a mother; this is perfectly normal and almost always irrational.
Read more of our articles on pregnancy week by week
Pregnancy Week by Week - Week 1 to 12
Pregnancy Week by Week - Week 13 to 24
Pregnancy Week by Week, An Overview |