How Long Is The First Trimester Of Pregnancy

Johns Hopkins Hospital Designated As Baby

What to expect in your First Trimester of pregnancy | Pregnancy Week-by-Week

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program launched by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Childrenâs Fund, has designated The Johns Hopkins Hospital as Baby-Friendly. This designation is given to hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother-baby bonding.

When Do First Trimester Symptoms Start

Usually, you probably wont feel any first-trimester symptoms until around week 6 of your pregnancy .

The first months and weeks of pregnancy are a whirlwind of emotions as you celebrate your news, adjust to your changing body, and mentally prepare for motherhood.

Remember that its okay to feel however it is that you feel – nervous, excited, and everything in between – its all perfectly normal. Youve got this!

Consider Your Options For Prenatal Testing

During your first trimester, your provider will offer you various prenatal tests to check on the well-being of you and your growing baby. Some are routine and recommended for everyone, while others are left to your discretion. Genetic screening tests can give you information about your baby’s risk for Down syndrome as well as other chromosomal problems and birth defects. NIPT is available beginning at 10 weeks of pregnancy, and the nuchal translucency test can be done between 11 and 14 weeks.

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What Are Good First

Its best to check with your doctor which workouts and exercises you can do during your first trimester of pregnancy, as different people will have different fitness levels and tolerances.

But generally speaking, the following are good exercises and first-trimester workouts:

  • Kegel exercises
  • Low-intensity weight training

Just remember to stay hydrated, not put too much pressure on yourself, and listen to your body.

How To Stay Healthy

First Trimester of Pregnancy

Staying healthy is doubly important during pregnancy. If you are a smoker, this is a great time to quit speak with your doctor or pharmacist for support.

It is safest not to drink any alcohol while you are pregnant, since even low-level drinking, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy, can have long-term negative effects on your baby.

Try to eat a variety of nutritious foods during pregnancy since this will help meet your babys nutritional requirements, as well as your own. While the amount of food you need to eat during your first trimester wont increase by much, you will need more of some nutrients. Most women will also need folic acid and iodine supplements because it’s difficult to get enough of these from food alone.

Its important to keep up regular physical activity during your pregnancy because of the many benefits both for you and your baby. If you experience any discomfort or complications, speak to your doctor or midwife.

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How To Treat Stomach Cramps During The First Trimester

Needless to say, painful cramps during early pregnancy can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. You might be experiencing physical and emotional changes, and adding cramps to your discomfort might feel overwhelming. Treating pregnancy cramps can help you feel more comfortable and as stress free as possible.

If youre experiencing cramps, here are a few tips for alleviating them quickly:

  • Drink water. You are more likely to experience cramps if you are dehydrated. Make sure that you drink at least eight cups of water each day.
  • Change positions. When you experience cramps, try shifting positions while lying or sitting down. Dont put pressure on the source of the pain.
  • Stretch and exercise. Try doing mild pregnancy exercises or stretch your body to soothe cramped muscles. In addition to relieving active cramps, this can also help prevent future ones.
  • Gentle massage. A massage can stimulate blood circulation in your muscles, relieving uncomfortable cramps. Getting a gentle lower back massage might help relieve aches.
  • Sleep. Try to get a good nights sleep during early pregnancy as this makes you feel rested. Try to get enough sleep every night.

How Accurate Is The Due Date

The pregnancy calculator gives you an approximate due date. It is worked out by adding 280 days to the first day of your last menstrual period. This is based on a 28-day cycle but is adjusted for longer or shorter cycles.

Your period and ovulation are counted as the first 2 weeks of pregnancy. If you have the baby on your due date, your baby has been growing for 38 weeks, not 40, but you are still classed as 40 weeks pregnant.

Remember that only around 5% of babies are born on their due date so its just an estimation.

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Will I Get A More Accurate Due Date Later In The Pregnancy

You will have your first appointment with the midwife, the ‘booking appointment’, by 10 weeks. At that appointment, you will be offered an ultrasound scan this is often called the dating scan.

This scan will check how many weeks pregnant you are and work out a more accurate due date. Youll also be able to find out whether youre having more than 1 baby and how your baby is developing.

But if you’re impatient to know when your baby will arrive, our due date calculator can give you an estimated due date now!

What Pregnancy Trimester Is The Longest

Your Baby’s Growth in the First Trimester | WebMD

The third trimester is considered to be the longest trimester of pregnancy. This trimester begins in week 28 of pregnancy and lasts until you give birth. Most women begin labor around week 40 of pregnancy, while some pregnancies may take longer. If your pregnancy lasts more than 42 weeks, it is called post-term .

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What Happens During Week 1

These are the first 2 weeks of your menstrual cycle. You have your period. About 2 weeks later, the egg thats most mature is released from your ovary this is called ovulation. Ovulation may happen earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days.

After its released, your egg travels down your fallopian tube toward your uterus. If the egg meets up with a sperm, they combine. This is called fertilization. Fertilization is most likely to occur when you have unprotected vaginal sex during the 6 days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.

Weight Gain In The First Trimester

Gaining weight is a sign of a healthy pregnancy. Experts say it’s normal to gain between one and five pounds in the first three months of pregnancy though some women may gain more or less, or even lose weight during the first trimester due to morning sickness or other reasons.

Your provider will monitor your pregnancy weight to make sure you’re in a healthy range and gaining at an appropriate pace. You can also use our Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator to stay on track.

Don’t worry if you can’t eat a well-rounded diet in your first trimester nausea and food aversions can make this feel impossible. Just do the best you can. Many women feel better eating small, frequent, carbohydrate-heavy snacks.

When you’re able, make your pantry, fridge, and freezer pregnancy-friendly by filling them with healthy eats like nuts, fresh and dried fruit, multigrain pasta, and yogurt. Get a shopping list of healthy pregnancy foods.

During pregnancy it’s especially important to avoid foods that could contain bacteria, parasites, or toxins including undercooked meat, unpasteurized soft cheeses, anything that contains raw eggs, sushi made with raw fish, raw oysters, and fish that’s high in mercury. Find out more about foods to avoid during pregnancy.

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How Long Is The Third Trimester

Welcome to the third and last trimester of your pregnancy!

Week 27 to 28

The beginning of your third trimester is marked by week 27. In case your baby is born at this point, it has an 85% chance of survival with the help of incubators. The baby takes up more space in your womb now, so the amniotic fluid level is reduced by half. By now, most mothers can see the baby moving, by concentrating on the abdomen. The bones are completely formed by now, and the baby is gaining layers of fat. The weight of the baby should be more than 2.5 pounds, and it has now developed a sense of taste and smell.

Week 29 to 30

The 29th week is vital for hormone developments. Prolactin a necessary hormone for the production of milk and milk duct formation, and it is produced at this point in time. This makes breastfeeding successful and possible, even if the baby is born early. Some mothers may experience breast leak, as the body prepares the colostrum. The babys eyes are now able to detect light, so a flashlight on the bump may stimulate a fetal response.

Week 31 to 33

The baby is getting heavier and heavier with each passing day, but does not increase in height. By the end of the 32nd week, all the senses have developed. Some mothers may experience Braxton-Hicks contractions . The baby weighs around 4.5 pounds at the end of 33 weeks.

Week 34 to 36

Week 37 to 38

Week 39 to 41

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Second Trimester Weeks 13

My First Trimester (and how I thought I was a weenie)

Second trimester changes in the mother:

Nausea and vomiting usually get better and go away, Burch told Live Science. But other symptoms may crop up as the fetus continues its growth and development.

Pregnant people will start to feel more pelvic pressure, Burch said, adding that the pelvis feels heavy like something is weighing it down.

A more visible baby bump appears as the uterus grows beyond the pelvis, and the skin over the expanding belly may itch as it stretches, according to the OWH.

As the fetus is getting bigger and the mother is gaining more pregnancy weight in the front of her body, she may also experience more back pain, Burch said. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine found that while most pregnant people experienced back pain, it was worse in those who were not physically active.

Sometime between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy, a first-time mother may feel the first fluttering movements of the fetus, known as quickening, Burch said. It it isn’t the first pregnancy, the mother is likely to feel the fetus kicking, squirming or turning even sooner because she knows what to expect, he said.

Second trimester fetal development:

In the second trimester, the fetus will be between 3 and 5 inches long, Burch said. Sometime between 18 and 22 weeks, an ultrasound may reveal the sex of the baby, if parents want to know this information in advance.

Related: Am I having a boy or girl? Ultrasound and sex prediction

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What Can Be Expected At The Doctor

When you first learn you are pregnant, make an appointment with your doctor to begin caring for the developing baby. If you are not already on prenatal vitamins, start them immediately. Ideally, women take folic acid for a year before the pregnancy. Women normally see their doctor once a month during the first trimester.

During your first visit, a doctor will take a full health history and perform a full physical and pelvic exam. The doctor may also:

  • perform an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy
  • take your blood pressure
  • test for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and hepatitis
  • estimate your date of delivery or due date, which is around 266 days from the first day of your last period
  • screen for risk factors like anemia
  • check thyroid levels
  • check your weight

At around 11 weeks, the doctor will perform a test called a nuchal translucency scan. The test uses an ultrasound to measure the babys head and thickness of the babys neck. The measurements can help determine the chance that your baby will be born with a genetic disorder known as Down syndrome.

Ask your doctor whether or not genetic screening is recommended for your pregnancy. Genetic screening is a test used to find out your babys risk for specific genetic diseases.

Start Of Gestational Age

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the following methods to calculate gestational age:

  • Directly calculating the days since the beginning of the last menstrual period.
  • Early obstetric ultrasound, comparing the size of an embryo or fetus to that of a reference group of pregnancies of known gestational age , and using the mean gestational age of other embryos or fetuses of the same size. If the gestational age as calculated from an early ultrasound is contradictory to the one calculated directly from the last menstrual period, it is still the one from the early ultrasound that is used for the rest of the pregnancy.
  • In case of in vitro fertilization, calculating days since oocyte retrieval or co-incubation and adding 14 days.

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Shortness Of Breath In The First Trimester

During pregnancy, you need more oxygen and this can lead to feeling out of breath. In the first trimester, shortness of breath may appear as a heightened awareness of the need to breathe.

So many aches, pains, and strange feelings arise during pregnancy that it can be hard to decide what’s normal and what’s not. To complicate matters further, some symptoms may be more or less problematic depending on your particular situation or health history and on how far along you are in your pregnancy. But if you have any of these pregnancy symptoms, call your doctor or midwife immediately.

Checklist For The First Trimester

How to Sleep During the First Trimester of Pregnancy Safe Sleeping Positions
  • Find a good prenatal healthcare provider who can help you throughout your pregnancy and during childbirth. Make your first appointment as soon as you know you’re pregnant.

  • Ask your provider what tests or scans are recommended for you based on your medical history, and mark these in your calendar.

  • Find out how you can get the flu shot.

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Sex During The First Trimester

In your first trimester, you may feel too tired, moody, or nauseated to make love. But if you’re feeling amorous , go ahead you won’t hurt the baby. The amniotic sac and the strong muscles of the uterus protect your baby, and the thick mucus plug that seals the cervix helps guard against infection.

Find out more about having sex during pregnancy.

How Long Will The Fatigue Last

For most women, the extreme fatigue of the first trimester is soon forgotten with the glow and boost in energy that comes with the second trimester. So, if it seems like all youre doing these first few weeks is lying around, dozing, or napping, dont worry. It’s normal. Although fatigue often returns in the third trimester because of disrupted sleep and increasing discomforts, this too will pass in time.

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Make Sure Youre Prepared If You Travel Abroad

If youre flying abroad make sure your travel insurance covers you for any pregnancy complications and take your maternity notes with you.

Long-distance travel may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis or blood clots. Try to:

  • wear compression or support stockings , which will help reduce leg swelling
  • drink plenty of water
  • move around often.

If you intend to fly after 28 weeks check the airlines policy. They may ask for a letter from your doctor or midwife confirming your due date, and that you aren’t at risk of complications. Find out more about flying in pregnancy.

Can You Have A Massage When Pregnant In First Trimester

First trimester weekly photo

According to the American Pregnancy Association, you can have a massage during the first trimester, but some massage therapists wont do first-trimester massages.

This is due to the higher risk of loss early in pregnancy not that massages can cause pregnancy loss, but more that they wouldnt want to be involved, should anything happen.

But prenatal massage can actually be beneficial to pregnant people, at any time during their pregnancy.

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Frequently Asked Questionsexpand All

  • What is the estimated due date?

    The day your baby is due is called the estimated due date . Only about 1 in 20 women give birth on their due dates. Still, the EDD is useful for a number of reasons. It determines your fetus’s gestational age throughout pregnancy so that the fetus’s growth can be tracked. It also provides a timeline for certain tests that you will have throughout your pregnancy.

  • How is my estimated due date calculated?

    Your EDD is calculated from the first day of your LMP. But when the date of the LMP is uncertain, an ultrasound exam may be done during the first trimester to estimate the due date. If you have had in vitro fertilization , the EDD is set by the age of the embryo and the date that the embryo is transferred to the uterus.

  • What happens during weeks 1 to 8 of pregnancy?
  • The brain and spine begin to form.

  • Cardiac tissue starts to develop.

  • Muscles of the eyes, nose, and mouth form.

  • Webbed fingers and toes poke out from developing hands and feet.

  • The lungs start to form the tubes that will carry air in and out after birth.

  • The inner ear begins to develop.

  • What happens during weeks 9 to 12 of pregnancy?
  • Cartilage for the limbs, hands, and feet start to form but wont harden into bones for a few weeks.

  • Eyelids form but remain closed.

  • Genitals begin to form.

  • What happens during weeks 13 to 16 of pregnancy?
  • Bones harden, especially the long bones.

  • Skin is thin and see-through but will start to thicken soon.

  • Neck is defined and lower limbs are developed.

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