When to Announce Pregnancy

Adjusting to the growing baby, you may probably have mood swings, nausea, stress, fatigue and backaches. In any case, don’t despair – all these things are normal and will go away as your pregnancy progresses. Especially as all women are absolutely different, you may not feel the same that another woman suffers.

Trimesters

Each pregnancy is divided into three periods – trimesters. Each of thirds has its own features. The first trimester covers week one to the end of week 12, the second trimester covers week 13 to the end of week 26, and the third trimester covers week 27 to the end of the pregnancy. Let’s see what changes take place on each phase.

First trimester  (0-12 weeks)

First trimester doesn’t give women a chance to prepare psychologically for pregnancy as the uterus is low in the pelvis and there is no visible bump. In most cases woman feels tiredness, the breasts may feel tingly, uncomfortable or full. Morning sickness also called nausea may appear at any time of the day. It is caused by increasing levels of pregnancy hormones in the circulation. However it doesn’t mean that you’ll have nausea while being pregnant. It depends mainly on individual organism. To exclude or at least reduce morning sickness, try to eat small, regular meals. Your taste may also change and you’ll notice stop enjoying certain things such as coffee or spicy foods.
First trimester is the time when the baby’s brain and nervous system are developing. So during this period you’ll be probably recommended folic acid supplements as they have been shown to reduce the chance of a baby being born with problems known as neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
The main you should remember is that first trimester turns out to be the most important pregnancy period when your child starts developing. That’s why you should try avoiding taking any medications that could interfere with the baby’s development. Heavy consumption of alcohol should be avoided too.
While the mother undergoes changes, first trimester for her fetus it is a period of rapid growth and development. By the fifth week baby’s heart starts to beet.  This is followed by the formation of the gut, the buds of arms and legs and the beginnings of eyes and ears. By six weeks child’s length is approximately 20mm.  By 12 weeks the baby is approximately 100mm long, most of his organs have already formed.

Second trimester (13-28 weeks)

Good mood and energetic feeling return to woman as her nausea lessens. As the abdomen and breasts grow, stretch marks may appear. It is quite common to develop a vertical, pigmented line on the skin of the abdomen below the belly button, which fades later. Most women feel heartburn. As the baby increases in size and strength, mother may feel its movements.  The first sensation of child’s movements shows up by 20 weeks. In the second trimester mother can find out who is she waiting for as the baby’s sex organs develop. As baby’s kidneys start working, he passes small amounts of urine that is added to the amniotic fluid which is continually cleaned and replaced. About 20 weeks the baby can hear sounds, so it is time for parents to contact with their child more closely.

Third trimester (29-40 weeks)

Third trimester is the most physically tiring for the mother because of increasing size of the baby and uterus. It is sometimes very difficult to fall asleep as it’s hard to find comfortable position. From around 36 weeks, the baby’s head starts to drop down into the pelvis. Dropping down of the baby may lead to pressure on the bladder what increases the feeling to pass urine.
The baby is still growing during the third trimester. Hair, fingernails and teeth are growing, the eyes open and close. The baby’s lungs mature throughout the third trimester. Your baby makes breathing movements. Fat stores are laid down in preparation for birth.