Pregnancy involves lots of physical changes, both for the mother and the developing baby.  In general, the stages of pregnancy can be broken down into three parts: The First Trimester, The Second Trimester, and the Third Trimester.  A pregnancy lasts for forty weeks.  For more specific details about your pregnancy, it would be a wise to consult a doctor.  Here is a quick view of what to expect in each of the three stages of development of a pregnancy.

The First Trimester

The first trimester corresponds to the first through twelfth week of pregnancy.  Mothers may experience tender or swollen breasts, increased fatigue, and a more frequent need to urinate.  Mothers may be nauseous, have heartburn, or constipation. There may be dizziness and mood swings.

The baby begins as a bundle of cells attached to the lining of the uterus.  Organ development begins.  The arms, and legs start to grow, and so does the face.  The baby has a gender now, but it cannot be determined medically yet.  The baby will be about three inches long at the end of the first trimester.

The Second Trimester

The second trimester begins with the thirteenth week of pregnancy, and it ends after week twenty-eight.  Mothers begin to look pregnant, and should gain about thirty pounds.  Nausea and fatigue abate.  Varicose veins and stretch marks may occur.

The baby will start to move around.  It will develop fingerprints, nails, and eyebrows.    The baby’s skin will become less transparent. Growth continues and the baby will be about fourteen inches long and two and a half pounds by the end of the second trimester.  The second trimester is exciting because the baby starts to look like a baby, and the gender can be determined by the use of ultrasound imaging.

The Third Trimester

The third trimester starts on week twenty-nine of the pregnancy.  It ends with week forty, or when the baby is born.   Mothers will be very large, and may find it difficult to move around.  Frequency of urination will increase again.  It is common for mothers to be irritable, anxious, and to be extremely tired.

Babies will grow rapidly, ultimately ending up between five and a half to nearly seven pounds. Babies should be between sixteen and nineteen inches long.  Movement slows, as there is less room.  As birth gets closer, the baby will prepare by flipping over into a head down position.