A normal human pregnancy is 40 weeks (nine months) long from the start of the woman’s last period
1 out of 9 children in the US are born prematurely
Pregnancy is split into three trimesters: the first lasts from weeks 1-12, the second from week 13-28, and the third from 29-40/birth
3.3% of births in the US are twins, and less than one percent is triplets. These do not reflect historical figures, as women over thirty – the group reproducing now – have a greater chance of having multiples
The hormones estrogen and progesterone have the strongest effect on pregnancy
Possibly the worst nine months of a woman’s life
A missed period is the most obvious symptom of pregnancy. A woman might not know she’s pregnant for up to five weeks.
Fun fact: sperm survive up to seven days in the uterus
Cramping and implantation bleeding – one of the earliest signs – occur after the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus (6-12 days after fertilization). The cramping and bleeding feel and look like normal menstrual symptoms, but disappear after a few days.
A woman’s breasts will feel achy because of hormone fluctuations
1st Trimester a.k.a. The Worst
Morning sickness is the chronic nausea that plagues women during pregnancy. Contrary to its name, morning sickness can strike at any time, even when the woman has not had food. Then it’s dry heaves and burps. Morning sickness can cause dehydration serious enough to land a woman in the hospital.
Cravings and the rejection of certain foods occur
Fatigue is common during the first term, as the woman’s body accustoms itself to the new hormone levels
Violent mood swings are also another nasty symptom of pregnancy (caused by hormones)
Some women suffer “metal mouth,” which is caused by excess estrogen. Metal mouth makes a woman’s entire mouth taste like a nickel. Some prenatal vitamins make it worse.
Women who have been pregnant before have fewer of these symptoms
Most miscarriages occur during the 1st trimester
2nd Trimester a.k.a. It Gets Better
A lot of the symptoms present during early pregnancy – morning sickness, fatigue, and metal mouth – disappear
75% of pregnant women acquire gingivitis
The woman will start to put on weight. A healthy woman puts on 25-35 lbs. during pregnancy. An underweight woman should put on 28-40 lbs. Overweight women should only put on 15-25 lbs. A woman with twins should put on 35-45 lbs.
The baby noticeably moves – or quickens – in the uterus at about 20 weeks. Towards the end of the 2nd trimester, the quickening will seriously impair the woman’s sleep
Stretch marks around the belly, breasts, thighs, and buttocks become prominent
Hormones give a woman’s skin a permanently flushed look and darken the skin around the face
Hair growth increases (it all falls out after the baby is born)
The hands, feet, and ankles begin to swell. Some women jump an entire shoe size during pregnancy
The body begins to ache, especially around the back, abdomen, groin, and thigh. This is the woman’s body carrying the growing fetus 24/7. Back pain is combatable by sleeping on the side and a pillow between the legs. Most women also experience headaches, but cannot take medication for them as the drug may harm the baby.
The “baby bump” is noticeable in women at a healthy weight at around 12-20 weeks. The bump shows sooner in women who have already been mothers.
3rd Trimester a.k.a. Get This Thing Out of Me
The only thing the baby is doing at this point is growing. Women put on the most weight during this trimester, about 1 – 1 ½ lbs. a week. The breasts alone may gain two lbs, further compounding any back problems.
Back pain is the leading cause of complaint amongst pregnant women. Carrying ~20 lbs. of infant every day is a strain on the muscles. Pain pills are still out of the question.
Women experience small contractions prior to the real thing. The false contractions disappear after awhile, whereas real contractions will become closer together and more painful.
As the baby grows, it grows up into the lung cavity, restricting the woman’s breath.
The belly button sticks out
Women get less and less sleep, from the size of the baby, its movements, and anxiety about birth
Women go to the bathroom more frequently because the fetus is pressing down on their bladder
Heartburn, hemorrhoids, constipation, and varicose veins are some other problems that characterize the last three months of pregnancy
If a women bleeds slightly, it may be a serious sign of trouble, including preterm labor
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