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Finding out that you are expecting a beautiful bundle of joy is simultaneously the most exciting and the most nerve-wracking feeling that you will possibly ever experience.
As soon as you announce the news, even just to your partner, you will be inundated with tips, advice, baby books, parenting advice, and it can seem truly overwhelming to try and wade through the barrage of information to find out the specific bits that directly pertain to you.
Here, for your information, are some key facts, myths, and statistics to guide you through your pregnancy.
Undisputed Facts About Pregnancy
There are a plethora of proven-to-be true facts about how your body and that of your baby will change and adapt during pregnancy. Here are just a few:
- You may begin to produce breast milk only thirteen weeks into your pregnancy.
- Approximately one in every two thousand babies are born with teeth
- It is possible for babies to cry in the womb after twenty-eight weeks of growth
- A huge one in eight couples experience trouble getting pregnant in the US
- Even a small amount of alcohol poses a potential risk to your baby
- You should absolutely avoid eating soft cheeses and fish with a high mercury content
- If you are undertaking IUI, you have a considerably higher chance of pregnancy with 2 mature follicles rather than one.
Your First Trimester
The first trimester of your pregnancy is defined by the first day of your last period and lasts for the next twelve weeks, and for the first eight weeks, your ‘baby’ is referred to by doctors as an embryo.
After eight weeks, the embryo is now referred to as a fetus, and all your baby’s major organ systems have been formed. At this time, your fetus is approximately only one and a half inches long, and this is the time your fetus is most at risk from factors such as smoking, drug use, and alcohol.
Your Second Trimester
During the second trimester of your pregnancy, which is defined as between thirteen and twenty seven weeks, the fetus grows exponentially in size, and the skeleton and skull are beginning to harden.
In week sixteen, your baby’s eyes will start to slowly move; in week seventeen, their toenails begin to grow, and by week twenty six, your baby’s lungs have developed. By the end of the second trimester, their nervous system is maturing, and your baby will start to gain fat and skin strength.
Your Third Trimester
The third trimester is the final stage, and your baby will continue to grow in size, strength, and details.
Now is the time to really start to prepare; with prenatal appointments, breathing classes, and antenatal classes and you are likely to feel extremely hot, need to urinate more than regularly. It is also possible that your hands, feet and ankles will being to swell as your body retains fluid and begins to prepare for labor.
