9 Months of Pregnancy
You’re pregnant. Congratulations! Are you curious how big your developing baby is, what your baby looks like as it grows inside you, and when you’ll feel it move? Learn how a baby develops from month to month from below articles.
First Trimester
The first trimester will span from conception to 12 weeks. This is generally the first three months of pregnancy. During this trimester, your baby will change from a small grouping of cells to a fetus that is starting to have a baby’s features.
Second trimester
This middle section of pregnancy is often thought of as the best part of the experience. By this time, any morning sickness is probably gone and the discomfort of early pregnancy has faded. The baby will start to develop facial features during this month. You may also start to feel movement as your baby flips and turns in the uterus. During this trimester, many people find out the sex of the baby. This is typically done during an anatomy scan (an ultrasound that checks your baby’s physical development) around 20 weeks.
Third trimester
This is the final part of your pregnancy. You may be tempted to start the countdown till your due date and hope that it would come early, but each week of this final stage of development helps your baby prepare for childbirth. Throughout the third trimester, your baby will gain weight quickly, adding body fat that will help after birth.
Remember, even though popular culture only mentions nine months of pregnancy, you may actually be pregnant for 10 months. The typical, full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks, which can take you into a tenth month. It’s also possible that you can go past your due date by a week or two (41 or 42 weeks). Your healthcare provider will monitor you closely as you approach your due date. If you pass your due date, and don’t go into spontaneous labor, your provider may induce you. This means that medications will be used to make you go into labor and have the baby. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider during this trimester about your birth plan.
