Week by Week Pregnancy Detailed Guide - How Long Have You Been Pregnant?

The growth of a baby in the womb is an amazing process that needs a keen follow up. This is important in order to prevent congenital childhood diseases or negative impact on the mother. Right from week one when all the systems have let go, there will be need to monitor the management of the pregnancy.

Therefore, every expecting mother needs to monitor the following week by week pregnancy signs:

Pregnancy signs and symptoms are divided into three major trimesters, the first trimester is three months long, and so are the second and the third. In a total, a normal pregnancy will take 36 weeks or nine months. There are however pregnancies that may have a premature delivery, say 28 weeks or even less. An infant born from the 28th week is mature enough to survive though it may need to be special care within a nursery.

The major milestones include:
繚 The first two weeks may go unnoticed save for an HCG urine pregnancy tests or uterine scan which may reveal the pregnancy. The mother will experience 'sickness' in the first four weeks. This include having nausea, have craving for certain foods, feeling of fatigue. There may be bleeding from the vagina of a brownish of pinkish fluid. Most women will detect the pregnancy between the 8th and 12th week after missing some monthly periods or visiting a physician to treat the above mentioned sickness. By the 12th week, the fetus heart may be detectable by a mother who is keenly monitoring the week by week pregnancy signs.

繚 The second trimester brings with it a slightly variant week by week pregnancy signs and symptoms. This starts with 13th week and comes with great relief for the mother. Most of the sicknesses experienced in the first 12 weeks will subside and the mother can feel more in control of their body. The belly may start to descend and be visible to other in a few women. At this stage, most women will start preparing for the baby by buying the clothes, beddings and other nursing materials required. This semester will continue and will have few week by week pregnancy variations until the 28th week.

繚 The 29th week will usher a new trimester, the third and the final. It also has its on set of week by week pregnancy signs and symptoms. The fetus will grow fast and the mother's tummy will grow rapidly too. In anemic mothers, there may be need for special foods to avoid going into clinical stress. From the 37th to 42nd week, the baby is ready for delivery.