What are the changes during pregnancy in each trimester?

First Trimester (weeks 0 - 13)

Changes in mother:

• a slight weight gain or weight loss
• no monthly period(s)
• breasts enlarge and may become tender
• nipples may enlarge and protrude
• constipation
• indigestion and heartburn
• nausea and maybe vomiting (morning sickness)
• food cravings
• general fatigue
• Breasts start to change, become larger, and tender as hormone changes cause changes in the breast tissue. This prepares them for breastfeeding. The pigment of the areola might also get darker, and small lumps might appear known as Montgomery's tubercles.
• Nausea and vomiting may occur at any time of the day usually lasting 8-12 weeks.
• Mother may feel very tired as her energy demands increase.
• Some women experience headaches as a result of the physical and emotional changes.
• Increased frequency of urination as a result of pressure on the bladder

Changes in baby:

• placenta develops
• heart starts to beat
• all major organs form
• the nervous system develops
• bones start to form
• head, face, , ears, eyes, legs, toes, arms and the fingers develop
• genitals develop
• hair appears
• buds for future teeth develop

Second Trimester (weeks 14 - 28)

Changes in mother:

• increased appetite
• swollen feet and ankles
• the abdomen expands (you begin to 'show')
• skin around abdomen and breasts stretches, stretch marks may appear
• between month 4 and month 5 you start to feel the fetus move
• nipples may darken
• brown patches may appear on the face (chloasma)
• a dark line could appear from mid-abdomen to your pubic hair (linea negra)
• stomach region may ache as ligaments stretch

Changes in baby:

• moves and kicks
• sleeps and wakes
• eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails appear
• skin is covered in a wax-like coating ( known as vernix) and fine hair ( known as lanugo)
• organs grow quickly and begin to function

Third Trimester (weeks 29 - 40)

Changes in mother:

• feel the baby's movements - a lot
• shortness of breath
• more frequent urination
• a thin, yellow liquid (colostrum) may leak from nipples
• an innie may become an outie (belly button)
• abdominal contractions (false or actual labor)
• cervix dilates
• Irregular, painless contractions of uterus may be experienced. (Braxton Hicks contractions)
• Heartburn, haemorrhoids, shortness of breath, and difficulty in sleeping may be experienced in early part of the third trimester.
• Toward the end of third trimester, breathing might improve due to the uterus settling down into the pelvis, this can also cause an increase in frequency of urination.

Changes in baby:

• baby kicks and stretches
• lanugo disappears
• bones harden except for the skull
• significant fetal weight gain
• usually turns to head-down position for birth
• The baby also becomes aware of sounds outside the body, the pupils may also react to light
• The baby stores fat under the skin
• The baby increases store of maternal antibodies and therefore resists some diseases.
• By 40 weeks, the baby is 45-55cm long (18-22in.) and generally weighs at least 3200g or 7lbs.

It is important to note that these development schedules vary from mom to mom as well as from pregnancy to pregnancy. You may not experience what your sister or maybe your friend experienced. You may not even experience the changes that you experienced while the last time you were pregnant.

So, just relax. See your doctor or obstetrician for all of the routine visits and discuss any concerns that you may be having regarding your development or the development of that little baby growing inside you. As long as you stay regular on doctor's visits, you'll be less concerned about the variations in pregnancies.