Baby Making

The moment you knew that you area carrying a child inside and will bear it for 9 more months, several thoughts comes to your mind. You begin to wonder what would be the baby's gender, would the baby look more like you or more like the dad, the things you need to buy for the baby and so on and so forth. While thinking of these other things to come, you haven't worried nor did it cross your mind about the changes that would soon or later happen inside your body. The whole course of pregnancy (9 months) is divided into three trimesters. This is because every three months, different alterations and adjustments are happening not only to the baby but to the mother's body as well.

On the first trimester, from 0 to 12 weeks, is the stage where the body undergoes different hormonal changes. It is adjusting for the development of the baby inside you. These adjustments are normal and will gradually go away on the next few months of your pregnancy. You will start to feel that your breast is swelling and becoming tender. This is in preparation for feeding your baby once you have already given birth. Moreover, the areola of the pregnant woman may start to enlarge and darken. Some even have white bumps called Montgomery's tubercles.

Aside from breast tenderness, you may also experience fatigue during the first trimester and would probably demand more sleeping time. This tiredness will be replaced by increased energy on the latter part of pregnancy. So if you feel tired in the first three months, try to relax. Get ample sleep and if possible, naps during the day.  Mood swing is also normal during this stage because of the surging hormones. It is best to advise your partner of the varied emotions you might feel so that he can understand and support you better.

The most common discomfort on the first trimester is the so-called "morning sickness". It is characterized by nausea and vomiting due to the increasing hormonal level that supports pregnancy. It may cause you to lose weight, unable to function properly, and have a hard time keeping down the food you just ate. Eating small meals all through out the day would help in avoiding morning sickness since this usually happens when the stomach is empty.

There will also be more time to visit the comfort room. Frequent urination is common among pregnant women, not only in the first three months but in the whole course of pregnancy as well. When the uterus starts to develop, it begins to push down the bladder which causes the pregnant woman to urinate frequently.

Expecting mothers may also feel dizzy, or in some cases, faint, at any stage of pregnancy. It can be from the expanding uterus, insufficient blood supply, low blood sugar level or dehydration. That is why it is advised to have a healthy diet while the woman is pregnant to avoid this discomfort.