Stages of Pregnancy

As excited as you probably are about expecting a baby, you're likely also at least a little confused and even leery about what to expect as you progress through the different stages of pregnancy. Pregnancies is no walk through the park, but take heart--the following is your simple guide to what exactly you can anticipate over the next nine months.

First Trimester For the majority of women, this stage is the worst part. The body is going through a lot of changes in this stage and you can expect fatigue, chest tenderness, frequent trips to the bathroom, and that dreaded morning sickness. Just hold on--you'll feel a lot better soon.

Second Trimester Once you make it to this stage, you can finally enjoy eating again and should feel much improved over the past three months. This is where you will start "showing" and will need to go shopping for some maternity clothes. In this trimester you'll start to feel your baby moving and kicking around, and if you choose you'll have the opportunity to learn your child's gender. The baby is growing rapidly now and you'll likely still feel a bit tired. You might start to experience cravings now.

Third Trimester In the final stage of pregnancy you'll feel rather awkward and unwieldy thanks to that now very large belly. You may also suffer itchy skin and swollen ankles. But you can look forward to the legendary maternal glow, as well as thick lustrous hair courtesy prenatal vitamins. By now you should be making plans for the trip to the hospital. Soothe your skin with a rich body cream and get some rest while you still can!

By: Brent Crouch