A FULL GUIDE ON THE STAGES OF PREGNANCYPosted by Vognsen Lau on May 29th, 2021 Pregnancy, also called gestation, is a period following the fertilization of the egg when the fetus grows in the mother's womb till the infant is delivered. It usually lasts about 9 months or 40 weeks from the final day of one's menstrual flow. This guide will allow you to understand everything you need to learn about the stages of pregnancy. STAGES OF PREGNANCY The stages of pregnancy is divided into three called trimesters. Therefore, the initial trimester lasts from week one to week twelve, the second trimester from week thirteen to week twenty-six, lastly the 3rd trimester lasts from week twenty-seven to the finish of pregnancy birth. Each section of the trimester is marked by its peculiarities, as you'll soon discover for both mother and baby. WHEN DOES PREGNANCY START? Before we go further, we want to address a question which has stirred plenty of debate recently especially between your pro-life and pro-choicers side of the pregnancy termination. When does pregnancy start? The truth is, there are a great number of variables that produce answering this question tricky at best. That you land a verdict that is somewhat accurate or satisfactory you need to consider the events that gave rise to pregnancy to begin with conception and implantation. CONCEPTION After intercourse, 300 million sperm are released in the medium called semen. It is the story of an epic battle for just one of the sperms to fertilize the egg when confronted with incredible odds. For this fertilization to turn a success, the egg has to be first released along the way called "ovulation" aided by the interplay of the female hormones. This number is cut short whenever a significant amount of sperm are flowing from the vagina and some other millions die because of the acidity of the vagina. Notwithstanding, a whole lot still survive, courtesy of the alkalinity of the semen. Those that survive swim towards the cervix. The cervix is a cylindrical tissue lower portion of the tissue that connects the uterus to the vagina. The cervix is generally tightly closed to help keep the pregnancy set up and only dilates when it's time to deliver. In addition, it slightly opens once the woman ovulates letting her drain menstrual flow. The sperms go through the lumen of the cervix to get to their distinction to the egg in the fallopian tubes. Some millions are caught up in the cervical mucus and subsequently die off, others fall behind and in time will be the backup, while some keep carefully the foot on the gas to have the destination. The rest swims towards the tubes, one-half swim towards the tube containing unfertilized egg as the other half swim towards the other tube containing fertilized egg. In the fallopian tubes, the motion of sperm is facilitated by the female genital tract that also releases certain chemical factors that cause changes in the sperm and makes them swim faster. The sperms reach their destination, the egg. The sperm later fuses with the egg in an activity called conception or fertilization. That is when the life of a little one has started. It will also be remembered that it's now that the sex of the infant is determined. IMPLANTATION Implantation may be the aftermath of the events of fertilization. The fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube and starts active exponential division. After 6-7 days after fertilization, the zygote, now embryo, moves to and implants on the lining of the uterus. The motion of the fertilized egg is along with the motion of the cilia that directs it to the uterus. In a related development, the uterus gets thicker and the cervix is sealed off by a mucus plug. This implantation is accompanied by spotty bleeding called implantation bleeding after 1 or 2 2 days And sometimes cramps that most women mistake for the usual menstrual cramps. stages of pregnancy There is a lot that may happen between point A fertilization and point B implantation. The egg can be implanted in the incorrect site ectopic pregnancy and cause serious complications in mom or even medically addressed in the proper manner and time. Generally of the thumb, any pregnancy that implants in the wrong site must be removed surgically. Hence, an egg could be fertilized by not implanting properly, which sums up the argument. Fertilization is as important as implantation. WHEN TO CONTACT A DOCTOR ABOUT A NEW PREGNANCY? The best time to get hold of your doctor is when you start to notice the outward symptoms of pregnancy. The initial symptoms of pregnancy are not specific and may differ between mothers. Nevertheless, the most common ones include: SPOTTY BLEEDS AND MILD CRAMPS A great number of women experience spotty bleeding on the initial day after implantation. This is often followed by mild cramps in the first few weeks post conception. Missed menstrual flow: A lot of people believe that it is the telltale sign of pregnancy, it is entirely not true as other disease entities can manifest such symptoms. Nevertheless, if you miss your period, are accountable to your doctor who should recommend relevant pregnancy tests. CHANGES IN THE BREAST AND NIPPLE The interplay and increases in hormones cause the breast to become fuller, heavier, and sometimes painful to the touch. That is paralleled by the darkening of the areola TIREDNESS This feeling is commonplace with pregnant women. Funnily enough, unsuspectingly pregnant are alarmed at this stage and may seek advice which may be futile at this stage of unknowns. The hormones are also at play here as always. They lower blood sugar levels in pregnancy. And no blood sugar levels means no energy! Hence it is expected you might want to eat more than you used to. MORNING SICKNESS This is the most known pregnancy symptoms, it really is marked by nausea and incessant vomiting especially in the first hours of the morning, hence the name. There exists a related aversion to foodstuff that pregnant people used to consume before pregnancy. There is also what is known as pica, a unique craving for non-nutritive substances such as for example paper, dirt, chalk, etc. FREQUENT URINATION Round the sixth week of pregnancy, you may notice that you may begin to urine more frequently. Just relax! It is most likely the pregnancy. CONSTIPATION The hormonal changes could also stifle bowel movements making it harder to poop at times. Try eating food that's rich in fiber and drinking enough water. Other common medical indications include headaches and back pain. If you notice any of these Symptoms in the above list, especially missed periods and morning sickness, check with your doctor. He should run relevant tests, if he confirms the pregnancy, then booking starts. Booking is really a 4 or 5-weekly appointment with the physician and midwives to monitor the progress of your pregnancy and administer necessary medications. As such ensuring you deliver safely at long last.Like it? Share it! More by this author |