A FULL GUIDE ON THE STAGES OF PREGNANCYPosted by Vognsen Lau on May 29th, 2021 Pregnancy, also called gestation, is a period after the fertilization of the egg when the fetus grows in the mother's womb till the baby is delivered. It usually lasts about 9 months or 40 weeks from the final day of your menstrual flow. This guide will help you understand everything you need to know about the stages of pregnancy. STAGES OF PREGNANCY The stages of pregnancy is split into three called trimesters. As such, the first trimester lasts from week someone to week twelve, the next trimester from week thirteen to week twenty-six, lastly the 3rd trimester lasts from week twenty-seven to the end 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, you want to address a question which has stirred lots of debate recently especially between the pro-life and pro-choicers side of the pregnancy termination. When does pregnancy start? The simple truth is, there are a great number of variables that produce answering this question tricky at best. That you can land a verdict that is somewhat accurate or satisfactory you will need to consider the events that gave rise to pregnancy in the first place conception and implantation. CONCEPTION After intercourse, 300 million sperm are released in the medium called semen. Here is the story of an epic battle for one of the sperms to fertilize the egg when confronted with incredible odds. For this fertilization to turn successful, the egg needs to be first released in the process called "ovulation" along with the interplay of the female hormones. This number is cut short when 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, thanks to the alkalinity of the semen. Those that survive swim towards the cervix. The cervix is a cylindrical tissue lower section of the tissue that connects the uterus to the vagina. The cervix is generally tightly closed to help keep the pregnancy in place 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 pass through the lumen of the cervix to access 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 with time will be the backup, while some keep carefully the foot on the gas to find the destination. The remainder 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 just a little one has started. It should also be remembered that it's now that the sex of the baby 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 a lot of women mistake for the usual menstrual cramps. There is a lot that can happen between point A fertilization and point B implantation. The egg could be implanted in the incorrect site ectopic pregnancy and cause serious complications in mom if not 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 really 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 begin to notice the outward symptoms of pregnancy. The initial symptoms of pregnancy are not specific and can differ between mothers. Nevertheless, the most common ones include: SPOTTY BLEEDS AND MILD CRAMPS A good number of women experience spotty bleeding on the initial day after implantation. This is often accompanied by mild cramps in the initial few weeks post conception. Missed menstrual flow: Most 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 physician who should recommend relevant pregnancy tests. CHANGES IN THE BREAST AND NIPPLE stages of pregnancy 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 that 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 means no energy! Hence it is expected you may want to eat even more than you used to. MORNING SICKNESS This is actually the most known pregnancy symptoms, it really is marked by nausea and incessant vomiting especially in the early hours of the morning, hence the name. You will find a related aversion to foodstuff that pregnant people used to eat before pregnancy. There is also what is known as pica, an unusual craving for non-nutritive substances such as paper, dirt, chalk, etc. FREQUENT URINATION Round the sixth week of pregnancy, you may notice that you may start to urine more often. Just relax! It is probably the pregnancy. CONSTIPATION The hormonal changes could also stifle bowel movements rendering it harder to poop at times. Try eating food that is abundant with fiber and drinking enough water. Other common medical indications include headaches and back pain. If you notice these Symptoms listed above, 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 doctor and midwives to monitor the progress of your pregnancy and administer necessary medications. Therefore ensuring you deliver safely at long last.Like it? Share it! More by this author |