Pregnancy can be a worrying time, especially for first-time parents. Find out how to keep yourself and your baby healthy throughout pregnancy, what to expect at each stage of your baby’s development, and everything you need to know from nesting to giving birth.
Pregnancy is always spoken about as being 9 months long, but as US obstetrician, gynecologist, and Flo medical board member Dr. Charlsie Celestine explains, “Doctors always talk in weeks and days. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks long, which equals 10 months. Yet commonly, people talk about pregnancy as being 9 months long.”
Ten months sounds daunting, but breaking it down and really understanding the three trimesters can help.
“People used to think trimesters are 12 weeks each, but they’re not. They’re around 14,” explains Dr. Celestine. “The 1st trimester goes to 13 weeks and 6 days. The 2nd trimester is from 14 weeks to 27 weeks and 6 days. And the 3rd trimester goes from 28 weeks to 42 weeks.”
You might find it useful to follow your pregnancy with Flo to better understand the potential changes to your body and your mood. You can also learn about your baby’s development week by week.
As your pregnancy progresses, you may start to think about nesting, which is a biological urge to prepare your home, or human nest, for your baby. It can include cleaning, organizing, decorating, or designing the baby’s room.
You may also be thinking about your baby’s arrival and might have even written a birth plan detailing your preferences on how you want the birth to go.
“Some things [to include] could be what form of pain relief [you want] during labor, such as no medication, pain relief given as an injection or through a drip into a vein, or an epidural, where a thin tube in your lower back delivers medicine that numbs the lower half of your body,” explains Dr. Celestine.
You might also want to include, she adds, “the number of people in the room that you prefer, what kind of movement for your body you want during labor, such as walking the room or halls. Really anything that makes you more comfortable [can be included].”
What are some of the earliest signs of pregnancy?
Although it’s too early to take a pregnancy test, some women report experiencing symptoms from as early as six to eight days post-ovulation. These symptoms can include cramps, spotting, nausea, breast pain or tenderness, headaches, mood swings, and feeling more tired than usual.
Should you take vitamin supplements when you’re pregnant?
During pregnancy, your body will prioritize your baby, meaning the baby will take any macronutrients and micronutrients they need to develop from your reserves. Supplements can help you top them up again.
According to US dietitian Lauren Talbert, RD, the most common nutrients you want to look for are iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, omega-3 (DHA), iodine, and choline.
How do you know when you’re in labor?
Early labor, when your cervix starts to soften, can last for hours or even days when it’s your first baby.
Some of the first signs of developing labor include regular, painful contractions that become stronger, longer, and closer together; lower back pain or cramping that doesn’t go away; the loss of your mucus plug; and your water breaking.
If you’re unsure whether labor has started, call your doctor or the pregnancy unit.