First Trimester of Pregnancy

By Kimberly Raj, Staff Writer

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Pregnancy lasts forty week and is divided into three trimesters – a period lasting three months. Your body, which will serve as the vessel for your baby, will go through specific changes that will be explained in the following article.

First month of pregnancy (0 – 4 weeks)

The Vessel:  The most common telltale sign of pregnancy is the absence of the period but some women continue to have a regular menstruation even though they are pregnant.  Most frequently before you may miss your period other symptoms may be present. You may notice that your breasts have become sore and tender similarly to just before your period.  The veins are more visible and the areola (dark area around nipple) becomes darker.  The bumps on the areola known as Montgomery tubercles also become more prominent.

Some women may notice fatigue as their bodies adjust to the large quantities of estrogen and progesterone.  These symptoms may be accompanied by frequent urination as the progesterone in your system relaxes the muscles in the bladder, indigestion due to the slowing down of the digestive system to allow for maximum absorption of nutrients, food cravings, heightened sense of smell and nausea with or without vomiting.  Similarly to just before your period, you may observe that you are more emotional – irritable, irrational and sensitive.  You should also notice a thin white vaginal discharge. Note that some women do not experience any or all of the above.

The Passenger:  Approximately by the seventh day of development, the embryo travels through the fallopian tubes and is implanted into the uterus.  By the end of the first month the yolk sac needed for the nourishment of the embryo has been formed.  Facial features have developed although she/he has a long way before looking human. Some organs such as liver, brain, thyroid glands and the respiratory system have started to form.  The circulatory system such as the heart tube and blood vessels begin to develop and at 3 ½ weeks the heart beats on its own.  Limb buds begin to develop and a thin tail is also visible.  The embryo is approximately 1cm in length and weighs less than an ounce.

What you need to know:

Pregnancy tests:  Pregnancy is determined by the detection of the hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG that the embryo discharges into the mothers bloodstream.  A home pregnancy test can be bought at a pharmacy or online and tests a sample of urine for the hormone in minutes.  There are brands on the market that can tell you if you are pregnant before you miss your period.  Be sure to follow all the instructions carefully to ensure the accuracy of the results.  Click here to buy Pregnancy Test. Keep in mind that even though some brands guarantee 99% accuracy, it is advised that you still make an appointment to see your doctor even if the results were negative.  You will want to make certain that you are not pregnant before you resume your lifestyle.

At the appointment, your doctor may determine pregnancy by doing a urine test and a blood test.  Both test for the hCG hormone but the blood test is more detailed and can help predict the due date by testing the levels of the hormone in the blood.  The rule of thumb is usually the more of the hormone present the farther along you are. Your doctor may also choose to perform an internal exam that can determine pregnancy by the density and size of the uterus and cervix.

CONTINUED: First Trimester Second Month

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