Third Month Being Pregnant:
Pregnancy Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12
The third month of pregnancy (week 9 through 13) is the last month of the first trimester. In a few short weeks you will be one third of the way through the pregnancy. Up to this point you are aware of the pregnancy, but it probably feels like an abstract part of your life. This month should bring the pregnancy into concrete focus. The baby is big enough now for you to hear her heartbeat. She still has months of growth left, but hearing her heartbeat will feel like proof that the whole thing is real. Your pregnancy symptoms will continue, but you’ll have heard the reason why you’re dealing with them and that will make it easier. By the end of the month, many of these symptoms begin to diminish, leaving you free to experience the joys of pregnancy.
By the thirteenth week of pregnancy your baby is no longer considered an embryo. She is a fetus and looks like a baby. The placenta is fully grown and functioning and she is attached to it by the umbilical cord. The tail that was present during the first two months is gone, replaced by arms and legs. Her skeletal structure is developing, and has been for some time. Her tiny bones begin to harden. Muscle and cartilage are growing throughout her body, and the muscles are even functioning. Your baby’s fingers and toes have formed by this point, and her nails begin to grow, though they won’t reach the tops of her fingers for a few months yet.
Your baby’s head is much larger than her body, taking about half the size of her total length. Her brain is developed and will continue to grow and mature until birth. However, while the development of this major organ will continue, it is already functioning and sending out signals to your baby’s body. She will move her arms and legs this month, but she is still very tiny so you won’t feel her movements. Your baby can also suck her hands and fingers and swallow the amniotic fluid, and urinate.
In the previous month your baby’s eyes formed. They are now open, but they are not protected by eyelids yet. Her mouth and nose are fully formed. She has a perfect, tiny face. Her ears began forming a few weeks ago. This month they will continue growing and will begin moving into place on the sides of her head. Her major organs continue their development and at twelve weeks she will be big enough for the beating of her heart to be heard on a Doppler. At the end of this month she will be approximately three and a half inches long and may weigh up to an ounce and a half.
This month you won’t experience any major changes. The nausea that began in the second month normally continues until the twelfth or thirteenth week. After that the nausea should begin to wane, until it goes away completely. The fatigue and mood swings will follow the same pattern as the morning sickness, and will begin to diminish around the twelve or thirteen week mark. By the end of this month, you may start feeling like yourself again.
Your uterus is reaching the point now where you can feel it inside your body just above the pubic bone. It is the size of a small grapefruit. If you lie on your back and press your fingers into the area above your pubic bone, you may be able to feel a hard lump. This is the uterus. Because of its increased size you may start to feel stabbing pains in the size of your abdomen. These are normal and are caused by the ligaments stretching to accommodate the uterus.
Physically you probably don’t look pregnant at this point, especially if it is your first baby, but you have certainly noticed that your jeans are tighter. Some may not button at all. Finding jeans for the next couple of months can be difficult because you are in between your pre-pregnancy size and your maternity size. If you’re not sure what to buy, consider buying the next size up. These jeans should fit you for the next two or three months, and they will probably fit you again after the baby is born. Most women by the end of the third month have experienced some weight gain. This is normal and healthy. If you have lost weight, usually due to severe morning sickness, make sure your caregiver is aware of this.
The constipation and indigestion of the previous months will continue during this month and will probably pop up off and on throughout the pregnancy, especially as baby gets bigger. The progesterone increase in your body is the reason for the constipation, particularly during the first trimester when the placenta isn’t producing this hormone. Progesterone relaxes your veins, allowing more blood to flow through your body, but it also relaxes the digestive system, making it less effective. The side effect of this is constipation.
The symptoms that showed up during the first and second months will continue into the third. Your breasts may still be tender and they’ve probably enlarged. During the third month your nipples may increase in size. Again, this is due to the hormone change in your body. These changes are good though, they’re helping to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding. Frequent urination and thirst may continue and though you will become less fatigued, you will still tire easily. Rest is still very important. Food cravings will continue this month, and you may notice an aversion to more foods, especially those that have given you nausea. Your diet will become less and less varied until your morning sickness eases up.
By the end of this month you will begin feeling like a new woman, albeit a slowly expanding woman. If your morning sickness and fatigue haven’t started to wane, they should soon. You can look forward to that. Your baby is thriving in the perfect environment your body has created for her, and even your risk of miscarrying has decreased. You are one third of the way through the pregnancy. For many women, the second trimester is the fun part. The next three months will be a great time for you and your baby.
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