What To Expect
Jackie Pierce 2nd Hour
The Changes
During your pregnancy you might experience the following symptoms: abdominal pain, constipation, frequent urination, vaginal discharge, gas & bloating, bleeding gums, excessive salivation, itchy skin, nose bleeds, yeast infection, & etc.
The emotional side effects are: depression, mood swings, stress, & anxiety.
The First Trimester
After fertilization & implantation, the baby grows quickly. At first the baby is an embryo, having 2 layers of cells from which all it's organs & body parts will develop. Soon the body is about the size of a kidney bean & constantly moving. the heart is beating quickly & it's intestines are forming. The earlobes, eyelids, mouth, & nose also take shape. The mother will start to experience abdominal pain. The first trimester consists of 1-13 weeks.
The Second Trimester
The baby is now atleast 3.5 inches long & weighs 1.5 oz. It's tiny, unique fingerprints are now in place. As weeks go by, the skeleton starts to harden from rubbery cartilage to bone. The baby is developing the ability to hear. By now the mother is likely to feel the baby's kicks & flutters if you haven't already. The mother will start to gain weight & get maternity wear clothes. The mother can also learn about pregnancy exercise if needed. The second trimester consists of weeks 14-27 weeks.
The Third Trimester
The baby now weights about 2.25 lbs. The baby can blink its eyes, which now have lashes. Wrinkled skin starts to smooth out as the baby puts on its baby fat. It develops fingernails, toenails, & real hair (or maybe just peach fuzz) & billions of neurons to its brain. The baby will spend its final weeks in utero putting on weight. At full term, the average baby is more than 19 inches long & weights nearly 7 lbs. Now the mother should prepare herself for preterm birth or labor, signs of labor, the stages of labor, the pain medication, & gestational diabetes. The third trimester consists of weeks 28-40.
Expectant Dads
During the mother's pregnancy you should try to support her & be strong with her through the whole pregnancy. Becoming a father is a big transition and won't be easy. Once the baby is born the mother must be so tired & exhausted from her long 9 months. It is very important to prepare to care for your newborn & learn to how to support your partner as she recovers from child birth & you all get settled down with the baby. Remember to be as nice as you can to her, & the baby. It won't be easy but pretty soon you will get used to the new change & be the Best Dad Ever.