The first trimester of pregnancy is the first 12 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period. This trimester is the most consuming for many women because everything is so new, so exciting, and so overwhelming all at once. The first trimester is also one of amazing development in the baby. Here is some basic information you should know about these first 12 weeks. View a week-by-week view for fetal development, or click to learn more about pregnancy at 1-4 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 weeks, 7 weeks, 8 weeks, 9 weeks, 10 weeks, 11 weeks, 12 weeks, 13 weeks or 14 weeks. If you're a member, you can customize your dates and follow along with the Pregnancy Calendar, too!
Fetal Development
Fertilization (About 2 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period): The mother's body releases an egg, which is fertilized by a sperm. The fertilized egg has the 46 chromosomes needed to determine height, hair color, and sex. The egg begins to divide, and begins its trip down the mother's fallopian tube toward the uterus.
Implantation (About 5-7 days after fertilization): The egg attaches to the lining of the uterus during the first trimester of pregnancy. The fertilized egg begins to grow and doubles in size every day. The placenta and umbilical cord begin to form and carry nourishment and oxygen to the baby and carry waste away.
Week 4 (2 weeks after conception): This is about the time that the mother misses her period. The embryo is about 1/100 of an inch long at this time. The baby has a spinal cord, and is dividing into three layers that will become the different organs and systems in the baby.
Week 6 (4 weeks after conception): The embryo is about 1/6 inch long. Limb buds, which will become the legs and arms begin to appear. Blood is being pumped through the fetal circulation, and a heartbeat can be seen on an ultrasound.
Second Month: At the beginning of this month, the baby is about 1/2 inch long and weighs a fraction of an ounce. The baby's development is very rapid during this month. By the end of the second month, all of the baby's major body organs and body systems have begun to develop. At the end of the second month of pregnancy, your baby looks like a tiny human infant. The baby is a little over 1 inch long and still weighs less than 1 ounce.
Third Month: The baby is now officially called a fetus, and will be completely formed by the end of this month. The baby is beginning to move its hands and legs, and opening and closing its mouth, but he or she is still too small for you to feel the movement. Fingers and toes are now distinct, and hair is beginning to form on the head. By the end of this month, the baby will be about 4 inches long and weigh just over an ounce.
Mother's Body
Pregnancy Symptoms: About the time that a woman misses her period, she often also starts to experience the symptoms that are common to pregnancy, including nausea, headaches, dizziness, breast changes, frequent urination, heartburn, aversions, and cravings. These symptoms are caused by hormones, and typically are more severe in the first trimester. One of the most common complaints of the first trimester is morning sickness, which can range from mild to severe, and usually lessens around the end of the first trimester.
Emotional Changes: Emotions are also effected by the raging hormones of the first trimester of pregnancy. Many women feel irritable, have mood swings, and are quick to cry. It is also common, whether the pregnancy is planned or unplanned to have a wide range of feelings about the pregnancy including joy, fear, excitement, and apprehension.
Physical Changes: The main physical changes in the first trimester are not to the belly, but to the breasts. From the very beginning, the breasts are starting to change and develop to be able to produce milk by the end. One of the first symptoms many women notice is a tighter bra. Most women don't start to show until the second trimester, so you probably will not look pregnant until after your fourth month.
Weight Gain: The average weight gain during the first trimester is about 5 pounds, but some women actually lose weight as a result of morning sickness.
Doctor's Visits
When to See the Doctor: Women are encouraged to inform their physician as soon as pregnancy is suspected and ideally should be seen for the first time within 12 weeks of the last normal menstrual period. Teenage women, women over the age of 35, or women with a high-risk pregnancy are encouraged to see their doctor even earlier in order to receive more intensive support. In the first trimester, visits should occur every four to six weeks.
The first prenatal appointment (typically between 8 and 12 weeks): The first prenatal visit is often the longest. The doctor will want to know about medical history, including past obstetrical history, and family history of prenatal problems. The doctor will also determine the due date either based on the first day of the last period, or by conducting an ultrasound examination. There will be a thorough physical including blood pressure, urine test, pelvic exam, and pap smear. Routine blood tests are also performed to identify blood type, Rh factor, as well as sexually transmitted diseases. The doctor will also prescribe a prenatal vitamin that will ensure that mother and baby are getting enough of the critical vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Prenatal appointment Week 9-12: At each visit, blood pressure, uterine size, urine sampling for protein and glucose, fetal heart rate, and patient's weight gain are typically recorded. This is also a time to be able to ask questions of the doctor about symptoms, exercise, nutrition, as well as what to expect next. If a chorionic villi sampling is performed, it is usually done between weeks eight and twelve.
Problems to Watch Out For
Bleeding: There can be many causes for bleeding during early pregnancy. It's important to remember that not all bleeding means that a miscarriage is going to happen. In fact, about half of women who have bleeding do not have miscarriages. However, bleeding is not ever normal. Usually slight bleeding will stop on its own. Any bleeding merits a call to a healthcare provider. They will want to run tests to try to discover the cause for the bleeding. If the bleeding is heavy and is accompanied by cramps, pain, fever, or weakness, medical attention should be sought immediately.
Miscarriage: About 1 in 6 pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and most of these happen within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Many women feel that they are to blame when a miscarriage occurs, but there is no evidence that emotional stress, physical activity, or sex cause a miscarriage to occur, and in most cases, nothing can be done to stop a miscarriage from happening once it has begun. If there is vaginal bleeding, cramping pain (usually stronger than menstrual cramps) that is felt low in the abdomen, or if tissue is passed through the vagina, there is a chance of miscarriage. If any of this occurs, the woman should be examined to make sure that the miscarriage is complete.
Ectopic Pregnancy: An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fetus fails to implant itself in the uterus and starts to develop in the fallopian tube. This is very dangerous. If the tube ruptures, it could be a life-threatening situation. The classic symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are sharp abdominal cramps or pains on one side. Ectopic pregnancies are more rare than miscarriages. They happen in about 1 out of 60 pregnancies. Women who have had an infection in the tubes (such as pelvic inflammatory disease) or who have had a previous ectopic pregnancy are at higher risk.
Fetal Development
Implantation (About 5-7 days after fertilization): The egg attaches to the lining of the uterus during the first trimester of pregnancy. The fertilized egg begins to grow and doubles in size every day. The placenta and umbilical cord begin to form and carry nourishment and oxygen to the baby and carry waste away.
Week 4 (2 weeks after conception): This is about the time that the mother misses her period. The embryo is about 1/100 of an inch long at this time. The baby has a spinal cord, and is dividing into three layers that will become the different organs and systems in the baby.
Week 6 (4 weeks after conception): The embryo is about 1/6 inch long. Limb buds, which will become the legs and arms begin to appear. Blood is being pumped through the fetal circulation, and a heartbeat can be seen on an ultrasound.
Second Month: At the beginning of this month, the baby is about 1/2 inch long and weighs a fraction of an ounce. The baby's development is very rapid during this month. By the end of the second month, all of the baby's major body organs and body systems have begun to develop. At the end of the second month of pregnancy, your baby looks like a tiny human infant. The baby is a little over 1 inch long and still weighs less than 1 ounce.
Third Month: The baby is now officially called a fetus, and will be completely formed by the end of this month. The baby is beginning to move its hands and legs, and opening and closing its mouth, but he or she is still too small for you to feel the movement. Fingers and toes are now distinct, and hair is beginning to form on the head. By the end of this month, the baby will be about 4 inches long and weigh just over an ounce.
Mother's Body
Pregnancy Symptoms: About the time that a woman misses her period, she often also starts to experience the symptoms that are common to pregnancy, including nausea, headaches, dizziness, breast changes, frequent urination, heartburn, aversions, and cravings. These symptoms are caused by hormones, and typically are more severe in the first trimester. One of the most common complaints of the first trimester is morning sickness, which can range from mild to severe, and usually lessens around the end of the first trimester.
Emotional Changes: Emotions are also effected by the raging hormones of the first trimester of pregnancy. Many women feel irritable, have mood swings, and are quick to cry. It is also common, whether the pregnancy is planned or unplanned to have a wide range of feelings about the pregnancy including joy, fear, excitement, and apprehension.
Physical Changes: The main physical changes in the first trimester are not to the belly, but to the breasts. From the very beginning, the breasts are starting to change and develop to be able to produce milk by the end. One of the first symptoms many women notice is a tighter bra. Most women don't start to show until the second trimester, so you probably will not look pregnant until after your fourth month.
Weight Gain: The average weight gain during the first trimester is about 5 pounds, but some women actually lose weight as a result of morning sickness.
Doctor's Visits
When to See the Doctor: Women are encouraged to inform their physician as soon as pregnancy is suspected and ideally should be seen for the first time within 12 weeks of the last normal menstrual period. Teenage women, women over the age of 35, or women with a high-risk pregnancy are encouraged to see their doctor even earlier in order to receive more intensive support. In the first trimester, visits should occur every four to six weeks.
The first prenatal appointment (typically between 8 and 12 weeks): The first prenatal visit is often the longest. The doctor will want to know about medical history, including past obstetrical history, and family history of prenatal problems. The doctor will also determine the due date either based on the first day of the last period, or by conducting an ultrasound examination. There will be a thorough physical including blood pressure, urine test, pelvic exam, and pap smear. Routine blood tests are also performed to identify blood type, Rh factor, as well as sexually transmitted diseases. The doctor will also prescribe a prenatal vitamin that will ensure that mother and baby are getting enough of the critical vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Prenatal appointment Week 9-12: At each visit, blood pressure, uterine size, urine sampling for protein and glucose, fetal heart rate, and patient's weight gain are typically recorded. This is also a time to be able to ask questions of the doctor about symptoms, exercise, nutrition, as well as what to expect next. If a chorionic villi sampling is performed, it is usually done between weeks eight and twelve.
Problems to Watch Out For
Bleeding: There can be many causes for bleeding during early pregnancy. It's important to remember that not all bleeding means that a miscarriage is going to happen. In fact, about half of women who have bleeding do not have miscarriages. However, bleeding is not ever normal. Usually slight bleeding will stop on its own. Any bleeding merits a call to a healthcare provider. They will want to run tests to try to discover the cause for the bleeding. If the bleeding is heavy and is accompanied by cramps, pain, fever, or weakness, medical attention should be sought immediately.
Miscarriage: About 1 in 6 pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and most of these happen within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Many women feel that they are to blame when a miscarriage occurs, but there is no evidence that emotional stress, physical activity, or sex cause a miscarriage to occur, and in most cases, nothing can be done to stop a miscarriage from happening once it has begun. If there is vaginal bleeding, cramping pain (usually stronger than menstrual cramps) that is felt low in the abdomen, or if tissue is passed through the vagina, there is a chance of miscarriage. If any of this occurs, the woman should be examined to make sure that the miscarriage is complete.
Ectopic Pregnancy: An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fetus fails to implant itself in the uterus and starts to develop in the fallopian tube. This is very dangerous. If the tube ruptures, it could be a life-threatening situation. The classic symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are sharp abdominal cramps or pains on one side. Ectopic pregnancies are more rare than miscarriages. They happen in about 1 out of 60 pregnancies. Women who have had an infection in the tubes (such as pelvic inflammatory disease) or who have had a previous ectopic pregnancy are at higher risk.
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