First Trimester

Pregnancy Week By Week - Week 11

Have a headache? Don’t worry, this is normal. Again, you can blame it on the hormones. Paracetamol is perfectly safe to use during your pregnancy to battle those nasty headaches. Of course, you can always try to battle those nasty headaches naturally, using compresses, relaxing baths, and keeping up with your exercise routine. The first trimester is almost over, and you should experience less of these nasty pregnancy side effects after that.

Your baby, in the meantime, is completely unaffected by the trauma you are experiencing, and is happily developing in your womb. Baby is moving quite a bit now, although it will still be about 10 weeks before you can feel anything. Nail beds are developing, and your baby weighs about 1/3 of an ounce. At two inches long now your little one is really coming along!

Tip

It’s a good time to start looking for a prenatal / labour & delivery class to attend. Most hospitals provide classes that can be organised at your first appointment or you can check online for a one day intensive class. Its recommended that you do this in the third trimester.

Pregnancy Week By Week - Week 12

By now you are pretty sure everyone knows you’re pregnant (or at least putting on a few pounds) so you should probably tell them! And prepare yourself for lots of attention, and way too much unsolicited advice. As you get more noticeably pregnant you will likely have to deal with people you don’t know wanting to touch your belly – everyone loves babies! Just don’t expect them to be there for the 2am feedings.

Baby is coming along just fine, and is starting to swallow amniotic fluid (ew!). As each week passes he or she starts to look more ‘babyish’ and less creature from the blue lagoon. At 2 ½ inches long baby is now a hefty ½ ounce.

Tip

Take time to enjoy some of the finer things in life over the next 28 weeks – like movies, meals that take more than 5 minutes to make, and reading a book. It’s likely that it will be a while before you see them again once your little one is born. Also don’t forget to spoil yourself a little – maybe with a pregnancy pampering kit?

Pregnancy Week By Week - Week 13

Tada! You made it through the first trimester! So now you’re waiting for all the side effects to ‘stop’. Sorry, but your body runs on its own clock. You should notice the morning sickness, having to pee all the time, fatigue, and other pregnancy fun things diminish over the next few weeks. You’ll probably start to feel like yourself again, except for the expanding midsection and weird cravings!

Did you know that your baby may already be sucking his thumb? Pretty incredible considering he’s only 3 inches long and weighs a mere 20 grams. Meanwhile his bones are becoming more solid and the ribs are beginning to appear. The little teeth buds are all in place – ready to cause more havoc around six or seven months after he is born!

Tips

Likely your regular clothes are a bit snug, yet maternity clothes seem excessively big (don’t worry, you’ll fill them out in no time). So what to do? Pick clothes that are ruched or wrapped. Avoid trimester buying as this can be expensive. You never need and excuse to shop with you are pregnant! Treat yourself to a nice bag or pair of shoes.