Monthly Prenatal Visits: Going forward, prenatal visits will most likely be shorter since most of your information has already been collected. Your doctor will check on your health and make sure the baby is growing healthy and as expected.  Most prenatal visits will include measuring your weight, checking your blood pressure and checking the baby’s heart rate.

First Trimester:

During your first trimester, your body will notice many changes. It is important to know what is normal for pregnancy during this time and what is not. Early in pregnancy, light spotting is common. However, call your doctor if you have significant bleeding or sharp pain in your abdomen. These could be signs of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Sore breasts are one of the earliest signs of pregnancy, triggered by hormonal changes preparing your body to nurse. As your body works hard to support a growing fetus, you must rest when you need to throughout the day. While your body might start craving food you don’t usually eat, ensure you are still giving your body its proper nutrients to support you and your baby. Heartburn and nausea are also very common pregnancy symptoms during this time.

Month 1: After 4 weeks, a home pregnancy test would show as positive. Your baby is developing the structures that eventually form the face and neck. The heart and blood vessels continue to grow as the lungs, stomach, and liver start developing.

Month 2: Between the first and second month, your baby’s heart will begin to beat as your baby now measures a little over half an inch in size. At this point, the arms and legs are well formed, and digits such as fingers and toes grow longer and more distinct. As eyelids and ears begin forming, you start to see the tip of the nose.

Month 3: Your baby is now 2 inches and will start to move in the womb. Some women start to feel movement at the top of their uterus.

Second Trimester:

For many women, the second trimester is the least difficult three months during the pregnancy. During the second trimester, your baby grows quickly, and your energy will be restored. Between your 18th and 22nd week of pregnancy, you’ll have an ultrasound where you can check on the health and even learn the sex of your baby. Other common symptoms during this time include headache, backache, breast enlargement/tenderness, constipation, discharge, hemorrhoids, skin changes, hair growth, spider veins, and weight gain.

Month 4: Your baby now measures a little bigger than 4 inches and weighs about 3.5 ounces. Smaller details fall into place as your baby’s fingers and toes develop fingerprints. The baby’s eyes can blink, and the heart and blood vessels are fully formed.

Month 5: Your baby should weigh about 10 ounces and be slightly more than 6 inches long. Here is where your baby starts to show personality. In the fifth month of pregnancy, your baby can suck their thumb, yawn, stretch and make faces. When you hit the 20-week mark, your caregiver will call you back for an ultrasound. Your doctor will then ensure that the placenta is attached normally and that your baby is healthy and growing properly. Now, this is the really exciting part. At 20 weeks, your doctor can usually find out the sex of your baby!

Month 6: The baby should weigh about 1.4 pounds at this point. Your baby will also start to respond to sounds by moving around in the womb or showing a pulse increase.

Third Trimester:

Your third trimester is when you will see your baby’s rapid growth. Other common symptoms during this time include shortness of breath, swelling, and continued weight gain. You could even start to feel mild contractions, just warm-ups to prepare your uterus for real labor. These contractions are known as Braxton Hicks contractions.

Month 7: The baby weighs about 2.6 pounds and changes position often. At month 7, there is a good chance that a premature baby will survive. Ask your doctor about preterm labor warning signs.

Month 8: The baby weighs almost 4 pounds and moves around often. The baby’s fat starts to form under the skin helping with weight gain. Your baby will gain up to half his birth weight between now and delivery. Most women go to the doctor every two weeks at this stage of pregnancy.

Month 9: Every pregnancy is different and unique to the individual experiencing it. Babies differ in size. Your baby’s size could change depending on many factors, such as gender, the number of babies being carried, and the size of the parents. On average, a baby at this stage is nearing 18.5 inches and weighs close to 6 pounds. As your baby’s brain develops rapidly, their lungs are near being fully developed, and their head usually positions down into the pelvis to prepare for birth. A baby is considered at ‘term’ at 37 weeks. Early-term babies include those born between 37-39 weeks. At-term babies include those born at 39-40 weeks. And late-term includes any children born after that time.