The Three Difficult Yet Beautiful Stages Of Pregnancy

The nine months of pregnancy are divided into three stages of pregnancy or three trimesters. Pregnancy is difficult and challenging, yet one of the most beautiful phases a woman will ever go through; after all she will me a mother soon.

The First Trimester

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the woman feels nauseas, has tender sore breasts, and has mood swings. It is a tough phase, as the baby makes its presence felt. She also feels terribly tired and fatigued. It is important that she eat good healthy food. She should avoid fried fatty foods, because they are more difficult to digest and will make her feel even more nauseas. Freshly cooked green leafy vegetables, fruits, and legumes, in the form of small meals should help. Intake of folic acid supplements along with calcium and other multivitamins are necessary.

The Second Trimester

In the second trimester, as the baby grows inside, the mother gains weight and her pregnancy starts showing. The baby starts to grow rapidly, developing its senses and being able to differentiate between darkness and light. By the end of the trimester, the mother is able to feel the baby moving and kicking inside her. She should eat healthy, do some mild exercise, rest a lot and not drink, smoke, or do drugs.

The Third Trimester

In the third trimester, she is getting prepared to give birth to a bonny baby. Her tummy looks much bigger and she needs to pass water frequently. She should start taking classes in childbirth and breastfeeding and visit the doctor at least once every two weeks. It will ensure her pregnancy goes smoothly. Except the lungs, which continue to develop, all the vital organs of her baby have formed.

Soon the mother will give birth to a little bundle of joy. She should involve her partner in all the fun and excitement during the different stages of pregnancy and let him be her support and anchor through it all.

A Week-By-Week Account Of The Second Trimester Of Pregnancy

Week 14 to week 26 make up the second trimester of pregnancy. This phase of pregnancy is perhaps the easiest and comparatively most peaceful. Your nausea and fatigue have stopped and you can relax a while before your third trimester starts. Here is week by week know how on the second trimester.

Week 14- Your baby’s beating heat can be heard. It weighs approximately two ounces and can move its arms and legs

Week 15- The baby begins to develop small fine hair on its body that it will shed off before birth

Week 16- You can feel the movements of your baby inside you. It is very active inside.

Week 17- The baby’s circulatory system is developing and it is growing healthier by the day.

Week 18-The baby can now open and close its eyes. Its digestive system also begins to function.

Week 19- A waxy substance covers the baby from head to toe, to protect it from its wet surroundings, and to make it easier for the baby to be born from the mother’s birth canal.

Week 20- Lots of developments take place in your baby at this time. The head starts developing soft hair and the internal sex organs in the infant start forming.

Week 21- Your baby is developing, slowly and steadily.

Week 22- Your baby is almost completely developed. The brain and the sex organs still need to be formed.

Week 23- Your tiny baby is ready to make it in this big wide world

Week 24- Rapid growth and fast developments are the hallmarks of this week of pregnancy

Week 25- The veins and arteries are developing as well as the spinal chord.

Week 26- At this time of pregnancy, the baby has developed a proper respiratory system

That was some inputs on the second trimester of pregnancy, week by week. You should read up more on pregnancy and your condition in books, magazines and on the net. It will help you through this difficult yet marvelous time of your life.

Weight Training During Pregnancy- Strengthening Your Muscles

Weight training during pregnancy is good for those women who had been physically active before pregnancy. It is also alright for those women who are going through a low risk pregnancy. But for others, it is better avoided. If you decide to weight train, even if you have been weight training in the past, it is very important that that you consult your doctor first. You must weight train during pregnancy under the guidance of an expert who specializes in weight training for women who are pregnant. You should ask your trainer to create an exercise regimen suited to your levels of endurance.

Things To Remember While Weight Training During Pregnancy

Please remember that you take care not to hold your breadth while doing your weight training exercises during pregnancy. This can be dangerous for both the mother and the child. Take proper rest between your weight training exercises, drink lots of water to stay hydrated and avoid overheating of your body. Do not do any abdominal exercises. Do not do any exercises during pregnancy that may cause you to trip or fall on your abdomen and avoid any exercise that may make you lose your balance.

Eat A Nourishing Diet When Weight Training During Pregnancy

Eat healthy food. Nourish yourself with a good diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, freshly cooked vegetables and fresh fruits.

When To Stop Exercising And Call For A Doctor

Stop immediately and call your doctor for help if you feel faint or dizzy, get a headache, get chest pains or pain in the region of the heart, if you get any vaginal bleeding, leaking of amniotic fluid or swollen feet and hands.

Why not read further about the benefits and precautions of weight training during pregnancy. You can go to your library, buy some good books and magazines or surf the net for useful information on the topic.

Getting Started On Your Work outs

You shed a few pounds with the birth of your baby, but you still have some flab left on you. This can be quite irritating. How to get rid of it? Ask any medical practitioner in the world and you will get the same age-old advice; with a healthy diet and a great workout.

Breast Feeding Helps You Shed Extra Flab

Here is some good news for you. Breast-feeding actually burns five hundred calories a day. That means that, you loose quite a lot of weight just by breast-feeding your infant.

Breast Feeding Requires a Healthy Diet

However, breast-feeding means that you need to have a healthy diet. A healthy diet include a well balanced diet of fresh green leafy vegetables, legumes, fresh fruits, and milk and milk products.

Getting Ready For Workouts

It is advised not to start a workout for at least six weeks after delivery. Your body has just given birth to a baby and it needs time to heal and recover. When your baby was in your womb, the ligaments were made softer by the hormone relaxin to be able to hold it. Now, if you start exercise too early, or if you exercise too vigorously, you may damage these muscles and ligaments.

Advice from Your Doctor

Always remember to consult your doctor before starting a workout routine. Your doctor will create a special routine, based on your medical records. If you had a low risk delivery, then exercising in a few weeks time should not be a problem, but if your delivery was high risk or your had a caesarian delivery, give yourself some time to heal.

Finally, while a workout is important to get back into shape, do not forget to enjoy being a mother. It is a beautiful state to be in.For more information visit pregnancy period.