Each of the trimesters of pregnancy brings new and exciting changes for baby and mom.

Trimester one: weeks 1 to 13

The first of the trimesters of pregnancy is the time when new expecting mothers find out they are pregnant and start to think about the changes that will happen in life. Physical changes are also starting to occur.

• You miss your period.
• You take a pregnancy test.
• The pregnancy test is positive.

• You call the obstetrician for your first appointment.
• You may have a blood test to verify pregnancy.
• Morning sickness may begin near the end of the month.
• Fatigue increases.
• You may feel mild cramps.
• You feel less like having sex.
• Breasts may begin to grow and often feel tender to the touch.

Trimester two: weeks 14 to 26

Now that you have made it through the first trimester, things may seem a bit easier. The emotional struggle over the potential risk of miscarriage often fades in the second of the trimesters of pregnancy. The second trimester is often considered the best of the trimesters of pregnancy.

• You feel less tired.
• Your belly may start to grow enough that you need maternity clothes.
• Your heart rate increases due to increased blood volume.
• Baby may start to move in the 5th month.
• You find you are running to the bathroom more often.
• Morning sickness is starting to dwindle away.
• Pregnancy heartburn may begin.
• Braxton Hicks contractions may start near the end of the second trimester.

Trimester three: weeks 27 to 40 (42)

The final of the trimesters of pregnancy is the premium growth period for baby. The symptoms from the first of the trimesters of pregnancy may come back now including fatigue and breast growth.

• Your tummy is now round and none of your old clothes fit.
• The increased weight of the abdomen may cause back pain.
• You may see baby kicks through the skin on your tummy.
• You waddle when you walk because your joints are looser than normal.
• You may find it hard to sleep at night.
• The need to urinate more often is strong.
• You should start to feel contractions toward the end of the 40th week.
• Breast milk may leak.

The entire pregnancy process is simple to map out, but no map will give a new mother the same sensation as seeing her baby for the first time. Trimesters of pregnancy are set in stone but that does not mean every woman will feel the same symptoms during the same trimesters of pregnancy.