Pregnancy Information

Pregnancy is the most defining moment of a woman's life. For nine months she will nurture her unborn child and undergo considerable changes to her emotions, appearance and lifestyle.

Signs of being pregnant

Women who have fallen pregnant will display at least some the following signs:

  • A missed period
  • A frequent need to urinate
  • Bloating
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Tiredness
  • Swollen, tender breasts
  • Bleeding caused by the fertilized egg burrowing into the blood-rich lining of the uterus
  • Heightened sensitivity to smells
  • High body temperature

After experiencing any number of these symptoms, the woman may choose to perform a pregnancy test which will determine whether or not she is pregnant.

Pregnancy: Months 1 - 3

  • During the first three months (trimester) of pregnancy, a woman's body experiences several hormonal changes.
  • In the first four weeks, she may start to crave certain foods or avoid others that she used to enjoy. She may also experience heightened emotions that cause her to cry a lot or feel extremely happy. Other symptoms that a woman may experience during her first trimester are morning sickness, pressure in the lower abdomen and depression.
  • By the end of the fourth week, mood swings are common and normal. The expectant mother will not have gained any weight yet since the baby is still little more than a fertilised egg. At this stage, the egg will have attached itself to the lining of the uterus and the amniotic cavity will have started to form.
  • During the second month, more physical changes start to present themselves. Your hands and feet may start to swell while varicose veins may also start to appear. You will also experience more abdominal bloating, constipation, heartburn, indigestion, heavier breasts and widening hips.
  • By the end of the eighth week, the baby's eyelids will have started to form. The tip of the nose is also visible, while the ears are still developing, both internally and externally. The arms are also still developing, along with their fingers.  The baby's heartbeat is twice that of the mother's between 140 and 150 beats per minute.
  • By the third month, the feelings of nausea may be improving; however, many new symptoms will start to appear. These include having a bit more energy, feeling faint or dizzy at times, more visible veins appearing on the skin along with stretch marks and having difficulty urinating
  • By the end of the twelfth week, the developing baby's weight will have reached 14 grams, and the baby will have developed the ability to swallow. The hands will have stopped developing and fingernails will have started growing. The baby's face will also start to look more human and hair will start to appear as well.

Pregnancy: Months 1-4

  • The second trimester is the most pleasant stage of pregnancy.  The expectant mother will start to gain more weight. By now, the placenta will have formed completely. The mother will also have started to experience an increased appetite and be able to feel the movements of the baby. Also, the physical appearance of the mother will have changed due to having gained weight. Other physical changes include red palms, bleeding and/or swollen gums, and either healthier or limp-looking hair.
  • By the end of the sixteenth week, the baby's sex will have been determined and can be viewed through an ultrasound. They will also be able to perform a sucking reflex.
  • By the fifth month, the mother's body will go through even more physical changes. At this point, she may start to experience backache and aches in her feet, difficulty keeping her body warm or cold, an increased appetite and leg cramps. Her abdomen will also have increased in size.
  • By the end of the twentieth week, roughly the halfway point of the pregnancy, the baby will have developed sleep and wake patterns that it will continue following until it is a newborn. It will also have developed brown fat, the fat need to maintain body heat.
  • By the sixth month, you will start to feel the baby kicking quite often. Your uterus will also continue to stretch, causing aches along your side. Other symptoms that you may experience include a sense of clumsiness, tingling in your feet as well as tingling, numbness or pain in your hands.
  • At the end of the twenty-fourth week, the baby will have taken up a lot of space within your uterus. The baby's skin will appear wrinkled but it will smoothen out as more fat and muscle develops.

Pregnancy: Months 7- 9

  • By the seventh month, both the mother and the baby start going through changes that prepare both for the approaching birth. You may start to feel mild contractions, dream about the baby, experience growth in the breasts and feel anxious about becoming a mother.
  • By the eight month, with the birth so close, you may feel more clumsy than usual and experience shortness of breath along with pressure in the pelvis and muscle aches. You may also feel that driving for more than an hour at time is exhausting.
  • By the ninth month, you will feel that the baby has stopped kicking and started to wriggle. There will be increased discharge from the vagina due to the cervix beginning to dilate. As the birth approaches, you will feel greater discomfort in your pelvis and buttocks while the contractions will become more intense. Energy bursts and dips will also be quite common. A great burst of energy, known as "nesting syndrome" is a sign that the birth is close.

Nutritional tips during pregnancy

  • Eat fresh fruit and vegetables everyday, particularly ones that contain vitamins A and C.
  • Maintain a high calcium intake by including a lot of dairy products in your diet.
  • Eat only lean meat and chicken.
  • Keep your fibre intake high by eating unprocessed cereals and grains like bran.
  • Be sure to drink plenty of liquids
  • Restrict your caffeine intake or eliminate it completely (pregnant mothers who drink caffeine tend to have smaller babies than those who avoid it)
  • Take a good nutritional supplement (multi-vitamin), as well as folic acid. 
  • You can get a recommendation on this from the clinic or your doctor.

NB:

It's advisable for expectant mothers to book their first visit to the clinic before 20 weeks or as soon as possible thereafter. For antenatal (pre-birth) services you should visit your neareset public Midwife Obstetrics Units. If you are a first-time visitor to a health facility, you will be asked to fill out a form and a folder will be opened. Bring your ID book, any medication you are taking and a clinic or hospital card, if previously registered at the facility.

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Last Update: 27 July 2010