Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen Does Pregnancy Start?First TrimesterSecond TrimesterThird TrimesterPregnancy Health Goals
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
When Does Pregnancy Start?
First Trimester
Second Trimester
Third Trimester
Pregnancy Health Goals
In pregnancy, a fertilized ovum implants in theuterusand develops into anembryo and fetusbefore being born.The pregnant person will experience changes throughout pregnancy, beginning with missing a menstrual period.
Physical changes and symptoms during pregnancy include menstrual period absence, morning sickness, breast changes, weight gain, change in body shape, feeling fetal movement, and more.
Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. The first trimester lasts from week one to week 12. The second lasts from week 13 to week 26, and the third lasts from week 27 to the end of pregnancy.
Your healthcare provider will help you determine your due date, the date when you are most likely considered full-term and ready to give birth. The due date is calculated 40 weeks after the first day of your last period.
This article will provide an overview of pregnancy, focusing on how it feels and what to expect.
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When Does Pregnancy Start, and How Do You Know?
Knowing exactly when your pregnancy starts is not as straightforward as you’d imagine. Many people refer to “how many weeks they are” to keep track of their pregnancy. This is based on the fetus’sgestational age. Gestational age starts on the first day of your last period before conception.
The Menstrual CycleTo understand the beginning of pregnancy, it’s important to start with the menstrual cycle. The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days but can range from 24 to 38 days. A person with a 28-day menstrual cycle usually ovulates around day 14.
The Menstrual Cycle
To understand the beginning of pregnancy, it’s important to start with the menstrual cycle. The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days but can range from 24 to 38 days. A person with a 28-day menstrual cycle usually ovulates around day 14.
The first two weeks of your pregnancy include your menstrual period and fertilization. About two weeks into your menstrual cycle, you will experience ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). The timing can vary depending on the length of your menstrual cycle. The average day to ovulate is day 14.
During ovulation, your ovaries release their most mature egg, which travels down the fallopian tube. This is where the egg meets the sperm and is fertilized (if pregnancy occurs).
During weeks three and four of your pregnancy, the fertilized egg travels to the uterus and begins dividing into more cells. It usually reaches the uterus about three to four days after fertilization.
Once this cluster of cells implants into the uterine wall (known as implantation), you are officially pregnant. Implantation occurs about six days after fertilization and takes three to four days to complete.
Most people do not know that they are pregnant in these early weeks because there are usually no signs. The first sign of pregnancy is often a missed menstrual period. Once you notice that you did not get your period, it’s time to take apregnancy test.
A pregnancy test measures the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone, in your urine to detect pregnancy. Your body starts producing hCG after implantation, and the level doubles every 48 hours in the first few weeks of pregnancy.
If you take a test too early, your body may not have enough hCG to produce a positive result. When used correctly, home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate.
Breakthrough Bleeding: Causes and When It Happens
Beginning Pregnancy Stages: First Trimester
The first trimester is a time of rapid change for both you and the embryo. You may not look very different on the outside, but your body is hard at work. The first trimester includes conception, implantation, and embryo development.
The early pregnancy symptoms you may experience during the first trimester include:
The Cervix in Early Pregnancy
Middle Pregnancy Stages: Second Trimester
Many pregnant people begin feeling fetal movement around week 20. This often feels like light flutters (as opposed to strong kicks). By the 24th week of pregnancy, your fetus is beginning to sleep and wake at regular intervals. Loud noises may even wake them up.
Most pregnant people have anultrasound between 18 and 20 weeksof pregnancy. During this exam, an ultrasound tech or sonographer will use the ultrasound machine to visualize your fetus and check for any anatomic anomalies.
The second trimester is often a time of improved symptoms. You may notice that you suddenly feel less tired and nauseous. It’s common for new symptoms to begin as well.
Possible second-trimester symptoms include:
What Are Braxton Hicks Contractions?
Late Pregnancy Stages: Third Trimester
Babies born between 37 and 38 weeks are considered early term. Babies born at 39 or 40 weeks are full term, and babies born at 41 weeks are late term. Babies born after 42 weeks are considered post-term.
In the third trimester, many of your symptoms continue. These include fatigue, shortness of breath, and Braxton-Hicks contractions. New symptoms you may notice include:
InfertilityIf you have been experiencinginfertility, you’re not alone. In the United States, about 10% of females between the ages of 15 and 44 experience difficulty getting pregnant. Infertility is defined as not becoming pregnant after trying for one year.(The terms for sex or gender from the cited source are used.)There are several factors that affect your fertility, including stress, weight, diet, smoking, alcohol use, health conditions, and medications. If you are experiencing infertility, talk with a healthcare provider. If you are over 35, talk with a healthcare provider if you have been trying to become pregnant for more than six months.
Infertility
If you have been experiencinginfertility, you’re not alone. In the United States, about 10% of females between the ages of 15 and 44 experience difficulty getting pregnant. Infertility is defined as not becoming pregnant after trying for one year.(The terms for sex or gender from the cited source are used.)There are several factors that affect your fertility, including stress, weight, diet, smoking, alcohol use, health conditions, and medications. If you are experiencing infertility, talk with a healthcare provider. If you are over 35, talk with a healthcare provider if you have been trying to become pregnant for more than six months.
If you have been experiencinginfertility, you’re not alone. In the United States, about 10% of females between the ages of 15 and 44 experience difficulty getting pregnant. Infertility is defined as not becoming pregnant after trying for one year.(The terms for sex or gender from the cited source are used.)
There are several factors that affect your fertility, including stress, weight, diet, smoking, alcohol use, health conditions, and medications. If you are experiencing infertility, talk with a healthcare provider. If you are over 35, talk with a healthcare provider if you have been trying to become pregnant for more than six months.
Taking care of your health during your pregnancy can quickly begin to feel like a full-time job. There is so much to remember each day, and the care can start to feel overwhelming.
Goals for your prenatal care may include:
There are also actions that you can take on your own. Lifestyle goals during pregnancy include:
Disparities for Black Pregnant PeopleIt would be impossible to discuss prenatal health goals without addressing the inequities that exist within the healthcare setting. In the United States, Black pregnant people are 3 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White pregnant people. About 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable.The factors involved in the health disparities affecting Black pregnant people (and those of other racial and ethnic groups) vs. non-Hispanic Whites include:Socioeconomic factors: They experience a higher poverty rate.Prepregnancy care: They tend to experience higher rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic illness.Prenatal care: They may be less likely to receive quality prenatal care.Structural racism and implicit bias: They experience discrimination in the healthcare system.
Disparities for Black Pregnant People
It would be impossible to discuss prenatal health goals without addressing the inequities that exist within the healthcare setting. In the United States, Black pregnant people are 3 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White pregnant people. About 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable.The factors involved in the health disparities affecting Black pregnant people (and those of other racial and ethnic groups) vs. non-Hispanic Whites include:Socioeconomic factors: They experience a higher poverty rate.Prepregnancy care: They tend to experience higher rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic illness.Prenatal care: They may be less likely to receive quality prenatal care.Structural racism and implicit bias: They experience discrimination in the healthcare system.
It would be impossible to discuss prenatal health goals without addressing the inequities that exist within the healthcare setting. In the United States, Black pregnant people are 3 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White pregnant people. About 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable.
The factors involved in the health disparities affecting Black pregnant people (and those of other racial and ethnic groups) vs. non-Hispanic Whites include:
Summary
Pregnancy is an overwhelming time full of physical and emotional changes. You’re likely feeling a range of emotions, and that is normal. Because of the biological changes that occur during pregnancy, you also will experience many physical symptoms, and they will likely change as your pregnancy progresses.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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