Forty winks in forty weeks: Pregnancy highlights

Forty Winks in Forty Weeks: Pregnancy Highlights

The joy of giving birth and holding your baby is preceded by a long, sometimes arduous journey — right from pre-conception, conception, to the full term of your pregnancy. Here are some universal tips for a healthy, happy pregnancy across all three trimesters.

First Trimester

• Morning sickness: The classic first symptom, usually showing up around week 6. Manage nausea with raw lemon or a soothing cup of ginger tea

• Heartburn: Drink plenty of fluids and eat small meals frequently

• Varicose veins and blood pressure: Place your feet in an elevated position to facilitate blood flow. Compression stockings help with fluid accumulation

• Increased urinary frequency: Move to a desk closer to the restroom at work

• Hormone changes: Estrogen is at its highest level ever. Rapid hormonal increases can cause temporary acne, body hair, and melasma (~70% of pregnant women). Most fade post-delivery

• Key developments: The baby’s heart, face, fingers, and limbs form during the end of the first trimester

• Take your prenatal vitamins, religiously

Second Trimester

• Energy returns: Say goodbye to morning sickness and early fatigue. Your body needs an additional 250–300 calories per day as your baby grows

• Exercise: Deep breathing, light yoga/stretching (under supervision), swimming, or brisk walking help manage cravings and mood swings

• Back pain and weight: Use comfy pillows in bed, sleep earlier, ask your partner for a massage, and invest in durable soft footwear

• Baby can hear now: Talk to your baby — they can’t talk back yet, so get in some early wisdom!

• Take plenty of short naps to revive yourself

Third Trimester

• Constipation: Get plenty of fibre and hydration

• Braxton-Hicks contractions: These are false labour contractions — shorter in duration and lower in intensity. Change position, walk around, or lie down to ease them

• Prepare: Pack your hospital bag at least 3 weeks before your due date. Get a baby seat in your car, stock up on food, and round up family members

• Don’t forget those vitamins!

Forty weeks of fortitude, and ten months to triumph. Pregnancy is unarguably the most important phase in a woman’s life — a dynamic, complex, and mind-numbing experience. Enjoy every moment of it.