Pregnancy Stages: A Guide for Nigerian Women

Pregnancy is achieved when fertilization of egg takes place in the uterus place and it comes with different kinds of symptom at each pregnancy stage. A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, counting from the first day of your last normal period, precisely 14 days after your ovulation. The weeks are grouped into three pregnancy trimesters.Find out what's happening with you and your baby in these three stages. Read on to figure out your stage of pregnancy.

Wonderful Pregnant Woman
Photo Credit: By hin255  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes it turns out your Pregnancy tests returns negative, do not be discouraged. Give yourself sometime say another two to three weeks, run confirmation another test for the second time if the symptom persists. 

Why do Pregnancy Test Results Fail?

Pregnancy test results sometimes fails at an early stage of the pregnancy because it is too early to detect, there are not enough pregnancy hormones (HCG) to detect if it’s positive or negative.

When conducting a pregnancy test at home with a Pregnancy Strip, you should understand how to use and read the result well that kind of faint lines positive for pregnancy – an egg is already fertilized. 

The absence of monthly flow is the first sign for a woman in her child bearing age to make a conclusion that pregnancy has taken place before taken a pregnancy test. Women who are sensitive to hormonal changes in their body tend to experience pregnancy signs even before due date for their period to surface.

It is often advised that women of childbearing age should ensure they keep check of their body mucus (ovulation) to ascertain when they are fertile; by doing this it will be easy to understand the early signs of pregnancy a week even before time. 

Early Signs: Pregnancy Stages First Trimester (week 1-week 12)

#1. Absence of Menstrual Flow

#2. Abdominal Cramps and Increase in temperature:
Most women notice some kind of discomfort in their lower abdomen, it surfaces like a menstrual cramp but it is an early sign of pregnancy. This cramp occurs at about the same time or date you are expecting your menstrual period: which is 8 to 10 days after your ovulation.
#3. Spotting:
After conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall, at this stage some women experience cramping followed by light Spotting. This sign of pregnancy occurs at about two weeks after your period seized and it is usually slightly pink. 
While some women experience little or no sign of pregnancy, this is mostly common with women who have been trying to conceive. 

#4.Tender Breasts: 
Darkening of the area around the nipple 14 days into pregnancy, the breast becomes enlarged, sensitive, shiny, full and very tender, most women experience severe pain on both breasts and these signs disappear after delivery.
#5.Fatigue/Tiredness: 
Is also an early sign of pregnancy all pregnant women experience this symptom, Women who are first timers and do not have the slightest idea what pregnancy entails. 

#6. Morning Sickness: 
Is an early indication of pregnancy – this occurs within two weeks of change in the female hormone, which sometimes make most women uncomfortable by vomiting.

#7. Craving for Food: 
At five (6) weeks into pregnancy, natural weight gaining sets in because you are now two and your eating habit changes too – you eat for the two of you. At eight weeks your weight increases. If it happens to be a twin the weight is now doubled.

#8. Horrible Taste in the Mouth and Aversion Smells:
At this stage of pregnancy, everything around you becomes awful, a tasty meal now tastes horrible and the saliva becomes slimy and uncomfortable to contain. Sweet scented perfumes become a taboo with so much dislike. 
#9.Frequent Urination: 
At the later stage in pregnancy, there is an increased need for water, the foetus is grown and its weight tend to rest on the bladder leading to frequent, the  urine intensifies daily until delivery.

Related: Baby Checklist

Most times at this pregnancy stage, say about 6 months (28 weeks- 35 weeks) to 8 months which is the last trimester, your heart begins to pound and the thought of labor comes to mind.

Be careful not to allow your blood pressure rise during pregnancy.  If you are pregnant or preparing to conceive? It is advised that you study everything pregnancy, pregnancy stages and how to manage pregnancy..