During your pregnancy you probably feel fat and overweight, but for most women it is a time when they are the most beautiful. Being pregnant doesn't mean that you can't be sexy either. You are brining this new life into the world, it won't be long before you will able to feel life growing inside you, and your mate is going to believe that you are the most sexiest and beautiful woman alive! You will be pregnant for 280 days or 40 weeks, enjoy it!

Gestation

Gestation is the time that your baby will spend in your uterus developing; this time period is 280 days. The term pregnancy, which is often used interchangeably with gestation, means the condition of having a developing child in your uterus. Your pregnancy will be referred to as the number of weeks of gestation, 40 weeks, or your doctor may divide it into 3 trimesters.

The due date or estimated date of confinement is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period. Quickening is the first movement of the fetus felt in the uterus. This usually occurs during the 16-20th weeks of pregnancy. The fetus is viable when it is capable of living outside the mother. Viability depends on the developmental age, birth weight of the fetus, and developmental stage of the lungs.

Stages

Every woman is different and you may or may not experience all of the body changes that some women do. But there are a few common stages that you should know.

• The first stage is development. You have just become pregnant and your baby is starting to grow. You may be experiencing morning sickness that occurs because of the hormonal changes that are occurring in your body. These changes will also make your breasts swell and cause soreness. You skin can will also produce more oil to keep it flexible and enable it to stretch, it is also why pregnant women glow. You may experience acne. Your body will go through so many changes that it may leave you tired. Get lots of rest and be sure to exercise.

• The next stage you will notice that your baby is growing and you will even be able to feel your baby hitting and kicking you. You may have heartburn and back pain because of the added weight gain. You may also suffer from insomnia. You will also notice that your stomach is starting to get bigger and grows more and more every day, it's not your imagination, it's true. If you haven't started wearing maternity clothes yet, now is the time to start shopping. You will feel more comfortable in looser clothing.

• In the final stage of your pregnancy your baby will finish developing and your hormone levels are going to chance once more to prepare for delivery. Your feet will swell and the back pain that you've experienced during your pregnancy will now be more frequent. You may also experience false labor pains as the baby prepares his or her descent into the birthing canal. Your baby will be moving more often and you will feel those kicks and punches even more as your baby gets stronger. When your labor pains start, you will begin to experience contractions, the baby is on its way and you will be a mom before you know it.

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