Trimester-by-trimester pregnancy guide

When you're pregnant, the three trimesters are your major milestones. The trimesters aren't three periods of exactly three months each - they're of different lengths, defined by the way a baby grows and develops. The first trimester starts at the date of conception and represents the first 12 weeks of your baby's life. The second trimester ends at 26 weeks, and the third with the birth of your baby.

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  First trimester

  When you're pregnant the three trimesters are your major milestones. The trimesters aren't three periods of exactly three months each - they're of different lengths, defined by the way a baby grows and develops. The first trimester starts with the presumed date of conception.
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  Second trimester

  By this time your pregnancy will be well established and many of the little problems you may have had during early pregnancy will have disappeared. If you're over 35 years old or have a family history of congenital abnormalities, for example, you'll be offered screening, which may include...
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  Third trimester

  At this time you might start to feel anxious about labour and wish you could have your baby now. Don't worry - this doesn't mean there's anything wrong. Your feelings of urgency are caused by metabolic changes in your brain. Subtle shifts happen in each trimester, bringing about the tiredness of...
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