Pregnancy is one of the most exciting changes in a woman's life. However the period of pregnancy also brings around a series of physical and hormonal changes in the woman's body. The changes in pregnancy are different according to the stage the woman is in.

There are 3 stages of pregnancy also referred to as trimesters and each stage brings around different changes and different effects.

• First Trimester - The first trimester is from 0 - 12 weeks and it is the stage during which the mothers body is adjusting to the pregnancy. During this stage of the pregnancy some women experience a few unpleasant symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (also referred to as morning sickness), frequent urination, tiredness and mood swings. However, not all woman experience these symptoms and those who do will notice that most of them decrease once the first trimester is over. At this stage the baby is still very small, roughly the size of a walnut.
  
  
• Second Trimester - The second trimester is from 13 - 28 weeks and is the most enjoyable stage for most women. At this point the body gets used to the changes and most of the symptoms that may have been experienced during the first trimester disappear. During this stage the baby starts to grow hair and the senses begin to develop. Towards the end of the second trimester the baby will measure around 10 inches. Finally, it is during this second trimester that the woman will start feeling the baby move. This phenomenon is referred to as quickening and starts occurring from around the 23rd week onwards.
  
  
• Third Trimester - This is the last stage in the woman's pregnancy and comprises the 29th week - delivery day! This may be an uncomfortable stage in the pregnancy stages. At this point the woman may need to urinate very often and might find herself swelling especially in the face, fingers and ankles. During this stage the woman may find herself easily tired and it is important both for the woman and the baby's sake that the woman gets good rest. During the third trimester the woman should also watch out for Braxton Hicks Contractions (false contractions). These are painless uterine contractions that last a couple of minutes and increase towards the end of pregnancy. Many women mistake these contractions as the beginning of labor.