Rooted in Bloom

All About Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a magical (and often chaotic!) biological journey where a tiny human sets up camp inside a uterus for about nine months. Pregnancy begins when a sperm cell from a man meets an egg cell from a woman after sexual intercouse. This microscopic meet-and-greet typically happens in the fallopian tube. When the sperm and the egg unite and become one, it’s called fertilization. If all goes well, the fertilized egg, now called a zygote, hitchhikes its way down to the uterus, where it burrows into the uterine lining officially achieving conception.

Once implanted in the uterus, that zygote gets to work dividing and growing, eventually becoming an embryo and then a fetus. Meanwhile, the pregnant person’s body launches into full-on “baby mode,” fueled by a surge of hormones like hCG (this is the “pregnancy hormone” that is detected in pregnancy tests - both home tests which detect hCG in urine, and blood tests that detect hCG in blood), progesterone, and estrogen. These hormones help maintain the pregnancy, grow the placenta (aka the baby’s life support system), and may also cause some… quirky side effects—think glowing skin, odd cravings, mood swings, and the sudden ability to smell a banana from a block away.

Scientifically, pregnancy is a complex, coordinated symphony of reproductive physiology, but whether you're a Nobel-winning endocrinologist or someone just Googling "why am I peeing every five minutes," the basics remain the same: one egg + one sperm + one uterus = potential new human. And while the process can be awe-inspiring, it’s also a quite unpredictable—each pregnancy is as unique as the person experiencing it. And not just from person to person, but from pregnancy to pregnancy, even in the same person. From the first fluttery kicks to the final countdown of labor, it’s a wild ride of biology, mystery, and occasional snack attacks.

Pregnancy by Trimester

Pregnancy is broken down into 3 trimesters, with each trimester containing 3 full months. Milestones and other important progress is noted by week, and each trimester is made up of 13-14 weeks.

  • 1st Trimester

    Months 1-3
    • Pregnancy typically detected during the first trimester
    • hCG levels are typically detected 10 or so days after conception
    Weeks 1-13
    • Weeks 1 & 2 are considered pregnant, however technically, pregnancy has not occurred until implantation, which occurs around 6-10 days after fertilization
    • Once hCG is high enough to be detected in the urine and blood, morning sickness commonly rears its ugly head and typically sticks around until the end of the first trimester (this is not always the case, and there are women who don't have any morning sickness at all, and others who have it throughout pregnancy or who have a much more severe type called hyperemesis gravidarum).

  • 2nd Trimester

    Months 4-6
    • During the second trimester, the fetus becomes larger and develops more human like features
    • By the second trimester, the placenta has fully developed and takes over production of progesterone and estrogen, which were produced by a temporary gland in the ovary in the first 8 to 12 weeks
    Weeks 14-27
    • By week 20, the pregnancy has reached it's halfway point, which is about halfway through the 2nd trimester
    • Typically toward the end of the 2nd trimester, a gestational diabetes test is given, though in high risk pregnancies, it is often given much earlier.

  • 3rd Trimester

    Months 7-9
    • The 3rd trimester is when the majority of babies are born. Generally speaking, around 83.5% of births occur between 37 and 41 weeks. 37-38 weeks is considered early term, 39-41 weeks is considered full term.
    • Around 7% of births occur during 34-36 weeks which is considered moderately preterm.
    • Birth prior to 34 weeks is considered preterm, and accounts for around 3% of births.
    • Birth between 24 weeks (late 2nd trimester) and 28 weeks (early 3rd trimester) are considered extremely preterm and are often called micro preemies, and between 29-32 weeks are considered very preterm. Weeks 28-40
    • Certain pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, eclampsia, HELLP, IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) and others typically present in the mid-late 3rd trimester

Embryo & Fetal Development by Trimester

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  • First Trimester

    Months 1-3
    Weeks 1-13
    • Fertilization occurs about 12-24 hours after ovulation.
    • The fertilized egg is called a Zygote and is 1 cell (sperm and egg fuse together to create this 1 cell).
    • Over the course of 5-6 days, the zygote travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus.
    • As the zygote travels down the fallopian tube it rapidly divides into a multi cell organism which is called a blastocyst.
    •Upon arrival in the uterus, the blastocyst implants itself directly into the uterine lining, officially starting the pregnancy.
    • After the blastocyst implants, it continues dividing and becomes the embryo and placenta.
    • Up until the late 1st trimester, the corpus luteum, which is a temporary gland in the ovary that produces progesterone and estrogen to help support the pregnancy.

  • Second Trimester

    Months 4-6
    Weeks 14-27
    • Toward the end of the first trimester and into the second trimester, the placenta has fully developed and takes over estrogen and progesterone production from the corpus luteum, and for the rest of the pregnancy
    • As the embryo rapidly develops throughout the first trimester, it becomes known as a fetus rather than an embryo.
    • The embryo continues to rapidly develop throughout the 2nd trimester. The first trimester was spent developing critical organs and body systems, they are mostly rudimentary until the second trimester where further development of all of these structures with more detail takes place.

  • Third Trimester

    Months 7-9
    Weeks 28-40
    • In the 3rd trimester significant growth takes place. The baby mostly grows in size in the final trimester, gaining weight steadily.
    • By the end of the 3rd trimester, the baby has grown significantly in size and has fully developed organs and body systems that function properly. In the final few weeks of the pregnancy, the respiratory system beings preparing for birth and the fetus practices breathing more and more right up until birth.

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