What happens in my body during the first trimester of pregnancy?

The first trimester of pregnancy is a time of drastic hormonal changes. Although your developing baby is tiny, big things are happening to you. Fatigue, nausea, constipation, and breast tenderness are common. Feeling lightheaded is another common complaint of early pregnancy. In addition, all of the hormonal changes cause mood swings.

During the first trimester, you should begin to visit your doctor regularly for prenatal care.

Your body has begun to nurture a new life. During the coming nine months, you will experience enormous physical changes as the embryo grows from a single fertilized cell into a fully developed baby.

Despite the excitement of being pregnant, the first trimester can be particularly challenging. You may experience fatigue, constipation, decreased sex drive, increased urge to urinate, tender or sore breasts, increased vaginal secretion, and nausea or increased appetite. Moreover, the nausea or vomiting commonly referred to as "morning sickness" is clearly misnamed because women who have nausea often feel sick throughout the day.

During the first trimester, your breasts may become larger, full and tender, and your areola, the area around your nipple, may begin to darken. Exhaustion is also common during the first trimester.

Not all women experience all of these changes. The absence of any of these first trimester experiences is not an indication that something is wrong with your pregnancy.