Your Pregnancy, Month by Month
Nine months is a strange stretch of time. Some weeks crawl. Others disappear before you’ve even had a chance to catch your breath. Your body is doing more work than it’s ever done, your baby is growing from something smaller than a grain of rice into a person who’s about to need a name, and somewhere in between you’re probably searching things at two in the morning that you’d never say out loud to anyone.
This guide walks through pregnancy one month at a time, grouped by trimester, so you can find exactly where you are and see what’s coming next. Doctors count your due date from the first day of your last period, not the day you actually conceived, which trips a lot of people up the first time they hear it. If you haven’t worked out yours yet, our Due Date Calculator does that math for you in a few seconds. Not sure when you ovulated or conceived? Our Ovulation Calculator and Conception Date Calculator can help narrow that down too.
Each trimester covers roughly three months and brings its own set of changes, some exciting, some just uncomfortable. For a closer look at what defines each stage, the Office on Women’s Health has a good breakdown of the three trimesters. Pick your month below, or start at Month 1 if you want the whole story from the beginning.
Your Pregnancy, Month by Month
From the earliest signs to the fourth trimester, here's what changes for you and your baby, month by month.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Not every pregnancy follows the calendar exactly, and that’s normal. If you’re not sure about your last period, or your cycles run long, short, or unpredictable, an early ultrasound usually gives a more accurate due date than counting on paper alone. Your doctor can sort that out at your first visit. Our Prenatal Appointment Timeline lays out roughly when those visits tend to happen if you want to plan ahead.
Most of what you’ll feel month to month, the tiredness, the food aversions, the backaches, falls somewhere between annoying and completely normal. Some symptoms aren’t something to wait out though. Heavy bleeding, severe pain in your lower belly, sudden swelling in your hands or face, a headache that won’t quit, or noticeably less movement from your baby are all reasons to call your provider right away, not wait for your next appointment. March of Dimes has put together a clear list of warning signs worth keeping handy.
A few more tools that pair well with this guide. Track how much weight gain makes sense for you with our Weight Gain Chart, get a handle on what to eat with our pregnancy nutrition guide, and once your baby’s here, our breastfeeding guide walks you through the early days of feeding.