IRENE ORFANOUDAKI MD, PhD 
Obstetrician & Gynecologist Surgeon

Pregnancy is the most wonderful event for every woman.

Every pregnancy is different and is treated as a separate event as it is a unique and unrepeatable experience.

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Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks (280 days), starting from the first day of the last menstrual period.

To calculate how many weeks pregnant you are, you need to remember your last period.

So, for example, if your last period was on June 1st, then the 1st week of pregnancy is considered the week of June 1-7.

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So let's see what symptoms pregnancy creates.

Usually the first sign of pregnancy that a woman realizes, is the delay in the appearance of her period.

There may be brown spots on the blood, but not a normal period. But there are other symptoms that usually occur, such as:

• Morning sickness and tendency to nausea and vomiting

• Frequent urination

• Breast pressure and nipple and breast pain

• Change in the color of the nipples

• Bleeding or period cramps

• Sensitivity to smell, change in taste

• Exhaustion

• Back pain or pain similar to those of the period

• Constipation

• Alternations of emotions

• Drowsiness

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Pregnancy per trimester:

• 1st trimester of pregnancy .  It is the most important period in the life of the fetus, as during it the organogenesis takes place.

• 2nd trimester of pregnancy .  As the pregnancy progresses, the uterus and therefore the abdomen grow and it becomes more visible and perceptible to those around the pregnancy.

• 3rd trimester of pregnancy .  In the last trimester of pregnancy, the fetus is now fully formed, most of its organs are mature and continue to grow.

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Pregnancy by weeks:

• Pregnancy weeks 1-4: The fetus is implanted in the uterus, the walls of the endometrium thicken. The woman has not yet realized her pregnancy.

• Pregnancy weeks 5-6: The woman suspects a pregnancy due to a delayed period. The fetus is the size of a bean and the umbilical cord is formed.

• 7-10 weeks of gestation: The fetal heart begins to develop and its most important organs (brain, lungs, liver, eyes, ears, fingers) are almost formed. The mother has morning sickness and her hormones begin to affect her mood.

• Pregnancy weeks 11-14: During these weeks of pregnancy, the mother will have a blood test and a cervical smear test. The risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced. The baby's genitals and placenta are shaped.

• Pregnancy weeks 15-18: The first movements of the baby that the mother realizes begin! The baby reacts to sounds. The amniocentesis is performed, where necessary, and the parents learn the sex of the child. Pregnancy is now visible on the mother's body.

• Pregnancy weeks 19-24: The baby starts kicking, has fluff from the previous weeks and the mother has to do the Level 2 ultrasound. The bones of the fetus become stronger. It weighs 500-600 grams and if there is a birth, the baby survives in an intensive care unit.

• Pregnancy weeks 25-30: The baby weighs 1 kg. Its development continues, while the contractions of the uterus begin.

• Pregnancy weeks 31-35: The baby weighs 2 kg and changes position to be upside down. The mother's uterus is quite large and may cause frequent urination, indigestion and difficulty breathing.

• Pregnancy weeks 36-40: The growth process  inside the womb is complete and the baby is ready to be born. The mother is preparing for childbirth. If the birth is normal, the doctor will wait until the 40th week. If scheduled  caesarean section, the birth can be done a little earlier.