No pregnancy is the same: no truer words have been spoken about this 9-month-long period in which your body grows and develops another human being.
However, because no pregnancy between two women, or even two pregnancies with the same woman, are the same, there are milestones you can look out for to keep you sane during your journey to motherhood.
Morning sickness
Since you’re still in the early stages of your pregnancy, you’re probably still feeling sick. Articles and books often tell you that it’ll stop at the 12-week mark, but the truth is you won’t be completely cured of morning sickness the day the calendar hits 12 weeks. In reality, it’ll likely be closer to the 15- or 16- week mark before you stop puking. Just keep in mind that this too shall pass. When it does come to an end, you’ll have reached your first milestone.
Read more: 5 common mistakes new parents make
Pregnancy clothes
One milestone that’s rarely talked about is when you finally give up on your “skinny” clothes and head to the nearest maternity store. It might take a while, and maybe even toward the end of your second trimester, before you do have to give in and pack up your pre-pregnancy clothes. This may sound depressing because you’re officially “pregnant,” but it also means you’re even closer to becoming a mother.
You’re going to be tired
Pregnancy makes you tired, especially in the first trimester as your body adjusts to the new little peanut growing inside you. The first time you don’t want to fall asleep as soon as you get home from work will be a major accomplishment.
Boy or Girl?
A major milestone you probably can’t wait to hit is that 20-week mark when you finally get to find out the sex of your baby. There’s often a lot of anticipation leading up to that day and whether or not you actually want to know, how you’ll reveal it to friends and family and the excitement that comes with finally getting to know what color you can paint the nursery.
Naming choices
Speaking of your baby’s sex, another big milestone will be when you and your partner find a name you can both agree on. You might be arguing with each other now, but when you find “the one,” you’ll know it.
Buddha belly
There will come a time when you’ll no longer be able to see your feet let alone paint your toenails. When that day does arrive and you can convince your significant other to paint your toes for you, congratulations, you’ve hit another milestone. It probably won’t be the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen but it sure beats the struggle of having to find your feet.
Read more: Want a longer life? Your age while pregnant may hold the key
Home stretch
Hitting the 30 week mark is a big deal and a major milestone for pregnant women. The last 10 weeks are rough but at least at this point you can start counting down the days until you deliver your bundle of joy.
Growing a cup size (or more)
Whether you’re planning on breastfeeding or not, your breasts are going to fill up with colostrum, and it happens before the baby is born. It’s your body making sure its capable to producing milk, so if you do find yourself leaking, head to the store and grab nipple pads to prevent leakage through your clothing.
That first contraction
As your pregnancy comes to an end and D-day arrives, you’ll probably start to feel your first “real” contraction. Of course you’ll be overloaded with joy that you can finally meet the little one, but it probably won’t be a super pleasant feeling. Plus, if it’s your first pregnancy, you may not even know what to expect when it comes to contractions until there here, but when they do arrive, you’ll know.