After you conceive a child, your thoughts may turn to the baby: how it will grow and change. It is important, however, to consider what the next nine months have in store. Knowing what to expect in each of the three pregnancy stages, and planning for the birth will help you be prepared for the future.

After conception, the first of three pregnancy stages is the first trimester. It is usually about halfway through this trimester that most women realize they are pregnant. Pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, frequent urination, and exhaustion make their first appearance here. This stage lasts for three months.

The 2nd trimester is the next of the pregnancy stages. It is at this point (during months three to six) that your stomach will begin to expand and you will "show" the pregnancy. At this point it may become harder to sleep or be comfortable while you are lying down.

During the second trimester, your baby will start kicking in your stomach. You will feel these motions inside when the child's kicking takes place. These are signs for baby being active. This kicking alarms some women. The baby will be 10 inches long at the end of this trimester and starts developing hair.

The baby is fully formed in the third trimester but needs these last three months to grow and develop lung and heart functions. Your body will undergo even more changes as the baby grows. You may need to urinate more often (as the baby puts pressure on your bladder), and it may be difficult to balance with your stomach, now bigger.

It is during the third of the three pregnancy stages that you should begin to take birthing and breastfeeding classes. Having a partner to learn proper breathing may be helpful. It also may help at this point to watch birth videos so that you know what to expect. Ask your obstetrician about joining classes and obtaining videos.

It is at this moment too that you may want to consider what you want to occur during the birth. It is traditional for a woman to give birth in a hospital with pain medication, however many women opt for less traditional methods. For example, some women choose to give birth with no medications. Others pick a home birth as the best option usually with the help of a midwife. Some women even pick a waterbirth, where the birth occurs in a large bathtub full of water or in a hot tub.

During the excitement of pregnancy, it is easy to forget to plan for the pregnancy stages which will occur. By knowing what to expect, and having a proper plan in place, surprises are limited and the mother's comfort is put in the forefront. With all of these options, visiting with an obstetrician is the best plan, as he or she can give you further resources and options.

The three pregnancy stages are called trimesters. In the first trimester, women realize they're pregnant due to fatigue, mornin sickness, and other symptoms. During the second trimester, the baby will begin kicking and growing hair. In the third trimester, the baby is fully-grown and finishing lung and heart development. During the third trimester, you should begin educating yourself by taking birthing and breastfeeding classes, watching birth videos, and planning how you wish to give birth. You can deliver in the hospital with painkillers, naturally without painkillers, at home assisted by a midwife, and even waterbirth, delivery in a tub of warm water.