What’s Actually Happening in Each Trimester

So Many Weeks, So Many Questions

The moment you find out you’re pregnant, your brain starts whirring: When do I tell people? When do I see the midwife? When’s the first scan? It’s exciting, surreal, and sometimes a bit too much all at once.

This guide is here to steady things. Whether you’re six weeks in or six months along, let’s walk through what’s actually happening — and when to just stop, breathe, and trust your body’s doing exactly what it needs to.

First Trimester (Weeks 1–12): The Secret Stage

The first trimester is always a bit of a whirlwind.
I remember feeling like I was carrying the biggest secret… one I wanted to shout from the rooftops because I knew my life was about to change. But in our culture, we keep it quiet, and those weeks can feel so lonely. Everyone around you is talking about the future, and your version of it already looks completely different. You find yourself counting ahead, picturing Christmas, birthdays, holidays, now all with a little person in the picture. It’s the longest secret you’ll ever keep.

Those first few weeks often feel like limbo — the world hasn’t caught up yet, but you already know everything’s changing.

• What’s happening: Your hormones are working overtime. Fatigue, nausea, emotional swings — all normal. Your baby’s tiny organs are forming, and the placenta is getting to work.
• Appointments: You’ll usually self-refer to your midwife or local maternity team around 8–10 weeks. Your booking appointment often happens around this point, followed by your 12-week dating scan.
  🩷 If you’re local to North East Lincolnshire, you can book directly through the NHS maternity referral form here.
• Emotional side: You might feel anxious, protective, or a little detached — all of it valid.
• When to breathe: Rest when you can. You’re growing something extraordinary, even if it doesn’t look like it yet.
• When to book: This is the perfect window to explore hypnobirthing — it gives you time to build confidence and understanding before your bump (and your calendar) really start to grow.

🌸 Hypnobirthing is also recognised by the NHS as a technique that can help you stay calm and focused during labour.

💗 If you’re local to Grimsby, you can join my next group hypnobirthing course — it’s designed exactly for this stage, when you’re starting to plan and dream.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13–27): The Sweet Spot

I remember hitting my second trimester expecting that famous glow everyone talks about.
For me (especially in my third pregnancy) it came a little later. Your body’s still working so, so hard beneath the surface, even if you finally have the energy to look up again. This is the stage where the excitement builds — you start sharing your news, planning ahead, and everything begins to feel a bit more real.

Energy tends to lift here, nausea often eases, and your bump starts to make an appearance.

• What’s happening: Baby’s organs are developed and growing fast. You’ll usually have your anomaly scan around 20 weeks, and you might start feeling those first gentle flutters.
• Appointments: Midwife visits become a little more regular, and you might start thinking about antenatal classes.
• Emotional side: This is often when it feels real. You might start nesting, shopping, or visualising birth.
• When to breathe: Notice the calm moments. Maybe start journaling or listening to guided relaxations — this is a beautiful time to connect.
• When to book: By 20–24 weeks, most people are securing their birth prep courses and starting to think about maternity leave.

🌿 In Grimsby and Cleethorpes, I see so many parents in this stage — ready to learn, confident in their research, but craving reassurance that they’re doing it “right.” You are.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28–40+): The Countdown

This is where the countdown really begins.
Somewhere in the third trimester, I stopped counting how many weeks pregnant I was and started counting how many were left — which, as we all know, never ends up being that accurate anyway. But this is when everything starts to fall into place. All the books I’d read and the techniques I’d practiced began to sink in, guiding me to trust my own body. It’s the phase where that trust deepens — where calm becomes second nature, and every small thing you do now gently shapes the birth ahead.

You’re nearly there — and it’s completely normal if your calm wobbles a little here and there.

• What’s happening: Baby’s growing rapidly, settling into position, and practising those tiny breathing movements.
• Appointments: You’ll see your midwife more often, and your birth plan starts to take shape.
  🌸 Relaxation and breathing techniques are also recommended within the NICE intrapartum care guidelines as effective tools for comfort and confidence during labour.
• Emotional side: Excitement and impatience often mix with a few sleepless nights and more vivid dreams about birth.
• When to breathe: Keep connecting with your body. Your breath is your anchor — it’s the same tool that will guide you through labour.
• When to book: It’s never too late to start hypnobirthing. I’ve had couples join at 10 weeks and 38 weeks — what matters is feeling calm and prepared.

🌸 If you’re pregnant in Grimsby, this is when my clients tell me they feel things “click.” The fear eases, and confidence starts to take its place.

Final Thoughts — You’re Doing It Already

You don’t need to tick every milestone perfectly or know every date by heart. You just need to remember this: every week, your body is doing something incredible — with or without you micromanaging it.

So whatever stage you’re in — first scan, first kick, or first hospital bag list — take a breath. You’re growing life. You’re already doing the most important thing.

If you’re ready to learn gentle tools to carry that calm into birth, my local hypnobirthing courses in Grimsby are here for you — safe, supportive, and made for real life.