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.

Once conception takes place, the first of the three pregnancy stages is called the first trimester. Most women discover that they are pregnant by the time they're about halfway through this stage. Common pregnancy symptoms like fatigue, morning sickness or frequent urination begin to appear at this time. The first trimester lasts for three months.

The next pregnancy stage is the second trimester. During this trimester -- months three through six -- your stomach will grow larger and you will start to "show" the pregnancy. By this time, it can often become difficult to sleep, or even to just be comfortable while lying down.

At this moment during the second trimester your baby will begin kicking. As he or she does so, you may feel these motions. Some women find them alarming, but they are a sign that the baby is active. At the end of this trimester, baby will be around 10 inches long and begin to develop hairs.

In the third trimester, the baby is fully formed, 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 now-large stomach.

One should start taking birthing and breastfeeding classes during the third stage of the three pregnancy stages. In order to learn proper breathing, having a partner is useful. Watching birth videos at this stage helps in knowing what to expect. A discussion with your obstetrician as regards to joining classes and obtaining videos will be of considerable help.

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.

At the time of 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 options and resources.