The concept of being pregnant is hard to wrap our heads around at first. We can read all the books we want, talk to our friends and family, scour all the parenting forums on the internet, and feel like we’ve got a handle on everything to expect.

But then real-life kicks in, and we realize that pregnancy isn’t always following the same pattern for everyone. Some of us think we’ve dodged the symptoms like morning sickness, only to be met with a rough nausea patch every day around dinnertime. Some of us feel bloated early on and don’t know how we’re going to make it through the whole nine months.

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When you’re pregnant, time both flies and stands still all at once. There’s a never-ending list of things to do, but your little one just can’t get here fast enough. Having an accurate due date can help an expecting mom plan and prepare. Finding an accurate due date calculator can help you get the right date on the calendar.

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Hello, hormones! As your baby is busy transforming from a cluster of cells into a full-fledged fetus, surging levels of pregnancy hormones signal to your body that changes and extra work are needed to nourish your developing baby. Pregnancy hormones carry out a vital job, but they can also bring with them some unwelcome side effects, including morning sickness, fatigue and moodiness. In other words, buckle up, because the second month can be a bumpy ride.

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Welcome to your third month of pregnancy, and the last month of your first trimester! Even though there is a lot to celebrate—you're almost done with the first leg of this nine-month journey, after all—you might be feeling too nauseous to do much more than lift your glass of flat ginger ale in salute. While some early pregnancy inconveniences (including morning sickness and food aversions) tend to peak this month, the exciting changes and developments can help take your mind off your problems.

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You are hitting your stride at this pregnancy thing, mama! As your fourth month of pregnancy begins, nausea and fatigue should be on the decline, or will have completely ended. The risk of miscarriage has also dropped, and you might feel more confident sharing your big news with friends and family. You may even notice that a little "baby bump" has appeared.

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Halfway there! If you are wondering "halfway to what," there's a chance that you have developed one of mid-pregnancy's more common side effects: pregnancy brain. Many women experience forgetfulness beginning in their fifth month, with pregnancy hormones most likely to blame for temporary cognitive changes. Something you probably won't forget this month? A chance to see your baby! Routine prenatal care typically includes an in-depth ultrasound scan to check on the development of your baby's heart and other organs, as they are are now all visible.

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Things are usually going so smoothly at the sixth month of pregnancy that Kelly Kasper, M.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Indiana University Health, likes to call it the "coasting" month. "Your baby is big enough that you feel movement every day and your annoying symptoms from the first trimester are gone, but your belly isn't big enough yet to cause you discomfort," she explains. As for how to harness this relative calm, Dr. Kasper suggests that it's a great time to register at a baby store and attend to other projects that might be more difficult to pull off in the months ahead. Just be sure to get help as needed—and skip any heavy lifting!

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Like a first-time marathon runner who has just hit an uphill stretch at mile 19, your third trimester is filled with the thrill of knowing your due date is creeping ever closer, and the reality that you still have some hills to climb to get there. After a smooth second trimester, the seventh month of pregnancy can see a return of the extreme fatigue you might have felt earlier on, plus other pregnancy pains, ranging from backache to uncomfortable pelvic pressure to trouble sleeping. Despite all this, just keep putting one (swollen) foot in front of the other, mama, because the finish line is finally in sight!

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As your eighth month of pregnancy begins, you are probably experiencing a mixture of excitement and nervousness every time you look at the calendar. That totally makes sense—you're almost a mom! There's a lot to think about and do over the next few weeks to prepare for your baby's arrival, but try your best to stay relaxed. Another good idea? Take a childbirth class this month to give yourself a realistic expectation of what to expect during labor and delivery, especially if this is your first baby. A better understanding of what happens during childbirth can help keep you calm and focused as the big day draws near!

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Saw a plus sign on the pregnancy test and freaked out? You're not the only one. Here are nine months' worth of burning pregnancy questions that almost every mom-to-be out there has wondered about.

To put those worrying minds at ease, we asked Dr. Tomekia Lynn Strickland, a board-certified OB-GYN, founder of Concierge Women's Wellness and an attending physician at Cedars-Sinai's Department of OB-GYN, to give us some much-needed answers.

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