Pregnancy facts and information – This section covers tips for pregnant women, pregnancy symptoms, growth of the baby, stages of facts and myths, pregnancy diet, dangers to the baby, stages of labour, physical changes and childbirth.
Important pregnancy facts for all expectant mothers !
It is the joy of every woman to get pregnant and bear a child. Pregnancy deals with planning for a family, waiting for nine months for the birth of a child and then watching him grow.
Besides, every mother-to-be must take care to ensure the good growth of the baby while in her womb and must also know about the possible dangers to the baby during delivery and the three different stages of labour.
Every mother and newly wed woman, and even nurses and midwives, will find these pregnancy facts and myths very useful. As a convention, an average pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks or 280 days, from the first day of the last menstrual period.
The father also, has an important role in parenting of the child throughout pregnancy, at child birth and as the child grows up. Since it is very difficult to be sure of the actual date of conception, the conventional method is a convenient way to calculate the expected date of delivery.
Also every pregnant woman must have knowledge about how a baby is to be delivered in an emergency, the principles of breastfeeding, artificial feeding of infants and post natal abdominal exercises to reduce the tummy.
The first three months are the most crucial as the baby’s organs such as heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, etc are formed during this trimester of pregnancy.
When should you take the pregnancy test
You can take most home pregnancy tests three to four days before your missed period. But if you test too early, you’re more likely to get a false negative, where the test says you’re not pregnant but you really are.
Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others. The more sensitive tests may be able to detect low levels of hCG as early as four days before your period is due, or seven days after conception.
Also, information on some common disorders during pregnancy is a vital tool for all pregnant women.
Besides it is important to note that the physical appearance of the newborn baby is generally contrary to the expectation of all mothers-to-be.
The three trimesters of pregnancy
Pregnancy is typically divided into three trimesters. The first trimester is from week one through 12 and includes conception. Conception is when the sperm fertilizes the egg. The fertilized egg then travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the inside of the uterus, where it begins to form the fetus and placenta.
The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). The second trimester is from week 13 through 28. Around the middle of the second trimester, movement of the fetus may be felt.
At 28 weeks, more than 90% of babies can survive outside of the uterus if provided high-quality medical care. The third trimester is from 29 weeks through 40 weeks.
Term pregnancy is 37 to 41 weeks, with early term being 37 and 38 weeks, full term 39 and 40 weeks, and late term 41 weeks. After 41 weeks, it is known as post term.
Babies born before 37 weeks are preterm and are at higher risk of health problems such as cerebral palsy. Delivery before 39 weeks by labor induction or caesarean section is not recommended unless required for other medical reasons.
Changes in the mother
During pregnancy, the woman undergoes many physiological changes, which are entirely normal, including cardiovascular,hematologic, metabolic, renal, and respiratory changes. Increases in blood sugar, breathing, and cardiac output are all required.
Levels of progesterone and oestrogens rise continually throughout pregnancy, suppressing the hypothalamic axis and therefore also the menstrual cycle.
A woman is considered to be in labour when she begins experiencing regular uterine contractions, accompanied by changes of her cervix – primarily effacement and dilation.
While childbirth is widely experienced as painful, some women do report painless labours, while others find that concentrating on the birth helps to quicken labour and lessen the sensations. Most births are successful vaginal births, but sometimes complications arise and a woman may undergo a cesarean section.