Healthy Pregnancy Centre

Archive for July 16th, 2009

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Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations (for example, in the case of twins, or triplets).

Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies. Human pregnancy lasts approximately 9 months between the time of the last menstrual cycle and childbirth (38 weeks from fertilisation). The medical term for a pregnant woman is genetalian, just as the medical term for the potential baby is embryo (early weeks) and then fetus (until birth).

A woman who is pregnant for the first time is known as a primigravida or gravida 1: a woman who has never been pregnant is known as a gravida 0; similarly, the terms para 0, para 1 and so on are used for the number of times a woman has given birth. In many societies medical and legal definitions, human pregnancy is somewhat arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods, as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of fetal development.

The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). During the second trimester the development of the fetus can start to be monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester marks the beginning of viability, which means the fetus might survive if an early birth occurs. Before pregnancy begins, a female oocyte (egg) must join, by male spermatozoon in a process referred to in medicine as “fertilisation”, or commonly (though perhaps inaccurately) as “conception.” In most cases, this occurs through the act of sexual intercourse, in which a man ejaculates inside a woman, thus releasing his sperm.

Though pregnancy begins at implantation, it is often convenient to date from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period. This is used to calculate the Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD). Traditionally (according to Naegele’s rule, which is used to calculate the estimated date of delivery, or EDD), a human pregnancy is considered to last approximately 40 weeks (280 days) from the last menstrual period (LMP), or 37 weeks (259 days) from the date of fertilization. However, a pregnancy is considered to have reached term between 37 and 43 weeks from the beginning of the last menstruation. Babies born before the 37 week mark are considered premature, while babies born after the 43 week mark are considered postmature.

According to Merck, the norm for human pregnancy is that it lasts 266 days from the date of fertilization. This is 38 weeks, or approximately 8 Gregorian months and 22.5 days, or 9.0 lunar months). Counting from the beginning of the woman’s last menstrual cycle, the norm is 40 weeks (the basis for Naegele’s rule).

According to the same reference, less than 10% of births occur on the due date, 50% of births are within a week of the due date, and almost 90% within two weeks. But it is not clear whether this refers to the due date calculated from an early sonograph or from the last menstruation (see further down). Though these are the averages, the actual length pregnancy depends on various factors. For example, the first pregnancy tends to last longer than subsequent pregnancies.

An accurate date of fertilization is important, because it is used in calculating the results of various prenatal tests (for example, in the triple test). A decision may be made to induce labour if a baby is perceived to be overdue. Due dates are only a rough estimate, and the process of accurately dating a pregnancy is complicated by the fact that not all women have 28 day menstrual cycles, or ovulate on the 14th day following their last menstrual period. Approximately 3.6% of all women deliver on the due date predicted by LMP, and 4.7% give birth on the day predicted by ultrasound. The beginning of pregnancy may be detected in a number of ways, including various pregnancy tests which detect hormones generated by the newly-formed placenta. Clinical blood and urine tests can detect pregnancy soon after implantation, which is as early as 6-8 days after fertilization.

Home pregnancy tests are personal urine tests, which normally cannot detect a pregnancy until at least 12-15 days after fertilization. Both clinical and home tests can only detect the state of pregnancy, and cannot detect its age. In the post-implantation phase, the blastocyst secretes a hormone named human chorionic gonadotropin which in turn, stimulates the corpus luteum in the woman’s ovary to continue producing progesterone. This acts to maintain the lining of the uterus so that the embryo will continue to be nourished.

The glands in the lining of the uterus will swell in response to the blastocyst, and capillaries will be stimulated to grow in that region. This allows the blastocyst to receive vital nutrients from the woman. Pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/the-early-signs-of-pregnancy-1027841.html

Surrogacy is an alternate form of reproduction which is employed by couples in cases of infertility or any other medical issue which may curb the chances of the woman in the equation becoming pregnant. Other reasons may arise when a woman although fertile does not wish to become a mother or even in cases of single males or females who intend to become parents.

Surrogacy is the process where a woman agrees to become pregnant on another’s behalf. The woman is either contact by a legally authorised surrogacy agency or even personally. In most cases, the couple in question agrees to bear all costs involving the birth of the child.

Surrogacy might be classified as being of various kinds. First there is straight surrogacy where a biological mother agrees to hand over her child to a couple in lieu of money. In this case, the surrogate mother has to relinquish all claims on the child. The sperm in this case can be from the male counterpart of the commissioning couple or also from a sperm bank. The case type is gestational surrogacy which is also the host method. In this scenario the surrogate is the carrier who tends to the embryo that has been transferred to her womb. In this case, she is not the mother of the child to be born. The third kind is altruistic surrogacy when the surrogate receives no financial reward for bearing the child. In this case the intended parents only bear expenses like medical bills or cost of the hospital where the delivery takes place. The final kind of surrogacy is of the commercial kind. In this scenario, the surrogate agrees to carry the child for the intended couple or single parent in lieu of a financial reward. In addition to this the benefiting parents also bear all expenses that are incurred during the process of the pregnancy. Commercial surrogacy has been made legal in most countries. In other countries there are laws present concerning adoption issues of surrogate children also in cases of violation of agreement by any party.

Surrogates can be the friends or relatives or acquaintances of the commissioning parents or parent. However, this practice is generally looked down upon in countries like India. In India most surrogates belong to the lower classes. They do this because of income issues and in order to run their households. Many countries also have legally binding agencies who arrange surrogates for people. These agencies also help people find their perfect match by offering options. The agency charges money for such work.

Surrogacy was earlier looked down upon as a debauched practice. It however, gained popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century when the practice became fairly popular in the United States. In fact one can also find references of this practice in the Book of Genesis. Surrogacy is now becoming a viable alternative for childless people.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/surrogacy-a-growing-trend-1042169.html

During the 6 weeks of pregnancy may begin to experience increased Symptoms of Pregnancy, such as anxiety and aversion of food - the morning sickness. The embryo at this stage is 0.08 to 0.16 inches long, and the structures and organs are more defined. Pregnancy week by week progresses - at 6 weeks, you start to experience more symptoms of pregnancy. Your baby’s heart is beating in a normal pattern. Physical signs of the stages of pregnancy can include nausea, extreme fatigue, sore and tender breasts. At this stage, your own health care is very important.

Pregnancy week by week shows that the embryo is growing rapidly and other symptoms of pregnancy include a frequent need to urinate. Although these symptoms in the early stages of pregnancy and which are more severe during 6 weeks, due to the rapid growth of the embryo. Therefore, adequate health care for the pregnant mother is absolutely essential.

Part of your care during pregnancy, especially when they are 6 weeks pregnant should drink plenty of water, such as morning sickness can occur anytime, even during the day. During the stages of your pregnancy, you should be aware that alcohol, nicotine and drugs should be avoided completely. Some of the symptoms of pregnancy include food cravings, your breasts growing larger and a slight weight gain. As the pregnancy progresses week to week, your baby’s heartbeat is different and the spine and head are beginning to form.

During pregnancy, your health care should include a high protein diet which includes soy, milk, cheese and fish, yogurt, fruit juice and cereals. Try to avoid fried foods and fats. If your pregnancy symptoms include nausea, try taking your vitamins with citrus juice, but do not cut their vitamins. Pregnancy in the 6th Week and right through the stages of pregnancy should include light exercise such as walking, aerobics or yoga, but always consult your physician.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/pregnancy-pregnancy-in-the-sixth-week-1043040.html