General information about pregnancy
Welcome to the world of eminent parenthood. The miracle of birth starts from the moment the sperm fuses with the egg forming a single cell. Within the next nine months this single cell divides millions of times changing from an embryo to a fetus (also spelled as Foetus) and eventually forms a baby.
A Pregnant women’s body goes through many changes. Though most healthy pregnancies last for approximately nine months, not all babies are born within this exact time frame of prenatal care. The time of delivery is dependent on several factors.
- Whether the mother is carrying twins or triplets (multiple births).
- The health of the fetus
- The health of the pregnant woman.
- The method used to calculate the due date of the baby’s birth.
a. The Naegele’s rule – assumes that the woman has a regular menstrual cycle. The due date is calculated at 40 weeks after the first day of the last period cycle. Hence if your last period started on July 1st 2009, for e.g., your baby would be born on approximately the 7th of April 2010, with a week to give or take.
Click Here To View Pregnancy Due Date Calculatorb. An Ultrasound scan – can be used to measure the growing baby to calculate your due date.
Neither of these two methods are always 100 percent accurate and hence babies can be born a bit early or late. Babies born between the window of 39-41 weeks are considered normal births.
The first time you go for your ultrasound towards the end of second or third month of your pregnancy the doctor or the Sonologist may show your baby on the screen and you will be able to make out the shape. Request him for a picture and most would oblige.
Pregnancy and birth are supposed to be the most amazing events in any couples life. With a lot of information to absorb and several decisions to be made it can sometimes be quite an overwhelming experience.
For convenience, the stages of pregnancy have been roughly divided into three different parts. These are the first, second and third trimester. In this article, we will have a general look at these 3 stages of pregnancy and try to answer some of the immediate questions that arise in the minds of an expecting parent.
1. Is Sauna Safe For Expectant Mothers?
Expecting moms may now safely exercise in warm weather or take short hot baths or sauna without risking elevations in body temperature that might harm the unborn baby, finds a new study. Soon to-be mums can safely engage in up to 35 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, contrary to the popular belief that pregnant women should not participate in these exercises.
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2. One Amino Acid can Improve Birth Outcomes
Pregnant women infected with malaria benefit from L-arginine supplementation, which increases viability and birth weights among the young one's delivered. The amino acid plays a vital role in the synthesis of nitric oxide, which helps in the development of blood vessels in the placenta. â€Imaging of the pregnant mice with malaria was used to confirm how L-arginine supplementation can help reduce inflammation and prompts vascular development in the placenta,†said McDonald et al.
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3. Use of Anesthesia on the Fetus in an Open Fetal Surgery Might be Safe
In second trimester of pregnancy, it has been observed that the baby starts experiencing pain, in response to harmful stimulus and so in case of emergencies or a planned open fetal surgery, the fetus should also be given anesthesia. Open fetal surgery (OFS) is critical surgery for both the mother and fetus. It is generally performed to save the lives of babies with various diagnoses before they are born.
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4. Will Micro-Nutrient Deficiency Risk Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant?
Zinc deficiency could be the reason behind ovulation disorders, which make pregnancy difficult for some couples, finds a new study. This micronutrient deficiency was found to affect egg development negatively.
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"All the time we wondered and wondered, who is this person coming/growing/turning/floating/swimming deep, deep inside" - Crescent Dragonwagon
What's that on the telly?
It's an angel sent from God...
Growing in my belly...
Like a sweet pea in a pod! - Melissa Hatcher
