As you consider if you could be pregnant, keep in mind that some of the symptoms of pregnancy may not be as specific. For example, not everyone will experience the same symptoms or even all of them. Your body will determine some of the symptoms you make, but so will each pregnancy. Therefore, if you suspect you could be pregnant, you may want to find out if it is the case through a home pregnancy test or by seeing your doctor.

Missed Menstruation Period

One of the easiest ways to know you are pregnant is because you have missed your period. Menstruation is a natural occurrence and for most women, it is an even cycle of between 28 and 35 days. If you do have a regular cycle, this could be one of the first symptoms of being pregnant. Of times, though, this is a symptom that is seen later, even after others are present. Nevertheless, for many people, this is the first indication that an individual is in fact pregnant.

Implantation Bleeding

Another sign of pregnancy is implantation bleeding. In fact, this may be one of the very first experiences you have. Implantation bleeding is simply the slight bleeding you may experience when the embryo first implants itself into the uterus. This can happen between six and twelve days after the conception occurs. Implantation bleeding is not heavy like menstruation. Rather, it is usually very light and a very small amount. It also may be bright red. Generally, it does not last long, usually no more than a day or less. In addition to this, you may experience some mild cramping. This should not be alarming to you at this point. You may not even notice this symptom happening.

Other things could be happening instead of implantation bleeding. For example, you could be experiencing menstruation, you may be experiencing some of the side effects of the birth control pill you are taking, or it could be a sign of infection. Sometimes, during intercourse, slight bleeding can be present due to an abrasion. If you are unsure of the bleeding or if it is heavy or extremely painful, it is best to seek out your doctor’s opinion, especially if you believe you could be pregnant.

Swollen Breasts

One of the initial signs of pregnancy happens in the breast tissue. It is here that the body begins to prepare for the baby’s arrival, even in these very early stages of its development. Within two weeks of conception, the breasts begin to change their composition to prepare for the child. You may not notice any changes whatsoever. Many women do feel that their breasts have become tender or even swollen. They may feel sore. You may only feel it if they are touched, too.

Swollen breasts are a good indication of the changing hormones in your body, but they do not always indicate that you are pregnant. In fact, there are several other potential explanations for this symptom. For example, hormonal imbalances can cause this to happen, even without pregnancy triggering them. In addition, some birth control pills can cause this to happen as a side effect. You may also have more tender or slightly swollen breasts if your period is within the next few days, as part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Feeling Tired

All of the changes that take place in the body during the first weeks of pregnancy can really take a toll on the body. The hormonal changes in particular are exhausting. If you feel as if you are tired, even if you seem to be getting enough sleep, this could be an early indication of pregnancy. Fatigue and feeling tired beyond what you normally do can happen within the first week of conception. This is mainly caused from the changes in hormone levels in the body. As all of these changes happen, your body is left to deal with lots of change. The best way for the body to deal with any sort of change is to get more sleep and rest to make up for it.

Of course, being tired is not always a symptom of pregnancy. It could be a symptom of being ill or becoming ill. It could be that you are overly stressed or anxious. You may be facing the early signs of depression, too. Many things can seem like they leave you tired and therefore, being fatigued is not always a good indication of pregnancy. On the other hand, if you experience fatigue regularly and you have any of the other symptoms of early pregnancy, then it may be a good indication that you are in fact pregnant. Talk to your doctor about this symptom early on for advice in dealing with the fatigue.

Morning Sickness

Perhaps most soon to be mothers are looking for the early signs of morning sickness to indicate to them that they are in fact pregnant. One thing to keep in mind is that not all women do experience morning sickness. For some women, morning sickness does not occur until the second or third month of pregnancy. Yet, for many others, it does happen early on. Between the first two and eight weeks of pregnancy, you may notice a feeling of nausea or you may feel as if you are just getting sick. This could be an indication of pregnancy, especially if you do not feel sick otherwise.

From morning sickness to implantation bleeding, there are many signs and symptoms of pregnancy. As you consider your health and well-being, keep in mind that you should inform your doctor of any of the symptoms you do have. For example, if you are very tired, which some new mothers can be, it could be due to a lack of a necessary hormone in the body. Those who are dealing with extreme nausea may need to get some back up help to relieve it. Pregnancy symptoms should be an indication of seeing your doctor.

While pregnancy is a wonderful and magical time, there’s also a fair amount of mess that goes along with the magic.

Morning sickness is one of the most well known and often discussed negative side effects of a pregnancy. In many cases, morning sickness is the messenger that allows women to find out they’re pregnant.

Morning sickness  is a condition that impacts about half of all pregnant women, and is perhaps one of the more uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy. Morning sickness usually takes place in the early hours of the day (hence the name) and tapers off as the day progresses. Morning sickness is usually characterized by mild to severe nausea and vomiting.

Morning sickness usually begins at about the sixth week of pregnancy and lasts until about the twelfth week. No one is quite sure what causes morning sickness, but most doctors believe that it has its root in a variety of factors. Some of the leading theories include:

• An increase in the amount of estrogen. When women become pregnant their production of estrogen can increase by 100 times the normal rate of production. To be sure, there’s no known difference in estrogen levels between women who experience morning sickness and those who do not.
• When women become pregnant, their sense of smell greatly improves. Because their sense of smell is greater, they’re better able to detect foul odors and their sensitivity to them thus increases, which may lead to them becoming more likely to suffer from nausea.
• When women become pregnant their levels of progesterone increase. This increase in progesterone allows the muscles in the uterus to relax, and thus prevents premature birth, but this may also relax pregnant women’s stomach and intestines, thus leading to an excess of stomach acids and gastroesophegal reflux, thus causing nausea and vomiting.
• Morning sickness may also be an evolutionary safeguard that prevents women from eating less healthy foods during pregnancy. Because women suffering from morning sickness have more sensitive stomachs, they’re forced to eat lighter, healthier fare and abstain from unhealthy, greasy foods and substances like alcohol.

Whatever the cause, morning sickness can be quite unpleasant for many pregnant women. In some cases, it can lead to more severe health problems. In a rare number of pregnancies, morning sickness can lead to vomiting severe enough to cause weight loss, dehydration, hypokalemia and alkalosis. This is known as hyperemesis gravidarum and happens in about one percent of all pregnancies. Hyperemesis gravidarum can cause many health complications for a pregnant woman, and may cause some later-in-life health issues for their unborn children.

There are a wide variety of home and medical remedies to morning sickness that can alleviate some of the discomfort this condition causes pregnant women.

Home remedies for morning sickness include:

• Rest. Your body’s going through an exhausting period of change. Sufficient bed rest could help to settle your stomach and make you less likely to become ill.
• Keep snacks by your bedside. Snacking at night has been found to help settle the stomach, and thus keep you from feeling ill when you wake up in the morning.
• Vitamin B6 has been found to be useful in preventing nausea and vomiting in pregnant women.
• Eating or sniffing lemon slices. Ginger and ginger ale has also been found to help prevent nausea and vomiting.

Another home remedy involves avoiding fried, fatty foods. Because of your increased sense of smell, you may find the odor of fried chicken or greasy hamburgers to be nauseating. By just avoiding these foods, you may reduce your chance of being ill.

If home remedies don’t suffice, doctors are able to proscribe a number of anti-nausea medications for morning sickness. The leading anti-nausea medication prescribed for morning sickness is Zofran, a drug that blocks chemical interactions in the body that can cause nausea and vomiting. Other medications include promethazine metoclopramide, and prochlorperazine.

If you suffer from severe morning sickness, take the time to mention it to your doctor. There’s no need to suffer. You should especially seek medical attention if your morning sickness is causing you to become dehydrated or to lose weight. In extremely rare cases, women who are unable to keep any food down must be fed through intravenous methods in order to preserve their health and that of their unborn child.

Despite all the downsides to morning sickness, there may be a silver lining, however. The upside of morning sickness (yes, there is one) is that, according to some studies, women who suffer from morning sickness are less likely to miscarry than women not afflicted with it.

Morning sickness can definitely make pregnancy less enjoyable, but if you’re able to take advantage of the many home remedies or medical alternatives available to alleviate this problem it can be made into a minor annoyance instead of a major inconvenience.

Then buckle up, your emotions are about to take you for a wild ride. The wildly emotional pregnant woman is a stereotype, but like many generalizations, it does have a grain of truth to it. Pregnant women go through a wide variety of ups and downs throughout their pregnancies, some caused by hormones, others caused by living conditions.

This emotional roller coaster can be tough for an expectant mother, and equally, if not more, tough for her partner, who must endure mood swings and outbursts while managing his or her own emotions concerning the pregnancy.

Pregnancy can leave you feeling excited, euphoric, depressed, worried, anxious, angry, proud, upbeat all at once or one after another. These feelings are perfectly normal as you get caught up in the excitement of bringing a new life into the world, and the practical matters such as money, work and lifestyle issues that must be addressed when a baby is born.A major factor that contributes to the wide range of emotions expectant mothers feel during their pregnancies is hormones. It’s a scientific fact that the chemicals in our bodies influence our emotions, and during pregnancy an incredible amount of chemical processes are taking place in the body of the expectant mother. Two major contributors to emotional instability during pregnancy are the increased production of the hormones progesterone and estrogen.

Progesterone plays a big role in pregnancy and levels of this hormone rise dramatically during pregnancy. This hormone helps prevent the uterus from contracting improperly, thus giving the unborn child the opportunity to grow and develop.

Estrogen helps build tissue and directs increased blood flow to the fetus as well as helping the mother develop milk for her soon-to-be born child.

Production of these two hormones can increase more than a hundredfold during pregnancy, so it’s no surprise that this has an impact beyond just physical changes to the expectant mother’s body.

The increase in these hormones are in large part responsible for amping up women’s’ emotions during pregnancy. While doctors aren’t quite sure how estrogen and progesterone influence emotion, they do theorize that the two hormones can have an impact on the brain’s production of serotonin, endorphins and other chemicals in the brain that regulate mood and emotion. An increase or sudden decrease in these chemicals can result in the wildly varying emotions women can feel during pregnancy.

During the first trimester of pregnancy , it’s common for pregnant women to feel cranky and irritable as their bodies begin to change and the fatigue associated with the early stages of pregnancy sets in. While the expectant mother may also feel highs of excitement and elation, she most likely is going to feel some anxieties regarding the stability of her finances and her relationship and possible ambivalence regarding parenthood.

During the second trimester, these negative emotions generally level out as the woman adjusts to her pregnancy and some of the early bodily changes involved in pregnancy are completed. Most women feel an energy bounce as their fatigue subsides and most start getting excited about the impending birth of their child.

In the third trimester of pregnancy, the good feelings continue, but anxieties about the future may increase. Many pregnant women are extremely body conscious during this time, feeling unattractive and undesirable to their partners. They also may worry about the stability of their relationships, their future earning power and how the new baby may interact with his or her siblings.

Partners of pregnant women can feel overwhelmed by the wide range of emotions their partner is displaying. They may feel like they’re constantly walking on egg shells if their partner is prone to angry outbursts, while others may feel constantly guilty if their partner is prone to frequent crying spells. Dealing with their partner’s emotions can be a draining and nerve-wracking experience for them, especially if they feel ambivalent about the pregnancy or relationship. Even the most supportive of partners can feel alienated and frustrated by an overly needy partner with constant demands.

Perhaps the best advice partners of pregnant women can be given is this: be patient. Remember that your partner is experiencing intense physical changes and that these changes may make her cranky, irritable and just plain mean. These changes are not her fault and she does not mean many of the hurtful things she says during this time. Try to listen, and show support. Sometimes the best way to head off an angry or weepy outburst is just to embrace her and tell her that you love her.

Perhaps the best way pregnant women and their partners can deal with her emotions during pregnancy is by keeping an open and honest dialogue about how they feel. By talking about how she feels, a pregnant woman may be able to head off outbursts or get to the root of problems before they blow up into an argument or fight. By being able to express his or her emotions, the partner can vent some of the frustrations he may feel and reassure the pregnant partner of his love and support. Communication is vital to any relationship, and especially to couples embarking on the journey of parenthood together.

Even women who aren’t pregnant can face some very serious health implications from an STD, but in pregnancy these issues become pronounced because of the physiological changes in pregnancies that leave women more vulnerable to infection and disease. The CDC has an excellent information guide regarding pregnancy and About 2 million pregnant women in the U.S. are impacted by STDs each year. Consequences of sexually transmitted diseases contracted by pregnant women can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, cervical and other forms of cancer and other health complications. Pregnancy complications that may occur because of sexually transmitted diseases in pregnancy include premature rupture of the uterine membrane, early labor and uterine infection after childbirth.

STDs are not only dangerous to the health of an expectant mother, they also pose a threat to the health of her unborn child. Unfortunately, STDs can be transmitted from a pregnant woman in a variety of ways and at any time during the pregnancy. Syphilis can be transmitted through the placenta and infect the baby while the child is still in the womb. Gonorrhea, hepatitis B, genital herpes and chlamydia can be passed from the mother to the child in delivery when the child goes through the mother’s birth canal. HIV can be passed at virtually any time during the pregnancy, and even afterward through breastfeeding.

The health complications catching a STD in utero or during delivery can be severe for newborn children. A newborn who has been infected with an STD runs the risk of multiple long term health consequences, such as:

• Stillbirth: Fetal death during delivery or in utero.
• Conjunctivitis: An inflammation of the eyes.
• Low birth weight: This is dangerous for babies because a low birth rate can point to other developmental problems and an inability to thrive.
• Brain damage: Including possible retardation or motor function impairment.
• Neonatal sepsis:This can cause the shutdown of major organs.
• Meningitis: An inflammation of protective membranes surrounding the brain.

These are just a few of the health risks transmitting an STD from mother to child poses to a newborn baby. Some of them will not be detected immediately at birth, and could take years to manifest. Fortunately, with a doctor’s care, many of these potentially life-threatening ailments can be avoided.

Most sexually transmitted diseases can be treated and cured while you are pregnant. Bacterial STDs such as chlamydia, syphillis, gonorrhea and bacterail baginosis can all be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Remember to take the entire course of antibiotics to ensure the infection is completely wiped out.

Herpes and HIV are treatable but not curable, however. Women with HIV can undergo treatment during pregnancy that will greatly reduce the chance of passing the illness to their children, but even with treatment there is a significant risk these newborns will be infected with HIV. Pregnant women infected with genital herpes can also take measures to prevent their children from being infected by this illness. If a woman who has genital herpes is experiencing an outbreak of lesions during the time she is delivering her baby, it is advisable for her to undergo a caesarean section to protect her newborn child from being infected with genital herpes.

At your prenatal doctor’s visit, you’ll be screened for STDs. It’s important that you cooperate with your doctor in this, and in all other stages of your pregnancy. Identifying an STD early means more lead time for you and your doctor to determine your best course of action.

The time of greatest risk to your child of suffering serious health consequences from an STD is during the third trimester of pregnancy. The best protection against STDs is a monogomous, long-term relationship or abstinence. If you’re unsure about the fidelity of your partner, you may want to consider using condoms during sex to protect you and your child from being infected with an STD. Also, get checked for STDs again on a regular basis.

Finding out that you have an STD while pregnant can be a traumatic experience, especially if the infection is the result of a breach of trust in a long-term relationship. It may be difficult for you and your partner to put aside harsh feelings and focus on the upcoming birth of your child. Family or individual counseling is recommended if you discover that you are infected with an STD and that infection is the result of a breach of trust.

Sexually transmitted diseases are always a delicate issue because of the cultural taboos associated with them. But for the sake of your unborn child, and your own health, if you have any doubts about whether you may have an STD, it’s important that you get tested and treated if necessary.

Remember, our emotions are largely regulated by chemical processes going on in our brains, and during pregnancy there’s a lot of hormones and other chemicals racing through your body. It’s no surprise that when pregnancy is over the changes of your body reverting back to normal have an impact on your emotions and feelings.According to research, almost 80 percent of new moms experience some sort of mood disturbance after pregnancy. It could just be a blue day or it could develop into long term feelings of unhappiness, loneliness and lack of affection for your baby, and guilt over these feelings.  The long term baby blues can develop into something known as postpartum depression, a form of clinical depression (meaning an all-encompassing low mood that negatively impacts all or most aspects of a person’s life over an extended period of time).

Postpartum depression  effects about 10 percent of all new mothers and can occasionally develop into something even worse, known as postpartum psychosis. In postpartum psychosis, the mother becomes delusional and can become a threat to herself and others. Caught early enough, this mental illness can be treated with antipsychotic medicine, and the mother can be back to feeling normal within a matter of weeks.

The baby blues tend to strike a few days after delivery and last for a few weeks. They’re characterized by some mood swings, a little anxiety and sadness and trouble sleeping. It won’t impact your ability to take care of your baby, and it’s unrelated to any other form of mental illness.

Postpartum depression is worse. A lot worse. The feelings common to the baby blues take a prolonged stay, and they’re much more pronounced. Over time these bad feelings can impact your ability to take care of your child. In addition to the symptoms of baby blues described above, postpartum depression is also characterized by lack of appetite, loss of sex drive, severe mood swings, withdrawal from family and the baby and occasionally thoughts of harming yourself or the baby.

Postpartum psychosis effects only a very few new mothers, but it is an extreme condition and requires immediate attention. It usually strikes very soon after delivery and in addition to the symptoms of postpartum depression it can include hallucinations, paranoia and attempts to harm oneself or ones baby. Pre-existing mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or psychosis.

Postpartum depression and psychosis have a variety of causes. As mentioned before, chemical changes after pregnancy can have a drastic impact on the emotional state of a new mother. Rapid drops in progesterone, estrogen and cortisol that occur after birth can cause depressed moods and rapid mood swings.

Life circumstances can also cause postpartum depression. Some of these circumstances include loss of job, financial worries, relationship difficulties and a perceived lack of support from family and social services. Unplanned or unwanted pregnancies can also lead to postpartum depression.

If you think you have postpartum depression you should contact a mental health professional if your persistent case of the blues lasts longer than a few weeks and is affecting your ability to care for yourself and your baby. A mental health professional can help you find a way to cope with these feelings and provide your child with the care that he or she deserves.

When diagnosing postpartum depression, a mental health professional will ask you a series of questions designed to gauge the depth of your depression. Blood work may also be done to determine whether an underactive thyroid is contributing to your condition.

Counseling is a good treatment for postpartum depression, but a number of pharmeceutical solutions are available. Antidepressants can be prescribed. While antidepressants are generally frowned upon for pregnant women, there are some that pose minimal risk to mothers breastfeeding their children. Another solution is hormone therapy, which will help you adjust to the reduced hormone production your body assumes when you are no longer pregnant.

Some work you can do on your own to treat postpartum depression is taking care of your appearance, getting plenty of rest, staying connected with family and friends and exercising.

To prevent postpartum depression, inform your health care provider while you’re pregnant about any history of depression you may have. He or she can monitor you for depressive behavior.

With any luck, your postpartum depression will cease to be a problem within a few weeks, allowing you to fully enjoy the new life you’ve brought into this world.

A birth plan, in general, is a simple one page document listing your preferences concerning the birth of your child. It covers several issues, including who will be present at the birth, where the birth will take place, whether anesthetics will be used, etc.Writing a birth plan is a good idea because it gives you, your partner and your health care provider an opportunity to think ahead and settle important issues. It’s also good for your partner, because it allows him to take an active role in the birth and gives him a greater feeling of participation, thus solidifying his bond to you and your new baby.

One of the first concerns you will want to address in your birth plan is the location of the birth. It’s a growing trend among young mothers to give birth in places other than a traditional hospital setting. More and more women are choosing to give birth at home or in specialized birthing centers. These places are considered by some to be more intimate and less sterile and clinical than the traditional hospital setting. As long as your birth is not medically challenging and no special complications occur, a trained midwife can provide a safe birthing experience for you at home or in a birthing center. According to a recent study by the of more than 5000 women giving birth in North America in 2005, home births are as safe as hospital births.

Because you may feel more comfortable at home, you may want to choose a home birth in your birthing plan. However, before choosing this option you should ensure that your midwife has appropriate credentials and also have a back up plan in case hospitalization is needed.

When weighing the home vs. hospital option, be sure to consult with your health care provider. He or she is knowledgeable about the specifics of your pregnancy and can give you a qualified opinion on whether your circumstances dictate that you should be under the care of hospital staff when you give birth.

Another medical factor you will want to consider in your birthing plan is the use of anesthetics. While anesthetics can reduce some of the intense pain some women feel in child birth, some women prefer to limit or eliminate their use in order to more fully participate in the childbirth experience. Once again, this is a decision best left up to you and your health care provider.

Another aspect of your birthing plan should consider who and what you’re going to allow in the birthing room. Remember, you are the one giving birth and you are the one who should be calling the shots concerning who gets to be present at the birth of your child. Allow only those who you feel will make you feel comfortable and supported in the room when it’s your time to deliver. Also the decision of whether or not to video tape or otherwise record the birth of your child is a decision that is yours. If anyone tells you different, tell them that they can do as they please at their own childbirth after they’ve carried around a fetus for nine months.

Bottom line: You’ve done the work, you deserve to have the call on this one.

After deciding who you want present at the birth, you’ll also want to decide on matters such as what activities you will participate in to help the birth along, such as walking, squatting or standing; what position you want to be in to give birth in, and other issues such as whether you and your partner would like to cut the umbilical cord yourselves or have your medical care provider do it.

Like any good plan, you birth plan should consider contingencies. Your birth plan needs to take into account such things as the possible need for a c-section or other medical procedures that may be necessary if complications arise in your labor. It’s important for your birth plan to take into account your wishes if such medical options become necessary.

And like the best plans, your plan should be flexible. Childbirth isn’t a choreographed production, it can be messy and sometimes improvisation is necessary. Being able to go with the flow may be helpful in the face of changing circumstances that may arise.

In summary, a birth plan is extremely advisable because it helps you and your partner get on the same page about your impending childbirth. It also helps to already have an answer for the many questions that can come up during childbirth.

The problems (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/) can range from routine complications, such as morning sickness and cravings, to serious complications such as ectopic pregnancy and placental abruptio. The routine complications can lead to great discomfort in pregnant women, while some of the more serious problems can lead to the death of the baby and the mother if left untreated.According to the World Health Organization, about half a million women die from pregnancy complications each year. About 10 million worldwide suffer some sort of injury or illness as a result of their pregnancies. While the number of women suffering death or injury from pregnancy complications is far smaller in industrialized nations than Third World countries, there still remain a significant number of women who suffer serious adverse health effects from pregnancy each year.

Routine problems of pregnancy are complications that are discomforting, but non-lifethreatening. Nearly every pregnant woman will experience at least one or more of the routine pregnancy complications. Here’s a short list of some of the routine pregnancy complications, and how they’re treated.

• Back pain: As your body grows and changes to carry the extra weight of a child, it’s expected that you will likely experience some back pain. The severity of this pain varies from pregancy to pregnancy and person to person. Back pain in pregnancy is especially common in the third semester of pregnancy, when your center of gravity has shifted because of the impending birth of your baby. Back pain during pregnancy is commonly treated by having the patient receive gentle massages or engage in mild exercise. Acetaminophen has also been found to be helpful. In some extreme cases, prescription pain killers may be distributed to the patient.
• Constipation: Some women may find themselves with a “going concern” during pregnancy. The hormone progesterone, which is produced at a higher level during pregnancy, can act to decrease your bowel motility, thus causing constipation. The common treatments for constipation among pregnant women include eating more fiber, taking stool softeners and taking laxatives.
• Morning sickness: Morning sickness is perhaps one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Morning sickness is characterized by nausea and vomiting in the early hours of the day. It’s caused by a variety of factors, including increased hormone production, dehydration, and an improved sense of smell that occurs in pregnancy. Morning sickness is treated by increased vitamin B6 intake, snacks, rest and anti-nausea medication.

While the routine complications of pregnancy are generally annoying rather than dangerous, there are quite a few problems that can arise during a pregnancy that can put your life and the life of your child at risk. Some of the more severe complications of pregnancy include:

• Ectopic pregnancy: This occurs when a fertilized egg latches on somewhere other than the uterus. Most of these types of pregnancy happen in one of the fallopian tubes, thus causing them to sometimes be called tubal pregnancy. Fallopian tubes are ill-suited to contain a growing child and ectopic pregnancies are either miscarried or must be removed for the health of the mother. Treatments for ectopic pregnancy can include, removing the fallopian tube in severe cases, laproscopic surgery and treatment with medication. About 60 percent of women who have an ectopic pregnancy are able to have a normal pregnancy later.
• Bacterial vaginoisis: This is a pregnancy complication that effects about 10 to 30 percent of all pregnancies. In bacterial vaginosis, there’s an imbalance of the amout of bacteria present in the vagina. This can cause pre-term labor, low birth weight babies or a miscarriage. The condition is characterized by a grayish discharge accompanied by a fishy smell. Treatment includes oral and topical medications.
• Vaginal bleeding: This can occur quite frequently in the first trimester of pregnancy and likely isn’t the sign of a problem. In later trimesters, however, vaginal bleeding can be the sign of a significant problem or impending miscarriage. In the later trimesters, vaginal bleeding can be a sign of placental displacement or an early labor. If you’re suffering from vaginal bleeding during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, you should seek medical care immediately.
• Pre-term labor: This occurs when a pregnant woman goes into labor earlier than she should. Women with cervical or uterine abnormalities and women who have had previous pre-term deliveries run an elevated risk of going into pre-term labor. Lifestyle factors such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking can also contribute to pre-term labor. Treatment of pre-term labor includes medication and extended bed rest to prevent the child from coming too early.

These are just a few of the complications that can arise in a pregnancy. If you feel unusual pains or other odd symptoms, you should seek the advice of your health care provider as soon as possible. Good communication and cooperation between you and your health care provider can help head off major pregnancy complications and ensure the safety of you and your baby.

Miscarriage is the spontaneous abortion of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. Because of the political implications surrounding the term “abortion,” many health care officials use the term “miscarriage” instead of “spontaneous abortion” to refer to the loss of any pregnancy prior to the 20 week mark.According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly 15 to 25 percent of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. The vast majority of miscarriages happen before the 13th week of pregnancy. Most miscarriages are caused by chromsomal abnormalities in the developing fetus, usually caused by a faulty sperm or egg. The abnormalities cause the fetus to become non-viable, and the mother’s body responds by expelling it.

Many miscarriages go unnoticed, because they happen before the pregnancy is even recognized by the mother. Chemical pregnancies, essentially very early miscarriages, account for more than half of all miscarriages. A chemical pregnancy happens when a pregnancy ends shortly after the implantation stage. It generally results in heavier than normal bleeding that happens at about the expected time of the mother’s period. Unless the mother has taken a pregnancy test, chances are that she didn’t even know she was pregnant.

As mentioned before, the great majority of miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.  Other common causes of a first trimester miscarriage include hormonal problems in the mother, collagen vascular disease, diabetes and problems with the mother’s uterus.

Hormonal problems that can cause a miscarriage include a lack of progesterone. Progesterone prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy.

Collagen vascular diseases are illnesses which cause the body to attack it’s own organs. In pregnancy, if a mother’s immune system attacks the unborn child, this can result in a miscarriage.

Some women have abnormalities in their uterus which can cause miscarriage. For example, some women develop a uterine septum which divides the uterus into sections. Unfortunately, the uterine septum has very poor blood flow, and if a fetus implants upon it, there’s a very good chance it won’t receive the development it needs, with miscarriage being the result.

Certain risk factors and lifestyle habits can also contribute to a miscarriage. For example, women who smoke or drink are more likely to have a miscarriage. Also, older women are also more likely to miscarry than younger women. Women in their 20s have a 15 percent miscarriage risk, women in their late 30s have a 25 percent miscarriage risk. Women in their 40s can have up to a 50 percent chance of miscarriage. Caffeine overuse and poor nutrition are also contributing factors to miscarriage.

A miscarriage can be devastating for a woman, especially one who is trying very hard to carry a child. Emotional counseling may be necessary after a miscarriage to work through these feelings before another attempt at having a child is made.

To prevent a miscarriage, women should get as healthy as possible prior to getting pregnant. This means cutting out cigarettes and alcohol, exercising regularly, eating nutritious food and reducing stress. Once becoming pregnant, women should be careful to keep their abdomens safe, continue to avoid cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs, avoid strenuous sports, radiation, x-rays and infection and take folic acid supplements.

Sometimes women undergo what is called a threatened abortion, or signs of a pending miscarriage. This is characterized by cramping and vaginal bleeding. If you feel you are having these symptoms you should seek medical help immediately. Most miscarriages are not preventable once symptoms begin, but if the fetus is viable sometimes they can be headed off.

If you’ve had a miscarriage, it’s very important that you see your doctor. Although in most miscarriages, the women will expel all fetal tissue, in some cases it may be necessary for a doctor to remove remaining tissue. If this is not done, it can pose a very significant threat to the health of the woman.

Treatment for women who have had multiple miscarriages include surgery to correct potential physical problems with the uterus or cervix which may be contributing to the miscarriage. Also some women are given progesterone supplements if their ability to produce this hormone is low. Other women may be ordered to abstain from physical activity and given a regimen of bed rest.

The good news is that once a fetal heartbeat is established, the chance of a miscarriage is reduced to about 5 percent. Also, in cases of an isolated miscarriage, about 90 percent of mothers go on to be able to carry a child to term later.

According to recent studies, more than 60 percent of women who are of childbearing age are overweight, a huge jump from 20 years ago. Women who are overweight have a significantly increased risk factor for having gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. Also at a higher risk are women over the age of 25, and black, Latino, American Indian or Asian. Family history can also reveal risk factors, as women with a genetic predisposition toward diabetes are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects only pregnant women. It’s similar to other types of diabetes in that it impacts how your body handles sugar, the body’s main source of fuel. The condition can cause you to have high blood sugar levels, which are a minimal risk to you, but can have some severe health consequences for your unborn baby.

Gestational diabetes has relatively few symptoms and is usually detected in the course of routine pregnancy screening tests. The condition affects nearly 5 to 10 percent of all pregnant women. There’s no specific cause for the condition, but many researchers believe that the hormones produced by the body during pregnancy increase the mother’s resistance to insulin, resulting in impaired tolerance of glucose (sugar).

Gestational diabetes can pose a number of significant health risks to your unborn baby. The extra glucose in your system can cause your baby to produce extra insulin, resulting in the unborn child growing too large. This can be a problem because babies who are too big are often damaged in delivery, becoming wedged in the birth canal and suffering injuries as they are extracted.

Occasionally, babies of women with gestational diabetes are born with low blood sugar, meaning that the babies’ insulin production is too high. This can be a significant health problem because it can lead to seizures. Frequent and prompt feedings and a glucose IV can help get the babies’ blood sugar levels back up to normal.

Children of mothers with gestational diabetes also often suffer from respiratory problems, such as respiratory distress syndrome. Babies born with this condition may need help breathing until their lungs are more fully developed. Other health problems related to gestational diabetes include jaundice, a condition that occurs when the liver cannot process bilirubin, and developmental delays in walking and other motor skills.

Gestational diabetes mainly impacts children, but there are a few adverse health effects for mothers as well. Some pregnant women suffering from gestational diabetes suffer from preeclampsia, which can result in high blood pressure and significant threats to the health of the mother and baby. Women who develop gestational diabetes are also more at risk to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Another health risk from gestational diabetes is urinary tract infections. Pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes are twice as likely to get urinary tract infections than those who don’t develop the condition.

The best prevention against gestational diabetes is good health and fitness practices. You should try to eat foods that are low in fat and calories. Try to stick to thinks like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but also remember to eat balanced meals with servings from each of the food groups. Exercise is another key component in preventing gestational diabetes in pregnant women. Women who exercise regularly are far less likely to develop gestational diabetes than those who don’t. Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of mild physical activity such as walking or swimming into your daily routine. Being in good shape prior to pregnancy is a good way to prevent gestational diabetes, so if you’re planning to have a baby, take the time in your pre-pregnancy to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits and shed excess pounds.

If you’re pregnant and develop gestational diabetes, don’t panic. There are a number of good treatments for the condition that will allow you and your baby to resolve the issue and be safe. Close monitoring and collaborative work with your health care provider are the keys to treating this condition. If you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’ll probably be asked to check your blood sugar levels several times per day. You’ll do this by taking a small blood sample with a lancet and placing it on a test strip in a blood glucose meter. Depending on your blood sugar, you’ll probably be asked to adopt a healthier diet or to engage in some mild to moderate aerobic exercise. In serious cases, you may be treated with drugs such as glyburide or given insulin therapy.

Gestational diabetes is a cause for concern for pregnant women, but with early detection and proper treatment, it need not be a major worry.

Fortunately, to help you and your doctor make good decisions, the federal government, through the Food and Drug Administration, have labeled most drugs and classified whether they’re safe for pregnant women to take. These labels are very helpful and are the result of millions in public and private research. Not all drugs are so labeled, however, so that’s why it’s still important to consult with your doctor on the subject.When you become pregnant, it’s important to immediately consult with your health care provider about any prescription drugs you may be taken. This includes any antidepressants or other psychotropic drugs you may be taken. The first trimester of pregnancy is an extremely vulnerable time for your unborn child, and the use of some prescription drugs can have lifelong adverse consequences for your baby.

If you are not yet pregnant, but are trying to get pregnant, you may want to consult with your doctor ahead of time to determine what drugs are safe for you to take. By planning ahead, you and your doctor will have more time to find safe alternatives to the drugs you must take, also you’ll have an easier transition to taking reduced doses of your medications, if this is necessary.

When consulting with your health care provider you should also discuss with him or her any over the counter medications you’re taking, as well as any non-traditional or alternative therapies you may be undergoing. Some OTCs and alternative therapies can pose risks to your unborn child, so it’s better that you provide your doctor with as much information as possible so he or she will have all the information he or she needs to help manage your pregnancy.

You’d actually be surprised at what prescription medications can be harmful to an unborn child. For example, consider accutane, it’s a medicine used to treat acne. You might not think it, but the Food and Drug Administration has classified it as one of the most dangerous drugs to unborn children. So as you can see, even drugs that seem harmless could potentially have severe effects on your unborn child.

In some cases, if you have a severe health or psychological problem, you may not be able to cease taking a potentially harmful medication. In cases like these, the best that can be done is mitigation of the potential harm these drugs can cause your baby. Your doctor may reduce your dosage of these drugs, or suggest therapies or other medications that can limit the chance these medications have of harming your child. It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter in these circumstances in order to reduce the risk to your baby as much as possible.

Just because you’re pregnant, you don’t stop getting sick or feeling unwell. Recognizing this, we’ve compiled a list of some common ailments and medications you can safely take to treat them:

• Allergies: For allergies it’s still perfectly safe to take Benadryl. It’s safe and it’ll give you a good night’s sleep.
• Cold and flu: For cold and flu, you can take Tylenol, Sudafed or Robotussin DM. Do not take the multi symptom or sustained action forms of these drugs however.
• Headache: For headache, Tylenol is still safe to take. However, it is important to not take Tylenol or other aspirin during the last three months of pregnancy because of potential complications.
• Nausea and vomiting: While you’re pregnant, it’s still safe to take Emetrol for nausea and vomiting. If it becomes a severe problem, there are prescription medications you can take that are safe.
• Heartburn: For heartburn, it’s still safe to take over the counter medicine such as Maalox, Tums and Mylanta.

While pregnant, you must remember that there is another life that you’re carrying and that your actions have a significant impact on that little person. To ensure that your child has the best start possible in life you should take great care in what you ingest and that extends to prescription drugs. By cooperating with your doctor or health care provider, you can ensure that your medications pose the smallest risk possible to your child.