Crucial Things You Need to Know About Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy

When the fertilized ovum successfully implants itself on the uterine wall one is identified as pregnant. A full pregnancy term consists of three trimesters which last a total of forty weeks on average.

Pregnancy is affected by many factors that might result in late or early onset of labor and birth. A healthy pregnancy is characterized by proper and timely prenatal care which results in the birth of a healthy baby.

Fully understanding how the entire pregnancy period will be is essential as it helps in monitoring your wellbeing as well as that of the baby throughout the pregnancy. In Winter Park, pregnancy can be detected by the use of specific symptoms that might occur even before a blood test of HCG strip can confirm. Preventative measures such as the use of contraceptives are easily and readily accessible for those who do not wish to get pregnant.

Symptoms that indicate pregnancy

There are a number of symptoms and signs that women experience even before taking a pregnancy test that indicates one might be pregnant. Some symptoms will appear within the first few weeks while some occur when the pregnancy has advanced. The first definite sign that you might be pregnant is a missed menstrual cycle. This is one of the basic signs that you are pregnant but it does not always mean it’s true especially for women who experience irregular periods.

There are other health conditions that can result in you missing or getting your period late. Persistent headaches are also commonly associated with pregnancy. The headaches are a result of hormonal imbalances and tend to be quite painful. Spotting or light bleeding is experienced by some women during early pregnancy.

The spotting is caused by the implantation process which takes place seven to fourteen days after fertilization has taken place. Other things that can cause spotting include irritation or infection on the cervix. Spotting should be taken seriously as sometimes it indicates complications with the pregnancy like placenta previa, miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.

Other Symptoms

Weight gain, constipation, cramps, heartburn, insomnia, change in the breasts, depression, back pain, anemia, hip pain, acne, vomiting, diarrhea, and stress are other symptoms that occur during the initial stages of pregnancy.

It is however not advisable to base your pregnancy claims based on these symptoms only without verifying with relevant tests. The most suitable methods to verify if you are pregnant are the use of a home test kit or a blood test in the laboratory.

Stages of pregnancy

Pregnancy on average is expected to last nine months or an average of 40 weeks. The full-term pregnancy is divided into three phases namely the first, second and last trimester. Each trimester consists of distinctive milestones that are covered by both the mother and child.

During the first trimester, the baby develops rapidly with important organs like the spinal cord, brain, and other organs developing. In the second trimester, the baby’s reproductive system is developed and you can easily be identifying the sex by use of an ultrasound.

At this stage, you can feel the baby can move around and kick. In the last trimester, the baby is fully formed and can even sense certain aspects like light or darkness. Each pregnancy differs from the next but the developments take place within the estimated time frame.