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Pregnancy
and Childbirth
Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting and anxious times in a
woman's life. It is a period of constant change for both the
woman
and the baby within. The beginning of pregnancy can 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, as early as 6 to 8 days
after fertilization. Home pregnancy tests are personal urine tests
which normally cannot detect a pregnancy until at least 12 to 15 days
after fertilization. Both clinical and home pregnancy tests can only
detect the state of pregnancy and cannot detect its age.
Signs of being pregnant can start to appear within the first few weeks.
The degree to which pregnant women experience the various symptoms
varies from woman to woman. Some women experience no symptoms
at
all.
Traditionally the length of a human pregnancy is considered to
be 280 days from the last menstrual period
(approximately 40
weeks) or 266 days (38 weeks)
from the date of fertilization. A pregnancy is considered
to reach
term between 37 and 43 weeks from the beginning of the
last menstrual period. Babies born before the 37 week mark are
considered premature, while babies born after the 43 week mark are
considered postmature.
These are only averages. The actual length of pregnancy depends on
various factors. The first pregnancy tends to last longer than
subsequent pregnancies. Fewer than 10% of births occur on the due date.
Only 50% of births are within a week of the due date and almost 90% are
within two weeks of the due date. The due date is typically calculated
as 40 weeks from the last menstrual period.
Due dates are usually only a rough estimate. The process of accurately
calculating a due date is complicated by the fact that not all women
have regular 28-day menstrual cycles or ovulate on the 14th day
following their last menstrual period. An early sonograph can determine
the age of the pregnancy fairly accurately. An accurate date of
fertilization is important because it is used in calculating the
results of various prenatal tests.
Pregnancy is typically broken into three periods, or trimesters, each
about three months. Trimesters are useful for describing the changes
that take place over the course of the pregnancy and reference the
different stages of prenatal development.
The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural
death of the embryo or fetus). During the second trimester, the
development of the fetus can be more easily monitored and diagnosed.
The third trimester often approximates the point of viability, or the
ability of the fetus to survive, with or without medical help, outside
of the uterus.
Prenatal development is divided into two primary biological stages. The
first is the embryonic stage which lasts for about two months. After
this point, the fetal stage begins. and the risk of miscarriage
decreases sharply. All major structures including hands, feet, head,
brain, and other organs are present, and they will continue to grow and
develop. The fetus is typically about 30 mm (1.2 inches) in length. The
heart can be seen beating via sonograph. The fetus bends the head and
makes general movements that involve the whole body. Brain stem
activity has been detected as early as 54 days after conception, and
the first measurable signs of EEG activity occur in the 12th week.
Birth occurs approximately 40 weeks from the last
menstrual
period.
Childbirth is the process by which an infant is born. It is considered
by many to be the beginning of a person's life. Age is defined relative
to this event in most cultures.
A woman is considered to be in labor when she begins experiencing
regular uterine contractions accompanied by changes of the cervix in
preparation for the vaginal birth. While childbirth is widely
experienced as painful, others find that concentrating on the birth
helps to quicken labor and lessen the pain of the contractions.
Modern drugs can make the pain very tolerable in childbirth
labor. It is possible to have an epidural as soon as true
labor
begins which will take you through your childbirth labor process
feeling barely any pain at all. You could find that through
breathing and relaxation exercises, you are able to tolerate the pain
of childbirth without medication.
Most births are successful vaginal births. Sometimes complications
arise and a woman will undergo a caesarean section. Some
women
choose to have a caesarean section.
Learning all you can about the process of labor and delivery can help
you prepare for childbirth. Many women find
that Lamaze or
childbirth classes ease their minds by helping them learn what to
expect. Having a childbirth coach with you, such as
your
husband, significant other, or close friend can help you
immensely
throughout the childbirth process.
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