The human life cycle begins with a woman's pregnancy. That is how humans reproduce. Human reproduction is essential for the continuance of the human species. Even if pregnancy is a very natural thing, there are a lot of things moms and dads-to-be should be aware of if planning a baby. Starting from choosing the right time for having it, to conceiving, through carrying a baby, to delivering a healthy baby.
In this lesson, we are going to learn about PREGNANCY. We will try to understand:
To be able to better understand this lesson, we will first introduce the key terms.
| KEY TERMS | |
| Gestation | Gestation is the period of time between conception and birth. |
| Conception | Conception is the time when sperm travels up through the vagina, into the uterus, and fertilizes an egg. |
| Period | The part of the menstrual cycle when a woman bleeds from the vagina for a few days. |
| Uterus | Major female hormone-responsive, secondary sex organ of the reproductive system in humans and most other mammals. |
| Fertilization | The process when a sperm fuses with the female act during intercourse and further forms an egg that gets implanted in the uterus of the female. |
| Sperm | A cell that is produced by the male sexual organs and that combines with the female's egg in reproduction. |
| Ovary | Small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus. |
| Ovulation | The process in which a mature egg is released from the ovary, which is then able to be fertilized for about 12 to 24 hours after it's released. |
| Embryo | The early stage of development of a multicellular organism. |
| Fetus | The unborn offspring of an animal, that develops from an embryo. |
| Contraception | Methods for preventing pregnancy which may work in a number of different ways. Also known as birth control. |
Pregnancy, also known as gestation, is the time during which one or more babies develop inside a woman. It happens when a sperm (the male reproductive cell) fertilizes an egg (the female reproductive cell) after it's released from the ovary during ovulation, through sexual intercourse. The fertilized egg then travels down into the uterus, where implantation occurs. Implantation is when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. A successful implantation results in pregnancy. Not the same day of sexual intercourse, a woman becomes pregnant. It is because:
After the implantation, symptoms of early pregnancy are expected. Symptoms of early pregnancy can include a missed period, an increased need to urinate, swollen and tender breasts, fatigue, morning sickness, and others.
Another way pregnancy occurs is through assisted reproductive technology procedures. One of several techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby is In vitro fertilization (IVF). During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop.
Pregnancy should be confirmed with a pregnancy test, which can be done on either urine or blood.
After getting a positive pregnancy test, pregnancy should be followed by health professionals, who usually are:
The health care that a woman gets while pregnant is called prenatal care. Prenatal care may include taking extra folic acid, avoiding drugs, tobacco smoking, alcohol, taking regular exercise, having blood tests, and regular physical examinations.
Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby's brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida).
Single pregnancy means there will be a baby. But, not always only one baby is a result of pregnancy. Sometimes two or more babies are born from one pregnancy. That is the case in multiple pregnancies. How's that possible?
Sometimes more than one egg is released during the menstrual cycle. If that happens, and each egg is fertilized by a sperm, more than one embryo may implant and grow in the uterus. This will result in a pregnancy with fraternal twins (twins that have developed from two/more fertilized eggs), or sometimes more. Or, multiple pregnancies can occur if a fertilized egg splits. When a single fertilized egg splits, it results in multiple identical embryos. This type of pregnancy results in identical twins (or sometimes more). Identical twins are less common than fraternal twins.
Pregnancy normally lasts from 37 weeks to 42 weeks from the first day of the last period, with an average of 40 weeks, or a little more than 9 months. The pregnancy is measured from the first day of the last menstrual period, even though ovulation and conceiving happen after two weeks of the first day of the menstrual period.
Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. Each trimester lasts approximately 3 months.
During these periods a lot of changes happen in the development of the embryo/fetus.
When a woman is around 40 weeks pregnant, she will deliver the baby. Childbirth, also known as labor or delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies leave the uterus by passing through the vagina or by Cesarean surgery. Labor is the process of childbirth, starting with contractions of the uterus and cervical dilation (opening of the cervix, the entrance to the uterus), and ending with the delivery of the baby. Childbirth delivery options include natural unassisted childbirth, assisted childbirth, and delivery by Cesarean surgery (C-section).
But, no two women, nor two pregnancies, are the same. Some babies will naturally arrive early, others late, without any major complications.
Health practitioners once considered “term” to be from week 37 to week 42. But the risk of complications is lowest from week 39 to week 41.
If born before week 37, babies are considered “preterm” or “premature” babies. If born before week 28, babies are considered “extremely premature.”
If babies are born before they are 24 weeks old, their chance of surviving is usually less than 50 percent. Some infants are born before 24 weeks gestation and do survive.
Sometimes, premature birth is planned because it's safer for the mother, or baby, or both. This could be because the mother or baby has a health condition.
If pregnancy lasts more than 42 weeks, it is called post-term (past due). While there are some risks in a post-term pregnancy, most post-term babies are born healthy.
Can you calculate your pregnancy due date?
Yes, you can. The most common way to calculate your pregnancy due date is by counting 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). And that's how most healthcare providers do it.
Not every pregnancy results in delivering a live, healthy baby. A pregnancy may end in a live birth, a spontaneous miscarriage, an induced abortion, or a stillbirth.
These are normal pregnancies where the fetus or fetuses implant inside the uterus. The placenta is attached to the inside of the uterus, to the uterine muscle.
Ectopic pregnancies occur when the fertilized egg implants in a place other than the fallopian tube or uterus. It can be in the neck of the uterus or in the abdomen. The pregnancy is not viable and the body will most likely spontaneously abort the fetus.
Tubal pregnancies occur when the fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. These pregnancies are not viable and must be terminated if a miscarriage does not naturally occur.
Pregnancies for women with lupus (auto-immune disease) can be complicated by blood clotting.
A molar pregnancy occurs when an egg and sperm join incorrectly at fertilization and a noncancerous tumor forms instead of a healthy placenta. The tumor, or mole, cannot support a developing embryo, and the pregnancy ends.
Women with some health conditions that affect pregnancy or those pregnant with multiples, may be considered high-risk due to increased risk of pregnancy complications.
Sometimes a mother experiences abnormal symptoms during pregnancy. That could be a sign that something's wrong with her or with the baby. The best way to find out if anything is abnormal with the pregnancy is by consulting the doctor and informing him about the symptoms and worries. Doctors can provide an accurate diagnosis and give professional advice. And what are the types of symptoms that could be classified as indicative of an abnormal pregnancy?
Pregnancy might be planned when couples want to have a baby/babies. But sometimes pregnancies are mistimed, unplanned, or unwanted at the time of conception. Those are considered unintended pregnancies.
When a baby is not in a plan, the best way to prevent pregnancy is to use contraception during sexual intercourse. Sexual activity without the use of effective contraception is the greatest reason for unintended pregnancy.
Contraception means birth control. It can be also called anticonception, and fertility control. It is a method or device used to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only became available in the 20th century.
Temporary methods of contraception include:
Permanent methods of contraception include:
There are some things that are recommended during the pregnancy, but there are also some things that pregnant women should avoid or don't do. Let's see some of them.
Do's:
Don'ts
