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Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the term used to describe when a woman has a growing fetus inside of her. In most cases, the fetus grows in the uterus. Human pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, or just more than 9 months, from the start of the last menstrual period to childbirth.

Pregnancy milestones are usually measured from the date of your last menstrual period and the time since then is called the “gestational age”: e.g. someone who is 10 weeks pregnant is 10 weeks past the first day of their last menstrual period. This can also be referred to as the 11th week of pregnancy, just as someone who is 10 years old is said to be in their 11th year of life.

If a home pregnancy test says you are pregnant or you think you might be pregnant, you should call your health care provider right away! Your health care provider can use a more sensitive test along with an examination to tell for sure if you’re pregnant. Seeing your health care provider early in your pregnancy will help you and your baby stay healthy.

Pregnancy tests look for the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone which is also called the pregnancy hormone. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant.

Types of Pregnancy

A chemical pregnancy is the clinical term used for a very early miscarriage. In many cases, the positive pregnancy test was achieved before the woman’s period was due but a miscarriage occurred before a heartbeat was able to be seen on an ultrasound.

Tubular pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants in tissue outside of the uterus, and the placenta and fetus begin to develop there. The most common site is within a fallopian tube. However, tubular pregnancy can rarely occur in the ovary, the abdomen, and in the lower portion of the uterus (the cervix).

Twin pregnancies, on the other hand are considered risky. There is a possibility of complications for both you and the babies. But there are many women who just sail through twin pregnancies. Considering that since pregnancy involves a risk for every woman, an additional fetus just makes it riskier. Ensure that you keep all your doctor’s appointments and take good care of your health, weight and diet.

A lupus pregnancy, resulting in blood clotting problems and the risk of pre term delivery. Lupus has to do with your immune system as well and can affect vital organs. For most women with lupus, a successful pregnancy can happen.