High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, thyroid disease, heart or blood disorders, poorly controlled asthma, and infections can increase pregnancy risks. Pregnancy complications. Various complications that develop during pregnancy can pose risks.
Extreme weight gain of 1 kg per week can indicate serious health problems, such as pre-eclampsia. The main symptom of this pregnancy-related condition is high blood pressure. This is sometimes accompanied by nausea, headaches and dizziness too. Pre-eclampsia can be life-threatening to both mother and child.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking certain "street" drugs during pregnancy. Having certain medical conditions, such as obesity or uncontrolled diabetes, before and during pregnancy. Taking certain medicines. Having someone in your family with a birth defect.
Certain health conditions increase the risk for complications during pregnancy, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and HIV. Pregnancy with twins or other multiples. Women who are expecting more than one baby are at increased risk for preeclampsia and preterm birth.
It is during this first trimester that the fetus is most susceptible to damage from substances, like alcohol, drugs and certain medicines, and illnesses, like rubella (German measles). During the first trimester, your body and your baby's body are changing rapidly.
Blurry or impaired vision. Unusual or severe stomach pain or backaches. Frequent, severe, and/or constant headaches. Contractions, where your stomach muscles tighten, before 37 weeks that happen every 10 minutes or more often.
But it's important to be aware of symptoms of overexertion in pregnancy and make sure you aren't overdoing it. Overheating is one risk, and symptoms like dizziness, a headache, or chest pain while working out can signal a health problem or pregnancy complication.
Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).
Certain uterine conditions or weak cervical tissues (incompetent cervix) might increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers. Heavy alcohol use and illicit drug use also increase the risk of miscarriage.
Even if a complication associated with low hCG levels occurs, such as a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, this does not mean that someone will be unable to get pregnant again or that their fertility is compromised. A successful pregnancy is still possible with low hCG levels.
You might wonder whether bending over when pregnant can squish your baby. The chances of something happening to your baby as a result of you bending over are next to none. Your baby is protected by amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant and working, you may want to reduce or avoid: Stooping, bending, or squatting often. Lifting heavy objects from the floor or any location that requires you to bend or reach. Lifting overhead or reaching.
Sleep should never be seen as a luxury. It's a necessity — especially when you're pregnant. In fact, women who are pregnant need a few more hours of sleep each night or should supplement nighttime sleep with naps during the day, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Boys' and girls' genitals develop along the same path with no outward sign of gender until about nine weeks. It's at that point that the genital tubercle begins to develop into a penis or clitoris. However, it's not until 14 or 15 weeks that you can clearly begin to see the differentiated genitalia.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women, usually during the second half of pregnancy (from 20 weeks) or soon after their baby is delivered.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period. Your body also undergoes major changes during the first trimester.
Even though it's called morning sickness, it can last all day and happen any time of day. At least 7 in 10 pregnant women have morning sickness in the first trimester (first 3 months) of pregnancy. It usually starts at about 6 weeks of pregnancy and is at its worst at about 9 weeks.
1. Birth Defects (78%) Reality Check: About 97 of every 100 babies born in the U.S. arrive without a major birth defect, such as spina bifida or Down syndrome. That's the optimist's way of viewing the 3 percent risk of delivering a baby who does have one.
More than 80% of miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, the rate decreases rapidly (Dante et al, 2013; Houry and Salhy, 2014).