Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy causes many changes in the body. It is normal to gain weight during pregnancy due to the presence of amniotic fluid (fluid surrounding the baby), placenta, and the baby itself. Because every pregnant woman’s weight gain journey is different, there are no official guidelines for how much weight you should gain. The most important […]

Top 10 Signs of Miscarriage Discussing miscarriage is not a pleasant topic at any time, but knowing the signs can possibly help to prevent one as well as provide comfort in the case of unpreventable pregnancy loss. Cramping There are many abdominal sensations, including cramping, that are perfectly normal in pregnancy. Strong cramps that have […]

Life after Miscarriage Nothing is quite as joyous as finding out that wanted baby is on the way. This initial joy evaporates into a pain that is unlike anything else when things don’t go as planned. A miscarriage steals away the hopes and dreams of expectant parents just when their happiness is at its zenith. […]

Pregnancy Complications Most pregnancies are uneventful and all goes as planned. However, there are many women that suffer from various complications during their pregnancies, which can be confusing and frightening. Find out what you are faced with if you are diagnosed with any of the pregnancy complications below. Find out what symptoms to be aware of and […]

When to Call the Doctor During Pregnancy It’s normal to have anxiety during your pregnancy about the physical changes you’re experiencing. So many of these sensations during pregnancy can seem ambiguous: Is light spotting during early pregnancy normal, or is it a sign of an early miscarriage? Is a nagging headache just from stress, or […]

Preterm Labor A term pregnancy is defined as one in which birth occurs between 37 weeks and 42 weeks pregnant. If birth occurs before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy, it is considered preterm. Babies who are born this early often have low birth weight — they weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds […]

Anemia During Pregnancy What Causes Anemia in Pregnancy and Who’s at Risk? Anemia during pregnancy is caused by a decline in the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin plays a crucial role in the transport of oxygen to body tissues. The reason hemoglobin concentrations tend to decrease during pregnancy is due to an increase […]

Preeclampsia Symptoms (Toxemia) What are the symptoms of preeclampsia (toxemia)? Women who develop preeclampsia may not have any symptoms to start. By the time obvious symptoms appear, the condition is often advanced. In some women, the first sign of preeclampsia (toxwemia) may be a sudden weight gain-— more than 2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) in […]

Post-Term Pregnancy What Causes It and Who’s at Risk? In about 80 percent of all pregnancies, birth takes place between 38 and 42 weeks. About half of the remainder, or 10 percent, are preterm (end before 37 weeks), and the other 10 percent or so last beyond 42 weeks. These latter pregnancies — those lasting […]

Placenta Problems: Placenta Abruption and Placenta Previa The placenta is an organ unique to pregnancy. Throughout pregnancy, it acts as a transport service between the mother and the baby. The placenta transfers oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s bloodstream to the baby and carries fetal waste products in the opposite direction. In the third trimester, […]

Pregnancy Morning Sickness and Nausea What Causes Nausea During Pregnancy and Who’s at Risk? Pregnancy Morning Sickness or Hyperemesis gravidarum, the medical name for excessive vomiting in pregnancy (hyper means “over”; emesis means “vomiting”; gravidarum means “pregnant state”), affects about one in every 300 pregnant women. This condition is defined as vomiting that is frequent, […]

Signs of Miscarriage What Are the Signs of Miscarriage? Miscarriage, technically called spontaneous abortion, is defined as the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. It has been estimated to occur in up to 20 percent of all pregnancies. The actual number, however, is probably higher. Many miscarriages occur very early, going unnoticed […]

Intrauterine Growth Retardation Each year in the United States, as many as 40,000 babies are born at term with a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams (less than 5 1/2 pounds). Because of less-than-optimal conditions inside the uterus, these babies did not grow as rapidly as they should have during pregnancy, a problem known […]

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms What Causes Gestational Diabetes and Who’s at Risk? Diabetes is a condition in which the levels of blood sugar, or glucose, are not properly regulated. It is related to a hormone called insulin, which controls glucose levels. In one type of diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin. This is the […]

Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilized egg attaches itself in a place other than inside the uterus. Almost all (more than 95 percent) ectopic pregnancies occur in a fallopian tube; hence the term “tubal” pregnancy. Rarely, the egg may implant elsewhere, such as in the abdomen, ovary, or cervix. […]

Cervical Dilation A cause of miscarriage and preterm birth in the second and third trimesters, cervical incompetence is a condition in which the cervix begins to open (dilate) and thin (efface) before a pregnancy has reached term. In a woman with cervical incompetence, dilation and effacement of the cervix occur without pain or uterine contractions. […]

Bleeding During Pregnancy Although miscarriage is less common in the second trimester than in the first, a risk still exists. As with first-trimester miscarriage, vaginal bleeding is the chief sign of miscarriage in mid-pregnancy. Report any bleeding during your second trimester to your doctor. Report moderate to heavy bleeding during mid-pregnancy as soon as possible, because it […]

Pregnancy Complications   Premature Labor Premature or preterm labor is when a woman goes into labor before the 37th week of pregnancy, or three weeks before her due date. The earlier pre-term labor is spotted and treated, the better chance of stopping it. When symptoms go untreated, the cervix may open and cause an early […]