Pregnancy
Medical tests such as a pregnancy ultrasound can help your health care provider monitor your baby's development, while more specialized pregnancy tests such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can help detect conditions such as Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
In our section devoted to pregnancy, learn more about these types of pregnancy tests as well as the importance of prenatal care. Also get information about pregnancy discomforts and multiple pregnancies.
Determining Your Baby’s Health
A considerable number of pregnancies are unplanned. In fact, around 50% or 1 in 2 of women falls pregnant without having planned to have a baby.
In such cases, it is impossible for couples to have a full health evaluation before trying for a baby in order to assess their genetic health and determine whether the baby they conceive will inherit any family diseases.
However, for the couples who are planning and trying for a baby, there is what is known as preconception genetic testing- this is ideal if you want to try to ensure the baby conceived is free of certain chromosomal abnormalities and hereditary diseases.
Your doctor or prenatal care specialist will first and foremost assess you and your partner’s family medical history to see whether there are any illnesses which seem to run in the family. Further to this, they may suggest carrying out genetic health testing to see whether you and your partner carry the disease causing gene.
Following this, they will discuss the likelihood of the disease being passed on to the baby, any likely complications and so forth. Couples can then decide, based on the risk evaluation, whether to have a baby of their own and adopt.
Prenatal Testing
A range of screening tests including ultrasounds are used to indicate whether there is anything wrong with the baby and monitor the health of the baby closely as pregnancy advanced.
Unfortunately, when it comes to certain conditions such as Down syndrome, a screening test such as an ultrasound will not provide a confirmation. So, if any traits associated with Down syndrome are spotted during a routine ultrasound, the expectant mother may be advised to undergo an amnio.
Amniocentesis and other diagnostic tests such as CVS carry certain risks such as miscarriage or injury to the fetus’ limbs. Pregnant women may be given the option of non invasive prenatal testing which is carried out with 0 risk using just blood samples from the mother.
The fact that the test is done using blood samples collected from the mother means that, unlike amniocentesis or CVS, there is not puncturing of the amniotic sac or tissue biopsy. Non invasive prenatal testing is offered also for paternity and a number of companies, including Genetic Testing Laboratories. The test is done using a kit and blood collection tubes. The blood is collected by a medical blood draw and a medical professional will need to do this.
Prenatal Care, Stages of Pregnancy and Teen Pregnancy
Taking care of your health is essential to the well being of your growing baby. Prenatal care means finding the right care giver for you as well as attending regular prenatal medical checkups.
Here you'll also find information on finding a doula and midwife, as well as questions to be sure to ask your health care provider.
Welcome To Pregnancy. Are You Ready?
Learn about the stages of pregnancy and follow your baby's development with our very own pregnancy calendar. Discover how to calculate your baby's due date and find fun ideas on how to announce your pregnancy.
Also get information about the what your baby may look like week to week during your pregnancy and find out more about the differences in your body and your pregnancy during the different trimesters of pregnancy.
Teen pregnancy brings with it its own unique set of challenges. Learn about pregnancy myths and facts as well as teen pregnancy statistics. Here you'll also find advice on how to tell your parents that you are pregnant and about your options after your pregnancy is over.
Pregnancy Discomfort And Multiple Pregnancy
Experiencing discomfort during pregnancy is something all moms-to-be go through.
Learn about how to alleviate common pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, cramps and swelling, as well as how to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and varicose veins.
Eating for more than two? Being pregnant with twins or multiples is an exciting time for moms-to-be that can also bring with it special concerns.
Learn about staying healthy during a multiple pregnancy as well as information on how to reduce the risk of complications.
If you're a mom-to-be, working during pregnancy can be a challenge. Find out about how to stay safe from workplace hazards for pregnant moms as well as how to talk to your boss about going on maternity leave.
Staying Healthy During Pregnancy
Don't forget the importance of a healthy diet and exercise to your growing baby. Discover easy tips on eating right and staying fit during your pregnancy so that both you and baby stay healthy!
One common concern moms-to-be have is about sex during pregnancy. Learn about when sex during pregnancy can be unsafe and about comfortable sex positions, as well as changes in your libido during pregnancy.
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Hello, i wanted to share with you guys my story and hopefully someone can answer my question. I am 20 years old and a few months ago in October I had sex for the first time and we did not use protection. 3 days later I went to my doctor and took a pregnancy test and it came out negative but she told me it was too early to know for sure and to go back in 2-3 weeks. I was also bleeding because it was my first time having sex and she said that was normal. I got my period a week after having sex but my period has always been irregular. I never went back because I was busy with school and work. Two weeks later I took a pregnancy test bc I was feeling nauseous and throwing up a little bit and I was not getting hungry. The test came out negative so I thought okay I’m not pregnant. Then I started to notice that my stomach was starting to look different and I was getting fatter. So two weeks ago I took another pregnancy test from CVS and it came out negative. I’ve been going out with friends drinking because you know, the test came out negative. I still haven’t gotten my period and my stomach is still looking different than the usual. I’ve been getting weird cramps around my uterus and today I noticed that I have this light line coming down my belly button and I googled it and it says that only pregnant women get it. My stomach looks kind of round but maybe I’m just paranoid? If both test came out negative why do I have the linea nigra coming down my stomach? I have an appointment with my doctor in two weeks and I’m scared bc what if I am pregnant and I was drinking?
Hello everyone, I wanted to share my story with you all. Long 5 years back, I was a woman fighting with infertility. I had a severe accident. A bike hit me when I was 7 weeks pregnant. It took my baby. Losing my baby was not easy. It seemed that I have lost my happiness forever. Doctors told me that this miscarriage had made me infertile. It was a ground shaking experience. But then my husband took a step. We went to a clinic in Europe. They gave me mental relief. And told me to go for surrogacy. They found a good surrogate. And today I have a beautiful baby girl.
Someone help me I missed my period for 19days. I had sex on the 9th of July and I took a plan b and we use a condom. The last period I had was 23 of June. It now 8/16 so I am scared. All of my pregnancy tests came back negative. I took 7 of them already. my boobs don’t hurt. I had brown discharge like on the 22 of July. But after 4 days it stop. But I started to get a little white discharge. But it not here and I am scared. On the 8/13 I had brown discharge again mix with like little bit of blood.. Iot been 3 days and it is still happening. dk what is happening
hello everyone by my calculation I am 9 weeks pregnant, I did d home test twice, which were positive, I also did d blood test,also positive by d ultralsound which was done transabdominal, the result show that the uterus is bulky with a uniform echopattern,ni evidence of gestation sac or pole is seen,no fibroid mass seen,the endometrial plate is prominent, decidual reaction, left ovarian cystic lesion measuring 35*34 mm is seen,pouch of Douglas is free,adnexae and both ovaries are seen,urinary bladder harbours an echo free content with normal and regular wall thickness... I am told to come back for another scan in 2 weeks... why is the gestation sac no seen...I am really worried
Hy ladies I'm new here, I saw your comments. don’t worry I will try my best to guide you. Pregnancy can only happen if semen gets in your vagina or on your vulva. So if you haven’t had intercourse or had any semen near your vulva since your last period, you would not be pregnant. Also, keep in mind that it takes up to a few weeks for pregnancy to happen after intercourse. So if the intercourse happened a few days ago, you can’t be pregnant yet, and actually, there’s still something you can do to prevent it. If you’ve had intercourse and miss your period, it’s possible that you’re pregnant. The first thing to do if you think you’re pregnant you should take a pregnancy test — it’s the only way to know for sure. A pregnancy test can tell you if you’re pregnant as soon as your period is late. Lots of things besides pregnancy can mess with the timing of your menstrual cycle, like stress, diet, changes in your weight, and being sick. It’s also really common to have irregular periods when you’re a teenager, so try not to get panic. If your pregnancy test is positive, make an appointment with your doctor or local Planned Parenthood Health Center right away so you can talk about your pregnancy options and make sure you stay healthy no matter what you have decided.