MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
November 22, 2009
MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living Picture Image Collection MedTerms medical dictionary
Font Size
A
A
A


Pregnancy Planning

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Doctor to Patient

Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Pregnancy SymptomsMost women equate a missed menstrual period with the possibility of being pregnant, but other symptoms and signs are experienced by most women in the early stages of pregnancy. It's important to remember that not all women will experience all of these symptoms or have the symptoms to the same degree. Even the same woman can have different types of symptoms in a subsequent pregnancy than she had in previous pregnancies.

The following are the most common pregnancy symptoms in the first trimester:

  1. A missed menstrual period is most often the first sign of pregnancy, although a woman may still experience some bleeding or spotting around the time of the expected period. However, if a woman does not have regular menstrual cycles, she may notice some of the other symptoms of early pregnancy before it is apparent that the menstrual period has been missed.
  1. Feelings of breast swelling, tenderness, or pain are also commonly associated with early pregnancy. These symptoms are sometimes similar to the sensations in the breasts in the days before an expected menstrual period.


Doctor to Patient

What is pregnancy planning and why is it important?

Having a baby is one of the most important events in a woman's life. Women considering pregnancy are encouraged to start planning for the pregnancy with their doctors early. This early planning process is called pregnancy planning. The goals of pregnancy planning are to create a healthy environment for the fetus and to prevent birth defects and other pregnancy related problems to the greatest extent possible. The issues addressed during pregnancy planning include nutrition, vitamins, body weight, exercise, avoidance of certain medications and alcohol, immunizations, and genetic counseling. Even though many women will have normal pregnancies without any planning, pregnancy planning improves the chances of a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby. Unfortunately, over 40% of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and many more women who are anticipating conceiving do not seek prior medical consultation. Public education is important to improve pregnancy planning.

Pregnancy planning can help prevent exposure of the mother to potentially harmful medications or substances during the early days of pregnancy. The baby's organs begin developing as early as 17 days after conception, and the fertilized egg begins to grow even before the first day of the missed period. Some women continue to have light bleeding that may be mistaken for a menstrual period during the first few months of pregnancy and may not even realize that they are pregnant. Others may not recognize that they are pregnant until they experience a weight gain or abdominal enlargement. By then, they may have already been exposed to medications or substances potentially harmful to the fetus.

In addition to avoiding medications and substances that are potentially harmful to the fetus, other important health issues are addressed during pre-pregnancy planning.

The effects of diet, exercise, and each of the medical conditions previously discussed will be reviewed below.



Next: What are pregnancy symptoms? »

Pregnancy Planning: Lifestyle Changes Made in Preparation

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

Please describe the changes you have made to your lifestyle with preparation for becoming pregnant.

Anonymously share your comment to help others. Patient Discussions FAQs
See 1 Viewer Comments

Submit Your Comment


Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


Suggested Reading by Our Doctors
MedicineNet Doctors
  • Birth Control Pills (Oral Contraceptives) - Read about the different types of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) such as monophasic, biphasic, and triphasic. Find out which birth control pill may be the best for you.
  • Flu Vaccine - Get the facts about influenza vaccine (flu shot) ingredients, side effects and vaccination effectiveness. Learn who should (children, pregnant women, elderly) and shouldn't get a flu shot.
  • Yeast Infection - Learn about vaginal yeast infection symptoms like vaginal burning, itching, soreness discharge, and pain during sex and urination. Treatment information is included in the information.

Latest Medical News


Parenting and Pregnancy

Get tips for baby and you.


Are you Depressed? Take the Quiz

Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain



Pregnancy Planning

What is a prolactinoma (pituitary tumor)?

A prolactinoma is a benign tumor (called an adenoma) of the pituitary gland. A prolactinoma produces an excessive amount of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is a natural hormone which supports a woman's normal lactation (breastfeeding). Prolactinomas are the most common type of pituitary tumor. Symptoms of prolactinoma are caused by pressure of the tumor on surrounding tissues or by excessive release of prolactin from the tumor into the blood (causing a condition known as hyperprolactinemia).

What is the normal function of prolactin?

Prolactin stimulates the breast tissues to enlarge during pregnancy. After delivery of the baby, the mother's prolactin level falls unless she breastfeeds her infant. Each time the baby nurses from the breasts, prolactin levels rise to maintain milk production.

What is the pituitary gland?

Sometimes called the master gland, the ...

Read the Prolactinoma (Pituitary Tumor) article »










Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | News & Views | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

©1996-2009 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.