Early Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs
Not every woman has the same signs and symptoms of pregnancy. For some women, the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy include mood changes, headaches, low back pain, tender breasts, weight gain, and nausea.
Not every woman has the same signs and symptoms of pregnancy. For some women, the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy include mood changes, headaches, low back pain, tender breasts, weight gain, and nausea.
Doctors define pregnancy according to the date of a woman’s last menstrual period.
After the embryonic period has ended at the end of the 10th week of pregnancy, the embryo is now considered a fetus. A fetus is a developing baby beginning in the 11th week of pregnancy.
The greatest risks of miscarriage are in the very early stages of pregnancy. An estimated 25% or more of pregnancies end in the very early stages, many before a woman even knows that she is pregnant or has missed a menstrual period. Most other miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the embryo is developing.
The embryonic period of development is the stage in which most organs are formed. Organs begin to form, and the embryo elongates and starts to assume a human-like shape. The heart and main blood vessels are formed, and the heart starts beating by the 6th week. The primitive brain and spinal cord (neural tube) also begin to form.
By 12 weeks of pregnancy almost all of the baby’s organs are formed, including the arms and legs. The brain and spinal cord, however, continue to develop throughout pregnancy. The baby is about 2 inches long at the end of the embryonic period.
Most birth defects occur during the embryonic period, the critical time when organs are forming. The embryonic period is the time of greatest susceptibility to the negative effects of drugs, radiation, and viral infections.
The fetal period is a time of growth of the developing baby. The organs and structures formed in the embryonic period continue to grow and develop.
The second trimester begins in the 13th week. By about 14 weeks of pregnancy, the gender of the fetus can be identified. Women can begin to feel movement of the fetus somewhere between the 16th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. The baby grows to about 2 pounds during the second trimester.
In the third trimester, starting in the 27th week, the baby assumes the size and characteristics of a newborn and prepares for birth. The fetus will open its eyes and breathe in the amniotic fluid.
You should set up an appointment with your doctor or midwife as soon as you have a positive pregnancy test result. At the initial visit, your doctor or midwife will
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An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy located outside the inner lining of the uterus. The majority of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube. Signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy may include abdominal pain, lack of menstrual period (amenorrhea), vaginal bleeding, fainting, dizziness, and low blood pressure.
Treatment options for an ectopic pregnancy include observation, medication, or surgery.
Pregnancy can bring challenges like
Learn how to manage and move through these challenges during pregnancy.