Pregnancy thrills as well as frightens women. It is worthwhile to have a look at some of the crucial facts about this particular stage in a womans life.

Facts

In medical jargon, pregnancy represents the nourishing of one or more embryos inside the bodies of female mammals. In human beings, it usually takes about 9 months for an embryo to develop fully into a baby.

What Are Trimester Periods

For the sake of simplicity, the pregnancy period is divided into three trimesters. In the first trimester, the likelihood of miscarriage, which means the natural death of the embryo, is very high. In the second trimester, one can follow the progress made by the embryo in a right direction. During the third and the third trimester, the fetus learns how to survive and also gets ready to face the external world.

How Does A Woman Get pregnant

Pregnancy is the result of fertilization or the union of the female egg (oocyte) with the male sperm. This merger of the two takes place when a male ejaculates, releases the sperms inside a female through sexual intercourse. Though conception begins right since implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterine lining, for the sake of convenience, the first day of the last menstrual cycle is used to determine the due date or delivery date of baby. Following the implantation, human chorionic gonadotropinhormone is released. This activates the corpus luteum in the ovary to shoot up the level of progesterone. As a result, the body undergoes changes and symptoms of pregnancy become visible.

What Is A Due Date

The date when the pregnant woman is expected to deliver her baby is known as due date. According to the Merck Medical Manual, human pregnancy lasts for 266 days, i.e, 38 weeks. However, if one counts from the first day of the last menstrual cycle, it comes to 40 weeks. But these are average figures. The real duration of the gestation period depends on various factors. For example, the first pregnancy period is usually longer than the subsequent ones.

What Is A Premature Baby

A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is considered a premature baby. And if the baby is born after 43 weeks, it is called the post-mature baby. About 90 per cent of babies are born within a couple of weeks after the due date. Only 10 per cent of babies are born exactly on the due date.

The pregnant womans body experiences a number of changes during pregnancy. These changes also have an emotional and psychological impact on her.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Interesting Facts About Pregnancy

About the Author

One needs to consult a doctor frequently during pregnancy to learn about pregnancy stages and the developments taking place inside the body, as one gets ready to bring a new life into this world! Visit Pregnancy Articles to learn more.