Guide to pregnancy is one of the most sought after things among pregnant women. Pregnancy is a coveted and cherished phenomenon in society, traditional and otherwise. Though pregnancy is not unique to human beings, this article exclusively talks about pregnancy in human beings. Pregnancy eventually alters not only the biological and physiological status of women but also their social and family status.
Pregnancy is a clear indication of the fertility of woman and her ability to actively contribute to the process of continuation of family lineage. Pregnancy literally means carrying of a fetus or an embryo by women. Guide to pregnancy helps women understand and cope with changes right from conception to childbirth.
During pregnancy of about 38 to 40 weeks, women undergo a number of internal and external changes. Though external changes in pregnant women are noticed by others, internal changes are known to and experienced by the pregnant women only.
Pregnant women, even in the era of information technology revolution, feel depressed about the mysterious goings on inside their bodies because there still exists widespread ignorance about pregnancy. They do not know what exactly pregnancy is and how to negotiate with the changes taking place inside and outside the body. As a result of this, women demand a guide to pregnancy which serves as a survival kit during pregnancy. It equips them psychologically and physically to face the new situation while preparing to give birth to a new baby.
Pregnancy impacts women in a variety of ways, and the embryos also develop in many different ways. The golden rule of pregnancy is that during pregnancy, women ought to have good health because they have to take care not only of themselves but of the baby to be born as well. Naturally, a majority of women, both pregnant and aspiring to be pregnant, are interested in knowing about the changes they undergo, and for them, here is a week by week guide to pregnancy.
General Changes During Pregnancy
It is well known that no two women can have exactly same experience of pregnancy. However, despite the variations from woman to woman, there are certain changes common to all pregnant women. On that basis one can devise a general week by week guide to pregnancy:
1st to 4th Week - First week of pregnancy begins from the date of your last period. Fourth week witnesses fertilization of the eggs - when the process of forming a new life begins!5th to 8th Week - Women miss their period during the fifth week, and begin to suspect that they are pregnant. Visit to a clinic for pregnancy test would confirm pregnancy. This is when the heart of baby begins to beat, to be precise during the sixth week, and pregnant women start developing nausea by the beginning of the seventh week. The embryo or fetus continues to develop, and by the eighth week it has small arms and feet.
9th to 12th Week - During this period, woman's body constantly grows to accommodate the growing fetus. Though the pregnant woman herself may not notice, her baby-to-be born starts moving inside her body. By the twelfth week, morning sickness is on the decline.
13th to 14th Week - During the 13th week, it becomes possible to determine the probable gender of the baby, though not always with mechanical precision and accuracy. By 14th week, the would-be-mother can listen to her future baby's heart beat.
15th to 20th Week- As the new baby's bones begin to harden, during this period, mother starts feeling the baby moving inside her. The baby's organs start developing, and its gender can be known by ultrasound tests.
21st to 24th Week - Around this time one experiences slight contractions. Baby learns how to breathe, and fat deposits also begin to develop.
25th to 28th Week- By this time baby's movements become less, and it can sense light and darkness, hear sounds from the outside.
29th to 32nd Week- During this period, its head grows fast, eyes and brain are developed, and by the 32nd week, only lungs remain to be completely developed.
33rd to 36th Week - This is the time when the baby begins opening and closing its eyes, and its fingernails start growing. The baby weighs about 4 pounds and is around 16 inches long, by the 36th week.
37th to 40th Week - This is the climax of pregnancy. There could be child birth anytime during this period. All organs of the baby except lungs are fully developed.
The actual delivery of the baby could be between 38th and 40th week. One must note though that this guide to pregnancy is just a guide, and there is much more to learn about pregnancy.
When you are looking for a guide to pregnancy, nothing comes even close to the free online resource, Pregnancy-Period.Com.
This site offers all information about pregnancy and giving birth to a child right from week by week pregnancy information, pregnancy signs and symptoms, pregnancy test, pregnancy complications, pregnancy clothing and much more.
