Understand Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy Information

During pregnancy, your body goes through many changes. Some common symptoms of early pregnancy include a missed period, nausea, breast tenderness, frequent urination, tiredness, and mood swings. Centers listed on this site can discuss symptoms with you.
Most pregnancy tests are very reliable. However, to confirm that you are pregnant, a visit to an appropriate health care provider will be necessary. Most centers listed on this site provide this service for free.
Your doctor may request an ultrasound exam to confirm the status of your pregnancy. This information is important whether you are considering abortion or continuing your pregnancy. Some of the centers listed on this site provide this service for free.

Surprising Facts: Early pregnancy symptomsSome women feel pregnant even before the test turns positive. The earliest signs include:• Tender, swollen breasts Many women say the tenderness they feel is an exaggerated version of how their breasts feel before a period.• Fatigue Feeling tired all of a sudden — no, make that exhausted? Increased levels of the hormone progesterone and the extra effort required to start making a baby can make you feel as if you've run a marathon when all you've done is put in a day at work.• Frequent urination Shortly after you become pregnant, you may find yourself hurrying to the bathroom at an alarming frequency.• Heightened sense of smell Many newly pregnant women find they're overwhelmed by gag-inducing smells early in pregnancy. This may be a side effect of rapidly increasing levels of estrogen in your system.• Food aversions Food turn-offs are even more common than cravings during pregnancy. You may suddenly find that certain foods you used to enjoy are now completely repulsive to you.• Nausea or vomiting Morning sickness usually doesn't start for a few weeks, but some women feel queasy earlier.• Your basal body temperature stays high If you've been charting your temperature and it stays elevated after you've ovulated, you're probably pregnant.• Bleeding or spotting Some women notice a small amount of red spotting or pink or reddish brown staining around the time they should get their period. (If you have pain along with spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately since this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.)

Some fertilization stages

Day 1:When fertilization occurs, the baby's features, including sex, hair and eye color, have already been determined.

9 Weeks:7 weeks after fertilization At this age, the baby's heart has been beating for one month.

16 Weeks: 14 weeks after fertilization At this age, the baby reacts to loud noises.

22 Weeks: 20 weeks after fertilization At this age, the baby's eyelashes can be seen.