Preeclampsia, sometimes known as toxemia during pregnancy, is a complication characterized primarily by the onset of high blood pressure. At every prenatal visit, a doctor will measure a pregnant woman's blood pressure. A reading of 140/90 mm Hg...
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) affects nearly 1 percent of all pregnant women. This disorder--which typically begins early in a woman's pregnancy, between the fourth and sixth weeks--is characterized by extreme nausea and vomiting. Hyperemesis...
Many different pregnancy complications could occur during a pregnancy. These complications can range from minor things such as a yeast infection, to severe, life threatening conditions such as toxoplasmosis. Some common complications include...
An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical problem that can be life-threatening if not treated. One way that an ectopic pregnancy can be diagnosed is by measuring the levels of a hormone known as beta HCG. Although beta HCG levels are an important...
An abdominal pregnancy is a type of ectopic pregnancy, which means that the embryo has implanted somewhere outside the uterus. Abdominal pregnancies occur infrequently, unlike tubal pregnancies, with the embryo implanting in the fallopian tube. In...
A multiple pregnancy is defined by the March of Dimes as carrying more than one baby at the same time. Most pregnancies in the United States are singletons, with only one baby in utero. Approximately 3 percent of American births are multiple...
A pregnancy test that diagnosed pregnancy the morning after conception would make a fortune. Whether they're hoping for a "yes" or a "no" answer, millions of women each year anxiously await the answer results of a test that tells them whether or...
During the course of her prenatal visits, a pregnant woman will likely encounter a few different Doppler tests. While it is sometimes used as part of a more comprehensive exam, Doppler technology can also be used alone. Doppler testing helps...
Although an article published in the British Medical Journal states that 95 percent of multiple pregnancies are diagnosed before delivery, families are occasionally surprised by the appearance of two or more babies at the time of delivery. There...
While there are several different types of pregnancy tests available to diagnose pregnancy, all have one thing in common. All pregnancy tests look for the presence of a pregnancy hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. This hormone...
Miscarriage is loss of a pregnancy up to 20 weeks; most occur by 12 weeks. Miscarriage before seven weeks of pregnancy is common; as many as 10 to 25 percent of diagnosed pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the American Pregnancy...
About 50 percent of women over age 40 have fertility problems, the March of Dimes states. But even if a woman over 40 does get pregnant, she has a higher risk of complications during pregnancy compared to younger women. Many of the complications...
Having a positive pregnancy test can be very disconcerting as it leads to a number of issues that the woman must face. These include health issues that can affect both the woman and her unborn child, as well as financial and lifestyle...
Miscarriages, sadly, are more common than you might think. The American Pregnancy Association states that anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of diagnosed pregnancies will end in miscarriage. This is important to know when you are feeling the loss of...
Clearblue Easy is an over-the-counter pregnancy test that is sensitive enough to tell a woman that she is pregnant up to four days before her period is expected.
In the first stages of pregnancy, bleeding can be very scary for an expectant mother. Many women worry that all bleeding signals a problem with the pregnancy or an impending miscarriage, and certainly, that is one possible reason for early...
Approximately 15 percent to 20 percent of diagnosed pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually within the first 13 weeks. Miscarriages can be threatened, where bleeding occurs but miscarriage doesn't occur; incomplete, meaning not all of the tissue...
In 2001, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as many as half of all U.S. pregnancies occurred accidentally---many to women using some form of contraceptive. To maximize the chances of a healthy pregnancy, the American...
Pregnancy-induced diabetes is referred to as gestational diabetes. Approximately 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes, according to MedlinePlus. During mid-pregnancy, usually around 24 to 28 weeks, most pregnant women...
At 4.5 weeks pregnant, you may have already missed your menstrual period. Because of the rising hormones, many women will experience pregnancy symptoms during this time. It is important to remember that not all women will experience the same...
The first trimester, or three months, of pregnancy, can present many risks to the developing fetus. Because organs, facial features, skeletal tissue and limbs are developing at this time, any negative affect on the fetus can result in serious...
A fertilized egg will implant itself in a woman's uterus six to 12 days after conception. At this stage, the woman's body begins to change immediately. The pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, develops and levels of this hormone...
Human chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG, plays an important role in maintaining early pregnancies. Blood and urine pregnancy tests evaluate levels of hCG produced in the early stages of pregnancy by placental tissue. If you're having twins, triplets...
While most diagnosed pregnancies proceed with little difficulty and end in the delivery of healthy babies, it’s natural for a newly pregnant mother to worry that she’s going to miscarry. Some of the signs of miscarriage are quite...
Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by cells in the placenta that develops after an embryo burrows into the lining of the uterus in the early stages of pregnancy. Your doctor tests your blood and urine for hCG levels to...
Prenatals come in all shapes, sizes and strengths. Because their contents can vary, some women may wonder why they have to take them at all. You may not have to take a prenatal during your pregnancy if your diet covers all of the key pregnancy...
When you're pregnant, you want to do everything you can to protect your health and the health of your developing baby. In addition to eating well, getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated, exercise is another essential for a healthy pregnancy....
Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by the placenta during a normal pregnancy. Simple home test kits, which detect the presence of hCG in urine, are effective soon after the pregnancy's conception. To learn the actual...
Symptoms of ectopic pregnancies. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
Symptoms of ectopic pregnancies. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy is a complication of pregnancy where the ovum is implanted in any tissue other than that of the uterine wall. Get tips and advice on diagnosing and preventing ectopic pregnancy in this medical video.
Preeclampsia eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy that is associated with hypertension. Get expert tips and advice on preventing, diagnosing, and treating preeclampsia eclampsia in this video.
Gestational diabetes is a rare diabetes develops in women during pregnancy. Watch this video for more on this unique condition and how to prevent and treat it.
