Once you learn that you're pregnant, you may be eager to find out the gender of your baby. A baby's external sex organs typically develop around the fourth month of pregnancy, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists....
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is an important hormone that helps let your body know you're pregnant. This prevents menstruation, and maintains the lining of the uterus, which nourishes your embryo and fetus until the placenta finishes...
It's exciting to find out the gender of your baby so you can start picking out baby names and purchasing specific clothing, bedding or nursery decorations. Your baby's external sex genitalia will not begin to develop until around the fourth month...
With all the changes that take place during pregnancy, it's easy for women to wonder whether what they're feeling is normal or a sign that something is wrong---particularly when what they're feeling is painful. The pelvis and abdomen undergo...
Pregnancy causes your body to go through many changes. Tissue upholding your uterus stretches, which has the ability to cause sharp, shooting pains on either side of your stomach that venture down your thigh, into your leg, according to Cleveland...
Many of your body's hormones work together to help maintain your pregnancy. One of these hormones is called progesterone, which also has functions in the reproductive cycle of non-pregnant females. If your progesterone level is low during...
The fourth month of pregnancy marks the beginning of the second trimester, the so-called "golden" period of pregnancy. The baby and mother continue to change physically, but pregnancy hormones stabilize and many pregnant women begin to feel more...
When you conceive, the first task of the fertilized egg is to signal your body that you've become pregnant. This prepares your body to support and maintain the pregnancy, and prevents menstruation. The egg communicates with your body using hCG, or...
Knowing how her baby is developing in her womb helps a mother prepare for the miracle of birth. Development of the infant continues at a rapid pace in the fourth month. From fourth month until the baby's delivery, the mother needs to consume an...
Tetracycline, an antibiotic, can cause birth defects or abnormalities in the fetus if taken by a woman during pregnancy. The type of potential damage varies depending on when in pregnancy the drug is taken. Tetracycline is classified as a class D...
Pregnancy contains three phases known as trimesters, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each trimester runs for about twelve weeks or three months. Although the phases of pregnancy are often thought of as three...
Pregnancy can be an exciting time in your life, especially when you first receive the joyous news. Aside from all the happiness this news may bring, pregnancy is also accompanied by a variety of symptoms, especially in the first trimester, that...
If you've recently found out you're pregnant, you may be wondering when you should start purchasing prenatal vitamins. While, ultimately, you'll want to make this decision in tandem with your obstetrician, the general answer is that you don't...
Progesterone is one of the hormones that your body depends upon to help maintain pregnancy. If you experience a miscarriage, your doctor will likely test for a variety of potential causes, some of which have to do with production of progesterone...
If you're feeling nauseous or are otherwise experiencing unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms after taking your prenatal vitamin, you're not alone. While it could be merely coincidence -- pregnancy and nausea go hand in hand, and the vitamins...
Sciatic nerve pain is a common occurrence during pregnancy when the sciatic nerve is pinched between the baby's head and the uterine wall. Symptoms can include tingling, numbness or pain that shoots down to the buttocks, legs and feet. Although it...
The American Dental Hygienist's Association says that teeth are formed by mineralization that begins in the fourth month of pregnancy. After birth, diet and nutrition affect permanent tooth enamel development and strength. Tooth enamel is made up...
Progesterone is one of the hormones that your body secretes each month as part of your normal reproductive cycle. The hormone helps prepare your body for pregnancy, and in the event of pregnancy, helps you maintain the pregnancy. Low progesterone...
Progesterone is a female hormone that plays a critical role in preparing your body for conception. With low levels of progesterone, it is difficult for your body to either conceive a child or carry the child to term. This significantly impacts...
It is vitally important that pregnant women have strong abdominal muscles. These muscles help you support your body and carry the baby more comfortably. However, many women don't exercise these muscles as they should, for fear of somehow hurting...
An aching back is an unfortunate side effect of many pregnancies. Between the shifting center of gravity caused by an expanding midsection, a shift in hormones that causes looser joints and additional weight, a pregnant woman's back works extra...
Being pregnant does not mean you have to stop working out your abs and stomach. You merely need to accommodate your stomach exercises to your new physical condition. Consult your physician to make sure your new routine will not affect your...
While some women luxuriate in their growing belly during pregnancy, others find that the extra weight wreaks havoc on their self-esteem and body image. For many women, a navel ring serves as a connection to their pre-pregnancy body. Although...
Fresh ginger root has been used by the cultures of Asia, India, and the Middle East for over 2,000 years as a natural remedy for digestive health issues including nausea, motion sickness and stomach upset. The fresh root or rhizome is the...
Nausea is a common pregnancy symptom during the first trimester, but as you enter the fourth month of your pregnancy and the second trimester, you probably hope to say goodbye to nausea. However, that is not always the case. Every pregnancy is...
Morning sickness is a common occurrence during the early stages of pregnancy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, nausea and vomiting are generally not threatening to your health or to your developing...
If you were physically active before pregnancy or wish to start a gentle exercise program during your pregnancy, you may be curious what limitations your growing baby may place on your body. While most exercises can be performed during pregnancy,...
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin- it's a hormone that you don't normally produce, but if you're pregnant you have it in your bloodstream. HCG comes from tissue in a developing embryo, and it helps to inform your body that you're...
The abbreviation hCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is a hormone produced by a developing embryo during pregnancy. The hormone has an important role in both the detection and the maintenance of pregnancy. Pregnant women have very...