One of 60 pregnancies is ectopic, or growing outside of the uterus. Vaginal bleeding is common in early pregnancy, occurring in 20 percent to 30 percent of all pregnancies, the American Pregnancy Association says. Vaginal bleeding in ectopic...
Emergency contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Some are available over the counter for women over the age of seventeen.
The placenta provides the vital physical connection between a pregnant woman and the fetus. It delivers nutrients and oxygen from the mother's circulation and allows removal of waste products from the fetus. Placenta previa is a rare but...
Bleeding around the time of an expected period isn't unusual, even if a woman is newly pregnant. Bleeding in very early pregnancy can have several causes, some normal and harmless, others more concerning. It can be difficult to determine the exact...
There have never been more birth control options available than there are today. Contraceptives work by either preventing the sterilization of the female egg or by blocking its implantation in the uterus. Methods of contraception include hormonal...
Contraception, also known as birth control, includes medications and devices used to prevent pregnancy. The National Institutes of Health recommends choosing a contraception method based on reliability, ease of use and effectiveness, and cost....
Many new parents anxiously await the chance to hear their baby's heartbeat for the first time. Although the heart develops fairly quickly after conception and can be visibly detected, it takes several weeks to be able to hear it. The age of your...
Neural tube defects, or NTDs, are abnormalities that occur in the brain or spinal cord of a developing fetus. Such defects include absence of parts of the brain, protrusion of nervous tissue through openings in the skull or spine and failure of...
Although every pregnancy is different, many pregnancies present with similar symptoms during the first week. As the embryo makes its descent through the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus, hormone levels soar and changes abound in the...
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg attaches somewhere other than the lining of the uterus. The Mayo Clinic explains that ectopic pregnancy nearly always occurs in one of the two fallopian tubes that deliver eggs from the ovaries...
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...
Plan B One Step, which is commonly known as the morning after pill, is an emergency contraceptive medication. It reduces the chances of getting pregnant when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse. Plan B One Step prevents the...
Pregnancy is an exciting time. Women who are trying to conceive or who have recently discovered that they are pregnant are often curious about the first month of prenatal development. The first month of pregnancy sets up the basic formation of all...
With 6.8 billion humans on Earth, humans have evolved a successful reproductive system. Three concepts define human reproduction: sexual reproduction, internal fertilization and the use of a placenta to support internal development of offspring....
Knowing the first symptoms of pregnancy can help you to recognize when you become pregnant. During your first month of pregnancy, the "pregnancy hormone," human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), will cause many changes in your body. Your body will...
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy can mimic the symptoms of a period. It is important for women to understand, however, that bleeding while pregnant is not an actual period. Menstruation occurs when a woman does not conceive; therefore, no...
The male and female gonads--the testes and ovaries, respectively--arise out of a common embryonic tissue called the primordial gonad. Likewise, the male penis and female clitoris arise from a common precursor called the genital tubercle. For the...
An intrauterine device, or IUD, is a birth control device that is implanted in the uterus. Your health care provider will perform a pelvic exam and make sure that you are not pregnant before inserting the IUD.
In-vitro fertilization, or IVF, is utilized by couples that are unable to conceive naturally. During the process, mature eggs are fertilized by sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg is then implanted in the uterus. According to MayoClinic.com,...
Implantation is when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. This process occurs around the seventh to tenth day after ovulation. If implantation does not occur, the uterus excretes the fertilized egg with the next menstrual period....
Many women bleed during the early weeks of pregnancy, and it is not uncommon for the unsuspecting pregnant woman to mistake this bleeding for a menstrual period. While most bleeding is normal, sometimes it can be a sign of a possible complication,...
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg gets stuck during its journey and instead implants elsewhere. These pregnancies are often called tubal or tubular because in...
Although the American Pregnancy Association notes that one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed period, many women can spot tell-tale pregnancy signs before this. Women who learn about ovulation, conception and early...
All pregnancy tests works by testing for the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone increases in response to a fertilized egg implanting in the uterus, so it is also called the pregnancy hormone. According to the National...
The morning after pill is an emergency form of birth control used for up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse or after contraceptive failure. This emergency contraception uses high doses of hormones to prevent pregnancy. To be most...
Loestrin is a type of birth control pill. It works by preventing ovulation, and by making the cervical fluid and uterine lining less likely to allow sperm to reach the egg, or for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.
When a fertilized egg begins to divide into a cell ball called a zygote, it communicates to your body that you're pregnant by using the hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. If your hCG levels don't increase appropriately, it can be a sign...
Overview An intrauterine pregnancy is a “normal” pregnancy. That is, a fertilized egg implants itself in the wall of the uterus, where the placenta can develop and the fetus can grow. Fertilized eggs that implant themselves...
When it comes to conception and pregnancy, every woman experiences different symptoms. Some deal with morning sickness throughout the day. Others feel few symptoms and maintain their regular activity levels until they go into labor. Most, however,...
