Women During Pregnancy – 16 Important Facts Pregnant Women Should Know
1. A normal couple has a 25% chance of conceiving a baby every month.
2. There is only a 5 – 7 days window in which intercourse is most likely to result in pregnancy.
3. Some women are said to have claimed to be able to feel the egg being released.
4. About 80% of healthy couples are able to achieve pregnancy, within a year of cohabitation.
5. Folic acid is very important in preventing brain and spinal cord defects. Lack of folic acid in women during pregnancy may result in severe birth deformities.
6. Soaking in a hot tub could hurt the unborn baby in the first trimester of pregnancy. Research has shown that high body heat in women during pregnancy either from a fever, a hot bath or a hot tub during the first 3 months of pregnancy may cause common birth defects.
7. Pregnant women should not clean a cat litter box. Cat litter may contain a parasite that can spread a disease called toxoplasmosis in women during pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects like blindness and brain damage.
8. Eating raw or undercooked red meat or handling dirt containing cat feces can also lead to toxoplasmosis in women during pregnancy.
9. A doctor who cares for women during pregnancy, childbirth and in the post delivery period is an obstetrician (OB). About 80% of women choose obstetricians to help them through pregnancy.
10. The family doctor can be the health care provider during the whole tenure of pregnancy, and later on, become the baby’s doctor. Women during pregnancy on an average gain 25 to 35 pounds . Overweight women during pregnancy stand to gain 15 to 25 pounds.
11. An underweight lady may gain weight during pregnancy ranging between 28 to 40 pounds (depending on her pre-pregnancy).
12. If you have a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets or more): see your health care provider. The weight gain will be greater in case of twins or multiples.
13. Calcium is vital for the smooth functioning of the body. Steady levels of calcium are needed in the blood. The body takes calcium from the bones if there is a lack of calcium in the diet in women during pregnancy. Over a period of time this leads to the weakening of the bones and subsequent osteoporosis.
14. The low lying placenta that covers part or all of the inner opening of the cervix is called as ‘Placenta previa’. This might cause maternal hemorrhage before or during labor.
15. When women deliver a baby through a surgical incision in the abdomen and uterus it is called a cesarean section, or c-section. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has reported that one out of every fourth baby is delivered by a cesarean section.
16. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-induced condition. It is hypertension (high blood pressure), usually accompanied by proteinuria. It can prove a serious medical concern for both mother and child.
Author: Jessica H
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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