Pregnancy-Related Issues - Due Date And Premature Baby
September 24, 2010 Pregnancy Information No CommentsPregnancy is a sensitive event in a women’s life. In medical terms, it is the development of one or more embryos. It normally takes about nine months for the embryo to take the shape of a baby. There are many issues related to the pregnancy period. Some of the more important ones are as follows:
The Three Trimesters
The pregnancy stage is spread over a period of three trimesters. The first trimester is usually marred with the risk of a miscarriage. This means the death of the embryo due to natural and other reasons. The probability of such eventuality in this period is very high. In the second trimester, the embryo makes the usual progress in development. The third and final trimester deals with the fetus learning to survive the pregnancy period and getting ready to enter the world.
How Does Pregnancy Happen?
The process begins with the release of the male sperm inside a woman during sexual intercourse. The sperm unites with the female egg and the subsequent fertilization leads to pregnancy. A woman conceives as soon as the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterine lining. The implantation is followed by the release of the chorionic gonadotropin hormone. This results in the activation of the corpus luteum in the ovary, which leads to an increase in the level of progesterone. This explains the symptoms usually encountered during pregnancy. The first day of the last menstrual cycle is used to calculate the due date of the delivery.
Due Date
It is the date when a pregnant woman is expected to deliver the baby. On an average, the human pregnancy period lasts for about 40 weeks. However, the exact duration of the conception period varies and depends on a number of factors.
Premature Baby
Generally, a baby is born within a couple of weeks of the due date. However, if it is born before the completion of 37 weeks of conception, the baby is considered premature. Likewise, if the birth date is 43 weeks after the mother conceived, the baby is considered post mature. Interestingly, only as many as 10 percent babies are born on the exact due date.
There are a number of emotional and psychological changes that take place inside a woman’s body during the pregnancy period. This is in addition to the physical bearing that she has to undergo. You need to be in constant touch with your doctor at all times. You need to observe the rapidly occurring changes taking place inside your body, especially in the last pregnancy week. It’s a tough time to contend with. But, it’s only after you have endured the pains of pregnancy that you get to enjoy the pleasure of motherhood.