First Pregnant

The beginning of pregnancy may be detected in a number of ways, including various pregnancy tests which detect hormones generated by thenewly-formed placenta . Clinical blood and urine test scan detect pregnancy soon after implantation, which is as early as 6-8 days after fertilization. Home pregnancy tests are personal urine tests, which normally cannot detect a pregnancy until at least 12-15 days after fertilization.

Both clinical and home tests can only detect the state of pregnancy, and cannot detect its age. Childbirth usually occurs about 38 weeks from fertilization approximately 40 weeks from the the last normal menstrual period (LNMP) in humans. The date of delivery is considered normal medically if it falls within two weeks of the calculated date. The calculation of this date involves the assumption of a regular 28-day period.

Thus, pregnancy lasts almost ten months, although the exacdefinition of the English word pregnancy is a subject of controversy. Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo , inside the uterus of a female human. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets. Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies.

Obstetrics is the surgical field that studies and treats pregnancy. Midwifery is the non-surgical field that cares for pregnant women. Weight is gained during pregnancy due to increased appetite, fat , and growth of the reproductive organs and fetus, as well as increased blood volume and water retention. Anywhere from 5 to over 100 pounds can be gained during pregancy. In America, the doctor-recommended weight gain range is 25-35 pounds, less if the woman is overweight, more (up to 40) if the woman is underweight. Some psychological research studies in the 1980s and '90s contend that it is useful for pregnant women to continue to have sexual activity, specifically noting that overall sexual satisfaction was correlated with feeling happy about being pregnant, feeling more attractive in late pregnancy than before pregnancy and experiencing orgasm.

Sexual activity has also been suggested as a way to prepare for induced labour; some believe the natural prostaglandin content of seminal liquid can favour the maturation process of the cervix making it more flexible, allowing for easier and faster dilation and effacement of the cervix. However, the efficacy of using sexual intercourse as an induction agent "remains uncertain.