Are You Aware of Pregnancy Issues

How Pregnancy Tests Work

When your egg is fertilized, it will travel to your uterus and implant itself in the lining. Once this happens, the fertilized egg starts secreting the pregnancy hormone called human chronic gonadotrophin (HCG). Pregnancy tests that are bought over the counter today are made with monoclonal antibodies that detect traces of HCG. When you take a pregnancy test, you urinate on a stick. Your urine sample will then move up the stick until it reaches the “control” window, which tells you the test is working. The sample will then continue to go up until it reaches the second window, which tells you if you are pregnant. When your urine reaches this portion of the test, if you are pregnant, your urine will react with the monoclonal antibodies creating a distinct change in color causing a line or a color to appear in the window, depending on the brand pregnancy test. The density of the positive result will depend on the amount of HCG you have in your urine. If you are not pregnant, then you will get a negative result.

Pregnancy Symptoms

Symptoms of pregnancy are classic, but actually vary from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. There are early symptoms of pregnancy and there are symptoms of pregnancy that occur throughout the duration of the pregnancy. And there are still other symptoms of pregnancy that manifest periodically or not at all. Some of the early symptoms of pregnancy are well known. Missing a period is the first clue to possible pregnancy and is the symptom that most women recognize right away. You may also notice other symptoms such as morning sickness and tenderness and swelling of the breasts.

If none of the early symptoms of pregnancy are noticed or present, then later in the pregnancy weight gain and thickening around the middle will be some symptoms of pregnancy that appear a little later on. There are cases where a woman never suspects she is pregnant and even goes so far as going into labor and never recognizes her pregnancy symptoms, or for some reason blocks them out of her awareness and is then actually surprised to be giving birth to a baby she was not expecting at all. These cases are uncommon, but do occur.

False pregnancy in humans is less common, and may sometimes be purely psychological. It is generally estimated that false pregnancy is caused due to changes in the endocrine system of the body, leading to the secretion of hormones which translate into physical changes similar to those during pregnancy. The underlying cause is often mental.

Pregnancy Issues

Pregnancy issues can vary from financial to emotional to physical. Some pregnancy issues are limited to the actual pregnancy period itself and some begin before pregnancy and continue long after the pregnancy is over. It is common to experience physical pregnancy issues or symptoms that can be unpleasant. Some of the most common complaints that women face during their pregnancy are excess gas, bloating, heartburn and leakage.

During pregnancy, especially as you approach your due date, you may have discharge of a thin, milky-white consistency. It's perfectly normal and safe, as long as there is no odor. If there is an odor, it may be an indication of an infection or other medical problem. Or if you experience associated pain, check immediately with your health care provider. Many women find that during pregnancy, they tend to leak urine when coughing or sneezing. This can be an embarrassing pregnancy issue, but it is not uncommon and can be addressed by wearing a pad to absorb any leakage.

Another type of pregnancy issue is if the mother has a medical condition that might require some extra monitoring. Diabetes and Epilepsy are both examples of this type of pregnancy issue. Thankfully, more than 90% of pregnant women with epilepsy give birth to normal, healthy babies. And Diabetes does pose some risk, but when monitored and controlled does not mean that the pregnancy and birth will be adversely affected. There is a higher incidence of giving birth to larger babies who may or may not have a high blood sugar level at birth, but medical intervention results in positive outcomes.

Some other types of pregnancy issues are infertility and miscarriage or loss due to adoption. These pregnancy issues require lots of attention, understanding and support. All three situations can be devastating for everyone involved. Infertility, as a pregnancy issue has some irony as by its nature is lacking the pregnancy. More and more women and couples are struggling with infertility.

There is such heartache involved and the stress of the emotional roller coaster can really test a relationship. The pregnancy issue where a pregnant woman is facing a decision to give her baby to another through the adoption process is a mix of grief and relief. There will be the issue of separation from the baby after birth which is monumental, but if the decision is made with great forethought and confidence, then perhaps the issue during the pregnancy and after the birth will not be so heart wrenching after all.