Gynecology and Women Health

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Pregnancy, often known as gestation, is the period during which a woman's womb creates one or more babies. Pregnancy is most commonly caused via sexual activity; however it can also be caused by aided reproductive technology methods. From the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) through the delivery of the baby, a typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. The first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester are the three stages of pregnancy. Throughout its development, the fetus goes through a lot of changes. The pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, each of which lasts about three months. The length of each trimester varies depending on the source.

• The first trimester begins with the start of gestational age, which is the first week of pregnancy, and finishes at week 13 or 14.
• The second trimester begins at the beginning of week 13 and finishes at the end of week 27.
• The third trimester begins at the beginning of week 28 and lasts until the birth of the baby.

Childbirth, often known as labor or delivery, is the process through which one or more infants leave the uterus via vaginal delivery or Caesarean procedure at the end of a pregnancy. The procedure of giving birth is known as labor. There are three stages of labor. Contractions mark the start of the first stage. It continues until your cervix is narrower and dilated (stretched) to a width of roughly 4 inches. The active stage, in which you begin to press downward, is the second stage. When your baby's scalp is visible, this is known as crowning. Your baby is born shortly after that. The placenta is delivered in the third stage. During pregnancy, the placenta was the organ that provided nourishment and oxygen to your baby.

Symptoms that you might be going into labor include:

• Regular contractions that start to move closer together
• Leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina area
• Low, dull backache
• Abdominal cramps