Pregnancy

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Summary

So you're going to have a baby! Whether you are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant, you will want to give your baby a healthy start.

You need to have regular visits with your health care provider. These prenatal care visits are very important for your baby and yourself. Some things you might do when you are pregnant could hurt your baby, such as smoking or drinking. Some medicines can also be a problem, even ones that a doctor prescribed. You will need to drink plenty of fluids and eat a healthy diet. You may also be tired and need more rest.

Your body will change as your baby grows during the nine months of your pregnancy. Don't hesitate to call your health care provider if you think you have a problem or something is bothering or worrying you.

Start Here

During Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy and Beyond: Make Healthy Choices for Yourself and Your Baby (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy Calendar: A Week-by-Week Guide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Staying Healthy during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Taking Care of You and Your Baby While You're Pregnant (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

Symptoms of Pregnancy: What Happens Right Away (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

hCG Test (Pregnancy Test) (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Pregnancy Tests (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Prenatal Testing: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Birth Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Living With

Being Pregnant at Work (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Cosmetics and Pregnancy (Food and Drug Administration)
Exercise during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy and Nutrition: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy: Should I Use a Seat Belt? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Prenatal Yoga: What You Need to Know (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sex during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation)
Sleeping during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Staying Healthy and Safe (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Tips for Good Oral Health during Pregnancy (National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center) - PDF
Travel during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Abuse during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
Birthing Classes (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Emergency Preparedness and Response: Information for Pregnant Women - Fact Sheet (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Health Problems in Pregnancy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
MRI Safety during Pregnancy (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy Precautions: FAQs on Pregnancy Hazards (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Reproductive History and Breast Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
What to Do When Your Pregnancy Is Unexpected (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Women of Size and Pregnancy (American College of Nurse-Midwives) - PDF
X-Rays, Pregnancy and You (Food and Drug Administration)

Specifics

Back Pain During Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish
Body Changes and Discomforts (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Common Discomforts of Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy - Constipation or Diarrhea (Healthy Roads Media) Also in Spanish
Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy - Nausea (Healthy Roads Media) Also in Spanish
Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy - Varicose Veins (Healthy Roads Media) - PDF Also in Spanish
Headaches during Pregnancy: What's the Best Treatment? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Morning Sickness (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
Placenta: How It Works, What's Normal (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Pregnancy and Your Vision (Prevent Blindness America)
Skin Conditions during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Stages of Pregnancy (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Images

Linea Nigra (Logical Images)
PUPPP (Pruritic Urticarial Papules Plaques of Pregnancy) (Logical Images)
Striae of Pregnancy (Logical Images)

Videos and Tutorials

Cell division (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Exercise during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)

Statistics and Research

Extreme Temperatures May Increase Risk for Low Birth Weight at Term (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Female Reproductive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Female Reproductive System (National Cancer Institute)

Find an Expert

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish
womenshealth.gov (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Children

Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Things to Expect When Your Mom Is Pregnant (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Teenage Pregnancy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Men

A Partner's Guide to Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

Patient Handouts

Aches and pains during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Common symptoms during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
HCG blood test - qualitative (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Morning sickness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Morning sickness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy and travel (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Pregnancy and work (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Problems sleeping during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Skin and hair changes during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish