Pregnancy

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images
• Videos and Tutorials
• Test Your Knowledge

Research

• Clinical Trials

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

You're going to have a baby! It's an exciting time, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. You may have a lot of questions, including what you can do to give your baby a healthy start. To keep you and your baby healthy during pregnancy, it is important to:

• Have regular visits with your health care provider. These prenatal care visits help make sure that you and your baby are healthy. And if there are any health problems, your provider can find them early. Getting treatment right away can cure many problems and prevent others.
• Eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Good nutrition during pregnancy includes eating a variety of:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Lean meats or other protein sources
• Low-fat dairy products
• Take prenatal vitamins. During pregnancy, you need higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron.
• Be careful with medicines. Always check with your provider before you start or stop any medicine. This includes over-the-counter medicines and dietary or herbal supplements.
• Stay active. Physical activity can help you stay strong, feel and sleep better, and prepare your body for birth. Check with your provider about which types of activities are right for you.
• Avoid substances that could hurt your baby, including alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.

Your body will keep changing as your baby grows. It can be hard to know whether a new symptom is normal or could be a sign of a problem. Check with your provider if something is bothering or worrying you.

Start Here

• During Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• 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

• Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Symptoms of Pregnancy: What Happens First (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• What Are Some Common Signs of Pregnancy? (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• At-Home Medical Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Pregnancy Test (National Library of Medicine) 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

• Cosmetics and Pregnancy (Food and Drug Administration)
• Exercise during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• High-Impact Exercising during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Pregnancy and Nutrition: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• 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
• Sunless and Self-Tanning during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Using Hair Dyes and Color during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Using Teeth Whiteners during Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• A Partner's Guide to Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Adoption: Considering Your Options and Making a Plan (Children's Bureau) - PDF
• Birthing Classes (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Health Problems in Pregnancy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• How Can I Deal With Heartburn During Pregnancy? Also in Spanish
• MRI Safety during Pregnancy (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Preventing Birth Defects (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Reproductive History and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Safety Messages for Pregnant, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding People During Natural Disasters and Severe Weather (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• What to Do When Your Pregnancy Is Unexpected (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• X-Rays, Pregnancy and You (Food and Drug Administration)

Specifics

• Back Pain during Pregnancy: 7 Tips for Relief (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) 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 Foundation)
• Common Skin Conditions during Pregnancy (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Having Kids Later in Life: Healthy Pregnancies as You Age (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Headaches during Pregnancy: What's the Best Treatment? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• How Your Fetus Grows during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Multiple Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Pregnancy and Your Heart Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
• Stages of Pregnancy (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
• Travel during Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

Images

• Linea Nigra (VisualDX)

Videos and Tutorials

• Cell division (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

• Morning Sickness Myths & Facts Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy (National Institutes of Health)

Reference Desk

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

Find an Expert

• Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health Also in Spanish
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
• How to Find Find an Ob-Gyn (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• March of Dimes Foundation Also in Spanish

Children

• Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

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

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