What Do You Know About Being Pregnant?

Not all women experience morning sickness, but it's the most common pregnancy-related ailment. Although it usually disappears by the 14th week, some women like Kate Middleton experience hyperemesis gravidarum, severe morning sickness, that can be debilitating.

The heightened sense of smell experienced during pregnancy has a lot more evolutionary science behind it than can be attributed to morning sickness. Researchers believe that it is a natural way for mothers to avoid eating things that may harm their developing babies.

Although pregnancy is split into three-month-long sections called trimesters, the average pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. Babies born before 36 weeks are considered premature, and labor will rarely be induced before 38 weeks of gestation.

In 75% of pregnancies, a linea nigra, or dark line, appears below the belly button and runs toward the pubic bone. Some women will see the line disappearing after delivery, but others will keep the line permanently.

Similar in appearance to age spots, 50% of all pregnant women experience melasma, or dark spots, on their faces. Thankfully, they usually disappear a few weeks after delivery.

Along the same lines of pica, a pregnant woman's cravings can go a long way in determining what might be missing from her diet. Physicians advise that intense cravings for foods like broccoli and red meat could indicate a lack of iron.

It's not all that uncommon! In fact, there's a medical name for it. Couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy can cause your partner to have pregnancy symptoms like nausea and heartburn. In some cases, it causes weight gain!

Before becoming pregnant, the uterus is normally about the size of a large apple. Over the course of 40 weeks, it stretches and expands to accommodate a growing baby, the placenta and the amniotic sack, making it about the size of a watermelon.

Gynecologists are doctors who specialize in women's care, but obstetricians are what some call the "baby doctor." Many times a doctor will be both a gynecologist and an obstetrician, but both types of care can be practiced separately.

If there's a reason to suspect a fetal infection or a genetic problem, doctors will perform an amniocentesis. By removing a little of the amniotic fluid and testing the fetal cells found in it, many diseases can be detected.

Because of elevated blow flow and estrogen levels, bleeding gums and bad breath are a normal part of pregnancy. However, it's still important to visit your dentist because pregnant women are more susceptible to plaque and gingivitis.

There are many reasons researchers suspect that 80% of all pregnant women experience "pregnancy brain," but there's not one particular thing that causes it. From uncomfortable sleeping to reduced blood flow to the brain, there are many factors involved.

Expectant mothers can expect to start feeling their baby's movements between the 14th and the 18th week of their pregnancy. The average is 18 weeks, but many women feel the movement a few weeks earlier or later. Both are completely normal.

At four and a half months, the fetus can hear its mother's voice. Flash forward only seven or eight weeks, and the little one can react to noises. Loud noises may cause the baby to jump or react in a startled manner.

In a 2006 study, it was determined that aging increases the likelihood of having twins. Amongst those monitored, there were more 20% instances of twin pregnancies in women over 45 when compared to women of the same age.

With the aid of vaginal ultrasound, the heartbeat can be heard as early as six to eight weeks into the pregnancy. After eight weeks, it can be heard with a special stethoscope or an external ultrasound procedure.

Testing positive for gestational diabetes does not mean that a woman will remain diabetic after her pregnancy. It does, however, indicate that she may develop the disease later in life. Before testing, pregnant women should report any dizziness, excessive thirst or blurry vision to their doctors.

There's no real way to say whether this pregnancy myth is true or false. But a small study has linked certain pregnancy hormones to the relaxation of the esophagus that causes heartburn. These women gave birth to children with hair, but more extensive research is needed to prove its accuracy.

From month one to month seven, a pregnant woman will visit her doctor one time per month. As the due date draws near, the frequency of appointment increases. On average, she will visit her obstetrician 20 times during her pregnancy.

The placenta grows right alongside your baby. It is responsible for delivering essential nutrition and oxygen through the umbilical cord. You can also attribute 1 1/2 pounds of your pregnancy weight to the vital organ.

The extra fluids a woman carries during pregnancy can settle near the joints. In addition to swollen ankles, many women also experience a temporary bout of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Fertility doctors have noticed a pattern that involves blood types. Those with type O blood may have a harder time becoming pregnant than those with other blood types. Those with type A blood are known to be the most likely to conceive.

In the womb, special cells adhere to a baby's skin to protect it like a high-powered moisturizer. Together, the cells create a substance called vernix. Many believe that vernix also serves as a lubricant that helps with the birthing process.

Although there's no known reason for Braxton Hicks contractions to occur, they are quite common. They are not as strong as the contractions felt during labor, and they do not cause the cervix to thin. However, it's always a good idea to get them checked out.

The first trimester is the part of pregnancy that starts on the first day of your last period and lasts until the first date of the 12th week. Fertilization may have taken place after that date, but it is accurate within two weeks.

Throughout pregnancy, a woman's blood supply will increase between 40% and 50%! To compensate for all the oxygen-rich blood that needs pumping, the heart also slightly increases in size.

Many pregnant women are alarmed when they start wanting to eat things like grass or laundry detergent, but it's a normal condition. Pica can indicate that her body is missing essential nutrients. An obstetrician can help her identify the issue.

When pregnant women say they feel like they are waddling, it's actually a natural process. The hormone relaxin causes tendons in the pelvic region to relax. It helps prepare the body for the stretching it will need to do during childbirth.

During the beginning of pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. The hormone is responsible for encouraging the corpus luteum to make the extra estrogen and testosterone needed as the body changes. The placenta eventually takes over the duty.

Located between the vaginal canal and the uterus, the cervix is the organ that thins and dilates during labor. Doctors check progress by measuring the size of the opening in centimeters.

As a fetus grows, a fine, soft coat of hair appears all over their bodies. Called lanugo, it usually disappears by the 36th week of pregnancy. Some babies keep it until they are four months old, though.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that the majority of births take place in the morning hours between 8 a.m. and noon. Less than 5% of babies make their appearance during the night shift hours.

The fact that a pregnant woman can begin lactating when she hears a baby cry is another evolutionary response. The phenomenon begins around 17 weeks, but not all women experience it.

If you're hosting a reveal party, you'll have to wait until at least the 18 to 20-week marker. At that point, a standard ultrasound can usually determine the baby's sex. It is considered to be between 45 and 95% accurate.

Until around 20 weeks gestation, the amniotic sac is made from water produced by a woman's body. After that point, it's largely comprised of the baby's urine. However, amniotic fluid is full of the nutrients and hormones that help a baby grow.