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Health Books on pregnancy


What is pregnancy?

Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. In a pregnancy there can be multiple gestations (for example, in the case of twins, or triplets). Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies.

Human pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks between the time of the last menstrual cycle and birth (38 weeks from fertilisation). The medical term for a pregnant woman is "genetalian," just as the medical term for the unborn human is an embryo (early weeks) and then "foetus" (until birth). A woman who is pregnant for the first time is known as a primigravida or gravida 1: a woman who has never been pregnant is known as a gravida 0; similarly, the terms para 0, para 1 and so on are used for the number of times a woman has given birth.

In many societies' medical and legal definitions, human pregnancy is arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods, as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of fetal development. The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus), while during the second trimester the development of the fetus can start to be monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester marks the beginning of viability, which means the fetus can survive if an early natural or induced birth occurs. Because of the possible viability of developed fetus, cultural and legal definitions of life often consider a fetus in the third trimester to be a distinct living person.

See also Pregnancy terms and definitions

More books about pregnancy


The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year (U.S. edition) 
Ann Douglas
Paperback (2002-06-01)
$15.99

The Parent's Guide to Raising Twins: From Pre-Birth To First School Days-The Essential Book For All Those Expecting Two Or More 
Elizabeth Friedrich, Cherry Rowland
Paperback (1990-01-15)
$13.95

The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia 
Penny Simkin, Ruth S. Ancheta
Paperback (2000-03-15)
$37.95

Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood 
Sandra Steingraber
Hardcover (2001-10)
$27.00

How to Have a Girl: A Step-By-Step Guide to Scientifically Maximize Your Chances of Conceiving a Daughter 
J. Martin Young
Paperback (1995-09)
$19.95

Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition with Recipes for the Whole Family 
Catherine Cheremeteff Jones, Rose Ann Hudson
Paperback (2003-01)
$16.95

Pregnancy for Dummies 
Joanne Stone, Keith Eddleman, Mary Duenwald
Paperback (2004-01-13)
$19.99

The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood 
Michael R. Crider
Paperback (2005-05-10)
$12.95

From First Kicks to First Steps: Nurturing Your Baby's Development from Pregnancy Through the First Year of Life 
Alan Greene, Alan Greene
Paperback (2004-09-01)
$16.95

What to Expect: Eating Well When You're Expecting (What to Expect) 
Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel
Paperback (2005-05-02)
$12.95

What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys 
Laurie Krasny Brown
Paperback (2000-04-01)
$6.99

The First Part Last 
Angela Johnson
Paperback (2004-12-28)
$5.99

HypnoBirthing®: The Breakthrough Natural Approach to Safer, Easier, More Comfortable Birthing - The Mongan Method, 3rd Edition 
Marie Mongan
Paperback (2005-05-24)
$19.95

The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies 
Randine Lewis
Hardcover (2004-01)
$25.95

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby 
Landrum B. Shettles, David M. Rorvik
Paperback (1996-12-01)
$13.95

What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Daughters 
Lynda Madaras, Marcia Herman-Giddens
Paperback (2000-12-04)
$12.95
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© 2006 by Dave Taylor: Content from Amazon and Wikipedia

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