women s health issues
Detecting and Dating a Pregnancy
Introduction
Pregnancy begins when an egg is fertilized by a sperm. For about 9 months, a pregnant woman’s body provides a protective, nourishing environment in which the fertilized egg can develop into a fetus. Pregnancy ends at delivery, when a baby is born. If a menstrual period is a week or more late in a woman who usually has regular menstrual periods, she may be pregnant. Sometimes a woman may guess she is pregnant because she has typical symptoms. They include the following: Enlarged and tender breasts Nausea with occasional vomiting A need to urinate frequently Unusual fatigue Changes in appetite 