Pregnancy

Tubal pregnancy is also called ectopic pregnancy and it tides when the fertilized ovule is not installed into the uterus. Most of ectopic pregnancies appear at the Fallopian tubes level - that is why they are called tubal pregnancies. The Fallopian tubes do not have the capacity to shelter a growing embryo and this is the cause why the fertilized ovule settled inside a Fallopian tube cannot develop normally and needs treatment. One pregnancy from sixty is an ectopic one.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Tubal pregnancy can be caused by: infection or inflammation of Fallopian tube can determine the blocking of some of its parts, tissues harmed by infections or operations made on the Fallopian tubes, operations in the pelvic side or in the side of Fallopian tubes which have determined their adhesion, an anomaly in the tubes form as result of genetic defects.

Women who can have a tubal pregnancy: persons between 35 and 44 years old, the ones who had another ectopic pregnancy; the ones who had suffered an operation in the pelvic zone; women who suffer by inflammatory pelvic disease (Chlamydia or Gonococcus infections); ladies who had more than one miscarriage; the ones who have endometriosis and those who use an intrauterine device (it stops the implantation of the fertilized ovule at the level of the endometriom, but it does not protect against an extra-uterine pregnancy).

The extra-uterine pregnancy can have the following symptoms: strange bleedings, intestinal symptoms, sensation of weakness, dizziness, and syncope.

The ectopic pregnancy can be discovered by a specialist doctor, who will examine the pelvic zone to find the center of pain; he/she also will make an echography to see if the uterus shelters a growing foetus. It is very important to measure the pregnancy hormone’s level (a small level of hormones is another reason to suspect an ectopic pregnancy). In the same way, a small level of progesterone can indicate an unusual gestation.

An ectopic pregnancy must be treated right away after the diagnostic in order to avoid the breaking of internal organs of the woman, breaking which may lead to a very severe internal bleeding. The treatment is chosen dependent on the evolution level of the pregnancy and the woman’s health. We have some examples of treatments: special medication (helps the organism to absorb the pregnancy’s tissues, saving this way the Fallopian tube). If the tube becomes too tightly or the breaking takes place and bleeds, all this part of the Fallopian tube must be removed. The bleeding must be quickly stopped and the surgical operation must take place right away. The laparoscopic surgery can be done under total anesthesia. This operation involves the removal of the ectopic pregnancy and fixing the Fallopian tube.

What can happen after that? Well, the hormone’s level must be periodically checked until it gets back to normal (if the Fallopian tube wasn’t totally removed). If the hormone’s level remains high, this fact can indicate the presence of an ectopic tissue that wasn’t totally removed, thing that needs a second surgical intervention or special medication.

After a woman had an ectopic pregnancy, her chances of having a normal pregnancy are smaller than usual, but this thing depends on the causes of the previous pregnancy. If the Fallopian tube is not removed, there are chances of 60% to have a normal pregnancy in the future.

Being pregnant means a lot of responsibilities and sacrifices for the future mother.
<-336×280 Large Rectangle - center->
The health of the baby can be affected by a multitude of maternal and environmental factors. The age, the health, the stress of the mother or the genetic factors have an important role in the foetus development.

The effect of different substances depends on the development period of the foetus. If some of them are harmful during the pregnancy, other substances manifest their negative effects only in certain development phases of the foetus. In the first ten weeks of pregnancy, most organs are developed, so the effect of drugs administrated before the twentieth day of gestation either destroys the embryo either has no effect on it (following the principle “all or nothing”). After this period drug effect is manifesting by structural organ’s malformations, functional disorders with precocious or tardily manifestation.

If by habitude the mother consumes drugs or noxious substances, drug use during pregnancy can complicate the process and harm the baby. Alcohol and drug use can generate a lot of other problems.

Injected drugs, such as heroin or amphetamines expose the women to the risk of other complications. The use of contaminated needles and injected equipment raises the possibility of the B and C hepatitis virus and of HIV infestation, viruses which can be transmitted to the foetus, too.

When a pregnant woman administrates herself a drug, this one can easily go through the placenta into the baby’s blood, the foetus being exposed to the same drug effects as the mother’s.

A baby born by a mother, who has consumed heroin during her pregnancy, also becomes a drug dependent. After a few hours from birth, in default of drugs, the baby gets in withdrawal, which is has severe manifestations at this age, threatening the child’s life.

The babies born by a Cocaine, tranquilizers and amphetamines dependent mother, have a smaller weight at birth and their intellectual development is more difficult than a baby with the same age, but born by a mother who did not experienced drugs. A recent study made on monkeys shows that the foetus of female gender is more protected of the effect of the Cocaine taken by the mother during the pregnancy. In case of a foetus of male gender things are little different: even before birth they seem to be affected by the drug and they are more exposed to the risk of becoming drug dependant.

Only in United States of America 7.5 millions of babies have been exposed to Cocaine before their birth. Annual there are born from 30000 to 160000 babies who were accessible to Cocaine while they were in their mother’s belly.

Smoking during the pregnancy is very dangerous because tobacco contains more than 2000 substances, including nicotine and carbon monoxide. These substances go through the placenta and reduce the oxygen supplying of the foetus, which raises the risk of mental retard, of spontaneous miscarriages, of premature births. Moreover, many drugs can pass in the maternal milk, the child being exposed to ingestion of dangerous chemical products.

Cannabis use during pregnancy affects the growing and the development of the foetus. Small weight at birth and reduced head circumference are associated with a high level risk of memory and behavior problems. The Cannabis effects on the baby’s life are stronger than the effects produced by tobacco.

For certain, the eventual problems generated by drug use during pregnancy, smoking and consuming alcohol, suggest that these women must ask for advice and help of the professional doctors.

Cat pregnancy lasts between fifty-nine and sixty-nine days, meaning that the gestation lasts almost nine weeks. The number of the babies to born varies from one to eight, depending on the cat’s age. In the second semester of pregnancy the veterinary can establish the number of babies. There are two methods to find it out: counting them by palpating the animal’s abdomen or by ultrasounds control (echography).
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The cat pregnancy is divided in two semesters: in the first semester the cat doesn’t give any sign that it would be in calf. The animal acts normally and has the same habits like usual.

During the second semester of pregnancy, the cat is influenced by progesterone (hormone produced during pregnancy) and by the growing of the abdomen and starts to calm down and to reduce the daily activities level. The cat spends more time resting. After four or five weeks of pregnancy, the Venter becomes visible.

There are some caution measures that the cat’s owner must take in order to help the animal during the pregnancy. The biggest risk is in the first three weeks of baby’s development into the mother’s uterus. The medicines which are bad administrated and infections may harm the health of both cat and babies. For example if the cat is accessible to enteritis during the gestation, the babies which will manage to survive will be born with brain malformations.

Even the vaccination against this disease can be harmful. The cats should be vaccinated before getting in calf to increase the protection of the babies. A cat which is in calf should never be vaccinated.

During all the pregnancy and after it, the diet of the female will suffer some modifications: the food should be richer in proteins and water must not miss at all. The owner of the cat must not feed the animal only two-three times a day with big quantities of food (because of the babies, the cat is not capable to eat much), but he/she should give it frequently small quantities of meal. There even is a special food for cats in calf. In the last three-four weeks it is indicated to keep the cat in the house in order to avoid eventual accidents which may be fatal to the cat or the babies.

The approach of birth can be remarked from the cat’s actions, the way the cat acts twelve-twenty-four hours before the birth: the animal seeks for a place to birth (starts analyzing all the closets and the most “hidden” places in the house in order to find a “nest”). Milk loses also represent a sign that the birth is getting close.

Properly the birth lasts between ten and sixty minutes. By uterine contractions the foetus is pushed outside and the placenta too, in the same time (if not, it can be pushed out in the next twenty-four hours). When babies are born, they are covered by a membrane (sort of sac) – the mother cleans the babies naturally and eats the placentas and the umbilical cordon. The cat stimulates the babies to breath by washing them using the tongue. The cat will start feeding the babies right away.

The cat and the babies must take an examination from a veterinary in maximum twenty-four hours from birth in order to avoid the post-natal problems.

Pregnancy represents the totality of the phenomenons developed between fertilization and parturition (birth), while the embryo and after that the foetus is growing inside the maternal uterus. The pregnancy lasts nine months on average, grouped in three trimesters, meaning 273 days from the fertilization date (weeks of amenorrhea).
<-336×280 Large Rectangle - center->
There are three stages of pregnancy development: the first trimester, the second trimester and the third one.

In the first trimester at the gynecologic examination the uterus is soft and globulous, the cervix is violaceous and the cervical glera is missing. These signs (which are accentuated in time) lead (after eight weeks of amenorrhea) to the pregnancy diagnostic. The pregnancy can be confirmed before eight weeks using the pregnancy test (available in every pharmacy). After five weeks of amenorrhea the embryo sac can be observed during an echography and after six weeks we can see the embryo and the pregnancy’s localization. At seven weeks we are able to discover the cardiac activity of the embryo and at eight weeks it can be confirmed a multiple pregnancy (the presence of more than one embryo). During the fist trimester, the volume of the uterus grows step by step. Beginning with the second month, it grows four centimeters in height per month. At three months, the bottom of the uterus grows a little bit out of the pubis. The woman can describe a constipation, irritability, sleep disorder (insomnia or accession of irresistible somnolence), weird abdominal sensations, and excessive salivation. She can gain or lose weight.

During the second trimester, after the twelfth week the uterus is growing, the abdomen bellys out and the pregnancy becomes visible. The movements of the foetus are percept between the twentieth and the twenty-second week of amenorrhea (for the first baby). The breasts grow up in volume and in height. The skin pigmentation is accentuated (it can appear spots on the face). The skin of the abdomen gets thicker and the height increases (between five and seven kilograms).

In the third trimester the uterus pushes on the urinary bladder at the lower side, so as cough, sneeze, laughter can provoke a urinary incontinence. In the upper side, the uterus pushes on the stomach, provoking burns and it pushes on the diaphragm, causing pursiness. The abdomen extends and the basin’s articulations become painful. Height grows with another four kilograms to reach a total increasing between nine or thirteen kilograms. The mammary glands produce a special substance (milk). During the eighth month the foetus lays normally, with the head downward. During the ninth month, the head of the foetus gets into the little basin, making easier the pushing on the diaphragm. There are produced intermittent uterine contractions which are not painful. Finally, the pregnancy term is announced by the appearance of uterine contractions which are getting stronger and regular, which marks the beginning of the birth’s effort, the first phase of birth.

To give birth to a healthy baby, the future mother has to be in the “custody” of a doctor who will analyze all stages of pregnancy development and will take care that everything is done correctly and the birth should take place without any problems or complications.