Pregnancy Support Group

The normal term for pregnancies is between 37 and 42 weeks, according to the World Health Organization. The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). During the second trimester, the development of the fetus can be more easily monitored and diagnosed. The beginning of the third trimester often approximates the point of viability, or the ability of the fetus to survive, with or without medical help, outside of the uterus.

Signs of Pregnancy

Most pregnant women do not have any specific signs or symptoms of implantation, although it is not uncommon to experience light bleeding at implantation. The outer layers of the embryo grow and form a placenta, for the purpose of receiving essential nutrients through the uterus wall. The umbilical cord in a newborn child consists of the remnants of the connection to the placenta. The developing embryo undergoes tremendous growth and changes during the process of embryonic and fetal development. Morning sickness afflicts about seventy percent of all pregnant women, typically only in the first trimester.