hcg

Hormones are your body's chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including:

• Growth and development
• Metabolism - how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood

Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands, and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.

Hormones are powerful. It takes only a tiny amount to cause big changes in cells or even your whole body. That is why too much or too little of a certain hormone can be serious. Laboratory tests can measure the hormone levels in your blood, urine, or saliva. Your health care provider may perform these tests if you have symptoms of a hormone disorder. Home pregnancy tests are similar - they test for pregnancy hormones in your urine.

You're going to have a baby! It's an exciting time, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. You may have a lot of questions, including what you can do to give your baby a healthy start. Taking care of your health while you're pregnant will help your fetus develop into a healthy baby. To do that, it's important to:

• Have regular visits with your health care provider. During prenatal care visits your provider checks your health and carefully monitors your pregnancy until you deliver a healthy baby. And if there are any health problems, your provider can find them early. Getting treatment right away can cure many problems and prevent others.
• Eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Good nutrition during pregnancy includes eating a variety of:
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Lean meats or other protein sources
  • Low-fat dairy products
• Take prenatal vitamins. During pregnancy, you need higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron.
• Be careful with medicines. Always check with your provider before you start or stop any medicine. This includes over-the-counter medicines and dietary or herbal supplements.
• Stay active. Physical activity can help you stay strong, feel and sleep better, and prepare your body for birth. Check with your provider about which types of activities are right for you.
• Avoid substances that could hurt your baby, including alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.

Your body will keep changing as your fetus develops until your baby is ready to be born. It can be hard to know whether a new symptom is normal or could be a sign of a problem. Check with your provider if something is bothering or worrying you.

If you are overweight or have obesity, losing weight can improve your health. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers. A healthy diet is an important part of a weight-loss program. It:

• May include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
• May include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
• Goes easy on saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars

The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you eat and drink. A diet can help you to do this through portion control. There are many different types of diets. Some, like the Mediterranean diet, describe a traditional way of eating from a specific region. Others, like the DASH eating plan or a diet to lower cholesterol, were designed for people who have certain health problems. But they may also help you to lose weight. There are also fad or crash diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food you are allowed to eat. They may sound promising, but they rarely lead to permanent weight loss. They also may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs.

In addition to a diet, adding exercise into your daily life can help you to lose weight.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

The uterus, or womb, is the place where a fetus grows during pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg grows in the wrong place outside the uterus. It usually occurs in the fallopian tubes. These tubes carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. Sometimes, an ectopic pregnancy can occur in the ovaries, abdominal cavity, or the lower part of the uterus (cervix).

Ectopic pregnancies can't end in a healthy pregnancy because the egg cannot grow. If the pregnancy continues, the fallopian tube can burst. This can cause internal bleeding, which can be a life-threatening emergency that needs immediate surgery.

An ectopic pregnancy often happens because there is a problem with your fallopian tubes. But sometimes it's not clear why an ectopic pregnancy happens.

Factors that may increase your risk for an ectopic pregnancy can include:

• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Prior pelvic, abdominal, or fallopian tube surgery
• Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Endometriosis
• Becoming pregnant while using an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control
• Becoming pregnant after a tubal ligation

Other factors that may increase your risk can include:

• Smoking
• Being older than age 35
• Infertility treatments

You may not notice any symptoms at first. Or you may have some of the usual signs of pregnancy such as a missed period, breast tenderness, or nausea.

Early signs of an ectopic pregnancy may be light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. Ectopic pregnancy can be a medical emergency. Get medical care right away if you have these signs:

• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Shoulder pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Feeling dizzy or faint

An ectopic pregnancy can't be diagnosed without blood tests and an ultrasound. Your health care provider will do a pregnancy test to confirm that you're pregnant. They may do a pelvic exam to check for areas of pain, tenderness, or a mass.

An ectopic pregnancy needs treatment to stop any damage to your organs. Your provider will use medicine or surgery to take out the ectopic tissue.

Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. An ectopic pregnancy is like a miscarriage, but it must be treated to prevent problems. People cope with grief in different ways. It may be helpful to discuss your feelings with your provider or a counselor. Many women who have had ectopic pregnancies go on to have healthy pregnancies later.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

A miscarriage is an unexpected loss of pregnancy before the 20th week. Most miscarriages happen very early in the pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

A miscarriage can happen in any pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus doesn't develop properly. This is often linked to a genetic problem with the fetus, such as an extra or missing chromosome.

In many cases, the cause of a miscarriage is unknown. Some possible factors that may increase the chance of a miscarriage can include:

• Problems with the uterus or cervix
• Chronic diseases, including polycystic ovary syndrome
• Genetic problems with the fetus
• Pregnancy after 35 years of age
• Smoking, drug or alcohol use
• Certain chronic (long-term) health conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes
• Severe malnutrition

The signs of a miscarriage may be different for everyone and can vary based on how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Signs of a miscarriage can include:

• Vaginal spotting or bleeding with or without pain. Some women may have some spotting in early pregnancy and don't miscarry. To be sure, contact your provider right away if you have any bleeding.
• Dark-colored vaginal discharge.
• A gush of fluid or tissue from your vagina.
• Cramping or pain in your abdomen (belly) or lower back.

Sometimes, it's hard to know what's normal during pregnancy. If something seems unusual or is worrying you, talk to your provider.

To check if you have had a miscarriage, your provider may do the following:

• A pelvic exam to check your cervix.
• Blood tests to check things such as the amount of blood loss and confirm pregnancy.
• An ultrasound to check the fetus.

Treatment after a miscarriage often depends on when it occurs during the pregnancy. If you miscarry early in your pregnancy, you may not need any treatment. If you are 12 or more weeks pregnant, you may need a shot to prevent problems with the Rh factor in future pregnancies.

In some cases, tissue is left in the uterus. If you don't have any signs of infection, your provider may recommend waiting for the tissue to pass naturally. If you need treatment to remove the tissue, it can include:

• Medicines
• A procedure called dilatation and curettage (D&C) or vacuum aspiration

No matter when it occurs, losing a pregnancy can be difficult. Counseling may help you cope with your grief. Later, if you decide to try to get pregnant again, talk with your provider to understand any risks. Many women who have a miscarriage go on to have healthy pregnancies later.

Miscarriage can affect anyone and often can't be prevented. Focus on taking good care of yourself and start prenatal care visits early in your pregnancy.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development