Question

pregnancy and childbirth
pregnancy is the period from conception until birth. in humans, this period usually lasts approximately nine months. during pregnancy a baby grows inside its mothers uterus. pregnancy is divided into three or three - month periods. during the first trimester, pregnant women may notice that they are very tired or have morning sickness (nausea that can occur anytime during the day). later in the pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience discomforts such as heartburn, swollen ankles, leg cramps, or backaches. these symptoms are often due to the growing baby pushing on the mothers internal organs. the symptoms disappear soon after delivery of the child.
expectant mothers should receive proper prenatal care. this includes seeing a physician regularly, eating a nutritious diet that includes folic acid (which may prevent certain spinal birth defects) and iron (which helps the baby develop new cells). pregnant mothers are expected to gain roughly 20 to 30 pounds during pregnancy. much of this weight gain occurs during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy. pregnant mothers should not smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or take any drugs except those prescribed by a physician. most doctors agree that exercise during pregnancy is fine as long as it is not too strenuous.
after a mothers fortieth week of pregnancy, a baby weighs about seven pounds and is said to be at full term. if a baby is born before 37 weeks, the baby is premature. the more premature a baby is, the greater the chance that it will have developmental problems. a baby that is born before 24 weeks of pregnancy is not likely to survive.
childbirth, or labor, is the process by which the baby moves from the uterus to the outside world. childbirth has several stages. during the first stage of labor the uterus contracts (tenses and relaxes) irregularly, and the cervix (neck of the uterus) thins out and dilates (opens) gradually. this stage may last for hours. after the cervix is fully dilated (about 4\), the second stage of labor begins. contractions become stronger until the baby is pushed out of the womans body. the delivery of the placenta is the third stage of labor. the placenta is the organ that helps provide the baby with food and oxygen during the pregnancy.

1. list some of the changes pregnancy can cause in the mothers body.
2. what should a pregnant woman do to take care of her baby before its born?
3. describe what happens during each stage of labor.

Explanation:

The answers are based on the information provided in the text about pregnancy and childbirth, summarizing key points for each question.

Answer:

1. During the first trimester, pregnant women may be very tired or have morning sickness. Later in pregnancy, they may experience heart - burn, swollen ankles, leg cramps, or backaches due to the baby pushing on internal organs.
2. She should receive proper prenatal care, see a physician regularly, eat a nutritious diet with folic acid and iron, gain a proper amount of weight (20 - 30 pounds as expected), not smoke, drink alcohol or take non - prescribed drugs, and do non - strenuous exercise.
3. First stage: The uterus contracts irregularly, and the cervix thins out and dilates gradually, which may last for hours. Second stage: Contractions become stronger until the baby is pushed out of the woman's body. Third stage: The placenta is delivered.