Pregnancy is physiological process, in which a new human organism develops in a woman’s uterus as a result of fertilization.
Pregnancy lasts on average for women 280 days(40 weeks, which corresponds to 9 calendar months or 10 lunar months). Pregnancy is also usually divided into 3 trimesters of 3 calendar months in everyone.
Signs of early pregnancy
In the early stages, the diagnosis of pregnancy is made on the basis of doubtful and probable signs.
Questionable signs of pregnancy- various kinds subjective feelings, as well as objectively determined changes in the body, outside the internal genital organs: taste whims, changes in olfactory sensations, easy fatigue, drowsiness, pigmentation of the skin on the face, along the white line of the abdomen, nipples and areola.
Possible signs of pregnancy — objective signs on the part of the genital organs, mammary glands and when staging biological reactions to pregnancy. These include: cessation of menstruation in women of childbearing age, enlargement of the mammary glands and the appearance of colostrum when squeezed out of the nipples, cyanosis of the mucous membrane of the vagina and cervix, changes in the shape and consistency of the uterus, and an increase in its size.
You can first verify the presence of pregnancy at home using a rapid test for the content of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in a woman’s urine (the test is carried out from the first day of the delay of the next menstruation).
It allows you to confirm the fact of pregnancy.
Changes in the body of a pregnant woman
Numerous and complex changes occur in a woman's body during pregnancy. These physiological changes create conditions for intrauterine development fetus, prepare the woman’s body for labor and breastfeeding newborn Menstruation stops, the mammary glands increase in volume, and the nipples darken.
Many pregnant women experience nausea and sometimes vomiting in the first trimester - these symptoms are commonly called. Often there is weakness, drowsiness, heartburn, drooling, changes in taste, frequent urination. These disturbances in well-being are characteristic of a healthy and normal pregnancy.
Particularly large changes occur in the woman’s genital organs. Each time the uterus grows, the blood supply to the internal and external genital organs increases. The tissues swell and become elastic, which facilitates their better stretching during childbirth. In the mammary glands, the number and volume of glandular lobules increase, their blood supply increases, they become tense, from the nipples. There is a sharp increase in the amount of gonadotropic hormones, as well as estrogens and progesterone, produced first by the corpus luteum (a temporary gland formed at the site of the follicle from which the mature egg emerged) and then. Hormones secreted by the corpus luteum (progesterone and, to a lesser extent, estrogens) help create conditions for proper development pregnancy. Corpus luteum undergoes reverse development after fourth month in connection with the development of the hormonal function of the placenta.
To manage pregnancy, it is necessary (3 - 4 weeks after the delay of menstruation), where the doctor examines and examines the external and internal genital organs, and, if necessary, prescribes additional examinations.
Genital organs during pregnancy
Uterus. During pregnancy, the size, shape, position, consistency and reactivity (excitability) of the uterus changes. The uterus gradually enlarges throughout pregnancy. Enlargement of the uterus occurs mainly due to hypertrophy of the muscle fibers of the uterus; At the same time, muscle fibers multiply and the newly formed muscle elements of the reticular-fibrous and argyrophilic “framework” of the uterus grow.
The uterus is not only a fruit repository that protects the fetus from adverse external influences, but also a metabolic organ that provides the fetus with enzymes and complex compounds necessary for the plastic processes of a rapidly developing fetus.
Vagina During pregnancy, it lengthens, widens, and the folds of the mucous membrane become more pronounced. The external genitalia loosen during pregnancy.
Lifestyle of a pregnant woman, regime, nutrition and hygiene
The developing fetus receives all the necessary nutrients from the mother. The well-being of the fetus depends entirely on the health of the mother, her working conditions, rest, and the state of the nervous and endocrine systems.
Pregnant women are exempt from night shifts, heavy physical work, work associated with body vibration or adverse effects of chemicals on the body. substances. During pregnancy, sudden movements, heavy lifting and significant fatigue should be avoided. A pregnant woman needs to sleep at least 8 hours a day. A walk before bed is recommended.
Pregnant women must be carefully protected from infectious diseases, which pose a particular danger to the body of the pregnant woman and the fetus.
During pregnancy, you need to be especially careful about keeping your skin clean. Clean skin helps eliminate metabolic products that are harmful to the body through sweat.
A pregnant woman should wash her external genitalia twice a day. warm water with soap. Douching during pregnancy should be prescribed with great caution.
During pregnancy, you should carefully monitor the condition of your oral cavity and carry out the necessary treatment.
The mammary glands must be washed daily with warm water and soap and dried with a towel. These methods prevent cracked nipples and mastitis. If so, then you should massage them.
Maternity clothes should be comfortable and free: you should not wear tight belts, tight bras, etc. In the second half of pregnancy, it is recommended to wear a bandage that should support the stomach, but not squeeze it.
A pregnant woman should wear low-heeled shoes.
But every woman will tell you that there is an eighth - the birth of a child. Of course, sometimes it happens that pregnancy is not very desirable, but, one way or another, any representative of the fair sex should know the characteristics of this condition of the body in order to diagnose it in time. First of all, the peculiarities of pregnancy should be known to every woman who dreams of a healthy and strong baby.
Are you pregnant or is this a dream?
Let's look at some early signs of this state. This is necessary so that the course is not mistaken for a disease. One of the first signs of pregnancy is the cessation of menstruation. In some cases, cessation of menstrual bleeding may be caused by stressful situations, sudden climate change or various diseases, for example, hormonal.
The next point may be sudden nausea during the day, especially in the morning, and hypersensitivity to various odors. Usually these symptoms begin in the fourth month and go away on their own by the fifth month.
Another fairly noticeable sign that something is developing inside you new life, is also a darkening of the areola. If the pregnancy progresses normally, then this symptom may appear more and more every month. Over time, colostrum will begin to be released from the nipples, so the body expectant mother preparing for breastfeeding.
On early stages pregnant women experience frequent urge to urination, this is due to excessive blood flow to the pelvic organs, which leads to compression of the bladder. If, with all the previously listed signs, your mood also often changes, you want to cry for no apparent reason or, conversely, the fun is raging over the edge, or maybe you have become especially sleepy, then most likely you are really pregnant.
Let's go to the gynecologist
So you think you are pregnant. Regardless of whether this fact makes you happy, you should definitely visit a gynecologist. Of course, now you can buy different ones in every pharmacy. All of them are based on the fact that a pregnant woman’s body produces a specific hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin, at a certain concentration of which in the urine the test will show positive result. However, a visit to the gynecologist is mandatory, since no test can determine the nature of the pregnancy. The fact is that a pregnancy can only be considered normal when the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus and develops there. But sometimes it may happen that it settles, for example in fallopian tube. It is not possible to determine based on a test alone. It is worth remembering that the consequences of development similar condition are incomparable to the false embarrassment or potential discomfort that women often experience when visiting a doctor. Moreover, an ectopic pregnancy poses a direct threat not only to a woman’s health, but also to her life.
A trouble-free pregnancy is the key to the birth of a healthy baby.
To provide normal development little man It is very important to carefully monitor your health and nutrition during pregnancy. A few simple rules will help you with this.
Rule 1. From now on you need to monitor your diet. The diet should be varied and rich in vitamins, because your baby eats the same thing as you. Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids are especially important during pregnancy.
Rule 2: Increase the amount of calcium in your diet. This is necessary for the proper formation of bones, teeth and nails of the unborn child. And your own teeth will thank you too.
Rule 3. If you don’t want to lose weight for a long time and painfully after giving birth, carefully monitor the amount of food you eat. The popular belief that you need to eat for two is nothing more than a fiction. Your diet must be varied, but not excessive. Remember, overeating is a direct road to problems not only for the mother, but also for the child.
Rule 4. One of important elements in the body of a pregnant woman is folic acid. So make sure you consume enough of it. Not only the condition of your nails and hair depends on this, but also correct formation spine in a child.
Rule 5. Play sports. For example, you can go to yoga, Pilates, jogging, or perform a set of exercises for pregnant women. Don’t be lazy to do them regularly, because this will not only help keep your muscles and heart in good shape, but will also saturate your body with oxygen, which will have an extremely positive effect on the health of your unborn baby. Getting started sports activities, do not forget to consult your doctor.
Rule 6. Enjoy your pregnancy, remember - this is not a disease, but a normal condition of every woman. Try to avoid stress and anxiety - this can negatively affect the course of pregnancy and subsequently lead to problems with breastfeeding.
Pregnancy diary, is it necessary?
Whether or not to start a pregnancy diary is up to each expectant mother to decide for herself. In principle, this can be quite interesting, because in the everyday hustle and bustle a lot is forgotten, and a diary will help remind you of pleasant moments. Such a diary can be especially useful for first-time mothers, because they do not yet have their own experience, and by re-reading the diary of more experienced friends, you can clearly imagine the course of pregnancy from the first days and understand what changes will occur in the body at one time or another . In addition, the diary will help the gynecologist more accurately describe your condition. And this, in turn, can be very important if the pregnancy progresses with complications. So, what happens to the expectant mother’s body depending on the period?
First trimester
Since gynecologists begin counting from the first day of the last monthly bleeding, then in the first trimester of your " interesting situation"will be one week less than all the others. Considering the course of pregnancy week by week, it will not be difficult to track how your baby is developing and what he already “can do” by a certain date.
In the first month, everything happens literally at the cellular level. So, on the fourth day after fertilization, your child consists of 58 cells, and only 5 of them are the fetus and umbilical cord rudiments, and the rest will be used for nutrition and development. By the end of the first month (more precisely, the 3rd week), the embryo already has the shape of the letter C and its “growth” is 2.5 mm.
At 5-8 weeks, the rudiments of the main organs, both external and internal, begin to form: rudimentary eyes, nose, ears, the basis of the spinal cord and brain, intestines, liver, lungs, etc. At this stage, the baby has gill slits and small tail.
In the third month, the fetus takes on the appearance of a human being. During this period, it is very important for the expectant mother to move more, because the baby’s vestibular apparatus is developing. The arms and legs are already well formed, the fingers are hardening, the first movements appear - the child opens his mouth, moves his limbs, makes the first swallows and sucking movements. At the tenth week, sexual characteristics are already clearly visible.
Second trimester
Starting from the fourth month, the fetus experiences active growth brain cells, the formation of the genital organs ends and their own hormones begin to be produced. By the end of the fifth month, all vital organs (respiration, digestion, nervous system and hematopoietic organs). During the 6th month, the fetus actively gains weight and facial features are formed. In addition, the child begins to sleep.
But for a woman, pregnancy in the second trimester is usually accompanied by excellent health, and toxicosis goes away. Sexual attraction also often appears.
Third trimester
The normal course of pregnancy in the third trimester determines the formation of a full-fledged person: the baby can already see, hear, and respond to external stimuli. Gradually, by the 36th week, the fetus stops freely changing its position and is located in the uterus almost statically, most often with its head down. Middle child by this moment has a height of 46-50 cm and a weight of 2.8-3 kg. Of course, various variations are possible, but too strong a deviation from the average parameters requires mandatory consultation with a doctor and constant monitoring.
Dangers, features and possible complications
The most dangerous complication requiring immediate specialist intervention is water leakage. During pregnancy, especially in its later stages, sometimes such an unpleasant and rather dangerous phenomenon occurs as partial leakage of the amniotic sac. This situation should not be treated negligently. After all, partial leakage of water may be associated with injuries or micro-ruptures of the amniotic sac, and even a good gynecologist is not always able to determine the real reason this phenomenon. Although this condition has not yet been sufficiently studied, it is precisely established that most often it is a harbinger of untimely birth.
Finally
For a normal pregnancy to avoid various complications, you should follow the recommendations of specialists as carefully as possible and listen to your feelings, then your baby will definitely be born strong and healthy.
Nausea, nervousness, drowsiness, changes in appetite - all this is normal for the first trimester of pregnancy. Vomiting that does not threaten dehydration is also not a deviation. All these symptoms are called gestosis in the first trimester and do not pose a danger to the woman and the fetus. But the appearance of nagging pain in the lower abdomen, bloody discharge and frequent vomiting are not normal, you need to call urgently ambulance, and before the doctor arrives, observe bed rest. It is in the first trimester that the body makes a decision whether to continue the pregnancy or not. To make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding normally and everything is fine with the embryo, the following studies are carried out:Ultrasound in the early stages (diagnoses pregnancy, excludes ectopic pregnancy);
Ultrasound at 12 weeks (no abnormalities in embryo development are diagnosed);
laboratory tests (including maternal blood tests, screening for developmental anomalies);
sometimes chorionic fibers are examined (if the risk of developmental anomalies and genetic mutations is high).
Hypertonicity or training contractions?
Obstetricians say that in the second and third trimester the main task of the embryo is to grow, since the rudiments of organs and systems have already formed. At this stage, it is important to maintain the health of the expectant mother and prevent deviations during pregnancy. Hypertonicity of the uterus is not normal under any circumstances - this threatens the development of fetal hypoxia and the risk of miscarriage. Nagging pain in the lumbosacral region, the feeling of a “petrified uterus” are signs of hypertonicity. Unlike hypertonicity, training contractions, which can begin as early as the beginning of the second trimester, pass quickly, alternating periods of tension and relaxation of the uterus. Remember, a “stone” belly and severe pain in the lower back - this is hypertonicity, urgent care is needed health care.Excess weight: is swelling or excessive appetite to blame?
Increased appetite and thirst accompany almost every pregnant woman. However, in some cases, these symptoms may indicate gestational diabetes. To do this, they conduct a blood test for glucose levels (donate blood for sugar). If these indicators are normal, then excess weight- the result of excessive consumption of food.During pregnancy, the kidneys work in an enhanced mode: they are put under pressure by the enlarged uterus, and there is additional stress due to an increase in the volume of circulating blood and the consumption of pregnant fluid in a larger volume than usual. Moderate swelling is not a pathology, but extensive swelling threatens serious gestosis and can lead to malnutrition of the fetus and provoke a persistent increase in blood pressure. To understand whether you have fluid retention, you need to monitor the amount of fluid you drink and excrete for at least a week. If the difference between the values is more than 100-300 ml, you have fluid retention.
What studies are performed in the second and third trimesters?
During the second and third trimesters, an ultrasound examination is performed to exclude pathologies of the fetus and placenta. The doctor looks at the volume amniotic fluid, placenta insertion site and blood flow study. It is impossible to obtain this data using subjective methods, and therefore you should not refuse diagnostics. At the same time, fetal developmental abnormalities can be diagnosed. If you plan to continue the pregnancy in any case, then it is even more worthwhile to go for additional diagnostics. Knowledge about fetal development disorders, many of which can be successfully treated, will allow you to prepare for the birth of a special child, find good specialists to eliminate violations.Colostrum is normal
Enlarged breasts increased sensitivity in the nipple area and the appearance of colostrum is a sign of a normal pregnancy. Indirectly, based on the condition of the breast, you can understand that everything is fine with the child. If you are pregnant, then the hormonal status changes - the breasts sharply decrease, colostrum ceases to be released. The absence of colostrum is not a deviation; in some women it appears the day before or only after childbirth.Fetal movements: what is normal?
Normally, a woman feels fetal movements from 17-22 weeks. Every day you need to record up to 12 cycles of movement or note the presence of fetal activity every hour. Both calm and active behavior can indicate both normality and pathology. If your baby is always calm, and it is confirmed that there is no fetal hypoxia, then this is the norm for a particular pregnancy. May be a cause for concern sudden change in fetal behavior: active child became lethargic, and the calm one became too active. You should contact your local obstetrician or call an ambulance.Arterial hypertension is dangerous for the development of convulsive syndrome
An increase in blood pressure even by several tens of units is a cause for concern and hospitalization for a pregnant woman. The fetus experiences oxygen starvation, developmental delay may occur and one of the the most dangerous complications pregnancy - eclampsia and seizures. Convulsions can lead to placental abruption, intrauterine fetal death, fractures in a pregnant woman and premature birth. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and feel a sudden headache, which is combined with loss of orientation in space, dazedness, tunnel vision - seek immediate medical help.Bloody discharge is always a cause for concern
The discharge of bright scarlet blood is always dangerous. A common myth that menstruation passes through the pregnant uterus can cause miscarriage. Sometimes the discharge of coagulated blood may occur several days after an instrumental examination in a chair. The reason for this is a loose cervix and vaginal walls, as well as increased vascular permeability, and not the carelessness of the doctor, as many believe.You should know that the presence of complications during the first pregnancy does not in any way affect the course of subsequent pregnancies. Often during the first pregnancy, women note hypertonicity of the uterus, nausea causes them great inconvenience, as does increased sensitivity of the nipples. Multiparous women are more ready for changes in the body, and therefore the characteristic, sometimes unpleasant sensations do not cause them serious discomfort, and complications such as hypertension and the risk of developing eclampsia in
When does a woman become a mother? It turns out not when she gives birth to a child, but when pregnancy occurs.
Everyone knows that pregnancy occurs after a sperm fertilizes an egg. At this moment, the child’s gender, character traits, and who he will resemble are determined. Fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube, where the egg enters from the ovary. The process of the release of an egg from the ovary is called ovulation and occurs on days 12-16 menstrual cycle. After fertilization, the egg continues its movement through the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it arrives after a few days. All this time it is actively dividing and growing.
In the uterus, the egg begins to implant - attach to its wall. The mucous membrane of the uterus, under the influence of hormones, prepares for this and becomes swollen and loose. The egg is “implanted” into it, blood vessels begin to sprout and the chorion - the rudiment of the placenta - is formed. Actually, this is no longer just a fertilized egg - it is an embryo around which a shell filled with liquid is formed.
Approximately on the 14th day after conception, implantation ends, and, through the formed blood vessels, the embryo sends a powerful signal to the body about pregnancy. Begins hormonal changes mother's body in order to normally carry and give birth to a baby. The hormonal background becomes so different that some doctors even call pregnant women a “third” gender. For example, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, the main hormone of pregnancy, increases sharply in the first months of pregnancy, and it grows especially quickly in the first days after conception. Therefore, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is an important diagnostic sign of pregnancy. This hormone increases the formation of another important hormone during pregnancy - progesterone.
This time coincides with the first days of missed menstruation. Someone begins to crave “salty food”, someone begins to feel sick from the usual smell of perfume, someone starts to have a voracious appetite. Some become whiny, irritable, get tired quickly and want to sleep all the time. Signs of toxicosis often appear - nausea, especially in the morning. But the most accurate indicators of pregnancy are the absence of menstruation and enlarged mammary glands.
Many women, after learning about their pregnancy, begin to remember with horror that they drank alcohol at their husband’s birthday party, smoked or took some kind of medication. Naturally, they are worried about how this will affect the health of the unborn child. In such cases, specialists reassure pregnant women - in the early stages, the “all or nothing” law applies. If the damaging effect on the embryo is too great, the pregnancy is terminated on its own. And if the pregnancy develops normally, then everything is fine with the child too. In addition, as can be seen from what was written above, in the first days after conception the child is not attached to the mother’s circulatory system, and therefore harmful substances they don’t get to him.
Stages of the long journey
The embryo attached to the uterus grows very quickly. In the first three months, all organs and tissues of the child are formed, so at this time it is very important to limit everything harmful effects on the mother's body. Limit the intake of any medications, alcohol, do not smoke, eat healthy food, get enough sleep, and do not overwork. Long walks are very beneficial fresh air, as well as light physical activity.
At 12 weeks, all organs of the embryo’s body are formed, and then they only grow. He already has eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms and legs with toes, everything internal organs. It is already clearly clear whether it will be a boy or a girl, there are leukocytes and hemoglobin in the blood. The muscles begin to develop - the child actively moves, although the mother does not yet feel these movements, since he is still too small.
At 16 weeks, the placenta is fully formed - the organ that supplies the baby in the uterus with nutrients and oxygen. In addition to the nutritional function, the placenta also performs protective and hormonal functions. The protective function is that it creates the so-called placental barrier, through which many substances harmful to the child do not pass. After 16 weeks, the placenta completely takes over the supply hormonal levels, supporting pregnancy. That is why hormonal drugs, prescribed for the threat of miscarriage, are canceled at the same time.
Will the baby suffocate with amniotic fluid?
The umbilical cord connects the baby to the placenta connective tissue, inside which there are three vessels - two arteries and one vein. By the way, the number of vessels is an important diagnostic sign of congenital pathologies, so doctors always carefully count them during an ultrasound examination. Blood, saturated with oxygen and nutrients, flows from the mother’s body through the vein to the baby, and through the arteries it returns back.
Inside the uterus, the baby does not use the lungs to breathe - oxygen immediately enters his blood from the mother. Therefore, before birth, the lungs are “switched off” from the blood circulation; the child often swallows amniotic fluid into them and hiccups. There is no need to be afraid of this, in this way it trains breathing movements.
Immediately after birth, when the child takes his first real breath, the lungs expand, and, in the future, breathing is carried out only through them, as in all adults. This becomes possible because at the exit from the heart a special valve called the “oval window” closes, and blood begins to flow along a different path - through the lungs.
What happens to a pregnant woman's body
In the meantime, the child “breathes” through the placenta, using it to form a single “mother and child” system. It should be noted that the mother’s body withstands an enormous load during pregnancy. After all, a growing child requires a lot of oxygen, nutrients. The uterus, mammary glands, number of amniotic fluid. All this requires an increase in blood volume in the body, which naturally leads to an increase in the load on the heart, kidneys and liver.
Due to the increase in blood volume, it is somewhat “diluted”, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin - this is called physiological anemia. WHO considers the hemoglobin content in pregnant women to be 105 g/l as the lower limit of normal. There is no need to be afraid of a slight increase in blood clotting rates - this is how the body prepares for childbirth in order to reduce possible blood loss.
The mother's kidneys and liver work for two in the literal sense of the word. They neutralize and remove from the body not only “their” metabolic products, but also the child’s metabolic products. Therefore, it is very important to eat right and drink enough fluids so as not to increase the already serious load on these organs. In addition, it is necessary to regularly take urine tests to monitor kidney function.
Work is also changing digestive tract in pregnant women. This is mainly due to the effect of the hormone progesterone on the intestines. Progesterone relaxes the smooth muscles of the body - blood vessels, uterus, intestines. Therefore, the intestines become “sluggish” and constipation occurs. This problem can be solved with the help of foods rich in fiber - bread, wholemeal flour, large quantity raw vegetables and fruits. If this diet does not help, you should definitely consult a doctor.
In the second half of pregnancy, the growing uterus begins to move internal organs from their usual places. The stomach, for example, moves upward and is compressed. This can cause stomach contents to back up into the esophagus and cause heartburn. In this case, alkaline will help mineral water and frequent but small meals.
The bladder is also compressed, and its tone is reduced due to the already described action of progesterone. But now much more urine is produced. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to have frequent bowel movements. bladder to prevent the inflammatory process.
Strong weight gain increases the load on the spine and legs. On average, a woman gains from 10 to 18 kilograms during pregnancy. Moreover, those who were thin and slender before pregnancy gain weight more often. This is due to the amount of fat reserves required for normal gestation, childbirth and breastfeeding. Those who did not have them quickly deposit these reserves on their hips and buttocks.
When does labor begin
Almost all pregnant women, without exception, are concerned about the child’s readiness to “come out into the world.” In other words, when the child has formed so much that it can safely survive outside the mother’s body. In general, babies born after 28 weeks are considered fit enough to survive after birth. But it’s probably not in vain that nature determined the gestational age at 38-42 weeks. It is during this period that the child manages to mature enough to be born without harm to himself and the mother and continue his further development outside the womb.
At approximately 34-36 weeks of age, the baby's lungs begin to produce a special substance - surfactant, which prevents the lungs from collapsing when exhaling. Thus, after this period the child can breathe on his own. But a child at this age cannot yet maintain and properly regulate his body temperature. He's too skinny for that. Therefore, the remaining time before childbirth accumulates fat in the subcutaneous tissue.
Much is known about how the body of the child and mother prepares for childbirth. But it is still unknown what actually starts birth process. Before childbirth, the mother's body releases endorphins, which help her overcome labor pain, and the child survives birth stress. Adrenal hormones also help the child survive the stress of childbirth. The hormone relaxin prepares the birth canal for a pregnant woman - it softens the ligaments and makes the muscles more elastic. The release of the hormone oxytocin causes contractions of the uterus - contractions.
Thus, the body of both mother and baby is perfectly prepared for childbirth. Therefore, it is very important that labor begins and is carried out independently, without artificial stimulation and pain relief. In this case, they will be as painless as possible for all participants in the process. Of course, sometimes stimulation and pain relief are needed medical indications, but unless absolutely necessary, it is better not to abuse them. After all, the best outcome of pregnancy and childbirth is healthy baby, and a real mother will always try to do her best for this.