2. Gestation
Length of time from conception to birth,
generally nine months. Calculated from
the first day of the last menstrual period,
with a range of 259 to 280 days.
Premature is considered being born
before completing 37 weeks of gestation
3. Embryo
The time the fertilized egg emplants in the
uterus til the end of the eighth week
Organ systems of the body are formed
4. Fetus
Stage after embryo
Lasts until birth
Longest period of gestation
Organs mature and start to function
5. 1st Trimester
physical changes may include breast
tenderness, fatigue and nausea. Emotions may
range from excitement to anxiety. For your baby,
the first trimester is a time of rapid growth and
development. Your baby's brain, spinal cord and
other organs begin to form, and your baby's
heart begins to beat. Your baby's fingers and
toes even begin to take shape.
6. 2nd Trimester
During the second trimester of pregnancy
— from months four to six
Second trimester signs and symptoms
may include larger breasts, a growing
belly and skin changes.
Baby, the second trimester often marks
the ability to kick, make facial expressions
and hear.
7. 3rd Trimester
Third trimester signs and symptoms may include
backaches, swollen ankles and mounting anxiety.
During the third trimester, the baby will likely open his or
her eyes and gain weight. This rapid growth may lead to
more pronounced fetal movements. By the end of week
37, your baby is considered full term.
During the third trimester, you'll continue to meet with
your health care provider regularly. He or she may check
the baby's position and assess cervical changes.
8. Uterus
It is placed between the bladder and the rectum.
One end of the uterus opens into the vagina and
is known as the cervix. The other end is
connected to the fallopian tubes. The pelvic
diaphragm, urogenital diaphragm and the
perineal body primarily support the uterus. The
ligaments and peritoneum also support it.
The organ in which the developing fetus resides.
9. Function
Once the egg is fertilized it will come to rest in
the uterus. The lining of the uterus, the
endometrium, will have prepared itself to receive
the embryo and will then house the fetus for the
next nine months.
The main purpose of the uterus is to nourish the
developing fetus in the months leading up to
birth.
10. Layers – Endometrium
Innermost lining of the uterine cavity.
Damage to the endometrium can result in
adhesions or fibrosis. The endometrium is
the lining that is shed during menstruation
if no pregnancy has occurred.
Reacts to hormonal changes which
prepares it to receive fertilized ovum
Provides rich blood supply
11. Layers - Myometrium
This is the largest layer of the uterus. The
innermost point of the myometrium is
called the junctional zone.
Thick muscular wall that provides
contractions which push the baby out of
the birth canal during delivery
12. Layers - Parametrium
The loose tissue that surrounds the uterus
is called the parametrium. The
parametrium is where the uterine artery
and the ovarian ligament are situated.
13. Layers - Perimetrium
Perimetrium, or peritoneum is the serous
membrane that covers the outer most
layer of the uterus. This layer supports the
abdominal organs and serves as a
channel for their lymph and blood nerves
and vessels
15. Symptoms
Technically, you don't actually "hit" menopause
until it's been one year since your final menstrual
period. In the United States, that happens at
about age 51, on average.
But in the months or years leading up to that
point, you might experience these signs and
symptoms:
Irregular periods
Decreased fertility
Vaginal dryness
16. Symptoms
Hot flashes
Sleep disturbances
Mood swings
Increased abdominal fat
Thinning hair
Loss of breast fullness
17. Causes
Natural decline of reproductive hormones. As you
approach your late 30s, your ovaries start making less
estrogen and progesterone. Fewer potential eggs are
ripening in your ovaries each month, and ovulation is
less predictable. Post-ovulation surge in progesterone
becomes less dramatic. Your fertility declines, partially
due to these hormonal effects.
These changes become more pronounced in your 40s.
Your menstrual periods may become longer or shorter,
heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent until your
ovaries stop producing eggs, and you have no more
periods.
18. Causes
Hysterectomy. A hysterectomy that removes your
uterus, but not your ovaries, usually doesn't cause
menopause. Although you no longer have periods, your
ovaries still release eggs and produce estrogen and
progesterone. But an operation that removes both your
uterus and your ovaries (total hysterectomy and bilateral
oophorectomy) does cause menopause, without any
transitional phase. Periods stop immediately, and you're
likely to have hot flashes and other menopausal signs
and symptoms.
19. Causes
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
These cancer therapies can induce
menopause, causing symptoms such as
hot flashes during the course of treatment
or within three to six months
20. Causes
Primary ovarian insufficiency.
Approximately 1 percent of women
experience menopause before age 40.
Menopause may result from primary
ovarian insufficiency stemming from
genetic factors or autoimmune disease,
but often no cause for primary ovarian
insufficiency can be found.
21. Testing
Under certain circumstances, your doctor may
check your level of follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH) and estrogen (estradiol) with a blood test.
As menopause occurs, FSH levels increase and
estradiol levels decrease.
A blood test to determine your level of thyroid-
stimulating hormone, because hypothyroidism
can cause symptoms similar to those of
menopause.
22. Treatments
Hormone therapy. Estrogen therapy remains the most effective
treatment option for relieving menopausal hot flashes. Depending
on personal and family medical history, the doctor may recommend
estrogen in the lowest dose needed to provide symptom relief for
you.
Low-dose antidepressants. Venlafaxine (Effexor), an
antidepressant decreases menopausal hot flashes. Other SSRIs
can be helpful, including fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine
(Paxil, others), citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft).
Gabapentin (Neurontin). This drug is approved to treat seizures,
but it also has been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes.
Clonidine (Catapres, others). Clonidine, a pill or patch typically
used to treat high blood pressure, may significantly reduce the
frequency of hot flashes, but unpleasant side effects are common.
23. Treatments
Bisphosphonates. Nonhormonal medications, which include
alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel) and ibandronate
(Boniva), to prevent or treat osteoporosis. These medications
effectively reduce both bone loss and your risk of fractures and have
replaced estrogen as the main treatment for osteoporosis in women.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). SERMs are a
group of drugs that includes raloxifene (Evista). Raloxifene mimics
estrogen's beneficial effects on bone density in postmenopausal
women, without some of the risks associated with estrogen.
Vaginal estrogen. To relieve vaginal dryness, estrogen can be
administered directly to the vagina using a vaginal tablet, ring or
cream. This treatment releases just a small amount of estrogen,
which is absorbed by the vaginal tissue. It can help relieve vaginal
dryness, discomfort with intercourse and some urinary symptoms
