The rapidly developing fetus depends on the mother for nutrients, oxygen, and waste elimination as substances pass through the placenta (a disk-shaped organ attached to the wall of the uterus, shown in I Figure 11.5). The fetus is joined to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The fetal blood circulates independently within the closed system […]

In the third trimester, the fetus continues to grow, developing the size and strength it will need to live on its own (I Figure 11.4). It increases in weight from 4 pounds in the 7th month to an average of over 7 pounds at birth. The downlike hair covering its body disappears, and head hair […]

Once a woman becomes pregnant, her previous lifestyle and her health habits and medical care during pregnancy play an important part in the development of a healthy fetus (Melhado, 2011). Fetal Development The 9-month (40-week) span of pregnancy is customarily divided into three 13-week segments, called trimesters. Characteristic changes occur in each trimester. First-Trimester Development […]

In pregnancies with no risk factors, the woman and couple can continue sexual activ­ity and orgasm as desired until the onset of labor (C. Jones et al., 2011). A woman’s sexual interest and responsiveness will likely change throughout the course of her preg­nancy. Nausea, breast tenderness, and fatigue can inhibit sexual interest during the first […]

An expectant father obviously does not experience the same physical sensations that a pregnant woman does (although occasionally a "pregnant father" reports psychosym­pathetic symptoms, such as the nausea or tiredness his partner is experiencing). How­ever, the experiences of pregnancy and birth are often profound for the father. What exactly does the "male pregnancy" involve? Like […]

Pregnancy is a unique and significant experience for both a woman and her partner. In the following pages, we look at the experience and the effect it has on the individuals and the couple. Many of the experiences are encountered by heterosexual and lesbian couples alike. In this section the heterosexual couple is used as […]

Elective abortion continues to be a highly controversial political issue in the United States and many other countries (Kulczycki, 2011). Beliefs regarding the beginning of life, women’s right to reproductive choice, and the role of government influence the stand individuals take regarding elective termination of pregnancy. Abortion: Historical Overview Laws regulating abortion have changed over […]

An estimated 21.6 million unsafe abortions occur yearly, resulting in 47,000 deaths and millions of women left with serious health problems and infertility (Guttmacher Institute, 2012a). More than 95% of abortions in Africa and Latin America are per­formed under unsafe conditions. Desperate to end unwanted pregnancies, women attempt to self-induce abortions by drinking turpentine, bleach, […]

Several different abortion procedures are used at different stages of pregnancy. In the United States, 62% of legal abortions occur within the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, and 92% of abortions are done in the first 12 weeks (Mugge, 2011). Early abortion is very safe. The risk of dying from a surgical abortion is 0.1 […]

The United States has one of the highest abortion rates in the developed world. Each year, 21 out of every 1,000 women of reproductive age have an abortion (Guttmacher Institute, 2012a). In contrast, abortion rates in western Europe of 12 per 1,000 women are the lowest in the world. Differences in many social policies contribute […]