A woman usually becomes pregnant after having sexual intercourse. This is where a man puts his erect penis inside a woman's vagina. The friction caused by moving his penis in and out of her vagina will cause him to get increasingly excited until eventually he ejaculates (or 'comes') and releases a sticky white substance called semen.

In pregnant women, there is evidence that untreated chlamydia can lead to premature delivery. Babies who are born to infected mothers can get chlamydia in their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia is a leading cause of early infant pneumonia and conjunctivitis (pink eye) in newborns.

infected woman who is pregnant may give the infection to her infant as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. Most states require that the eyes of newborns be treated with silver nitrate or other medication immediately after birth to prevent gonococcal infection of the eyes, which can lead to blindness. Because of the risk of gonococcal infection to both mother and child, doctors recommend that a pregnant woman have at least one test for gonorrhea during her pregnancy.

The answer lies in the wording of the question. More precisely, it is essentially impossible for a woman to get pregnant during her period, but on rare occasions it is possible for a woman to get pregnant from intercourse during her period. Since sperm can live for five days, a couple could have sex near the end of the woman's period, and the sperm could then live long enough to fertilize an egg several days later, if the woman had a very early ovulation.

Pregnant women can have some light irregular bleeding during pregnancy, but it should not be like a “normal” period. Some women can confuse this for their period because often it can come right around the time she was expecting her normal period. The irregular bleeding or spotting that can occur during pregnancy is often a dark brown color or a light pinkish. It should not be enough bleeding to fill pads or tampons over a few days.

Active bulimia can cause a woman to miss her period sometimes. Or, she may never get her period. If this happens, she usually does not ovulate. This makes it hard to get pregnant. Women who have recovered from bulimia have a better chance of getting pregnant once their monthly cycle is normal. If you're having a hard time getting pregnant, see your doctor.

If a woman has unprotected sex, she is at risk of becoming pregnant at any time during the month. Women ovulate at differing times, depending on the length of their menstrual cycle. The most fertile time is generally 3 days before and 3 days after ovulation.

During the birth, blood from the mother gets inside the baby’s body. A very small number of babies get infected while the infected mother is pregnant. There is no treatment to prevent this from happening.

No! Pregnancy is usually a healthy time in a woman’s life. You need to exercise to stay in shape for the athletic event of giving birth. Most activities that you pursued before pregnancy can continue, with a few modifications. Avoid excessive bouncing, avoid possible trauma to the abdomen, take special care to remain hydrated, and avoid letting your core temperature and pulse rate get too high. Lisa Stone at Fit for 2 is also a great resource for exercise during pregnancy.

Internal cleansing/detoxification is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women. A fetus or newborn baby should not be exposed to the toxins eliminated from the mother’s body while cleansing. The mother should wait until her baby is weaned completely.

All potentised homeopathic medicines are safe for pregnant woman. Since pregnancy is a special period the medicine should be taken only after proper consultation. I have been suffering from a skin disorder for the past 6 years for which I have been taking homoeopathic treatment but the problem doesn’t seem to disappear permanently. It keeps recurring.

Yes, if the physician feels that the situation warrants it. Scanning during the first trimester, however, is generally not advised.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death and serious trauma during pregnancy. It is not possible to determine precise numbers, but estimates suggest that every year there are several hundred fetal losses in collisions during the last half of pregnancy, and the number could be over 1000. This is many more than the approximately 180 babies less than one year old who are annually killed in crashes.

Yes. Having an orgasm has nothing to do with when a woman gets pregnant, but ovulation does. For more information on the topic of ovulation please see the FAQ's on ovulation.

Essentially the risk is rather small depending upon how far along the pregnancy is. However, it is not insignificant. For a more in-depth discussion about this topic, I suggest reading my previous question "Chicken Pox and Pregnancy".

All women of childbearing potential should discuss with their doctor their antiseizure medicine regimen and what to do in the event of pregnancy. The effects of LAMICTAL during pregnancy are not known at this time. Any woman who becomes pregnant while taking LAMICTAL should talk to her doctor as soon as possible.

A summary of the recommendations of the SIXTH ACCP CONSENSUS CONFERENCE ON ANTITHROMBOTIC THERAPY is available at: http://www.chestnet.org/health.science.policy/quick.reference.guides/antithrombotic/page12.html

Since the absorption through the fingertips can't be measured, the FDA considers it all to be absorbed, regardless of how infinitesimal the absorption actually is. If there were really a concern the FDA would require men, taking Propecia to wear condoms when their wife is pregnant, but they do not even recommend this.

Because of the additional weight and stress on the framework of the body in pregnant women, chiropractic adjustments can help lower the incidence of pain in the low back and legs, and between the shoulder blades. In some cases, fewer headaches and problems with nausea and elimination may also result. Many chiropractors care for expectant mothers in the regular course of their daily practices.

If a pregnant woman has gonorrhea, she may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treatment of gonorrhea as soon as it is detected in pregnant women will reduce the risk of these complications. Pregnant women should consult a health care provider for appropriate examination, testing and treatment, if necessary.

The bacteria that causes syphilis can infect the baby of a woman during her pregnancy. Depend­ing on how long a pregnant woman has been infected, she may have a high risk of having a stillbirth (a baby born dead) or of giving birth to a baby who dies shortly after birth. An infected baby may be born without symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies may become slow developing, have seizures or die.

To view the U.S. Tuna Foundations press release regarding the FDA advisory visit www.tunafacts.com/press/2004/. The International Food Information Council is also a helpful source of information. You can access this site at www.ific.org.

Unlike men, who produce new sperm daily throughout most of their lifetime, women are born with a specific number of undeveloped eggs (around one to two million) in their ovaries. When a female reaches puberty and starts menstruating, only about 300,000 immature egg cells, or follicles, still remain. Some of these begin to develop with each monthly cycle. At this time, only one follicle matures into an ovum (egg) and bursts from an ovary into the fallopian tubes, initiating ovulation.

You may be eligible for the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program if you are pregnant and/or have children under the age of five and meet certain income guidelines. Through WIC you can receive payment vouchers for nutritious food each month, as well as breast feeding information and support, and nutrition and health information for your child. For more information call (360) 397-8459.

Until recently the chance of a positive woman having a positive baby was about 1 in 4. A women thinking about pregnancy with access to new drug treatments can reduce the chances of having an infected baby to almost no risk at all (around 2%). For some women this is still too much of a risk, for other women it is not. Every woman has the right to make her own decision about babies.