Not too long ago, the only way eager parents-to-be could get a glimpse of Junior before he made his big appearance was in one -- or, if you were lucky, two -- routine pregnancy ultrasounds. To the untrained eye of most parents, these ultrasound images are barely recognizable as being those of a child. Enter the 3D pregnancy ultrasound: an ultrasound method that provides a fully dimensional view of babies still in the womb. Before having a 3D ultrasound performed, however, understand that they are not designed to be medically diagnostic and are not recommended by any major medical association.

The process of surrogate pregnancy is complicated. The application process is extensive, getting matched with potential parents can be stressful and carrying a baby to term only to turn it over to the new parents can be emotional. Specific laws vary from state to state, but the general process is the same regardless of your location. Understanding what is involved with surrogate pregnancy will allow you to make an informed decision regarding surrogate pregnancy in your life.

Breast pain can occur during the first, second or third trimester of pregnancy. Usually one of the earliest signs that you are expecting, breast pain can also occur in the final stages of pregnancy as your breasts become ready for your milk to come in shortly after the birth. While much of the discomforts of pregnancy are due to fluctuating hormones, with a little knowledge and gentle care you can reduce breast pain during pregnancy.

Pregnancy causes a series of hormonal changes in your body. One group of hormones in particular, called androgens, can cause pregnancy-related acne or make existing acne worse. While you can't necessarily regulate your body's hormonal changes, you can take steps that may help prevent and treat your acne. It's important to talk about your skin care regimen with your doctor because most of the popular prescription acne medications and many of over-the-counter treatments contain ingredients that can cause serious birth defects.

You gained 30 lbs. during pregnancy but your baby only weighed eight of those. But, you don't feel like you gained all that weight in body fat, so you might be wondering where the rest of that scale jump came from. There are a lot of reasons women gain weight during pregnancy and a lot of different places they gain it. For the most part, those scale increases indicate that your body's doing its part to prepare you and your baby for a healthy gestation and delivery.

There's a lot still happening down there after pregnancy. Heavy bleeding and vaginal discharge can make you feel like you've been on a period for weeks. Then your regular menstrual cycle picks back up. You could find that when it does return, it's not the same as it was before you got pregnant. A heavy period ofter pregnancy isn't something to be alarmed about, unless you're experiencing an unsafe amount of blood in a short time span.

Keep a close eye on your teenage daughter if you suspect she may be sexually active or already pregnant. The early signs of pregnancy for teens are physically the same as for older women although teens may exhibit different behavior. If you observe any early signs indicating that your teen is pregnant, do not hesitate to talk to her.

As you enter into your third trimester of pregnancy, you are well aware of pregnancy discomforts. Some discomforts that disappeared in the second trimester may now return, and some new discomforts are likely to develop. However, the third trimester of pregnancy is the last trimester before delivery and, before long, you will be holding your baby.

Although delaying pregnancy until you are older may be a good idea for security and financial reasons, it may also carry considerable health risks to you and the baby. It is known in the obstetrical field that mothers who are over the age of 35 are considered to be of advanced maternal age. While the risks for some conditions become higher as you get older, most older women are still delivering healthy babies.