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Pregnancy complications are an expectant mom’s worst nightmare, but keep in mind that not every pregnancy complication leads to a miscarriage or other involuntary loss of pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic and the March of Dimes. Treating any potential problems early on is crucial to not only protecting your unborn baby, but also your health and future fertility. While sometimes it’s hard for a woman to differentiate between a typical pregnancy-related side effect and a potentially serious complication, learning how to identify complications can greatly enhance your chances of a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

For the majority of healthy women under the age of 35, risk of miscarriage is 15 to 20 percent, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Unfortunately, this risk does not decrease even if you’ve had a previous healthy pregnancy. Conversely, your risk slightly increases the older you are, or if you’ve had consecutive miscarriages.

Some expectant moms may initially mistake their pregnancy symptoms for those associated with impending menopause, according to the Option Line website. While many moms over 35 have healthy babies, prenatal care is especially important due to older pregnant women’s markedly increased risks of pregnancy complications, according to the Mayo Clinic. Learning more about the commonalities between pregnancy and menopause symptoms may help you evaluate whether pregnancy is a possibility in your life at this time, rather than menopause.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 13 percent of pregnant women suffer from depression, a serious illness that is not likely to improve without treatment. Research has shown that untreated depression during pregnancy can increase the risk of preeclampsia, a type of high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy, poor weight gain, as well as the use of drugs or alcohol to self-medicate and, even, suicide.

At week 9, your journey is just beginning. No one can tell by looking at you that you’re pregnant, your regular clothes may still fit, and the full realization that you are indeed carrying a new life may not have sunk in yet. Outwardly, it doesn’t look like anything is going on. Inside, however, you feel like a mess. Take comfort in knowing that your body is already doing amazing things.