Exposure to harmful substances in the earliest weeks of pregnancy -- often before a woman realizes she's pregnant -- can pose risks to human embryos.

Dandruff, which consists of itching and flaking of the scalp, can be more common during pregnancy. This is because your hormones are producing extra oil, causing buildup and flakes on your scalp.

Pregnancy changes a woman’s body to such a significant extent, it’s no wonder that some women experience unusual or unanticipated symptoms at one time or another during their nine months.

Many women who are trying to conceive, or who’ve missed a period, examine each symptom they experience as a potential sign of pregnancy.

With all the changes that take place during pregnancy, it’s easy for women to wonder whether what they’re feeling is normal or a sign that something is wrong—particularly when what they’re feeling is painful.

Prosciutto is generally named on lists of foods that pregnant women should avoid. This meat, often served cold, poses a slight but serious risk to the woman and her unborn baby because it can cause a food-borne illness called listeria. According to "The Pregnancy Cookbook,"

By 35 weeks pregnant, when a woman is carrying twins, the big day can arrive any time. A twin pregnancy is considered full term at the 37-week mark; however, many twins are born prior to that time. At 35 weeks pregnant, mom and babies are gearing up for the big day.

Being15 weeks pregnant with twins may be exciting and terrifying all at once. Advances in reproductive technologies as well as the advancing age of women who become pregnant mean that twins are becoming more and more common.

As an expectant mom, you have the tough job of balancing your own comfort with the health of your baby. This makes everything you put in or on your body a serious decision. Some pregnant women find the stretched skin on their bellies painful, discolored or riddled with stretch marks.

A pregnant woman must be critical of everything she consumes during pregnancy, because her unborn baby can absorb harmful substances through her body. It can be difficult to determine the safety of many items, especially natural substances that may not have been the focus of any studies or evaluations.

Early pregnancy is a time of major change for a woman’s body. Particularly if the pregnancy is her first, her body organs shift considerably to make room for a uterus that begins to expand surprisingly soon after conception.

Heparin is an anticoagulant medication. It is often prescribed for people with heart disease and those who have suffered heart attacks to keep the blood from clotting. Since vitamin K helps the blood to clot, it essentially has the opposite effect of Heparin.