Pregnancy: Rent A Womb is SAFE

Surrogate pregnancy, an assisted reproductive technique (ART) in which a woman carries in her womb the baby of another woman, has seen a spurt in India. Due to the healthier lifestyles of to-be mothers and lower costs compared to the West, the country could become a global hub in the field, gynaecology experts say.

'The reason why surrogate pregnancy is rising is mainly because of the low-cost factor, and the preferably healthy lifestyle of Indian women, much needed during pregnancy,' Shivani Sachdev Gour, fertility expert and gynaecologist, told IANS.

'Women here are less exposed to a lifestyle with drugs, alcohol and smoking, which has a positive impact on the health of the baby as well as the mother. Also surrogacy laws in India are much lenient as compared to other countries,' added Gour.

She says she gets around 25 patients every month from countries like Britain, the US, and countries in the Middle East at the Surrogacy Centre of India Healthcare, a private hospital she runs in south Delhi.

While the cost of treatment and expenses involved in surrogate pregnancy vary between Rs.50,000 and Rs.100,000 ($1,000 and $2,000) in India, the cost in other countries like the US and Britain is nearly five times that in India, said Gour.

'Surrogacy is advised in cases of malformed uterus, or when pregnancy is life-threatening. But the reasons are slowly expanding in our country,' said Alka Kriplani, professor at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

According to experts, the success rate of surrogate pregnancy at centres in India is higher than in other countries.

'In over 60 percent of cases, the prospective mother carries back a healthy baby, while the miscarriage rate is less than 15 percent,' said Gour.

Experts also emphasise on the need for stringent surrogacy norms at ART centres.

'A proper screening process is required. Apart from the carrier's age, which should be between 21 and 35 years, their medical, personal and family history should also be gauged to decipher her mental and physical well-being,' explained Gour.

After the preliminary screening of the surrogate, a well detailed contract as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines is made between the surrogate and the couples in question. The process involves all the three main parties - the parent, child and the surrogate.

Prospective parents - mostly coming to India from the US, Britain and Israel - have discovered that the surrogacy laws of other countries often come in the way of parents returning home with their children, experts said.

'Surrogacy is rising and it is important to keep an eye on the use of the technique. It can be misused also as poor women are lured into becoming surrogate mothers because of the money involved,' said Kriplani.

The draft Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Regulation Bill, 2010, that lays down guidelines for the practice of surrogacy, states that the birth certificate of a baby born out of rent-a-womb arrangement should be in the names of the intended parents, who would automatically become the new born's legal parents.

1st, 2nd and 3rd Trimesters of Mom & Baby. Child growth in mother womb.

Overview

Pregnancy is measured in trimesters from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) and normally lasts about 40 weeks from conception to the birth of a baby. This time is roughly divided into 3 periods: the first trimester, second trimester and third trimester.

The Three Stages of Pregnancy
(1st, 2nd, and 3rd Trimester)

The first trimester is measured from conception to about the 12th week of pregnancy; the second trimester, from about 13 to 27 weeks of pregnancy; and the third trimester, from about 28 weeks of pregnancy until birth. Let's see what happens with you and your baby during each of the three stages.

First Trimester

Week 1 - Week 12

First Trimester: Early Changes in a Woman's Body

During the first trimester your body undergoes many changes. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. These changes can trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy. Your period stopping is a clear sign that you are pregnant.

First Trimester: Physical and Emotional Changes a Woman May Experience

Other changes you may experience during the first trimester include:

• Extreme tiredness
• Tender, swollen breasts. Your nipples might also stick out.
• Upset stomach with or without throwing up (morning sickness)
• Cravings or distaste for certain foods
• Mood swings
• Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)
• Need to pass urine more often
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Weight gain or loss

First Trimester: Changes in a Woman's Daily Routine

As your body changes, you might need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, small meals. Fortunately, most of these discomforts will go away as your pregnancy progresses. And some women might not feel any discomfort at all! If you have been pregnant before, you might feel differently this time around. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.

First Trimester: The Baby at 4 Weeks

• Your baby's brain and spinal cord have begun to form.
• The heart begins to form.
• Arm and leg buds appear.
• Your baby is now an embryo and 1/25 of an inch long.

First Trimester: The Baby at 8 Weeks

• All major organs and external body structures have begun to form.
• Your baby's heart beats with a regular rhythm.
• The arms and legs grow longer, and fingers and toes have begun to form.
• The sex organs begin to form.
• The eyes have moved forward on the face and eyelids have formed.
• The umbilical cord is clearly visible.
• At the end of 8 weeks, your baby is a fetus and looks more like a human. Your baby is nearly 1 inch long and weighs less than 1/8 of an ounce.

First Trimester: The Baby at 12 Weeks

• The nerves and muscles begin to work together. Your baby can make a fist.
• The external sex organs show if your baby is a boy or girl. A woman who has an ultrasound in the second trimester or later might be able to find out the baby's sex.
• Eyelids close to protect the developing eyes. They will not open again until the 28th week.
• Head growth has slowed, and your baby is much longer. Now, at about 3 inches long, your baby weighs almost an ounce.

Second Trimester

Week 13 - Week 28

Second Trimester: Changes a Woman May Experience

Most women find the second trimester of pregnancy easier than the first. But it is just as important to stay informed about your pregnancy during these months. You might notice that symptoms like nausea and fatigue are going away. But other new, more noticeable changes to your body are now happening. Your abdomen will expand as the baby continues to grow. And before this trimester is over, you will feel your baby beginning to move!

Second Trimester: The Baby at 16 Weeks

As your body changes to make room for your growing baby, you may have:

• Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain
• Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks
• Darkening of the skin around your nipples
• A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
• Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. Patches often match on both sides of the face. This is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy.
• Numb or tingling hands, called carpal tunnel syndrome
• Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet. (Call your doctor if you have nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice or fatigue combined with itching. These can be signs of a serious liver problem.)
• Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)

Second Trimester: The Baby at 16 Weeks

• Muscle tissue and bone continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton.
• Skin begins to form. You can nearly see through it.
• Meconium (mih-KOH-nee-uhm) develops in your baby's intestinal tract. This will be your baby's first bowel movement.
• Your baby makes sucking motions with the mouth (sucking reflex).
• Your baby reaches a length of about 4 to 5 inches and weighs almost 3 ounces.

Second Trimester: The Baby at 20 Weeks

• Your baby is more active. You might feel slight fluttering.
• Your baby is covered by fine, downy hair called lanugo (luh-NOO-goh) and a waxy coating called vernix. This protects the forming skin underneath.
• Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed. Your baby can even scratch itself.
• Your baby can hear and swallow.
• Now halfway through your pregnancy, your baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 9 ounces.

Second Trimester: The Baby at 24 Weeks

• Bone marrow begins to make blood cells.
• Taste buds form on your baby's tongue.
• Footprints and fingerprints have formed.
• Real hair begins to grow on your baby's head.
• The lungs are formed, but do not work.
• The hand and startle reflex develop.
• Your baby sleeps and wakes regularly.
• If your baby is a boy, his testicles begin to move from the abdomen into the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs have formed in the ovaries.
• Your baby stores fat and has gained quite a bit of weight. Now at about 12 inches long, your baby weighs about 1½ pounds.

Third Trimester

Week 29 - Week 40

Third Trimester: Changes a Woman May Experience

You're in the home stretch! Some of the same discomforts you had in your second trimester will continue. Plus, many women find breathing difficult and notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often. This is because the baby is getting bigger and it is putting more pressure on your organs. Don't worry, your baby is fine and these problems will lessen once you give birth.

Third Trimester: Emotional and Physical Changes a Woman May Experience

Some new body changes you might notice in the third trimester include:

• Shortness of breath
• Heartburn
• Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)
• Hemorrhoids
• Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum
• Your belly button may stick out
• Trouble sleeping
• The baby "dropping", or moving lower in your abdomen
• Contractions, which can be a sign of real or false labor

Third Trimester: Changes as the Due Date Approaches

As you near your due date, your cervix becomes thinner and softer (called effacing). This is a normal, natural process that helps the birth canal (vagina) to open during the birthing process. Your doctor will check your progress with a vaginal exam as you near your due date. Get excited — the final countdown has begun!

Third Trimester: The Baby at 32 Weeks

• Your baby's bones are fully formed, but still soft.
• Your baby's kicks and jabs are forceful.
• The eyes can open and close and sense changes in light.
• Lungs are not fully formed, but practice "breathing" movements occur.
• Your baby's body begins to store vital minerals, such as iron and calcium.
• Lanugo begins to fall off.
• Your baby is gaining weight quickly, about ½ pound a week. Now, your baby is about 15 to 17 inches long and weighs about 4 to 4½ pounds.

Third Trimester: The Baby at 36 Weeks

• The protective waxy coating called vernix gets thicker.
• Body fat increases. Your baby is getting bigger and bigger and has less space to move around. Movements are less forceful, but you will feel stretches and wiggles.
• Your baby is about 16 to 19 inches long and weighs about 6 to 6½ pounds.

Third Trimester: The Baby at 37 to 40 Weeks

• By the end of 37 weeks, your baby is considered full term. Your baby's organs are ready to function on their own.
• As you near your due date, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth. Most babies "present" head down.
• At birth, your baby may weigh somewhere between 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 9 pounds, 2 ounces and be 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges. But healthy babies come in many different sizes.

Source: 

http://www.medicinenet.com/stages_of_pregnancy_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms - Abdominal Pressure/cramping?

Q: Hi. I'm 25 year old female and I just the other day I found out that I'm pregnant. That was terrific news for me and I was ready to live through all symptoms that pregnancy cause just for a pleasure and power of giving life. It all started with morning sickness and nausea and it was terrible for me to handle all this but I somehow learn how to live with this. But one thing is bothering me. I started to suffer from strong abdominal pain. These abdominal cramps are lasting for several hours and I just couldn’t believe that they are “normal” sign ofpregnancy. If someone knows a bit more about this- feel free to participate!

Ans: Well, I don’t think that I know much about this but I'm sure in one thing- severe or persistent abdominal pain is never normal thing to feel. So, if I'm on your place- I would seek for professional help. There are several things that can cause excessive abdominal pain in pregnancy. First of them is definitely ectopic pregnancy! It occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus-in most cases- in one of the fallopian tubes. Miscarriage could be also a cause because, besides bleeding, women feel abdominal pain a few hours to a few days later. There is one more condition called placental abruption which could be the cause of strong abdominal pains. It is a partial or complete separation of the placenta from the uterus before the baby is born.

Q: Hi everyone, my name is Danielle. My boyfriend and I had a fantastic weekend a week and a half ago (Saturday the 8th) just so I am not going too far into detail with this one, but I think you know what happened considering the topic lol. My last period was June 27th or 28th? Him and I were using the "pull out" method. We didnt just use it once, we used it about 4 times in a row without him getting up to urinate with about 1/2 breaks inbetween. This past Saturday I started feeling really weird and my stomach felt a little bouncey. Sunday when I woke up I felt very bloated and crampy I felt like I weighed 800lbs. I was thinking that maybe I was getting my period with the cramps and stuff even though it was way too early for my period. So Sunday night at about 1am I went to use the bathroom and noticed a little bit of clear mucus with a red tinge to it when I wiped. I was like, ok, period early? Then the next morning when I went to use the bathroom, when I wiped it was light brown and lasted a short amount of time, then came back later in the day, then went away again. I had a VERY small amount yesterday again that I only noticed one time. My cramps were less yesterday but I still felt extremely bloated with minor backaches. How big of a chance do you think there is that this was from implantation?.......This would be my second child. With my first I never spotted but I do remember cramping and thinking my period was coming like I have been.......comments welcome......Thanks!

Q: Hi my husband and i have recently seperated and now i find out im about 5 weeks pregnant, i have no symptions execpt for my boobs getting bigger actually i have lost like 10 lbs sence the seperation, I have become depressed and am having trouble eating and sleeping, also i am haveing extreamly painful cramps painful to the point that i have to stop what im doing and just bend over and hold my stomach, before i knew i was pregnant i assumed these cramps were from my endemitros or stress or a mixture, how do i know it that is what they are really from or if it is due to the pregnancy, if it is related to the pregnancy does this mean its most likely a miscarage? can stress be harmfull to a pregnancy? im so confused and lost right now i dont know what to do can anybody help me? 

Ans: Wow girl... you've got a LOT happening!!! 1. go to doc. and get a check up. (This will tell you how the baby is doing, how far along you are, AND a person to tell your concerns about the baby's health) 2. think job and family/friends support. (you've just been thru a LOT! It's likely you will get a mix of those for and against the pregnancy. TAKE THIS SLOW and think it thru.) 3. consider a church if you aren't in one... maybe you have a friend that goes. It's a great place to find support. 4. and what I think is the best part... try to focus on the little one. Just know that aside from all the bad you've had to deal with... "he" gave you something better than himself... a baby that will love you unconditionally. A baby grows up... but I have had four... could share with you the ups and downs of motherhood. But really, it's worth it.
hang in there... your not alone!

Q: Hi all!

I'm a mom of a 15 month old boy and I've never had this happen to me except before my periods. I was on birth control for a little over a year and recently got off of it because I thought it was making my hormones go bizerk. About 2 weeks ago (a week after being off of the pill) my husband and I had unprotected sex. A few days after that I found this clear gel-like blob of discharge. No blood in it at all. A few days after that, I started having these dull cramps in my uterus as if I'm about to start my period - but it'd be 3 weeks early, so I'm guessing that that's not it. Anyways, I've been having these dull cramps now for the past 4 days. I know in early pregnancy you have cramps on a certain side from the uterus stretching, but if I were pregnant, I would only be about 1-2 weeks. I called the hospital and the R.N. told me that since it's too early to take a prego test or have a missed period, to go ahead and act pregnant in my habits.  I just need answers. Is anyone willing to help?


BTW - if I AM pregnant, this baby would be born within a week of the first. Talk about coinencidence. 

Ans: well i went to the doctor 2 weeks ago for the pain they were concerned that it may be an eptopic pregnancy but it wasnt so that was great news i started to exepct that everything happens for a reason and that this baby was brought to me for a reason. started to get happy and exected about this baby, woke up yeasterday morning went to the bathroom and the toilet was filled with blood, went into the emergancy room and found out that i had an incomplete abortion, i feel so lost and am having such a hard time understanding what reason god could have for giving me this baby and then making me loose it, i dont think it has really hit yet i havent cried im just numb, im in sever pain but emotionaly numb. the doctor suggested i have a dnc done in the next two days, i went back to the emergancy room around 11 last night due to high fever and server cramping adominal pain, the doctor said he dosnt want to do a dnc because of the complications that i will pass it out naturally but i have to go back in two days because if it doesnt all pass naturally it could kill me, i dont know how to tell my four yr old she was so exicted and so happy to be a big sister, i was 8 weeks and when the did the ultra sound yeasterday both times i swear i heard the babys heart beat but how could that be if its dead, im trying to understand how this happened what i did, if it was because of my endemitrosis or was it due to the stress or was it something i did and if so what. there also telling me that i need to take off work for my health but im a manager at a restaurant and im hourly not salery i took off last night and tonight but i work 6 days a week and if i take anymore off i wont have a paycheck so how can i take care of the daughter i have. does anybody have any advice for me should i let it pass naturaly im not bleeding heavy and i only not having big clots i look in the toilet everytime but cant see anything. (sorry i know its gross)or have the dnc, when will i start to grieve im sad but i cant cry. how can i find out the cause meaning is it something i did how soon before i can try again i despertly want more children and i know with my endemitrosis the longer i wait the harder my chances are. i just dont know what to do. 

Q: hi im 14 and i think my freind maybe be pregenant because her period is late and she had recnetly had sex and is suffering abodominal pain. is she pregnant because we don't no wat to do

Ans: The only thing you can do really is take a HPT after her missed period and it should be accurate. Your friend should be using protection such as condoms and there is also birth control

yes stress can be very harmful to a baby! it can make the baby deformed or even kill it which i know you probly dont want that to happen so.. quit stressing in sake of your babys life. trust me its worth it.

Source: http://www.steadyhealth.com/Very_Early_Pregnancy_Symptoms___Abdominal_Pressure_cramping__t56513.html

Is lower abdominal pain normal in early pregnancy?

I am nine weeks pregnant and having lower abdominal pain, especially when I sneeze. Is lower abdominal pain normal in early pregnancy?

Question:

I am assuming that you have had an exam to confirm that your pregnancy is normal -- and not an ectopic pregnancy. If you have not yet had an exam, it is very important to get in as soon as possible.

If all else is normal and you are not running a fever and you are in good health, the pain could be caused by the stretching of ligaments as the uterus grows. Some uteri are tilted towards a woman's back and some are flipped up near the bladder. Depending upon how the uterus has to bend and turn in order to accommodate the enlarging fetus, it puts stress on certain ligaments and nerves in the pelvis.

Sudden changes in intraabdominal pressure such as those occurring with coughing, sneezing or changes in position can put tension on the ligaments. As the uterus accommodates itself to its mid-position and becomes supported better by the bony pelvis -- in the second trimester -- these discomforts may go away. They may return in the third trimester when the baby begins to favor one side over the other.

As I said, however, lower abdominal pain needs to be checked out. Certain cysts, masses, adhesions (scar tissue) or infections can cause abdominal pain during pregnancy. I have seen some appendixes rupture or ectopic pregnancies rupture because women were told "not to worry."

For more information go to the source: http://www.ivillage.com/