Pregnancy: Information You're Expecting

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has this comprehensive page for women who are considering becoming pregnant or who are pregnant. It reviews your needs regarding prenatal care, birth plans, tests to ensure you and your baby are healthy, nutrition, and weight gain. There's even a chart that shows you where the weight gain is distributed in your body during pregnancy. This site also provides a clickable map to find an obstetrician in your area. Click on your state or search by zip code to find a list of names and contact information.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides you with a checklist, in alphabetical order, of pregnancy tips to help you have as healthy a pregnancy as possible. It contains several things to do and not to do, from drinking extra fluids to avoiding cigarette smoke. This information is also available in Spanish.

The Nemours Foundation has section on "Staying Healthy During Pregnancy" which has a lot of valuable information for pregnant women. It reviews the type of prenatal care a mother should have, the healthcare specialists that you may be seeing, and the nutritional requirements you now have as a pregnant woman. It also reviews what you should avoid while pregnant. This information is also available in Spanish.

Midwivesonline is a U.K.-based site that provides a list of frequently asked questions with answers written by over 20 experienced midwives. Topics covered range from tests during pregnancy to maternal and baby health.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development provides this information that explains what a high-risk pregnancy is, some conditions that may cause a high-risk pregnancy, and what you can do to reduce the risk of falling into a high-risk category.

The BabyCenter provides you with this interesting chart of the nutrients you need during pregnancy, the recommended daily amount, the benefit to your baby, if a supplement is recommended, and the foods from which you can get the nutrients naturally.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also has published a booklet on eating right during pregnancy. It reviews daily food choices, menu planning, extra nutrients, weight gain, and special concerns with nutrition, such as lactose intolerance.

University of Michigan Health Systems outlines the basic diet requirements for pregnant women. Illustrated charts of serving sizes and nutritional needs help you determine what your intake of each food group should be during each trimester. Lists of weight gain requirements and foods to avoid are also included with explanations.

HealthCastle.com details essential pregnancy nutritional information through the links on its homepage. You'll find lists of nutrients and vitamins that are necessary to support your growing baby, in addition to diet tips that will alleviate some common pregnancy discomforts, such as heartburn, constipation, and morning sickness.

The Cleveland Clinic addresses the needs of vegetarian and vegan mothers in this section. They review the nutritional needs of an expectant mother and provide a table with food choices and sample servings.

The American Association for Clinical Chemistry provides this list of tests that are commonly performed during pregnancy. Tests like the "blood type and antibody screen" are listed, along with an explanation of what the test is for and why it is done.

Women's Healthcare Topics reviews the triple screen, amniocentesis, and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) tests that a woman may have while pregnant. The authors briefly explain why doctors recommend that women get these tests, the health concerns the tests can detect, and whether performing the tests can harm an unborn baby.

HealthAtoZ reviews many tests that pregnant women may undergo. There is a list of routine tests such as blood tests, ultrasounds, and diabetic screening, and more involved tests that look for problems with the baby, such as stress tests and umbilical cord sampling.

Mayo Clinic encourages mothers-to-be to remain physically active if they are able and if their doctor doesn't advise against it. By being active, you are helping your body stay strong throughout your pregnancy and for the delivery. The importance of pacing exercise and suggestions for staying motivated are also provided.

BabyFit.com provides videos of women during advanced stages of pregnancy doing safe, low-impact exercises for all parts of the body. Descriptions of breathing patterns and techniques supplement each video.

FitPregnancy.com grew out of the magazine publication Fit Pregnancy. Like its hardcopy counterpart, this site provides information on how to stay fit and healthy during your pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers this comprehensive patient education section. About one-third of the way down the page, there is a section that describes the physical changes and discomforts that take place in your body during pregnancy. The article also focuses on ways to ease these some of the discomforts like backache, congestion, and heartburn.

The Cleveland Clinic offers this chart that reviews the different physical discomforts that women can experience during pregnancy, and the things that they can do to help relieve the discomfort. The authors cover issues such as back pain, hemorrhoids, and stretch marks.