Health311Search all NYC.gov websites
Print icon Print

Pregnancy

Pregnancy occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg, which then travels into the uterus, where it implants in the uterine wall. A successful implantation results in pregnancy.

Many factors can affect a pregnancy. Pregnant people who get prenatal care are more likely to experience a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.

If you would like to prevent pregnancy, there are effective forms of birth control to consider.

Planning for Pregnancy

If you are trying to become pregnant, begin preparing for a healthy pregnancy and birth:

  • Speak with your health care provider: Discuss your health history, all current medications, supplements, and vitamins, your vaccinations, and your lifestyle and habits. Your health care provider can help you create a plan for staying healthy before, during, and after pregnancy.
  • Take folic acid: Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body make new cells. It also helps prevent developmental problems like neural tube defects, which affect the fetus’ growing brain and spinal cord. People who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should get 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
  • Treat substance use: Smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, and using other drugs can cause problems during pregnancy, like premature birth, low birth weight, developmental disorders, and even death of the infant.

Stages of Pregnancy

The experience of pregnancy is broken into three trimesters, each about three months long. The length of a pregnancy, also called its gestational age, is counted from the first day of your last period, and generally lasts 40 weeks.

First Trimester: 0 to 12 weeks
Common symptoms include swollen and tender breasts, fatigue, mood swings, frequent urination, and nausea and vomiting (called “morning sickness,” but can happen throughout the day). During the first trimester, you should attend prenatal visits with a health care provider once a month.

Second Trimester: 13 to 27 weeks
The pregnancy continues to develop, and by the end of the second trimester, you are likely to feel the fetus moving. Fatigue and nausea are likely to decrease, and the uterus rises higher within the abdomen as it grows. Expect to gain about 1 pound per week, or about 3 to 4 pounds per month. Prenatal visits are still monthly.

Third Trimester: 28 to 40 weeks
Fatigue, frequent urination, and minor difficulty breathing are common symptoms as the fetus continues to grow, which puts pressure on the bladder, the lungs, and other organs. Expect to gain about 1 pound per week, or about 3 to 4 pounds per month. By the time you give birth, you can expect to gain 25 to 30 pounds.

You should attend prenatal visits every two weeks from week 30 to 38, then weekly until birth. The third trimester ends when you give birth.

Health Concerns During Pregnancy

If you take medications regularly, keep taking them normally and speak to your doctor about them.

Some people develop diseases while pregnant. Ask your medical provider to screen you for the following if you meet the risk factors.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is when your body cannot make enough insulin during your pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas, which acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy.

Gestational diabetes develops in 5 to9% of pregnancies, typically around the 24th week. Symptoms can include being more thirsty than normal or having to urinate more often, but not everyone with gestational diabetes has symptoms.

Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

  • Gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
  • Having given birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds
  • Being overweight
  • Family history of type 2 diabetes
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder

Prevention of gestational diabetes includes losing weight before pregnancy if you are overweight, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular physical activity. Do not try to lose weight if you are pregnant.

Treatment of gestational diabetes includes:

  • Going to all of your prenatal medical appointments
  • Checking your blood sugar to maintain a healthy level
  • Being active
  • Eating healthy food
  • Medication, such as metformin, for those who cannot regulate their blood sugar with the above methods alone

High Blood Pressure

Some pregnant people develop high blood pressure, also called hypertension, during pregnancy, which can put both the pregnant person and the baby at risk during pregnancy and delivery.

Complications of hypertension in pregnancy can include:

  • For the pregnant person:
    • Preeclampsia, which can cause stroke, seizures, kidney failure, problems with the placenta, or premature birth
    • Eclampsia, a medical emergency which can cause seizures or coma
    • Stroke
    • Need for C-section birth
  • For the baby:
    • Preterm birth
    • Low birth weight

If you have hypertension and are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, speak with your doctor about how to stay healthy.

Respectful Care at Birth

You have the right to respectful, safe, and quality care during your birthing experience.

Learn more about the NYC Standards for Respectful Care at Birth.

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VABC)

You may be able to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VABC). Benefits include shorter recovery, lower risk of infection and blood loss, and being able to give birth vaginally in future pregnancies.

You might have a successful VABC if:

  • You had at least on vaginal delivery before or after an earlier C-section
  • Your C-section used a low, sideways cut on the uterus, called a transvers incision.
  • At least 18 months have passed since the last time you gave birth

Risk factors include:

  • High vertical incision, or classical incision, during C-section.
  • History of uterine rupture, which is when the C-section scar on the uterus breaks open
  • Other surgery on the uterus, such as to remove fibroids
  • Having two or more C-sections
  • Other health concerns that could complicate a vaginal delivery, such as:
    • Problems with the placenta
    • The fetus being in a position that makes vaginal delivery hard
    • Carrying triplets or more multiples
    • Needing to have labor induced

Attempts to have a VABC need to be done at a hospital or other healthcare facility that can handle an emergency C-section. Speak to your provider and make sure your entire healthcare team knows your medical history so you can make the best choice.

Health care providers can find reports and advocacy information on the Sexual and Reproductive Health page.

Avoiding Pregnancy

New Yorkers who wish to prevent or end a pregnancy have many options:

  • NYC Sexual Health Clinics offer low- to no-cost abortion and birth control.
  • The Health Department distributes free safer sex products across the city and through the mail.
  • Reach the NYC Abortion Access Hub by calling 877-NYC-AHUB (877-692-2482) or live chat Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to be connected with an abortion provider.
    • You do not need to live in New York City to contact the Abortion Access Hub or receive a referral

Additional Resources

More Information