Self-concept anxiety and subjective well-being of pregnant job holders and housewives

Introduction 1.1 A brief overview of Pregnancy Motherhood is considered as an important milestone for women as it makes woman complete, enhances their status in the family and society, giving purpose to life and making life complete. Pregnancy is the period of time from implantation until delivery also known as gravidity or gestation, it is the time of development and fertilization during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman's womb. Scientific term for pregnancy is gravidity (adjective "gravid"), Latin word for "heavy" and a pregnant woman is scientifically referred to as a "gravida". Pregnancy can occur by sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology. Conception is when the sperm fertilizes the egg. Health professionals normally count the beginning of pregnancy from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. Using this date gestational period is calculated which lasts around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period. General symptoms of pregnancy include missing periods, tender breasts, nausea and vomiting. Pregnancy can be confirmed with a pregnancy test. In most cultures around the world, pregnant women receive a special status and gentle care often accompanied by various customs subject to different cultures. Pregnancy is a transition period in a woman's life and is acknowledged to be associated with heightened levels of emotion and psychological status (Lee, 2000). Both physiological and psychological changes take place in a woman during the period of pregnancy. It is a period of changeover from women to mother. This period,