When a woman who is trying to become pregnant watches as the pregnancy test stick turns blue, her first reaction, typically, is to feel ecstatic. Often, her second reaction is to feel scared. Experts say first-time moms-to-be worry about a myriad of issues from feeling as though they won't be a good enough mother to wondering if they can manage labor pain.

Mavis Schorn of Nashville, Tenn., a nurse midwife, assistant professor of nursing at Vanderbilt School of Nursing and program director for the midwifery education program, says women's worries tend to change depending on their stage of pregnancy. "They wonder what will it mean for their lives, what will it mean for them for work, what will it mean for their relationship," Schorn says. "Financially, how are they going to support the baby? Is the father of the baby going to be supportive?"

But a woman's initial fear, during the first few weeks of pregnancy, may be the question of whether or not she will remain pregnant. Dr. Henry Lerner, the author of Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks (Perseus Publishing, 2004), says women have legitimate reasons to be concerned they might lose their baby during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

"It's a very real concern," says Dr. Lerner, an obstetrician/gynecologist who lives in Newton, Mass. "Not to be an alarmist, but miscarriages occur in 20 percent of all pregnancies." He says women are more likely to be worried if they have heard stories from friends or family members about the possibility of having a miscarriage.

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