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Signs Of Pregnancy

January 31st, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are very few women who can tell for sure whether they are pregnant or not, only by deciphering the signs of their bodies. The signs of pregnancy are very easily recognized by women who gave birth before, as in such cases they are more aware of the body transformation over the fist weeks of child bearing. There are very clear signs of pregnancy with some women, whereas others do not show any obvious change.

The clearest sign of pregnancy is the absence of your period. However, there are women who still have a slight bleeding they take for period, but which in fact may be the fetus implantation consequence. There are cases where bleeding has appeared with two months pregnant women. If your period is different than usual and you have any suspicions of being pregnant, the only person to rid you of doubts is the doctor.

Some other very common signs of pregnancy are nausea, the so-called “morning sickness” as it usually affects women in the morning, causing vomiting too. But nausea may appear any time over the day, it doesn’t limit to morning. This sign of pregnancy can easily be mistaken for some kind of other ailment such as food poisoning for instance. Nausea is often accompanied by increased smelling sensitivity.

Changes of mood are also among the signs of pregnancy that pass almost unnoticed. Sudden anxiety, fear and unexplained joy are usually blamed on daily life stress, working conditions or other specific personal situations. Only when pregnancy is confirmed, the woman may look back and reconsider her condition, understanding why she felt the way she did.

However, women who are very eager to become mothers, tend to see signs of pregnancy in the slightest symptom they have. Mention should be made that there are other health problems that give symptoms similar to those of pregnancy. For instance tiredness, lack of appetite, nausea frequently point to liver disease, hepatitis, and the examples could continue. The only possible way to exclude doubt is by doing a medical control.

Pregnancy tests are not relevant in all cases. There may be no signs of pregnancy other than period absence; in such a case a pregnancy test is able to read the results correctly if the hormones in your blood have reached a detectable level. Otherwise, the test result is compromised. Such tests should be used at least fourteen days after the moment you suppose you may have become pregnant.

Pregnancy Symptoms

January 29th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Pregnancy and then child birth are among the most unique and extraordinary experiences a woman may go through. There are a large number of pregnancy symptoms that appear sooner or later with the baby nestling in the uterus. I will start by pointing out how important it can be to deal with shifts of mood and emotional swings. Feelings such as doubt, happiness, excitement and fear are some very common pregnancy psychological symptoms. Many women who want to keep a vivid memory of the emotions they go through choose to keep pregnancy journals or baby diaries, on paper or online.

The pregnancy symptoms that are common in the first trimester (between week 1 and week 2) are those that seem to have the strongest psychological impact on the future mother. Then there is the morning sickness, which is more frequent in the morning, yet it may appear at any time throughout the day. Drinking lemonade, eating light meals during the day may help you deal with this pregnancy symptom. Then changes occur in the way your entire body feels. Breasts become tender and slightly swollen at the beginning, and then the nipples and the areola get darker and larger. Urination becomes more frequent, and you may also suffer from constipation and heartburn.

Now let’s turn to the second trimester (week 13 to week 26) pregnancy symptoms. Your whole body has gone major changes by now. You start to put on weight and you perceive the first movements of your baby. By now your breasts must have doubled volume and a small amount of fluid may come out of your nipples. Don’t worry; it is a natural pregnancy symptom that indicates your body is getting closer to breast feeding. As the blood flow has increased with 50% in your body, you may experience nosebleeds. Some pregnancy symptoms women find very unpleasant are the varicose veins that may appear and a “mask”, a dark pigmentation area on your face. (It disappears when the pregnancy is over.)

There are not too many pregnancy symptoms left to take you by surprise in the third trimester. Now the fetus movements are noticeable from the outside. Your navel pushes out and you may start suffering from backaches. As the fetus gets bigger, you walk a bit more difficultly as you have to adapt to the baby’s weight. The symptoms that show your pregnancy is almost over are the practice contractions you may start to experience, combined with breath shortness. Finally, labor and delivery! May you have the healthiest of babies!

First Symptoms of Pregnancy

January 23rd, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Pregnancy brings about some of the most extraordinary and rapid changes in woman’s existence if we consider, just for a moment, what a new life growing inside may mean to one’s psyche and emotional life. The rising of the level of hormones in the blood triggers the most dramatic changes in the woman’s body and brings about the first symptoms of pregnancy. No matter how much a woman may have read about what to expect from the beginning of motherhood, she may sometimes be taken aback by the multitude of contradictory feelings and overwhelming physical experiences she goes through.

For instance, everybody has heard of the morning sickness as being one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. But, besides the morning nausea with or without vomiting, the sickness may continue throughout the day. The woman needs all the emotional support from family and friends to feel backed up for the journey to baby delivery. Frequent urination is another first symptom of pregnancy. It is due to the fact that the enlarging uterus is pushing on the bladder. Increased blood circulation due to hormones may also cause bothering headaches that are very frequent in the first stages of pregnancy.

Among the first symptoms of pregnancy we should mention constipation, as the increase in the level of progesterone hormone makes digestion slower, and food can’t pass easily through the gastrointestinal tract. In close relation to the first physical symptoms of pregnancy are the mood swings. Even the most down to earth woman may feel like crying for stupid things. Swings of mood vary between extreme bliss to gloom, and they are absolutely normal for the first trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, faintness and dizziness affect the woman’s mood as well. Such first symptoms of pregnancy result from the dilatation of blood vessels and the increased blood flow. Fainting usually results from low blood sugar.
Unfortunately the above mentioned first symptoms of pregnancy are common to other health problems. Sickness is very often associated with PMS, or conversely you may be pregnant without really experiencing any of the first symptoms of pregnancy. However if any of the first symptoms of pregnancy described here apply to your present physical state, you should definitely take a pregnancy test or go to the doctor to check your physical condition. Until confirmation or information of pregnancy, take good care of yourself, as you may be taking care of two.

Pregnancy Due Date – How to pick it?

April 1st, 2006    Subscribe To Our Feed

Ok, so how do you pick the due date for your pregnancy?� Some people say it’s linked to the moon and the planetary alignment (the ebb and flow of the moon and planets effects the water, and some people say that because pregnant women have a higher water content, that when it is a full moon, you are more likely to have your baby).

Other’s say that you can pick it from when you conceived, that it is tied into some sort of date that is relevant to your baby.

And still other’s think it can be picked based along how far your baby has grown (ensuring you get regular checkups to see how far along it is!).

But the bottom line, is that the baby will come when it is darn right ready to come.� And that is a FACT.

A baby is a living, breathing (well, kind of while it’s still inside) thing, and it KNOWS when it is ready, and no one else will be able to predict it with any certainty.

So at the end of the day, don’t stress, just relax and let the baby come, because you don’t really change it’s due course.

Ectopic Pregnancy

March 31st, 2006    Subscribe To Our Feed

Ok, here’s the deal, if you are a woman of childbearing age, and have been sexually active, and have pain in the lower stomach, then chances are that you might have an ectopic pregnancy (for those who don’t know, it’s where the fetus gets caught fallopian tube, and starts to grow).

If you think that you might have gotten pregnant (didn’t use contraceptive etc.) and you have some of the following symptoms then chances are you have an ectopic pregnancy, and you need to go see a doctor… now.

1)� � � � � Pain in one side of your stomach
2)� � � � � Shoulder-tip Pain
3)� � � � � Bladder or bowl problems
4)� � � � � Collapsing (light headed etc.)
5)� � � � � Abnormal Bleeding
6)� � � � � Missed or late period – coupled with the other symptoms

It’s vitally important that if you think you have an Ectopic pregnancy that you contact you doctor right now, don’t wait.

Stage of Pregnancy

March 26th, 2006    Subscribe To Our Feed

A pregnancy is broken up into technically three stages… however, we want to add in another 2, to take into account the fact of falling pregnant, and actually having the baby.

Stage 1 – Getting Pregnant

Congratulations you’re pregnant!� Or maybe you are trying to get pregnant… because you do try to fall pregnant make sure you a following a healthy diet, and have filtered out any toxins that could be in your body (alcohol, smoking, drugs etc.)

Stage 2 – First Trimester

Ok, you can expect breast changes, nausea and vomiting (morning sickness), frequent urination etc.� By the end of the first trimester your uterus will be the size of a grapefruit and your baby the size of a cherry (approximately).� The little baby will also have started its ‘human appearance’ with limbs moving and heartbeat going etc.

Stage 3 – Second Trimeseter

Ok, you might find yourself getting a little scatterbrained, and you’ll definite notice the bulge of the belly… err… baby by now.� You’ll have a few discomforts like sleeping problems, your baby will develop some of it’s senses and will grow to about the size of 25 centimeters (10 inches).

Stage 4 – Third Trimester

Ok, you’re in the home stretch, you’ll experience frequent urination, and it’s important that you start going to birthing and breastfeeding classes so that you can get idea of what to expect and not go in blindfolded.

Stage 5 – Pregnancy

Well, again, congratulations you’ve made it through the trimesters, and now all you need to do is “GET THIS BLASTED THING OUT”… just kidding… time to have a wonderful birth full of love and joy.

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