Pregnancy Symptoms

All pregnancies are different and, therefore, pregnancy symptoms are not the same for all women. However, there are symptoms that are common to most women in the early stages of pregnancy. It is important to know and understand what is happening in the early stages of pregnancy because each symptom alone can be unrelated to pregnancy. Some women know from the moment of conception that they are pregnant, some feel the changes coming on in the early weeks of the first trimester, and others have no symptoms at all. We’ve listed on this website the most common early symptoms. These include implantation bleeding (occurs six to 12 days after conception), menstruation changes (usually begins early in the pregnancy), breast changes (begins normally one or two weeks after conception), fatigue (can start as early as a week after conception), morning sickness (within the first few weeks after conception), back aches (any time in the early stages of pregnancy), headaches (early in the pregnancy), frequent urination (around six weeks after conception), and cravings for unusual foods that you might not normally crave, or at least, not as much as you currently do (throughout pregnancy). An understanding of these symptoms will help you to know that nothing unusual is happening to you, and that these unusual feelings are quite typical for most women during pregnancy. They will also arm you with information to help you make practical plans for dealing with these symptoms in the most effective and practical way possible.  Read More

Early Signs of Pregnancy: Checklist

Just as each woman is an individual, each pregnancy can also have individual symptoms. There are early common symptom signs to look for while determining your own pregnancy status. However, please keep in mind that even your own symptoms can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy .Typical symptoms of early pregnancy often mirror pre-menstrual or menstrual cycles. However, pregnancy symptoms can be noted by altered timing, frequency and intensity. Just as during pre-menstrual or menstrual cycles, you will experience both mental and physical changes. You may also experience one or all of the symptoms listed below. However, the order in which each symptom is listed may vary from pregnancy to pregnancy and/or woman to woman. Again, early pregnancy symptoms reflect pre-menstrual and menstrual cycles and me be subtle. If you notice any of the listed in this section, please consult with your doctor. The relevant signs include a missed period, “feeling” pregnant, tenderness in the breast, and fatigue. The most common of these is the missed period, which affects almost every pregnant woman. All of these signs can be caused by more than just pregnancy, so as you’ll see in this section, you should not automatically assume pregnancy. However, because it’s good to know as soon as possible whether or not you are expecting, you should consult with a doctor immediately when you suspect you’re pregnant–so that proper prenatal care can begin immediately. This section will give the expecting mother (or one who suspects she is) a better understanding of all of these concepts.  Read More

Fetal Development: First Trimester

In this section, we’ll examine in depth the changes that will affect both mother and child in the first trimester. Once conception takes place, the sperm penetrates an egg and creates a single set of 46 chromosomes called a zygote, which is the basis for a new human being. The fertilized egg spends a couple days traveling through the fallopian tube toward the uterus, dividing into cells ; it is called a morula. The morula becomes a blastocyst and will eventually end up in the uterus. Anywhere from day 6-12 after conception, the blastocyst will imbed into the uterine lining and begin the embryonic stage. At week 3, the embryo is going through lots of basic growth at this time, with the beginning development of the brain, spinal cord, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. The leg and arm buds bbecome visible in the 4th and 5th weeks, but they’re not clearly delineated. The child’s heart beats at a regular pace, and placenta is startig to form and creating significant hormones (for insance, hCG). Rudeimentary blood begins moving within the blood vessels. The ears and eyes are starting to form. At this point, the embryo eventually reaches a quarter-inch in length. At week 6, The formation of the lungs, jaw, nose, and palate begin. At the seventh week of gestation, all of the major organs have begun to appear. At week 8, the tiny embryo features every major part that an adult human has. Then in weeks 9-13, the tiny unborn child can form his hand into a fist. The structures that will become his / her teeth also make their first appearance,a nd the embryo’s head becomes roughly half of the entire baby’s size.  Read More

Fetal Development: Second Trimester

In this section, we’ll examine in depth the changes that will affect both mother and child in the second trimester. For instance, in weeks 14 through 16, the unborn ba by has transparent skin, and “lanugo’ (a fine layer of hair) starts to form on his or her head. The fetus length has reached about six inches, and it weighs approximately 4 ounces. In weeks 17 to 20, the unborn child has now gotten to where movements are often felt by the mother. The unborn child’s skin is undergoing many evolutions, and it starts producing vernix around week 20. In weeks 21 to 23, the fetus start to take on a newborn infant’s look as its skin turns less transparent, even as we note the development of fat. The length of the unborn child has reached about 10-11 inches; its weight is about 1 - 1 ¼ pounds. During weeks 24 to 26, baby and mom reach what is sometimes considered the beginning of the third trimester. If the child was delivered now, it could survive with the assistance of medical technology. The fetus has developed sleeping and waking cycles and mom will begin to notice when each of these takes place. The fetus has a startle reflex, and the air sacs in the lungs have begun formation. Over the course of the next several weeks, the baby’s brain will be developing at a quick pace. The nervous system has developed enough to control some functions. The length of the fetus has reached around 14 inches; it weighs about 2 ¼ poinds.  Read More

Fetal Development : Third Trimester

In this section, we’ll examine in depth the changes that will affect both mother and child in the third trimester. This includes an examination of: Weeks 27 through 32, in which the fetus fills out, begins fat storage, reaches around 15 or 16 inches length and weighs around 4-4 ½ lbs; weeks 33 to 36, the approximate time in which he fetus descends his / her head in the down position in preparation for birth. The unborn child starts gaining more weight, in order to help with a healthy birth. The lanugo hair starts disappearing from the child’s skin, and he /she gets less wrinkly and red. The length of the baby is now somewhere between 16 to 18 inches and it weighs somewhere between 5 ¾ lbs to 6 ¾ lbs.; weeks 37 to 40, in which the unborn child is now consideed to be “full term.” At this point, it’s ready to be dellivered any time now. The mother sometimes notices the fetus is not moving as much, becaus, since it’s filling the uterus, it does not have as much room to move. He / she has grown long fingernails, which require trimming upon birth. On both boys and girls, there are small buds where the breasts are forming. The mom is, at this point, supplying the unborn child with antibodies; these help protect the child against disease. Every essential organ has become fully developed, and the lungs continue maturing until birth date. Now the fetus has reached 18 to 21 inches, and its weight is somewhere between 6 and 10 pounds. This section of our site will give you a full understading of how a healthy pregnancy will end with the birth of the child.  Read More

Creating Your Birth Plan

Your baby’s birth is normally one of your most exciting, life-changing events you will ever experience. It’s a good idea to take some time to think through that wishes, goals and hopes you have for your unforgettable day. Use a notebook and write down a list of your plans and thoughts for the birth. This will be kind of a birth journal, and it will assist you in developing your ideas and creating an organized birth plan. This birth plan is a clear, simple, single-page statement of the things you want on the day of your baby’s birth. Providing a copy of the plan for everyone involved he;s them understand one another, and assists them in working out communication issues prior to the event itself. You don’t want to wait too long to do this, because there are many issues to consider; you’ll wat time to talk it over with those who are there to care for and support you. One of our goals on this website is to help you develop this plan. We’ll lead you through the process, keeping in mind these questions: Who should be there? Would you like a doula? Are there to be young ones there? Do you prefer to be in a bed or would you like to have some mobility instead? After you’ve followed our practical advice and created your birth plan, you will feel more confident about your birth plan and have greater confidence in your choice of birth location.  Read More

Myths & Fact About Pregnancy and Nutrition

The food we eat on a daily basis affects how our bodies work, how we heal and grow, and how we maintain energy and strength for years to come. It also determines the basic nutritional health that our children are born with, and provides a model for their eating habits during childhood and beyond. Most of your life, you can get by with saying that your eating habits affect only you; not so when you’re pregnant. A decision to incporporate healthy foods such as vegetables, lean protein, gains, legumes, and other intelligent food selections into your daily eating habits will not only benefit you, but start your child off on a healthy path as well. For this reason, we spend a lot of time and space on this website discussing the role of proper nutrition in carrying out a healthy pregnancy. Did you know the facts about the following nutrition myths:

Myth: Now that you are pregnant, you should be eating for two (or twice as much!). Fact: It is true that your nutrient needs increase, but energy requirements only increase about 300 calories per day for the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Myth: Gaining less weight during pregnancy will make delivery easier. Fact: Mothers who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy place their babies at risk for severe complications such as premature birth, which can cause lung and heart problems. There are many more nutrition myths that we’ll debunk as we help you create a better dietary plan under the supervision of your doctor.  Read More

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