Early Pregnancy

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

Early pregnancy can be a time of uncertainty, anxiety and worry. You may spend time wondering if you’re actually pregnant. Many women worry over every possible symptom. Does it mean you’re pregnant? If you know you’re pregnant, you may worry about a lack of certain symptoms. Does it mean you’ll miscarry?

Early pregnancy is also a time to come to terms with being pregnant. It is normal to feel apprehensive or ambivalent about it, even if you really want the baby. Having a baby is life changing. It is not unusual to have some cold feet about something that will change your entire life.

There are various signs and symptoms that many women experience in early pregnancy. It is perfectly normal for you to experience all of them, none of them or some amount in between.

Tender Breasts
Many women experience this symptom to some degree. The breasts may be tender, tingly or sore. The nipples become very sensitive to the slightest touch… even from the shirts you wear. This is due to increased hormones that help prepare the breasts for feeding your baby.

Fatigue
While you don’t look pregnant yet, your body is working hard to develop your baby. During early pregnancy is when your baby is making the most progress. This takes a lot of energy, and consequently you will feel tired. Try to get as much rest as possible. Progesterone, which is excreted in large quantities at this time, may also cause sleepiness.

The Vanishing Period
The most obvious sign to most women is when their period does not arrive as expected. While this can be caused by other issues than pregnancy, it is easy enough to find out by taking a pregnancy test.

Implantation Bleeding
Some women experience a little spotting about a week before their period is due. This is usually caused by the fertilized egg implanting into the uterine lining. Some women never see any implantation bleeding. Cramping may also be felt at this time, with or without the spotting.

Morning Sickness
Many women experience some degree of morning sickness, though not all women do. Some only get nauseous, while others spend long days in the bathroom, trying to keep something in their stomach. Morning sickness can actually occur at any time of day. Sometimes nausea can be triggered by odors or movement. Foods can also trigger these feelings. The most common foods to watch are coffee, spicy foods, fried foods, dairy products and meat.

Frequent Urination
You may feel you spend more time running to and from the bathroom than anything else. Changes in your uterus put more weight on your bladder, triggering the urge to go. Don’t worry… this will get better once the uterus grows large enough to grow out of the pelvis. It will come back in late pregnancy.

Raised Body Temperature
For those who take their basal body temperature each morning, you’ll notice that your temperature remains high instead of the usual plunge it takes before your period comes. According to those who practice this, 18 high temperatures after ovulation is usually indicative of pregnancy.

Breast Changes During Pregnancy

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy Symptoms

Changes begin in the breasts almost as soon as you conceive. In fact, many women will say that the way their breasts felt was their first clue that they were pregnant. During pregnancy, more estrogen and progesterone are produced to keep the pregnancy going. These hormones also help prepare the breasts for nursing. Along the way, they can become sore, tender or tingly.

Most women find breast tenderness to be at its most sensitive in early pregnancy. It can get so uncomfortable that even having the fabric of your shirt touch them can be difficult. They may feel heavier than you are used to, or they may be more sensitive to movement if you go jogging or for a brisk walk. You may find that the nipples become more noticeable and that the areolas become darker. A map of blue veins makes their appearance over your chest, supplying more blood to the breasts to help them ready for breastfeeding. Your breasts will get a bit larger throughout pregnancy. The hormones will make the milk ducts grow and get ready to feed your baby. The glandular tissue begins to expand as well.

You may notice that your breasts become itchy as the skin stretches to accommodate the new growth. You may also develop small stretch marks. Many women may notice a little leaking from their breasts by mid-pregnancy. This is colostrum. Colostrum is the baby’s first milk. It is thick, yellow and sticky. You may notice it leaks on its own, or during intimate contact. If you don’t leak milk during pregnancy, that is also perfectly normal. It is no reflection on your ability to produce milk. Some women don’t produce much colostrum until after the baby is born.

As your pregnancy continues, the tenderness may decrease a little bit. The growth will continue throughout pregnancy. The end result will depend on heredity, how much weight you gain during pregnancy and how large your breasts were to begin with. It is not uncommon to change two or three bra sizes, although this does not happen to everyone.

The best thing you can do is to find a good support bra to get you through pregnancy. If they feel tight, you probably need to get a larger size. Don’t wear underwires. The best results will come if you take the time to consult with a lingerie professional in a maternity shop. If you can’t do this, measure yourself carefully. Be sure you measure around the fullest area of your breast to get the right cup size, and just beneath the arms for the chest size. Don’t be surprised if you need to do this again before the baby is born. Breast pads can help absorb any leaking. This will protect your clothes and will prevent embarrassment if you are out in public.

Sleep bras can help you get needed support at night. A sleep bra is usually lightweight cotton. They can be found at maternity stores and at online maternity shops. If you exercise regularly, you will want a good sports bra that will offer sturdy support.

Talk with your care provider if you have any concerns about your breast changes or lack of breast changes.

How long after conception do symptoms appear?

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Questions, Pregnancy Symptoms

When you’re trying to conceive, it is easy to begin obsessing about everything. What symptoms should you look for? When can you get an accurate pregnancy test result? How soon will you know for sure? It can be all-consuming! Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now that you’ve relaxed a bit, here’s what you need to know.
Pregnancy symptoms will vary from one woman to another… in fact, they can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy in the same woman. While the most obvious symptom of pregnancy is missing your period, there are some other early symptoms you may want to watch out for. All early symptoms can possibly be signs of other issues by themselves, but when you have several, you can be reasonably sure you’ve conceived.
One if the first symptoms experienced by some women is implantation bleeding. This is one of the earliest symptoms that can be detected. Unfortunately, it doesn’t occur for everyone. Spotting and sometimes cramping will occur sometime between 6 to 12 days after conception, when the embryo implants into the lining of the uterus.
You may notice that your breasts feel swollen or tender. This can begin as early as a week or two after conception. This can also be a sign of an impending period, so unless this is accompanied by other symptoms, it may not mean anything.
You may find yourself feeling a lot more tired than usual. Fatigue is normal in early pregnancy. This can begin as early as a week after conception and may last into the second trimester, when most women begin to feel better.
Around two weeks after conception, you’ll miss your period. This is the most obvious sign to most women. A few will continue to bleed during early pregnancy, but the period should be shorter or lighter than normal.
Morning sickness can strike at any time, not just in the morning. Nausea and vomiting varies… some women don’t experience it at all, while others feel it so bad they require hospitalization. Luckily, most women fall somewhere in between. Morning sickness can start any time between 2 and 8 weeks after conception. Most women who get morning sickness will start to feel relief by the second trimester.
Headaches can be caused by the sudden rise in hormonal activity in your body in early pregnancy. Be sure you check with your care giver about what medications are safe to take just in case you discover you are pregnant.
A dull low backache can be an early symptom for some women. While backache is a common complaint throughout pregnancy, it can also be an early symptom to watch for.
If you find yourself making a lot of trips to the bathroom, chalk up another symptom. About 6 to 8 weeks after conceiving, your uterus will have increased in size enough to put a little extra stress on your bladder.
Skin changes may also clue you in. If you notice the areolas around your nipples darkening, this is a good sign of pregnancy.

How early can you start having pregnancy symptoms?

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy Symptoms

How soon after conceiving can you start to have pregnancy symptoms? My period for October started on the 8th and ended on the 12th. My husband and I are trying to have a child. Two days ago I started getting sick to my stomach, feeling dizzy, little headaches, TIRED (I can barely keep my eyes open), one minute I’m hungry and then the next minute I won’t have the desire to eat and when I do eat my food just taste a little different to me. Are these early signs of pregnancy?
The first symptom is a missed period. Sometimes we want to be pregnant so bad that our bodies trick us into feeling things that you may have not noticed before but have been there all along. Just relax and try not to think about it. Then take an HPT when you expect your period t start.

What are some common pregnancy symptoms you experienced?

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy Symptoms

I just found out on Tuesday that i am four weeks pregnant with my second. The first time, I didn’t have too many symptoms, mainly extreme exhaustion and loss of appetite. This time, I have bad headaches and fatigue, but so far not as bad as last time. I’m a bit worried because I feel so great! What symptoms did/do you get during pregnancy? When do symptoms usually first start?
First of all, congratulations to you… I am happy for you as I know it is not easy to get pregnant, not to mention this is your 2nd baby you are expecting. We, too are also having problem determining the symptoms of pregnancy even though we have 3 kids. We read many books, resources, going to doctors and finally gathered our findings to 3 very important symptoms to see whether you are pregnant or not. Let me share it with you… #1 Of course, missing your period is one of the symptoms, if your menstrual cycle normally occurs regularly. However there are some women experience bleeding or spotting around the time of expected period. It happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall and is referred to as implantation bleeding. During pregnancy the bleeding is lighter and shorter. Missed period is not a confirmation that you are pregnant as it can also happen because of the condition of emotional and physical. #2 Are you having nausea / morning sickness? If yes, it can be another common sign of pregnancy. It will show up 2 – 8 week after conception and can be happen anytime (day or night). In most women, nausea and vomiting begin to subside by the second trimester of pregnancy. In early pregnancy elevation of estrogen occurs it is to slow the emptying of the stomach and may be related to the development of nausea. #3 Are your breast tender? It is usually similar to the sensation before menstrual period. Many women feel that their breasts are fuller and tender with their nipples being more sensitive during early pregnancy. For pregnant women it may begin as early 1 – 2 weeks after conception. The color around your nipple will get darker and feeling of heaviness or fullness in the breasts. It is due to breast are preparing for breastfeeding. Definitely, it is better to consult with your doctor with the changes of your body. Pregnancy is not the same like your normal life as more things need to be aware. With that, I hope these information is relevant to see whether you are pregnant or not. It is rather important to go to your doctor in conjunction in understanding these symptoms. This is just my humble opinion………………..

Pregnancy Questions – What will labor be like?

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

Labor can be a very intense experience. Some women get through it just fine, and others need a little help. Before you automatically sign up for your epidural in the parking lot, take some time during labor to find out where you fit into the scheme of things. It is possible that labor won’t be as bad as you fear. By moving around the way your body tells you to, you can reduce some of the pain and make your contractions more effective. If you do opt for an epidural, make sure you know the side effects before you go to the hospital. Epidurals usually result in maternal fever, a drop in blood pressure and the baby can have depressed respiration and reflexes.

Technorati Tags: Labor, Pregnancy

Comments 0 Post Comment

Pregnancy Questions – Am I Pregnant

Posted by: Category: Conception, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Questions, Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy can give you more questions than answers, especially if this is your first time experiencing it. Luckily, there are many places like this one that can help answer those questions and calm your fears. Pregnancy is a natural function of your body. It knows how to grow a baby; you need only let it do its job.

Over the next couple of weeks we will address the top questions that most women have when they become pregnant.

1. Am I pregnant?
This is one of the most important questions a woman faces when she thinks she may be pregnant. There are many home pregnancy tests available. Home pregnancy tests are likely to be the most accurate on the day you expect your period to arrive, which may be 12 to 16 days after you ovulated. If you wait until the following week and your period still hasn’t arrived, test again. If you are still getting a negative result, contact your doctor for a serum blood test. For a very few select women, the home pregnancy tests just don’t seem to measure the hcG.

Technorati Tags: Am I pregnant, Pregnancy Questions, pregnant

Comments 0 Post Comment

When does morning sickness typically start when you are pregnant?

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

I am 5 weeks pregnant with my second, and so far have been feeling great. A little tired, but not too bad. With my first I had no morning sickness, just a loss of appetite that lasted my entire pregnancy. I didn’t know I was pregnant last time until i was about 6 or 7 weeks (I actually got one period!). I was just wondering when the pregnancy symptoms usually start?
If you are early in your pregnancy, you may be wondering when the morning sickness starts. Maybe never. But chances are good you will. Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms in early pregnancy for many women. Depending on the study, 50 to 75% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness. Typically, morning sickness starts before the 6th week of pregnancy and peaks between 8 and 12 weeks. If morning sickness begins after 9 weeks of gestation, be sure to mention it to your doctor to make sure there are no other causes of nausea or vomiting. Anyways, when i was pregnant with my son, i didnt get morning sickness until the very end of my first trimester (for some odd reason), and i only got it around 2am… it didnt last a long time, maybe a week or two. Some women might get it with one pregnancy and then not the next.

How Many Days After Ovulation Do You Get Your Period?

Posted by: Category: Conception, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

Supercharge your Helping Mother Nature How to Get Pregnant Fast

Sperm A Fertility Guide

What part of the cycle decides how long it your whole cycle will be? I know all cycles are different for different women but where does the variance occur? Is it the days from your last period to ovulation or the days from ovulation to your next period? If I use an ovulation predictor kit and it says I ovulate today will conception happen in one week and implantation one week from conception and my missed period be one week from implantation? Or can ovulation, conception and implantation be further apart than one week? Let me know if I’m not being clear enough in my question.

Typically you ovulate midway through your cycle. During a 28 day cycle you should ovulate on day 14. This can vary and be a little early or later. The key concept according to my OB/GYN is that the luteal phase is 14 days long (see below for further information). He recommends having sex between CD8 and 18 every other day if you are trying to get pregnant (CD= cycle day, counting CD1 as the first day you start your period). Here is some better information that I hope answers your questions: A woman’s monthly cycle is measured from the first day of her menstrual period until the first day of her next period. On average, a woman’s cycle normally is between 28-32 days, but some women may have much shorter cycles or much longer ones. Ovulation can be calculated by starting with the day the last menstrual period (LMP) starts or by calculating 12-16 days from the next expected period. Most women ovulate anywhere between Day 11 – Day 21 of their cycle, counting from the first day of the LMP. This is what many refer to as the “fertile time” of a woman’s cycle, because sexual intercourse during this time increases the chance of pregnancy. Ovulation can occur at various times during a cycle, and may occur on a different day each month. The Ovulation Cycle Divided into Two Parts: The first part of the ovulation cycle is called the follicular phase. This phase starts the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) and continues until ovulation. This first half of the cycle can differ greatly for each woman lasting anywhere from 7 days until 40 days. The second half of the cycle is called the luteal phase and is from the day of ovulation until the next period begins. The luteal phase has a more precise timeline and usually is only 12-16 days from the day of ovulation. This ultimately means that the day of ovulation will determine how long your cycle is. This also means that outside factors like stress, illness, and disruption of normal routine can throw off your ovulation which then results in changing the time your period will come. So the old thought that stress can affect your period is only partly true. Stress can affect your ovulation which ultimately determines when your period will come, but stress around the time of an expected period will not make it late—it was already determined when it would come 12-16 days earlier! From the Menstrual Period to Ovulation (the details you may not know!) When your menstrual cycle begins, your estrogen levels are low. Your hypothalamus (which is in charge of maintaining your hormone levels) sends out a message to your pituitary gland which then sends out the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This FSH triggers a few of your follicles to develop into mature eggs. One of these will develop into the dominant follicle, which will release a mature egg and the others will disintegrate. As the follicles mature they send out another hormone, estrogen. The high levels of estrogen will tell the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that there is a mature egg. A luteinizing hormone (LH) is then released, referred to as your LH surge. The LH surge causes the egg to burst through the ovary wall within 24-36 hours and begin its journey down the fallopian tube for fertilization. The follicle from which the egg was released is called the corpus luteum, and it will release progesterone that helps thicken and prepare the uterine lining for implantation. The corpus luteum will produce progesterone for about 12-16 days (the luteal phase of your cycle.) If an egg is fertilized, the corpus luteum will continue to produce progesterone for a developing pregnancy until the placenta takes over. You can begin looking for pregnancy symptoms as early as a week after fertilization. If fertilization does not occur the egg dissolves after 24 hours. At this time your hormone levels will decrease and your uterine lining will begin to shed about 12-16 days from ovulation. This is menstruation (menstrual period) and brings us back to day 1 of your cycle. The journey then begins all over again.

Early Signs That You May Be Pregnant

Posted by: Category: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

It is difficult to tell if you are really pregnant or if you are getting sick. Sometimes when you are going to start your period, you may have some of the same signs that you have in early pregnancy. You may want to make an appointment with your doctor or health care professional to confirm if you are or are not. The early pregnancy tests are a good indicator, but they can also be wrong.

You may be very tired. The higher level of progesterone in your system makes you sleepy. Changes in your blood sugar and blood pressure may be taking a toll on your body sapping your energy away.

You might feel nauseated. You may have morning sickness, which may or may not be in the morning. You may feel nauseated enough to vomit, or it may just be unsettling to your stomach. The queasy feeling can happen as early as two weeks after conception.

If your breasts are tender and swollen, that is a good sign that you may be pregnant. Just two weeks after conception the hormone changes can make your breasts tingly and sore. You may notice that you are filling your bra out a little more than usual.

You may not have missed your period yet, but when you do, that is usually when most women notice that they may be pregnant. You may notice some spotting or a very light vaginal bleeding. This sometimes happens when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This is about 10 to 14 days after the egg is fertilized. You may experience some cramping along with this. The cramping should not be any worse than menstrual cramps. If they are worse than your normal cramps, last more than a day or two, or become increasingly worse, seek medical attention. You may have an ectopic pregnancy and will need immediate care. This is when the fertilized egg implants in tissue other than the uterine wall. This is a dangerous situation and can cause damage.

You might have increased headaches. Changes in your hormones and blood circulation may cause headaches. Be careful of taking any medication if you think you may be pregnant. Talk to your doctor or medical professional to see what is safe and how much you can take.

You also might be feeling faint or dizzy. Again, changes in your blood pressure, hormones and blood sugar may cause you to feel faint or dizzy in early pregnancy. Be sure to sit down until the feeling passes. Drink enough water. Even though you are very early in your pregnancy, your body is already trying to make more blood to accommodate the pregnancy. Water is very important in this process.

You may have an aversion to foods or smells you liked before. Some women find the smell of eggs, coffee or fried foods make them nauseous. You may also be more sensitive or dislike other non food smells. When I became pregnant, I couldn’t stand the smell of the after shave my husband used. I had loved it before and was OK with it again after the first 3 months.

You may find yourself more moody than usual. You may notice that you are crying over the smallest things or a commercial on TV. You may find yourself happy one minute and upset the next. Your hormones are having a party and you are the guest of honor. This should subside after your first trimester.

If you have been taking your temperature every day to track your ovulation, you will notice that your basal temperature (the temperature when you first wake up in the morning) is staying slightly elevated. This is a good sign that you may be pregnant. It is also a sign that you may be getting sick and have a slight fever. If it persists for a few days and doesn’t turn into a cold or flu, then you may want to take the test and confirm.

Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, Morning Sickness, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

Comments 0 Post Comment