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.

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Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

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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.

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Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, 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

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

Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Symptoms

• Avoid blood sugar spikes by eating smaller meals more often.  Instead of 3 larger meals, try 6 smaller ones.  Spread them out evenly during the day.

• Avoid caffeine and sugar.   They can add to the mood instability.  Caffeine is not recommended during pregnancy for other reasons as well.

• Eat well.  Watch what you are eating.  Make sure you are eating the foods your body needs.  Ask your doctor or nutritionist for a pregnancy diet.

• Go for a walk.  Exercise is good for stress relief before, during and after your pregnancy.

• Get some sunshine.  Research has shown that sunlight can actually lighten your moods.  Moderation is the key.

• Talk to someone.  Talk to your spouse, your mother, your favorite aunt or find a counselor that you like.  It is important to talk through the bad, sad or worried feelings you have.  They are probably exaggerated right now, but they still are very real.

• Get plenty of rest.  Being tired is sure to make it worse.  Sit and put your feet up when you can.  Take a nap in the afternoon if you can.  Get a body pillow to help you sleep better at night.

If you notice that you are frequently sad or depressed, talk to your doctor.  Be careful not to ignore the symptoms of true depression.

Even with the mood swings, this is a wonderful time.  Hang on to the bar, keep your hands inside the cart and enjoy the ride!

Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, mood swings, Pregnancy