Your Pregnancy

Sometimes it seems for pregnant women that their belly is growing before their eyes, or, on the contrary, it’s almost unnoticeable. Let’s read experts comments on this question.

Which factors sizes of belly during pregnancy depend on?

Height of belly, i.e. height of uterus normally corresponds to the term of pregnancy. For example, on 32nd week of pregnancy it should be 32-33 cm. And volume of belly depends on a woman’s individual peculiarities. Sometimes anatomic structure affects it: miniature women with slim pelvis have bigger belly, than tall women with full thighs have. But most of all growth of belly is connected with pregnant woman’s general weight gaining. This is the factor which a woman should always pay attention to.

Which weight gaining is considered to be normal?

Every woman has her own individual norm. It depends on index of body mass, which can be calculated according to a special formula. Divide weight in kg on height in square meters. Normal index is from 19,8 to 25,9. If you’re expecting twins, add at least 2,3-4,6 kg to this figures. Majority of women gain 40% of weight during the first half of pregnancy, 60% – during the second. If a woman had normal weight before pregnancy, then in the first term she may gain 1,5-2 kg, during the second – 0,5 kg a week, and for the whole 9th month – no more than 0,5-1 kg. Weight should be increased evenly and little by little. Normal baby’s development depends on this.

What are the dangers of overweight?

If a woman gained too much weight, both she and fetus may experience troubles. Excessive weight gaining – is one of the symptoms of late toxicosis, unhealthy state of a pregnant woman. Late toxicosis may lead to development of miscarriage threat. Under such circumstances, a woman begins feeling pains in waist and lower part of belly. In extremely serious cases premature delivery or premature placenta exfoliation may take place. Moreover, overweight makes muscles work difficult. It also leads to edemas on feet, front abdominal wall, hands. Back and calf-leg muscles begin aching, blood circulation in legs’ veins is gets broken, varicose disease becomes more intense. Pregnant woman gets tired more often and strong, becomes irritable. As for fetus, late toxicosis may cause chronic anoxaemia and even pre-natal death. Very full women’s risk of such complications is higher.

What can cause extremely quick weight gaining during pregnancy?

Sometimes those who like eating well gain weight quickly. However, moderation in eating still doesn’t guarantee normal weight. Too much liquid may accumulate in some women’s organisms – for example, when kidneys work not well enough. So, if a pregnant woman gains weight too quickly, she should check quantity of liquid she drinks and evolves for day-and-night. Healthy woman evolves more liquid, than she drinks. And accumulation of liquid in organism leads to overweight. Then not only external organs, but also internal become swollen. Placentas’ edemas are especially dangerous: they break normal fetus development.

How can a pregnant woman get rid of edemas?

While visiting maternity welfare centre, she should pay careful attention to recommendations concerning regimen of nutrition, which a doctor will give to her. As a rule, doctors advice all pregnant women to limit salt, piquant, fried and fat products consumption. The matter is that these products contribute to liquid accumulation in organism and lead to edemas. Once in 10 days it is recommended to arrange fasting days. Of course, this doesn’t mean a pregnant woman should go without food. Hunger is categorically contra-indicated to a future mother. During fasting days a pregnant woman should restrict herself with certain products, for example, apples, cotton cheese, kefir, meat in strictly determined quantities. Moreover, she should observe confinement to bed – this improves liquid excretion out of organism. Diuretic herbs also help a lot. However, she shouldn’t restrict quantity of liquid drunken suddenly. She should drink no less than 1,2-1,5 liters per day-and-night.

It turns out that it’s rather simple to struggle with edemas?

Unfortunately, not always. Weight gaining depends on kidneys’ work in many aspects. Thus, for example, weight is gained quickly if a woman has chronic urolithiasis, chronic pyelonephritis. Sometimes pyelonephritis appears already during pregnancy. As hormonal background is changing during this period. Organism begins producing more of a hormone, contributing to urinary tracts dilation. And various infections come to kidneys through these open gates. That’s why all pregnant women should pass bacteriological test of vagina’s excretions, control urine analyses constantly.

What if a pregnant woman has too big fetus and this explains her overweight?

Such thing happens sometimes. But this may testify of another problem. Very often women suffering from diabetes have big fetus. If a woman herself was born being big, then she needs to check sugar content in blood and urine, as diabetes can proceed also in latent form. Sometimes diabetes appears already during pregnancy. Again because of hormonal background change. Such pregnant women are in a risk group – even if heightened sugar content was shown only on one of several tests. By the way, overweight during pregnancy often force accoucheurs to use Cesarean section.

On which terms sudden weight gaining is specially unwanted?

Excess weight gaining is especially dangerous in the second half of pregnancy, to be more exact, since 20th week. And the earlier such complications happen, the more difficult confinement a woman will have. That’s why we recommend women to take care of their weight, take arterial pressure on both hands and urine tests. If a woman has late toxicosis, as a rule, her blood pressure increases and albumen appears in urine. If all 3 symptoms are found – edemas, heightened blood pressure and albumen in urine – a woman is urgently hospitalized.

Probably my question will surprise you. Is it possible to “adjust” a size of fetus somehow?

I think, yes. Balanced nutrition, including products, rich in animal and vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, is necessary for this. A woman should take vitaminous preparations for sure. Of course, these are copy-book truths, but a woman observes these rules not always, for this or that reason.

Apparently, size of belly depends also on quantity of amniotic fluids? Does liquid a woman drinks influence them?

No. Reasons of excess of amniotic fluids are quite other: diabetes, anomalies of fetus development, Rhesus-conflict, infectious complications. If a woman has little amniotic fluids, this quite often means she will give birth to a post-mature baby.

Probably, too small belly is better, than too big?

No, I wouldn’t say that. Insufficient weight gaining often leads to defect of fetus development, giving birth to a very small baby, premature birth, and sometimes even to death of a new-born. Pregnant women should strive for “golden middle”. By the way, American scientists noticed that women with optimistic view on life give birth to babies of small weight less often. Experts explain that optimist women take care of their health better: do exercising regularly and eat well.

Is there a straight dependence between a pregnant woman’s emotional state and excess kilograms?

Probably, there is. You know, being under stress situation, some women begin eating any food they see and emptying fridge. Here goes excess weight. And, on the contrary, other women just cannot eat at all in stress situation. That’s why it’s so important for close people and future mother herself to take care of her stable, calm emotional mood.

Approximate allocation of weight gained during pregnancy Baby 3,5 kg Placenta 0,675 kg Amniotic fluid 0,8 kg Increased uterus 0,9 kg Breasts 0,45 kg Volume of mother’s blood 1,5 kg Intracellular fluid of mother 1,4 kg Adipose cellulose of mother 3,25 kg GENERAL WEIGHT INCREASE 11,9 kg

The online resources and tools available have never been greater with calendar pregnancy weekly and online ovulation calculator to assist couples before, during and after pregnancy. A free online calendar pregnancy weekly provides a wonderful system of support by calculate due date for pregnancy (after the required information is entered) throughout the duration of the pregnancy.

The online ovulation calculator is similar to the calendar pregnancy weekly (calculate due date for pregnancy) in that information regarding a woman’s menstrual cycle is entered to come up with estimated information. In the case of the online ovulation calculator a woman must enter the first day of her last menstrual period and the length of the cycle (how many days), to determine her peak fertility period or the best time to get pregnant (increasing a couple’s chances at getting pregnant). These online ovulation calculator can be found online for free and are a wonderful tool to help control your fertility period so a couple can have sex during the most fertile period.

Both the online ovulation calculator and online calendar pregnancy weekly (calculate due date for pregnancy) can offer helpful information and tips to couples wanting to get pregnant and during pregnancy. Some of the advice available on the online calendar pregnancy weekly can include:

• having a healthy baby;

• parenting roles;

• health care during pregnancy;

• labor and birth;

• work and pregnancy;

• preparing for the baby;

• first, second and third trimester information;

• baby names;

• baby gear;

• breast feeding and,

• complications that can occur during pregnancy and birth to name a few.

Of course the information provided in the by calendar pregnancy week week is only to be used as a general guide as each pregnancy is unique, with some babies developing faster or slower than others.

To calculate due date for pregnancy a couple can use a calendar pregnancy weekly. Similar to the online ovulation calculator a woman would enter the first day of her last menstrual period, the pregnancy due date calendar will than determine the pregnancy due date. After a pregnancy due date is established the calendar pregnancy weekly will give a week by week update on what is happening with the pregnancy, with plenty of information and advice to look forward to. Again the calendar date due pregnancy is only an estimate, depending on the pregnancy a woman’s due date can vary and be earlier or later than the due date.

If you’ve already used an online ovulation calculator, using a calendar pregnancy weekly to calculate due date for pregnancy will be easy. By simply entering the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period the calendar pregnancy weekly will calculate a couple’s pregnancy due date. A pregnancy due date calendar is an excellent way to receive regular updates with helpful pregnancy advice and information. Most of the online by calendar pregnancy week week sites available are free with some charging a small fee for additional information such as personalized baby reports, guides, video library, product reviews, consumer reports and saving on baby gear and products.

Starting with the online ovulation calculator a woman can enter the first day of her last menstrual period and determine her peak fertility period. Afterwards during pregnancy a couple’s best friend throughout the pregnancy will be the calendar pregnancy weekly, this will calculate due date for pregnancy and offer a multitude of helpful information from conception through to birth. A pregnancy due date calendar will essentially build a day by day customized calendar which will detail the development of baby from before conception until birth.

A calendar pregnancy weekly (calculate due date for pregnancy, just as the online ovulation calculator determines peak fertile period) can offer information to include:

• mom and dad roles;

• health care throughout pregnancy;

• complications;

• first, second and third trimester information;

• labor and birth;

• work and pregnancy;

• preparing for baby;

• naming baby;

• managing your weight;

• bed rest;

• pregnancy symptoms;

• sex during pregnancy;

• relationships during pregnancy;

• birth announcements;

• twins and multiples;

• emotions and moods;

• ultrasound photos;

• prenatal vitamin information for mother;

• how the baby is growing inside mother;

• and suggested reading.

Both the online ovulation calculator and calendar pregnancy weekly (calculate due date for pregnancy) are excellent tools that are sure to be appreciated by both expecting mothers and fathers. Of course the calendar pregnancy weekly should only be used as a general guide as each pregnancy is unique with some babies developing more quickly or slower than others, and should never replace the advice of your obstetrician. It’s also nice to know that after your bundle of joy is born several of the online pregnancy due date calendar can be used to receive further updates on breast feeding, bulletin boards (share and read advice from other moms and dads), shopping, newborn and baby information, toddler (12-24 months), preschooler information and older kids information (5-8 years)

Pregnancy can be a wonderful time in woman’s life. A baby growing inside of you can feel like a miracle; and it can also make you feel a little off your game. If you’re a person who is used to being physically active pregnancy can be a bit of an adjustment. Or perhaps you are someone who has recently committed to a diet and exercise plan to help foster a healthy pregnancy. Either way, pregnancy exercise is well within the limits of a healthy pregnancy and something that can help you feel in control of your body a little more as you make this incredible journey.

First and foremost, pregnancy exercise at any fitness level is only meant for those women who are experiencing healthy, uneventful pregnancies. Further, regardless of what pregnancy exercise you want to try – at any time during your pregnancy – you should always check with your doctor beforehand.

Generally during the first trimester, women are permitted to continue with an exercise program that has already been established. This does not mean that now that you are pregnant you should start running every day if you haven’t been running up until this point. Do not engage in new exercise – this is not the time. But if you are feeling well, are not experiencing any bleeding, and have been given approval from your doctor, it is safe to continue with your previous exercise routine. You may find, however, that as pregnancy exercise, this previously simple routine has become more difficult. Fatigue, upset stomach, and a myriad of other early pregnancy symptoms may hinder your physical performance.

Walking during the first trimester – and throughout pregnancy – can be a wonderful pregnancy exercise. It gets your heart pumping without putting unnecessary strain on your joints.

During the second trimester, when you begin to feel well again, your energy level may suddenly increase. With the blessing of your doctor, you may want to engage in more strenuous activity. Again, it completely depends on your level of health and the advice of your doctor.

No matter what pregnancy exercise you do engage in, you should always pay close attention to your pulse rate to be sure you are not over-exerting yourself. Be sure to drink plenty of water – more than you may be accustomed to drinking – to protect yourself against dehydration.

The third trimester can continue as the second but an ever-expanding belly may prevent you from accomplishing some pregnancy exercise. Adjust your expectations as your situation continues to change and check in with your doctor every step of the way. Remember that has your due date nears you need to be vigilant to signs of labor. Use care with pregnancy exercise at this time.

Feng Shui, Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Tai Chi all come from the wisdoms of ancient Chinese. These techniques or knowledge were once considered as superstitious in the western world, but are now widely used in many civilized countries. The Chinese Gender Chart (aka Chinese Birth Calendar or Chinese Pregnancy Calendar) which is used to predict the gender of a baby, does not yet receive the respect from western eyes like other Chinese ancient wisdoms!

The amazing thing about the Chinese Gender Chart is that it can predict the gender of babies long before a mother’s conception and that its accuracy rate is higher than 90%. The prediction is only based on two factors: the mother’s age of conception and the month of conception (see http://www.chinesegenderchart.info/pregnancy-chart-gender-selection/howitwork.html.) So, if a baby is conceived in June when the woman is 30, she will give birth to a girl. And if a baby is conceived in August when the woman is 22, she will give birth to a boy. The most unusual thing associated with the Chinese Gender Chart is that it is the women who determine the sex of the children; this differs from all medical books that tell you that it is the presence or absence of the Y chromosome from men that determine the sex of the children. Recent medical studies have found that it is the woman’s ovum membrane that chooses whether to fertilize with the X or Y sperm from men. So it is more appropriate to say that it is the female that chooses the sex of the baby (by virtue of selecting which sperm to mate with) and the male only determines the sex of the baby after conception. And this is exactly what the ancient Chinese pointed out.

There are many advantages to using the Chinese Gender Chart: It is 100% free, 100% natural, and it is absolutely safe. But a lot of people who have tested the Chinese Gender Chart conclude that the accuracy of the chart is no better than flipping a coin. What they don’t know is that, to use the Chart, one must follow several rules:

1. The Chinese Gender Chart is based on the lunar calendar.

2. A newborn baby is already one-year old.

3. You don’t choose the first and last ten days of a gender period for conception.

4. You don’t choose to conceive in Chinese leap months.

There is nothing wrong in preferring a baby boy after having two or three girls. You may also consider choosing a specific gender if your family has certain sex-related illnesses. Although there is still no scientific proof of why the chart works, choosing a specific sex by using the Chinese Gender Chart is still the best alternative to more expensive gender selection methods like MicroSort and PGD.

For more information and examples about the Chinese Gender Chart, please visit http://www.chinesegenderchart.info

During pregnancy, the woman’s body undergoes a number of changes. This is because her body is now preparing to incubate the baby and ultimately give birth to it. The first step in prenatal care is detecting the early signs of pregnancy. Once you have correctly detected pregnancy, the rest is taken care of by your medical practitioner.

According to surveys, approximately 40% of pregnancies in the US is unplanned. Quite a few unplanned pregnancies end up in abortion or babies develop developmental problems due to the lack of proper prenatal care. This happens when an unplanned pregnancy goes undetected for a fairly long period of time. So, early detection of pregnancy is important to the health and development of the baby.

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is the missing of the period. This is one sign that appears in all pregnant women. But it is easy to miss this sign because many women have irregular periods. Stress, medication and emotional problems can cause changes in the menstrual cycle. Thus, this is not a very reliable early sign of pregnancy unless your menstrual cycle is predictable to the day.

During the early phases of pregnancy, there is a lot of hormonal activity within the woman’s body. This will have a corresponding effect on her physical and emotional states. Therefore, a common early sign of pregnancy is sudden changes in dietary habits. Some women unexpectedly feel ravenous and have sharp cravings for certain kinds of food. The main reason for this is nutrient imbalance. When the body is not getting its required supply of nutrients, it induces cravings to fulfill the need. On the contrary, other women go completely off food. They feel mild to acute nausea due to the production of certain hormones. It could only be a feeling of nausea or it may even lead to bouts of vomiting. The characteristic feature of this symptom of pregnancy is that anything can trigger this nausea, particularly thoughts, pictures, smell or presence of some type of foods. Fortunately, most women get over this uncomfortable phase after their first trimester, when hormonal activities settle down, though there are some women who continue to suffer from it throughout their term.

Another important early sign of pregnancy is tiredness and exhaustion. When there is a baby growing within you, your energy levels dip unless you take extra care to fulfill your nutrient needs. However, since most women are already quite energy depleted, this sign too is easy to miss.

Many women experience a sudden increase in the frequency of urination. This is because the growing uterus presses down on the uterus, thus creating pressure.

These are some of the most common early signs of pregnancy. These signs help you detect pregnancy at its earliest stages. Early detection helps you take proper care of yourself and your fetus. This paves the way to a safe and relatively uncomplicated pregnancy and birth.

The early signs of pregnancy usually begin for most women during the first few weeks following conception, and some even before their first missed menstrual cycle. The symptoms will vary in intensity and type, although a missed menstrual period is usually the first sign of pregnancy noticed by most women.

Here are the other most common signs and symptoms of early pregnancy:

- Tender Breasts: Besides a missed period, swollen or tender breasts may be experienced within the first few weeks of pregnancy. Some women also report a feeling of fullness or heaviness, as well as a tingling sensation in the breasts in the first month or so following conception.

- Nausea: Nausea, often accompanied by vomiting, and queasiness are one of the early signs of pregnancy known as “morning sickness,” although these symptoms can appear any time of the day or night contrary to the popular name. As early as two weeks after conception, some women may begin feeling queasy or notice an aversion to certain foods or aromas. Rising estrogen levels, which actually cause the stomach to empty slower, may be to blame for feeling nauseous during the early weeks and months of pregnancy.

- Unusual Fatigue: In addition to increased estrogen, levels of another hormone, progesterone, also rapidly increase, causing an unusual feeling of tiredness. This coupled with a decline in blood sugar and blood pressure all work together to deplete one’s energy. Changes in hormone levels may also contribute to frequent headaches early in pregnancy.

- Constipation: Increased progesterone may also cause constipation as digested foods tend to pass through the intestines slower than normal.

- Frequent Urination: Frequent urination is a symptom of pregnancy that usually will continue on throughout the entire pregnancy due to hormone levels and increased pressure on the bladder.

- Bleeding and/or Cramping: Some pregnant women will experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding which is referred to as implantation bleeding, or some abdominal cramping similar to those felt during menstruation. Implantation bleeding occurs 10 to 14 days following fertilization as the newly fertilized egg attaches itself to the thickened lining of the uterus.

- Mood Swings: The first three months of pregnancy are often characterized by frequent mood swings or periods of irritability due to the influx of hormones.

- Feeling Faint, or Dizzy: Low blood sugar levels, a drop in blood pressure, and the dilation of blood vessels may cause feelings of dizziness or faintness.

- Changes in Eating Habits: Food cravings are a rather common sign of early pregnancy, with many women finding themselves liking certain foods they never did before, or even having an aversion to those that were once favorites. Cravings, like most symptoms of pregnancy, are due to the increase and fluctuation of hormone levels.

- Increased Basal Body Temperature: Basal body temperature, the temperature of the body upon first awakening in the morning, increases slightly after a woman ovulates, and stays at that increased level until their next menstrual cycle. If the increase lasts longer than 14 days, this may be an accurate indication of pregnancy.

It’s important to remember that many early signs of pregnancy are slight, subtle changes that you may not recognize right away. Alternately, most symptoms are not totally unique to pregnancy and may actually be due to a number of other conditions or illnesses. The best way to find out what may be causing your symptoms is to take a home pregnancy test, and then make an appointment with your health care provider.

During your pregnancy one thing you are not going to be short of is unsolicited advice. However, this advice is often conflicting and you end up back to where you started. So what should you do? Do not worry; you have come to the right place.

Here are some things you should avoid when pregnant.

Caffeine

Reports of the effects of caffeine on a foetus have been conflicting. Some studies state that caffeine is harmful to the foetus and can cause miscarriages, premature delivery and low birth weights, while other studies deny any such connection. It is now widely believed that drinking small amounts of caffeine is fine – but too much of it should be avoided. How much is too much? As long as you stay below the 300mg of caffeine a day mark, you should be fine. Different coffees have different amounts of caffeine but in general drink no more than two cups a day. Remember that tea, colas and other soft drinks, and chocolate, all contain caffeine. The caffeine content in chocolate is very low so you don’t need to worry about it, but do remember that it all adds up. Some mothers prefer playing it safe and staying off caffeine during their entire pregnancy, but if you cannot do this, try to limit your intake as far as possible.

Saunas

Soaking in a hot tub or going in for a steam or sauna session may seem like the perfect way to relax and pamper yourself at this time, but this is not a good idea. Any activity that raises your body temperature should be avoided, especially during your first trimester. Sure, you could take a hot shower, but make sure you get out of there as soon as possible. You don’t want hot streams of water pelting your belly for an extended period of time. Give yourself ten minutes in a warm shower at the most.

Food

Avoid eating heaty foods like ginger, honey etc. Soak almonds overnight in water before eating. Fish containing high levels of mercury should be avoided. Also, avoid eating uncooked cheese or unpasturised milk and its products, as these often contain bacteria that may be harmful to your unborn baby.

Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs

Abstain from alcohol and cigarettes during your pregnancy. If you must drink, red wine – in limits – is your safest bet. A few glasses of red wine a week should be fine, but in general, alcohol is best to avoid. Do not smoke even a single cigarette during your pregnancy. If your husband or partner smokes, make sure he smokes outdoors. Secondhand smoke can be just as bad for your baby. During your pregnancy your husband should not smoke indoors at all, even when you are not around – as stale smoke will lurk in the home for hours after smoking. Any time your husband wants to light up, he should make it a point to go outdoors or out into the balcony. Some husbands who find this impractical, smoke in a toilet that their wives don’t use.

Drugs too are off limits. Speak to your practitioner before taking any medication. Some OTC drug as Disprin are generally thought to be safe but don’t take anything without asking your doctor. Your doctor may suggest alternate medication, which would be less harmful to the foetus.

Find information, advice and guidance on pregnancy, stages of pregnancy, parenting tips, teen issues and raising kids.

Having a positive pregnancy test is just a beginning of an exciting journey. Not all women get to have babies in their lifetime. And you need to prepare for the coming of your little angel.

Now, before you get carried away with excitement, you need to know when the baby is coming. Your doctor can give you more accurate information of when your baby is due. However, it won’t hurt you if you get some advance information through the use of a pregnancy due date calendar. To do this, just find a pregnancy due date calendar or a weekly pregnancy calendar to help you determine when you are expected to have your baby. Don’t hesitate of finding out yourselves, because there is really no rule that says that you cannot use a pregnancy due date calendar to satisfy your curiosity.

The Benefits If You Know Your Due Date

If you hesitate to find out about due date, then you should consider these benefits:

1. You can arrange a career plan

If you are working for a company, then you should talk with your boss about taking a maternity leave. This is where the due date comes to play. By knowing your due date you can consult with your boss easily. With this information your boss then can arrange someone to fulfill your position while you are gone.

2. You now when you should prepare your baby’s goods

There’s a period where you can hardly move you body as your baby is growing big. But there’s also a period in the beginning of your pregnancy where you should not move a lot because your infant is not stable yet. You want to start preparing baby goods in between. This is where you need to know you due date.

3. Help your husband help you

If your husband is working and you want him to help you during the delivery phase, you need to inform him about your due date. Otherwise, he cannot arrange a working plan so that he could leave the office to help you deliver.

How To Use A Pregnancy Due Date Calendar

It is not as difficult as you might think to be able to use a pregnancy due date calendar. You don’t need to be an expert of pregnancy. Just read the instructions on the due date calendar and follow them carefully. If you are familiar with your menstrual cycle, it will be easier for you to get some accurate information from your pregnancy due date calendar.

It is best if you record when the last time you had your menstrual period was. But if you forgot it, you can try to recall it. Start by remember the week when you had your period and then figure out the date from there. Most women ovulate or become fertile 2 weeks after their first day of menstruation. If you had unprotected sexual contact with your partner two weeks after your first day of menstruation then that is most probably the time when you got pregnant.

Now, if you cannot remember when exactly was your first day of menstruation the month before you found out that you are pregnant, don’t sweat it. The pregnancy due date calendar can still help you determine when your baby is due, even though you cannot pinpoint the exact time when you probably got pregnant.

Finding a Professional Opinion

Using a pregnancy due date calendar can help you determine when your baby is due. However, there is really no substitute for a profession opinion on the matter. NO, you should not skip that visit to the doctor. Always remember that your doctor knows more about pregnancy than you do so you should still seek professional opinion regarding the matter and not just rely on the things that you read in books and in the internet. Bear in mind that every pregnancy is unique in itself and should not be treated lightly.

With today’s increased knowledge of health and development of the fetus in the womb, there are several tests that expectant mothers will undergo to ensure the health prospects of both herself and her baby. All of these tests are standard, and you should make sure to ask your doctor about when they are scheduled and that they are all on his list.

CBC Test: CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This test checks for anemia and other abnormalities that may occur within blood components.

Urinary Analysis: Regular urine analysis safety check for infection, protein, blood, or any other products that should not be present in the urine and that may signal complications.

RH factor: This test also tests the blood type. Differences in the blood type or Rh factor could lead to serious complications in the newborn, or in your next child. Women who are RH negative need to have additional screening done later in the pregnancy.

Immunity: A blood test is required to ensure immunity from German measles (rubella).

STD: Tests for sexually transmitted diseases are also necessary, including screenings for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Some tests include cultures for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Blood glucose is checked for diabetes.

Pap smears check the cells of the cervix for abnormalities, including cancerous or precancerous cells.

Screening for bacterial and viral infections in the vagina and cervix is often performed during the second half of the pregnancy. Testing to detect bacterial vaginosis, which could increase the risk for premature rupture of membranes and subsequent labor, and a culture for group B streptococci, which can infect and harm the newborn after delivery, may be done during your pregnancy.

There are other tests that may be taken according to your own personal health history. Expectant women with high blood pressure should be regularly checked. Make sure when you visit your obstetrician that all these tests are accounted for, and consult her on any that may need to be done additionally.

The nine months of pregnancy are a miraculous event. During this relatively short time, your baby goes from a fertilized egg to a fully formed newborn. The changes that take place over these nine months are astounding. By the end of the first month, the tiny heart has formed and is beating. The major organs and systems of the body have developed by the end of the first trimester.

This is a critical time in your baby’s development. It’s important that you take good care of yourself during this time. Eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of fluids. Take any vitamins or extra iron recommended by your health care provider. Avoid any substances which can harm the baby. These include smoke, alcohol and drugs. Don’t take any medication without your doctor’s approval.

The [tag-tec]baby[/tag-tec] continues to change rapidly during the second trimester. You will get to hear his heartbeat and see him on the [tag-ice]ultrasound[/tag-ice]. By this time, the gender can be seen clearly in many cases. Your baby is a fully formed little one at the end of this trimester. The lungs are the last organ to develop enough to sustain life outside the womb. During the third trimester, the lungs finish developing. Your baby puts on weight and body fat steadily through this trimester.

Your body will go through many changes over the course of your [tag-cat]pregnancy[/tag-cat] as well. In the early months, you may experience discomfort from morning sickness. This is a common symptom and is usually not serious. Learn some methods of dealing with this, such as getting up slowly in the morning, eating crackers before you get up or wearing wrist bands made for sea sickness. Preggie pops are lollipops that are sold to ease the symptoms of morning sickness.

The first trimester is a time of rapidly changing hormones in your body. This change causes fatigue in most women. Be sure to get enough rest. You will find you need more sleep than before you got pregnant. The best way to deal with fatigue is to get more sleep. Go to bed earlier at night. If possible, take a nap during the day.

Most women feel their best during the second trimester. Morning sickness has gotten better for the majority of pregnant mothers. The fatigue you felt in the first trimester has improved as well. Pregnant women report feeling more energy and you will begin to feel pregnant. Some couples take a final vacation as a couple during this trimester. By the third trimester, you will be uncomfortable and won’t want to travel. As you get farther into the third trimester, travel will be restricted.

The third trimester brings more discomfort. The baby is putting on weight at a rapid rate. Toward the end of this trimester, the baby is gaining a half a pound in body weight every week. This increased weight leads to several discomforts. The baby is pushing up on your stomach and lungs. This makes breathing difficult and you may be short of breath. The pressure of the baby on the stomach causes heartburn and indigestion.

The uterus is getting very crowded now and your baby is also pushing down. This can cause a variety of problems such as hemorrhoids, constipation and the need to urinate frequently. You may feel pressure low in the abdomen as the baby moves down into position for birth. When this happens, you will find that the shortness of breath improves. This is called lightening, but don’t count on going into labor right away. This can happen weeks before the baby arrives.

At the end of the third trimester, it’s time for the big day. You will finally get to meet your new baby. As the day approaches, you will feel excited. It’s normal to feel anxious and nervous as well. Continue to read, practice breathing exercises and prepare for the delivery. Soon you will be holding your precious bundle and the discomforts of the past nine months will be a memory.

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