What Monitoring May Be Necessary During Your Pregnancy
Electronic fetal monitoring: Sometimes late in pregnancy, a woman who is pregnant may be placed on a fetal monitor to verify the health of the fetus or to see if the woman is in early labor.
Biophysical Profile Test: This is a noninvasive test uses ultrasound to assess whether or not the baby is receiving an adequate supply of oxygen. It is typically performed during high risk pregnancies or if a woman has gone past her due date.
Can You Confirm Pregnancy From Changes In The Sleep Pattern
A pregnant womans sleep pattern changes owing to the increased levels of progesterone in her body. However, a woman might lose sleep due to a host of other reasons, so it is wrong to conclude that someone is pregnant just because she is not sleeping well.
A combination of the above-mentioned signs can indicate that you are pregnant if only one or two affect you, you are most likely not pregnant. However, do pay the doctor a visit to confirm that you are going to have a baby if you experience some of these symptoms.
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Cryptic Pregnancies: I Didnt Know I Was Having A Baby Until I Saw Its Head
Klara Dollan spent nine months totally unaware that she was pregnant. The possibility only crossed her mind as she gave birth in her bathroom. But cryptic pregnancies like hers are far from unusual
When Klara Dollan, then 22, woke up at 4am on the day she was due to start her new job, she thought her agonising stomach cramps signalled her period being back with a vengeance. She had been taking the pill with no break for more than six months, but had stopped about two weeks before. The waves of pain left her pale and shaking, but she didnt feel she could call in sick on her first day so she took some paracetamol on her mothers advice, and caught the bus then the tube from the home they shared in Cricklewood in north-west London into the city.
Hours later, Dollan was in Hampsteads Royal Free hospital, cradling a newborn baby girl: completely healthy and carried to term. Dollan had given birth by herself in the bathroom of her flat, after being sent home sick from work a neighbour had heard her screams of labour and called an ambulance. When Dollan rang her mother and told her to come to the maternity ward, the reply was: But you werent pregnant this morning!
Amelia, now three, was a complete surprise, says Dollan, which many struggle to believe. How could she not have known she was pregnant? But the more pertinent question may be: why would she have thought she was?
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Youre Visiting The Bathroom Significantly More Often
Do you find yourself urinating more often during the day or waking up in the middle of the night to take care of a full bladder? This could be a sign youâre pregnant. Because your body makes significantly more blood during pregnancy, your kidneys are filtering more liquids â resulting in a greater number of potty breaks. Though youâll be doing plenty of urinating, pregnancy actually increases your chances of constipation, meaning that going #2 may be a little more difficult.
How To Tell If A Cat Is Pregnant Or Nursing References
How To Tell If A Cat Is Pregnant Or Nursing. A cat can get pregnant whenever she goes into heat, or her receptive, fertile cycle. A pregnant cat will begin moving around with great care.
Also, your pregnant queen needs extra. Although not incredibly common, pregnant cats may experience nausea and vomiting during the third or fourth week of pregnancy as many hormonal changes are experienced.
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Sensitive Breasts And Darker Areola
During this first two weeks it’s normal for breasts to get more sensitive due to the increased production of hormones that stimulate breast glands, preparing them for breastfeed. There is also an increase in breast volume, because the mammary glands start to develop to support the needs of the baby after birth.
Women may also notice alteration in the areolas, which tend to get darker due to the increase in blood flow to the area.
When To Call A Doctor
Doctors recommend that you see a doctor about your fertility if
- You’re 35 years or older and have been trying for at least six months
- You’re younger than 35 and have been trying for at least one year
If either of these fit your situation then see a doctor, even if you have no symptoms of a fertility problem.
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How Soon You Can Take A Pregnancy Test
Step back from the supermarket shelves you should wait until the first day of a missed period before you do a pregnancy test . This is usually about two weeks after you think you conceived. So get your diary out and start counting.
Too keen to wait? Some tests are more sensitive than others and can be taken earlier . This might be four or five days before your period is due .
If you can though, its most reliable to wait for the first day of your missed period. And that way you wont get any upset from an inaccurate result.
Tingling And Numbness In Your Hands
Carpal tunnel syndrome tingling and numbness in your hands affects up to 60 per cent of women during pregnancy. It is caused by compression of the median nerve due to an increase in the tissue fluids during pregnancy.
Carpal tunnel syndrome may be mild, intermittently painful, or severe, which may cause partial paralysis of the thumb or loss of sensation. Symptoms usually resolve on their own soon after birth.
If you are experiencing tingling and numbness in your hands, inform your doctor or midwife. In very severe cases, your doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections or surgical treatment.
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Morning Sickness Nausea And Vomiting During Early Pregnancy
Nausea and morning sickness usually develops around weeks 4 to 6. Although its called morning sickness, it can occur any time during the day or night. Its unclear exactly what causes nausea and morning sickness, but hormones may play a role.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women experience mild to severe morning sickness. It may become more intense toward the end of the first trimester, but often becomes less severe as you enter the second trimester.
Blood Test From The Doctor
For the most accurate way to know if youre pregnant, head to your doctor’s office to get a blood test. Blood tests are more sensitive than urine tests, since less hCG needs to be present to get a positive result.
Most women don’t undergo a blood test if their at-home test was positive, but Dr. Perez explains that it can help evaluate for a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy . Therefore she recommends scheduling an appointment once you get a positive pregnancy test.
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I Have To Go To The Toilet More Often Is That A Sign
Oh yes, dashing to the loo more than often can be early sign that youre pregnant. During pregnancy your body increases the amount of blood it pumps around the body. That means the kidneys process more fluid than usual which leads to more fluid in your bladder . For more information on early pregnancy signs and symptoms.
She Will Have Increased Appetite
Another thing you might want to look out for or notice is a slight increase in appetite. Now, its going to be a slight increase because if you dont pay close attention, you wont notice the increase. Nevertheless, pregnant rabbits eat much more, as their pregnancy state often forces them to eat way beyond their usual quantity.
Otherthan the increase in appetite, pregnancy can cause them to change their desirealtogether. So, you may have a rabbit that primarily eats pellets and verylittle hay, and then all of a sudden, shes eating all of her pellets and allof her hay every day. Or, eating all of her hay and not eating many of herpellets daily. If you notice this, then its a sign that the rabbit might bepregnant.
You can check the date she was bred and that will give you an idea how much she should be
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Food Aversions And Sensitivity To Smell
Sensitivity to certain smells is a common symptom for pregnant women. You may also find that your tastes have changed for certain types of food.
Any of the above signs can mean youre pregnant, but there are women who conceive and experience none of them. Likewise, you can experience all ten and not be pregnant. The best way to confirm pregnancy is to schedule an appointment with a provider, preferably your gynecologist.
If you notice a few of the early pregnancy symptoms above and think you may be pregnant, wait one or two days after your missed period and take a pregnancy test. If the test is negative, wait a few more days and take another, just in case the first was a false negative. If the test is positive, schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN.
At Baptist Health, were committed to helping women through every stage of their health journeys. If youre trying to conceive or thinking about getting pregnant, read through our preconception to-do list, or if you have an upcoming OB/GYN appointment, learn how you can get the most out of your visit.
Other Early Signs Of Pregnancy
These early pregnancy symptoms tend to appear around or after the time that you miss your period, usually sometime between weeks 4 and 9. But again, every woman and every pregnancy is different, so you may not experience these symptoms at all, while other moms-to-be may notice them a little earlier.
Missed period
It might be stating the obvious, but if you’ve missed a period , you’re probably suspecting pregnancy, and for good reason. A missed period is one early pregnancy symptom all expectant moms experience!
Bloating
Having trouble buttoning your jeans? Early pregnancy bloating is hard to distinguish from pre-period bloat, but it’s an early pregnancy symptom that many women feel soon after they conceive.
You can’t blame that puffy, ate-too-much feeling on your baby yet, but you can blame it on the hormone progesterone, which helps slow down digestion, giving the nutrients from foods you eat more time to enter your bloodstream and reach your baby.
Unfortunately, bloating is often accompanied by constipation. Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet can help keep you regular.
Heartburn and indigestion
For many women, heartburn is a frustrating symptom that can appear sometime around month 2 of pregnancy. Its caused by the hormones progesterone and relaxin, which relax smooth muscle tissues throughout your body, resulting in food moving more slowly through your gastrointestinal tract.
Medications like Tums and Rolaids can help, as can chewing sugarless gum.
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Recognizing Pregnancy Later On
Very Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Think you might be pregnant? Check out these early symptoms of pregnancy that can show up one week before your missed period. If you’ve already experienced a few, it may be time to head to the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test or schedule an appointment with your OB-GYN.
Your breasts may be extra tender as early as one or two weeks after conception. Youre making so much estrogen and progesterone in early pregnancy that the glands in the breasts start growing, explains Jasbir Singh, M.D., an OB-GYN at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie in Texas. This hormone surge causes breasts to retain more fluids and feel heavy, sore, or more sensitive than normal PMS tenderness.
Many women mistake these early signs of pregnancy for PMS symptoms, but theyre actually caused by hormonal changes and the growth of the uterus. About 30 percent of women experience cramping after conception, which is triggered by implantationwhen the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. Your uterus may be stretching a little now to prep for its massive expansion over the next nine months
When a fertilized egg implants into the plush lining of the uterus about six to 12 days after conception, light vaginal spotting may occur. You might mistake this “implantation bleeding” for your period, but it’s generally lighter than menstruation and brown or pink in color.
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How To Tell If A Cat Is Pregnant Or Nursing
Can a cat get pregnant while still nursing kittens?Examine your cats weight and nipples.How to create a conducive environment for pregnant cat.I have a cat who is/has been nursing and that is exactly what her nipples look/feel like.
I would just take her in to be spayed, say she isnt pregnant or nursing, not to lie but just say you are pretty sure so she can get done, that is whats important.If a cat has been going through heat cycles every 10 days to two weeks, and suddenly stops, it is likely she is pregnant.If her milk hasnt dried up yet a.If she had kittens who died or were weaned recently , her teats will still be engorged with milk.
If she is an outdoor stray you can almost guarantee that she has worms.If she is very pregnant, you should be able to feel the babies in her belly.If she manages to find a willing tom, shell release an egg after mating to increase her chances at getting pregnant.If she usually ventures outdoors, she will tend to prefer remaining indoors.
If shes had and is nursing kittens, her nipples will be enlarged and pronounced.If the condition persists and seems suspicious to.If you have a female cat that is still intact, meaning she has never been spayed, and checks off some or all of these boxes, youll want to confirm the pregnancy with your veterinarian right away.If your cat is pregnant, shell begin to gain weight rapidly.
What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy
There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and will experience unique symptoms.
Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:
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Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy
From week 1 to week 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst that will develop into the babys organs and body parts.
About 10 to 14 days after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period.
Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:
- Color: The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
- Bleeding: Bleeding is usually compared to your regular menstrual period. Spotting is defined by blood present only when wiping.
- Pain: Pain may be mild, moderate, or severe. According to a , 28 percent of women associated their spotting and light bleeding with pain.
- Episodes: Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than three days and doesnt require treatment.
Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illicit drugs, which are associated with heavy bleeding.
Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing
Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This is likely to go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.
Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.
If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may also experience breakouts again.
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Problem Is With Him Not You
Women may carry the baby, but it takes two to tango. Twenty to 30% of infertile couples discover fertility factors on the man’s side. Another 40% find infertility factors on both sides.
Another thing you need to know: male infertility rarely has symptoms that are observable without a semen analysis, which is a test that measures the health of the semen and sperm. When you do see the doctor, make sure you are both tested.
