How To Self Examine Your Stomach For Pregnancy

Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference

Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.

Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.

When Does Your Baby Bump Start To Show

Throughout your pregnancy, youâll experience normal changes throughout your body, as well as to your baby bump, and your healthcare provider can help you navigate your entire journey. As the first trimester ends and the second trimester begins, the size of the uterus has increased to the point that it no longer is completely within the pelvis. So, sometime from week 13 to week 16, or even later, is when a baby bump may start to show for many women.

Keep in mind that every woman is different and every pregnancy is unique. Your baby bump may make its debut earlier or later, and thatâs totally normal.

I Special Points About The Palpation Of The Fetus

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Loss Of Appetite For Favourite Foods

Pregnancy can really mess with your eating habits, thats for sure. As well as pregnancy symptoms such ascraving foods you may not usually like, you can actually lose a taste for some foods and drinks that are usually a big part of your normal diet, sometimes put off by their smell. People sometimes go off staples such as coffee, tea, or fatty foods. Changes in tastes and a heightened sense of smell are very common and can persist throughout pregnancy but do tend to be strongest early on, Dr Knight explained.

What else could it be?

People often experience a loss in appetite when theyre feeling anxious or stressed. This is because anxiety triggers emotional and psychological changes in your body to help you deal with the pressure. These triggers can often affect the stomach and digestive tract and can make you lose your appetite. When youre feeling more relaxed, your appetite should return back to normal.

I went off coffee. Which, considering I was a three-cups-before-noon girl, this was a huge sign that something had changed for me, even before I took a test this kick-started my suspicions.

Mum-of-twins, Kelly

Changes In Food Patterns

This can go both ways you might feel cravings towards a particular type of food and aversions towards others. This occurs due to rise in the levels of estrogen in the blood and can happen any time throughout the pregnancy. Food cravings can be satisfied, provided that the items are safe and that you do not overeat.

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When To See A Doctor

At 1 month pregnant, youre probably feeling decent a little excited, a little nervous, and super tired, but decent. However, if you notice any of the following symptoms, give your doctor a call. You may have an infection or could, sadly, be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage:

• severe abdominal pain or cramping

Benefits Limitations And Risks

While not recommended by medical professionals, some women give themselves vaginal and cervical self-exams. Supporters of these exams say they help women learn what is normal, allowing women to more quickly recognize changesa way that you can get to know your body better.

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Alternative Ways To Check For Pregnancy

If you dont want to buy a test yet, there are other ways you can find out whether its likely youre pregnant or not. But keep in mind that this is in no way accurate, and pregnancy tests are the best way to confirm your pregnancy.

All of the symptoms listed above can be early signs of pregnancy, but dont always mean that you are. If youre experiencing several of them at once, it could be a sign that its time to take a test.

Clearblue has a free online quiz which asks you about any symptoms, as well as what contraceptives youve been using, if applicable. It takes minutes and they can give you advice on whether or not to use one of their tests.

You also know your own body better than anyone, so you might identify significant changes to your mood, physical changes to your body especially around the stomach. If you have regular periods, any changes to that routine could indicate youre expecting too.

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How To Self Examine Your Stomach

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How Can I Tell If Im Pregnant By Feeling My Stomach

The solution came from Dr. John Munshower, who has thirty years of expertise in family medicine. Early on, you wont be able to: You cant tell whether youre pregnant just by touching your stomach, at least not until youre quite far along in your pregnancy and can start to feel the fetus growing inside of you. If you had

Storing Urine Pregnancy Test

Another effective homemade pregnancy test is simply observing your stored urine. All you need is a glass jar and urine sample collected early in the morning.

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Vulva Change In Colour

One of the early signs of pregnancy and one of the more subtle pregnancy symptoms can be a change in colour of your vulva and vagina. Your vulva and vagina are usually pink, but this changes to dark purplish-red as your pregnancy progresses. This happens there is increased blood flow to the area. This change is one that midwives refer to as Chadwicks sign, sometimes also referred to as Jacquemiers sign when the vaginal tissue appears bluish in colour. Its one of several changes that can indicate you are likely pregnant. It usually happens between six to eight weeks after conception.

What else could it be?

All of the maintenance we perform on our vaginas can contribute to a change in colour. If you have been using razors or hair removal creams you could be suffering from reddening or a rash. Also, watch out for washing products that arent sensitive to the hormone balance as this can have an effect too. Look for gentle products to prevent irritation to your vagina.

Lesley tells us: This purple-blue discolouration of your vulva can be observed as early as four weeks of pregnancy but, unless you are regularly looking at your vulva, you may not be aware of it as it wont feel any different. Although many women experience this change in colouration, the absence of Chadwicks sign does not mean that you are not pregnant.

F Determining The Height Of The Fundus From 18 Weeks Gestation

The symphysis-fundus height should be measured as follows:

Figure 1B-2: Determining the fundal height

Figure 1B-3: Measuring the symphysis-fundus height

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When Will My Stomach Get Hard

When your stomach expands and feels hard, the answer may be as simple as overeating or consuming carbonated drinks, which is easy to cure.If this is the case, it is important to avoid these behaviors.There are also potentially more severe reasons, such as an inflammatory bowel illness.A sore stomach may be the consequence of consuming carbonated beverages too rapidly, which can cause gas to build up in the stomach.

J Special Points About The Palpation Of The Fetal Head

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Early Baby Bump Signs

As your baby bump starts to develop, itâs exciting to follow along! Here are a few early signs that your bump is about to show.

• Your clothing starts to fit differently. One of the signs of a growing baby bump is a snug fit in your pants or tops.

• Youâve gained a little weight. Weight gain is a natural part of pregnancy, even in the first trimester. You can use our Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator to track your progress using ranges suitable for someone with your pre-pregnancy BMI. And, of course, always consult with your healthcare provider to ensure a healthy pregnancy, as everyone is different.

Changes In Cervical Mucus

Have you become a student of your cervical mucus? Then check it out now: If it becomes creamy and stays that way after ovulation, its a good sign youll have a positive pregnancy test.

As your pregnancy progresses, youll also notice increased vaginal discharge, called leukorrhea. This thin, milky-white discharge is normal and healthy, but speak to your practitioner if it appears lumpy or thick.

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What Does 1 Month Pregnant Really Mean

Youre 1 month pregnant, but your baby is only, like 14 days old? How does that work?

Welcome to the first often confusing thing about pregnancy: your gestational age. Pregnancy is measured, or dated, from the first day of your last period.

No, you werent pregnant then, and yes, it can seem odd that it works this way, but the actual date of conception can be pretty hard to pin down.

Besides, before we knew so much about conception, we knew through observation that people tended to give birth about 40 weeks after the start of their last period.

So if youre 1 month pregnant, it means your last period started about 1 month ago, but since you probably didnt conceive your baby until about 14 days later, theyre only 2 weeks old. Your baby will always be younger than your pregnancy.

Dont freak out, though: The whole world of obstetrics and fetal development revolves around gestational age, so sticking with that number means youre in line with everyone elses milestones and expectations.

What To Say In A Pregnant Abdominal Examination

It is crucial to be prepared for a pregnant abdominal examination in terms of what to say. The following are some phrases that come highly recommended: Today, I will be examining your stomach since I have been requested to do so. Have you ever tried one of these before? Do you have a clear understanding of the implications?

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Trips Slips And Falls

Again, your center of gravity isnt the same as it used to be, so tripping and slipping isnt unusual during pregnancy. As far as whether these foibles need to be evaluated by your doctor, that depends on if there was any impact to your back or stomach.

In other words, if you trip on a wayward shoe or slip on a patch of ice but dont hit the floor or ground, you should be good to go.

If you do fall down, though, and its hard enough to hurt or knock the wind out of you for a sec, you should give your doctor a call to see what they say.

Any serious falls like taking a tumble down a flight of stairs or while getting out of the shower should receive medical attention right away, either with your doctor or through an emergency or urgent care facility.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , heavy lifting can not only result in more injuries for you, but could increase your risk for preterm birth.

But what does heavy lifting actually mean? Can you carry that box of new baby items up the stairs? Pick up your 5-year-old? Exercise with hand weights?

Well, it depends.

suggest that certain factors play into the overall amount you can safely lift. These factors include:

• how far along you are
• how heavy the item or person youre lifting is
• how often you need to be doing the lifting

To sum it up: The more often you need to lift things, the lighter in weight they should be. Heavier objects can be lifted as long as its done infrequently.

Basal Body Temperature Pregnancy Test

When you are pregnant, your basal body temperature or the lowest temperature your body attains when you are resting is quite high when compared to normal times. So, this test proves to be helpful to check your pregnancy status at home. All you need is a basal body thermometer.

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How To Perform An Abdominal Exam On Pregnant Patients

Performing an abdominal exam on a patient who is pregnant presents unique challenges. Patients who are pregnant can still be affected by similar processes as patients who are not pregnant. So, you mustnt allow the pregnancy to skew your evaluation of the pain. Inspect the patient as you would any other, but pay attention to a few additional considerations for pregnancy.

D Palpation Of The Uterus

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Weeks 29 To : Pregnancy Glow

Your due date is inching closer, which makes this month quite exciting for you and your baby bump. The third trimester might bring about some new body changes, as your baby bump is expanding and putting more pressure here and there.

• Your uterus continues to get bigger this month, moving up toward the bottom of your rib cage. You might experience more Braxton Hicks contractions.

• Itâs common for some swelling to occur, especially swollen feet and hands, often accompanied by minor pain. Your hands may even develop carpal tunnel symptoms, such as numbness or tingling, which typically subside after any swelling goes down.

• This month, you might experience some of that âpregnancy glowâ everyone talks about, particularly with your hair. This is when your hair cycle speeds up, and your mane may be fuller and thicker.

• Itâs typical to experience some itchiness or redness on your abdomen or on other parts of your body.You may also notice some stretch marks developing on your breasts, stomach, or other areas.

• You may start to feel anxious as you look ahead to giving birth and becoming a parent. This is when the nesting instinct could kick in. You may find that doing something practical to prepare for your little one’s arrival can help ease any worries.