What To Expect In Early Stages Of Pregnancy

How Does Conception Work

Each month, your body goes through a reproductive cycle that can end in one of two ways. You will either have a menstrual period or become pregnant. This cycle is continuously happening during your reproductive yearsfrom puberty in your teen years to menopause around age 50.

In a cycle that ends with pregnancy, there are several steps. First, a group of eggs gets ready to leave the ovary for ovulation . The eggs develop in small, fluid-filled cysts called follicles. Think of these follicles as small containers for each immature egg. Out of this group of eggs, one will become mature and continue on through the cycle. This follicle then suppresses all the other follicles in the group. The other follicles stop growing at this point.

The mature follicle now opens and releases the egg from the ovary. This is ovulation. Ovulation generally happens about two weeks before your next menstrual period begins. Its generally in the middle of your cycle.

After ovulation, the opened follicle develops into a structure called the corpus luteum. This secretes the hormones progesterone and estrogen. The progesterone helps prepare the endometrium . This lining, is the place where a fertilized egg settles to develop. If you dont become pregnant during a cycle, this lining is what is shed during your period.

Mood Swings During Pregnancy

The hormones changing in your body mean you will probably have heightened emotions, both positive and negative. And you will probably swing between these emotions.

While you may be overjoyed about having a baby, you may also be stressed and overwhelmed. You may feel worried about whether:

• your baby will affect your relationship with your partner
• you will cope financially
• you will be able to juggle work and parenting
• you will be a good mother
• the baby will be healthy
• your other children will accept and love the new baby.

You may also feel unimpressed with your changing body. You may be worried about putting on too much weight, or not enough. Or not being able to do the physical activity that you usually do. Or not looking attractive to your partner.

Add the hormone-induced fatigue, forgetfulness and moodiness, and you may feel completely out of control. This is all common.

Signs Of Early Miscarriage

The signs of early miscarriage will depend on the gestation of your pregnancy. Most women, especially during early pregnancy, will experience miscarriage similar to a heavy period, with slightly more cramping and bleeding than usual.

The following signs of early miscarriage may be related to other conditions less serious than a miscarriage. Its best to see your care provider if any of these occur:

• Changes to vaginal discharge

Its important to remember to use sanitary pads not tampons during pregnancy, as these can lead to infection.

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Missed Period During Early Pregnancy

Once implantation is complete, your body will begin producing human chorionic gonadotropin . This hormone helps the body maintain the pregnancy. It also tells the ovaries to stop releasing mature eggs each month.

You will likely miss your next period four weeks after conception. If you have an irregular period, youll want to take a pregnancy test to confirm.

Most home tests can detect hCG as soon as eight days after a missed period. A pregnancy test will be able to detect hCG levels in your urine and show if you are pregnant.

Consider A Birth Plan

During your prenatal visits, talk with your doctor about your labour and delivery options. You may want to write them down as a birth plan. It’s an ideal picture of what you would like to happen.

But try to be flexible. No labour and delivery can be predicted or planned. So give yourself permission to change your mind at any time. And be prepared for your childbirth to be different from what you planned. If an emergency arises, your doctor has a responsibility to ensure both your safety and your baby’s safety. You may still share in decisions, but your choices may be limited.

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Stages Of Pregnancy By Weeks

The second way of referring to the pregnancy stage is by weeks. Weeks stage of pregnancy is more common for prenatal tests appointments.

You have different tests after different weeks of pregnancy. For example, you have sex determination amniocentesis at 20th week.

Babys first ultrasound is at 6th week. You can hear your babys heartbeats after 12 weeks.

The weekly reference is for use by doctors. When you talk about your pregnancy, then you prefer months or trimesters. Mothers who tell their babys age in weeks, make it difficult for others!

The complete duration of pregnancy is 40 weeks. It is the actual length of gestation. Some women might go into labor during the 37th week.

Others might take longer. But beyond 42 weeks doctors do a C section surgery. It is surgery for taking out the baby with or without natural labor.

Any woman who is beyond 40 years is rarely allowed to wait for natural delivery.

Fruits To Eat During Pregnancy

You might be craving junk foods but remember these foods will not only put you at risk of developing a series of health problems but can also cause a permanent change in your unborn baby physiology and metabolism.

Fruit is a perfect alternative that will boost your babys and your health as well. Below are seven fruits for pregnancy first trimester that you should eat.

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How Do I Know Im Pregnant

A missed period is often the first sign of pregnancy. You may have some other physical signs as well. These include mild cramping and a little bleeding when the fertilized egg implants itself in your uterus.

If youve missed your period and think you may be pregnant, you can take a home pregnancy test. These tests are very accurate if you take them a few days after you expected to get your period. Call your doctor if the test is positive.

What Does Your Stomach Feel Like In Early Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an experience to be cherished by a mother. It indeed is a roller coaster ride with all its ups and down. Especially, for mothers who get pregnant for the first time, it is an unfamiliar time where they have a lot of plausible questions and doubts related to the development of their body, the babys body, changes in the surrounding, etc. It is a different living being that resides and grows inside another living body. Changes are ought to happen and doubt are justified to rise.

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How Soon Can You Get Symptoms And Signs Of Pregnancy

Most pregnancy symptoms will start to appear around five or six weeks after your last menstrual period. Usually symptoms wont appear immediately, as it takes a few weeks to develop them. Having symptoms a few days after sex isnt usually a sign of pregnancy, and can actually be due to something else such as PMS.

However, a missed period, fatigue or morning sickness before this five-week mark could indicate pregnancy,Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife and co-founder of My Expert Midwife, says. The most common early signs are missing a period and feeling out of sorts and not yourself- often feeling overwhelmingly tired and needing to sleep a lot.

Morning sickness is also common and can take on several forms for different people, such as feeling nauseous at certain times of the day or all day, vomiting, dizziness or a combination of all these. The need to wee a lot can also be common and is caused by changing hormones in the early days, as are tender, swollen breasts which are sensitive when touched.

Symptoms Dwindle In The Second Trimester

Many of the body changes and symptoms of pregnancy you experience in the first trimester will start to fade once you reach the second trimester. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Together, you can find relief and comfort for your pregnancy.

To receive week-by-week guidance about early pregnancy symptoms and more, sign up for our Im Expecting newsletter.

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Foods To Avoid In Early Pregnancy

As tempted as you may be, there are a few food that you must not consume during pregnancy, as it can be harmful for your health as well as your unborns health. Listed below are 11 such food its best you steer clear of when pregnant.

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful phases of a womans life. During this phase, you experience numerous changes, not only physical but emotional and psychological as well. You feel a change in the way you perceive yourself, your lifestyle, your attitude, and almost everything. Therefore, it is important to infuse healthy eating habits during pregnancy, especially at the early stage, to have a happy and healthy pregnancy.

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For this reason, it becomes more important to eat healthy than ever before. This includes not only being careful about what to eat but also be careful with stuff to avoid. There are certain foods that need to be consumed only once in while some should be completely avoided.

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Changes In The Stomach Are Driven By A Few Factors And To Each It Is A New Process

Pregnancy to each individual comes in a different way and thus, the changes are also different. One may see early signs quickly while the other may show signs slowly. It depends on person to person:

• For new mothers, signs of pregnancy on stomach might show much later than the ones who already have delivered a baby.
• The body type of mothers also play a key role in depicting bodily changes
• Health and habits of the mother also have a sufficient contribution to the cycle

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How Soon Do Early Pregnancy Symptoms Start

Some women may experience early signs and symptoms within the first weeks of pregnancy in the first trimester, while others may develop symptoms later on in the pregnancy. The first signs and symptoms of early pregnancy can also be similar to symptoms experienced prior to the menstrual period, so a woman may not recognize the symptoms as related to pregnancy.

Other Serious Issues During Pregnancy

Some pregnant women develop mental illnesses that are a significant risk to both them and their child. Other women may already have a mental illness that is more difficult to manage during pregnancy.

In particular, specialist health care is needed for pregnant women with:

• bipolar disorder , with manic highs and depression lows
• schizophrenia
• eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The risks include a loss of nutrition for your baby, an increased risk of miscarriage, and anaemia.

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The Most Common Early Signs Of Pregnancy

Your body experiences a lot of changes during pregnancy and this can result in many different symptoms from early on, such as the ones below. But keep in mind, these symptoms dont automatically mean youre pregnant and there can be other medical reasons why youre experiencing these changes.

Here are some of the common signs and symptoms, and what else they could mean if you have them.

Symptoms To Have Checked Out

With all of the changes going on in your body during pregnancy, you may wonder whats normal and whats not. In many cases, that odd twinge is not a cause for concern. However its also important to understand that your risk for miscarriage is the highest during the first trimester. Here are a few symptoms that do always warrant a call to your doctor:

• Fever over 101.5 F, chills and/or backache
• Severe puffiness in the hands/face
• Vision disturbances

If you experience any of the above symptoms, call your doctors office right away. If you dont get someone on the phone within a few minutes, head to the nearest ER.

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Certain Types Of Fish

It is recommended to avoid swordfish and shark completely for the high level of mercury contained in them. This can hinder the natural development of your baby. Some fish that are good to eat during pregnancy include mackerel and salmon. These contain vitamin D, crucial for bone development of the baby.

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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Second Trimester: The Baby At 16 Weeks

As your body changes in the second trimester, your baby continues to develop:

• The musculoskeletal system continues to form.
• Skin begins to form and is nearly translucent.
• Meconium develops in your baby’s intestinal tract. This will be your baby’s first bowel movement.
• Your baby begins sucking motions with the mouth .
• Your baby is about 4 to 5 inches long and weighs almost 3 ounces.

First Trimester Fetal Growth And Development Benchmarks

The chart below provides benchmarks for most normal pregnancies. However, each fetus develops differently.

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How Can You Tell If Youre Pregnant

The most effective way to confirm youre pregnant is via a pregnancy test. These can be bought for at-home use, or you can take a test at your GPs office. Pregnancy tests check for the presence of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin , in your urine, which the body produces after you conceive.

GPs can also test for pregnancy via a blood test, as they can check for the hormone in your blood as well as urine. Blood tests can tell if you are pregnant about six to eight days after you ovulate.

Symptoms Of The Third Trimester

During this period, your baby has functional lungs kicking becomes more often. In the 3rd trimester, the babys fine hair fall off, and the waxy protective layer becomes thicker.

She has soft bones. Now she is storing essential nutrients and calcium. She can even open and close her eyes.

The body fat increases. Baby at the end of 37 weeks is full term.

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How Early Can I Know Im Pregnant

From the moment of conception, the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin will be present in your blood. This hormone is created by the cells that form the placenta . Its also the hormone detected in a pregnancy test. Even though this hormone is there from the beginning, it takes time for it to build within your body. It typically takes three to four weeks from the first day of your last period for the hCG to increase enough to be detected by pregnancy tests.

What Can You Expect Right After Childbirth

Now you get to hold and look at your baby for the first time. You may feel excited, tired, and amazed all at the same time.

If you plan to breastfeed, you may start soon after birth. Don’t be surprised if you have some trouble at first. Breastfeeding is something you and your baby have to learn together. You will get better with practice. If you need help getting started, ask a nurse or breastfeeding specialist .

In the hours after delivery, you may feel sore and need help going to the bathroom. You may have sharp, painful contractions for several days as your uterus shrinks in size.

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