5 Signals Being Pregnant Women

5 Signals Being Pregnant Women

Not a few women who have never had children do not know the signal early pregnancy in the first week. This ultimately makes them little attention has been the health of the body and the fetus.

To avoid such things, the following five early signs of pregnant women:

Breast swelling and pain

Breasts enlarged or swollen and painful the first sign you're pregnant.

It is the most common pregnancy symptoms. Therefore, rich breast tissue that is very sensitive. When the egg is successfully fertilized, the progesterone and hCG increases in the body, it increases blood volume, thus making the breasts swell and heavier than before.

Bloodstains

Generally, when the vagina secrete bloodstained, women take it as early symptoms of menstruation. However, such cases could be early signs your pregnant.

Many women who think that blood spots as the signal will undergo a menstrual period. However, if the spotting occurs more often in a short period of time, then it could be a sign that you are pregnant.

Easily tired

If you feel tired and lazy body easily perform routine you've always done every day, this is also a sign that the process of fertilization is successful and has grown fetus in your womb.

When the content was aged two weeks, the fetus has to absorb calories in the body so that drain your energy. This is the explanation why the body easily tired and you like always exhausted.

Putting blackened

Are your breasts look different these past few days? Therefore, female hormones during pregnancy affects the activity of melanocytes, the cells that affect the breast to the nipple color levels. "The new Breast skin blackened apparent when pregnancy has reached the age of 10 weeks or more.

Fast fast excited sad

Never during pregnancy, women who were menstruating were also experience mood changes that are difficult to control. Well, this is getting into when the early pregnancy. "With the increasing level of hCG hormone makes you often tired, so no doubt it also affects your mood.

5 Things to Avoid When Gynecology Touching 8th Month

5 Things to Avoid When Gynecology Touching 8th Month

When pregnant women have entered the third semester of pregnancy, then he will realize there are a lot of things changed in him. In addition to the content of the growing, instinct keubuan also will be stronger. Eighth month of pregnancy, expectant mothers and couples definitely look forward and keep the fetus in the womb with extreme caution.

Here are 5 things that should be avoided when content results in an 8 month old:

1. . Food preservatives
It is important for mothers to eat fresh food, and guaranteed cleanliness. Foods rich in protein, calcium, and iron is good for the health of the mother and the baby. Avoid fast Food preservatives because it has a bad effect for the body.

2. Stay away from spicy foods
Spicy is good but if eaten too much can lead to digestive problems. Not only the mother will feel healthy, growing baby in the womb are also at risk. However, it does not mean you can not eat spicy food-while pregnant. Limit the amount of the reasonable.

3. The long walk
When the content of eight months, an indication of the birth can happen anywhere and anytime. To that end, it is better to postpone traveling far and prepare all the equipment that needs to be brought to the hospital in a bag.

4.Sitting in a long time
Sitting for a long time can be very painful for the back and pressing on the abdomen. many streets relaxed, so that the body is not sore and useful to smooth delivery.

5. Stress
Stress that occurs in both the mental and physical greatly affect infant health. Experienced emotions connected with the baby in the belly. Pregnant women should avoid anything that can create stress, and try to enjoy every process of pregnancy. Visit your doctor to determine the health of mothers and babies, as well as readiness for later delivery stage.

Quiet and Rare Crying baby, Beware of Hypothyroidism

Quiet and Rare Crying baby, Beware of Hypothyroidism

Thyroid hormone deficiency or congenital hypothyroidism experienced by the baby in the womb. Therefore, the examination must be performed thyroid levels in newborns in order not to be late addressed.

Approximately 1,600 babies from 4.7 million babies born in the world experiencing congenital hypothyroidism. Babies who suffer from this disorder may initially appear normal because he still gets the thyroid from the mother's body. However, infants with congenital hypothyroidism usually looked lethargic, more subdued, and rarely cried.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism in infants usually appear after the baby was a month or two. Symptoms include large and sticking his tongue out, plenty of sleep, and a swollen face.

If the results showed the baby suffered from congenital hypothyroidism, then he should take the drug. If not addressed, the physical and mental growth of the baby so disturbed. Children will trouble speaking and mental retardation.

Examination of hypothyroid disorder prosuder now become mandatory in newborns. Screening is done by taking blood from the baby's heel as well check blood type. Examination should not be more than one month.

Treatment should also be given during the first month before thyroid hormone channeled exhausted mother during pregnancy. The delay will result in the detection and treatment of brain disorders that can not be repaired.

Until now not known what triggers thyroid disorders in infants, but air pollution and unhealthy lifestyles allegedly became one of the trigger.

Baby Care

Baby Care that shows you care

Babies brighten up peoples worlds and it is a phase that every parent looks forward to. They transform them into more patient and more caring beings as they open up their eyes to little things that they may have taken for granted. Human nature demands that people give their babies the best in terms of care, love and material support. Babies care is ought to be special and their sweet angelic gurgles will leave people mesmerized by this wonder of existence. Parenthood is a calling and parents will be required to dedicate a reasonable amount of their time to this new addition.

The care taken for a baby depends on the age of the baby and keeps changing with age. Infants will require more undivided attention as opposed to toddlers. Infants are very sensitive and parents are demanded to be effective and more hands on to cater for their every need. Babies care is of great impact to their young and sensitive lives. It determines what kind of adults they will be and how attached they will be to their parents. It is advisable to raise babies in secure and safe environments. Babies are known to flourish in loving and caring environment where there is zero intimidation.

Abusive homes harm babies and this is a fault they will carry through out their lives. It may also make them angry and brutal people in life and their association with other people will also be affected. Babies care will touch on their health and it is essential to monitor their temperature changes since most of their health concerns are predicted through a too high or too low temperature. Medical attention must always be sought to ensure that the babies’ health issues are attended to. Other care concerns will revolve around their needs which include baths, clothing, travel, toys and many others.

Massaging babies will help them relax and enjoy  a deep peaceful sleep. Touch is known to be connective and massages are ideal as they will enhance long term bonding between babies and their parents. Babies sleeping areas must be safe and free from things that may threaten their safety. These include noisy environments as well as the cluttered ones. Babies should be changed often to rid them of irritations which may be caused by soiled diapers. These could be a source of their discomfort since they will cry if wet and uncomfortable. Breastfeeding must be done for the first six full months before a feeding program is set up. Breast milk is highly recommended as it gives babies immunity from an early age.

How To Get Pregnant Faster

You and your spouse may have sat down before you got married to talk about how many children you want to have and when you think would be the best time to have them. Some couples don't talk about it too much, but they both go in understanding if the other wants to have children or not. Even if you have waited ten years to have children, it is understandable that you want to get pregnancy right away when the time is right for both of you. If you want to get pregnant faster, there are a few things that you can do, barring any fertility issues, of course.

First, start to think about your diet before you want to get pregnant. Start six months ahead of time to make sure you are eating right. This is important it you want to get pregnant more quickly. The better your diet, the better your body is going to work. If your body feels unwell, you may not get pregnant very quickly. If you are carrying around some extra weight, just taking twenty of those pounds off leading up to when you want to conceive can help you in getting pregnant faster. Diet is not always the answer, but eating well helps.

If you have any bad habits, you should do all you can do stop them. Don't drink if you know you are trying to have a baby, and you can get pregnant faster if you quit smoking. Just like with eating well, avoiding toxins in your body will make it easier for you to get pregnant when you start trying. You can always quit these things when you find out that you are pregnant, but why take any chances with your baby's health? Stop these things beforehand to conceive sooner and to have a healthier pregnancy.

Exercise is a key to good health, and it could be a key to get pregnant faster as well. Being healthy is more bout avoiding toxins and eating the right foods. It is also about having good cardiovascular health. Go for a walk each day if you can, but also find a way to get your heart rate up for at least thirty minutes three times a week. This keeps your ticker in good working order. A healthy body that gets exercise is naturally going to get pregnant faster than one that is not when the playing field is level otherwise.

Lastly, you can get pregnant faster if you have a healthy partner as well. Sperm can be very touchy to environmental stimulus, as the man in question needs to make some good health choices as well. He should be eating well and taking care of his body as well by getting rid of any bad habits. Sperm are much more vulnerable than eggs because they are produced each day, whereas a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. If you both make some lifestyle changes together before you try to get pregnant, you may have very quick and pleasing results when the time arrives.

The Very Best Days To Get Pregnant

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about when a woman is really fertile. This is not the fault of men and women alike, as we are all taught information that is not correct. Why no one has taken steps to correct this erroneous teaching is beyond me. When seeking to have a child, couples need to know the best days to get pregnant. Often, because of this bad information, they are having sex on the wrong days, and then they begin to believe they are infertile. In many cases, it’s bad timing and fertility is not an issue.

The best days to get pregnant are the four days leading up to and including ovulation. The problem with this is that most women assume that they ovulate on the 14th day of their cycle, which is not always the case. Ovulation date depends on the individual woman. What is even worse is that many have sex a week away from the best days to conceive because they don’t know that the first day of menses is the first day of the cycle. Many think their cycles begins when their periods end. That calculation leaves couples way off.

Some believe the best days to get pregnant are the days following ovulation. At best, and egg lasts 12 to 24 hours after it has been released. After that it is no longer viable. You get pregnant by having intercourse in the three or four days leading up to ovulation. The sperm will survive in cervical mucous until the egg is released. Sex the day of ovulation can help, but it might not be one of the best days to get pregnant. It is possible, but the odds are slimmer.

If you are concerned that you have not yet conceived, and you want to know the best days to conceive, you have a few choices. You can try fertility charting to see when you are ovulating. That has helped many couples in their quest to be parents. You can also try ovulation kits that work much like pregnancy tests. They tell you when you are ovulating, or about to, so that you know when the best days to get pregnant are occurring. Find books on the subject, and get educated no matter what method you try. Ask your doctor for more information if you are confused, or if you still have no results after six months.

Baby Bedroom

Is Your Baby Bedroom Safe?

Planning your baby bedroom is about more than coming up with a design idea, buying what you like, and putting it all together. That is the fun part that most parents look forward to, but don't forget about the other part of the equation. The room can look really good but can still be dangerous for your baby. There are small things to look for and small adjustments to make so that you can be sure your baby is safe in his or her bedroom as an infant, toddler, and preschooler.

The first thing to think about in your baby bedroom is how sturdy your furniture is for baby. You want to make sure these things are safe, but you also want to make sure they are going to stay put. For the most part, the items in your baby bedroom that you want to worry about are any bookcases and dressers. These are often top heavy, and these are also items that toddlers love to climb. Many are hurt each year because these items fall over onto the baby. Secure them to the wall with supplies you can find at your home improvement store or online. Also think about doing the same for like items in other rooms of your home that your baby is going to frequent.

Babies and toddlers die each year because they were strangled by the cords hanging down from window blinds. If you have these in your baby bedroom, or anywhere else in the house, you have to make sure there is no way baby can get the cord around their little neck. Some come with looped drawstrings. Don't buy those, or if you have them, cut the loop at the bottom. Leave both ends free and secure them above the blind if at all possible. Make sure there is no way baby can reach them and you should be okay. Double and triple check to make sure.

Examine the floors in all rooms of your home, including your baby bedroom. If you have hardwood floors, you want to be sure they are all smooth and safe. While falling and getting wood splinters from such floors may not be deadly, it can be very painful for your baby (and you) and you don't want them to go through it. Redo bad flooring in the baby bedroom and anywhere else in the house where you find problems. Air out new carpets before you lay them down to all chemicals to dissipate.

Are you still not sure if your baby bedroom is safe? There is one simple thing that you should do. Get down on your hands and knees and look around as if you were your baby crawling through his or her baby bedroom for the very first time. What do you see? What catches your eye? Have you spotted anything else that you should fix? Usually putting yourself at baby eye level helps you discover things that may be a problem in the future. You may spot many problems like outlets, cords, choking hazards, and other unsecured items that you would not have seen otherwise.

About Pregnancy and Stress

Every woman who gets pregnant experiences some sort of stress in association with expecting a baby. There are big stresses for those that had problems with a prior pregnancy, have had multiple miscarriages, or that have family members that have had complications. There are always small stresses that may include worrying about the health of the baby, how to pay for the baby, or any of the other life issues that can arise when a new baby is on the way or when thinking about pregnancy. Stress is not good for any pregnancy, though not all can be avoided. However, there are some things you can do to reduce stress.

If you are exceptionally stressed out when thinking about pregnancy, your worry could make things worse for you. It has been proven that stress can have bad physical effects on the body. Your body is going through enough while carrying a baby, so don't add to it with stress if you can help it. Ask around about pregnancy yoga classes and other exercise programs. These may not help with all of your worries, but both can help you alleviate some of the stress that you are feeling with your current pregnancy. They can also help you have an easier delivery.

Other than exercise, there are more things you can do about pregnancy stresses. If you have had complications with previous pregnancies or births, talk over your concerns with your doctor or doctors. There could be precautions you could take to avoid having the same problems. If you had gestational diabetes, for example, you could start a new eating plan that is good for you and the baby and that can help you avoid this problem. It may not, but just knowing that you are doing something about pregnancy complications you could have can help reduce your stress levels.

If you worry about pregnancy complications that can result in miscarriage, there may not much you can do after you have become pregnant, but if you are not yet there, you can find out if there are any problems you can clear up. If you have had multiple miscarriages, there could be a reason why and that reason may have a solution. Ask questions about pregnancy, miscarriage, and your reproductive health to see if you can do anything to up your chances for a healthy and full term pregnancy.

Those that gave birth prematurely are at a higher risk for doing it again, though it does depend on the reason why it happened in the past. Ask about pregnancy precautions that can help you avoid a repeat. If you delivered prematurely but no reason was found, there may not be much you can do, but you can take it easy overall. The stress of worrying about pregnancy and early delivery is not good for the baby, so anything you can do to minimize that worry is going to help. Stress can be a good thing if you use it to make sure you do all the right things for a happy and healthy newborn baby.

The Importance of Prenatal Care

The Importance of Prenatal Care

Have you recently found out that you are pregnant?  Whether you took a home pregnancy test or your doctor confirmed your pregnancy for you, you may be experiencing a wide array of emotions.  Those emotions may include happiness, excitement, hope, as well as fear.

When it comes to the birth of a child, particularly a first child, there are many mothers who have a number of different issues or concerns that must be dealt with. Those issues and concerns may include money, additional living space, healthcare, and needed baby supplies, like baby formula and diapers.  Although these are all issues and concerns that must be dealt with, something should come first.  That is the health of you and your baby.  The moment that you learn that you are pregnant, you should start taking steps to receive prenatal care.

Although it is important to hear that prenatal care is something that you should seek right away, there are many mothers, especially first time mothers, who wonder what is so important about doing so.  If this is a question that you have asked yourself, you are not alone.  A few of the many reasons why you should actively seek prenatal care, when pregnant, are outlined below.

What you need to know is that prenatal care is important to your baby’s health, as well as your health. Although a large focus will be placed on your baby and its development, prenatal care is also used to ensure that you are healthy as well. This often involves monitoring your weight, your blood pressure, as well as the expanding size of your stomach.  That is one of the many reasons why you should attend all of your prenatal care appointments, as it is important to your health, as well as your baby’s.

Another reason why prenatal care appointments are important is because they can be used to determine if your baby will have any medical conditions or complications when they are born. While many parents do not want to know, ahead of time, there are many others who do.  Knowing if your baby will have any medical conditions is important, as it can help you financially prepare for those complications and any life adjustments that need to be made.

The above mentioned reasons are just a few of the many reasons why it is important that you seek prenatal care when pregnant.  In addition to monitoring your health and the healthy of your baby, you should also seek prenatal care as it is a fun, exciting, and an important experience.  When attending your prenatal care appointments, whether you be seeing a family practice doctor, an OBGYN, or a midwife, you should be able to see a sonogram of your baby, as well as hear his or her heartbeat.  These things are things that parents never forget.

Despite the importance of prenatal care, there are many pregnant women who do not seek it. This occurs for a number of different reasons; however, the most common reason is associated with money. If you are currently uninsured or if your health insurance doesn’t cover prenatal care, you may be concerned with the cost of it, as you should be. What you should know is that many healthcare professionals would be more than willing to work with, like with the creation of a payment plan. There are also health centers, which can be found all across the country, that are designed for low-income women or those without medical insurance. 

As outlined above, prenatal care is extremely important to your health and the health of your baby, when you are pregnant. Whether you are having your first child or your third, it is important that you seek the recommended amount of prenatal care.  Pregnancy is one of the most important issues that you will have to deal with in your life and it is extremely important that it is dealt with in the proper matter.

Are You Ready to Have a Baby

Are You Ready to Have a Baby?

Are you a woman?  If you are, have you been thinking about motherhood?  If you have, you may be wondering whether or not you are ready to be a parent. While parenthood is occasionally unexpected, a large number of women and their partners plan and prepare for it.  If that is the approach that you would like to take, there are a number of important factors or issues that you should first take into consideration.

Perhaps, the most important factor to take into consideration is healthcare. When pregnant, you will need to schedule regular prenatal exams. Towards the end of your pregnancy, these exams may be as common as once or twice a week. For that reason, healthcare should be taken into consideration.  Do you have health insurance?  If you do, does your health insurance cover pregnancy and prenatal care?  If it does not or if you are uninsured, you may end up paying for the cost of your pregnancy alone.

In keeping the cost of having a child, it is also important to examine the costs after your baby is born.  It is no secret that raising children is expensive.  How are you currently managing, financially, now?  If you are having difficultly making ends meet, you may be unable to afford the cost of a child. Of course, there are financial programs out there to assist, but you shouldn’t rely too heavily on them.  If you would like to have a child, it is advised that you take steps to financially prepare for doing so. These steps may involve increasing your work hours or eliminating unnecessary purchases.

Another factor that needs to be examined is your current living situation.  Do you own your own home or do you rent an apartment?  Regardless of whether you are a homeowner or a renter, do you have enough space for a child?  If you do not, it may be a good idea to rethink your current living situation. Although many mothers like to keep their newborns in the same room with them at night, there will come a point in time where your child will need their own room.  If you would like to buy a larger home or rent a larger apartment, you may want to think about doing so before you decide to become pregnant, as it may save you a considerable amount of stress.

Another issue that needs to be discussed is your partner or spouse’s feelings on having a new child.  Although it is more than possible for you to be a single mother, by way of a sperm donor, many women make the decision to have a child with a man that they love. Despite being more than possible to raise a child as a single parent, it is important that you seek assistance from the father. That is why the decision to have a child is one that you and your partner should make together.  If you are married or if you have been with your partner for a long period of time, there is a good chance that they will be just as excited with having a baby as you are.  If, at this point in time, you realize that you both have difficult goals and aspirations in life, the issue needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

When deciding if you are ready to become a mother, the above mentioned issues are all ones that should be taken into consideration. As a reminder, many women have children unexpectedly, but many take the time to plan and prepare for pregnancy and childbirth. If you would like to thoroughly examine your decision before getting pregnant, it is advised that you do so.  You can research pregnancy and raising a newborn baby by speaking with your healthcare professional and other parents or by buying a collecting of birthing and parenting books, as well as by using the internet to your advantage. 

Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy

Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy

Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or you’ve known for a few months, announcing your pregnancy to family and friends can be a lot of fun. Some may want to wait until a certain time during their pregnancy, while others want to call everyone immediately after finding out themselves.

Telling The Father
Have a romantic dinner for two with candle lights, it may be your last time for a while, between morning sickness and raising your little one. Serve up baby carrots, baby back ribs and anything else you can think as baby. At the end, pour apple juice instead of wine and hand him a present. Inside you can have a tiny baby bib that says, “I heart My Daddy”  
or a pair of baby booties.

If you can’t tell the father right away because he’s away on business, or deployed try sending him a care package. Inside the box place a few baby items, everything in blue and pink and a baby naming book in the center. Place a note on top of the book with, “I need a name soon, I’ll be here by June.” Or whenever the baby is due.

You can also see how long it takes him to figure it out. Go to the dollar store and pick up a bunch of small baby items, a bib, rattle, bottle, booties, etc. For a week, leave an item laying around the house where he is bound to find them. At the end of the week if he hasn’t figured it out yet, prepare the big gift. Have a large teddy bear sitting at the dinner table in the seat beside him, make sure there is a bib wrapped around him and maybe a sign that says Hi Daddy. 

Telling Family and Friends
Show up to a family gathering wearing a shirt that announces your state. These days there are a ton of shirts out there with clever sayings, “Baby on Board,” “A Bun in the Oven,” or something related to the pregnancy. The moment you walk in or take off your jacket everyone will figure it out without you ever having to say a word. Now, get ready for the tears and excitement. You’ll be answering a ton of questions.

If you already have children you may want to call the grandparents up and tell them that the next Christmas they may want to add one more to the list.

If this is the first grandchild, you may want to get a bracelet link for your mom that reads, “#1 Grandma” or grandparent t-shirts. This will not only be a great present for them but something they will cherish and love forever.

No matter when you spread the news it can be a lot of fun, just think creative and let the pieces fall. You may even want to try catching all of it on video, so think ahead and prepare for the BIG moment, and I’m not meaning the birth.

Breastfeeding While Pregnant

Breastfeeding While Pregnant

Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding your child. Long ago doctors believed it actually took nutrients away from the baby inside you, however that is not the case. Even today we have people that believe this and they will argue with you the entire time.  Only you can decide if you should stop breastfeeding your toddler or not. Don’t let someone else make that decision for you.

Reasons to Stop
A few reasons you might want to stop breastfeeding may be if you are feeling constantly drained of energy. Or maybe your child has started to bite. Sometimes your milk will just dry up, this is your body’s way of telling you that it has had enough and to take a break.  Mastitis could play a big role in making you stop immediately as well. Mastitis is an infection in the breast when it isn’t expressed enough and gets engorged.

Stopping or Weaning
If you do plan on stopping because you are pregnant, make sure it is for the right reasons. If your child has reached a certain age, it might be best. But never just yank it away from them.  Your child could wonder why it is being taken away. Wonder if they had done something or become discouraged about the new baby coming. Some children decide to wean themselves, which is a big help to you and you won’t feel so guilty about it. You can choose to do it cold turkey, or slowly wean him/her off. Cold turkey can have some bad results.  Try limiting his/her feeding times to certain hours and gradually as time passes take away more. Your child will quickly stop on his/her own and it won’t be a traumatic event.

Continuing to Feed
If you do plan on continuing to breastfeed while you are pregnant, talk with your doctor about it. Not all the time will the doctor agree with your decision.  Sometimes he/she may see something in your health that you don’t. Listen carefully and find out if it is a health reason or simply his/her own belief.  If it is the doctors belief, you can always seek out one that agrees with you.  Being pregnant is hard enough at times, knowing you have someone in your corner will only relieve the stress.  Don’t be surprised if your family and friends want to say something about it and they will probably give you all kind of advice on how to stop and what they’ve read. Nicely explain to them it is your decision and you’ll do what you think is best for your children. Try finding a support group in your area so you have someone to vent to or talk about these issues. Check out if there is a La Leche League near you or online that you can join.

Remember that as long as you take proper care of yourself and your body, you’ll be able to safely breastfeed while pregnant. 

A Guide To Your Pregnancy

A Guide To Your Pregnancy

The first step of your pregnancy, after seeing the little positive stick should to have it confirmed. Call immediately to have a pregnancy test done with your local doctor, you may be in luck and get in that same day or have to wait about a week or two. Patience will become your best friend during this time or your worst enemy, waiting can become a very hard thing when you want to know for sure whether you are or aren't pregnant. More than likely you'll get a phone call a few days later to confirm it.

Set up an appointment to see your OB/GYN or midwife as soon as possible, chances are you'll be meeting his/her staff before you ever meet them. This is the first appointment where your doctor/midwife will want to know all your medical history. If you’ve been pregnant, what types of sicknesses run in your family, etc. If you can, try making sure you know all of this ahead of time, maybe even have it all down on paper so when he/she asks you are prepared. During the days or weeks leading up to this meeting you may have concerns, write them down and ask them. Believe it or not doctors are there to help you, and they’ve been asked every question you can possibly think of. Before leaving your doctor may even give you a bag full of goodies all about being pregnant. Read these, they may prove beneficial and not to mention they’ve got coupons. Your doctor will either give you another appointment or have you set one up before leaving. There are some great books out there if you are really worried about what will happen next or how birth is going to be, check them out at your local library.

Make sure that you get your prenatal vitamins, they are very important during pregnancy. If for some reason you can’t take them, talk with your doctor he/she may be able to prescribe a lower dosage or something else.  You’ll get your first ultrasound, also known as US around week 20, this is normally when you find out what sex the baby is.  However some doctors like to call it safe and give you an ultrasound around 10-12 weeks just to make sure the baby is in the proper location and all is going well. You will also be asked to take an orange drink that you must drink in five minutes. You’ll wait around for an hour to three hours, at which point your blood gets drawn and you can go home. The test determines if you have or have a chance of getting gestational diabetes.

At first your appointments will be about 4 weeks apart until you hit the 36 week and at that point it’ll be two weeks later and a week later after that until the baby is born. By now you should be preparing to have the baby.  Yes, I’m sure you’ll have some anxiety towards the end of your pregnancy. You’ve went this far, it’s time you see your reward.

Staying Fit During Your Pregnancy

Staying Fit During Your Pregnancy

Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body.  During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter.  Isn’t that what we all want?

Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.

Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.

Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on. 

Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.

If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike.  A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms. 

Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.

Concerns During Pregnancy

Concerns During Pregnancy

There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are.

Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.

Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

Dehydration-  While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

Painful urination - Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel.  Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.