The earliest and most recognizable sign of pregnancy is missed periods. Woe to the women who do not keep a track of their periods or have an irregular menstrual cycle, for it will take a while for them to register their pregnancy. Nausea or morning sickness is another early sign of pregnancy. Increase in hunger or total loss of appetite follows the missed period and nausea pregnancy symptoms. These signs may vary and swing either way with each passing day, as the body prepares itself to welcome a new life. Every woman, rather every pregnancy, differs in pregnancy symptoms.

Pregnancy Symptoms

There is no standard checklist for determining pregnancy. Different women have different symptoms. It is very important to listen to what your body tells you and recognize any untoward signs. This way you can even recognize early signs of pregnancy much before any testing takes place. Some women experience pregnancy symptoms within weeks of conception, some may have no symptoms other than missed or delayed periods. Some of the most common pregnancy symptoms are listed below.

Nausea or morning sickness: Most well known early sign of pregnancy are experienced between 2-8 weeks after conception. This queasy feeling is due to the changes in the hormone levels the body experiences as it prepares for embryo implantation.

Delayed or missed periods: It is the classic early sign of pregnancy. The uterine lining need not be shed anymore so as to embed the embryo for growth.

Fatigue or tiredness: This pregnancy symptom starts as early as first week after conception.

Swollen or tender breasts: Within a week or two of conception, some women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to touch, sore or swollen due to hormonal imbalance.

Darkening of areolas: The skin around the nipples darkens as the pregnancy advances in weeks, to prepare for the baby.

Backaches: Lower backache is also an early sign of pregnancy, though a dull backache remains throughout the pregnancy due to the increasing weight of the fetus.

Headache: Some women experience headaches early in the pregnancy due to sudden rise of hormones.

Frequent urination: Around 5-8 weeks as the growing uterus presses against the urinary bladder, one needs to make frequent trips to bathroom to evacuate urine.

Food cravings: This is a very classic early sign of pregnancy and lasts throughout the entire pregnancy. Some women crave for sweets and ice creams, while other may want salty food or pickles. According to pregnancy journal, this is one way of the body to take in the missing nutrients or augment poor diet due to nausea.

Implantation bleeding: About 6-12 days after conception the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some blood spotting or cramping may take place at this moment of time. This is also an early sign of pregnancy to be watched out for.



By: Apurva Shree

About the Author:

Speaking about health before pregnancy, we mean way of life, nutrition, physical activity, habits, and also possible chronic diseases, such as heightened blood pressure or diabetes. If you have such diseases, then you just have to visit a doctor beforehand. You know, this may complicate pregnancy, bring harm to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor which medicinal preparations and in which doses you take. Doctor will recommend you tests and observations you should pass, for example, X-ray photography. Try to discuss all questions you have for the moment.

It is much simpler to think over a strategy of treatment before pregnancy and then worrying about complications.

Diabetes Diabetes - it is a disease, appearing as a result of lack of insulin in organism, this hormone is produced by pancreas. If you have diabetes, it will be more difficult for you to become pregnant. Moreover, diabetes can influence passing of pregnancy seriously. First of all, it can become a reason of miscarriage or giving birth to a dead baby. Secondly, women suffering from diabetes can give birth to babies with inborn defects. You can reduce risk of such complications due to constant control of sugar content in blood during pregnancy. If you don’t care of your state, then diabetes while pregnancy may turn out to be dangerous both for you and your future baby. Majority of complications, connected with diabetes, are displayed during first trimester, i.e. during first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Pregnancy may cause complications of state while diabetes, what will require increase of insulin doses. This can be easily determined with help of test on sugar content in blood. Majority of doctors recommend taking a special care of this disease development during at least 2-3 months before conception. This will help to reduce probability of risk of miscarriage or other problems. Probably, you will have to pass tests on sugar content in blood several times per day, to control disease completely and avoid possible complications. Past experience shows that women, suffering from diabetes, had serious problems with conception and passing of pregnancy. But die to complete and constant control even women-diabetics can count on successful result of pregnancy and delivery.

If in your family there were cases of diabetes or you have slightest suspicions as for your own health, pass tests before pregnancy surely.

Asthma About 1% of pregnant women suffer from asthma. It is impossible to predict influence of pregnancy on asthma. Half of women, suffering from this disease, notice no changes during pregnancy, about 25% feel even slight improvement, and the rest (25%) observe worsening of state.

Majority of anti-asthma remedies are safe for pregnant, but it is still better to consult a doctor as for preparation to take. Almost all who suffer from asthma know what may become a reason of fit, so avoid contact with allergens before getting pregnant and during whole pregnancy. Try to control your state yet before pregnancy.

Hypertension Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can cause complication both of mother’s and unborn baby’s health. For women it is connected with risk of refusal of kidneys work, probability of hypertensic crisis or headache. Increase of a future mother’s blood pressure may become a reason for decrease of blood inflow to placenta, what will lead to delays of fetus development, i.e. a baby will weigh less, than normal while birth.

If you had high blood pressure before pregnancy, then you just have to take care of it during all 9 months. Probably, gynaecologist will send you to therapeutist’s or family doctor’s observation with this purpose. Before making a decision to become pregnant, women, suffering from hypertension, should consult a doctor. Some remedies against high blood pressure are safe for pregnant, some are not. On no account quit taking pills and reduce dose without a doctor’s prescription! This can be dangerous. If you plan giving birth to a baby, ask you doctor about remedies you are taking against high blood pressure, and about safety of taking these medicines during pregnancy.

Heart diseases During pregnancy load on heart increases about 50%. If you have sick heart, it is necessary for your doctor to know about it before you become pregnant.

Some heart diseases, such as mitral valve prolapse, can seriously complicate passing of pregnancy. Probably, you will even have to take antibiotics before delivery. Other heart diseases, such as inborn heart disease, may seriously influence state of health. In this case pregnancy and delivery are sometimes contra-indicated.

Consult your doctor as for heart diseases before you become pregnant.

Kidneys and urinary bladder diseases Infections of urinary system, in particular urinary bladder, often appear during pregnancy. If you don’t cure disease in time, infection may pass to kidneys, causing pyelonephritis.

Infections of urinary bladder and pyelonephritis may lead to premature birth. If you ever suffered from pyelonephritis or repeating infections of urinary system, this should be determined before pregnancy.

Stones in kidneys also may complicate passing pf pregnancy. This disease is accompanied by severe pains in lower part of belly, so it is quite difficult to diagnose it during pregnancy. Moreover, stones in kidneys may become a reason of appearance of infections of urinary system and pyelonephritis.

If you ever had some only infection of urinary bladder, you should not worry a lot. But you still should inform your doctor about it. He will decide whether you need to pass more careful observation before pregnancy.

Thyroid gland diseases Thyroid gland diseases may appear both because of excess or lack of thyroid hormone. Excess of hormone is called thyrotoxicosis. In this case metabolism in human organism is speeded up. This may be caused by Graves’ disease. Thyrotoxicosis is usually cured with help of operation of medicinal remedies, reducing content of thyroid hormone in organism. If you don’t cure this disease, there’s rather high level of risk premature birth and giving birth to a baby with low weight.

You can carry our treatment during pregnancy too: there’re quite safe preparations, which pregnant women may take.

Lack of thyroid hormone - hypothyroidism - is usually caused by disease of autoimmune origin. In this case thyroid gland is damaged by anti-bodies, which are produced by your organism. While hypothyroidism taking of thyroid hormones is prescribed. Not cured hypothyroidism threatens with sterility or habitual noncarrying of pregnancy.

If you have thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism, you need to pass through observation before pregnancy, to determine doses of medicinal remedies, necessary for treatment. In the process of pregnancy your necessity in preparations may change, and then you will have to pass another observation.

Anemia Anemia means that there’s lack of haemoglobin in your organism. There’re several reasons and in connection with this several kinds of anemia. Symptoms of anemia are weakness, giddiness, lack of air and pale skin. During pregnancy necessity of organism in iron and iron-containing substances increases. If in the beginning of pregnancy you suffer from lack of iron in blood, anemia increases this lack. So you need to take vitamins and preparations, containing full choice of microelements, necessary for organism.

One of specific types of anemia - sicle-cell disease, which is passed genetically: it is mainly spread among black population. If you suffer from sicle-cell disease, your organism is deprived of oxygen. Passing of this kind of anemia can be very painful, and it also may serve as a reason for other diseases and complications during pregnancy. Sicle-cell disease cannot be cured and may be passed to your baby. Women, suffering from sicle-cell disease, have very high percent of miscarriages and infections of urinary system. They also may suffer from high blood pressure and painful hypertension strokes.

Another kind of anemia - thalassanemia is also passed genetically. If some of your relatives suffers from thalassanemia or you suppose you can have it, check it before pregnancy.

Lupus Lupus is a vascular disease of autoimmune origin. This means your organism produces anti-bodies that may destroy your organs or influence functions of these organs negatively. Lupus can affect different organs, including joints, kidneys, lungs and heart.

This disease is hard to diagnose. One woman of 700 in the age from 15 to 64 years suffers from lupus. Among black women it is met more often, in one case of 254. As a rule, lupus more often strikes women, than men, especially women of genital age, i.e. from 20 to 40 years.

Lupus treatment is highly individual and usually means taking if steroids. It is better not to become pregnant during fit of this disease, as miscarriages are extremely often among women suffering from lupus. Risk of giving birth to a dead baby also increases.

Babies, born from mothers, suffering from lupus, can have rash. They also can have different heart diseases. Premature birth and delay of pre-natal development of fetus are also quite possible. If you suffer from lupus, consult your doctor before pregnancy definitely.

Epilepsy and epileptic seizures Epilepsy - is a chronic disease, characterized by different kinds of seizures (fits). Most often epilepsy is displayed by big and small epileptic seizures. Chance of giving birth to a baby with epileptic disease can be 1 of 30 for women, suffering from epilepsy. Such babies have risk of in-born diseases, probably, connected with medicines, which a future mother took during pregnancy.

If you take medicines against epilepsy, it is very important to consult your doctor before pregnancy. Discuss doses and type of medicines, which you take, as many preparations, relieving seizures of epilepsy, cause in-born diseases in babies. However, there are safe remedies for fetus, for example, Phenobarbital.

Seizures can be dangerous both for mother and fetus. So it is especially important to take remedies precisely according to a doctor’s prescription during pregnancy. On no account reduce dose or quit taking medicine yourself, without a doctor!

Migraine About 15-20% of all pregnant women suffer from migraine. Many women notice improvement of health during pregnancy. If you are going to take pills against headache during pregnancy, check with your doctor how much they are safe for you and future baby.

Cancerous growths A question of probability of cancer’s influence on pregnancy depends on the fact which organ it stroke and how wide is growth. Breast cancer is most often form of cancer, met among women. If you had breast cancer, this will not influence pregnancy anyway, and pregnancy, in its turn, will not cause breast cancer. Many doctors advice to wait 2-3 years with childbirth after breast cancer treatment. It is very important to discuss case history and method of treatment with your doctor yet before pregnancy. Situation may become quite complicated, if you are pregnant and pass treatment at the same time. Many medicines and remedies against cancer are not safe for future mother and baby.

Other diseases We examined only some chronic diseases. However, any disease can be dangerous for future baby. So if you suffer from some chronic disease or have to take medicines constantly, discuss it with your doctor. General rule is following: it is better not to take medicines or pass any medical treatment at the moment of conception and on early stages of pregnancy. Laying of all organs and tissues of a baby takes place during 1st trimester of pregnancy, and during this period you need to protect a future baby from harmful influences of medicines or observations. You will feel better and calmer, if you solve all these problems before pregnancy.



By: Yana Mikheeva

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What is a pregnancy massage or prenatal massage?

Pregnancy massage or prenatal massage are generic terms used to describe a variety of conditions and treatments performed to help alleviate the signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy.

Conditions like: Sciatica, headaches, low back pain, swelling in the extremities, muscle tension and sleep disturbances can all be part of being pregnant. An RMT can work to address all these conditions.

Why use an RMT for pregnancy massage or prenatal massage?

A BC RMT has 3000 hours of training. They have specific training in the physiology and anatomy of pregnancy. There are specific techniques that are used for different stages of the pregnancy cycle.

The bigger question is, “What RMT is a specialist in pregnancy massage?” Technically, RMTs cannot say they specialize in any one treatment or technique. This is a regulatory requirement of our governing body, the CMTBC.  

To work with this regulation you will see RMTs use words like: “focus”, “area of treatment” or “training in”. To find an RMT that works best for you I suggest looking for a personal referral and research that RMT online.

Here are some questions I suggest asking:

1. Do you do pregnancy massage or prenatal massage?

2. Do you have body pillows, electric table, etc…?

3. Can I read more about you on the web?

4. How many pregnancy or prenatal treatments did you do last week?

5. Can I talk to any of the women you treated for pregnancy?

6. Are you a Dr. Voder licensed Manual Lymph drainage therapist? (These RMTs have post graduate training and should be used if you have swelling in the extremities)

The answers to these questions will give you enough information to make a decision.

What are the benefits of a pregnancy massage?

There are so many benefits to having a pregnancy massage. At no time in your life will you undergo so much change in your body over such a short period of time. Aches, pains and body changes can be greatly decreased when you consult an RMT.

Treatments that respond well to pregnancy massage are: Sciatica , headaches, muscle tension, swelling in the extremities and low back pain .

Clients report better sleep patterns and over all feeling of being relaxed and more connected to their body.

When receiving a pregnancy massage, how should I be positioned?

Positioning is the most important part of a treatment. You want to take in account how far along the pregnancy is, the further along it is the more you will need to look at supporting the body.

In general, sideline is best. This is because it allows the most amount of modification to the body position.

Resting on your stomach puts too much pressure on your abdomen and breasts. There are pregnancy tables that have a hole cut where the abdomen is and this is replaced with a stretchy fabric that makes a hammock for your growing belly to rest on.

There is some controversy about these tables because depending on the tension on the hammock it can lead to not enough support for your belly. This can put undue stress on your abdominal and pelvic ligaments. This can be very serious depending on how far you’re a long and if it has been a difficult pregnancy or not. I highly suggest consulting with your massage therapist to discuss this issue.

Resting on your back can position your uterus to put pressure on the returning veins from the lower extremity. This again needs to be discussed as your pregnancy progresses.

Precautions for pregnancy massage.

Make sure the RMT does a thorough history and assessment before the treatment begins. Clients tend to want to rush to the treatment and they sometime over look very serious contraindications for treatment. Please make sure to discuss everything about your pregnancy with your RMT.

 

Some precautions for pregnancy massage are: Diabetes, miscarriages and varicosities in the lower extremity.

 For more information go please see:

http://everesttherapeutics.com/downtown-vancouver/pregnancy-massage-vancouver/pregnancy-massage-and-prenatal-massage.html#precautionsforpregnancymassage.



By: Mark Bentz

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Pregnancy Announcement and Personalized Pregnancy Cards

We’ve all heard of birth announcements which are, of course, mailed after a new baby joins the family. However, some couples even choose to send pregnancy announcement. The biggest difference between the two types of cards is that the latter are sent early on in the pregnancy to announce that a baby is expected instead of after the baby is born. If you’re thinking about choosing these types of baby Pregnancy Announcements, http://www.birth-cards.com/Pregnancy_Announcements_Cards/ProductsList-17-1.htm, here are some tricks and tips that might be helpful.

Mailing the Pregnancy Cards Announcements, http://www.express-invitations.com/birth-announcements/pregnancy-announcements.php

While it might be tempting to start buying cards pregnancy the first day you feel a little nauseous in the morning, don’t jump to conclusions without first getting your condition confirmed by a physician. Pregnancy symptoms might be a good sign but you want to be definite before you get too excited and before you get everyone you know excited. This is definitely a big deal but you don’t want that Pregnancy Announcements, http://www.cards-411.com/pregnancy-announcements/ to be premature. Talk to your physician about when it might be a good time to share the news with your extended family.

Picking the Information to Include

Most people think that handling the pregnancy announcements wording was one of the most challenging parts of sending out these cards. That’s because so many people have seen baby shower invitations and birth announcements that it’s easy to know what to include. These types of cards aren’t as common so they give most of us a little more trouble.

The good news is that a few online baby stationery shoppes have responded to this issue by offering wording ideas, verses and sayings for these cards. Most don’t want to stop helping their customers once they’ve picked out their stationery. They want you to know they’re there to help every step of the way because they care about your good news and want to make it easy for you to share it with everyone you know. Incidentally, many also offer wording examples for other types of baby-related stationery you might need down the road, including baby thank you cards for all those adorable gifts you’ll be receiving at the shower and after the birth.

Choosing a Pregnancy Card

One of the big decisions you’ll need to make is which pregnancy announcement to choose. Because this is a personal time for you as a couple, choose cards that are going to reflect your personality. A few online shoppes have lots of great Announcements Pregnancy Cards, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/birth-announcements/pregnancy-announcements.htm cards to pick from, but if you don’t find exactly what you want, why not consider doing a photo version of your Pregnancy Announcement, http://www.cards-411.com/pregnancy-announcements/pregnancy-announcement You could add a photo of the two of you together with a caption such as “In nine months, this couple will become a threesome when we welcome our new bundle of joy into the world.”

Another option is to have them customize any of the cards they already have in stock to meet your specific needs, including changing the colors.

Eight Reasons to Choose Online Baby Stationery Shoppes for Your Stationery Needs

Look at some of the amazing benefits of shopping at online shoppes for the largest and best place to purchase online invitations and announcements pregnancy cards.

* Unique and Exclusive Designs * View Your Personalized Pregnancy Announcement BEFORE You Buy with patented Instant Preview Features * Proof Emailed to You within ONE Hour; Make Unlimited Changes at No Additional Cost * Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping * Print and Ship Your Order the SAME DAY it is Approved * Will Create a Special Design Just For You * Will Modify Any Card Design or Color As Requested * You Can Add a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Card on their Site



By: Sarah Porter

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Pregnancy as every one knows commonly terminates with the birth of a single child. However, while triplets are extremely rare, one in ninety pregnant women carries twins. Twins are most frequently born to parents whose ancestors have established this tendency but they are now becoming more common especially because of the growing use of infertility treatments. Reproductive technologies that assist with natural fertilization such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) often use ovulation-stimulating medications to produce multiple eggs which are then fertilized and returned to the uterus to develop.

Usually you can continue with the exercise you were doing before the pregnancy throughout most of the nine months, although you may have to make some adjustments. You should speak to your doctor to see what changes you should make to your routine.

On the other hand, if you are out of shape already when you find you are expecting twins, it is not the time to embark on a heavy-duty program of physical activity! Do get out for a walk every day, but don’t push yourself too hard on distance or speed. Build up gradually. Even just a moderately paced mile a day can help your energy and outlook.

Twin pregnancy facts

With twins, you’ll have to prepare for double the trouble! This means you will probably be gaining more weight than with a single pregnancy. Due to this extra weight, a pregnancy with twins can often be more uncomfortable - severe exhaustion, stronger backaches and headaches, etc. So get plenty of sleep and rest. Try a pregnancy massage, a great stress reliever to those giving birth to multiples. Also be prepared for a possible c-section, as with multiples this is the more common way of giving birth. Because a twin pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy, you will probably need to consult your obstetrician more often than if you were having a regular pregnancy. Do not be fazed as this is quite common with twins.

Twin Pregnancy Symptoms

Early Weight Gain

Due to increased blood volume and a growing uterus, twin mothers usually experience a slightly higher weight gain than mothers of singletons.

Measuring Large For Gestational Age

Even though measuring large for gestational age may be a sign of a twin pregnancy, it can also happen during subsequent pregnancies of singletons. It is widely accepted that a second pregnancy shows sooner than a first pregnancy. So, it does not always indicate twins.

CHOOSING A DOCTOR

You may already have a relationship with an OBGYN, but you will want to find out what their experience is with twins. Twin pregnancy is still considered “high risk” in the medical community. Although, due to the increase in twin births, numerous obstetricians are now very experienced in this area. You will need to balance the doctor’s experience with your particular pregnancy and preferences. If you have significant complications you will likely be referred to a perinatologist (a doctor who specializes in high risk pregnancies).

CHOOSING A MIDWIFE

Some women carrying twins will opt for a midwife as their primary caregiver. A midwife is someone who has modern medical knowledge, but applies a more intimate and traditional approach when dealing with pregnancy and birth. They generally offer a more personalized experience by letting mothers take the lead in decisions regarding their situation. Midwives are the common choice for women that want a natural or home birth. While most will work out of birthing centers or be based out of a hospital, some will indeed assist you in your own home.



By: Scott Gillespie

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