Implantation Day Signs

The best way to discover if you are pregnant is to look for the three tell-tale signs on implantation day, or the day the egg is fertilized 7 to 14 days after conception. Symptoms include spotting, a dip in temperature and cramps. Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish these easily unless you know exactly what to look for. The dip in temperature is slight, and the cramps may feel like period cramps. However, the spotting is generally a big flag. Spotting before a missed period is usually a pink or brown color and occurs 8 to 10 days after ovulation (if you’re keeping track). During this time, mood swings and emotional anxiety are also present, but again, may mimic regular P.M.S.

After Implantation Signs

Six to eight days after inception, an hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) count of 10 or more will mean a positive result on an early pregnancy test, while standard pregnancy tests require a hCD of 14. In other words, one of the only ways to know if you’re pregnant within the first week is to take a pregnancy test, although the implementation day signs will give you a slight red flag. Once your hCG hits 15, you will skip a period. If you have not skipped a period yet, another warning factor is an elevated basal body temperature (morning temperature) for 15 or more days without a period, but only a doctor or an at-home basal test can show this. Women are more likely to become pregnant when their BBT is elevated, which is why couples looking to have children chart the woman’s temperatures first thing in the morning.

Future Signs

With the exception of women taking hormonal birth control, most women cannot predict the exact day they will get their period, and others have irregular periods or no period at all. If you fall into this category, a missed period may not faze you as a pregnancy symptom, and other early-pregnancy signs must be heeded. Other signs of early pregnancy include nausea first thing in the morning (also known as morning sickness) and nipple or breast tenderness, which occurs 2 to 3 weeks after implantation. Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported side effects in women who do not realize they are pregnant, and this occurs anywhere between 3 and 10 weeks after implantation. Vomiting may also occur during this time.

If you’re worried about whether or not you’re pregnant, you’re not alone. Early pregnancy detectors can help you assuage your fears, and waiting for the test may be easier than learning to identify the hard-to-read early signs of pregnancy before missed period. If you’re not ready to talk to your OB/GYN, consider buying an early pregnancy test from your local supermarket or drug store. You may want to buy a regular pregnancy test as well, just in case.

Determining how many weeks in a pregnancy is easy (38 to 42 weeks, on average) and hard at the same time, as no two women are alike and many pregnancies come early or late. In the United States, 8 to 10 percent of babies are born prematurely, or before the 37^thweek, while a small percentage continue past week 42. In these rare cases, pregnancy is induced for both the mother and the baby’s safety. Whether you have a caesarian or a natural birth, a single baby or triplets, the time spent in pregnancy will vary in ways that modern medicine has not caught up with. Betting some money in a delivery date pool is always a fun way to get your mind off it, though!

Linea nigra dark midline streak on a 22 weeks pregnant female. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Trimester System

In obstetrics terms, pregnancy is divided into three trimesters that last 12 to 14 weeks each. Starting at the date of conception, which can be determined using a pregnancy calculator, the first trimester includes weeks 1 through the end of week 13, while the second trimester ends by the 26^th week and includes the fourth, fifth and sixth months. The final and third trimester includes the seventh, eighth and ninth months of the pregnancy, and usually ends between weeks 38 and 42.  These weeks refer to the weeks from the time of conception, and not the actual age of the fetus. The fetal age is approximately 2 weeks younger than the mother-to-be’s pregnancy (in weeks), because implantation, or the act of the fertilized egg entering the uterine wall, occurs 2 weeks after conception.

Weekly Landmarks

By week 13 (a fetal age of 11 weeks), the fetus will weigh approximately 1 ounce with an average height of three inches. By this stage, the external genitalia are formed, and your doctor may be able to tell the sex, although this is not guaranteed. At 13 weeks, you will not be able to feel much, but by the end of the 26^th week and the second trimester, you will feel (and show) quite a bit. At 26 weeks the fetus will weigh 2 pounds with a height of about 14.5 inches. Other landmark developments by this stage are the fetus’ hearing and eyesight. By the end of the third trimester, at the end of week 38, the baby is usually ready for delivery, but this may take up to1n extra month, or until week 42, at the latest. At this stage, the fetus weighs an average of 7.5 pounds and is 20 inches tall.

Premies and Latecomers

If born before the 37^th week of pregnancy, a baby is premature, or a premie. Premature babies require more specialized attention because they are often underdeveloped. The earlier a premature baby comes, the lower the chance for survival, although modern medicine has come a long way in this area. When a baby is a latecomer, or has not been delivered by week 42, labor is induced.

How many weeks in a pregnancy is an important question to ask at the start of the pregnancy, but the actual number of weeks will differ. As you visit your OB/GYN for regular checkups, she will be able to gauge the fetal growth and keep you on the right track.

Best Pregnancy Vitamins

When it comes to finding the best prenatal vitamins, three ingredients are key: folic acid, calcium and iron. As long as your prenatal vitamins have these three ingredients, you should be all set, although other newly-discovered supplements are available and often added to a brand’s prenatal vitamin blend. The exact amounts of folic acid, calcium and iron required during pregnancy are also important, and overdosing on any one vitamin can be dangerous. If money is an option, look for brands that incorporate all three, as well as other additional supplements.

Folic Acid

If you keep up with prenatal vitamin reviews, you’ll notice the importance of folic acid in your prenatal vitamin rotation. Folic acid is essential in preventing neural tube defects, which can cause defects that result in brain or spinal cord disorders. When searching for a prenatal vitamin with folic acid, look for a brand that includes at least 400 mcg, although 800 to 1000 mcg is best. Talk to your doctor about upping your dose if you have other children with neural tube defects. On top of your daily dose of folic acid, consider adding inositol, which also helps prevent neural tube defects. The recommended dosage of inositol is 20mg to 25mg per day.

Calcium and Iron

Calcium is an essential prenatal vitamin for both you and your baby. Calcium helps with teeth and bone development, as well as muscle and nervous system growth. When taking a prenatal calcium supplement, look for brand that provides at least 750 mg. For added bone health, consider Vitamin D3 in doses of 400 international units. Vitamin D3 also helps prevent preeclamsia and depression. Iron is an important prenatal supplement for both you and your baby because it prevents you from acquiring anemia, while helping to support the blood and muscle cell development for your baby. Depending on your doctor’s recommendation and the results of your blood work, you may need more or less iron than other pregnant women. The average pregnant woman requires 25 to 30 mg per day, which most prenatal or women’s vitamin brands provide.

Other Supplements

UPDATE:  A lot of you have written in and asked for natural antioxidant options that are worth trying.  We recommend trying the Maqui Berry.  It’s proper name is Aristotelia Chilensis, and it is a GREAT alternative to prenatal vitamins.  Check out he Wikipedia Page as well as the http://allmaquiberry.com/botany-and-history-of-aristotelia-chilensis.  Remember.  Natural remedies won’t be as STRONG but they can still be very beneficial.

For added protection, consider a prenatal vitamin with CoQ10, which helps prevent preeclampsia, or probiotics, which can reduce the size of an excessively large baby. Vitamin B6 has been known to help prevent miscarriages, while choline supplements can boost a child’s learning ability and memory. DHA has also been shown to help with eye and brain development.

Pregnancy nutrition and prenatal supplements help prevent birth defects and boost your child’s development and brain activity. Prenatal vitamins have even been shown to prevent learning disorders and childhood obesity.  Once you have found the best prenatal vitamins, remember to take them regularly. Taking them every day may seem daunting, but adding extra nutrients to your diet is essential for a healthy, happy baby. If you have any questions about your dosage or other nutritional needs, make an appointment with your OB/GYN, who can help decide which prenatal vitamin is best for you.

Baby-Inspired Shape Cakes

Whether it’s a onesie outfit, rubber duckies or cubes of baby blocks, baby-inspired shapes are easy to incorporate into a traditional cake shape. If you can dream it, a baker can make it, and usually for a price that’s more affordable than you think. If you’d like to create your own baby-inspired cake, consider a shape that is square or circular, since most cake pans come naturally in these shapes. A circular pan will make an excellent baby rattle, while a larger rectangular pan can make one large cake that can be cut into smaller squares and then decorated as play blocks.

A Little Snooping Goes a Long Way

If you’re not sure what the mother-to-be will want for her baby shower cake, ask a few questions about the décor in the baby’s room, including colors, themes and characters. This is a great way to find an idea for your shower cake in a sea of cake design books. The mother-to-be will love it, and the cake may take center stage in her photos of the event. If you’re a shutterbug, consider taking a photograph of the cake and framing it for the baby’s room.

Invitation to Be Creative

The print invitation to the baby shower provides another creative inspiration for your baby shower cake. Bring the invitation to the baker for a match of the color, style and font of the invitation. A rectangle-shaped cake automatically matches the shape of most invitations, and some bakers can even replicate the image with a screen print.

Gift-Wrapped Shower Cakes

Using the colors of the baby’s room or the invitation, consider designing or ordering a cake that is shaped like a giant gift. A gift-shaped cake is easy for a novice cake designer, and you’ll only need two or three icing colors for the criss-crossing ribbons. Consider drawing bottles, rubber duckies, prams or other baby items on the cake, which will give it more of a baby theme. If all else fails, visit your local party store to find edible cake appliques, which can be set directly on top of the cake.

When purchasing baby shower cakes, ask the baker about discounts for recommending friends. Baby showers tend to come in twos and threes, and a discount on your baby shower cakes will help your shower budget.

If you’re a mother-to-be, the “expectation” while expecting is that you should feel happiness and even joy at the profound experience of bringing life into the world. Reality check: if you’re a normal, pregnant woman, you’re going to feel pretty crazy sometimes, especially with the increased hormones, mood swings, and even bouts of anxiety and depression. Have no fear…this just means that you are experiencing the expected. This change in your emotional health during pregnancy is easily remedied if you have the right tools in your stretched tool belt.

Some ideas to get you started are below. Some tips are as simple as changing your routine, while others may take more of a sustained effort as you battle each trimester. However, the sooner you get started, the saner and healthier you will feel, and you will be on your way to a happy and healthy pregnancy. Once you have changed a few of your routines and habits, you’ll find these tips helpful in your child’s first nine months, as well.

Lullaby and Good Night

One of the easiest ways to feel better while pregnant is to take showers at night. A hot, soothing shower with lavender soap will help you fall asleep faster, a fete that is much harder in the second and third trimester for stomach-sleepers. Another popular trick is to take cat naps when you feel tired, which will leave you energized instead of cranky. When you feel a mood swing coming, take a quick nap for 20 minutes, and you will wake up feeling like yourself again.

Getting in a New Kind of Shape

There are benefits to both you and your unborn child if you include a small amount of physical activity in your day, such as a gentle walk first thing in the morning or some light yoga. Many yoga studios cater (and pamper) the pregnant mother-to-be, and joining a class or two is a great way to meet other moms-to-be in your area.

Diary of an Expectant Mother

A diary is a helpful way to keep your emotions in check, and if you keep the language clean enough, it’s a great document to show your child in the future. Writing down your thoughts while pregnant is also a good way to gauge your emotional triggers. Keep your journal at your side for those late-night or stop-light moments when you need a few minutes to yourself. It’s cheaper than therapy and will have similar results if you’re honest about your emotions while writing. If you do not know what to write about, try asking yourself specific questions in print and then answering them as honestly as you can.

Schedule a Play Date with Yourself

A woman’s time during pregnancy is the perfect time to spend time alone—and you’ll need the you- time in nine months. The next time you feel frustrated or anxious, take yourself out to something just for you, like some retail therapy, a fun afternoon movie or a TV DVD marathon.

Emotional health during pregnancy is beneficial for you as well as your baby. When things become too much and you need help, a pregnant woman’s best friend may be just that: a close, best friend to listen over that cup of (decaffeinated) tea.

How are you staying emotionally healthy during your pregnancy? Let us know by leaving a comment!

A pregnancy calculator is used by many physicians as well as expectant mothers to calculate the time of delivery. These calculators are very simple and easy to use and an expectant mother can find them at various websites. It is also a good idea to get the information verified by your physician. For those who are curious how a doctor can calculate these details and who wish to do so for themselves, the best solution is to try one of these. It is important to remember and most physicians would say the same that these are not fixed and completely accurate. No two people are the same and thus there are always small variances. Thus most physicians would give parents-to-be a tentative date. They may mention a month but will try to avoid mentioning a specific date.

The first step to using such a calculator is to keep a check on your monthly cycle. It is important to keep track of this information as it is plays a key role in making calculations. Typically your due date is calculated based on the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Pregnancy is 266 days from conception or 280 days from your last cycle. This comes to around 40 weeks or 9 months. This pregnancy calculator formula was created by Dr. Naegele in 1850. He determined that an average human gestation was around 266 days from conception and if you take an average woman, her cycle lasts 28 days. She begins to ovulate on the 14^th day. The mathematical calculation was ((LMP+7 days – 3 months) = Due Date where LMP is the last menstrual period. If you have any doubt about when your last period was, a midwife or doctor will conduct an ultrasound and give you a more accurate due date.

It is important to remember that due dates are not fixed. There is room for variance before and after the due date. Thus if you do not deliver your baby on the due date given, remember this was just a tentative figure. Using a pregnancy calculator today will give an expectant mother a fair idea of when to expect their baby, but getting a doctors approval is a good idea. Many such pregnancy calculators give incomplete information. Remember that calculating from LMP can cause an error in calculation as ovulation timing varies with that between women and between cycles as well.

However, here are a few pregnancy symptoms which can let you know if you are pregnant or not.
Pregnancy is not something you get to know all of a sudden. The body shows some early signs which are easy to be missed out. It is when you actually miss your periods that you realise that there is something happening within the body. However, here are a few early pregnancy symptoms. Not all women get all these symptoms. Yet, you can find out if you are pregnant or not depending on these symptoms.

Sometimes before your periods, you might feel like your belly is bloated. Similarly, due to hormonal changes, you might feel the same way if you are pregnant. Some particular smell might repel you all of a sudden. It can be something as common as a smell of particular soap you use or any food item. After a week or two after conception, breasts become tender or swollen due to hormonal changes. Depending on your body type, you might feel morning sickness within 2 weeks of conception. For some other women, morning sickness happens only after a month or so. Due to the hormonal changes, there is more blood flow to your kidneys. This causes frequent urination. This may start within one month of conception. Another common symptom is fatigue. You might feel tired easily and would want to catch up with some sleep. Depression is another symptom that accompanies fatigue. You might feel that you will not be able to take up responsibilities or you might want to harm yourself. Speak to people about it and if it aggravates you should get some medical help.

If you miss a periods, you can be almost sure that you are pregnant. However, if your periods are not regular and might vary a lot, then you cannot be that sure about pregnancy. However, if your periods have always been normal, then you can be pretty sure that you are carrying. Moreover, you find your body temperature quite high. You might get hot flushes once in a while.

You might get spotting for some time. It might be for just one day. Sometimes it will last more than a day. But you can make out the difference and so you won’t confuse it with periods. This happens due to implantation of the ova to the wall of the uterus.

Women usually have a feeling that she is pregnant when it actually happens. They are gifted with that intuition. However, if some of these pregnancy symptoms occur, then do a pregnancy test at home or hospital and be sure for yourself.

Caffeine is a very important part of our daily routines, but the relation between your pregnancy and caffeine intake is something about which you must know in great detail. Once you are pregnant, there may be many things in your lifestyle that you might have to give up, perhaps temporarily; and caffeine is one among them. The food products that we consume often such as colas, hot chocolate, chocolate, coffee (but of course!) and even nuts contain caffeine.

Pregnancy, Caffeine and Your Body:

Caffeine is a drug like nicotine to which one can get addicted. One can see its affects as the cravings for the food products with caffeine increases. After it gets absorbed into the blood stream, which can happen over a small time period of 15 minutes; it can result in increased blood pressure, heart rate and sweat production, which are not good events in lieu of your pregnancy. Also, it makes one loose fluid from the body, resulting in dehydration and fatigue. Certainly, these symptoms are not good to be observed during pregnancy!

Pregnancy, Caffeine and the Baby:

The baby inside your womb can be highly at risk due to your caffeine intake. Your body, as you are an adult, can absorb and break the caffeine down to absorb it properly, but the baby’s body is not yet developed to do so. Pregnancy and caffeine have an opposing relation as when the caffeine contents travel to the baby through the placenta, it cannot absorb it properly, and it might get accumulated in its bloodstream. Like adults, it can increase the heart rate in the baby and even prove fatal for it if the consumption is too high.

Preventing & Caffeine harms:

Researchers have revealed that too much caffeine intake can lead to a miscarriage. In such a case, it becomes necessary, that one curbs the caffeine intake habits during this important phase of life so as to have a pleasant pregnancy. One should gradually reduce the caffeine products intake to ‘once in awhile’ pattern as it might be too difficult to cut down the intake all of a sudden or eliminate the habit totally from the daily routines. Also, one can try shifting to caffeine free beverages and coffees that are available in the markets. One should try to manage the cravings by staying hydrated and taking lots of water.

Though you cannot bring yourself to opening your eyes in the morning without taking a large cup of coffee, this relation of pregnancy and caffeine can be of vital importance when you are nurturing a life in your our own body. A little bit of care and concern for your little one’s health can make your pregnancy a beautiful one.

There are certain signs of pregnancy which help women to realize whether they are expecting.  Pregnancy is one of the most blissful moments of a women’s life and in order to make the most of the period it is essential to grow aware about her pregnancy. Pregnancy though is highly detectable at the later stages specially, when the belly swells, it is not so during the early stage. Therefore, it is imperative to know about the different signs of pregnancy which would indicate the fact that a woman is carrying a baby in her womb.

Now the first and foremost sign of pregnancy which is also very conspicuous is the missing of periods especially, for those women who have the record of having regular monthly menstrual cycle. Even if you are facing the problem of delayed period there can be chances of your being pregnant. Though there are many women who go through a number of hormonal issues which result in irregular monthly cycle, skipped or irregular period can be one of the signs of pregnancy for few women.

Another early sign of pregnancy is the change in the shape and feel of the breasts. If you feel that your breasts have become overtly gentle and sensitive and even painful at certain points, you should know that this is probably the cause of some new existence developing within yourself. Often it is seen that the modification caused to the breasts can be the determining element and one of the signs of pregnancy.

Another very outstanding sign of pregnancy is of nausea and vomiting in the early morning hours. Women in the early stage of pregnancy often develop particular type of distaste for some particular foods and craving for some other. Even those foods were not enjoyed by them earlier might seem to be extremely delicious when pregnant.

Some other signs of pregnancy are weakness, frequent urination, sleepiness, early morning cramping, discomfort, etc. Though they might be caused due to other problems as well, generally they are the reasons behind being pregnant. But even if you experience all the symptoms of pregnancy it is better to consult a physician for a professional help would be necessary to fully determine whether you are pregnant. A medical advice is absolutely imperative to conform pregnancy and the soon-to-be mother needs to take full details of the nutritional and health charts that need to be followed during this phase.

There are three main stages of pregnancy – The first trimester, second trimester and third trimester. Pregnancy has been studied, researched and written about amply. Take your medical care provider’s assistance and read good pregnancy books and articles. Keep yourself informed and brace yourself for a fulfilling, rich journey of womanhood to motherhood.

Planning a family must include a primary visit to a counsellor for genetics. As parents, you must know about genetic tendencies that your child may be vulnerable to. This helps to be forewarned of major and minor illnesses and hereditary problems. The three stages of pregnancy are each of 10 to 12 weeks. The total span of pregnancy is about 40 weeks.

Among the first stages of pregnancy is conception. When you discover that you are pregnant, you are said to have “conceived” the child. This is determined by certain blood and urine tests that confirm pregnancy. You may be prescribed an ultrasound scan to support findings of the laboratory reports. Scans can confirm pregnancy at 5 weeks. Besides, tests, you will experience obvious symptoms like nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting and occasionally bouts of giddiness or fainting.  The symptoms of nausea and vomiting are severe during the day and at waking up. Hence, they are termed collectively as morning sickness. You may also have an increased frequency of urination. At this stage the fetus is barely growing from a fertilised egg into a bundle of multiplied cells with the formation of a gestational sac.

At the end of three months begins your second stage in stages of pregnancy. The second trimester involves an obvious growth in abdomen size for the mother with hormonal changes. The nausea and loss of appetite usually begins to taper down. You may gain weight and also notice an enlargement of breasts along with a dark vertical line in the middle of your belly. The baby is now beginning to develop body parts and gradually develops from a grape sized mass of cells into a defined human form at the end of the second trimester.

The last trimester is among the final stages of pregnancy. Fetal development is rapid. All organs begin to function. This includes the brain, liver and kidneys. The lungs begin to practise breathing as well. Fingers, toes and facial features become defined and the baby grows chubbier. You, the mother, will experience pelvic pains and leg aches. Rest assured any pregnancy discomfort will disappear during the post- delivery phase.

Stages of pregnancy progress gradually and prepare both mother and baby for child birth. Positive attitude, healthy diet, nutritional supplements and optimal exercising are all vital for a successful pregnancy.