Pregnancy Week by Week

Posted on March 16, 2012 by admin

Forty weeks of pregnancy week by week means forty weeks of monitoring your body for the changes it brings. For first time moms, this can be pretty exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. The first 13 weeks is your first trimester. The first 4 weeks is the time when you usually don’t know that you’re pregnant yet. There are no outward physical signs but your body is already rapidly changing inside. By the third week you’ve ovulated and by the fifth week a pregnancy test will positively confirm your pregnant state. From the sixth to eighth week you will be experiencing early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, aversion to certain scents and food cravings. You may also be feeling a little more tired than usual. At this stage, your baby has already developed a backbone and is beginning to appear like a human instead of a tadpole. You may not be showing yet at this time.

The second trimester is around the 14th up to the 26th week. This is the time you feel to begin the baby’s movement although minute movement can be felt earlier. What is more important is that your baby is moving. Your obstetrician will have to check for fetal heart rate to ensure that the baby is doing well. You can do most activities at less risk of miscarriage at this stage. You will also notice that your stomach is starting to round out. At twenty weeks you can already find out if you’re going to have a boy or a girl. Your first baby picture will be his or her ultrasound image. The baby is completely human in form already. Babies born prematurely around the 23rd to 26th week have a 50% chance of survival since most of his interior organs are formed. The expectant mother has to be careful in what she consumes so that she doesn’t gain a lot of weight.

On the last trimester, baby is more active inside the womb. It turns often. This is good and important for the baby’s health. By this time you probably aren’t very sensitive to food and smells anymore but you might find yourself more weepy or emotional than usual. Hormones are at work here and natural fears and insecurities surface at this time also. It is a good idea to have a network of supportive family and friends at this time. Try to keep upbeat. Stress is not good for your condition. As your baby gets bigger, you’ll find yourself having a harder time to get around. It’s normal but do try to be mobile just the same. It’s also a good time to manage smaller meals so you don’t feel out of breath because of the pressure your growing baby is exerting on your stomach. It’s getting ready to move out of your womb and into your arms and makes every step of pregnancy week by week worth it.

Pregnancy Tips and Things to Remember

Posted on March 13, 2012 by admin

Pregnancy is a huge event for a woman and there are some pregnancy tips that she needs to know before, during and after she delivers her little angel. While not all women plan on getting pregnant so meticulously, she will benefit from having some changes even before she conceives. Primarily, she should start eating healthy even before she gets pregnant and avoid food that have substances that can have adverse effects on fetal development such as food that is high in mercury. If she’s a coffee addict then she should slowly start weaning away from it. Abstaining from alcohol and cigarette smoking are practical as well. Although a thorough medical checkup is good to have, it is well to start paying attention to your physical health if you haven’t the time or resources. Pregnancy and delivery is expensive so check your financial resources and ascertain if you’re prepared for it. It’s never too late to put aside some money for this. Make sure your medical insurance is up to date and covers what you and the baby might need.

During pregnancy, your health should still be your primary concern. There are understandably some physical activities you cannot indulge in anymore such as rigorous sports but doctor approved exercise is a must. Never forget to schedule regular checkups with your doctor. Eat sensibly and follow a healthy eating plan. Your body is going to change so expect not only an increasing waistline but stretch marks, cramps, bloating, hair fall, changes in eyesight and even allergies you never knew you had. Expect darkening of skin folds, breakouts, backaches, heartburn and flatulence. Some of these are minor irritants but other effects of pregnancy need your doctor’s input. You will have mood swings aplenty because of hormonal changes so your spouse needs to be supportive and understanding. This is also the time for you to prepare the baby’s things or the baby’s room and plan for the kind of delivery and postpartum care.

After pregnancy, mom is going to seriously consider going on a diet to remove the added weight and girth. You should remember that it is never wise to starve yourself or over exercise to get your body back to its pre-pregnancy state. Some changes are permanent so be realistic and try to work things out slowly but surely. Besides, you have to think about getting enough energy for getting your health back first. You need it to be able to have strength to physically care for an infant. Take a little time off before you start to vigorously embark on a diet or exercise program. After all, if you’ve already started to eat healthy, then don’t throw yourself off track by panicking about your weight. Some moms experience post-partum depression and if you feel that you are one of them don’t hesitate to see a professional about this concern. After all, one of the best things you can do for your baby is to care for yourself too. That’s the best pregnancy tip.

Pregnancy Diet Plan

Posted on March 9, 2012 by admin

A woman on a pregnancy diet always has to be very mindful about what she consumes. A good diet will not only keep her from gaining too much weight but also makes certain that the baby she is carrying will have sufficient nutrients for development. There is an old belief that a pregnant woman should be eating for two. While this assumption is somehow true because not only the expectant mother but the child in the womb needs nourishment also, it is more prudent to keep to moderate servings instead of eating twice what one is used to. Besides, the developing fetus is not likely to need the same amount of calories that a grown woman requires. The mother also needs to remember that whatever weight she gains should mainly come from the growing baby so that once she delivers, she will find it easier to go back to her ideal weight.

There are other women who do the exact opposite. Instead of over indulging, some expectant mothers have been known to drastically reduce their calorie intake. While there is a stage during the first trimester that the expectant mother will feel that any kind of food she sees or smells makes her stomach turn, this stage does not normally last longer than the first three months. A woman on a pregnancy diet will find that she gets hungrier more often than usual. This is because of the amount of energy that is needed by the life inside her womb. Her obstetrician can help recommend a good nutrition plan if the mother has special medical considerations. The expectant mother does not really need to increase her food consumption that much. She may instead, space her meals and plan her snacks so that she could get the nutrition she needs without making her feel deprived.

Fruits and vegetables are always good. Get a nutritionist’s or dietician’s recommendation if you wish but the basic rule is to remember that fruits and vegetables are carbohydrate sources and you should also mind the amount you consume. Food rich in iron and folic acid as well as calcium should be incorporated in your meals because these are very important for normal fetus development. Most doctors recommend abstaining from caffeine due to its side effects on pregnancy because of increased blood pressure and a heart rate. These two rates usually rise in a pregnant woman so the addition of a stimulant like what you find in your coffee, tea and chocolate may put the mother in some risk especially if caffeine is consumed in large quantities. Total abstinence from alcohol is also one rule that doctors strongly recommend for pregnant and expecting mothers. As a matter of fact, even before a couple plans to have a baby, they should stay away from it for a period of time even before they plan about conceiving. A good pregnancy diet after all needs to be implemented not just during but even before and after a pregnancy.