Early Pregnant Guide by gwen stevens

Guide For A Safe And Healthy Early Pregnancy By Sara Connor www.pregnancybabyinthemaking.com

Pregnancy is a wonderful time of incredible change within a woman's body. Not only is she changing physically a new life is growing within her body. It is truly an incredible event and a woman's live. Most all pregnancies run to their natural end, the birth of a healthy baby, but some pregnancies encounter problems that if not corrected can become deadly for both mother and child. Do you think that you might be pregnant? Did you have unprotected sex close to the middle of your cycle? Review these eight early signs of pregnancy. If you have them, odds are you are pregnant. What if the pregnancy test shows negative? Don't worry, wait a week and try it again. Most dip based pregnancy tests require you to be at least six weeks pregnant before they show positive. This is because of level of pregnancy hormone that is required in your urine has to be pretty high in order for the test to register a positive. Sometimes you may begin to show the signs of pregnancy before the test says you are pregnant. Review the '8 pregnancy symptoms to look for if you think you might be pregnant'. Now that you have confirmed your pregnancy it is time to take a look at your eating habits. Remember you are eating for two and what you eat nutritionally is what is available for your baby to grow. Not sure what foods to eat? Not sure if what you are eating is meeting your nutritional needs? Read do i have any special nutrition needs now that i am pregnant? Are you experiencing some odd signs that might be a sign that something is going wrong in your pregnancy? Review the 6 alarming pregnancy complications that you cannot ignore.

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8 PREGNANCY

SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE

PREGNANT Understanding the signs and symptoms of pregnancy is important because each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy. Stress, illness, changes in diet and other situations can cause some of the common pregnancy symptoms as well.

1. Missed Menstrual Period Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed menstrual cycle. Pregnancy is the most common reason for a woman who is sexually active to miss her period. Stress and lack of sleep can cause a woman to delay or miss a menstrual period.

2. Fatigue Excessive fatigue is very common in the first trimester. Don’t be surprised if you wake up from a nap and still feel tired. Not getting enough sleep and a poor diet can cause fatigue as well. Make sure you are eating well balanced meals and skip the fast food.

3. Morning sickness / Nausea One of the most commonly recognized symptoms of pregnancy. One of the biggest complaints from women is that they feel nauseous all day long for the entire first trimester. I have known some moms who suffered with morning sickness for the entire pregnancy! The commonly recommend solution is to eat crackers before getting out of bed in the morning. Other women have found that starches work best in calming the nausea such has potatoes.

4. Sore and Tender Breasts Just about the time your period should start your breasts will start to feel heavy, full and very tender to the touch. Don’t be surprised if your nipples also start to hurt when touched or rubbed.

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The week leading up to the start of your menstrual period you breasts may feel slightly fuller and tender to the touch. If you have a normal menstrual period and your breasts are still tender or sore see your ob/gyn doctor something else could be going such as an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.

5. Frequent urination The increased frequency that your bladder is full, even if you just went ten minutes ago is a common sign of pregnancy. If you are pregnant, the cause of the frequent urination is twofold. First, the uterus starts growing as soon as the baby has implanted itself into the endometrium lining. As the uterus grows it pushes against the bladder making the bladder smaller. Second, the hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone causes the bladder to want to empty itself more frequently. During the first trimester as the hCG levels are climbing at logarithmic rates the bladder will want to empty itself a lot. You could have a UTI. You need to get it checked out quickly as the urinary tract infection could move up into your kidneys and become life threatening.

6. Headaches Frequent headaches during the first trimester do occur and can be gotten rid of by taking a nap. Your healthcare provider will want to know about any headaches as they could signal a more dangerous condition developing. Both toxemia and preeclampsia can begin with headaches. If you are pregnant or suspect that you might be, contact your doctor immediately.

7. Heartburn Heartburn typically is a constant symptom for most pregnant women. In the first trimester heartburn is typically caused by hormonal changes and eating too spicy food. Even if you were able to eat spicy food before you became pregnant it is possible that you now cannot tolerate the same level of spiciness. Heartburn could signal more a severe problem such as an ulcer.

8. Spotting A little spotting during pregnancy is normal especially about 7 to 10 days after conception when the baby is implanting itself into the uterus lining. Spotting can also occur after sexual intercourse. During pregnancy the cervix enlarges and grows additional blood vessels. Bumping the cervix during intercourse can cause a little spotting. Copyright ÂŠ 2009 www.pregnancybabyinthemaking.com

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Having a menstrual period like blood flow where you are soaking a pad per hour could indicate that you are having a miscarriage. Contact your healthcare provider immediately. It's natural to feel doubt, anxiety, and fear about pregnancy and childbirth, as well as happiness, excitement, and anticipation. Keeping a pregnancy journal can help you keep track of your emotions. Plus, it will serve as a wonderful keepsake of your pregnancy in the years to come. Take control of your pregnancy by taking an active role in your prenatal care and make informed choices about normal pregnancy weight gain taught at www.pregnancybabyinthemaking.com.

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DO I HAVE ANY SPECIAL PREGNANT ?

NUTRITION NEEDS NOW THAT

Yes! During pregnancy, you and your growing baby need more of several nutrients. By eating a source of protein with each meal you should get most all of the nutrients the two of you need. Here are some of the most important nutrients that you need during pregnancy: Folate Folate is a water soluble B vitamin found in many green leafy vegetables. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. Many of the fortified cereals and breads use folic acid. The human body uses folate to help maintain new cells. This vitamin is especially important during pregnancy as the baby is growing and developing. Eating an adequate supply of folate daily has been shown to prevent neural tube defects in babies. Neural tube defects result in malformations of the spine, spina bifida, skull, and brain. The natural sources of folate are in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce and turnip greens, fruits like citrus fruits and dried beans and peas. Calcium Calcium is needed by both the mother and the growing baby. If the mother's calcium intake is too low, she risks losing bone density as her body attempts to provide the needed calcium for the baby. Iron Iron is used to make red blood cells that carry oxygen in the blood. During the pregnancy your blood supply will increase by 40% from your pre-pregnant blood volume! That is a lot of extra blood. At the same time your baby will be making its own blood supply. Protein Proteins form the main building blocks of humans. You need to be getting four to six servings of protein daily. The best way to do this is to eat a protein with each meal and snack. Most pregnant women do not eat enough protein during the pregnancy. For a fit and healthy pregnancy,

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Some natural sources of protein are: fish, chicken, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, red meat, nuts and eggs. Recent studies have shown that our body actually metabolizes milk as a sugar unless at the same time a hard protein is eaten with the milk. So, have a glass of milk and a hard protein. Vitamin A Eating too much synthetic vitamin A can lead to an instance of Retinoid Embryopathy which is a syndrome of anomalies that involve the face, ear, heart, central nervous system and thymus. It is a very rare birth defect. That has been associated with excessive intake of retinol, a synthetic form or vitamin A. It is impossible to eat too much naturally occurring beta-carotene that is found in plants such as carrots. So, instead of relying on chemistry lab to make synthetic vitamins, choose to eat fruits and vegetables that high in the vitamins and minerals that needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy. With all of the previously mentioned pregnancy nutritional needs, it may feel over whelming to a new mom. There is help at http://www.pregnancybabyinthemaking.com where information is provided on pregnancy nutrition guides that provides guides on what to eat during pregnancy.

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6 Alarming Pregnancy Complications That You Cannot Ignore Pregnancy is a wonderful time of change and excitement for a pregnant mom. A lady finds herself going through a whole host of changes both physical and emotional. Physical changes have been obvious and dramatic the breasts have grown and completed development to support the growing life in the womb. Then there is this bump in the front. With so much hormonal changes going in a woman she feels like she is on an emotional roller coaster ride. Most of the pregnancy hormones stabilize in the second trimester making it easier on the new mom. In this time of change and anticipation, there are complications that can ocurre that if not treated could result in loss of the baby or worse the death of the mother. Every expecting mom must be aware of the warning signs for these six life threatening pregnancy complications.

1. Vaginal Bleeding A little spotting during implantation and possibly after intercourse is common. During pregnancy the cervix grows, thickens and grows more blood vessels. Bumping the cervix during intercourse sometimes causes a little spotting. Heavy bleeding, like a period is not normal. It is important to call your doctor immediately.

2. Cramping During the first trimester it is common to have a little light cramping as the uterus is growing. Twinges, pulling, stretching and round ligament pain are all normal and part of being pregnant. Strong, hard cramps that become regular is not normal, not until labor starts that is. The most common cause of this is dehydration. Drink a glass or two of water and lay down on your left side. Call your health care provider if the cramps don't subside or you start to bleed.

3. Severe Headaches Sever and long lasting headaches are one of the early signs of preeclampsia, pregnancy induced high blood pressure. High blood pressure is dangerous for everyone, especially for a pregnant woman. High blood pressure puts a strain on

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mom's organs and causes damage to the developing baby. It can lead to premature labor.

4. Retained Fluid It is common to retain a little fluid. Legs tend to swell if a pregnant mom is on her feet all day long. The swelling should go down once she sits down and elevates her feet. A simple test to see if you are retaining fluid is to take the tips of your fingers and press them into the skin on the shin. Press hard enough that the fingers push into the skin but not so hard as to bruise or cut the skin. Hold your fingers against your shin for one minute. Then remove them from your leg. At first you should see divots where you finger tips where. The divots should go away within 15 seconds. If the divots stay for a minute call your doctor you might be developing toxemia. Toxemia is a dangerous condition where the pregnant mom retains fluid, lots of fluid. I have seen a lady who literally doubled in size in a day because her body was retaining fluid. She had severe, life threatening toxemia.

5. Blurred Vision Is another sign of preeclampsia.

6. Cannot Feel The Baby Move After about week 16 to 20 pregnant mom's can feel their baby move. At first the baby's movements feel like fluttering of butterfly. As the baby continues to grow the baby's movements become more pronounced. You will notice the cycle of your baby's movements. If you don't feel your baby moving for a day, call your doctor. Make sure that you have been eating regular healthy meals and that you are drinking plenty water. It is very important that you eat a source of protein with each meal. As it will reduce your risk for several dangerous conditions that can develop during your pregnancy some of them are: gestational diabetes, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, underweight sickly baby, a baby that is unable to maintain its blood sugar level after birth and may need hospitalization and an IV (usually placed in its head). Most all pregnancies run their normal course without any of these complications. It is better to know the warning signs and what to do if you start to experience them. For helpful pregnancy tips and advice> how to quickly recover from a c-section. Be alert and enjoy your pregnancy! Copyright ÂŠ 2009 www.pregnancybabyinthemaking.com

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