Sore Breasts

Tender, tingling or swallow breasts are commonly experienced at early pregnancy. However, uncommon breast changes can also be caused of some health conditions such as breast tissue deficiency, breast cysts and continuous change of birth control medications.

Delay of Menstruation Period

The main symptom that most pregnancy women notice is the delay of menstruation period but having this symptom doesn’t mean that you are pregnant. Delay of menstruation period may be sometimes in line to other health conditions such as excessive exercise, abnormal hormone stage, stress, uncommon weight gain or loss.

Fatigue

It is very common to every pregnant woman to feel fatigue. However, fatigue is also a sign of anemia, illness, thyroid trouble, depression and even nutritional deficiency. Various women are also suffering from fatigue right before menstruation period begin.

Aversions or Food Cravings

During pregnancy period, majority of women are craving for foods. But, if you are having aversions and food cravings, it doesn’t mean that you are pregnant. Aversion and hankering for unusual foods may be caused of depression, poor diet, stress and impending menstruation.

Nausea

During pregnancy, women suffer from vomiting and severe nausea. Yet, food poisoning, illness and even stress can also be caused of stomach distress.

Gas and Bloating

Intestinal bloating or gas that is commonly caused by fluctuations of hormone is also one of the pregnancy symptoms. But, it can also be caused by imminent menstruation and too much salt intake or gas consumptions coming from the foods.

Frequent Urination

Frequent call of nature is very usual to a pregnant woman especially in her early weeks of pregnancy. Thus, diabetes, urinary infection and diuretic consumptions are some of its causes.

Vaginal Discharge

Increasing level of hormones may result to vaginal discharge. However, uncommon or too much discharge can be caused of vaginal infections. The discharge is frequently altered at any distinct times. This is very normal unless it is irritated, burned, itched or accompanied with strong smell.

Identifying if you are pregnant or not is not easy. Those symptoms mentioned above are the pregnancy symptoms. But sometimes women are being misled because these can also be symptoms of any types of illnesses. Symptoms such as cramps, pregnancy-nausea, headaches and many more combined with pregnancy tests are excellent means of determining if you are pregnant or not.

If you experience those symptoms with confirmed positive pregnancy test, it simply indicates that you are pregnant. However, if you are not pregnant and you suffer from all mentioned symptoms, see to it that you seek advice from your doctor.

If you don’t feel the movement of your baby, you may ask assistance from your caregiver. You will soon feel the rolls, hiccups and kicks of your baby. It is found out through medical studies that baby monitoring movements after 28 weeks of pregnancy can prepared you to any impending complications. If you observe lack of baby’s movement, you better contact your own healthcare provider. You will soon have a kick count chart in monitoring the movements of your baby.

Concepts of Kick Count Chart

Kick count chart is a type of grid or graph printed on paper with various spaces. It is one way of measuring your baby’s daily movements. Kick count chart reassured every pregnant woman. Majority of the health providers use this type of method as their habitual part of caring for all late pregnant women especially during their late pregnancy.

Counting the Baby’s Movements

All heath providers offer their kick count charts, however, you can also jot down all your baby’s movements on a certain piece of paper. This is commonly known as bit of misnomer. In this chart you can record all the movements of your baby. Aside from kicks, you can also record flutter, roll, elbow, jab, push and stretch of your baby. If the baby continuously kicks three times within a short period of time, this is considered as three movements.

For your guidance, there are two general methods commonly used in monitoring the movements of your baby with the presence of kick count chart.

The Method of Cardiff Count to Ten

This method utilizes 8-12 hours of recording and covers at least 10 movements of your baby. Start charting with regular time and hours every day. The preferred time period greatly depends on your baby’s most active movements. After 12 hours and your baby still covers at least 10 movements, that means your baby is very active. However, if your baby didn’t move within 12 hours, you better consult your own health provider.

The One to Two Hour Method

This method can be done through lying on your left side that may lasts for 30 minutes right after you eat without any interruptions. It is also recommended to acquire this after dinner depending upon the alertness of your baby. Within 60-75 minutes, the baby must have 3-5 times movements.

Baby’s movement must properly be noted. Health providers also recommend having a NST or non-stress test. It monitors the heart rate of your baby using electronic fetal monitor and it may last 20-40 minutes. Sometimes, healthcare providers also use vibrator stimulator. It is commonly placed on woman’s belly near the baby’s head. This can create a loud noise that can wake up the baby and make him moving.

The 3rd trimester typically starts from week 28 to week 40, but sometimes it could be earlier or later than week 40, depending on the health of the baby. It is extremely important to stay positive and healthy during this period as this is a critical stage that will influence the growth of your baby. Eat small but frequent snacks and meals with a healthy mix of protein and carbohydrate such as walnuts or dried fruits. This will give you the energy you need to support you and your baby. You will also want to be prepared for labor during this trimester. It is normal if you are feeling nervous about the child birth, especially if this is your first time. Do prepare your labor kit and hospital bag with you and look for a doula who will be able to provide you with non medical support during your last few weeks of pregnancy.

Complete your birth plan and let your midwife as well as the place you are giving birth know about it so that they can put you on their schedule. Around week 29 onwards, you’ll have to schedule your prenatal visits to your midwife once every two weeks so that any potential problems during your pregnancy can be detected early. You may also take this time to consult with them on any worries or anxieties that you might be feeling about child birth. After week 36, which is less than a month from giving birth, you will need to check in with your midwife for prenatal visits every week. During the last few weeks before child birth, your pelvic will also be examined to determine the stage of your cervix effacement and dilation.

During the 3rd trimester, you’ll also need to get a maternity leave with your employers. Let them know in advance if possible as your employers will need to find a resource to temporarily replace you while you are on maternity leave. You can also plan ahead by purchasing baby essentials such as diapers, clothing, milk powder, baby powder, toys and strollers in preparation for your baby’s arrival. You may also want to engage the service of a pediatrician who will be able to provide the necessary health and medical care of your baby as they are the experts in childcare. This period can also be a good time to decide on the baby’s name together with your husband and family.

The 3rd trimester is one of the most challenging periods in a pregnancy cycle. However, it is also one of the most exciting periods as the delivery date of your baby draws near. With ample preparations, you will not have to worry too much about the birth of your baby and can spend your postnatal period recovering from all the fatigue that you have lost during pregnancy.

During the 2nd trimester, your baby will begin to grow his hair, ears and eyes. He will begin to yawn, hiccup, suck and swallow just like we can. By week 21 of pregnancy, the baby will begin to form his arms and legs. This is the time where you may feel the occasional little kicks in your belly area. In week 22, your baby will begin to develop his sense to smell, taste, see and hear. And by the end of this trimester, your baby is around 11 to 14 inches and would weigh at least 2 pounds. This is the point during your pregnancy where the baby’s weight will begin to wear you down as it continues to grow in size. The baby will have also developed his own unique set of fingerprints.

Take mild exercises such as a walk around the park to ease the circulation of blood around your body. This will improve your general health and help prevent any problems in the later stages of pregnancy. Try to eat smaller meals more often, rather than three larger meals a day to ease your slower digestive system. You will have to be prepared for sensitive gums, leg cramps, dizziness, and an increased in appetite during this stage of your pregnancy. You may also encounter other pregnancy symptoms such as skin changes, itchiness in the lower abdomen, and varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Just take note that not all of these symptoms will be present and it will be different for every woman.

You should routinely visit your practitioner for the next several weeks during your 2nd trimester. Your practitioner will examine your health and make sure that it is in no way affecting the growth of the baby. You will also go through an ultrasound test between week 18 and 22 of pregnancy to allow the doctor to check the status of the baby. The doctor will measure the baby, determine the baby’s gender and check on the baby’s organs to make sure everything is in order. Between weeks 12 to 22 of pregnancy, you will go through a quad screening to measure the four main substances produced by your baby and passed through your bloodstream. This allows the doctor to determine if there are any abnormalities in the baby’s system. However, there is not much to worry about these test as most of the time, everything will turn out fine.

The most important aspect in the 2nd trimester of your pregnancy is to have a balanced life. Eat healthy regular meals, exercise regularly by walking around and get enough rest and sleep. Avoid eating anything that is harmful to the growth of your baby and avoid doing any physical work that requires you to move around or bend over a lot. Time flies and this period of your pregnancy will soon past you by before you even know it.

During your 1st Trimester of pregnancy, your body will go through various hormonal changes and you will often experience mood swings, depression, anxiety and fear due to the changes. You will also begin to notice some changes in your body that you normally do not see. These include frequent urination, breast changes, body fatigue, headaches, heartburn, constipation and nausea. You may also notice that you are gaining more weight than usual. You may be thinking to yourself that this is just too much to bear. However, the good news is that these are just temporary discomforts that will go away in the later stages of pregnancy.

The 1st trimester typically starts from week 1 to week 12 of the pregnancy cycle. During this period, your baby will change from a single fertilized cell called a zygote to a more developed embryo that attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. It will then further grow to the size of a peach. The embryo will also begin to form its limbs, organs, hair follicles, nail beds, muscles, white blood cells as well as the development of vocal cords. That is how much the embryo will grow in your body within just a span of 3 months! However, you will not notice much difference from the outside of your body as the embryo is still the size of a peach, and will continue to grow in later stages of pregnancy.

When the 1st trimester begins, it is important to go for a checkup with your doctor. A series of tests will be performed to determine your health and if it will affect the growth of the embryo. These tests include Pap smear, urinalysis, blood tests, diabetes tests and genetic illness tests. This is also a good chance for you to ask any questions that you have regarding pregnancy. As it is just the beginning of your pregnancy, it is still not too late to alter your lifestyle and eating habits in order to have a healthier baby. Bring your husband along with you during your visit to the doctor so that he can understand what you are going through. Nothing is more important at this point than the support of your husband and family.

During pregnancy, especially in the 1st trimester, it is extremely important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet as part of the nutrients that you consume will be used to nourish and grow the embryo. Feeding the embryo with the proper nutrients is important during its initial stages of development as this will have a huge impact on your baby when it is finally delivered. If you are unsure of the diet you should take, consult your doctor or dietician for some advice. Also, try to avoid any caffeine drinks if possible as caffeine is known to affect iron absorption, and iron is an important nutrient for the embryo as its growing stage. Try not to miss any meals and eat dry snacks in between your meals to keep your energy level high as you will be draining more energy than ever before.

Pregnancy can be an amazing process to go through, and the reward at the end is well worth it. Although you might be having a mixture of feelings and mood swings during your 1st trimester, do remind yourself that what you are feeling now is normal. Try not to stress over it but instead embrace it positively and you will go through this period without much trouble.

What is a Kick Count Chart?

A kick count chart is a graph or grid printed on a piece of paper with spaces to record the daily movements of your baby. Kick count charts are mainly used for women who express concern about their baby’s movements or if they have a health condition or pregnancy complication that may put their baby at an increased risk. Some healthcare providers use kick count charts as a routine part of care for all women during late pregnancy.

Counting the movements

Healthcare providers will usually provide their own kick count charts, but you could even draw one up yourself or just record the date, times and movements on a piece of paper. The name is a bit of a misnomer, in that the charts are aimed at recording all your baby’s movements, not just the kicks. This means a flutter, elbow, roll, push, jab and stretch all count as “kicks.” If your baby has some rigorous movements that go kick, kick, kick within a very short amount of time, this is regarded as three movements, not just one group of movements.

As a guide, there are two common methods used for monitoring a baby’s movements with kick count charts. As you will see, there are many inconsistencies in what is regarded as adequate movement.

The Cardiff Count To Ten Method

This uses an eight to 12 hour period to record at least 10 of your baby’s movements. The time period you choose will depend on when you think your baby is most active. If your baby has at least 10 movements within this 12 hour period, he is thought to be well. If your baby has not moved in 12 hours or you are concerned, you should contact your healthcare provider.

When charting, start your timing at around the same time each day. The first time you feel your baby move, record the time and write it down on your graph. Try to count every movement or kick until your baby has moved ten times. When you feel your tenth movement, write down the time (or put an X in the box corresponding to that time). One To Two Hour Method This involves lying quietly on your left side for about 30 minutes after eating (without distractions). Following your evening meal may be a good time if this is when your baby is most active. Your baby should move about three to five times within 60 to 75 minutes.

You can bring your kick count chart with you to your routine pregnancy appointments. Or if there is any concern on your part regarding your baby’s movement (or lack of it), contact your healthcare provider. If she is concerned about your baby’s movements, she may suggest you have a non-stress test (NST). This involves continuously monitoring your baby’s heart rate with an electronic fetal monitor for about 20 to 40 minutes. Every time you feel your baby move, you press a button, which puts a mark on a paper readout strip. It also records the baby’s heart rate, so your healthcare provider can make sure the baby’s heart rate is responding appropriately to his movement. Sometimes the healthcare provider will use a vibroacoustic stimulator. This is placed on your belly near your baby’s head, making a loud buzzing noise to wake your baby up and get him moving.