Recognizing Pregnancy Symptoms, Am I Pregnant?

Recognizing Pregnancy Symptoms, Am I Pregnant?. Health tips and lifestyle, Are you actually expecting for a child for the past years and wondering if you are actually pregnant after a couple of weeks late? Although the most common pregnancy symptoms include late of menstrual period, sometimes this sign is tricky. If your period cycle is long and unsteady, relying on the lateness only can lead to a wrong conclusion. There are some other signs that should not be neglected in figuring out whether you are really carrying a baby-to-be or just experiencing some false signs. Below are the most common symptoms that you should pay attention to.

Does Gestational Diabetes Cause Early Labor?

Having gestational diabetes (GD) during pregnancy can put you at high risk of pregnancy complications and some problems that affect your baby, particularly if this health metabolic condition is poorly controlled or left untreated! Does it also cause early labor? What you should do to keep your risk of pregnancy complications low if you have GD?

Fortunately, many cases of GD can be managed and controlled successfully during pregnancy. Your doctor can make an appropriate treatment plan to control it. As long as you keep committing and sticking with the prescribed treatment plan, there is nothing to worry about - many pregnant women with GD have proved it. You might also like to read about possible causes of gestational diabetes, before continuing!

Pros and Cons of Delivering Baby Earlier!

If you now go into 8-9th month of your pregnancy, you may begin seriously to count your due date. In this modern living, you can cut a couple of weeks for the day of when you should go for delivery. But does delivering baby earlier than should be expected work well? Are there any pros and cons of this option?

You might also like to know more about best nutrition for first trimester of pregnancy, before continuing!

The most beneficial thing from this option is you can set and determine the date of when you have to give birth. This can help you to prepare anything better, because you have known exactly the day of your delivery. But some doctors say that cutting the pregnancy short by even 1-2 weeks may be potential to bring some problems to the newborn.

In general, most pregnancies take about 40 weeks on average (from the day of the last menstruation to the day of delivery). For many years, many people thought that the delivery at 37-38 weeks were safe and fine. But today, many experts believe that the modified delivery even a couple of weeks early can increase the risk of some medical problems to the newborn, according to WebMD.

How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy While Breastfeeding?

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Becoming a new mom is one of the greatest things in a woman’s life. But pregnancy also can bring more pounds of weight - therefore it’s reasonable if losing weight after pregnancy while breastfeeding is one of the most frequently asked questions after delivery. And did you know that your exciting moment of breastfeeding also can help lose your weight? 

You might also like to read also another common question associated with pregnancy about ‘how to ease back pain during pregnancy’ in here, before continuing!

Some women think that they should eat more when breastfeeding and they believe that it will increase their weight. In general, you need to get plenty of nutrients to give your best quality of milk for your newborn. But this doesn't mean that you need huge calories! The key is still on your balanced diet and don’t forget to have a moderate exercise!

Back Pain During Pregnancy - How to Relieve It?

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The good news, you will have a baby and she/he is growing which is something should be happening. In line with your pregnancy, your baby is growing in size but this is also the reason of why you will shoulder more pounds in your back. And this can put you at higher chance of having back pain. So, how to ease or relieve back pain while pregnant?

Before continuing, you might also like to read the previous posts about first trimester screening FAQs (why you need to do it), and cramping during first trimester of pregnancy!

In fact, most pregnant women (about 70 % of all of them) will experience different degree of back pain. In other words, it is pretty common in pregnancy so you are not alone. Typically, it starts in the second trimester of pregnancy. But this doesn’t mean you will suffer the entire time. Fortunately, there are some ideas and effective ways to relieve /ease this symptom!

First Trimester Screening (Why and When – More FAQs)

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The first trimester screening is one of the most accurate methods of non-invasive screening – according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (published on November 2005). According to this report, about 85 percent of babies with the chromosomal abnormalities are successful detected with this test. What else you should know?

Read also the previous posts about normal and abnormal cramping in the first trimester of pregnancy and nutrition tips for your early pregnancy, before continuing!

Though this screening test has been available in the U.S since before 2005, but its effectiveness in detecting early chromosomal abnormalities has recently confirmed.

Cramping While Pregnant in the First Trimester

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There are a lot of topics that we can explore when we are talking about pregnancy. And “Is it normal to experience cramp in the first trimester of pregnancy?”, -this is one of the most frequently asked questions, particularly if you are now being pregnant for the first time in your life. In general, cramping in the first trimester is normal, but how far it should be?

Before continuing, you might also like to read the previous post about best nutrition for the first trimester of pregnancy!

Cramping is not the single symptom that occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. You may also have a range of other physical symptoms. While most cramping is normal, but there are also some cramps that should be more concerned. Overall if you experience any symptom that causes concern, it should be reported to your doctor!

Nutrition for Early Pregnancy (First Trimester) – More FAQs!

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If you have a pregnancy for the first time in your life, you may have a lot of questions! Nutrition is one of the most frequently asked questions. But in general, you don’t need to pack in excessively extra calories in the first trimester of your early pregnancy. In other words, you may need additional calories but how much you should go? Then what are best foods you should eat? And what are foods you should avoid?

You might also like to know more about miscarriage of pregnancy, before continuing!

The first trimester is a crucial time of incredible growths for your new baby, but she /he is still very small. That’s why once again you don’t need to drastically increase the calories of food that you eat, because she or he still doesn’t need a lot of extra oomph. But it’s important to stay close on a balanced-diet with high quality of healthy foods.

All about Pregnancy | How to Get Pregnant | Signs | Miscarriage

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We all agree that pregnancy is the most challenging thing in a woman’s life. And there are a lot of issues that we can explore when discussing about pregnancy; from issues associated when trying to get pregnant, signs or symptoms of pregnancy that occur -- to issues associated with miscarriage.

As well we know that some common early signs of pregnancy are enlarged & tender breast, easily to get tired, morning sickness, frequent urination, and missed period. But before suspecting these common symptoms, you may need the appropriately efforts to become pregnant.

Learn more facts of pregnancy to get pregnant easily!

Unfortunately, sometimes getting pregnant is not easy for some couples. The following are some helpful facts of pregnancy to get pregnant easily!

Facts of male fertility boosters

Either male or female has a significant contribution to result a successful fertilization. To find clearly diagnosis, either male or female of a couple that is difficult to have a baby should be checked.

There are a lot of ways to boost up men and women fertility. But make sure you know what you want to do! In other words, there are also some of them that can be categorized into useless option or even sometimes can disturb your effort to have a baby.

Some common best advises from your doctor to increase men fertility may include:

1. Keep well the ideal weight of the body!
2. Avoid stress or manage it as well!
3. Avoid any bad behaviors that can affect the fertility, such as drinking alcohol too much and cigarette smoking.
4. Having healthy diet. Choose foods that are rich in vitamin E, selenium, and zinc! Talk more with a dietitian for more detailed information!
5. Avoid getting saunas or hot tubs too long -- or avoid it if necessary, because more heat to the testicles can reduce the production of sperm.  

The fertility declines in line with the age

Either in male or female, their fertility declines as they get older. In women, they are more likely to be difficult to get pregnant once they reach their 30s (particularly after the age of 35). Some studies found that the chance of getting a successful fertilization /month is about 20% for 30 year old healthy women, and become only about 5 percent for 40 year old healthy women.

And in men, the quality and number of sperm also declines as they get older. But unlike in women, 40-45 year old healthy men still have a good chance to create fertilization.

Weight and fertility

Some studies found that having ideal weight can improve the fertility either in men or in women. That’s why, as mentioned before you need to keep well your healthy weight if you seriously want to create a successful fertilization.

What else you need to clearly understand?

1. To improve ovulation, eating foods high in folic acids is usually also recommended by doctor. Don’t forget to also prioritize green products and organic foods. 
2. You are still allowed to consume caffeine, but make sure you consume it moderately -- or avoid it if you can!
3. Do exercise regularly. It is not only important for your health but also help improve your fertility.
4. Choose the right time for intercourse. For woman, she needs to get to know when her fertile days (ovulation days) come. Therefore it is so important to have the record of the menstrual cycles, especially for those who have irregular menstruation periods.

The most common early pregnancy signs!

One of favorite topics when discussing about pregnancy is the pregnancy symptoms. There are several symptoms, but what are the most common early pregnancy signs? In fact, the pregnancy symptoms can be different from woman to woman. Even, if you experience pregnancy for the second time, your symptoms also can differ if compared to the symptoms in your first pregnancy. However, missed period is one of most clearly signs in all pregnant women. 

Well … It is so essential to clearly understand the pregnancy symptoms, why? Because this is not only important to get to know whether or not you are pregnant, but also to minimize your risk of something other than pregnancy!

A pregnant woman can experience the symptoms within a couple days and a week after conception, while another may not have any signs for a few weeks after conception. What else you should know? 

The following are some common early pregnancy signs!

Nausea and vomiting

Both nausea and vomiting are often associated with a popular term what we call as ‘morning sickness’. Unlike the name implies, this term doesn’t describe the time when nausea and vomiting occur. Many pregnant women usually feel and experience nausea or vomiting anytime (not only in the morning).

But there are also some women who experience both nausea & vomiting more frequently in the morning. On the other hand, there are also some pregnant women who don’t experience any feelings of nausea in their early pregnancy. You may also like to read when does morning sickness start!

Rapidly hormone changes during pregnancy are believed for the key of the cause of morning sickness.

Light bleeding (spotting)

Spotting is also one of early signs. It can be a symptom of the embryo implantation into the uterus (uterus’s wall). Some women may think that light bleeding is the early sign of their menstrual period. But in many cases, this bleeding is lighter than the bleeding in the regular menstrual periods.

Light bleeding usually occurs about 12-6 days after conception. But there also other conditions that cause light bleeding, such as certain infection, early stage of menstruation, or even changes in using birth control pills. Furthermore, light spotting may also be caused by abrasion from intercourse.

Missed period

As written before, missed period is one of common early pregnancy symptoms -- even some doctors say that it is the most common early pregnancy sign. It can be used for the indication that there is a successful fertilization between the egg and sperm.

But stress, taking birth control, being in not-ideal weight (weigh loss /weight gain), illness, or even excessively fatigue also can lead to a delayed period in a woman’s body. You may also be interested to know what does mean to have irregular period?!

Changes in breasts

Tender /swollen breasts are the most common form of changes in breasts for the early sign of your pregnancy. It can develop and obviously seem in the 1-2 weeks after the process of your conception. In this case, your breasts will be more sensitive to touch. Then in line with the progress of your pregnancy, there is usually also darker skin around the nipples.

Other possible conditions that cause swollen /tender breasts are PMS (impending menstruation), the effect of using birth control pill, or you may experience hormonal imbalance due to other health conditions.

Fatigue /backache /headache

The rapidly changes of your hormone are believed for the responsible of these symptoms. 

Frequent urination

This symptom is usually common after about 8-6 weeks after your conception. This is one of effects from the growth of the embryo (growing bigger in size) in the uterus. 

Other explanations for frequent urination are due to having diabetes (read also about gestational diabetes during pregnancy), having excessively diuretics, you have the increased liquid intake, or even urinary tract infection.

Strange signs of pregnancy

Did you know that there are also several strange signs of pregnancy that may occur in some pregnant women? What are these strange symptoms?

Constipation

Really?! Yes, there are also some cases of pregnant women who experience constipation during pregnancy. Many experts have opinion and believe that changes in hormone during pregnancy have contribution to cause the slow down performance of intestines which then will become sluggish.

What you should do if you experience this symptom? Getting adequate liquid a day by drinking adequate water and eating fresh fruit & vegetable is usually helpful enough to reduce the symptom of your constipation. If this idea doesn’t work, call a doctor promptly!

Insomnia

Pregnancy can make a woman be easily to get fatigue throughout the day. Furthermore, pregnancy also can generate insomnia. The symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or frequent urination usually also can make your insomnia worse. 

Solution: 

1. Avoid drinking beverages that contain caffeine! Moreover for some pregnant women, caffeine also can trigger their nausea symptom.
2. During pregnancy you should not do excessively activities that make you feel very tired. But this doesn’t mean you don’t need to move your body! Choose the right exercise and do it properly to keep fit your body. Discuss more with a professional trainer or your doctor for the right exercises for a pregnant woman!
3. And avoid stress! 

Experiencing vaginal discharge!

During pregnancy, you will temporarily lose your menstruation period. But for some pregnant women, they may also experience vaginal discharge. Generally, this vaginal discharge is normal -- it is similar to the condition when a woman ovulates. But if there is something wrong with the color and odor, let your doctor know!

Nasal stuffiness

The distance between uterus and nose is so far, but sometimes pregnant women can have nasal stuffiness or even nose bleed during their pregnancy. If this symptom occur continuously (especially for nose bleed), you need to see a doctor immediately!

Continuously morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms. But did you know that sometimes they may run continuously throughout pregnancy (from 1st-trimester to 3rd-trimester). Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is the term used to call this condition. A pregnant woman with HG requires specialist treatment, because there is a higher chance of HG problem to generate other health conditions that can affect the baby. If you in doubt whether or not you have HG, for clearly diagnosis -- see a doctor immediately! 

Fortunately, there are a few cases of pregnancy with HG. Only about 1 in 200 pregnant women that experiences HG! However, it is important to clearly understand what actually HG is -- so thus you can prepare better for yourself to get a successful pregnancy! 

Nausea and vomiting

Morning sickness is popular term used to call the condition of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. But there are also some pregnant women who don’t get morning sickness or have little nausea in their pregnancy period.

The following are some possible factors that put a pregnant woman at higher chance of experiencing morning sickness (or even with heavy nausea and vomiting) in her pregnancy period:

1. Stress. High level of stress may also cause more frequent nausea during pregnancy!
2. Having pregnancy for the first time.
3. History of having morning sickness in the previous pregnancy.
4. Pregnant women who have twins or multiple pregnancies!
5. Having history /experience of motion sickness.
6. Having enlarged placenta.
7. Being overweight before pregnancy, particularly for those who have BMI of 30 or more!
8. A family history (your mother have history of morning sickness).

Hyperemesis gravidarum signs

1. Prolonged nausea and vomiting. 
2. Frequent dehydration. This is usually caused by a lot of fluid that go out from the body due to nausea and vomiting. 
3. Having lower blood pressure, especially when you are standing.
4. Losing more weight which is usually caused by lack of nutrient and appetite due to prolonged nausea & vomiting!
5. And even ketosis also can occur in pregnant women with HG. 

Miscarriage

Miscarriage is also often called as SAB or ‘spontaneous abortion’. It is a term used for a condition when a pregnancy ends on its own way. In many cases, the end of this spontaneous abortion occurs within the first 20 weeks or earlier of gestation. 

Causes of miscarriage

Chromosome abnormalities are believed for one of the major causes of SAB, and therefore you have a few options to prevent miscarriage. But being as healthy as possible before and after conception is usually the best option to lower your risk!

Other factors that may contribute in causing miscarriage are:

1. Malnutrition, particularly severe stage of malnutrition.
2. Certain radiation, particularly excessively radiation.
3. Uncontrolled diabetes.
4. Kidney disease in severe stage.
5. Bad lifestyles -- such as the use of illegal drug, alcohol abuse, or even smoking.
6. Abnormality problems associated with uterine.
7. Excessively exposure to unfriendly environments like pollutants and unfriendly chemical properties.
8. The side effect of certain medications.
9. Having certain diseases, such as thyroid disease, lupus, and congenital heart disease. 
10. Certain infection.

And did you know that your risk can increase if you get pregnant in the older age. Some studies found that the risk of miscarriage is high for those with pregnancy at the age of 40. That’s why, getting pregnant in the age of 35 or older should be avoided.

Symptoms of miscarriage

Women with SAB can experience common pregnancy symptoms, but the most common symptom is usually lighter or heavy bleeding. Other signs may include; back pain, fever, crams in severe stage, weakness, and pain in the abdominal.

***For more detailed information, see and consult more with a doctor!

Fertility Enhancers for Men and Women!

There are many fertility treatments to choose from, but which one you should choose? The answer is closely dependent on the cause of your fertility problem. Along with your treatments, your doctor may also recommend some fertility enhancers with home remedies (or changes in lifestyle) to increase the success rate of your treatment.

The advance treatments with modern intervention (such as IVF or In-Vitro Fertilization) are expensive. For this reason, you may consider taking fertility herbs -- but beware, not all these herbs are effective and safe. Therefore, before taking any fertility supplement or herb, it is much better to discuss first with your doctor or midwife to keep safe!

Fertility Herbs for Women and Men

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The treatments of fertility are closely associated or dependent to the cause, age, and other preferences of each individual. However, depending on the cause itself -- infertility is usually something that cannot be treated easily. There are several treatment options from home remedies to the advance methods with more modern interventions. Unfortunately, the cost of the modern interventions is expensive -- and this is one of factors why some people are more likely to choose fertility herbs.

You might also like to read the previous post about do prenatal vitamin increase fertility for pregnancy, before continuing!

Unfortunately, there are a few studies about fertility herbs for women and men. Therefore, there is also no adequate evidence to confirm the effectiveness of herbs in treating infertility or fertility problems.

Do Prenatal Vitamins Increase Fertility for Pregnancy?

When you are trying to get pregnant, one of familiar advice to encourage your chance of becoming pregnant is about prenatal vitamins! Do they increase fertility and chance of pregnancy? ‘Yes they do’ – there are some doctors that recommend these supplements for those who have fertility problems.

You might also like to read about fertility herbs for women & men and how to choose fertility clinic, before continuing!

Furthermore, there are some opinions that taking prenatal vitamins can help promote stronger nails and thicker hair. In general, they are safe for health adults -- but you should avoid using them without a prescription when you are not planning a pregnancy or being pregnant, because not all adults really need additional vitamins.

Female and Male Fertility Clinic: How to Choose It?

For some couples who are difficult to have a baby, fertility clinic is one of popular options. The big question is how to choose the right one? As well we know the success rate is common issue that we need to concern carefully, but there are also other factors that you have to consider as well if you seriously want to get a successful fertility treatment.

The fertility problems should not only be focused to one of the partners, but both male and female should be checked for clearly diagnosis. And fertility clinic must be able to provide all that you want. Furthermore, you and your partner must feel comfortable in your surroundings -- this is important to make sure you can do your treatments conveniently! What else you need to know before making a choice?

Female and Male Infertility Treatments (Natural Fertility Boosters)

For some people, getting pregnant is something that cannot be realized easily. In fact, there is about 10-15% of couples in the U.S who have infertility problems. The cause of this problem can be caused by a combination factors or a single cause in either male or female. Well … there are now many options for female and male infertility treatments to significantly improve the chance of achieving pregnancy!

You may also like to read about the crucial points you should concern when choosing fertility clinic, before continuing!

Some cases can be treated more easily than others. But generally for women who are over the age of 35, their chance of becoming pregnant go down, and even this group also have higher risk of miscarriage -- therefore doctors usually don’t choose regular steps like in younger couples.

Gestational Diabetes Test Preparation

What you should know about gestational diabetes test preparation? Like written in the previous article about gestational diabetes symptoms and causes, there are no clearly causes of this disease. Therefore, you need to get a proper screening test to find a clearly diagnosis, particularly after 24-28th of your pregnancy!

Understanding what you should prepare before going to test will be helpful enough to make sure that you are ready for your test which eventually will be useful to obtain the most accurate test-results, so thus you get the better chance to avoid any further testing!

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and Causes!

What are gestational diabetes symptoms and causes? A condition of a pregnant woman (first recognized during pregnancy), which characterized by the high level of blood sugar (or familiar known as ‘glucose’) is the definition of gestational diabetes! It can occur about 4 percent of all pregnancies.

You might also like know about gestational diabetes test preparation tips, before continuing!

Understanding the gestational diabetes symptoms!

Unfortunately, there are no clearly symptoms or signs if you experience gestational diabetes! Therefore, since it doesn’t result any clearly signs you may need to get a proper test to get the clearly diagnosis (contact your doctor for more detailed information, advices and treatment). You may need to get this test for about after 24-28th weeks of your pregnancy!

Early Signs of Pregnancy First 2 Weeks

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As well we know that there are several symptoms in early pregnancy, including for the early signs of pregnancy first 2 weeks! One of the clearly symptoms in the first 2 weeks, you may begin to notice your missed period (especially if you have regular period with 28 days of cycle).

You may also like to know about pregnancy symptoms before missed period, before continuing!

But if you do a home pregnancy test in this time (first 2 weeks after conception or 14 days after ovulation), the chance to get a positive test is lower because your body still produce less amount of pregnancy hormone that make your home pregnancy test cannot detect your pregnancy properly. Just keep relax (avoid stress) and wait for next 7-10 days to retry your home pregnancy test! Get a clinic pregnancy test for more accurate result if necessary!

8 Days after Conception (Ovulation): Pregnancy Symptoms

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Looking for 8 days after conception symptoms? There are some early pregnancy symptoms after conception. Some of these signs are vivid dreams, changes in breasts, elevated cervical fluid, nausea, bloating, flatulence, mild cramps, or even exhaustion (fatigue).

You may also be interested to know about early signs of pregnancy first 2 weeks, before continuing!

The chart below explains some of the most common symptoms in early pregnancy, particularly 8 days after conception or ovulation. The pink color in the chart represents the percentage level of the symptoms if you are pregnant and the blue color represents the percentage level of symptoms if you are not pregnant. Higher % level may indicate the higher chance of your body to feel and get the symptom.

Missed Period Negative Pregnancy Test on Birth Control

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If you get missed period with negative pregnancy test on birth control, your chance to get pregnant is still very lower. There are some women who experience this situation and then they are scared that they are pregnant, especially for some of them who are beginner on taking a form of birth control.

If you are one of them you may need to read the previous helpful article about “what you should know about late period on birth control!”

Yes’ the late period is one of the clearly signs of early pregnancy symptoms! But if you take a form of birth control, this sign is something that can be a common event which can be the indication that your pills work well to prevent your pregnancy. In other words, we can say that missed period with negative pregnancy test on birth control is a common case.

Pregnancy Symptoms before Missed Period

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Missed period is one of the early signs of pregnancy, but there are also some earlier pregnancy symptoms before missed period which usually closely associated to hormonal shifts in your body before you note your late period. And these earlier signs of your pregnancy before late period are largely and once again dependent on your hormonal shifts.

You may also like to know early signs of pregnancy first 2 weeks, before continuing!

In several cases, there are also some women who don’t notice these earlier signs, until their late period is noted. But for some women who are very sensitive or very in tune with their body may be able to feel and notice any slight differences in their body, like increased body temperature, pregnancy fatigue, changes in the nipples & breasts, or even to the morning sickness.