Early Pregnancy
Congratulations! You’re pregnant! Early pregnancy is one of the most exciting times of your life but it can be daunting too. The next year or so will be filled with tremendous change and hopefully great joy. You’re probably keen to find out all you can to ensure a healthy child-bearing to help nurture the growing life inside you.
You probably have so many questions you want to ask and this page aims to help you find the answers. Here you will find information about early pregnancy including symptoms, what to expect in the early stage, how to cope with the dreaded morning sickness, calculating your due date and more expert advice.
Ovulation and Due date Calculators
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When to take a pregnancy test: 4 things you need to remember
You probably don’t want to wait a second longer than necessary to discover whether you’re pregnant or not. But knowing exactly when to take a pregnancy test can mean the difference between seeing an accurate result the first time or feeling even more confused than before. Here are 4 things you need to know when you‘re wondering “How early can you test for pregnancy?” 1. Testing too early can give you the wrong answer The first thing to know
Getting serious about Folic Acid
By Hannah Dahlen Folic Acid is a Vitamin from the B group that is needed for healthy growth and development. While everyone needs Folic Acid it is especially important for women of childbearing age, particularly those planning a pregnancy. Folic Acid enables the healthy development of babies in early pregnancy. It significantly reduces the risk of certain abnormalities called neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Women are recommended to take folic acid supplements (0.4 milligrams) for at least
Bleeding in Early Pregnancy
By Jane Palmer Bleeding at any stage of pregnancy is not considered normal. If this happens to you then you should see your midwife or doctor. Bleeding from the birth canal before 20 weeks is called a threatened abortion or miscarriage. The bleeding may or may not have abdominal pain associated with it. The blood loss may be brown spotting, blood stained discharge or bright red bleeding. In fact, the amount of bleeding is proportional to the risk of
Early Pregnancy Questions
The first twelve weeks of pregnancy is called the first trimester. In early pregnancy your body goes through amazing changes to support your baby. These changes affect you both physically and emotionally. Even if your pregnancy is planned, your reaction to it may surprise you. You can feel anything from elation through to unhappiness. Feeling a range of emotions in early pregnancy is very normal. What is happening to my body? In early pregnancy your baby goes from being
Early Pregnancy – What to Expect
Even before you’ve missed a period, you may suspect – or hope – you are pregnant. Usually, the signs of early pregnancy are obvious. Nausea, a bloated tummy, period pain-like cramps, fuller breasts, and loss of sexual desire: they’re all signs you may be pregnant. However, some women don’t even notice they’ve a baby on the way. Their symptoms of pregnancy don’t become obvious for weeks or even months after conception! So, in early pregnancy you may feel very
Symptoms of Pregnancy
We’ve listed some of the most common symptoms of pregnancy below. You may begin to suspect you are pregnant very soon after the baby is conceived, or you may not have any pregnancy symptoms until much later. Finding out if you are pregnant is easy. Home pregnancy tests can confirm your pregnancy on the day your period is due, and some can give a positive result even earlier. Alternatively, your pregnancy can be confirmed by your midwife or doctor.
Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy
Nausea and vomiting affect 50-90% of pregnancies (1). Beginning from before 9 weeks gestation it most commonly resolves between 10 and 16 weeks gestation (2). Although referred to as 'morning sickness' nausea and vomiting in pregnancy may occur throughout the day. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are thought to be associated with raised thyroxine levels and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) or suppressed Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels. There is no good evidence to support psychological and behavioural theories (1).
Pregnancy Testing
By Jane Palmer These days, you don’t need to wait to see your midwife or doctor to find out whether you’re pregnant. Instead, you can opt for self-testing. Home tests are urine tests that usually simply give a positive or negative result. Your midwife or doctor, on the other hand, may perform either a urine test similar to the one you can take at home or a blood test to find out whether you’re pregnant. Home tests Suppose you
Signs of Pregnancy
Whether you are attempting to conceive or suspect you might be in for a big surprise, many women wonder if there are any reliable signs of pregnancy. The simple answer is yes! Right from conception a women’s body begins going through huge changes aimed at accommodating and ultimately birthing a growing baby. So too an embryo, right from creation, begins to impact on the physiology of its mother’s body. What does this all add up to? Changes! When will
Supplements in Pregnancy
By Hannah Dahlen In pregnancy a woman's body needs extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help her baby grow. In addition, the presence of some nutrients in good supply has been shown to reduce the risk of certain conditions in pregnancy. Having a healthy diet is the best way of ensuring you are receiving the vitamins you need. That said, pregnancy is a time of great strain on the body, resulting in an increased need for nutrients such