Could You be Pregnant? – Very Early Signs of New Life Within

Do you think you could be pregnant? Excited at the thought?! If you already have a child, you know what to expect in terms of the early signs. However, if this is your first time, you may not know what to look for. Here we look at those early signs and symptoms.

If you want to have a baby and are trying to make that happen, you need to pay attention to your body. There are a number of early pregnancy signs that will signal that a baby is on the way for you!

Early Signs:

Some women experience some of the early signs of pregnancy while others may experience one or two, or in some instances, none at all. If you come to the time in the month when your period usually starts and it doesn’t, this is an early sign. If a few days go by and then a week and still nothing, you can officially say that you have missed a period and it could be pregnancy-related.

Be aware that some women experience vaginal spotting, known as implantation bleeding, when the embryo is in the process of attaching itself to the wall of the uterus. New blood vessels are forming at this time to provide the baby with what it will require during the gestation period.

Some women find themselves having to urinate more frequently once they become pregnant. This occurs as a result of the change in hormone levels. The uterus also gets bigger at this time and it can push against the bladder causing you to have to make more trips to the washroom!

More Early Signs:

The breasts sometimes offer early signs that pregnancy has occurred. They can be swollen and tender to the touch. They may throb or tingle and can be painful for some women. Both the nipples and the area around them, known as the areola, can become darker in color and can take on a broader appearance. This is happening because the milk glands are beginning to form in preparation for feeding the infant.

If you notice that the blood vessels in your breasts are becoming more obvious to the eye, this is a good sign that you are indeed pregnant. This takes place because there is increased blood supply as the body is readying you, an expectant mother, for the ability to breastfeed your newborn once he or she comes into the world.

Unexplained fatigue can also be an early sign of pregnancy as can having an upset or queasy stomach. Your body is changing and it is preparing you for what is to come over the next nine months.

If you sense that you may be pregnant, you should go to the store and purchase a home pregnancy test as soon as possible. If the result is positive, make an appointment with your doctor right away. There is a new life inside of you to prepare for!

Samantha

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What is a High Risk Pregnancy and What to Do If This is You?

A high risk pregnancy is one in which there are conditions by which the mother-to-be, her growing fetus, and/or both are at a higher than average risk for complications throughout the pregnancy or during the delivery.

Let us look at what those factors can be here.

Maternal and Fetal Risk Factors:

A pregnancy can be high risk for any number of reasons. There are many complications of pregnancy that can play a role in this. There are maternal factors that can potentially make it high risk as well as fetal factors that also have the potential to make it high risk.

One maternal factor is age. A female who is younger than 15 years is at a higher risk as is a mother who is considered to be of a mature age for having a baby. This would be all women over the age of 35 years.

Weight is another maternal factor. A woman with a weight of less than 100 pounds is at a greater risk as is a woman who was overweight or obese when she got pregnant. Being a normal and healthy weight when you conceive counts for a great deal.

Height is also a factor (for those under five feet tall), as is a history of pregnancy risks in the past, RH incompatibility, bleeding during the third trimester, uterine fibroids and any abnormalities of the reproductive tract. There are many disease such as cancer, heart disease and kidney disease that can also cause a pregnancy to be deemed high risk.

Fetal factors that can play a role in a pregnancy that is fraught with complications include exposure to damaging medications, exposure to addictive substances, and exposure to infections. A pregnancy is also considered high risk if tests indicate that the infant has a serious health issue, such as a heart problem. If this has been diagnosed then the mother will need to visit her physician frequently and will require special tests to monitor the baby’s condition. In some case she may even need medication.

Other Things Worth Knowing:

Sometimes a high risk pregnancy will mean that a woman will have to stop working earlier than she had planned to. There are also cases where either a maternal or fetal problem (or a combination of both) might necessitate an early delivery.

In some cases the doctor may decide that a surgical delivery, known as a caesarean section (C-section) is preferable to a traditional vaginal delivery.

Pregnant women who are at a higher than average risk for complications will need to be monitored more closely and more regularly by their doctors. Those who have a medical problem may also need to visit with a medical specialist who can check the health of the mother and the progress of the developing infant.

The health of mother and baby is so important and should never be taken for granted. If you are pregnant and have been deemed as in a high risk category then follow your doctor’s instructions and take the necessary precautions.

Becca

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