How You and your Baby Grow

A good pregnancy is one free of vomiting, varicose veins and hair loss and hemorrhoids. These conditions are equally distressing but it does not have to go hand in hand with pregnancy. No matter how healthy you are there are some symptoms that you will still experience and are absolutely unavoidable.

How you change and develop

Your pregnancies will last 9 lunar months or about 266 days from the date of conception. Just as women have menstrual cycles of slightly different lengths, just as children grow at different rates. In reality a pregnancy between 38 to 42 weeks is till classed to be normal.

Therefore if you are given a due date by your doctor don’t take it too heart as it is only an approximation and rest assured that your baby will be born when good and ready, However if you are monitoring your fertility and conceives consciously you should have a very good idea on when your due date may be.

First Signs of Pregnancy

If you have been charting your temperature as part of your fertility awareness the first time you have conceived is when your temperature rise for 20 days. This may be accompanied by frequent urination, tender nipples and dragging sensations not unlike menstrual pain.

Reduced Energy in the Early Weeks

During the first 12 weeks your baby will grow in a rapid rate and massive hormonal changes are also taking place in your body. More growth occurs during this period more than any other of the whole pregnancy. If you focus on the work your body is doing and the extraordinary rapid development rate of an embryo, you won’t be surprised by the fact that you’ve got less energy than normal.

This is a great opportunity to get into the habit of taking time out. If you are working while you are pregnant put your feet up for 30 minutes after work and if you are at home with small children. Play groups or a teenager who leaves close by can be a good effective short term solution.

You will probably experience several weeks of unaccustomed lethargy, but do not be frustrated by this and simply listen to what your body is telling you, slow down get plenty of rest by having short breaks and stay nourished.

Breasts and Nipple Changes

Your breasts will become larger and your nipples will change in the early weeks of your pregnancy. Your nipples will also be tender especially if this is your first pregnancy. All sizes of women’s breasts and nipples have managed to successfully breast feed all types of babies through millennia. Remember that women managed to breast feed without the aid of lotions and creams.

Your bladder needs emptying often

The need to urinate frequently is a great pain for all pregnant women. Frequently urinating starts at the beginning of the pregnancy and lasts right through the end and you will be fed up by it for sure. Unfortunately there is no remedy for this and you will just have to grin and bear it. Don’t stop drinking water as this will not stop your frequent urinating it will only undermine the health of your baby rather than solving your problems. You may prefer not to drink too much late at night however.

Morning Sickness

Some slight nausea may be the feature of early pregnancy and this may be unavoidable due to the massive hormonal changes which are taking place. You might feel a bit seedy in the morning and wonder how these conditions ever become known as morning sickness. Eating can help overcome these feelings but during this time it is difficult to know exactly what sort of meal you like. Small simple meals and a succession of nutritious snacks will give you a lot of relief because they will keep your blood sugar levels stable and by the end of the first trimester these awful feeling should completely pass.

Sleep may not come easily

Your sleep patterns will change while you are pregnant and these changes appear to be due to a number of factors. It seems certain however that even from the very earliest day’s nature is preparing you for the coming months when your baby will be nursing through the night. As your belly increases in size it may be hard to try and get comfortable. Practice your relaxation techniques, play some quiet ambient music and practice some visualization. Even reading will sometimes allow you to fall asleep again without too much trouble. Just make sure that your reading material is appropriate and avoid highly excitable murder mysteries.

As your pregnancy progresses you will start to experience practice contractions. These are painless and but you will feel the muscles of your uterus contract and your belly will feel hard and tight. There is nothing to worry about it is simply your uterus having a trial run. These contractions will increase in intensity and frequently during the last month but its efficiency will be enhanced if levels of nutrients such as calcium and magnesium are in plentiful.

A sense of joy and well being

The latter part of your pregnancy should be a time of excitement and fulfillment. You should be able to focus on the miracle of life growing within you free of the discomforts which are the main concerns of most women. The tiredness and nausea you have experienced should have subsided by now and for the first time you can feel the flutter of your baby’s feet. Your skin will glow and as months pass you will be filled with a sense of joy and well being eagerly awaiting the arrival of your baby. The fact that you are caring for your baby and yourself now is sending your baby important messages of loving and caring nurturing message which seems almost certain that your baby can understand long before you can hold him in your arms.

One Door Opens and Another One Opens

The latter of your pregnancy is the time to bring in to a close those things you no longer have any use for. You might need to put your career on hold or leave your job. Rather than seeing his as a loss think of it simply as an ending of one cycle and the beginning of another.