Early pregnancy can reveal many signs of the miracle happening within a woman’s body. Many signs of pregnancy are not yet visible in the early weeks but the transformation going on inside the pregnant woman are amazing.

Physical signs of pregnancy:

In the first two weeks after conception, the newly pregnant woman will have hormones coursing through her body that will begin to nourish her future baby. All before she even knows for sure that she is pregnant. At this stage of early pregnancy she may notice the following signs: her breasts may be tender and sensitive. She may swear her breasts feel fuller and heavier. To ease these signs she can try wearing a more supportive bra or perhaps a sports bra will help. She may experience bouts of nausea, queasiness, or even vomiting. These signs are due to the change in hormone levels. These three signs make up what is referred to as “morning sickness” although they can occur any time of day or night they more commonly occur in the morning hours. Early on in the pregnancy she may also feel really fatigued because her body is working hard to support the pregnancy. It is important that the woman rest as much as she can in order to fight the feelings of fatigue. Eating adequate amounts of protein and iron from your diet can also fight fatigue. Physical activity can also make you forget your fatigue and give you a fresh perspective on life. Dizziness is another common sign of being pregnant in the first 2 weeks of the pregnancy. Your circulation is changing to support the little being inside you.

Emotional signs of pregnancy:

Pregnancy is an emotional time for both parents-to-be as you adjust to the news and plan for the new life being formed. You can go through a whole gamut of emotions in just a short period of time as you deal with new situations and physical experiences. It is normal to feel a wide range of emotions from excitement, nervousness, fear, calm, anxiety, and anticipation. It is normal for a certain amount of worrying to be going on as the parents-to-be make plans, adjust to their new responsibilities and learn about all the physical changes that are happening in the mom-to-be’s body as well as the many changes to come. It is not uncommon for newly pregnant moms to experience mood swings from elation, feelings of misgivings or uncertainties.

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If you are pregnant, then you have probably read many books and talk to others that will offer plenty of advice for your nine months. Your grandma may even give you plenty of old wives tales to get you through the next few months. Some of that advice will be more useful than others. The bottom line is that when you are pregnant you want to have a healthy pregnancy not only for you, but for your baby, too. A healthy pregnancy can help make sure that your deliver will be smooth and safe. The following are some helpful tips for a healthy pregnancy.

Keep your doctor appointments: One of the most important things you can do when you are expecting is to make sure that you go to each and every one of your doctor appointments. Your doctor is one of your best advocates during these nine months. He or she can talk to you about your pregnancy, answer any questions you may have and make sure that everything is going smoothly. Regular appointments during this time are extremely important. If you have just found out that you are expecting, don’t hesitate-make that appointment today.

Watch what you eat: The food you eat is also very important during this time. What nourishes your body, also nourishes your baby. You can get plenty of great ideas for healthy eating during pregnancy in books and from your doctor. When you are pregnant, you will want to focus your eating efforts on the good foods and forget about caffeine, refined sugar, fried foods and foods that have little nutritional content. Eat a varied diet full of lean protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember, you are eating for two, but that only applies to the type of foods you are eating-not the amount. Of course, you will also want to avoid alcohol during this time as well.

Take your vitamins: Vitamins during this time in your life are very important. Most doctors will recommend a pre-natal vitamin that will give your body all the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. Some women might also benefit from additional Vitamin C and Iron. It is a proven fact that some birth defects can actually be reduced when the mom takes her pre-natal vitamins each and every day. Set them out on the counter so you do not forget.

Get some exercise: You need exercise whether you are pregnant or not, but it is especially helpful when you are expecting. Exercise, even light exercise, can help keep your muscles toned and in good shape. This is an added plus for delivery. You can walk, swim or even join a pregnancy exercise class.

All of these tips will help you have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Good luck!

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Signs that a woman may be pregnant:

- A missed period

- Feeling sick to the stomach, nausea, vomiting

- Breasts are sore, perhaps slightly bigger and the breast nipples may be sore or the areola (the area around the nipples) may be darker in color.

- Certain food cravings may signal the changes going on in your body

- Fatigue

- You receive a positive home pregnancy test (HPT)

Knowing they are pregnant women typically are concerned about getting good prenatal care, getting started on prenatal vitamins unless they already started taking them during the period of time when they were trying to conceive and they do exciting things like determine their due dates by using Due Date Calculators and joining online pregnancy forums where they can chat with other pregnant women. They find out about all things pregnant such as what foods to eat, what medications to avoid, how to handle food safely, and finding out how much weight is safe to gain during pregnancy.

They also explore what kinds of exercise are safe to do during pregnancy. Exercise is important anytime but it is especially important to stay fit while pregnant because a healthy fit body will respond better to the demands of pregnancy. Exercising also helps to avoid excess weight gain, and helps to develop stronger bones, joints and muscles. A woman who regularly exercises has a lower risk of having a premature baby, heart disease and other serious illnesses that can harm her and her pregnancy if a serious illness occurs during pregnancy.

Exercise can also help to relieve stress, backaches, help new moms to regain their energy level back after giving birth and help to lose any excess weight gained during pregnancy.

Knowing she is pregnant, she may decide to improve on her lifestyle by vowing to cutback on caffeine consumption, reduce her social life regarding parties or social events so as to trim her usually hectic life which may also require trimming work hours if she is typically known as the first one in and last one out of the office. In preparation for the lifestyle changes once the baby is born she may attend parenting classes, newborn care classes or prenatal/childbirth classes.

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As in most situations in life, a little support and kindness can go along way in making an unexpected or unplanned situation seem more manageable. Support and kindness can also help these women to succeed in what ever they decide concerning their pregnancies.

No matter why the pregnancy is unexpectant the fact that she is pregnant will change the course of her life no matter what decision she makes about the baby. She should not make any decisions until the shock of the pregnancy has worn off and she can think a little clearer. The first step any woman should do who finds her in this situation is to confirm the pregnancy with a medical professional. There are many pregnancy services where free confirmation and counseling is available. Keeping a journal is therapeutic as well as a good tool for making decisions. Decisions can sometimes be made when the individual remembers to take into consideration beliefs, circumstances, and values. Whenever possible the father of the baby should have a say in decisions that are made or at least be able to voice his opinions.

Every parent-to-be needs support and understanding.

Ultimately the individuals involved in the pregnancy must ask themselves some pretty personal questions such as will couples who are unmarried, chose to marry before the baby is born? What type of support should fathers provide if they are not married to the mom-to-be?

Future decision about where to live, how to support the baby, how to care for the baby and medical decisions are always tough ones to make and can depend on the particulars of the situation.

Keeping the baby, adoption, and having an abortion are the 3 choices that most women who end of in unexpectant pregnancy situations have to face.

Many individuals chose adoptions as a solution that they can live with and one that fits their lifestyle. There are many different adoption plans that need to be investigated. Make sure you ask all the questions you can during the initial appointments. Adoptions are usually difficult emotionally and are dependant on the circumstances.

Most decisions regarding an unexpected pregnancy revolve around who can financially support the child, how will the best interests of the child be served, and should involve counseling, support groups, and services that explore the grieving process, and issues of loss and the special challenges that revolve around making this decision.

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As you can see, it is not always easy when you are expecting a new baby. When you get down to the last few weeks, it is time to start thinking about delivery. Your body and your baby are changing very quickly. Here is a brief run-down of what to expect during your last few weeks of your pregnancy.

Changed appearance: Of course, one of the biggest, most noticeable changes during this time is your appearance. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, your baby is gaining weight quite rapidly. That means you have a growing abdomen, too. You may look and feel bloated as well. This could be from the increase in water and fluids in your body. You may find that your feet and face looks and feels swollen. This is a common part of pregnancy during the last few weeks.

Increased appetite: Your body is burning a lot of calories during this phase of your pregnancy. Your baby is growing and your body is getting ready for delivery. You can eat what your body needs; just make sure that you are sticking to your healthy diet. Now, more than ever, it is important that you are paying close attention to what your body needs. You still want to avoid caffeine and fast foods as wells a lot of refined sugar. Stick with fresh fruits, veggies and lean proteins. Drink plenty of water during this time, too.

Aches and pains: The last few weeks of pregnancy is a time when you will feel the most aches and pains. Your body is changing and the baby is moving more and more each day. Many women suffer from lower back pain during this time. If you feel that you have a lot of aches and pains, then you will want to take it easy and not over-exert your body. If your doctor has approved pain relievers such as Tylenol, then you can take that to help ease the symptoms.

Feeling tired: One of the biggest complaints that many women have during the last few weeks of pregnancy is feeling tired. When you are carrying extra weight, it makes it more difficult for you to move and get around. You will feel tired. The good news is that you have a perfect excuse to rest and nap when you have the time. You need to make the time to refresh your mind and body and not feel run down. Once the baby arrives, you will have little time for napping.

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Some of the more commonly occurring pregnancy problems are bad breath of pregnancy, skin discoloration (pregnancy mask), stretch marks, hot flashes, acne of pregnancy, discomforts of pregnancy such as back pain and gastric reflux, diabetes of pregnancy, premature labor, hypertension of pregnancy and birth defects that affect the baby’s growth or threatens the life of the baby.

Prenatal visits are designed to monitor your health and the health of your developing baby. The monitoring is done by weight checks, blood and urine lab work, ultrasound examinations, blood pressure monitoring, measuring the height of the uterus, internal examinations and specialized pregnancy testing to check on your health or your baby’s such as stress tests.

Bad breath can happen as a result of pregnancy hormones or not having the time or energy to follow good dental health. If you experience a sudden occurrence of bad breath you should consider if there have been any changes in lifestyle, diet or your health that may contribute to bad breath. If this assessment doesn’t reveal the cause of the bad breath a trip to the dentist may help to reveal the source of the bad breath. Many women complain of a “metal-taste” in their mouth as a sign of early pregnancy.

Something that concerns practically every pregnant woman is the possibility of developing stretch marks. Statistically more than half of all pregnant women develop some stretch marks during pregnancy. Stretch marks are also called “striae gravidarum”. They may vary in color but typically start out light red or pinkish in color if your normal pigment is light and if your regular skin pigment is dark than the stretch marks will start out looking lighter than your normal skin color. Stretch marks fade over time and become silvery in color. Most stretch marks happen in the last trimester of pregnancy when a woman gains most of her pregnancy weight. Stretch marks happen because of rapid weight gain or rapid weight loss. These marks are not painful and will not harm you. Whether or not you get stretch marks and how many you get if you get any depends on how elastic your skin is. Genetic make-up determines how elastic your skin is. If your mom got stretch marks during pregnancy you have a good chance of getting stretch marks too due to heredity.

One thing you can do to affect the stretch mark outcome is to be conservative about how much pregnancy weight you gain. Eat nutritious foods in balanced portions. If you overeat at every meal, snack a lot and drink lots of juice than you will gain a lot of weight and run a higher risk of getting stretch marks. The better nourished your body is the better able the skin will be able to stretch. The better hydrated (the more water you drink) the better able your skin will stretch.

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Most questions can be answered regarding the safety of these special situations by a woman’s obstetrician or other pregnancy team member.

Most activities such as participating in rides or other spectator events at a fair or carnival are marked if they are unsafe for those who are pregnant but it is always a good idea to ask or stay away from any rides that involve sudden drops, quick turns or when jarring or sudden stops is involved. Activities that involve contact with other vehicles or objects should also be avoided.

Work and Pregnancy can have special concerns if the hours are long; the work involves heavy lifting, dangerous or toxic substances, or risky activities. Work also presents unusual scenarios for the woman experiencing morning sickness, frequent urination, or extreme fatigue. Most work environments are less than happy with an employee or member of management spending unusual amounts of time in the bathroom or when the individual cannot stay awake during board meetings, client meetings or while doing tasks. When pregnant while working you must also deal with healthcare insurance or maternity leave issues.

Safe sex while pregnant may also be of special concern. If you are having a normal pregnancy your doctor, obstetrician or midwife has probably told you that sex during pregnancy is safe for the baby and for you. Your abdomen and the fluid inside the amniotic sac protect the baby unless you practice particularly rough sex. Women with high-risk pregnancies may have special precautions to take regarding sex during pregnancy in that case follow your doctor’s, obstetrician’s or midwife’s instructions. Always ask if you have any questions or concerns about sex and your pregnancy. Believe me your healthcare provider has probably already heard everything possible about sex and pregnancy.

There are activities, exercises and sports that are safe to participate in during pregnancy and there are those that are not safe. Perhaps the best form of exercise for pregnant women would be aerobics, water low impact aerobics or walking and swimming. Some things have some level of risk while you are pregnant such as horseback riding, ice-skating, and roller-blading. Pregnant women should avoid things like water skiing or downhill skiing at low altitudes. Any sport, activity or exercise that involves direct impact of any kind, jarring or sudden stops should not be participated in during pregnancy.

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If you are pregnant and notice any type or amount of bleeding it is important to wear a pad so that you can monitor the amount and type of bleeding, so that you can report it to your pregnancy caregiver. Never, however place a tampon or anything else into the vaginal area when you are bleeding.

What bleeding may mean in the 1st half of a pregnancy (1st trimester):

* Miscarriage
* Ectopic pregnancy
* Molar pregnancy
* Implantation bleeding
* Pelvic cavity or urinary tract infection
* Bleeding after intercourse due to the cervix being tender and sensitive during pregnancy

What bleeding may mean in the 2nd half of a pregnancy (2nd or 3rd trimester):

If the woman is experiencing minor bleeding in the 2nd half of her pregnancy it could be caused by an inflamed cervix or abnormal skin growths on the cervix (Polyps). Bleeding that is light to heavy can also signal a serious complication called, “Placental Abruption”. This bleeding results from the placenta detaching from the uterus before or during labor. This is a rare condition that occurs in approximately 1% of pregnancies and typically in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy.

If a woman is experiencing Placental Abruption during her pregnancy she may experience vaginal bleeding and pain in the stomach or abdominal region. Women who have had previous children, are age 35 or older, have had an abruption previously, have sickle cell anemia, suffer from high blood pressure, have had a trauma or injury to the stomach region or who use Cocaine are at a higher risk than others for Placental Abruption.

Placenta Previa is another complication of pregnancy that can cause bleeding but usually no pain. It occurs in 1 out of every 200 pregnancies. Women, who have had previous children, have given birth by cesarean section, or who have had other surgeries on the uterus or those women who are pregnant with twins, triplets or higher multiples are at risk for Placenta Previa.

Did you know that vaginal bleeding could also be a sign of preterm labor?

When the mucus plug is lost in the last few weeks of pregnancy mucus and blood can pass and it is a normal sign of impending labor. If this happens before you are full-term you may be going into preterm labor, which can be a serious complication of pregnancy.

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It is true however that female fertility does decline with age so the change of conceiving and of conceiving with healthy ova decreases the older a woman is when she conceives. The woman in her 40s may be running the risk of the conception occurring using inferior ova, which increases the risk for birth defect. Pregnant women are also at higher risk for becoming pregnant with multiples after the age of 45.

A woman in her 40s may already have health issues when she begins the pregnancy so for her it is even more important to receive proper prenatal care all through the pregnancy, especially as she is also at higher risk for pregnancy complications. Some pregnancy complications may involve developing hypertension, gestational diabetes or even cardiovascular disease.

Women who are pregnant and over 40 are always receiving unsolicited advice and comments about their decision to have a baby as if there were something wrong about desiring to have a child.

If you are in good health and reduce your risks of complications during pregnancy by getting good prenatal care and my practicing healthy habits you have an excellent chance of giving birth to a healthy baby.

If you plan on becoming pregnant and are 40 or over you should make sure that you see your caregiver before conceiving so that you can have an assessment of your health condition, check your body’s readiness for pregnancy and get any issues under control such as weight or diet.

If you are over age 40, you have a 25% risk of having a miscarriage.

Women who are pregnant over age 40 also have an increased risk of delivery by cesarean.

If you are 40 or older and pregnant you have a one in forty chance for having a Down syndrome baby. Down Syndrome can be detected using ultrasound before the baby is born.

The pregnant mom-to-be’s health risks increase the older she gets. She has an increased risk for developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease during the course of her pregnancy and she may also develop gestational diabetes.

To increase your chances for a healthy pregnancy it is important to keep all prenatal appointments, stay active physically every day even if all you do is take a walk. Prenatal vitamins are really important and if you are planning to become pregnant don’t wait for your first prenatal visit to start them, ask your gynecologist to prescribe them to you before you conceive to be sure your baby has optimum nutrition at the critical time in pregnancy when all the organs are being formed.

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Consider your child’s emotions: Before you break the news about the new baby, consider your child. Think about how your child normally reacts to big news and changes. If you have a child that has a hard time adjusting to changes, then you may want to gradually break the news. Read some books, talk about babies and don’t just blurt the news out. If you have children that deal with change well and are generally excited about such news, then make it a family affair and announce it when you feel it is most appropriate. You may also want to consider your child’s age when you decide on when to tell them. Many mothers feel that waiting under the second trimester is wisest you can avoid explaining to your child if something bad happens. If you have a very young child, then telling them about the news right away can feel like an eternity to them. You may want to wait until you start showing signs.

Let your child visit the doctor with you: Older children will enjoy going to the doctor appointments with you. If you are having an ultrasound, then this may be a good time if your doctor will allow it. Seeing and hearing the baby can give your child concrete evidence that the baby is in there. This will get your child very excited about the baby.

Spend time with your child: Explain to your child that when the baby comes, things will be different. However, as a parent, you must take the time focus on your child, too. Assure your child that you will have plenty of love to go around. Make a special routine at bed time with your child, or find time that the two of you can enjoy together.

Let your child help with the baby plans: Another way to get your child excited about the addition to the family is to let your child help with the baby plans. Let them make name suggestions, and take them shopping to help pick out clothes and toys for the nursery. You can even let your child help decorate the nursery. He or she can draw pictures to hang on the wall or help paint, too. It will be fun for your child to help prepare for the baby in this way.

Take your child to a sibling class: Many areas and hospitals offer sibling classes and these are great to help your child prepare for the baby. These classes will show your child how to hold the baby and how to help mom and dad care for the baby. Look around for these classes to see if you can enroll your child in one.

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