Some women find it hard to believe that other women can sail obliviously through the first few weeks (and even months) of pregnancy without noticing any obvious signs.
But while feeling nauseous, tired, or having a late period are all symptoms of pregnancy, they could be due to other ... Views: 5745
Those last few weeks and days of pregnancy can really drag. Of course you are excited about what lies ahead, but you are also probably very tired of carrying your pregnancy bump around 24/7.
Pregnancy advice and tips about labour are probably coming at you fast and furious and you may have ... Views: 3542
In order to get pregnant a male sperm must fertilise a female’s egg. The conventional way for this to happen is through sexual intercourse when the male
penis enters the woman’s vagina and ejaculation of sperm occurs.
The process of an egg being fertilised can also be carried out outside ... Views: 2513
Some mums-to-be dismiss the idea of a home birth thinking that they are “more dangerous” than hospital births.
In fact, the secret to successfully giving birth at home is in the planning. Carefully prepared home births are statistically just as safe as planned hospital births in low-risk ... Views: 1848
Many women trying to conceive will know their menstrual cycle like the back of their hand. They know all the pregnancy symptoms to look out for – the dull ache that can come with ovulation, the tiny twinge that could mean implantation is taking place, the precise moment their next bleed is due ... Views: 1560
The first trimester pregnancy is when it all happens. It is at this stage that your baby’s organs start to form and develop, it is also the time when you experience the full effects of being pregnant with feelings of sickness, exhaustion and mood swings as your hormones rocket through the roof. ... Views: 1556
Nobody can really predict how their pet dog will react when a new baby is brought into the house, however loveable and soft the dog may be. A dog is a pack animal and will usually dedicate its life to serving you, its leader. So when a new member of the pack (a baby) is brought into its life the ... Views: 1540
Keeping tabs on your weight during pregnancy can be confusing. It is difficult to know if you are putting on too many excess pounds or if you not taking on enough calories for your baby. Eating for two is an old adage that has long been proved wrong however it is important to gain a certain ... Views: 1537
When you are trying to get pregnant – or possibly desperate to get pregnant – every passing month and every failed pregnancy test is a huge disappointment.
You are so on the look-out for some of the early pregnancy symptoms that the slightest thing raises your hopes that you’ve spotted one ... Views: 1492
That was it. That was the moment you became pregnant, although you probably weren’t even aware of the monumental process going on in your body.
But as roughly 1.5 – 3.5 million sperm headed for your fallopian tubes one amazing little seed hit its target and your egg was fertilised.
This ... Views: 1468
Don’t worry if you only have a small room to convert into a nursery, with a little imagination and planning the tiniest of box rooms can be a delightful space for your little one. Here are some nursery decorating ideas for small spaces.
Design and layout
Pale, neutral and light decor will ... Views: 1455
Many women choose to wait until the significant 12 weeks pregnant landmark to share the happy news of their pregnancy.
At the end of the first trimester and the start of the second, there are more visible signs of pregnancy with a nicely rounded tummy, and there is statistically less ... Views: 1436
Feeling your baby move for the first time is a magical moment. What begins as a barely perceptible flutter quickly turns into a full-on kick as your little one starts to make her presence felt and by the end it can feel as if she is dancing a jig inside you. You will probably even see a foot or ... Views: 1425
Many women spend years trying to NOT get pregnant. But when they decide the time is right to start a family impatience sets in and they want it to happen as quickly as possible.
So that’s the question, how to get pregnant faster?
Here are some sensible suggestions.
Stop using birth ... Views: 1397
As baby’s due date arrives, then passes, most mums become desperate to see those first signs of labour. These may occur as much as a week before baby actually arrives, but are still a clear indication that baby is on her way!
So what early signs of labour could you experience?
A show: ... Views: 1376
Bringing your newborn baby home is a huge moment in anyone’s life. From newborn to one month old baby, development of this little person is fascinating.
In the early days you are getting used to being a mum, working out a routine and learning to recognise your baby’s needs.
But after only ... Views: 1365
It’s a dilemma. You feel fine and you want to carry on working as long as you can – but could you be harming your unborn baby? Or you feel tired and sick and struggle to keep up at work, but you don’t want to be stuck at home twiddling your thumbs.
So when should mums-to-be give up ... Views: 1336
So you have finally seen that all-important positive result from the pregnancy test, or perhaps your body is showing all the tell-tale signs that a baby is on the way, but just how pregnant are you? It is always handy to know when your little one is expected to make an appearance into the world ... Views: 1321
Raspberry leaf tea is probably the most controversial of all the herbal teas.
The actual effect any herbal tea has on a pregnancy has not yet been researched. So there is no right or wrong answer to the question of whether ANY herbal teas should be drunk during pregnancy. Certainly if you ... Views: 1266
So you are pregnant…. Congratulations!
Now you’ll want to work out exactly when your baby will be born! Sorry, that’s not really possible. Even using a pregnancy calculator you can’t predict exactly when your little one will decide to make an appearance.
What a pregnancy calculator CAN do ... Views: 1222
Getting pregnant is not an exact science. Even couples who are fertile, fit and able have only a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle.
If you’ve been trying for some time to start a family you could have some fertility problems and it may be best to have an examination. Check with your GP who ... Views: 1212
Teething is most common in a 5 or 6 month old baby, but it can start as early as 3 months or as late as a first birthday.
You can first expect to see the lower front teeth (central incisors) followed by the upper front teeth. Next are the upper and lower teeth at either side of the central ... Views: 1211
If you are planning to start a family, there are certain things you should do, and certain things you should stop doing, to ensure you have a happy and safe pregnancy. Pay attention to your lifestyle, and make the necessary changes, and the healthier you and your baby will be.
There are also ... Views: 1178
A premature birth is the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age for whatever reason.
The exact cause of why some babies arrive early is often never established.
A premature birth may come as a complete surprise to the mum and her medical team. But if a pregnant woman is ... Views: 1164
For some women, the thought of having twins is terrifying - double the work, double the cost and double the trouble. However, for many, a multiple birth is a long-held dream. So is there a way of increasing your chances of conceiving twins? Whether it is information gathered from studies or just ... Views: 1161
When a woman ovulates, hormonal changes in her body can cause a range of symptoms.
If a woman is aware of these changes she can tell when she is at her most fertile and therefore most likely to conceive.
Ovulation calculators and ovulation calendars will of course pin point very accurately ... Views: 1139
Your main concern when you are pregnant is to keep both you and your baby safe and healthy, which is why it can be scary if you do fall ill.
Fortunately, common ailments such as a cold won’t harm the baby. However, there are some pregnancy infections that can be more serious and that you need ... Views: 1131
Resist the urge to buy, buy, buy when you have a baby on the way. There are of course some essential newborn baby items you’ll need to buy, but many items can be borrowed from friends or family, bought second-hand or even ignored altogether.
Here are the most essential newborn baby ... Views: 1127
Becoming a mum for the first time can be overwhelming and daunting at first. Even the smallest tasks might seem colossal and you can feel that life as you know it will never be the same again. Here are some tips on how to survive those first few weeks, and remember, having a newborn baby is the ... Views: 1119
Everyone loves a freebie, especially when it really is something you may have spent your hard-earned cash on anyway.
Being given free baby stuff is a definite perk of pregnancy and motherhood.
There are so many things a baby needs (who would have imaged a tiny little person would need so ... Views: 1108
Finding out you are pregnant is an exciting time. There will be a lot of changes over the next few weeks and months. Here are some top tips for the first trimester...
GP visit
You have taken a home pregnancy test and it is positive. Now is the time to visit your doctor to get official ... Views: 1106
All babies cry. It is their only way to communicate their needs. Some parents quickly learn to recognise why their baby is crying, whether she’s hungry, wet, dirty, wants a cuddle or is in pain. Others may struggle to understand what baby is trying to say.
Here are some of the reasons why ... Views: 1096
Congratulations you are pregnant! Getting confirmation from that all-important early pregnancy test is so exciting but it is just the start of things to come. There will be big changes to get used to during the pregnancy from your growing bump, coping with morning sickness to finding a whole new ... Views: 1095
Iron deficiency in the body leads to the condition anaemia. Anaemia in pregnancy is quite common but it is actually very easy to prevent.
We need iron throughout our lives, as it’s used to make haemoglobin (red blood cells) which carries oxygen around the body. But in pregnancy it is vital ... Views: 1092
Babies drink milk. Fact. But unfortunately a few react badly to milk and it actually makes them ill and affects baby development.
Some babies are allergic to all dairy products, but more commonly a baby can be lactose intolerant. So what is the difference? And how can you tell if your baby is ... Views: 1091
One in every 80 pregnancies in the UK each year is an ectopic one, when the fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb. Tests for an ectopic pregnancy traditionally involve a blood test to measure the levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG. These levels are lower than normal if the pregnancy ... Views: 1053
There are certain things to be thought about when it comes to baby and pregnancy essentials.
Pregnancy essentials
No matter whether the person is going to have her first baby or already have several children, the person has to make sure that she has everything needed during pregnancy. The ... Views: 1052
Despite us living in a sexually enlightened age, there are still too many unplanned teenage pregnancies.
Of course a fourteen-year-old being pregnant is very different from a nineteen-year-old, but they are still both classed as teenagers so the statistics include girls at both ends of the ... Views: 1038
There can be few things more traumatic for a woman to go through than giving birth to a still born baby.
The definition of still born, or a still birth, is a baby which is born dead after 24 complete weeks of pregnancy.
If a woman loses her baby earlier than the 24 week stage it is classed ... Views: 1030
Teenage mums-to-be are usually considered at higher risk of having a premature labour and/or an underweight baby.
Good nutrition and antenatal care is vitally important throughout the pregnancy weeks as the teenager herself will still be growing and will need nurturing.
But often ... Views: 1027
Bathing your baby is an important part of baby care, but while it is beneficial for baby development you don’t have to bath a newborn every day. You can top and tail, ensuring that her face and bottom are kept clean.
Babies usually love bath time and it may become a special bonding time for ... Views: 1018
The percentage of women having caesareans rather than spontaneous, vaginal deliveries, has grown in recent years. In the UK around 20% of births are now c-sections and not just for medical reasons.
These 'elective’ caesareans are supposed to be an option if a pregnant woman has already had an ... Views: 1018
If you want, or have, to return to work when your maternity leave is over you’ll need to carefully consider the childcare options available to you.
You’ll need to plan ahead to make sure that your baby care is the best available on your budget.
But before you make plans here are some tips ... Views: 1012
If you are planning to have children, there are many steps you can take to ensure your body is ready for the journey ahead. Being proactive and preparing for pregnancy can really work in your favour. It is also important to know the pregnancy signs to look out for to confirm that all your ... Views: 1005
What is amniocentesis?
When being given pregnancy advice by their GP or midwife, some women will be recommended amniocentesis.
This is a diagnostic test which can detect a serious, or potentially serious, condition in an unborn baby.
Amniotic fluid surrounds the fetus in the womb. It ... Views: 995
Whether it’s because of nausea, needing to pee every couple of hours, restless legs, difficulty finding a comfy position or even disturbed dreams, many expectant women suffer from some form of pregnancy insomnia: an inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of ... Views: 994
Getting a full night’s sleep when you are pregnant can sometimes seem like an impossible dream. Whether it is feelings of nausea, a full bladder or your little one practising karate kicks keeping you awake, there are ways to improve sleeping in pregnancy.
Sleeping position:
It can be ... Views: 992
Giving birth to a child is undoubtedly the best pleasure in this world! Ask any women about the most memorable moment in her life, and it has to be the moment when she became a mother! If you are expecting a child soon, then you must have witnessed your body undergoing several changes in the ... Views: 982
Some women really do find they bloom during pregnancy and that their skin, nails and hair have never been better.
However some women get spotty or dry skin, brittle, lacklustre or even thinning hair, and brittle nails, with changes in skin being the most commonly reported pregnancy ... Views: 980
It’s happened. You are pregnant. And you are thrilled, a little apprehensive, but most of all very eager to do everything right for the wellbeing of your precious baby during your pregnancy.
For most of your first trimester of pregnancy your little one will be a tiny bean-shaped being. But ... Views: 978