Pregnancy Calendar

What is a pregnancy calendar?

A pregnancy calendar helps you to give you an estimate on the due date of your delivery date which is nearly always accurate.

Though it is hard to find the exact date of ovulation or the exact date of your getting pregnant you can jolt down the estimate date on the bases of your regular menstrual date or on the last menstrual date. You also need to know that this pregnancy calendar has which gives you a rough idea as to the due date of your baby.

This pregnancy calendar is used to fill in the details of your baby’s slow but steady development right from the time of conception to the date of its birth. Furthermore this pregnancy calendar can be used in another way too and that is you can note down the last time you had your menstrual cycle in the pregnancy calendar and then calculate the date of delivery.

Pregnancy calendar is also where you can note down the day to day health changes that you undergo which includes pregnancy symptoms which not only helps you know the different changes your body undergoes during these nine months of pregnancy but also help you have some sweet memories of how you felt when your baby was developing inside you. Apart from that you can also keep your doctor updated whenever you visit her about the changes your body undergoes with each passing day.

The pregnancy calendar is divided into three parts or segments. Each segment representing each trimester. Starting with the first trimester which is for the first twelve weeks and this is the most important phase in your pregnancy or rather the most critical phase for the growth and development of your baby. This phase is very important not only for you but also for your baby as there are a lot of chances of miscarriage so you need to be very careful during these three initial months, though you need to be careful all through your three trimesters.

The second phase of your pregnancy starts from the second trimester which again is estimated according to your delivery due date in accordance to your pregnancy due date which you have noted down in your pregnancy calendar.

The third trimester is the last one on your calendar wherein you can jolt down the different changes going on in your body as your baby grows developing from an embryo to a full grown baby at the end of the third trimester. You can also note down the ultrasound details of your baby, etc.

Pregnancy calendar is a fully fledged book of your health record along with the minutest details of all your health as well as physical changes that your body undergoes during these nine months along with various tips, diets, medications that you need to take and those that you need to avoid etc. These memories are a life time memories for you to cherish and tell your baby when he or she grows up to understand all that you underwent during those nine months when you nurtured it within yourself.

Signs of Pregnancy

Duration of Pregnancy

It is calculated by clinicians as 10 lunar months or 9 calendar months and 7 days or 280 days or 40 weeks calculated from first day of the last menstrual period. This is called menstrual or gestational age.

As fertilization occurs 14 days prior to the expected missed period and in previously normal cycle of 28 days duration, it is about 14 days after the first day of the period. Thus the true gestation period is to be calculated by substracting 14 days from 280 days i.e. 266 days. This is called fertilization or ovulatory age.

SIGN & SYMPROMS OF PREGNANCY

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters.

First trimester (0-12 weeks)
Second trimester (13-28 weeks)
Third trimester/last trimester (29-40 weeks)

First Trimester – Presumptive/subjective symptoms of early months of pregnancy are :

1. Amenorrhea – Cessation of menstruation during the reproductive period in an otherwise healthy individual having previous normal periods is due to pregnancy unless proved otherwise.
2. Morning sickness – It is present in 50% of cases and is more pronounced in first pregnancy. It appears following the missed period till the end of first trimester. It can be in form of nausea on rising from the bed or vomiting and loss of appetite.
3. Frequency of micturition (increased frequency of urination) – It is more during 8-12th week and symptoms disappear after the 12th week.
4. Breast discomfort – Feeding of fullness and pricking sensation is present from 6-8th week.
5. Easy fatigability is a frequent symptom.

The symptoms of nausea & vomiting and frequency of micturition usually subside. The new features that appears are :-

1. Quickening : It denotes the perception of active fetal movement by the women. It is felt about 16-18th week. It can be a useful guide to calculate the expected date of delivery.
2. Progressive enlargement of the lower abdomen.
3. Appearance of secondary areola in breast at about 20th week.
4. Chloasma : pigmentation on the forehead and cheek may appear at about 24th week.

Signs

The symptoms of nausea & vomiting and frequency of micturition usually subside. The new features that appears are:

1. Linea nigra – A linear pigmented line appears on abdomen below umbilicus in midline and can be seen from 20th week.
2. Striae (both pink and white) are visible on the lower abdomen.
3. Uterus is further enlarged till above the umbilicus and is ovoid in shape.
4. Imegular spasmodic infrequent and painless contraction can be felt on the uterus – Braxton Hicks contractions.
5. Active foetal movement can be felt by 20th week.
6. 5. Foetal heart sounds can be hard with a stethoscope by 18-20 weeks. It is the most conclusive clinical sign of pregnancy.

Third Trimester

Symptoms

1. Amenorrhoea Persists.
2. Enlargement of the abdomen is progressive which produces mechanical discomfort to the patient such as palpitation or dyspnoea following exertion.
3. Lightening – At about 38th week a sense of relief of the pressure symptoms is obtained due to descent of the head of the fetus into pelvis.
4. Frequency of micturition reappears.
5. Foetal movements are more pronounced.

Pregnancy Symptoms

Sensitive and Swollen Breasts

Changes that occur to your breast can also provide signs of pregnancy, as early as two weeks after conception. Due to hormonal changes they become more sensitive, fuller and heavier and the changes are easily noticeable. Depending on the person, they may feel tingly or sore as well and skin around the nipples may become darker.

Nausea

Nausea is considered as one of the classic symptoms of pregnancy. It is popularly known as ‘morning sickness’, though it may lead to vomiting at any time of the day –morning, noon, or night. For some women, the squeamishness begins as early as two weeks after conception. But a lucky few may escape it altogether. The raised levels of estrogen causes the stomach to empty more slowly and caused by heightened sense of smell in pregnant women, waves of nausea may arise when they smell something strong, such as perfume, cigarette smoke and foods cooking.

Frequent urination

Frequent trips to bathroom, along with other signs, can help you to judge if you are pregnant. This happens when the uterus starts to expand applying pressure to the urinary bladder. Also the amount of blood and fluids in the body increases to nurture the fetus, causing the kidney to process more fluid and thereby producing more urine. This is likely to increase as the baby grows.

Constipation

Constipation is another common early signs of pregnancy. Food passes more slowly through the intestines due to the increased level of progesterone, leading to constipation. Aches and pains: – Many women have backaches and headaches early in pregnancy.

Headaches

During early pregnancy, the hormonal changes and increased blood circulation may cause mild headaches.

Bloating of abdomen

Bloating is also considered as an early sign of pregnancy. Hormonal changes in the body during early pregnancy may leave you feel bloated, frequently mistaken as PMS. If you experience bloating and miss a period, there is a good chance of you being pregnant. Your clothes may feel tighter at waistline.

Raised basal body temperature

If you are charting your basal body temperature (oral temperature taken just after you woke up in the morning) you can notice an increase in it if you are pregnant.

Mood swings

Frequent mood swings can be caused by the sudden rush of hormones in your body and can be ranked as an early sign of pregnancy. You will be emotionally jumpy during this period.

Carving for food

During early pregnancy you usually experience strong carving for some foods. You might also develop a strong dislike for some of the foods that you used to like before, like spicy foods, coffee, meat, or cheese. This carvings or aversion for food is attributed to hormonal changes in pregnant women.

Fatigue

Fatigue is also an early sign of pregnancy. The increased level of progesterone hormone causes sleepiness. Also the lowering of blood pressure, increased blood production and lower blood sugar levels during early pregnancy period can cause fatigue.

Faintness and dizziness

Early in pregnancy, your blood vessels dilate and your blood pressure drops, causing dizziness and also lowering of blood sugar you may cause you to feel lightheaded or dizzy.

Pregnancies and Birth

The whole pregnancy and birth process can affect women in different ways, especially if it is a woman’s first child. The woman’s partner is also affect by the pregnancy and birth and it is important to ensure that he is also able to be involved as much as possible. Nowadays it is far more common that men are actively involved in their partner’s pregnancy and with the birth itself.

During the first stages of the pregnancy and birth process both partners will experience a range of emotions, especially if the pregnancy was not planned. The woman may be overwhelmed by the prospect of the impending pregnancy and birth. She is likely to be extremely happy to begin with but then the reality of the pregnancy and birth will probably lead to anxieties. Stress in the mother can affect the baby during the entire pregnancy and birth process and it is important that the woman can learn relaxation techniques to help her cope. This is one of the most essential roles that the woman’s partner can help with during the pregnancy and birth.

Antenatal classes are a good source of information for relaxation techniques and exercises that a woman can use during the her pregnancy, labour and birth. The partner can help the mother-to-be to work on these throughout the pregnancy and birth. He can be a huge source of support and offer encouragement at any stage of the pregnancy and birth that the woman is suffering from anxiety or discomfort. It is important that the partner knows the correct techniques that the woman can use and is able to guide her when she is feeling anxiety about the pregnancy and birth.

The labour stage of the pregnancy and birth is undoubtedly the most stressful and painful for the woman. Her partner may not appreciate what she is going through but can provide comfort and support. Massages and other soothing techniques can be essential for a woman to be able to deal with the pregnancy and birth. Of course, the more involved that a partner is in the whole pregnancy and birth process, the better. There is evidence that a partner finds it easier to bond with the baby if he has been involved more during the various pregnancy and birth stages and many men who have not taken an active role actually regret it after the baby has been born.

If you are at working, you need to rejoin your workplace only after consulting your physician once he deems you as medically fit. You might feel good but your physician will always tell you what is best for you. However there are certain other things that you can do in order to be able to get back into working mode easily. Start with completely availing your maternity leave even if you feel you can start working before the leaves expire. Also schedule your routine in a way that will enable to leave for work sooner giving you enough time to drop your baby at a baby care before you see it off for work.

Pregnancy week by week

Isn’t it exciting to know about the changes that occur in your body during the time of pregnancy on a week on week basis? By going through the below information, potential moms can gauge better information.

Week on Week tracking of pregnancy

Week 1 – 4

The day of your last period marks the first week of pregnancy. By the time the 4th week is over, the egg has been fertilized and new life has formed inside your body.

Week 5 – 8

By this time, most pregnancy tests provide accurate results and by the 6th week of pregnancy the baby’s heart will start beating. Morning sickness comes into picture by around the 7th week. The baby will start developing tiny arms and legs by the 8th week.

Week 9 – 12

By the time you go through these weeks, your tummy will grow larger to provide sufficient space for the fast growing fetus. The body will also go through numerous changes and the fetus will start moving inside the body although the movements cannot be felt at this stage. By the 12th week the morning sickness becomes less intense.

Week 13 – 16

By the time you reach these weeks, you can possibly know the gender of the baby with reasonable accuracy. By the 14th week it is possible to listen to your baby’s heartbeat while you are at the doctor’s clinic. The movement of the baby will also be felt as their bones harden.

Week 17 – 20

By this time, the vital internal organs of the baby have started to grow at a rapid rate. The baby inside is covered with very minutely thin hair known as ‘lanugo’, Now it is also possible to completely ascertain the gender of the baby through ultrasound.

Week 21 – 24

By now your baby will start to learn breathing. Mild contractions can also be felt at this stage as the uterus starts to prepare for the birth process. Reaching 24th week, the baby starts having fat deposited in the body which will help its body temperature to be regulated after it is born. If you have kept a track of the pregnancy weeks regularly, these changes will not scare you when you experience them.

Week 25 – 28

By now the uterus becomes too crowded which will decrease the movements of the baby. However, interestingly, the baby can now differentiate between darkness and light and can also hear sounds from the outside world.

Week 29 – 32

Now the baby’s head grows quite in proportion to the remaining parts of her body in a rapid manner. The eyes and the brain are evolved quite completely. By the time the pregnancy reaches 32nd week, everything apart from the lungs are completely developed.

Week 33 – 36

Now the time has come for your baby to open and close its eyes. The finger nails have also evolved by now and the baby’s weight reaches approximately 4 pounds by 36th week with a 16 inch long body.

Week  37 – 40

Everything apart from the lungs are fully developed and only the lungs are in the developing phase which continue as the baby prepares itself to come out and enter the world.

Pregnancy Information

In order to properly enjoy the period of pregnancy, one needs to furnish themselves with 40 weeks of pregnancy information. For those who are planning to get pregnant soon and even those who already have become pregnant should not worry about finding substantial information on pregnancy. Most of the decent enough online stores provide information on pregnancy in terms of books that provide a comprehensive insight into pregnancy. Apart from this, many websites offer similar detailed explanations and data covering 40 weeks of pregnancy.

The need for referring to pregnancy book and website.

For understanding pregnancy in a better way, people usually refer to books on pregnancy or other websites that provides information on 40 weeks of pregnancy. This will help them in understanding and resolving issues related to pregnancy such as complications involved, importance of a good diet, how to plan a pregnancy, and other related information. This will also make them aware about various physical changes that they make have to go through as a result of pregnancy and help stress importance on consumption of folic acid which will prevent birth defects to some extent.

Most women undergoing pregnancy stages are also gifted with a pregnancy record book which will help them keep a track of their daily experiences during the entire duration of pregnancy till the baby is delivered. Adding photos of those days along with these recorded entries will help a mother remember the amazing days. Also, the record books can be a valuable gift to the child as he reaches the age and will help them give an insight on how much they have been loved and cared ever since the knowledge of their birth is made relevant.

Availability of pregnancy cook books also gives information and provides greater insights on weekly diet plans at various stages of pregnancy. This not only ensures a good advisory but also helps both, the mother and the baby with a nutritious and regular supply of essential meal. These meals can also benefit the entire family and hence the cookbook serves as even more important. The book also provides information on staying fit and healthy all throughout the 40 weeks of pregnancy by providing a list of food that should be consumed and those that can be ignored.

There are many women who do not trust technology and rely on natural pregnancy books over technology that will assist them in learning procedures and treatment methods that will keep both, the child and the mother safe during pregnancy. Such books usually have a variety of information on natural herbs, herbal remedies for nausea, sickness during the morning and stretch marks etc.

Due to the above said reasons, pregnancy books are regarded as great gifts for those husbands and wives who are planning to have a baby or to your near and dear ones who have just got the news that she is pregnant. The books help them in understanding minor details of pregnancy from wearing comfortable clothes along with where to shop for them at a reduced price.

Pregnancy Facts

For every woman, being pregnant is a mixed emotion full of excitement and anxiety. Discussed below are some of phases that a woman typically goes through from getting pregnant to a child birth.

Scientifically, it can be explained as a development of one or multiple embryos within a female mammal’s body. For humans, it typically takes about 9 months for this embryo to fully develop into a human baby.

Understanding Trimester Periods

In order to better understand the timelines of pregnancy, the entire duration is briefly divided into 3 trimesters. The first trimesters carry the maximum risk of women losing her pregnancy leading to a miscarriage resulting into a natural death of the under-developed embryo. The second trimester paves way for accurately monitoring the growth of the fetus inside the body. The final and third trimester helps the fetus to prepare for outside world and surviving it.

Understanding the specifics of getting pregnant

Uniting a male sperm with a female egg or an oocyte results into the female mammal being pregnant, medically termed as the process of “fertilization”. This process occurs when a male ejaculates his sperm inside a woman during a sexual intercourse. The implantation of the fertilized egg on the uterine lining is usually the beginning of conception, although the first day of the previous menstrual cycle helps calculate delivery date for convenience sake. A release of gonadotropinhormone, a human chorionic post the implantation stimulates corpus luteum in female ovary. This results in increased levels of progesterone which leads to the body going through changes and symptoms that show early signs of pregnancy.

How does one accurately estimate the due date

The due date is primarily the date that a pregnant woman expects the baby to be born. The Merck Medical Manual has estimated the human pregnancy to last for 38 weeks or roughly 288 days which can take upto 40 weeks if counted from the last menstrual cycle. However, these can be regarded as mere estimated averages as the actual date depends on varied factors. Also notably, the first pregnancy period is usually longer as compared to ones after it.

Understanding the concept of a premature and post matured baby

Premature baby is usually born before completion of the average pregnancy cycle, usually someone born before 37 weeks is considered to be premature. Similarly, if a baby is born post the completion of the pregnancy cycle, after 43 weeks is considered to be a post matured baby. Results have shown that most babies are born within 2 weeks of the actual due date and only a small percentage of babies actually born on the stipulated due date.

Pregnancy results in a lot of physical, mental and emotional changes in a female body and is ideal to be constantly in advice of your family physician who will guide and explain the various changes occluding in the body and its consequences as the parents prepare to bring a new life into existence.

About Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a worried duration for any mother, mostly for those who are about to deliver their first baby. Be prepared to receive advice from a whole bunch of people whether you are in the mood of taking it or not. However, it is best if you follow the advice offered to you by your physician if you would like to follow any advice. Following are some of the frequently asked questions by first time moms.

How painful is birth
Frankly, yes. Although the degree of pain differs vastly for each woman. This will greatly depend on the method of preparation along with the way in which delivery happens. Preparing yourself for the process helps in the way you deal with the agony. If you are too anxious about your pregnancy, you can consult with your closest female relative as more likely than not, you will experience a similar birth process as she would have. You need to primarily remember that this pain is quite controllable inspite of which some women opt for pain reliving medications, which are optional if you may need.

How can I determine a healthy baby
At this point, your physician will be able to help you out. The fact that they make use of scientifically advanced tools which combined with their years of experience and judgement will help you determine what is best for you and your baby’s health. Once you start experiencing morning sickness, tiredness and mood swings, they will be the best leads to tell you if these are just usual pregnancy factors or if something is severely wrong. Obviously, these physicians are best advisors but at the end it is your judgement that matters.

How fat will I get
Most of this will depend on how your body was before you got pregnant. An ideal calculation suggests that for a fully nourished baby in a mother’s womb, an additional 25 to 35 pounds is needed. Consult your doctor or physician if you feel that you are gaining too much or too less of weight. More important than the amount of weight gain is the factor of how you gain it. A healthy diet will help you and your baby’s health.

Will having coffee and Soda adversely affect
The answer to this question is quite contrasting depending on what your physician believes in. Some may prefer having caffeine in moderate amounts while others are completely against it. Since most of it may depend on the type of case, you need to consult your physician about your health specifics. Although you should not stop consumption of beverages like milk, water and juice sometimes.

Should I be wearing a seat belt
This more or less depends on the manner in which you wear a seat belt, but is the best manner in which you can protect yourself and baby in case of unfortunate accidents. Advisable manner of wearing a belt is across your hip and below the belly. As your tummy gets larger, it is advisable that you opt for an extended seat belt.

After Pregnancy Period

Before the birth of your child you always have time to sit and relax but with a newborn, life becomes quite hectic than before. Even now you are required to have time for relaxation as regularly relaxing your body will keep you fit and help you meet the demands of your baby. Following suggestions provided below will certainly help in sparing some relaxing time.

Primary approach in relaxing will depend on the place of choice as both home and work will require varied approaches. Irrespective of the place that you are in, never do multiple things in haste. One should be aware of their limitations and always seek advice of health care professionals to put work restrictions as fast work is one of the prime dangers and is also most commonly committed error.

Taking at a specific example, if one is at home, the time to relax and work usually depends on the baby who will act as a timer for change in activities. The baby will usually need rest and relaxation with sleep as much as the parent and sometimes even more than them since being born are almost as exhausting as giving birth.

But as for specifics, let’s start at home. You’ll find that your baby will be a great timer as to when you can rest and relax. Remember that the baby will need rest and sleep almost as much as you – maybe more. After all, being born is almost as tiring as giving birth.

You can start by allotting equal amount of relaxation time for yourself and your baby. In case you are the primary care taker, adjusting the relaxation time will assist in bonding the two of you together. Whenever your baby is resting or is sleeping, you need to follow the same pattern, on the other hand you need to be eating something when your baby is having food as well, and if not much atleast a hydrating beverage is a must. Being on the same schedule will help binding you with your baby even more.

Be communicative about asking for help from those who had initially promised you. You need to remember that you are a mother now and a lot of responsibilities lie with you and make others know that too so that they will also be eager to help you out, specifically your husband. He can clean the baby and carry it as much as you can. If possible ask him to avail
paternity leaves if his company offers one.

If you are at working, you need to rejoin your workplace only after consulting your physician once he deems you as medically fit. You might feel good but your physician will always tell you what is best for you. However there are certain other things that you can do in order to be able to get back into working mode easily. Start with completely availing your maternity leave even if you feel you can start working before the leaves expire. Also schedule your routine in a way that will enable to leave for work sooner giving you enough time to drop your baby at a baby care before you see it off for work.

Ultrasounds

Ultra sound becomes a very common schedule when a woman gets pregnant. Her pregnancy confirmation is done with ultrasound itself and then later on too this plays a key role in determining the develop0ment of the baby. Many doctors believe that when you go for ultrasounds then you require fuller bladder. This is what most of the doctors feel. However,
it is not compulsory. It is to be followed when a woman has very tight vagina. It all depends upon the situation and health.

With Ultrasounds there will be determination of fetal heart beats. This really an amazing thing. The sounds that arte sent from the machine give the response by way of an image and this helps in seeing the fetus. This also helps the women in finding that whether a woman is safe or not. If there are any problems with the water inside the womb or any such thing out is cleared in the earlier stages only. That’s the treason why the rates of miscarriages have fallen now.

Actually there are many different pictures available and the later on when there will be compilation of the pictures you will get the perfect and apt view. The fuller bladder is recommended so that there is less amount of discomfort.

With ultra sounds there are many benefits. It will give you information about the fetus size and other such details that help in dealing with pregnancy. It will also give you an idea in regards to the multiple pregnancies if any.

You should also know that ultra sound sonography also helps in people who want to know as to when they ovulate etc. It also helps you in getting information in regards to ovaries as well as the uterus lining. Many females who under go the procedures like IUI and IVF have to go for regularly scheduled ultrasound checkups so that the date of ovulation and the dosage of fertility medications can be decided.

It also helps in realizing fetal movements, fetal death, and confirmation of clinical pregnancy when the baby is actually developing in other parts except uterus. Really, this can be a very severe situation. And thus, when you have clinical pregnancy you may have symptoms like pregnancy but the pregnancy development may be taking place wither outside the uterus or on the fallopian tubes etc. This is truly bad and can create various complications. Thanks to Ultra sounds that one will be able to find out as to where such pregnancy is developing and then getting rid of the same by way of a surgical procedure. Many doctors believe that when you go for ultrasounds then you require fuller bladder. This is what most of the doctors feel. However, it is not compulsory. It is to be followed when a woman has very tight vagina. Many females who under go the procedures like IUI and IVF have to go for regularly scheduled ultrasound checkups so that the date of ovulation and the dosage of fertility medications can be decided.

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