Pregnancy and What to Expect

Finding out that you are pregnant can be an emotionally draining day and it is a shock to the system but that lasts for about a day. Once you are aware of your pregnancy the excitement is so wonderful that you must embrace your pregnancy, appreciate it and take full advantage.

It is a magical time in a women's life and this is really the only time in your life that you will get to have the attention and be made to feel like a queen, so take advantage of it while you can because when baby comes it is all about the kids.

The first signs of pregnancy are usually your missed period and the best way to check is to get yourself a test about two weeks after your expected cycle date.

It doesn't matter what time of the day you do the test because if you are pregnant it will show up on the test but they do say that the best time to do it is first thing in the morning when your hormone levels are the highest.

Once you have done the test and it is positive then you should schedule a visit with your doctor to see how far along you are so that you can plan ahead.

Even if it is not something that you have planned you need to understand that it is a gift and for whatever the reason, you have been blessed to carry a human life and it should be a joyful and happy time.

Once you have had a test and it is positive you need to schedule a doctors appointment so that they can tell you what to do and what to expect.

It is very important to stop smoking and drinking!!!!!

You also need to get a healthy diet and buy yourself some vitamins for pregnancy straight away.

"PreggyOmegaPlus" is a good vitamin to get as it has everything that you need in it.

This is very important as well as having eight glasses of water per day.

You need to think of nutrition now as you are feeding a little one inside you and it is not only about you now.

Hormones begin to trigger your body before you have even got test results back and the body begins to prepare for the baby and your pregnancy.

The first month doesn't really give you many signs except for the missed period and this is when your body is preparing for the fertilised egg as you ovulate.

As the follicle stimulated hormones take their place their is one dominant one that takes the lead as well as another hormone called Estrogen that is produced to line the uterus wall and stimulate another hormone that pushes the egg through these walls. Ovulation now takes place and your pregnancy comes to life.

Make sure that you are drinking your eight glasses of water each day. Avoid caffeine and you should only have two cups of caffeine per day. Anything low fat should be avoided and stay away from raw foods such as sushi, biltong, meats and bacteria cheese. Wash all your vegetables and fruit before you eat it and continue to take your vitamins. The baby needs all the nutrients it can get so the more you eat them the healthier baby will be.

Your hormone levels are high enough now to confirm that you are pregnant and you can now feel the symptoms of pregnancy.

Hormones are raging through your system which will make you feel emotional and at times you might either cry for no reason or you might have a tantrum for nothing. Explain to your partner that you are not able to control your emotions and it you don't know when to expect a turn.

You will also begin to feel tired and want to rest a lot and don't fight it just let it happen. Your breasts will also begin to feel swollen and sore so much so that you will not be able to lie on your stomach.

You might feel a little stressed but try to relax by listening to some soothing music and ensure that you are eating healthy foods.

Your gynaecologist will tell you what you should be eating and what to avoid and you will be having an ultra sound soon.

You will feel dizzy and your breasts will continue to feel swollen and sore but this will not last for the entire month, just be patient.

You will still have no energy at all and will want to nap often. Don't fight it as your body needs the rest.

You will also want to go to the toilet more often and morning sickness might get a little less hectic now. If you are lucky you might not have any at all.

Headaches might happen often and they can be very painful but just keep yourself hydrated and get lots of rest. This is normal and it will go away by month four.

Your baby is tiny and now has fingerprints and weighs about 14grams. He/she can close their fingers and toes now with reflex action but you cannot feel it just yet.

Your appetite will be coming back now and your clothes might start to feel a little tighter too.

Get lots of rest, drink eight glasses of water and ensure that you are eating lots of vegetables. You must continue to take your vitamins until 6 months after baby. Get yourself some Happy Event cream or Bio Oil to rub on your sides and stomach area where you will get stretch marks. You also need to do Keegal exercises to keep your parts limber and strong so that they go back to normal after birth.

Eat lots of spinach and broccoli as well as fruit and remember to rest. Invest in some flat shoes now and comfortable underwear.

Your breasts will begin to feel better now and they are bigger but not as sore.

Your morning sickness will be going away now if you are lucky and you will still feel a little tired but now you will be able to eat without feeling sick. Headaches will come and go but they wont be a severe.

You will feel your clothing is tighter now and you will feel dizzy spells. Your breathing might be a little difficult but don't fear as this is normal and it is making room for baby. Your ribcage area light also feel painful as the uterus is growing and taking up space.

Heartburn will begin in this trimester and your sleeping will become effected now too.

Avoid lying on your back as the baby can press down on a very important vein that runs to your heart and will make you feel dizzy. Lie on your side and invest in a big cushion to keep you from rolling onto your back.

At this stage towards the end of this month you might feel a little movement or butterflies in your stomach as the baby begins to move around.

You will feel energy returning to you now and your hormones will still be up and down so mood swings tend to stay. You will now feel some heartburn and might need to go to the toilet more often. Forgetfulness will start now too and hopefully you will learn to write things down so that you can remind yourself.

If you sneeze or cough it might effect you downstairs so ensure that you are doing your Keegal exercises to prevent incontinence.

The anomaly scan is due this month and this will check baby to see if everything is growing the way it should, they check for cleft, down syndrome and organs to see if baby is where it should be by now.

Usually by five months everything is fine and healthy and you need to keep on with your vitamins, rest and ensure that you are eating healthy foods.

This month is a good month for you and you will feel happy, more energised and you will want to start preparing for arrival of baby.

Take an anti natal class or two to find out about natural birth and other methods as well as breathing and what to expect when baby arrives. There is no need to be in the dark as there are so many people to help you with questions that you have.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet and ask doctors and family members who have been through what you are going through now.

You will probably have picked up about 5kg's now and might feel the movements of your baby a little more. Your gums might begin to bleed and just make sure that you have a mouth wash to prevent bleeding gums but drink some milk and take your calcium tablets which are included in the Preggy Omega Plus.

Your eyes might feel dry and sensitive to light, this is normal. You will also need to get yourself a comfortable bra to accommodate your new size.

Everything will go back to normal once you have had the baby so for now relax and enjoy.

Say hello to heartburn and backache!!

You can also feel baby start to kick this month and it wont always feel like it is on the outside but also kicking around your organs. It is a wonderful experience and you can almost figure out times that baby is awake an kicking.

You will feel dizzy at times this month and you will suddenly have to force yourself out of bed as baby grows heavier overnight.

He/she can hear and recognise voices now so you can talk and communicate with baby, who might kick to say hello.

Enjoy yourself and take time out to pamper yourself as this is probably the last month you will feel normal and able to move around without straining yourself.

By now baby has grown and he/she is just chilling in your uterus waiting to come out while brain and organs are developing. You need to make sure that you are eating protein and drinking milk as it is going into baby's bone structure.

Baby will be very active now and will be kicking more often where you can count the kicks.

Constipation and heartburn might be your enemy this month as the hormone progesterone relaxes your muscle tissue.

Some unlucky pregnant women might also get haemorrhoids which can be painful. Soak yourself in a warm bath with Epsom salts and this will go away after birth.

Eat fibre rich foods like cereal in the morning and try to sit down and put your feet up often.

Rest is what you need so that when baby does arrive you have the energy for it.

You might feel a stitch when getting up too quickly but don't worry it is normal because baby is growing in there and sudden movements does cause a little stir.

Bleeding is the only thing to be concerned about or excessive water that continues to come out. Should this happen then you need to call your doctor quickly.

Other than that, anything you feel is normal and this is the time to take full advantage of cravings and resting.

You might feel numb or pins and needles in your arms but this is also normal as you are heavier and swollen which causes tendons to feel pressure.

Nutrition is extremely important at this stage as baby is grabbing all he can from you. Eat lots of healthy foods.

Leg cramps, itchy belly and varicose veins might be experienced this month and you need to put your feet up and relax as often as you can.

Breathing for you at eight months is going to have some difficulty and it will not get better. Just relax and take deep breaths as well as listen to some relaxing music and enjoy the time you have to relax.

Don't feel stressed if you cannot feel baby move as often as you have been as the space inside your belly is very little and he doesn't have space to move around and do summersaults anymore.

Headaches, nausea, heartburn, swelling and mood swings will all be with you at this stage and you need to just find some time to unwind and enjoy your last bits of pregnancy before the baby comes.

You can sleep without peace as you battle to find a comfortable position. At this stage you just need to relax and worry about nutrition.

Have your hospital bag packed and prepare the last bits that need to be done before baby arrives so that he/she can come home to comfort.

You might begin to leak a little as milk is starting to prepare for baby so get yourself some breast pads a little before the 9th month.

Get yourself a pedicure to feel good as you will not be able to bend down and you should also have some comfy shoes too.

Excitement and fear will be with you now but don't worry because once you are in the hospital you will have no time for fear and everything will happen as it should.