Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Early signs of pregnancy

If you’re a woman wanting a baby you are probably very familiar with all the small changes a woman’s body goes through when she conceived. It is these early signs of pregnancy that often tip a couple off to the fact that they are soon to be parents. The signs differ from woman to woman though and any one of them can also be indicative of something else. However, if a woman has several there’s an increasingly good chance that she’s carrying a baby.

Probably the most obvious change that a woman is apt to notice is her missed period. Once a woman becomes pregnant, her menstrual cycle stops. She’ll find herself being late and if there are other early signs of pregnancy present, she’s bound to jump to the conclusion that she’s going to be a mom. There are other reasons for menstrual changes though, so if none of the other early signs of pregnancy are being felt it’s wise to see a doctor about what might be the root cause.

Breast changes also occur. A woman may notice that her breasts have become very tender and slightly swollen. Another of the early signs of pregnancy in many women is the veins on her chest become darker. She may look in a mirror and suddenly notice what looks like a complicated road map on her chest. This increased blood flow is one of the early signs of pregnancy that many women aren’t aware of.

Feeling very tired is common for women right before they are scheduled to get their period. It’s also one of the early signs of pregnancy. If an otherwise healthy and vibrant woman suddenly feels like turning in at 7 pm or if she needs a nap mid-day this may be a good sign that she’s conceived. This very tired feeling does pass though, but all expectant moms will agree that extra sleep is a very good thing.

We’ve all heard the stories of a friend or relative who became very nauseous each morning and realized from this that they were pregnant. Morning sickness is unfortunately one of the early signs of pregnancy no woman welcomes. The fact is that morning sickness can last well beyond the morning hours and creep into the entire day. Thankfully this is one of the early signs of pregnancy that does disappear with each passing week.

Seeing the doctor is really important for any woman who does think she’s pregnant. Although most home pregnancy tests are very accurate, a doctor can discuss with a woman her due date and also her nutritional needs. A visit to the doctor early can help a woman deliver a healthy, happy baby nine months later.

Early Pregnancy Testing

Early Pregnancy Testing

When you are trying to conceive, you are anxious to know if you are pregnant or not, and many women fall into the trap of early pregnancy testing to find out as soon as possible. I have watched otherwise sane individuals drop major money for test after test when they should otherwise know better. What makes me angry is that the pregnancy testing industry seems to be pushing early pregnancy testing and they are making big bucks off of it.

If you watch daytime television you have probably seen the commercials stating you can test as early as four or even five days before you are expecting your period. There are so many reasons why this is just not wise. For one thing, you can get a lot of false negatives this way, and it can be very disappointing when in fact you may be pregnant. Women who have been trying and trying may drop a lot of cash to test when the hormones have not built up to the point where they can be detected. False negatives in early pregnancy testing are very common.

When you consider the cost of a good pregnancy test, you can see why early pregnancy testing can be a waste of money. Women who want to be pregnant and who see a negative test will go out and buy a new one and keep testing until their period has come. If you were to just wait until you are sure your period is late to test, you are going to save a lot of money, and you are going to have results that you can rely on. As far as I am concerned, companies that push products for early pregnancy testing are taking advantage of women who are having trouble conceiving and want a baby desperately.

If you are having trouble conceiving, and are wasting a lot of money on early pregnancy testing, stop and ask yourself why you are doing it. You should look into fertility awareness to help you along in your quest for pregnancy. This involves taking your temperature each day, and this can get you information you may not have had. Not only can you tell when you ovulate, you can tell if you are pregnant without taking early pregnancy testing. If you know what you are doing, you can pinpoint the day you conceived and you can tell if your body is nurturing an egg, or if it is preparing for the next cycle. In fact, you may find you don’t need a pregnancy test at all!