Pregnancy

  What Are the First Signs of Pregnancy? (Much of this information was obtained from www.webmd.com) For most women, the first sign of pregnancy is when their periods stop. Once you suspect pregnancy or just want to check, there are several kinds of pregnancy tests. Tests work by detecting the pregnancy hormone hCG in your blood or urine.

  • Home Pregnancy Test: These are available at drugstores and are usually reliable, though they usually don't detect hCG until you've been pregnant for a couple of weeks.
    • There occasionally may be false negatives, but it is very rare to have false positives.
  • Urine Test at the Doctor's Office: These are pretty much the same as top-tier home pregnancy tests.
  • Blood Test at the Doctor's Office: Blood tests can determine pregnancy a little more quickly, within 6 to 8 days. These are the most accurate, though not necessarily more sensitive. There are two types of pregnancy blood tests:
    • Qualitative Blood Test: These simply detect the presence of hCG and give a yes or no answer. These are about as reliable as urine tests.
    • Quantitative Blood Test: These measure the exact amount of hCG in your blood, making it the most accurate test.

Other Possible Signs and Symptoms:

  • A need to urinate more frequently: When you're pregnant, blood flow to your pelvic area increases, making it feel like you need to go more frequently or urgently.
  • Fatigue: Your body is doing a lot of extra work to support the growth of your baby! Your body is also producing more progesterone, which is a natural sedative.
  • Heightened sense of smell: Strong odors may make you sick; even regular odors may seem super strong and intolerable.
  • Food aversions and cravings: Some likeable food may suddenly sound repulsive; other strange foods may suddenly sound appetizing.
  • Morning sickness: This usually describes the nausea that many women feel during pregnancy. It can range from mild and occasional to severe and constant. And don't let the name fool you; morning sickness can occur any time of the day. It tends to be worse when your blood sugar is at its lowest level.
  • Breast changes: Your breast may feel achy or tender; they may also become fuller - some women report growing two or three cup sizes. Also, your areola may begin to darken.
  • Cramping: You may feel period-like cramping in the lower abdomen and pelvis.

Now What Do I Do?

  • Set up an appointment with your doctor or a certified nurse-midwife; good health and information during your first trimester is very important!
  • Begin taking a prenatal vitamin with 10 mg (1000mcg) of folic acid (folate). A single vitamin with enough folic acid requires a prescription, but you can supplement an over-the-counter vitamin with extra folic acid, too (i.e. take a vitamin with 8 mg folic acid plus another vitamin with 2 mg of folic acid).

Exercise

  • Exercise will help you stay energetic and will prepare you for the new weight you will be carrying.
  • If you have already been exercising, you can probably continue your exercise program; always talk to your doctor or midwife about the kinds of physical activities that are safe.
  • If you haven't been exercising, now is a great time to start! Walking and swimming are good options; anything that is low impact and doesn't have much opportunity for falls or hits. Again, ask your doctor or midwife about what would be good for you.
  • Physical changes during pregnancy create extra demands on your body. Keeping in mind the changes listed below, remember that you need to listen to your body and adjust your activities or exercise routines as necessary.
    • Your developing baby and other internal changes require more oxygen and energy.
    • Hormones produced during pregnancy cause the ligaments that support your joints to stretch, increasing the risk of injury.
    • The extra weight and the uneven distribution of your weight shift your center of gravity. The extra weight also puts stress on joints and muscles in the lower back and pelvic area and makes it easier for you to lose your balance.
  • While pregnant, avoid:
    • Holding your breath during any activity
    • Activities where falling is likely (such as skiing and horseback riding)
    • Contact sports such as softball, football, basketball and volleyball
    • Any exercise that may cause even mild abdominal trauma such as activities that include jarring motions or rapid changes in direction.
    • Activities that require extensive jumping, hopping, skipping, bouncing or running.
    • Deep knee bends, full sit-ups, double leg raises and straight-leg toe touches.
    • Bouncing while stretching
    • Exercises that require lying on your back or right side for more than three minutes (especially after your third month of pregnancy).
    • Waist twisting movements while standing
    • Heavy exercise spurts followed by long periods of no activity
    • Exercising in hot, humid weather.

Nutrition

  • Good nutrition will be very important for both you and your new baby. Goals for healthy eating should include the following:
  • You should consume 100 to 300 more calories a day. You really have to "eat for two."
  • Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Recommended daily servings: 6-11 servings of breads and grains, 2-4 servings of fruit, 4 or more servings of vegetables, 4 servings of dairy products, 3 servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts). Use fats and sweets sparingly.
  • Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables.
  • Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.
  • Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1000-1300mg of calcium in your daily diet.
  • Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron in your daily diet.
  • Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, which include: oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes and mustard greens. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.
  • Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, which include: dark green leafy vegetables, veal and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
  • Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots and cantaloupe. Know that excessive vitamin A intake (>10,000 IU/day) may be associated with fetal malformations.

Some foods should be avoided during pregnancy:

  • Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol has been linked to premature delivery, mental retardation, birth defects and low birth weight babies.
  • Limit caffeine to no more than 300 mg per day. The caffeine content in various drinks depends on the beans or leaves used and how it was prepared. An 8 oz. cup of coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine on average while black tea has typically about 80 mg. A 12 oz glass of caffeinated soda contains anywhere from 30-60 mg of caffeine. Remember, chocolate contains caffeine - the amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is equal to 1/4 cup of coffee.
  • The use of saccharin is strongly discouraged during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues. But, the use of other non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is acceptable during pregnancy. These FDA-approved sweeteners include aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sunset) and sucralose (Splenda). These sweeteners are considered safe in moderation so talk with your health care provider about how much non-nutritive sweetener is acceptable during pregnancy.
  • Decrease the total amount of fat you eat to 30% or less of your total daily calories. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 65 grams of fat or less per day.
  • Limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day.
  • Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury.
  • Avoid unpasteurized soft cheeses. These can cause Listeria infections.
  • Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish like oysters and clams.

Rickelle Richards, Ph.D, gives more information about nutrition and exercise during pregnancy--view her .pdf here.