Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful things a woman experiences in her lifetime, but also the most mysterious. A woman is normally pregnant 9 months (40 weeks). In those 9 months, wonderful and not so wonderful things happen, as well as confusing things that are hard to explain. In this article, we will discuss what should happen month-by-month, week-by-week, and one trimester after the next. Hopefully with the following valuable information, you will be quite prepared for what is to come in your pregnancy.
Try everything you can to keep your stress low. A fetus can feel when you are under stress, and you want to keep your unborn child as comfortable as you can. Use meditation and deep breathing along with any other tricks that you have to keep calm under high pressure.
Make sure to avoid household chores that can be harmful to your unborn baby. Pregnant women should not clean with harsh chemicals, such as bleach, climb ladders, and especially should avoid cleaning a cat’s litter box. Pay attention to your surroundings and get help for any activity you think might be dangerous.
Use your friends and family for some down home advice. Pregnancy is one of those things that everyone is happy to give you their two cents about. You have to take it all with a grain of salt, but there will be nuggets in there, that can help you have a much happier pregnancy.
Know premature labor signs and when you should be calling your doctor. Hopefully, you will never have to put this information to use. This knowledge will help you know what to do on the chance something does happen. The sooner you take action against preterm labor, the greater your chances of a safe and healthy delivery.
It is important to see a doctor once you have a pregnancy test that is positive. It is recommended that for the first trimester, you see your practitioner once a month. Typically, most women are seen between 8 and 10 weeks gestation. At this time, blood work is done and your urine is checked for protein and sugar.
Pregnancy is a time to be careful with the consumption of caffeinated beverages and foods. This will keep you from sleeping well. If you get nauseous, snack on crackers. Keeping a healthy diet while you’re pregnant will help you to sleep well and stay strong.
Check into hiring a doula for your birth experiences and for the period right after. Doulas are mothers’ helpers who are there to provide non-medical support during the labor process and the post partum period. Having a doula will help you to have a shorter and more satisfying birth experience.
You can keep wearing your regular pants for a while by simply looping an elastic hair tie through the top button hole then over the top button. As long as you wear a shirt that goes down to your hips, no one will ever know that your pants are not actually buttoned. Maternity clothes can be expensive, so look for ways to alter the clothes you already have first.
Make sure to keep the windows wide open if you are doing any decorating with paint or glue during your pregnancy. Paint and wallpaper projects can release harmful fumes into your nursery. Keeping the windows open will dissipate the fumes and help you to avoid any harmful effect on your baby.
All in all, pregnancy is an amazing, not so amazing, and mysterious experience. Women need to be prepared for pregnancy and know what to expect from it. Women also need to know how their baby is developing throughout the weeks of their pregnancy. With our month-by-month, week-by-week, and trimester-by-trimester breakdown of all the happenings of pregnancy, you will be enriched with all you need to know about your pregnancy!