Post-pregnancy
Best Postpartum Underwear 2023
Best Postpartum Underwear 2021 Below is a list of our favourite postpartum underwears that can help relief the pain. Kindred Bravely High
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Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Do you think you are pregnant? Though you may mistake it for another menstrual period owing to the fact that a few pregnancy symptoms are similar to those experienced before menstruation; you should look out for these early signs.
If you are trying to conceive and have missed a period a home pregnancy test is the best way to assess that. For those who are eager to check or have been trying religiously, you needn’t wait for a missed period.
What kind of test can I take to check if I am pregnant?
An early detection pregnancy test is available that can detect a pregnancy 6 days before the missed period. Both these tests detect the level of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. This hormone starts getting created from the day of conception; at times the level of HCG may not be enough to be detected thereby giving a false negative in which case you could repeat the tests after a few days or visit your doctor.
While a pregnancy test or ultrasound are the only affirmations of pregnancy, there are multiple signals that your body gives you to hint that you may be pregnant.
“If trying to fall pregnant, you must visit the doctor to review your health, should track your ovulation cycle, consume folic acid, maintain a healthy weight, exercise and eat well.”
Early signs you might be pregnant
Missed Period
A missed period is considered the most common symptom of pregnancy. The reason one misses their period is because the HCG hormone signals the body to stop ovulating. This symptom is noticed in Week 4. However, this may not be the case for everyone as the periods may not be on time due to hormonal imbalances, excessive workouts, stress and other such factors. If you are one with irregular periods you must get a home pregnancy test just to be sure.
Morning Sickness and Nausea
Morning sickness and Nausea are key hints that your body gives you as early as two weeks into a pregnancy. This symptom is severe for some whereas, it may not even be experienced by others for at least a few months after conception. Even though the term is referred to as morning sickness it may occur at any point of the day, though it is commonly noticed during the morning. There are many variants to this symptom – it may or may not lead to vomiting, may or may not be experienced by all and may be more severe for some as compared to others. Extreme nausea is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum and can lead to dehydration due to the inability to retain fluids and food. Nausea during pregnancy occurs in 70% of women during the first trimester.
Cramping and Spotting
Cramping and Spotting also known as implantation bleeding occurs when the embryo attaches itself to the lining of the uterus. This is infact one of the earliest signs to detect a pregnancy and is often misunderstood for an irregular period. The bleeding is less compared to a normal flow and accompanied by cramps. This takes place between Week 1 and 4 of the pregnancy around 6 to 12 days after conception. This is not worrysome and happens to 25-30% of the women.
Frequent Urination
You may experience Frequent Urination which is a common indicator that you may be expecting. This happens because during pregnancy your blood supply increases thereby causing the kidneys to filter more waste. This is released from the body in the form of urine. You will find yourself going to the washroom more often than ever. The uterus is growing and begins to further add pressure on the bladder leaving less room for urine storage.
Fatigue and Tiredness
You may find yourself extremely fatigued and tired. Primarily noticed in the first trimester, this exhaustion takes place due to the high levels of progesterone hormone. There may be other factors like increased blood production, lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels that add to this tiredness. A lot of energy goes into the formation of the placenta, thereby sapping you of strength.
Sore and Tender Breasts
Your breasts may appear sore and tender to touch while pregnant. It may seem similar to what you go through prior to menstruation, but this is one of the most common physical changes that takes place during pregnancy. It happens due to the increased hormones in your body and tends to disappear when your body acclimatises itself to the increased levels. Even your areola and nipples tend to become darker and bigger.
What are some early pregnancy signs that are not common?
A few not so common indicators of pregnancy are food cravings and aversions, dizziness, metallic taste, mood swings, increased body basal temperature and smell sensitivities. You will find yourself irritable or moody at times. You may not be able to stand the smell of things you once loved. You may feel light headed and dizzy due to low blood pressure and sugar levels along with dilating blood vessels. The increased levels of progesterone in the body may cause the food to pass slowly through the intestines thereby causing constipation.
Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman – some women may experience all the symptoms and some may experience none. For some they crop up earlier than the others. If these symptoms start occurring frequently, it may be best advised to test yourself for pregnancy. It is best to detect the pregnancy at the earliest so you can prepare yourself.
Check out our article on some Homemade Pregnancy Tests that are used around the world to detect pregnancy. Thought not scientifically proven, many women believe them to be true indicators of pregnancy.
Don’t worry you are not alone – expecting mothers across the world are with you.
Do the signs show that you are pregnant? We recommend first taking a pregnancy test such as the Clearblue Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test to confirm the pregnancy and then go through our article on what to do after a positive pregnancy test. Good luck, mumma!!
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Pregnancy Essentials
Best Maternity Belts 2023
Maternity belts are not the same as belly bands and extenders which are more to help you wear what you want for a while. Maternity belts on the other hand are more to provide relief and provide uterus support and help keep the baby off the pelvis.
Baby Essentials
Best Baby Swaddles 2023
A practice that has been followed over generation is Swaddling. This involves wrapping your baby in a blanket to keep them secure. The infant’s arms and legs are ticked in tightly and the blanket envelopes them neck down. When you swaddle your baby, you are essentially giving the position of the womb to your infant.
Swaddling prevents the baby from getting startled from sounds or even no reason at all. This reflex last for about 3-6 months but can tend to prevent the baby from sleeping. Swaddling enables the baby to sleep soundly and sleep longer, giving you some extra time as well.
