Women want their pregnancy to go without a hitch. Hence, they have to be more than prepared. If the woman is living with her partner, then the partner should be concerned about the pregnancy, too. Pregnancy is a sensitive undertaking that requires knowledge about it, whether it is the woman’s first time or the second time. For first timers, the first twelve weeks of the pregnancy also known as the first trimester pregnancy is both exciting and a bit frightening. It is exciting because expectant mothers experience things for the first time in their life, and a bit scary because unexpected things await them. To deal with this very delicate matter of parenthood, the couple should determine the most common concerns regarding first trimester pregnancy and how they will cope with such concerns accordingly.

What to Expect During First Trimester Pregnancy?

Before you expect any pregnancy symptoms to happen, make sure you have done a pregnancy test as this is one way of explaining why you are suffering from any symptoms caused by pregnancy. Naturally, pregnant women have a lot to expect when they are carrying their baby. For eight to nine months, there will be no menstrual periods. Moreover, pregnant women have to experience other several symptoms of pregnancy which include the following: breast tenderness, constipation, cravings, mood swings, fluctuation of hormonal levels, nausea and queasiness. Pregnant women are prone to constipation because their progesterone slows down body functions in the intestinal tract. Craving is the most apparent symptom of pregnancy and until now, doctors hardly find any scientific explanation why pregnant women suffer from this symptom.

More Items for Your Pregnancy Checklist

Having an appointment with obstetrician, midwife, or nurse should be included in your top priorities. Prenatal visits are extremely necessary to know the condition of the baby. During your visits, your obstetrician will get you informed about everything you need to know as an expectant mother. Your care provider will take the history and update of first trimester pregnancy. There will also be some physical examinations to determine or estimate your due date. Certain tests like blood work tests, blood count, and other blood-related tests are conducted. Any day of your visits, the care provider will suggest that you get a pap smear and most interestingly, you will have to listen to fetal heart tones after the 12th or 13th week of your pregnancy.

Fetal Development

Pregnant women should know what takes place in the whole duration of their pregnancy. Soon after the fetus is conceived, fetal development follows and as the mother, you have to know how the baby grows and develop during the first trimester pregnancy. Your care provider will calculate the due date which is forty weeks from the end of your last period. On the third week, fertilization takes place and on the fourth week the one-celled entity called zygote develops. Typically, the certainty of pregnancy gets discovered by the end of the fourth week, though sometimes the date varies.

All mentioned information will come in handy once you realized you are pregnant. And yes, they will be useful enough for you to make it as your reference.

Among the many expected and unexpected undertakings during pregnancy the most anticipated moment is the baby due date. After hard labors and sufferings from pregnancy symptoms, the mother will eventually put into rest her worries and inhibitions once the baby is born. Yes, there could still be an endless list of reasons when it comes to taking care of the baby after being born, but that is another good story to deal with.

Knowing that your speculations have been confirmed, that you are truly pregnant is a priceless moment of parenthood. After learning that you are pregnant, you start reading materials and references that talk about pregnancy. You become so interested in knowing how your baby grows and you both feel excitement and anxiety when your baby due date comes near.

Determining Baby Due Date: Calculations, Expectations and Preparations

It is natural to be apprehensive when you think of your baby’s welfare. However, it will be more helpful if you think positively as you wait for your baby to be born. Calculating the baby due date is simple and by determining the average length of pregnancy, you and you health provider can assume the due date. More so, knowing the due date of your baby will also help you understand when the labor begins and get yourself prepared to avoid risky situations. To have a clear-cut idea of your due date, you have to start counting weeks.

By knowing how long the pregnancy lasts you have to know what 40-week pregnancy is. The medical term for this process is the length of gestation. Though this idea can be traced back in the early 1800s, more in-depth understanding followed later on. First time mothers have to wait eight days longer than forty weeks. In some instances, even additional eight days after the forty weeks. For average women, it is only three days longer than forty weeks. But this study is based on white women pregnancy. Other races have shorter length than white women. At present, full-term pregnancy can be extended from 37 weeks to 42 weeks and obstetricians. Any pregnancy longer than 41 weeks is already described by many obstetricians as post-term.

Ultrasound: One Means of Determining Baby Due Date

Determining the due date of your baby can not be confined in counting the weeks or by knowing the menstrual history of the woman. Though some care providers dispute that ultrasound is not that reliable, some still depend on the results the test provides. There are ultrasound measurements to be considered to arrive at a possible date of birth. The menstrual history and the pelvic examination conducted along with the identification of what the sonogram says will help in determining the date of conception and the date of birth.

Finally, other means can also be employed in knowing baby due date. Quickening is a natural method wherein the mother feels the baby moves. The listening of fetal heart tones by using Doppler or stethoscope is one, and the identification of the fundal height or the measurement of the uterus conducted all throughout the pregnancy period is another.

Making sure that your baby is healthy during your pregnancy means you should be healthy as well. And to make sure that you are living a healthy pregnancy moments, not to mention to make sure that your baby will not suffer from any birth defects, folic acid pregnancy should be highly emphasized.

What Is Folic Acid Pregnancy?

Folate or folic acid is one of the key nutrients to achieve healthy pregnancy. Pregnant women are in dire need of folic acid because folic acid is responsible in carrying the DNA which contains the genetic information that controls the developments and functions of cells found in the body. Proper supply of folic acid means correct formation and development of the DNA. Hence, it is encouraged that pregnant women should have a good intake of folic acid. They should start taking folic acid at the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy period. During the 12-week period, the neural tube of the baby is forming. To avoid neural defects which include spina bifida or anencephaly (abnormality in brain development) the mother should take folic acid supplements.

Why Folic Acid Pregnancy Supplements Are Extremely Essential?

Pregnant women are prone to life-threatening diseases. They are extremely fragile, as vulnerable as their baby growing inside their womb. Hence, it is recommended that they have to think about their welfare and their baby’s welfare, too. By taking folic acid supplements, the chance of having birth defects and other abnormalities during the conception is slim. A balanced diet rich in folates or folic acid also count in terms of reducing birth defects.

If the mother has had a child with a neural tube defect there will be a greater risk of having another. Hence, care providers advise this mother to take higher dosage of folic acid to avoid a second time. Doctors normally prescribe the intake of folic acid among pregnant women though they are widely available in pharmacies and department stores. Pregnant women suffering from epilepsy should have a special prescription of folic acid by their doctor to ensure safety and protection during the pregnancy period.

What are the Foods Rich in Folic Acid?

Yes, pregnant women can take folic acid pregnancy supplements but eating food rich in folates is also a good practice. The good sources of folic acids are the green leafy vegetables like sprouts, spinach, and broccoli. Beans, cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, and peas also provide rich supply of folic acid. Citrus fruits and kiwis are another good source of folates. Pregnant women should not also skip their breakfast and by eating cereals and breads, they are building a good supply of folic acid inside their body, for them and for their baby.

Folic acid pregnancy is something that every mother should be aware of. If every mother is equip with the right knowledge and good results of taking folic acid-containing supplements and foods, they will surely get benefited as they wait for the birth of their dear baby.