The Early Signs Of Pregnancy-Am I Really Pregnant?

Most women don't even suspect that they are pregnant until they miss a period but there are signs that show even before that which may indicate that you are pregnant.

They are:

• A sickness or a feeling of nausea
• Having a weird metallic taste in your mouth
• Tingling or enlargement of the breasts and also tenderness too
• The sign of the small bumps called "Montgomery's tubercules" becoming more noticeable on your nipples
• Stomach pans
• Feeling tired
• Constipation
• The need to go to the toilet and urinate more often than usual
• Going off certain foods for example coffee or fatty foods
• An increase in vaginal discharge
• The mistaking of the light bleeding or "spotting" as it is known as their period
  

These signs are very useful if you know what you are looking for in determining whether or not you may be pregnant prior to missing your period.

When is the best time to do a test?

There are a variety of tests available on the market these days,some more sensitive than others and these can be used before your period if you suspect you are pregnant in the case of the more sensitive tests or on the first day of your missed period in the case of the other tests.

The usual method for testing is to pee on the end of a stick (affectionately called a "pee stick")and this stick measures the hormone called 'human chorionic gonadotrophin' or 'hCG' in the urine sample. The results are then shown in the window on the stick and if used correctly are pretty accurate but as with all things there are mistakes and if you still do not have your period then do the test again or visit your Doctor and check with them.

The advantage of these home pregnancy tests is that they are pretty much available everywhere these days, in pharmacies and supermarkets as well as online too.

How do I work out when my baby is due?

Well the length of your pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period and this is even though you actually conceive around two weeks after this date depending on your monthly cycle and your baby is more likely to be born around 2 weeks on either side of this due date.

Alot of women go to their GP or Doctor and arrange antenatal care however it is possible to go directly to the midwife or community midwife if that is your wish. Your local Doctors surgery or Primary Care Trust can help you with this.

Do I have to get my Doctor to confirm my pregnancy?

If you have used a home pregnancy kit and are sure that you are pregnant then your Doctor will probably not test you further, if you are a bit unsure of the dates though you may be offered a 'dating scan' which is a simple procedure using ultrasound technology to find out what the size of the uterus and the embryo is and this information is then used to determine how many weeks pregnant you really are, this is done automatically by the ultrasound machine and is very accurate.

How Much Caffeine Should You Drink During Pregnancy?

Caffeine is one of the first things that many women give up once they realise that they are pregnant. The real fear of doing some damage to their unborn baby is enough to get some women to stop immediately from taking caffeine. These women will swear off anything that has caffeine in it from coffee, and soda to even chocolate. Some women cannot cut out caffeine completely and simply cut down on it instead. You may find some women cutting right down on their coffee consumption from 5 or more cups per day right down to one or two cups per day.

If you ask your grandparents and parents they will most likely tell you that they didn't quit taking caffeine when they were pregnant and look how their children turned out. The main differences between when our parents and grandparents were about and today is that there has been a bunch of research done which does indicate that such complications like preterm labor and low birth weight are attributed to high caffeine intake.

So we have to ask the problem how much caffeine should we be taking? Some Doctors tell patients that a small amount of caffiene is ok and that it will not harm their baby at all. Even though caffeine does cross the placenta, anything less than 300 milligrams a day (an 8 ounce cup of strong coffee) will not do any harm. Anything over 300 milligrams puts your baby at risk and studies have likewise shown that women who drink more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day during their first trimester have a somewhat higher risk of a miscarriage.

Recent studies have shown that women that have a high intake of caffeine (over 500Mg per day) once they give birth to the babies the babies are shown to have increased heart rates and likewise increased breathing rates as well. These babies also spent more period awake in their first few days of life rather than peacefully sleeping after their long journey.

Tests have as well given us a load of reasons why cutting down on caffeine intake during pregnancy is a beneficial idea. The main reason for cutting down is that you get nothing nutritionally from it at all. We invariably need to be focussed on nutritional needs but even moreso during pregnancy. The fact that caffeine is a stimulant is a concern and possibly could cause headaches as well as insomnia and increase the heart rate as well, which does put stress on the unborn baby insite the womb. Another affect of caffeine is that it possibly could cause heartburn as well. If you have been pregnant before you know that heartburn might be a burden to begin with, and caffeine just makes it worse. Finally caffeine is classed as a diuretic, which is another name for making you go to the toilet and lose fluids which you don't need as you might become dehydrated.

Although it is not necessary to give up taking caffeine altogether during pregnancy it is certainly advisable to be taught to drink less of it or none at all if you feel like you might. If it is difficult for you to only have one cup of coffee per day then it could be advisable to altogether give up drinking coffee at all during pregnancy. Try caffeine free drinks which will be much better for you in the long run. Even decaf coffee still has traces of caffeine though so be aware of this and drink it in moderation just to be on the safe side during pregnancy.

Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

Pink, Blue Or Undecided?

The pink or blue question is a moot one these days, isn't it? After all, it's so easy to tell the gender of a baby before the happy day, so there's no need to guess. Well, that's not strictly true. Even with the advances in technology, ultrasound pictures aren't always one hundred percent certain, and many parents prefer to be surprised. If you're shopping for a new baby without knowing the gender, you still might have to decide whether to buy pink or blue.

You could always flip a coin - heads it's roses and lace, tails you pick up the little sailor suit. There are more efficient and practical ways to make sure that you pick up clothing and accessories that will be appreciated and useful.

Gender-Neutral Colors

The easiest way, of course, is to stick with gender neutral colors in your choices. As a culture, we're fond of dressing babies in pastels, but you don't have to limit yourself to pale yellow and baby green to be safe. There are lots of other gender-neutral colors to choose from.

Looking for a crib set that isn't gender-specific? White and ivory are good choices, and you can actually get away with eyelet and lace as long as it's not too delicate. A plump white comforter and matching crib bumpers work just as well for a boy as for a girl.

Primary and bright, clear secondary colors are another great way to avoid the gender tangle when selecting clothing and accessories for baby. Bright red, blue, green and yellow sleepers will look adorable no matter what gender the baby turns out to be. Pick onesies in turquoise, orange, dark green or red, either all a solid color, or with contrasting ribbing along the edges.

Go for the unusual. Imagine how high the adorable meter will raise if you outfit baby's room in tuxedoed penguins sporting bright red, blue and yellow ribbons, or pick up a t-shirt emblazoned with red, yellow and blue balloons. You can even pat yourself on the back for choosing bright colors for the baby's room and accessories. As much as we love pastel baby togs, babies respond far better to bright, clear colors.

Gender Neutral Patterns

If you're not sure on the boy/girl issue, keep in mind that you can err more easily on the boy side than the girl. A baby girl in a t-shirt printed with sports motifs is cute. You just wouldn't put a little boy in a sleeper printed with tiny sprigs of daisies. Teddy bears and duckies are one gender-neutral choice, but you can find adorable, unique prints that will stand out. Some of the more clever that we've seen around lately - Noah's Ark, lions and tigers, traffic signs, seasonal themes (candy canes, pumpkins, candy corn?).

Other gender neutral patterns that work for boys or girls clothing include candy color stripes, odd-size polka dots and abstract patterns. Pick a motif, pick a color and have a blast dressing your baby in clothes and accessories that don't scream boy or girl.

Diaper or Disposable- What A Choice!

The Great Diaper Debate

Way back when in the days of Home Ec, one favorite class was 'how to
diaper baby'. Turning a flat piece of absorbent cotton into a
comfortable, well-fitting nappy was a trick that seemed to require the dexterity
and legerdemain of a trained magician. Worse, diapering the baby
clumsily came with the very real fear of jabbing a squirming infant with a
diaper pin. Generations of mommies suffered pinpricked fingers rather than
risk a scratch to baby's delicate skin.

All that changed with the advent of disposable diapers. Even the
unfitted, flat, uncomfortable first generation disposables were worlds above
typical cloth diapers for convenience and ease of use. Just unfold the
back, pull the plastic up between the baby's legs and smooth it against
his belly, and tape the back to the front. Voila! Instant diaper. Even
better - no need for washing. No dirty diapers soaking in a pail of
borax. No smell, no fuss, no laundry service - just un-tape, wrap the
diaper up and toss it in the trash.

For parents of my generation, Pampers was the dividing line between 'back
then' and now. I can't count the number of mothers, grandmothers, aunts
and older female relatives who started off a tale with 'Of course, we
never had Pampers, WE had to..."

The advantages were obvious: disposables were cleaner, more sanitary,
more convenient. They did away with hours and hours of laundering and
drying, making time for lots of other things. If you were the least bit
conscious of disposal, you could completely eliminate the dirty-diaper
smell - just wrap it up tight in a plastic bag in put it in the OUTSIDE
trash. And no more wrestling with a squirming baby while you tried to
pin his nappy closed, nor having the whole thing slip off his adorable
little butt because you missed a layer of cloth when pinning.

The disadvantages were not so readily apparent, but they were
nonetheless real. The major point against disposable diapers is a potent one:
disposable diapers may be great for mother, but they put an enormous
strain on Mother Earth. Some facts:

* Over 19 billion disposable diapers annually end up in landfills -
where they do not degrade.
* Disposable diaper makers use more than a million tons of wood pulp
every year.
* The manufacturing process creates waste that contains dioxins, heavy
metals and industrial solvents.

In a world with limited resources, disposable diapers consume resources
and create pollutants and hazardous chemicals. Is the convenience worth
the damage to the Earth?

On the face of it, the debate does seem to be one more instance of man
- in this case mommies - putting their own convenience above what's
best for the world.

But there's yet another side to the debate - disposable diaper
manufacturers have countered with arguments that cloth diapers aren't all that
kind to Mother Earth either. They cite the use of harsh chemicals in
cleaning - bleach, borax and other detergents, the consumption of water,
and the energy (and fuels) needed to heat water to temperatures that
can disinfect diapers as being just as harmful to the Earth as
disposables.

In the end, the choice to use disposables or cloth diapers is a
judgment call. Which is better for baby? Which is better for mom? Which is
least harmful to our planet? The only real answer is to read what you can,
and make your own decision as to what works best for you - physically
and philosophically.

My Baby Won't Wear Clothes!

What To Do When Your Baby Won’t Wear Clothes!

A lot of time and energy goes into clothing your baby during the first year. From the color debate, to the rapid speed at which most infants outgrow their clothing, new parents have their plates full with keeping their babies clean, comfortable and clothed. So what do you do when all of a sudden, the baby doesn't want to wear any clothes at all? How do you deal with the exhibitionist stage of your toddler?

At about fourteen months, your baby will most likely want to romp around in the buff. This is completely normal, and in fact could help a little bit with potty training. Obviously, however, it can be a bit troublesome when trying to introduce social norms, and of course when having company without children over for coffee or lunch. So how does a new parent deal with a naked toddler?

The best thing to do is not discourage this behavior entirely. Set limits about where and when your toddler can be naked and enforce them. It is tedious, but repeatedly re-dressing your toddler may be the best way to get the message across. Keep an especially close eye on your toddler in public. Not just because of the obvious, but because you don't want to lose expensive items like shoes or jackets.

Setting a "naked time" where your child is free to roam around the house for an hour or so a day is a good way to set limits on acceptable behavior. Make sure this time is a time when you can be around to monitor them very closely and make sure that they don't hurt their more exposed areas. Also, it's probably best if naked time is a time when your home doesn't see a lot of traffic. Your toddler may be comfortable with their naked time, but friends and neighbors may not be.

Use your child's newfound freedom to encourage them to choose their own clothing. Let your toddler dress him or herself a couple of times a week as a special treat. Soon they might like to get dressed as much as they enjoy disrobing. Make getting dressed fun, and stress the importance of where and when it is okay to take off your clothes. This way your child begins to understand the important role that clothing plays in the day-to-day life of grown ups.

The most important thing to remember is not to let your discipline about clothing become about your child's body. It is easy to make your child feel ashamed of their naked body, even if it is not intended. This kind of discomfort can go a long way in determining how your child feels about their body in the long term, right up into adulthood. Making play dates for right before or after naked time can be a good way to demonstrate for your child the difference between private time and public time, and let them begin making their own boundaries in their mind. This time in their life is a lot about exploration. So even though you've been there, it's important to let them figure out some stuff on their own.

Caring For Your Baby

Caring for Baby’s Clothes

New parents are full of concerns about what regular household activities may pose a threat or present problems for their newest family member. At some point the question about the best ways to wash baby clothing will arise. Parents typically ask whether there is a certain type off detergent that they should use, whether it is safe to wash baby clothes with the rest of the family’s clothing and what special steps should be taken with cloth diapers if they are being used.

Detergent

This is a valid concern. It is not atypical for certain detergents to irritate the skin of adults and older children, so it is certainly feasible that a baby’s tender and sensitive skin can be easily irritated by harsh detergents. There are several detergents on the market that are supposedly intended for baby’s clothing, but there is not much difference between them and other mild detergents. The best choice for parents to make in this area is to purchase mild detergent that is free from added colors and fragrances and wash the clothing in that. If the baby does develop a rash or seems to be experiencing skin discomfort of any kind, the first thing to do is consult the family pediatrician. The doctor may simply recommend that a different detergent be used, but will also be able to determine if there is a more serious problem.

Washing Baby Clothes with Family Clothes

Some parents feel that the baby’s clothing needs to be washed separately from that of the rest of the family. The rationale for this is that the other family members’ clothing could somehow taint or contaminate the baby’s. There is no reason to worry about this and it is perfectly safe to wash baby’s clothes and bedding along with everyone else’s. The exception to this rule is cloth diapers. If parents are using cloth diapers and washing them at home rather than using a diaper service, they must be washed apart from everything else.

Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers are fading into memory, replaced by the more convenient disposable brands that are on the market. For families that choose to use these, however, there are some special considerations. The most sanitary way to utilize reusable cloth diapers is to contract a diaper service. This will take away the hassle of washing the diapers at home and ensure that the replacement diapers are sterile. For families that choose to wash at home, the previous paragraph details that they should be kept separate from all other laundry. Storing the diapers until wash time must be done as sanitarily as possible. This means rinsing the cloth diaper in the toilet to remove solid wastes, then storing it in a pail until it is time to be washed. The pail should be covered to prevent odor and lined with a disposable or washable liner. The pail, lid, and liner should be cleaned whenever the diapers are and the soiled diapers should be washed at least twice weekly.