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.