Pregnancy – early symptoms,stages and labor signs

Archive for the ‘Managing pregnancy’ Category

Years ago, women had the luxury to be able to be at home during their pregnancy, however, times have now changed and most pregnant women have to work through their pregnancy to help support their families.  And although working while pregnant is easy for most women, it can cause a lot of stress on the pregnancy, and even cause the mother to become ill.  If you are pregnant and have to work during your pregnancy, here are a few tips to help you to stay healthy and keep your stress levels down.

The first tip is to always be prepared. For example, a common problem with pregnancy is morning sickness. To help with the stress of becoming ill while at work you should bring provisions with you.  These could include light snacks, a change of clothes, and a toothbrush kit to help you feel better after you have become ill.  However, this should only be needed during the first 12 weeks and then the nausea should go away.

Another important factor if you have to work while pregnant is to always stay as comfortable as possible.  Remember to wear layers of clothing so that you can add or take away as you feel hot and cold.  And try to find yourself a comfortable pair of shoes to help the stress on your back from the added weight.  Furthermore, try bringing a pillow to work to help support your back as well, and if at all possible, sit with your feet up from time to time.

In the end, what you are trying to do is keep yourself as comfortable as possible so that you can stay healthy and cause the least amount of stress as possible.  The problem with added stress is that it can cause many different medical complications like high blood pressure, eclampsia, blood sugar levels that go up and down, and anemia to name a few.  And to help keep these at bay both at work and at home, remember to eat healthy foods and drink a lot of water.  Furthermore, getting enough rest while at home is very important as well.

Above all else, whether you are at work or at home, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Being a super mom is not going to help you or your baby.  Find someone to help out with chores and errands.  Perhaps you can ask a friend, co-worker, or your spouse or partner.  Even if you have other children, they can be a great source of help during this time.

And lastly, if you find that you have to work while pregnant, be sure to watch out for pregnancy discrimination.  You may find that some employers do not want a pregnant woman working for them, or they have an employer that will require the woman to do work that is dangerous for the baby.  What you need to remember is that you cannot be fired because you’re pregnant, and you cannot be forced to do any work that may be dangerous to you while pregnant.  If you feel that you are being discriminated against, or just want to know more, you can contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Pregnancy can be the most wonderful experience that a women will ever have, that is, next to the delivery.  For most first time pregnant women, delivery time is the most stressful part of pregnancy.  You do not really know signs of labor to understand what to expect or how you will handle it.

What’s more, many first-time pregnant mothers do not really know what to look for when figuring out if they are in labor.  Here is a bit of information that may help you with early signs of labor when your time finally arrives.

Did you know that labor can start anywhere from just before you deliver to up to a whole month before?  With this wild time spread, how does one know if they are in labor at all?  Although every woman experiences a different type of labor, there are early labor signs and symptoms that will help clue you in.  For instance, signs of early labor can include anything from the baby shifting its weight lower in your body to cramping.

Being prepared up to a month before your due date is always important.  Also, to help keep track of these  signs and symptoms of labor that come early, try keeping a diary.  This will come in handy when talking to your doctor about any concerns that you may have, as well as a handy tool to help fill in that baby book you will start.  And one of the first labor symptoms you may be able to write about is called ‘lightening’.

One of the signs of labor which is lightening starts when the baby begins to get ready for birth by shifting down into the area of your pelvis, and can be seen as early as one month before your due date.  What this does to your body is relieves a tremendous amount of stress that was put on your body due to the baby having it’s weight on your ribs, and thus allows the mother to breath easier.  However, that added pressure will be transferred most often to the mothers’ bladder area.

The next sign or symptom of labor that you may notice is in your cervix.  A pregnant woman’s cervix will start to change a few weeks before actual labor, and much of this process is called effacement, and can be seen by your doctor during check-ups.  For example, during a visit to your doctors a few weeks before your due date you may hear him tell you that you are 25% or 35% effaced.  But again, this is different for each woman.