Q1:My doctor says I'm 45 days pregnant, but I know I conceived 43 days ago. Who's right?
A1:Figuring out conception dates can be a tricky thing. Most of the time, doctors base it on the day of your last period and the fact that most women have a 28 day cycle. But, if you track your ovulation, you might know that you didn't ovulate on day 14 like most women. This can cause the difference.
Since sperm can live in a woman's body for 72 hours and an egg can live for 12-24 hours after ovulation, you have a window of several days when you could conceive. Even if you ovulate on a Monday evening, you might not conceive until Wednesday morning. Or, you could have intercourse on Sunday and conceive on Tuesday when you ovulate.
The bottom line, no one can be 100 percent certain as to the exact day conception occurred.
Q2:I missed one of my birth control pills this month. What should I do?
A2:Any time you have doubt about the effectiveness of your pill, you should double up and use an extra form of protection for the month. The easiest thing to do is to use a condom until you begin your next pack of pills. There are a lot of things that can cause your birth control pills to fail like missing a pill, taking certain medications such as antibiotics, or even being sick. In any of these cases, protect yourself by using a barrier method of birth control.
Q3:How do I tell if I am pregnant?
A3:The only way to be absolutely sure you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. A pregnancy test can be scheduled through your health care provider or local health care clinic. A variety of home pregnancy tests are available through most pharmacies, grocery stores, and department stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target. You can even order pregnancy tests online. Pregnancy tests are typically accurate within 10 to 15 days of conception. Your OB health professional can also do a blood pregnancy test to confirm a pregnancy. Early pregnancy symptoms such as a missed period, nausea, and an unexplainable sensitivity to foods and odors may also act as significant indicators to your pregnancy status.
Q4:How Do You Know When You're Ovulating?
A4:Ovulation occurs approximately 2 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period.
Though this gives you a rough estimate of your most fertile days and highest chances of conceiving, not everyone ovulates at the same time.
Some signs of ovulation to look for that almost always indicate fertility:
An increase in vaginal discharge. While it is normal to have discharge at all points of your menstrual cycle, it increases in consistency and frequency during ovulation.
A higher body temperature. Most women experience a higher temperature during ovulation. Check your temperature each day at the same time to find your normal resting point. When you notice it change for a day or two, it is likely you are ovulating.
An increase in libido. This one doesn't work for everyone – especially those with a naturally high libido. But if you find yourself unusually amorous during a certain time of the month, take note that this could be your ovulation point.
Q5:Are Acrylic Nails Safe During Pregnancy?
A5:Despite your ever-growing pregnant belly, every girl wants to feel well-manicured and "put together" during the most special time of your life, right?
After all, you will be in lots of pictures during this time that you will cherish for years to come.
For many years, women have been plagued with uncertainty with regard to the safety of using acrylic nails during pregnancy.
It's true, the fumes in nail salons may be dangerous for a pregnant woman if you are around them consistently. In other words, it's not be a good idea to work as a nail technician during this time or to frequent the salon more than once a week.
However, average time in a nail salon of 2 hours per month should not harm your growing baby. If you're concerned about solvent fumes in the nail salon, try visiting a location with good ventilation. Some nail salons even leave the doors propped open on days with good weather.
One thing you should be aware of before getting a manicure or pedicure is the potential of getting a bacterial or fungal infection. Anyone can contract these infections, but they are especially dangerous for pregnant women. To avoid this, make sure you visit a nail salon that uses exceptionally good hygiene and cleans their tools properly after each client. (Or take your own manicure tools or pedicure tools.)
Finally, do not get your nails or toes done when you have a torn cuticle or a cut on your finger or foot. Bacteria can work its way into these areas and cause illness, disease and high fever in a pregnant woman.
Q6:Is Vaginal Bleeding Normal When Pregnant?
A6:Pregnancy almost always stops a woman's menstrual cycle from occurring approximately 2 weeks after conception.
Once you have conceived, it is unlikely that you will have another period until after the baby is born. In fact, one of the first signs of pregnancy is a missed period.
However, there are exceptions to every rule, and some women continue to have periods throughout their pregnancy. You may have spotting when pregnant as well.
Many women experience blood spotting early in pregnancy. This is often referred to as implantation spotting and is a result of the embryo embedding into the wall of the uterus. This is completely normal.
If your spotting becomes heavy or bright red, it can be a sign of complications. Regardless of what you think is causing your bleeding, see your doctor immediately.
Q7:How Much Should You Eat During Pregnancy?
A7:Feel free to pig out on all of your favorite junk foods and throw portion control and reason out the window if you want an extra 60 pounds to lose in 9 months!
The old saying, "eating for two," is technically true, though it may not mean what you think.
You only need 300 extra calories per day when pregnant. Consider this to be the caloric equivalent of a low-fat smoothie or a single chicken breast. That doesn't sound quite as liberating as "eating for two."
The average mom that eats well and maintains a balanced diet during her pregnancy should expect to gain approximately 25 to 35 pounds — most of which will naturally come off after pregnancy. Aside from the occasional water weight and bloating, the rest is fat storage.
Adopt a balanced pregnancy diet that your doctor or nutritionist recommends. Make sure to eat foods rich in calcium, folic acid and omega-3s like milk, yogurt, low-mercury fish and fresh spinach or leafy greens. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables and limit your fat intake. Be sure to avoid alcohol and limit caffeine during pregnancy, as well.
By the end of your pregnancy, you could be in the healthiest nutritional state of your life!
Q8:How do you sleep comfortably when you are pregnant?
A8:A good pillow and comfortable mattress are always number one on the list. You might try sleeping with one or two memory foam pillows under certain parts of your body. And after that just roll around a little bit until find a comfortable position. Its best to just explore and find out whats right/comfortable for you. :)
Q9:What should you avoid eating while pregnant?
A9:Fish is a great and healthy food to have while pregnant! Its a simple matter of what TYPE of fish to avoid like the large salt water fish that contain high levels of mercury. Fresh water fish like trout, catfish, fish sticks, flounder, salmon, craoker, and haddok are ok to eat. Tuna can be eaten in moderation (one serving a week). Large fish like shark, tile fish, swordfish, tuna steaks, sea bass, Halibut and other LARGE saltwater fish are known to contain high levels of methyl mercury, a substance that can potentially cause neurological damage when consumed in large amounts. Farm-raised trout and catfish, Pacific salmon, and fish sticks are safe. Shellfish (shrimp, crawfish, crab, etc)are also fine to eat while pregnant. Remember that all of these are to be well cooked, not raw or smoked. Other foods to avoid are- -Raw meats -Raw chicken -Raw eggs (Caesar salads and eggnog!!!) -Soft cheeses, including Brie, Camembert, Mexican-style, and any other cheese that may be made with inadequately pasteurized milk, can harbor Listeria. -Do not drink raw milk, or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk. -Pate -Unwashed fruits & vegetables -Foods & drinks that contain caffeine (limit or avoid!) tea, coffee, and colas -Alcohol -Saccharin (NutraSweet is preferable) Liver should be avoided whilst pregnant (including all pate) as is contains a high level of Vitamin A which can be very harmful to your unborn baby. Anemia is common during pregnancy so you could look for other ways of increasing your vitamin A levels - remember to take your folic acid supplement!. Peanuts are also a healthy snack and should only be avoided if you are allergic to them.
Q10:Is it safe to eat lobster whilst pregnant?
A10:Pregnant women can safely eat two meals per week of 6 ounces of cooked, ''low mercury'' fish: cod, salmon, shrimp, flounder, canned chunk-light tuna, haddock, trout, pollock, squid, shellfish (except lobster) and catfish. Fish sticks and ''fast-food'' sandwiches are commonly made from fish that are low in mercury.
The ''medium mercury'' fish - striped bass, canned albacore (solid white) tuna, tuna steaks, halibut, lobster, bluefish, grouper and most freshwater fish caught locally - contain three times as much mercury as low mercury fish. One 6-ounce serving can be safely eaten once per week.
The ''high mercury'' fish - swordfish, shark, mackerel king and tilefish - contain nine times as much mercury as ''low mercury fish'' and should be avoided during pregnancy.
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