Archive for the ‘Health and Fitness’ Category

Your Quick Guide On Care After Pregnancy

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Pregnancy is undeniably the most exciting phase in a woman life. And same as any exciting event, in this case also there are many doubts and apprehensions. There may be many questions on your mind like how do I take care after pregnancy, what changes will I have to make in my lifestyle to welcome the new family member, how much pregnancy weight will I gain and so on. So read on and clarify all your uncertainties.

To help you in your delivery and to guide you in your pregnancy period, there are different health care providers available like Obstetricians (conventional choice for childbirth), Family Physicians (your trusted medical help over the years), Maternal-fetal medicine specialists (in case of very high risk pregnancies where mother is suffering from fatal diseases) or midwives (very common choice for low risk pregnancy). It is your personal decision and you can decide upon the health care provider by analyzing your medical condition.

The period after delivery is called post-partum. The post pregnancy care you need, will depend upon the type of delivery you have had. Every case is different but following is just an overview to help you take good care after pregnancy:

Normal Delivery

You will be very tired after this delivery and why not since you have worked harder than ever before in your life. Also with a sudden decrease in hormone levels, you will need to take as much rest as possible. The best way to achieve this is to sleep while the baby sleeps. You will also have contractions after you deliver your baby. These are called after pains and they will be more intense while breastfeeding. After pains usually go away after the first week to ten days when the uterus starts decreasing to its pre-pregnancy size. Refer to Pregnancy for more information.

Proper hygiene should be followed during pregnancy period as well as after pregnancy. During your delivery, your perineum has been stretched and it will be sore for many days. You can try ice packs and sit baths to relieve soreness. Always clean yourself thoroughly to avoid any infections. If you are breastfeeding, take care of your breasts. You need to keep them clean. If they become dry or cracked, you may massage them with vitamin E oil. Please wash the oil before feeding the baby. Take a balanced post pregnancy diet.

C-Section Delivery

In addition to the guidelines given for the normal delivery, you should follow specific recommendations after surgery. After this major surgery, take full rest. You should always have help the first few times you get out of the bed. As soon as your surgery is over you will be allowed to take clear liquids. Usually one or two days after the surgery, you will be given a regular diet. Increase your activity gradually over several days and never force yourself.

Breastfeeding may be uncomfortable due to the incision and difficulty to move around. Take your own time and find a comfortable position for your self to feed your baby. Do exercise to look good after your pregnancy. It is very important for you to understand exactly what to do during pregnancy and how to take care after pregnancy because it is going to be a wonderful journey that you will remember all your life. I hope that this article gave you an insight on the post-partum period and cleared all your doubts. Visit Pregnancy for further information.

How to lose weight after having a baby, here is what to do!

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

To lose baby weight, you can easily be bored with the limited carb choices but it does get better as you reach the last two stages. Your doctor can explain the possible health risk associated with the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet plan is not easy when losing weight after having a baby but if you stay with it the results will amaze you. An internet search for Atkins diet will yield hundreds of results.

The Atkins diet tries to trick your body into burning fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. If the Reactions are really troublesome you should seek treatment. You can find ways to ease these reactions on the internet and in books about low carb diets.

You might get dizzy, have cramps, and other physical effects because of the changes in your diet. It is possible to ease the dizziness and cramps. There are things that can be done to ease the discomfort of leg cramps and other symptoms. Remember minerals like Potassium, are flushed out of your system quickly.

Take a 90 milligram supplement instead of a banana to replace potassium. Relief from symptoms should be felt in about an hour. While on Atkins follow these suggestions for staying healthy. Listed below are some suggestions that might help you get through the time it takes your body to adjust to the diet.

If your weight loss slows or stops before you are close to goal weight, check how many calories you are taking in. Water is also necessary to your kidneys functioning properly. Drinking enough water to equal half your body weight will keep you out of the kitchen and in another room all day. Not drinking enough water can lead to buildup of ketones which can cause serious health problems.

Weighing yourself more than once a week will only frustrate yourself. If you don’t see a drop in inches and pounds, check for hidden carbs and sugars. You will feel your best when you eat the right amount of carbs. Make sure the carbs you do eat are chock full of nutrients. Sugar is off limits on the Atkins diet. Regular exercise improves your general health.

Beware of promises that you will lose huge amounts of weight without exercise. Convert food into energy faster with exercise. Strive for a balance in exercise if you aren’t a little tired after a session, you probably aren’t doing enough and if you are too tired to move you probably did too much.

The doctor can tell if your post exercise aches and pains are normal or not. To gain maximum benefit from your exercise and dieting, slowly build your routine. Don’t take more than the recommended doses of any supplement without your doctor’s consent. If you are tempted to cheat, checking your journal will remind you what happened the last time you did that.

Some people overeat and some eat barely anything when under stress, recording what you eat will explain weight loss or gain. If you go off program, don’t beat yourself up, just get back on track as soon as possible. Anything significant should be entered because good stuff affects you too.

Knowing you have to list everything is important especially for diabetics so they can see how foods affect them whether its negative or positive. Recording your blood sugar levels in the journal is an obvious fact. Doing this will teach you to recognize patterns such as when your levels are highest or lowest.

You and your doctor can use the journal to recognize what you have been doing right and to build on it. Try to choose foods made from whole grain flour. If your weight loss stalls or slows significantly, try eliminating all caffeine. Having short term goals will keep you motivated.

The amount you lose in a week or a month is not as important as a steady weight loss. Losing more weight than that is potentially dangerous. Yo-yo dieting , losing weight and gaining it back to get out of starvations mode, than losing, etc. may be as dangerous as being overweight.

With the Atkins diet, you have the maintenance phase to use for the rest of your life, so you don’t have to return to the old way. Only use diets that suggest a slow to moderate weight loss and possibly some nutrient supplements. So the element of a safe workable diet are balanced meals, exercise and supplements.

Not all supplements can do what they claim, so do your homework before you buy. All natural ingredients have one advantage. Supplements and medications often don’t mix well, it might be a good idea to take them separately a few hours apart. You won’t need supplements if your diet is well balanced.

Make sure you grab a FREE weight loss report at the losing weight after delivery website!

Visit this blog in order to know more about how to loose weight after pregnancy!

A Pregnancy Diet. What You Need To Know.

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

We examine how a proper pregnancy diet is crucial not only to the baby, but the mother as well. The importance of a planned diet program can make a huge difference in the physical and mental state of the mother-to-be and her child. Go to Pregnancy for more information.

There are a lot of things we gamble on but the one thing you would never gamble on is the health of your children. This is true even before they are born. Increasing your chances for a healthy baby is not gambled on the roll of a dice, but with careful planning and attention to prenatal nutrition. What you want is the best likelihood of a successful and stress free nine months. A proper pregnancy diet plan will give your baby the best chance for a healthy beginning.

No mother-to-be is willing to take a chance on her baby’s health. That means following a program that gives the best options for the mother to provide the utmost care and attention for her future bundle of joy. Sound pregnancy plans provide the extra nutrition and calories needed by the body and the developing baby. It’s important to eat the right amount of calories and restrict weight gain to only what is necessary for the baby’s growth. How much you eat depends on several factors.

- How active you are throughout the day.

- Whether you do moderate physical exertion or exercise.

- How much you weigh before the pregnancy.

- What trimester your pregnancy is in.

- Whether you are carrying more than one baby.

The best Pregnancy diet will center on maintaining a healthy weight throughout the maternity. It will also have the goal of eliminating encounters with a low birth weight, poor immune system, developing nervous systems and diet related birth defects.

Maintaining a healthy diet that increases the odds of a healthy baby, involves a good deal more than just understanding what you should eat. Basically you know you should get enough folic acid, calcium and vitamins. You also must know what to avoid eating or drinking to prevent problems. To increase the best likelihood of a successful term, a smart pregnancy diet plan will include warnings about foods that may cause problems.

Do not eat certain types of fish that may contain high levels of mercury, such as mackerel.

Do not drink alcohol because it can cause the baby to be born underweight or even have a form of brain impairment.

Restrict caffeine consumption.

Never eat undercooked or raw foods. (Vegetables are the exception)

It’s vital that you should know during the pregnancy about some foods that carry food borne illnesses and should obviously be avoided as much as possible. Undercooked meats, raw fish such as sushi and raw eggs should never be eaten while pregnant. Illnesses from these foods can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and can directly affect the health of your unborn baby. When you’re pregnant, you can be more susceptible to the illnesses these foods can carry and your response can be heightened by the pregnancy.

Doing some research of your own can provide more insight into what would be the ideal diet plan for both the mother and baby. When setting up such a particular eating program, remember that the best pregnancy diet will cover all aspects of nutrition that equates to a healthy pregnancy and baby. Visit Pregnancy for further information.

Expect Different Changes in Each of the Pregnancy Stages

Monday, April 6th, 2009

There are three pregnancy stages called trimesters. Each one lasts for about three months of the pregnancy and involves bringing new changes to your body, the development of the baby and your relationships with your partner and those around you. It is important to have an understanding of what to expect in each of these stages so that you will not become unnecessarily stressed when they occur. The changes involve your emotions as well as the shape of your body and your level of comfort. Refer to Pregnancy for more information.

The sexual relationship between partners undergoes a change during these stages as well. The first trimester is often a traumatic experience for both partners with the morning sickness, extreme tiredness and general emotional changes, which often results in a decrease in lovemaking. This usually returns to normal in the second trimester. During the third trimester, with your body expanding quite quickly, you may have to find more comfortable positions in order to show your love for one another and sate your sexual desires.

The first trimester lasts for about twelve weeks. The increase in your hormones will cause you some discomfort with feelings of nausea. You may become ill when you see or smell some of your favourite foods and morning sickness is one of the early signs. When you wake in the morning and get out of bed, you may have to run to the washroom to throw up. Some women experience this later in the day and in some cases it is quite extreme. Usually it does abate by the end of the first three months.

In addition to not having any menstrual periods, you will notice that your breasts are tender and seem to enlarge. You will not notice any major increase in the size of your belly, but by the end of the first trimester, the waistbands may feel a little tighter than normal. You will feel tired most of the time and have to take naps during the day or early evening. Another consequence of this early stage of pregnancy is an increase in the frequency of urinating, which means more trips to the bathroom. Go to Pregnancy for more information.

Your pregnancy will start to show during the second trimester. The riskiest period for a miscarriage is over and you can start to relax. You will experience more energy during this time and be able to do most of your normal activities. Due to the increased blood flow to the breasts and genitals, you will have an increased interest in sexual activity. You will start to feel the baby moving inside and have your first ultrasound during this time. This will make the pregnancy seem more real to you.

This is the stage of pregnancy when your uterus will start to enlarge as the baby starts to grow and develop more fully. This also puts more pressure on the blood vessels, often causing your blood pressure to rise. There is also more pressure on the ligaments and muscles of your lower body, resulting in back and leg pain.

The final stage of pregnancy, the third trimester, is the time for you to start planning for the baby if you haven’t already done so. All of the baby organs are developed and this is a time for waiting for the baby to grow. Towards the end of this stage, you will experience a nesting attitude in which you want to make sure you have everything ready for the new arrival. You also need to get more rest at this time to prepare your body for the upcoming event. Visit Pregnancy for more information.

Holistic Nutrition - Manage Your Pregnancy Weight Gain

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Any obgyn will tell you that the recommended weight gain for Pregnancy is 25-30 pounds. Some women will gain more, some will gain less. But how can you tell if you are gaining too fast during your pregnancy. Too much weight gain can increase your chances of a c section and put you at risk for being overweight after.

Some doctors say that if you put on more than 3 1/2 pounds in your first trimester and are of a normal weight you are putting weight on too fast. If you are overweight and put on more than 2 pounds, you are gaining too fast. Keep in mind though that even if you gain a lot in your first trimester, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will gain a lot your whole pregnancy.

Some women gain a lot in the first trimester because morning sickness has them only able to eat carbs and nothing else and still end their pregnancy gaining no more than 25 pounds. If however you find that your weight gain is still not slowing down once you enter your second trimester, there are some tips you can try to help slow it down.

First, start using the principles of holistic nutrition. Change what you are putting in your body. If you are eating healthy foods in moderation your weight gain will slow. It is never a good idea to diet while you are pregnant so make sure you are eating whole foods filled with nutrients and not just empty calories. Apply some basic calorie cutting strategies such as using skim milk instead of whole milk, taking skin off your chicken and grilling or broil instead of frying or sauteing. You will also want to cut out most of your sweets. These are empty calories that are providing no nutritional value to you or your baby. Go to Pregnancy for more information.

Next, cut down on the fat you are taking in. Look at what you are eating and how it may have hidden fat in it. Some salad dressings can be loaded with fat, so you might want to try putting your dressing on the side, or even try just using a little lemon juice instead of dressing. Watch how much oil you use when you are cooking or when you are going out to eat and stick to good oils such as extra virgin olive oil.

Get active! You could be gaining weight faster because you are not active. As long as your doctor gives you the go ahead, start a walking program. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Not only does it help with your weight gain, but some women and doctors swear that walking through out most of your pregnancy could help ease the pains of childbirth. If you can not walk due to weather conditions you might want to look into joining a prenatal exercise class.

Lastly pay attention to what you are eating. Are you following the ideas of holistic nutrition? If not, you may find the food you are putting in your body, as well as the amount is leading to your weight gain. Stick with healthy whole foods and you will be right on track.

Even though you are pregnant, the old adage of eating for two really is not correct. You need to eat well balanced meals, follow a holistic nutrition plan, and make each mouthful count. Following these steps will help you keep your pregnancy weight gain well within the normal limits. It will also set you up to have healthy eating habits after the baby is born, which will help you take off the weight and teach your new child how to eat well. Visit Pregnancy for further information.

What Concerns A Mother Might Have During Pregnancy

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

There isn’t anything more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are a lot of things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you learn what they are.

Vaginal bleeding- This may also be known as spotting, but you want to ensure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding, kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always notify and let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

Stomach pain or cramping- While you are pregnant it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort be sure to rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and explain the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.

Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

Dehydration- When you are expecting it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

Painful urination - This could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medicine or by drinking plenty of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is actually quite common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you have a doubt or have a concern discuss it with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel. Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.

Many women don’t start treatment to prevent pregnancy stretch marks until they are showing. The best time to start is the second you have that positive test. The earlier you start the better prepared your belly and skin will be for the stretch. Learn how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy today.

Read how to loose weight.

Learn To Minimize Morning Sickness During Your Pregnancy

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Morning sickness can be one of your first signs that you are pregnant. This doesn’t always mean that you will get sick only in the morning. This can happen, morning, noon or night. It will normally occur in the first trimester or your pregnancy and end by the second, this isn’t the case in all pregnancies though. Some women will have morning sickness during their entire term

Nausea can happen immediately or you may get lucky and not have any morning sickness. No one is for certain what causes morning sickness, it is a change in the body that happens during pregnancy. Many women seem to get sick after taking the prenatal pill, try taking it later in the afternoon. Your physician may even advise you to take some other form of vitamin instead of the pill. Always find out first with your doctor before start taking anything new or taking yourself off medication, even prenatal pills.

There are a couple ways to minimize the morning sickness during pregnancy, but they don’t work for everyone. Try keeping crackers on hand, I prefer saltines for some reason. Try drinking some ginger ale, it calms the stomach down. Dry cereal is another good thing to eat, your stomach may just be a little bit hungry and trying to tell you. Remember to take small portions, that way you know if it is all going to come up or not. Sleeping is another good way to avoid it, however it will wake you up. Keep yourself hydrated, not only can this make your morning sickness come but you can become dehydrated and need to run to the emergency room if you aren’t careful.

Smells is another thing that seems to cause morning sickness. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you smell is grease. Yes, this can easily set it off. Awful smells and even certain tastes, get the feel for your body during the pregnancy and figure out just what sets it off. Knowing how to avoid it, can make a huge difference.

A few reasons you should go to your physician would be if you start losing weight because you are constantly sick. If you become dehydrated, faint, look pale, confused or throw up more than four times in a day. Your doctor may be able to give something that will stop it.

Try slowing down a bit, sometimes your body is just exhausted from all the errands you are running and it tries to force you to have a break. Listen to your body, take a nap, relax and watch a television show, take some time off. If you are looking for remedies for your morning sickness, you may try buying some pregnancy pops. Or if you would prefer to stay away from the sweets you can wear a bracelet designed to stop morning sickness, they are just like the motion sickness bracelets. They don’t work for everyone but they could work for you.

About 90% of women get pregnancy stretch marks. Did you know that you can prevent pregnancy stretch marks?

Read also about immune system boosters.

Pregnancy Week By Week : Keep Track Of Life Growing Within You

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Pregnancy week by week tracking tools or calendars are great tools for keeping track of your babys growth during pregnancy. Also, you can acquire knowledge of different early pregnancy symptoms or signs of pregnancy. Refer to pregnancy for more information.

Most of the pregnancy calendars or guides chart babys growth during pregnancy week by week. Though the baby continues to grow with every passing day, but changes and development of baby usually becomes manifest over a weeks time. Therefore, the complete pregnancy period has been divided into three trimesters comprising 40 weeks. By following the babys growth in pregnancy week by week information and or pregnancy calendars, you can have an idea as to what your baby looks like at a particular point in time. Moreover, if you find something lacking, you can get medical advice promptly. Lets take a glance at some salient developments of your little ones growth during the forty weeks.

The First Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy week by week covers week 1 to week 14. First 2 weeks of this trimester denote the period from your last menses till conception or till that time when the sperm fertilizes the egg. By the end of week 3, the fertilized egg is metamorphosed into an embryo. During week 4 you begin to feel the early pregnancy symptom of nausea. Week 5 marks the beginning of formation of all major organs of the babys body. In fact this is the week, when the embryos metamorphosis into a baby begins. Come week 6 and your babys heart beats for the first time. Your baby doubles in size during week 7. By week 9, babys sex can be determined and your embryo becomes a small baby by week 10. Week 14 will make manifest another sign of pregnancy enlarging and darkening of the area around your nipples. Go to pregnancy for further inforrmation.

The Second Trimester

The second trimester comprises week 15 to week 26. In the beginning of this trimester i.e. week 15, the baby begins movement of head, lips, and feet. Due to upward movement of uterus, the pregnancy symptom of frequent urination would abate by week 16. Baby begins blinking, sucking, and swallowing in week 17. Due to myelinization of nerves, nerve cell transmission registers a significant increase making body reflexes quicker. During week 20, baby begins to sleep and wake on regular basis. By week 24, babys heart beat becomes so distinct that it can be heard by placing an ear on stomach. And before the second trimester ends, brain wave activity commences for ears and eyes.

The Third Trimester

The third trimester as per pregnancy week by week commences with week 27 and ends with the birth of baby i.e. approximately week 40. Week 27 heralds increased movements of the baby. Senses of sound, smell, and taste develop by week 29. During week 34, babys own immune system begins to develop. Most of the babies are born around this period. By this week, look out for any signs of labor. In any case, your baby is born by the end of week 40. Sometimes, this period may extend by two more weeks.

By keeping yourself updated with the help of pregnancy week by week information, you can keep watch over various signs of pregnancy and your babys growth. If you feel your babys growth is not in consonance with the week by week chart, you can immediately get medical advice. Visit pregnancy for more information.

Pilates During Pregnancy - Yes or No?

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

With all the concerns about exercising during pregnancy, what is a pregnant woman to do? Many people would probably question whether or not the relatively difficult Pilates program could be altered enough to accommodate the special needs of a pregnant woman. The answer is a resounding Yes! Pilates is very adaptable and most Pilates exercises can be modified as your pregnancy progresses and your body and abilities change. The modifications help you keep the intent of the exercise, but adjust the form to adapt to the changes in your body during pregnancy. The majority of women are able to safely participate in Pilates during pregnancy with modifications. Go to pregnancy for further information.

Many people today would be surprised to learn that Pilates during pregnancy is considered to be one of the most appropriate exercise programs for pregnant women. Even more surprising is that Pilates is used for pregnant women to strengthen the core of the body, the muscles of the torso where the abdominal muscles work with the back and the pelvis. What other exercise series could be so perfect for working the muscles that a pregnant woman will need the most during labor and delivery? It is also important to note that Pilates during pregnancy will strengthen and tone the mother’s postural muscles; the muscles used to carry the baby.

The ability to modify exercises so that they work for a changing body and the focus on control, precision, and appropriate levels of exercise intensity all come together to make Pilates a safe choice for exercising during pregnancy. Combined with Pilates principles like, centering, breath and flow, you have a program that can be effective throughout the duration of a pregnancy. With the proper instruction, a Pilates session during pregnancy can be a beneficial use of time for body, mind and the baby too.

Practicing Pilates during pregnancy will help the mother not only carry the baby well, but may also make labor easier and help the new mother speed up the recovery of her figure after delivery. By strengthening the back,the pelvic floor and developing good posture, carrying the baby and giving birth are made a little easier. Also, with better muscle tone, common injuries from carrying the baby and giving birth are less likely to occur.

If practicing Pilates during pregnancy be sure to use a toned-down version of the regular, sometimes strenuous Pilates routines. There are Pilates pregnancy lower-impact workout that can be done from week one of the pregnancy until week 31 or 32 of the pregnancy. Pilates during pregnancy can also be beneficial to the baby because the low-stress exercises help circulate extra oxygen and nutrients to the unborn baby. Also, the breathing techniques learned by the mother while taking Pilates during pregnancy can help ease the delivery.

Furthermore, the exercises that a pregnant woman would do while taking Pilates during pregnancy can help keep them from losing control of their bodies during pregnancy. These exercises also help the mother to quickly get back to her pre-pregnancy shape, with the same or maybe even better flexibility, posture, and muscle tone. Most Pilates pregnancy classes offer something for every pregnant woman, from early to late pregnancy, from the basics to post-pregnancy more advanced classes. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced Pilates student, you can find a Windsor Pilates program to fit your needs.

Ways To Know That You Are Pregnant

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

How will you know that you are pregnant? Below are some of the clues and pregnancy basics, so that you can know for sure that you are pregnant. However, please note that pregnancy differs from one woman to another. The symptoms may be less intense or more severe. Refer to pregnancy for more information.

The pregnancy symptoms may occur for a short while or for a long time. They may happen often or they may be rare during the entire pregnancy period. Keeping this in mind, read these important pregnancy symptoms.

Symptoms Of Pregnancy

Missed Period: This is the most important symptom of pregnancy. If you miss your menstrual period, you can be reasonably sure that you are pregnant. However, some women may experience a lighter menstruation instead of none at all.

1. Intuition: Many women get a gut feeling when they are pregnant. This pregnancy symptom is important, as a womens intuition is usually right. You usually know that you are pregnant, when you are!

2. Tenderness Of Breasts: Breasts and even nipples become more sensitive during pregnancy. A feeling of soreness in the breasts persists. In addition, some women may find their nipples darkening.

3. Tiredness: Fatigue is also a pregnancy symptom. You find you feel like going to sleep earlier at night. You may sleep longer in the morning. A little exertion will tire you quickly.

4. More Visits To The Bathroom: Frequent urination is a pregnancy symptom. Though annoying, it might continue up till you deliver your baby. It happens because your swelling uterus puts pressure on your bladder.

5. Nausea And Vomiting: This pregnancy symptom may start within a week of your getting pregnant. Nausea is also known as Morning sickness. However, this sickness usually stops when you enter into the second stage of pregnancy.

6. Dizziness And/Or Fainting: After a little exertion, you feel dizzy or you might even faint. This happens because of low blood sugar. Your baby inside you needs nutrition, so you have to eat more.

7. Craving/Dislike For Food: You find that you start wanting to gorge on some foods. Alternatively, you might stop relishing some foods you liked earlier.

8. Sensitivity To Smells: You find your power of smell has increased. You can sniff out odors, not noticed by others. This happens because of the increasing estrogen in your body.

9. Heartburn or Constipation: Your growing uterus pushes against other body organs, including your stomach. As a result, digestion slows down.

10. Mood Swings: You become more irritable. All this is because pregnancy is changing hormones levels in you.

11. Low Back Pain: This is an important pregnancy symptom. The growing uterus changes your torso-legs balance, leading to low back pain.

12. Implantation Bleeding: You may bleed a little when the fertilized egg begins to implant or move into the uterus. This happens 3-6 days after fertilization. The bleeding is little with pink spots. This does not happen in each pregnancy case, hence it is not a reliable pregnancy symptom.

Please understand that knowing pregnancy symptoms is important to be well informed. To ensure that you are pregnant see your doctor.

Thereafter record your pregnancy week by week and maintain good pregnancy health. Only to know that you are pregnant is not enough. Once you are, you have to nurture your pregnancy to give birth to a healthy baby. Visit pregnancy for more information.