Care During Pregnancy

The body produces a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin when a woman becomes pregnant. Hence a pregnancy test is besides other criteria a detection of presence of normal HCG levels during early pregnancy. Soon after the zygote/embryo implants in the uterus this hormone which is produced by the placenta enters the stream of blood. Given below are the normal referrals for a pregnancy test.

1. HCG below 5mIU/ ml : Result : negative or not pregnant
2. HCG Between 5mIU and 25 mIU / ml:  Result Inconclusive: may or may not be pregnant. Test to be repeated after a gap of at least 2 days for confirmation.
3. HCG above 25 mIU / ml: Result: Positive. The woman is pregnant.

So what does the presence of HCG indicate other then being pregnant? Normal HCG levels during early pregnancy have to steadily increase during pregnancy and hence the repeat test for confirmation and viability of pregnancy. The steady increase in levels of HCG especially in the first three months is an indication of a healthy pregnancy and if the HCG levels are too low then it is an indication of impending miscarriage. Of course later in the first trimester after the seventh week a healthy heart beat of the fetus is indicative of a healthy pregnancy.

Normal HCG levels during early pregnancy- Some facts:

1.    In a normal and healthy pregnancy the HCG levels will become twice the amount in every two to three days. If you have 25mIU /ml on day one then you will have 50 mIU /ml on day three or day four.

2.    During the second and third trimester the time taken to double HCG levels may increase to four days.

3.    However it is very important to remember that in some cases normal HCG levels during early pregnancy is low and the woman can still have a healthy pregnancy and a good delivery. In such cases an ultra sound will give a clearer picture of the baby’s development and the progress of pregnancy.

4.    The unit of measurement for hormone HCG is milli-international units per milliliter.

5.    Normally an ultra sound is taken only during the end of second month. This is because the trans-vaginal ultrasound will then be able to detect the amniotic sac or the gestational sac because the normal HCG levels during early pregnancy would have gone above 1000 mIU/ml and be probably closer to 2000mIU/ml.

6.    It is advisable not to depend on a single test of HCG levels. A series of tests done with a gap of at least two to three days can give more accurate results and reading of the pregnancy situation.

7.    Since normal HCG levels during early pregnancy can differ from woman to woman, it is not proper to calculate the date of conception based on the HCG count.

8.    The HCG tests for pregnancy are of two types. The “Qualitative” test for HCG will indicate its presence in the blood confirming or denying a pregnancy. The “Quantitative” test for HCG known as beta HCG will give you the levels of HCG present in the blood stream. This will be useful for any corrective action if necessary.

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Early pregnancy week by week is a wonderful and exciting experience. It is the time wherein you can really feel the essence of womanhood. It is a life-changing event for most women!

Week 1 and 2
You are really not sure yet if you are pregnant or not during week 1 and week 2. This is still the time for ovulation and fertilization. When the ovaries release an egg, this is the ovulation period. If the egg will be fertilized, it will travel to the uterus and resides there for the next 40 weeks.

Your body is experiencing a lot of changes during the first weeks of pregnancy. You can feel ovarian discomfort during ovulation. You are fertile if your discharge is clear and most abundant.

Monitoring your body’s temperature is one way to tell if you are fertile during the first two weeks after your menstrual period. During ovulation, an increase of about .4 to .6 is normal.

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Your appetite and hunger during pregnancy might be a little bit different in your system, thanks to all the hormones you unleash during pregnancy. Tastes and smell senses are usually higher, making you go through great hunger pangs and sometimes hatred for some specific drinks and foods. When you are expectant, it is relatively normal for you to experience hunger, particularly in your first weeks and months (it is exceptionally evident when you are underweight). However, as your pregnancy stages and progresses, your hunger rate significantly goes down. It is also known that unlike other kinds of nausea, pregnancy nausea’s remedy is eating.

Possibly, the top objection of women who try to maintain their weight when they are expectant is that they usually suffer from hunger during pregnancy most of the time. (more…)

Will the Temperature of my Body Change when Pregnant?

The change in body temperature during pregnancy is something common for any woman. The metabolism of a woman speeds up during pregnancy and this result in the creation of additional heat by the body. To assist in coping with this, the body temperature of a woman actually decreases during her pregnancy to ensure her base temperature is kept from rising in respect to her rising metabolic rate. This rising metabolic rate equally attributes to the reason why she requires additional calories during the pregnancy.

In addition, hormone fluctuation has a capacity of creating hot flashes as well as various temperature changes in the course of the pregnancy. It is common for pregnant women to have an experience of hot flashes and this can occur during the day or even at night.

With the progress in pregnancy, the body of a woman requires to do additional work. Besides processing the nutrients for the baby, the baby itself eventually creates additional weight, which requires to be carried around by the mother. This additional work equally causes the woman to overheat more easily.
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Movements of the Baby During Pregnancy
The very initial pregnancy in the life of a woman brings a number of fears to one’s mind, however the first baby movements during pregnancy is a significant mark of the pregnancy and just thinking of the baby’s safety inside the mummy’ tummy eliminates all fear. When these movements develop into vibrant kicks, you enjoy receiving hits from the feet and being touched by your baby.

What Causes the Baby’s Movement?
As your infant continues developing, he/she is bound to flex and stretch his/her tiny limbs. As your pregnancy progresses further, you will start feeling movements that are more obvious such as punching, rolling and kicking. Your baby has a likelihood of moving in response to either your emotions or noise in general.

Movement Felt During Pregnancy
How frequent should the child move?
This question has no correct or incorrect answer, but there is one definite thing; the movement of the baby is not (more…)