Ali Monaghan - 50 Things You Really Need to Know: Happy, Healthy Pregnancy

Ali Monaghan

New York London

2013 by Ali Monaghan

Commissioning editor: Sarah Tomley (of www.editorsonline.org)

Designer: Tracy Killick
Project editor: Alice Bowden
Proof reader: Louise Abbott
Illustrator: Victoria Woodgate (www.vickywoodgate.com)
Indexer: Hilary Bird

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NOTE TO THE READER

This book and its contents are not intended as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should always seek professional medical advice in all matters relating to health, especially in respect of any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention during pregnancy. While the advice and information in this book is believed to be accurate and true at the time of going to press, neither the author nor the publisher or packager can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made.

In many ways, pregnancy and birth are the perfect preparation for parenting.

Like birth, parenting can be unpredictable; it forces us to move beyond our comfort zone and challenges us to constantly grow. Becoming a parent takes courage. Its a sometimes scary, often surprising, deeply moving and profoundly rewarding experience, and pregnancy is just the beginning of that journey.

During labour, there often comes a point when the woman is convinced she cant go on its almost as if she hits a wall, and has absolutely no idea how to continue. What amazes me every time is watching her discover deep within herself a strength she didnt know she had, and find a way to keep going. This is how childbirth transforms us: it pushes us beyond our known capacities, and teaches us something remarkable about ourselves.

Ive written this book with this in mind. What you have in your hand is an introduction to the start of your journey, but much of the knowledge you will draw upon along the way is already within you. I will cover the basic biological changes during pregnancy, important nutrition and health recommendations, and many natural remedies for the numerous aches and pains of pregnancy. Ill equip you with information to help you make decisions about the location of your birth, your healthcare provider and your labour support team, and offer plenty of tips for the postnatal period and newborn care.

But remember that this is just the beginning. Every pregnant womans journey is different, and it is my hope that this book helps you to start charting your own personal course and that you find empowerment in every step along the way.

Your period may be a few days late, your breasts may be unusually tender. Perhaps youve had a strange feeling which you cant seem to shake. However you first suspect that youre pregnant, confirmation of it marks the beginning of a transformative journey.

One of the very first signs of pregnancy, and usually the most obvious, is a missed period. If you have irregular cycles or a very busy life, it may take a few weeks before you realize that your period hasnt arrived. In contrast, if your cycle is like clockwork or youve been tracking it very carefully, sometimes being even a single day late is enough to confirm your growing suspicions.

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Three days late. Time to break out the bottle of sparkling apple juice? #fingerscrossed

Changes in your breasts can also clue you in to the fact that youre pregnant. These changes are similar to the premenstrual changes which you may normally experience, but are usually a bit stronger and more intense. Your breasts can feel swollen and full, and can sometimes be extra-sensitive and tender to the touch, even painfully so. You may also experience a tingling sensation and the nipples can become hypersensitive this is when a more supportive bra can really come in handy! Fortunately, the uncomfortable feelings usually resolve by the end of the first trimester, although your breasts will continue to grow and change throughout the pregnancy (read more about this in ).

Other early pregnancy signs include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, appetite changes and frequent urination well focus on these changes and how to cope with them in the next chapter. Eventually, the time will come to confirm your suspicions with hard evidence. This is usually done by breaking out the trusty home pregnancy test, which checks your urine for the presence of a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. Remarkably, these small and ubiquitous urine dipsticks can be up to 99 per cent accurate. However, if the test is taken too early, it can give a false negative (it says youre not pregnant when you are), and there are a few drugs and medicines that can sometimes cause a false positive result (indicating that you are pregnant when youre not). If you had a negative result but you still dont have your period, wait a week then test again. Your midwife or doctor may also confirm your pregnancy through a pelvic examination.

Of course, the most definitive confirmation of pregnancy is either an early ultrasound scan that clearly shows a growing embryo with a positive foetal heart beat, or a blood test showing rising serum levels of hCG, which are 99 per cent accurate (in the case of the ultrasound, 100 per cent accurate). However, these tests are usually reserved for women who are experiencing symptoms that warrant further investigation, such as bleeding or spotting, or for women who are undergoing infertility treatments. The majority of pregnancies can be confirmed by a missed period and a positive urine pregnancy test alone.