31st 08 - 2011 | comment closed

Pregnancy Blood Test



Pregnancy blood-test measures the level of pregnancy hormone and HCG present in the bloodstream. HCG can be detected in the urine and blood within 7-12 days of conceiving.

There are two types of pregnancy blood test done.

1. Qualitative test- This indicates whether HCG is present or not present by answering in the affirmative or in the negative. This test is very similar to the homemade pregnancy test.

2. Qualitative test- This test gives the exact proportion of HCG in the bloodstream. This gives you the approximate age of the fetus. The progress of pregnancy is also determined by this test.

Pregnancy blood-testis performed by collecting blood in a syringe and then sent to the lab to find the level of HCG in it. This takes a maximum of 2 days to obtain the results.

If the test is done very early this test may fail to determine the HCG level present in the blood. This test can be done several times on your doctor’s recommendation, in case he wants to determine the progress of your pregnancy.

Symptoms, of pregnancy like, delayed menstruation, pelvic pain, vomiting, and breast tenderness if occurs, one must immediately get the pregnancy test done. Recent studies reveal that blood test is more accurate than urine test. Blood test is recommended for women who are less than 4 weeks pregnant.

The reliability of blood test depends more on the technique and methodology of the lab. Although blood test is considered to be the most accurate, the test could be wrong if the woman has been using fertility drugs and if the test id performed very early.

Besides the pregnancy blood-test a number of other blood- test are conducted too; to determine the mother blood type, anemia, to detect some dangerous diseases such as chicken pox and rubella, diabetes, to detect the presence of twins and to detect down syndrome and neural defects.

Pregnancy blood test is one of the easiest ways of knowing if a woman is pregnant or not. It is very interesting thing to note that lots of women trust pregnancy blood test and whenever they miss a menstrual cycle, they go for this test to confirm if they are pregnant or not. Pregnancy is something which women have to be careful about. A pregnant woman needs to take care of her health more than ever. Thus it is important that she knows about her pregnancy as early as possible. Thus such tests are a great help and can bring results very quickly. By doing this test the woman becomes sure of the fact if she is pregnant or not. This helps her in taking the decision of going to see a doctor regarding the physical issues she will be facing in coming few weeks.


30th 08 - 2011 | comment closed

Foods to Eat When Pregnant That Will Help to Boost Your Energy



Do you often feel exhausted now that you are pregnant? Fatigue, exhaustion and lack of energy are common during pregnancy, specifically during your first and third trimester. During the first trimester, your body is still adjusting along with new hormones that affect your energy level and when you reach your third trimester, your bulging belly and a bigger baby inside your womb consumes most of your energy. But you don’t have to worry for there are many remedies to fight fatigue and lack of energy during pregnancy. Aside from low-impact exercise, rest and water, there are many foods to eat when pregnant that can help in boosting your energy.

With healthy eating, you can improve your energy without reaching for sweets that can temporarily give you a rush or grabbing a cup of coffee which can harm your baby. Rather, you must choose foods that don’t just give you energy but also contain good nutrients needed for your pregnant body and for your growing baby. So, here are some healthy energy giving foods that you can eat while pregnant.

Never cut carbohydrates in your pregnancy diet as this food groups primary role is to provide energy. Most pregnant women stay away from all carbohydrates, even the good ones fearing that they will gain too much pregnancy weight. For healthier options, go for complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal and those with whole wheat. These good carbohydrates also contain fiber that can prevent constipation which affects many pregnant women as well as other minerals and vitamins.

Foods that contain Vitamin C and beta carotene help in enhancing your energy and can be found in broccoli and carrots while those with anti-oxidants like blueberries help in stimulating the brain, giving you full energy to face your busy day. Vitamin C which can be found in many fruits also helps in fighting nausea which can also drain your energy while pregnant. On the other hand, foods with Vitamin B6 have been proven to produce a substance known as serotonin which has a calming effect on a pregnant woman, making you more relaxed. To get enough supply of Vitamin B6-rich foods, eat chicken, bananas and sweet potato.

Lastly, it is important to take small meals and healthy snacks to get you going. Good foods to eat when pregnant as snacks that give you more energy include dried fruits and whole grain nuts. If you want fruit, choose fresh produce rather than canned or processed which only contain sugars.

Nutrition and healthy eating is very important for any pregnant woman. With healthy eating and knowing the right foods to eat when pregnant, you can control some mild health conditions during pregnancy like fatigue. Supplement these foods with rest, relaxation and enough liquid intake and you will be full of energy throughout your pregnancy.


30th 08 - 2011 | comment closed

Pregnancy Week By Week



A very important time in the life of a woman is the period of pregnancy. She expects a nice cute baby with much anxiety and happiness. She would be monitoring day by day the changes coming to her, mentally and physically. This is a great period for not only for mother but also for the father. He also would be excited with expectation of his new baby within a short period of 36 weeks or less. The waiting period is extremely enjoyable and anxious. Let us see the details of pregnancy week by week.

There are many guides, calendars and tracking tools, which give much information on baby’s growth week by week and also various early symptoms of pregnancy. These tools provide you with the necessary pregnancy treatment plan as well. The baby is surely growing inside the womb day by day, but significant changes can be assessed week by week.

The total pregnancy period can be divided into three, first from week one to week 14, second from week 15 to week 26 and third from here to the delivery. The general trends of the growth and movements can be easily described with these three time periods.

Pregnancy period always start with the date of last menses period. From that day to two period is the period of fertilization. During this period sperm fertilizes the egg. By the third week the embryo is formed. From the fourth week onwards the mother get the early symptoms of pregnancy, tiredness and nausea. Week five is very critical for the development of the main organs of the body. During this period really the baby is getting its shape from the embryo. Heartbeats begin by the sixth week and the size becomes double that of first week by seventh week. By the end of the two months, the baby’s sex can be determined using modern scanning facilities and a little baby has already taken shape. By week 14, first development period for the baby comes to an end and the mother gets secondary feelings such as blackening and itching around the nipples.

The 12 weeks in the next period is really the time of proper growth and development of brain. By week 1, the movements of the baby start. It moves head, lips and legs. By week 17, the baby begins sucking and swallowing. By the half of the pregnancy period, say by week 20, the baby starts sleeping in regular times. By week 24 heartbeats can be heard outside if you keep you ear on the stomach in a quiet environment.

Last period from week 27 to delivery. By week 27 the baby movements become very faster and mother feel the kicking of the baby in her stomach? The baby gets all his senses developed fully by week 30. Baby can hear, taste and smell from this week onwards. By week 33 the immune system develops to full and by week 36 baby will be ready to face the new world.

The details outlined here help the parents to track the baby’s growth week by week and gives a good perception of how the baby will look like during the particular week. One can monitor the size, mass, and position of the child weekly. Also it provides the expected movements of the child during the pregnancy period.


« previous page

Categories

Archives

Recent Posts

Partner links