Early pregnancy has many symptoms. Read the list below to see what is normal and what is not.

Most pregnant women have some symptoms of early pregnancy. On the rare occasion some women have no symptoms at all except for the fact that they miss their menstrual period. Some women are so busy in their lives that they are unaware that their menstrual period was due and forget they did not get their periods.

Sometimes you may have a delayed menstrual period and instead of getting a normal blood flow you experienced mild spotting.

Early morning sickness and/or vomiting first thing in the morning could indicate pregnancy.

A sudden like or dislike for particular foods could indicate a possible pregnancy. You may start craving certain foods which normally indicates you are depleted in minerals in early pregnancy.

A classical symptom of early pregnancy is breasts tenderness and the breast increase in size. The aeeola (brown part) of breast becomes darker and bigger.

You may start to feel your energy level is lower and you are feeling tired all the time.

You may feel like you are emotionally unbalanced and become moody for no reason. Mood swings are a direct result of sudden hormone changes that occurring in early pregnancy.

You may suddenly notice you are making more trips to the bathroom but do not have any pain or burning.

You start to experience headaches that can be a direct effect of hormones as a symptom of early pregnancy.

Diagnosis of Pregnancy:

If you are intimate with your partner and have one or more of the above early pregnancy symptoms then purchase a home pregnancy kit. Test your urine first thing in the morning when your urine is more concentrated to see if you are pregnant or not. These pregnancy tests are very sensitive and very accurate, a positive test means you are definitely pregnant. A negative pregnancy test may not conclusive especially if you performed it incorrectly or not testing an early morning urine sample.

Other Advice For Symptoms of pregnancy:

If you believe you are pregnant, seek medical or midwifery advice to confirm pregnancy and discuss your pregnancy plans. If you are taking prescription medications, notify your health care provider immediately that you are pregnant to seek advice about your medication.

While you are waiting for your appointment, start taking a daily multivitamin which has at least 400 micrograms of folic acid in it to prevent congenital abnormalities. Take adequate vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to prevent pregnancy complications. Eat good nutritious food and make sure you increase your protein intake. Stop all alcohol intake and stop smoking cigarettes or drastically reduce, your baby’s life depends on you.

Also see medical or midwifery advice if you are not pregnant and you menstrual period does not come within the next month as you may have an underlying medical condition.

Pregnancy Statistics:

Up to 65% of all pregnancies ends in a miscarriage and most of these women never knew they were pregnant.

25% of women choose to terminate their pregnancy.

Finding out you are pregnant can be a very welcoming experience in your life or depending on your personal circumstances it can also be a time of tremendous stress for you. Remember everything you think, say or do during your pregnancy has a profound positive or negative effect on your unborn child.

No matter how pregnancy starts for you, with the right help and support you can turn your pregnancy into an extraordinary experience for both you and your baby. Pregnancy is far more than growing a baby. Pregnancy has a huge emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic side to it. The more you understand these aspects, the easier and less symptomatic your pregnancy will be. Learning how to connect with the emotions of your unborn child, will allow you to enhance your pregnancy experience and surrender to its normal physiological process and early pregnancy symptoms.

A women experience various physiological effects based on a combination of hormonal and mechanical changes during pregnancy. Hormonal influences tend to increase as the pregnancy progress. The mechanical changes reach a peak in the seventh or eighth month and then gradually decline as the pregnancy nears completion.

A women may assume that she is pregnant because she has skipped her menstrual period or experiences nausea and vomiting, changes in breast sensations and size, or increased urinary frequency (presumptive signs of pregnancy). If she suspects she is pregnant, the woman should seek a pregnancy test. The woman should be cautioned against relying on these tests, because concurrent medication or substance use may cause a false result. If performed too early, a home pregnancy test may also produce a false negative result due to a low level of human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone, produced by the placenta, is found in a pregnant woman´s urine and blood. As the pregnancy progresses, the woman may have both probable and positive signs of pregnancy, objective changes that increasingly verify that a pregnancy exists. With the advent of first trimester, sophisticated testing with ultrasonography, health care providers now determine fetal presence and placental adequacy early in pregnancy. This technology, using high frequency sound waves that bounce off the fetus and are interpreted by a computer, allows visualization of the fetus and gestational structures throughout pregnancy.

In addition to pregnancy related changes in the reproductive system, adaptive changes in other body systems occur. The urinary system undergoes dramatic changes during gestation; a 50% increase in glomerular filtration rate occurs related to the influences of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones also cause smooth muscle relaxation in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in maternal constipation, heartburn, and increased salivation.

Circulatory system changes also begin early in pregnancy, with an increase in cardiac output of 30% to 40% by the end of the first trimester. Total blood volume increases 30% to 45% during pregnancy. Physiological anemia of pregnancy may result because of an increase in the proportion of plasma to red blood cells.

Respiratory system changes include increased tidal volume during pregnancy, although toward the end of pregnancy he enlarging uterus causes some shortness of breath for many women. This continues until the baby descends into the pelvis during the final weeks of pregnancy.

Increased elasticity and softening of connective tissue of the musculo-skeletal system cause relaxation of the joints, especially the pelvic joints that support the pregnancy but must stretch during labor and delivery. Lumbar and dorsal curves of the spine increase late in pregnancy and contribute to low back pain and the waddle of pregnancy.

Changes in the integumentary system occur. Hormones cause many pregnant women to gain stretch marks on their abdomen and breasts, a darkened line from the symphysis pubis to the umbelicus and darkening of the skin across the forehead and nose. The metabolic and endocrine changes that occur with pregnancy to support optimal fetal growth and development are dramatic.

Back pain and pregnancy, tips on what you can do to make your pregnancy and lower back pain a little easier to deal with.

Normal weight gain in pregnancy is about 35 pounds, but lots of women I have met over my twenty-year midwifery career gained 35 pounds to 70 pounds during pregnancy. The stress of sudden weight gain during the short cycle of pregnancy can cause back pain and pregnancy misery.

Pregnancy posture change:

Pregnancy and lower back pain happens because of pregnancy weight gain and the automatic adjustments your body makes in posture to accommodate the growing womb. This change in posture is called pregnancy lordosis. Upper and lower back pain and pregnancy lordosis go hand in hand because your spine becomes super curved, elongated, and your breast and buttocks stick out pulling and stretching your back muscles.

Pregnancy hormones:

On top of this, back pain and pregnancy go hand in hand because of the higher levels of pregnancy hormones you produce. Pregnancy hormones have a relaxing effect on many of the muscles in your body to accommodate the muscle stretching that is required during pregnancy. Relaxed muscles are not as supportive to the spine and abdominal muscles, therefore many women complain of back pain and pregnancy shoulder stress.

Pregnancy pelvic changes:

The female pelvis is made up of many different bones. When you get towards the end of your pregnancy, a baby cannot fit to a normal-sized woman’s pelvis without the pelvis opening and expanding. The pelvis has two major joints; one towards the right and one towards the left of your lower back along with a hinge joint at the very tail end of your spine.

Back pain and pregnancy ligament pulling and stretching is a direct result of your pelvis opening, which will allow your baby’s head to engage or enter into the cavity of your pelvis. Pregnancy and lower back pain is also caused by the excess pressure felt deep within your pelvis as your baby sits and waits for labor to commence.

All of these factors taken together, it is not unusual for pregnant women to get backache. So if you get a backache straight away start doing things to prevent your backache from getting worse or getting out of control.

How to help minimize symptoms associated with pregnancy and lower back pain:

I definitely recommend having nice warm bath soaks, putting nice warm compresses on your back, or even better still having back massages to help with your pregnancy and lower back pain.

I would absolutely recommend that every pregnant woman go to see a chiropractor during pregnancy. A lot of traditional obstetrician, gynecologist and midwives are a little afraid of sending the women to a chiropractor because they are just not informed as to what chiropractors actually do. A chiropractor can help your spine accommodate easier to all the posture changes that happens during your pregnancy and relieve pain associated to pulled and stressed muscles associated to pregnancy and lower back pain

Apart from that, let us look at what things can you do to your own body to help minimize back pain and pregnancy. Wearing a good supporting bra during your pregnancy will support the increased breast weight and uplift your breasts so they do not feel so heavy. This will alleviate a lot of the upper back stress associated with pregnancy and lower back pain.

There are also a lot of pregnancy stomach binders that have been created to help support the weight of your growing womb which can help relieve back pain and pregnancy ligament discomfort.

Many women are focused on fashionable shoes and wear ridiculous footwear during pregnancies that do not support their posture and feet. I cannot believe how many pregnant women out there are wearing ridiculously high shoes or low shoes. Remember, as you become more and more pregnant all the bones and muscles within your feet are stressed.

Take a good look at the shoes you are wearing during your pregnancy and ask yourself these questions to evaluate the importance of your feet:

Do your shoes have a good supportive arch in them?

Are your shoes nice and wide to accommodate the increasing growth and widening of my foot associated to extra blood volume and swelling that occurs during pregnancy?

Can your foot easily slip out of your shoe? If so you could trip and fall and injure yourself or your baby.

The more informed you are about pregnancy the better choices you will make. Better choices mean a happier healthier mom and baby. Pregnancy can be an extraordinary experience for a woman. It is far more than growing a baby and understanding pregnancy and lower back pain.

Pregnancy has a huge emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic side to it. The more you understand these aspects, the easier and less symptomatic your pregnancy will be. Learning how to connect with the emotions of your unborn child will allow you to enhance your pregnancy experience and surrender to its normal physiological process of pregnancy and lower back pain.

Bleeding or spotting in early pregnancy can be very worrying, although it is often not a signal of a problem. However bleeding can be the sign of a miscarriage, yet on the other hand it doesn’t mean that one is imminent.

20% to 30% of women do experience some type of spotting or bleeding in early pregnancy, of which approximately 50% result in miscarriages and the other 50% don’t. These facts and stats have been proven in studies.

The two other potential reasons for bleeding during the first trimester are ectopic pregnancies or molar pregnancies. More detailed information is included in the sections below about miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.

What You Should Do If You Experience Bleeding Or Spotting

• Use a pad or panty liner so that you can be aware of the level and type of bleeding you are experiencing

• Do not use a tampon, or have intercourse, have a douche, or introduce anything into the vagina while bleeding

• Contact your health care provider immediately.

Possible Reasons For Bleeding Or Spotting In Early Pregnancy/First Trimester

Apart from the possible complications mentioned previously, other reasons for bleeding or spotting in early pregnancy are:

Breakthrough bleeding – happens when the pregnancy hormones cover up the menstrual cycle but the cycle still continues for a short while. So it could be that you do get what appears to be your period around the same time it was due but it could be breakthrough bleeding.

Implantation bleeding – this can happen between six and twelve days after a potential conception. Different women will have different variations of implantation bleeding; some will have light spotting for a few hours whereas others will have this for up to a few days.

After intercourse - bleeding may be experienced by some women as the cervix can be sensitive and tender. Do not have intercourse until you have seen your doctor.

Infection in the pelvic cavity or urinary tract – can cause bleeding.

Early Pregnancy/First Trimester Possible Complications Signalled By Bleeding

MISCARRIAGE

Miscarriage – is experience by 50% of the women who have spotting or bleeding during the first trimester.

Why Does A Miscarriage Occur?

Miscarriage is nature’s way or your body’s way of dealing with a pregnancy which was not continuing as it should. The majority of miscarriages occur during the first 12 gestational weeks of pregnancy. (Gestational weeks date from the first day of your last period.) There is normally nothing that can be done to prevent a miscarriage. Somewhere between 15% and 20% of pregnancies will result in miscarriage.

Miscarriage Signs/Miscarriage Symptoms

• Vaginal spotting or bleeding

• Passing tissue via the vagina

• Cramps which are generally stronger than menstrual cramps, felt in the lower stomach area

Miscarriage Support

Experiencing miscarriage can be extremely distressing for many women and can bring up undeserved feelings of being a failure and this mixed with grief, as well as dealing with a possible flux of hormones can make this a difficult time. Do get support if you ever experience a miscarriage.

For support in Ireland go to The Miscarriage Association of Ireland and in the UK it is the Miscarriage Assocation.

ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

An Ectopic Pregnancy – is when the pregnancy implants somewhere outside the uterus, such as one of the fallopian tubes. In rare cases it can occur in the ovary, cervix or stomach area. Approximately one in sixty pregnancies will be an ectopic pregnancy.

Why Does An Ectopic Pregnancy Occur?

Ectopic pregnancies can occur due to a condition that blocks or slows down the fertilised egg moving through the fallopian tube to the uterus; such as a previous ectopic pregnancy, previous pelvic surgery or an infection in the tubes. Sometimes the cause is not known.

Ectopic Pregnancy Signs/Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms

• Vaginal spotting or bleeding

• Sharp pain in the abdominal area

• Cramps which are usually stronger than menstrual cramps, felt in the lower stomach area

• Low levels of hCG (pregnancy hormone)

• Shoulder tip pain

• Collapse

• Bladder or bower problems

Ectopic Pregnancy Support

An ectopic pregnancy is not only a very tough physical condition to experience but it affects our emotions hugely. It is good to get support if you are either going through the experience or after you have had an ectopic pregnancy.

Search for the term Ectopic Pregnancy Support and in whichever country you are in the organisation should show up.

MOLAR PREGNANCY

Molar Pregnancies – are a very rare reason for early pregnancy spotting or bleeding and the “mole” or molar pregnancy is when abnormal tissue has grown instead of an embryo. A molar pregnancy occurs 1 in 1000 pregnancies.

This is also known as GTD – gestational trophoblastic disease.

Why Does A Molar Pregnancy Occur?

It is the result of a genetic error; an abnormality of the placenta which occurs when the egg and sperm joined during fertilisation.

Molar Pregnancy Signs/ Molar Pregnancy Symptoms

• Spotting or bleeding

• Increased hCG (pregnancy hormone)

• Vomiting and nausea

• High blood pressure

• No heart tone or fetal movement can be detected

• Sometimes a rare complication such as thyroid disease can occur

Nowadays, there are already a lot of pregnancy tests that you can see and get over the counter. One of the pregnancy tests that women commonly grab easily is the prega news pregnancy test. What is prega news pregnancy test? Juts like the other types of pregnancy test; the prega news pregnancy kit is a urine-based pregnancy test. The process of doing a prega news pregnancy test is almost the same with the other over the counter pregnancy test kits.

When a woman feels the various symptoms if pregnancy, usually they would immediately see their doctor and confirm if she is indeed pregnant. Doing this could take much of your time and most especially causing too much money to spend for some laboratory test. With the prega news pregnancy test, visiting your doctor to confirm your pregnancy symptoms is not longer that necessary. With the use of prega news pregnancy test, getting the result of your pregnancy test is as easy as five minutes of waiting. Now, there is no need for you to step out your house for a pregnancy test. The prega news pregnancy test is known for its reliability and accuracy. So what are you waiting for? Are you feeling pregnant? Gar a prega news pregnancy test now.

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The prega news pregnancy test works just the same with other home pregnancy test kits. When you want to get a pregnancy test result with prega news pregnancy kit, all you have to do is to add three drops of your urine into the window of prega news pregnancy test. Make sure that the urine that you use drop is your first early morning urine. Using your first early morning urine is very important in detecting the presence of HCG or human chorionic Gonadotropin in your urine. When your urine has the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, it will likely give you a positive pregnancy test result. With your prega news pregnancy test, you only have to wait for 5 minutes after dropping your urine, and you get the results of prega news pregnancy test. When you are pregnant, the prega news pregnancy kit will show two lines on the window and when you are not pregnant, the prega news pregnancy test will only show one line.

When using a prega news pregnancy test, there are just few things that you need to remember. You may check on the following listed below:

When using a prega news pregnancy test, make sure to check the expiration date. Do not use a prega news pregnancy test that is already expired. I this case, you will never have the guarantee to get the accurate pregnancy test result.
Following the directions correctly will never lead you to any harm; therefore you have to make sure that you follow all the directions of prega news pregnancy test correctly. Do all the steps of prega news pregnancy test in order and without skipping any one of them.
Keep a record of your prega news pregnancy test and show them to your doctor when necessary.

There are times that the prega news pregnancy test does not show a positive pregnancy test result, there is a need that you repeat using the prega news pregnancy test in a week.

Find More Pregnancy Articles

As an expectant mother, your top priority should be healthy eating. Eating well should begin before you become pregnant so your body will be stocked up with the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. Shortly after finding out that you have conceived you should see a doctor, as your doctor can explain to you about healthy pregnancy weight gain. Staying healthy is doubly important when you’re pregnant. Pregnancy is a time to “listen” to your body – it is not a time to be dieting, and trying to lose weight.

Exercise is also an important part of a healthy pregnancy, exercise can help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight faster and also have a faster, easier birth.

Adequate sleep is another essential ingredient to promote a healthy pregnancy. You need to try and get as much sleep and rest as you possibly can – as it can be in short supply once your new baby arrives!

Talking with a health care provider is one of the most important things women and families can do to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. A healthy pregnancy should be planned even before conception by living a healthy lifestyle,as this is one of the best ways to give your baby a healthy start. If you’re planning to become pregnant, prepare yourself for a healthy pregnancy by taking care of medical and dental concerns beforehand. Pregnancy is NOT the time to be on a weight loss program.

What Are The First Symptoms Of Pregnancy?In my experience, very early symptoms of pregnancy are not always text book. There are many different signs and symptoms of pregnancy, and although most women expect certain symptoms to come with pregnancy, these do tend to vary according to individual women and to their individual pregnancies.

The earliest symptoms of pregnancy are generally nausea, fatigue, and breast tenderness, but not everybody will find that they experience these particular symptoms. Nausea is actually a good sign as it tells the doctor that the pregnancy is likely to be going on well in terms of hormones. The most commonly looked for early sign of pregnancy is missing a menstrual period. Although you may find you have a lot of the symptoms, the only way to truly tell if you are pregnant is to obtain a positive pregnancy test. Blood tests can confirm a pregnancy within days of conception if pregnancy is suspected and you really can’t wait to find out. Women should always report worrying signs or symptoms to their doctor during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is an amazing phenomenon of nature that is the core of our existence. One of the easiest and best ways to avoid problems and complications during pregnancy is to get regular medical exams from your doctor or midwife. Pregnancy is an exciting time in a woman’s life, and you should take care of yourself and your unborn baby. During pregnancy women are offered a range of tests which are designed to check whether the baby is developing normally and if the pregnancy is going well.

Pregnancy is a very exciting time in most women’s lives, but for others an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy is not such welcome news. If the pregnancy is unexpected, you may be feeling scared or confused. This is a usual reaction to an unplanned pregnancy. There are many organizations that can and will assist, and it is always good to be able to talk to the father, friends and family to help get your feelings into perspective.

Baby-showers form a load of enjoyment, especially for the mothers who are eager. The organization of these showers is not only based on for the advantage of the upcoming baby, it is the same for the mother too, particularly when the mother has everything that she needs by the way of gift. If you think of giving something as gift then it is the best choice to give her a baby-shower.

Just before organizing the baby-shower you are needed to do lots of preparation works, first of all, decide correctly whether you are going to give a surprise party, or you are going to say about this to the future mother ahead. Both the ideas have their own benefits. On one side if the mother has the knowledge of the party she could make some preparations to help you, for instant she could give the list of the people whom she likes to invite for the party. On the next side if the mother was told earlier then there will be no thrill on the party and always a surprise party is exciting. Moreover, she will be touched that you had taken so much care for her and it will be for ever in her memory. Take up the opportunity to show your love for her.

It is really very much difficult and hectic to get the list of the people, whom you are going to invite for this joyful party. You must be careful in finding out the person who will feel hurt if they are not called for the baby-shower. You must always remember not to delete fine friends and close relatives and family members and they must be asked to present at least at some point in the shower.

Games that you play in the parties is always funny, mainly because there are lots of options available to be chosen, games conducted in showers like these will be packed with lots of fun and excitements for those who are taking part in it actively, and the gifts given will also hail them. So as to make a fine arrangement for the game in the baby-shower you are provided with the following suggestions.

1. Mom’s belly- This is a game, where the pregnant mother is made to stand in the centre of the hall and the other guests are made to stand around her and a guess is made regarding the size of the pregnant mothers belly, and to do so you could use only the rope or a toilet paper as a measuring strategy, and who’s guess is closest to that of the pregnant mother is the winner. 2. Making the guests to guess the nursery rhyme- all the guests must be provided with a sheet of paper containing a range of rhymes which is common in the nursery, and you could play a segment of it and let the guests make a guess of the rhymes, this will help them to be attentive and recollect the bed time stories of their childhood. 3. Tasting the baby food-to conduct the game you need to collect various jars and fill it with variety of baby food, remove the label from it and write some simple numbers on it, so that the food could be identified, then the food’s name along with the number must be written in the paper and supplied to the guests. Let the guests taste the sample food and recognize them, and write it in the paper and let the prize be given to the correct guess.

These guide lines will help you to plan for the baby shower, the most important thing to be kept in mind is to go with a present.

More Pregnant Mother Articles

Being a pregnant mother with asthma or any other respiratory condition can be very difficult. The question that always comes up from these individuals is whether they can still continue to take their asthma medication via a nebulizer even though they are pregnant. A nebulizer is a medical device that is specifically manufactured to take prescription respiratory medication and transform it into vapor form so that it can then be breathed in through the lungs. The benefit of taking the medicine in this manner is to allow it to absorb at a much faster rate through the body than if it were to be ingested the old fashioned way. The most common condition that an individual would use the device would be for asthma along with such medication as albuterol.

The best practice for a pregnant mother with asthma who is trying to determine whether they should take their asthma medication with the nebulizer is to check with their physician. The physician will be able to assess the mother’s current health condition and will be in a much better place to make recommendations as to what she can or can not do. The main reason why you would want to check with your physician before taken the medicine is the fact that you are pregnant and you need to make sure that it is alright for the child to take the medicine. In the meantime until you get a final word from you doctor as far as what to do if the situation arises where you definitely are experiencing an asthma attack then you should just go straight to the hospital for treatment. Because the ability to use the nebulizer is quite subjective and depends on the different facts and circumstances of each mom while pregnant it is very good idea to definitely check with you doctor first. It is also very important to closely analyze the specific medication that is being administered because that can also have some unwanted side effects. There seems to be quite a bit of statistics that show the rate of respiratory conditions among pregnant mothers to be on the rise. The causes for this is not known but there seems to be a general consensus that it is mainly due to both the environmental factors as well as the genetics factor. Either way the ability to treat this condition has taken up center stage in the medical community and it is especially difficult with quite a bit of grey area for those that are bearing children.

(1687, ‘History Jan Steen s The Doctor s Visit Included in this 17th century painting is a depiction of a dubious pregnancy test a ribbon dipped in the patient s urine and then burned Records of attempts at pregnancy testing have been found as far back as the ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian cultures The ancient Egyptians watered bags of wheat and barley with the urine of a possibly pregnant woman Germination indicated pregnancy The type of grain that sprouted was taken as an indicator of the fetus s sex Hippocrates suggested that a woman who had missed her period should drink a solution of honey in water at bedtime resulting abdominal distention and cramps would indicate the presence of a pregnancy Avicenna and many physicians after him in the Middle Ages performed uroscopy a nonscientific method to evaluate urine Selmar Aschheim and Bernhard Zondek introduced testing based on the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin hCG in 1928 Early studies of hCG had concluded that it was produced by the pituitary gland In the 1930s Georgeanna Jones discovered that hCG was produced not by the pituitary gland but by the placenta This discovery was important in relying on hCG as an early marker of pregnancy In the Aschheim and Zondek test an infantile female mouse was injected subcutaneously with urine of the person to be tested and the mouse later was killed and dissected Presence of ovulation indicated that the urine contained hCG and meant that the person was pregnant A similar test was developed using immature rabbits Here too killing the animal to check her ovaries was necessary An improvement arrived with the frog test introduced by Lancelot Hogben which still was used in the 1950s and allowed the frog to remain alive and be used repeatedly a female frog was injected with serum or urine of the patient if the frog produced eggs within the next 24 hours the test was positive This was called the Bufo test named after the toad genus Bufo which was originally used for the test Other species of toads and frogs have been used later on Direct measurement of antigens such as hCG was made possible with the invention of the radioimmunoassay in 1959 Radioimmunoassays require sophisticated apparatus and special radiation precautions and are expensive In the 1970s the discovery of monoclonal antibodies led to the development of the relatively simple and cheap immunoassays such as agglutination inhibition based assays and sandwich ELISA used in modern home pregnancy tests Modern tests The test for pregnancy which can give the quickest result after fertilisation is a rosette inhibition assay for early pregnancy factor EPF EPF can be detected in blood within 48 hours of fertilization However testing for EPF is expensive and time consuming Most chemical tests for pregnancy look for the presence of the beta subunit of hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood or urine hCG can be detected in urine or blood after implantation which occurs six to twelve days after fertilization Quantitative blood serum beta tests can detect hCG levels as low as 1 160 mIU mL while urine tests have published detection thresholds of 20 160 mIU mL to 100 160 mIU mL depending on the brand Qualitative blood tests generally have a threshold of 25 160 mIU mL and so are less sensitive than some available home pregnancy tests Most home pregnancy tests are based on lateral flow technology With obstetric ultrasonography the gestational sac sometimes can be visualized as early as four and a half weeks of gestation and the yolk sac at about five weeks gestation The embryo can be observed and measured by about five and a half weeks The heartbeat may be seen as early as six weeks and is usually visible by seven weeks gestation Accuracy Negative pregnancy test human subject A systematic review published in 1998 showed that home pregnancy test kits when used by experienced technicians are almost as accurate as professional laboratory testing 97 4 When used by consumers however the accuracy fell to 75 the review authors noted that many users misunderstood or failed to follow the instructions included in the kits Improper usage may cause both false negatives and false positives Timing of test False negative readings can occur when testing is done too early Quantitative blood tests and the most sensitive urine tests usually detect hCG shortly after implantation which can occur anywhere from 6 to 12 days after ovulation Less sensitive urine tests and qualitative blood tests may not detect pregnancy until three or four days after implantation Menstruation occurs on average 14 days after ovulation so the likelihood of a false negative is low once a menstrual period is late Ovulation may not occur at a predictable time in the menstrual cycle however A number of factors may cause an unexpectedly early or late ovulation even for women with a history of regular menstrual cycles Using ovulation predictor kits OPKs or charting the fertility signs of cervical mucus or basal body temperature give a more accurate idea of when to test than day counting alone The accuracy of a pregnancy test is most closely related to the day of ovulation not of the act of intercourse or insemination that caused the pregnancy It is normal for sperm to live up to five days in the fallopian tubes waiting for ovulation to occur It could take up to twelve further days for implantation to occur meaning even the most sensitive pregnancy tests may give false negatives up to seventeen days after the act that caused the pregnancy Because some home pregnancy tests have high hCG detection thresholds up to 100 mIU mL it may take an additional three or four days for hCG to rise to levels detectable by these tests meaning false negatives may occur up to three weeks after the act of intercourse or insemination that causes pregnancy False positives False positive test results may occur for several reasons These include errors of test application use of drugs containing the assay molecule and non pregnant production of the assay molecule Spurious evaporation lines may appear on many home pregnancy tests if read after the suggested 35 minute window or reaction time independent of an actual pregnancy False positives may also appear on tests used past their expiration date A woman who has been given an hCG injection as part of infertility treatment will test positive on pregnancy tests that assay hCG regardless of her actual pregnancy status However some infertility drugs e g clomid do not contain the hCG hormone Some diseases of the liver cancers and other medical conditions may produce elevated hCG and thus cause a false positive pregnancy test These include choriocarcinoma and other germ cell tumors IgA deficiencies heterophile antibodies enterocystoplasties gestational trophoblastic diseases GTD and gestational trophoblastic neoplasms GTN Viability Pregnancy tests may be used to determine the viability of a pregnancy Serial quantitative blood tests may be done usually 23 days apart Below an hCG level of 1 200 mIU ml the hCG usually doubles every 4872 hours though a rise of 5060 is still considered normal Between 1 200 and 6 000 mIU ml serum the hCG usually takes 7296 hours to double and above 6 000 mIU ml the hCG often takes more than four days to double Failure to increase normally may indicate an increased risk of miscarriage or a possible ectopic pregnancy Ultrasound is also a common tool for determining viability A lower than expected heart rate or missed development milestones may indicate a problem with the pregnancy Diagnosis should not be made from a single ultrasound however Inaccurate estimations of fetal age and inaccuracies inherent in ultrasonic examination may cause a scan to be interpreted negatively If results from the first ultrasound scan indicate a problem repeating the scan 710 days later is reasonable practice References a b c Wilcox AJ Baird DD Weinberg CR 1999 Time of implantation of the conceptus and loss of pregnancy New England Journal of Medicine 340 23 17961799 doi 10 1056 NEJM199906103402304 PMID 10362823 160 Clark Stephanie Brown 2005 Jan Steen The Doctor s Visit Literature Arts and Medicine Database Retrieved 27 May 2007 Lubsen Brandsma M A 1997 Jan Steen s fire pot pregnancy test or gynecological therapeutic method in the 17th century Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 141 51 25137 Retrieved 24 May 2006 The Doctor s Visit n d The Web Gallery of Art Retrieved 24 May 2006 Speert Harold 1973 Iconographia Gyniatrica Philadelphia F A Davis ISBN 978 0803680708 160 Damewood Marian D John A Rock August 2005 In memoriam Georgeanna Seegar Jones M D her legacy lives on PDF Fertility and Sterility American Society for Reproductive Medicine 84 2 5412 doi 10 1016 j fertnstert 2005 04 019 http www jonesinstitutefoundation org downloads GeorgeannaJones pdf Retrieved 2007 12 31 160 Yalow RS SA Berson July 1960 Immunoassay of endogenous plasma insulin in man Journal of Clinical Investigation 69 115775 doi 10 1172 JCI104130 PMID 13846364 160 Fan XG Zheng ZQ 1997 A study of early pregnancy factor activity in preimplantation Am J Reprod Immunol 37 5 35964 PMID 9196793 160 Waddell Rebecca Smith 2006 FertilityPlus org Home Pregnancy Test hCG Levels and FAQ http www fertilityplus org faq hpt html Retrieved 2006 06 17 160 a b Woo Joseph 2006 Why and when is Ultrasound used in Pregnancy Obstetric Ultrasound A Comprehensive Guide http www ob ultrasound net Retrieved 2007 05 27 160 a b Boschert Sherry 15 June 2001 Anxious Patients Often Want Very Early Ultrasound Exam OB GYN News FindArticles com http findarticles com p articles mi_m0CYD is_12_36 ai_76636730 Retrieved 2007 05 27 160 Bastian LA Nanda K Hasselblad V Simel DL 1998 Diagnostic efficiency of home pregnancy test kits A meta analysis Arch Fam Med 7 5 4659 doi 10 1001 archfami 7 5 465 PMID 9755740 http archfami ama assn org cgi pmidlookup view long amp pmid 9755740 Retrieved 2008 05 12 160 Weschler Toni 2002 Taking Charge of Your Fertility Revised ed New York HarperCollins pp 160 374 ISBN 0 06 093764 5 160 Ellington Joanna 2004 Sperm Transport to the Fallopian Tubes Frequently Asked Questions with Dr E INGfertility Inc http www ingfertility com FAQs html Sperm_Leaking_Out_After_Intercourse _Lessons_in_Sperm_Transport_Through_the_Cervix_ Retrieved 2006 08 13 160 Phillips Pat 2007 Early Pregnancy Tests Pregnancy Test FAQ http www early pregnancy tests com pregnancy tests html Retrieved 2007 03 04 160 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pregnancy test A descriptive animation of the principle behind a lateral flow sandwich ELISA home pregnancy test v 160 160 d 160 160 e Pregnancy and Childbirth Planning Birth control 160 Pre conception counseling Conception Fertility awareness 160 Assisted reproductive technology IVF AI Fertility medication Testing Home testing 160 Obstetric ultrasonography 160 Prenatal diagnosis 160 3D ultrasound Prenatal Anatomy Endometrium 160 Placenta 160 Amniotic fluid 160 Amniotic sac 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Article by Clarence Clark

Chihuahuas make popular pets especially amongst city dwellers that live in apartments with very limited spaces. While most people would purchase their first Chihuahua from the local pet shop, most would choose breeding as a choice for their subsequent Chihuahuas. Successful breeding is only the first step in this process and it is necessary for both experienced and inexperienced Chihuahua breeders to be equipped with knowledge to giving the necessary care for their pregnant Chihuahua. Care both during pregnancy and after pregnancy is vital to ensure the birth of healthy Chihuahuas free from illnesses and genetic defects.

The first step to care during pregnancy would be adequate nutrition. As with humans, pregnant Chihuahuas require a greater intake of nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables to provide for their unborn little ones during pregnancy. It is important to consult your local veterinarian on your pregnant Chihuahua’s nutritional needs. In any case, good quality food is a must and Chihuahua owners should increase the quantity of food for their pregnant Chihuahua during feeding time. Insufficient nutrition can often lead to complications such as a malnourished puppy. Plenty of water should also be provided to enable sufficient hydration for the pregnant Chihuahua.

Frequent checkups at the local veterinarian are also a must for the pregnant Chihuahua during this period. Advice from the vet is necessary especially if the Chihuahua owner is relatively inexperienced in the breeding process. Vets would be able to provided answers to questions such as nutrition, and provide advice on how to care for the Chihuahua during pregnancy. Checkups would also ensure swift detection of any possible illnesses that may occur during pregnancy. If left untreated, illnesses can prove to be potentially dangerous for both the pregnant Chihuahua and the unborn puppy. While it may cost more financially, frequent checkups are insurance for healthy Chihuahua puppies.

It is important for inexperienced breeders to have a vet at present when their pregnant Chihuahua is giving birth. Complications are known to occur during delivery and professional service is required to remedy any possible complications at time of delivery. Severe complications are known to cause death for both the pregnant Chihuahua and her puppies and as such, it would always be handy to have a vet at hand if you are not an experienced breeder. A clean, quiet and disinfected place is also necessary for your pregnant Chihuahua to give birth, to lower the risks of infection to both the pregnant Chihuahua and her new born puppy.

Equally important is after pregnancy care. Sufficient nutrition and regular meals is necessary for both the mother and her puppies after the first few weeks of birth. Regular checkups at the vet are necessary to ensure the health of both the mother Chihuahua and her puppies. It is necessary to vaccinate the Chihuahua puppies early against common diseases such as Parvo, which is known to occur amongst Chihuahuas.

Allowing your pregnant Chihuahua to rest as much as possible in a clean, quiet room is important for the first nine weeks post pregnancy. This is to allow the Chihuahua mother to have undivided attention to care for her puppies in the immediate post-birth period.

Dedicated care, sufficient nutrition and regular checkups are the key to caring for your Chihuahua during pregnancy. With these in place, Chihuahua owners can look forward to a growing Chihuahua family.

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