Signs Of Pregnancy

I’m Pregnant - Should I Exercise?

When new participants showed up in my fitness classes and saw me, the instructor, bearing a round, pregnant figure, their faces took on a look of either admiration, condemnation, or worry. All expressions I easily understood, for when I discovered I was pregnant, I too felt a range of feelings toward my part-time career in the fitness industry. Could I still workout? Could exercise harm me or the baby? What types of exercises could I continue, and which should I quit?

Some pregnant women suffer not only morning sickness, it’s often more morning, noon, and night sickness. They feel sick all the time, and want to crawl back into bed. Pregnant women will learn in this article five powerful tips that will ease morning sickness.

What Is Ectopic Pregnancy? The dictionary definition of the word ‘Ectopic’ is an organ or body part existing in an unusual position or form. In simple terms, an ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy, which is developing in the wrong place. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg (or ovum) fails to move down the fallopian tube and into the womb (or uterus) in the normal manner. Instead, the egg or ovum implants itself outside of the womb. Most often, (in 95% of cases), ectopic pregnancies develop in a fallopian tube and rarely, elsewhere in the abdominal cavity or pelvic area. For example, an egg can attach itself on an ovary, on the neck of the womb (cervix) or on another organ within the pelvic or abdominal area (1.5% abdominal, 0.5% ovarian & 0.03% cervical). Ectopic pregnancies do not usually survive and many will result in a spontaneous miscarriage, others will develop until a serious problem becomes apparent, which will require immediate medical attention. What Causes An Ectopic Pregnancy? Sometimes the ovum fails to implant itself and it becomes fertilized outside of the reproductive system. More commonly, the fertilized ovum is trapped, in the fallopian tube and the baby continues to grow inside the tube where it can cause the tube to burst or otherwise severely damage it. A burst tube is life threatening and requires urgent medical attention. In many cases, ectopic pregnancies occur when the expectant mother has damaged fallopian tube(s). Tubes damaged, by infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease or by previous surgery, scar tissue, endometriosis or previous ectopic pregnancies are a high-risk factor, which significantly, increase the likelihood of a pregnancy being ectopic. Another risk factor associated with ectopic pregnancies is becoming pregnant, whilst using a contraceptive-coil or a progestogen only contraceptive pill. Pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (i.e. test-tube methods) can be ectopic - even though, the fertilized egg is placed directly into the womb, it may still attach itself elsewhere. In some cases, none of the above risk factors are present in the expectant mother. What Are The Warning Signs Of An Ectopic Pregnancy? Pain In the Abdomen - The first sign of an ectopic pregnancy can be a pain on one side of the abdomen. This pain can be constant and severe and its onset, sudden. Pain in the Shoulder - An alternative warning sign could be a pain in the shoulder, which intensifies when breathing in and out. Pain Using the Lavatory - If you suspect you are pregnant and experience pain during visits to the bathroom you should report this to your medical practitioner. Other Warning Signs Vaginal bleeding or unusual periods, lighter or heavier than normal, or a strange color etc Sickness Diarrhoea Pallid complexion (paleness) Light-headedness Collapse Increasing pulse rate Falling blood pressure Diagnosing An Ectopic Pregnancy Ectopic pregnancies can be hard to detect as in many cases, the symptoms are no different from those of a normal, early pregnancy, i.e. tender breasts, nausea, vomiting, missed periods or frequent urination. If you are a sexually active woman of childbearing age and you experience symptoms of an early pregnancy plus any, of the above warning signs, of an ectopic pregnancy, contact your medical practitioner immediately. A urine pregnancy test will usually be positive but is not always apparent. However, a specialized hCG blood test will always show a positive result. If a pregnancy is ectopic, the womb will often be smaller than the average womb at that stage of pregnancy and this will be detected during an internal pelvic examination. A doctor can sometimes detect a swelling, during an internal examination, which is evidence of an ectopic pregnancy existing. An ultrasound scan will differentiate between a possible miscarriage, a normal pregnancy and an ectopic pregnancy. The majority of women diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy will require surgical intervention and/or medication. In the worst-case scenario, without this intervention, an ectopic pregnancy can be fatal to the mother. Medical and technological advancements mean that ectopic pregnancies are easier to detect than ever before and therefore, they carry less risk than they did in previous years. Technological advancements have significantly improved the treatment of ectopic pregnancies - keyhole surgery is just one example of this. It is vital to seek the opinion of a medical practitioner if you suspect you are carrying an ectopic pregnancy.

It only stands to reason, that if exercise is good for you without a huge belly, it can only help you and the baby, when you’re pregnant. But what exactly will it do?

All the things that regular exercise does for a woman’s body. It tones and strengthens muscles, which can help avoid back aches, and which also supports those joints that loosen due to the hormones that flow for nine months. Exercise increases the production of endorphins, the natural “feel good” chemical produced by our brains.

Of course, there are many different signs of pregnancy and different symptoms that you may or may not experience. These signs, are literally that. Signs from our body that we need to be made aware of something, guess what we’re having a baby is the cry from below.

The following article delves into the subject of pregnancy week by week. If you have a particular interest in pregnancy week by week, then this informative article is required reading.