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Pregnancy And Dreams

When you are pregnant, sleep does not always come easily. When you do get some rest, you may awaken to find that you had some very, very strange dreams while you were asleep. Strange dreams are par for the course during pregnancy, and it should come as no surprise that there is a connection between these dreams and all of those hormones that have flooded your system. In addition to an increase in the amount of dreams that women have during pregnancy, women are more likely to remember the dreams that they have while they are pregnant than they are … Continue reading →

Exercise in the First Trimester

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Exercise is hard regardless if you are pregnant or not. It just is. It takes commitment, will-power, and education. For pregnant women exercise is absolutely imperative. Exercise along with diet can almost guarantee a pregnancy free of major complications, manageable labor, and natural delivery. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to engage in some form of exercise daily during pregnancy. As to the intensity and type of exercise: this depends entirely on the individual pregnant woman. If she is active and has been exercising regularly before pregnancy, she can continue her regular exercise routine until it becomes uncomfortable at which point … Continue reading →

Treating Headaches During Pregnancy

Reacting to whatever life throws you is so much more simple when you are not pregnant. But when you’re expecting, suddenly you have to consider every decision in a whole new light. This never more true than when you’re deciding whether to take a medication. When your head is pounding, is it okay to just take a pain reliever like aspirin or ibuprofen? Should you consult your doctor? Are there safer ways to cope with a headache? Between the surge of hormones and the extra blood flow associated with pregnancy, headaches are not that all uncommon. They are especially prevalent … Continue reading →

Exhaustion During Early Pregnancy

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All the sleep I’ve lost over the past three months is finally catching up to me, so much so that I actually took a pregnancy test today to make sure I wasn’t about to have “Irish twins” this next spring. When I was pregnant with my son, the fatigue was so prevalent that I was basically a worthless lump on the couch for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy. I’m very close to being a worthless lump again, but it turns out that the only thing keeping me down during the day is what (or who) is keeping me … Continue reading →

Cramping in Early Pregnancy

Finding out you are pregnant is an exciting time. It can also be stressful and frustrating, particularly if you are having symptoms that are causing worry. One common worry in early pregnancy is feeling cramping. Often, this is nothing to worry about and completely normal. Many women experiencing cramping around the time of a missed period. This may lead some to think they aren’t actually pregnant, but just a little late. Often they are surprised to learn a few weeks later that they are pregnant and the cramping had to do with the pregnancy and not an impending period. There … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Stages: The Third Trimester

Once you’ve reached the third trimester, you’re in the home stretch. The third trimester of pregnancy begins in the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy and ends when the baby is born. Although your doctor or midwife has given you a due date, this is really just an estimate. The baby can come any time from thirty-eight to forty-two weeks. This is a busy time for most expectant parents, as you are preparing for baby’s arrival. Some women have a baby shower, especially if it’s the first baby. Childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes, decorating the baby’s room and shopping take up more time … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Stages: The Second Trimester

The second trimester of pregnancy includes weeks thirteen through twenty-four. You will begin to show during this time and most women start wearing maternity clothes at some time during the second trimester. You will become more aware of the baby’s presence and feel movement at some time during these weeks. This varies widely among women, so don’t get stuck on an exact week to feel the movement. Many women find the symptoms of pregnancy subside somewhat in the second trimester. Some report this trimester is the most comfortable, since morning sickness has generally ended. Also, while the stomach is expanding, … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Acupuncture in Pregnancy

Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that many people find helpful for a wide range of conditions. Acupuncture has specific benefits during pregnancy as well. Practitioners believe that pain and illness are the result of an imbalance of energy known as qi or chi. In the first trimester, complaints such as morning sickness, fatigue and headaches are common. If the physical symptoms weren’t enough, the expectant mother also has to deal with emotional changes and mood swings. Acupuncture has benefits for all these early pregnancy discomforts. The procedure increases the feeling of well being while relieving the physical discomforts. … Continue reading →

Seventeen Weeks

At seventeen weeks I find myself feeling extremely well. My Nausea has subsided and my energy has returned to near its full force. Most of my major food aversions have passed and I find myself wanting chocolate again, which is something I need to keep in check! Thanks to my lack of nausea and increased energy, I have been exercising five to six times per week and reaping the benefits of toned muscles! My stomach is bulging a bit more than normal and some of my tops are a little tight in the stomach, but maternity tops are still much … Continue reading →

A Day Off Campus

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Pregnancy has a huge impact on my day-to-day activities. Normally, these activities don’t vary too much. A typical day involves waking up at 6:30, eating breakfast very slowly (to suppress the urge to throw up), taking vitamins, getting dressed for work, and being dropped off by my husband and son at 7:30. Once at school, I go through the process of booting my computer, getting water and a snack (usually almonds), preparing for classes, teaching classes, grading, homework and tests, writing lesson plans, tests, etc, and then finally leaving at 4:00. Yesterday was a different sort of day. It was … Continue reading →