Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

What’s a pregnancy weekly calendar and how does one use it? A pregnancy calendar is a pregnancy week by week record of the changes taking place in your body, plus the pregnancy symptoms. With the help of this calendar, you can get more information about the different stages of pregnancy and what happens in each stage. This awareness is helpful in the pregnancy term, as it protects you from unnecessary anxiety and fear and lets you enjoy your pregnancy in peace.

Calculating Pregnancy Weekly Calendar

There is a definite technique that you can use to calculate this calendar. The beginning of this calendar is the date of your last period. This is the same date used by doctors to predict the date of your delivery or your ‘due date’, which is about 40 weeks from your last period. It may be one or two weeks more or less than the actual date for different women. Every mom-to-be is anxious to know the exact day when her baby will be born. Therefore, this weekly calendar becomes all the more important.

Calendar Is Not The ‘Be All And End All’

There is one thing that you should keep in mind while referring your pregnancy weekly calendar. It is not the exact basis to rely on for every pregnancy symptom or change in your body. This calendar is prepared on the basis of general statistics and shows average figures. Moreover, it is a fact that, not all women have the same kind of pregnancy. Each pregnancy is unique and each consecutive pregnancy in the same woman is distinctive too!

For example, the calendar mentions a list of pregnancy symptoms that would appear in a particular stage of pregnancy. Now this does not mean that you will get all those symptoms and in the same intensity as mentioned in the pregnancy weekly calendar. There are some women who don’t experience symptoms like morning sickness at all!

The same holds true for the prediction of delivery date. It’s not necessary that the date predicted in the calendar is 100% accurate. The actual delivery date usually varies from 38th week to 42nd week after your last period.

Using A Pregnancy Calendar

Therefore, you should refer to the pregnancy weekly calendar only as a general source of information. Remember, this calendar is not a substitute for your visits to doctor. In fact, you should refer to a pregnancy weekly calendar only after checking it out with the doctor.

The calendar also describes the development stages of your baby. It helps you bring closer to the baby growing within your womb. With a pregnancy weekly calendar in your hand, you are no longer an ignorant woman who depends on old wives’ tales for the health of your baby and your own self. You become a smart mom-to-be who knows how to enjoy her pregnancy!

If you know what to look for the symptoms of ovulation are very easy to spot. Ovulation usually occurs 12-16 days after the first day of your last period. During ovulation your body will make some slight changes such as a change in vaginal secretions, slight cramping, elevated body temp, and sometimes it may be accompanied by some very light spotting. You have most likely seen or felt these changes before but paid no attention to them, as they are very subtle in nature. Noticing these changes are not difficult you just need to pay close attention to your body.

The first step to noticing changes in your body is to know your body very well; this is usually extremely simple for women as we are very intuitive by nature Just another plus of being a woman. The first symptom of ovulation is your vaginal secretions will increase and become almost the consistency of raw egg whites, this occurs because of a change in hormones.

Two to three days before ovulation you will notice this increase of clear slippery vaginal discharge, during these days you are fertile but, the last day of the vaginal discharge you are most fertile. This is because it is on this last day of discharge or the day after, that ovulation actually occurs. Remember, sperm can live up to five days in the vagina so even if you have not ovulated having intercourse on these days is very beneficial.

The second symptom of ovulation is slight cramping; this cramping you may feel is often called mittelschmerz which means middle pain in German. Middle pain is usually felt on the side you’re ovulating on. This is caused by the release and movement of the unfertilized egg down the fallopian tube. For me this is not a constant pain it is usually just one of those “ouch what was that?” and then it is gone however, and this may occur several times during the day.

Pain associated with ovulation may occur every month but, for some reason usually occurs every third month. In most women the pain disappears within 6 to 8 hours but, can persist for 24 to 48 hours. You may also experience nausea, bloating, frequent urination, and pain during intercourse however, this is uncommon.

It is at this time you may also notice a slight pink tint in the vaginal secretions, don’t worry this is completely normal. These signs and symptoms may vary from woman to woman but, one way to surely tell is to check your basal body temperature. After ovulation a woman’s basal body temperature will rise 0.4-1 degrees.

As well as the symptoms listed here, many women report that during this time they actually have an increased desire to have sex. This is simply your body’s way of making sure all of its hard work does not go to waste. After all you know what they say it takes two to tango!

I know this may seem like a lot to take in right now but, in the long run becoming more familiar with your body and all its working structures will not only help you identify the symptoms of ovulation but, can also help you get pregnant in the shortest period of time.

Once you know you expectancy date you can really prepare for your new baby. Every woman has an estimated nine months to tell everyone a new member of the family is on the way. They can start to create the baby’s room, buying clothes, diapers, toys, books, and other needed supplies. The sooner you know your due date the more time you will have to get ready for motherhood. Knowing your date allows you to plan ahead as much as possible.

You may wonder how the doctor can calculate your expected due date so precisely. You’re not alone. Most doctors can do this with the aid of a special technology or a standard method. There are actually numerous methods to accurately calculate the due date of your pregnancy. The procedure that many physicians use include computerized form. There is also a more traditional method of counting the exact number of months from the day of your last menstrual cycle. Most of these techniques are extremely effective in determining your due date.

During age-old cultures there were various methods that people would use to calculate when a pregnancy was due. This was done with remarkable correctness. The Chinese created their own pregnancy calendar to determine the sex of the baby by combining the mother’s age along with date of conception. The Native Americans had incorporated certain moon phases to pinpoint pregnancy due dates.

So, how do you calculate your expecting due date. It’s really quite simple. Add nine months from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Then take that number of days and subtract two weeks. Some people find it easier to just add 40 weeks to the initial start of their last period and then subtract an estimated 14 days to properly calculate your expectancy date. Using this process is referred to the LMP formula.

When approaching the end of the childbearing years, many women have questions. Some of the questions differ from person to person, but others can be addressed.

1) When will menopause start?

Menopause actually starts after your last period. The time leading up to it is called perimenopause, and there are several signs that you are in it. Not every woman will have every symptom.

2) What are the symptoms of perimenopause?

There are a lot of possible symptoms, I will list a few here. Hot flashes, irritability, irregular heartbeat, mood swings, trouble sleeping, changes in menstrual flow and timing, loss of libido, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, incontinence and depression are fairly normal symptoms for perimenopause.

3) What can I do about the symptoms?

That depends on the decisions you and your doctor make. Some women go on hormone replacements, but the dangers to your health increase if you do so. This is especially true if you have, had, or are at risk for hormone related cancers.

Some women choose to use herbal products, including black cohosh and soy isoflavones. Each of these have drawbacks. One of them is the same as prescription HRT; an increased risk for hormone related cancers.

Many treat the symptoms rather than take the risk of the above mentioned products. This can be done with medications or herbs. Before starting any supplement or medication, get all the information you can about them so that you make an informed decision.

An example of treating the symptoms would be using St. John’s Wort to relieve the depression and kava kava for bouts of anxiety. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you if there are any interactions between these and medications you may be taking.

3) What causes hot flashes?

The simple answer is that low estrogen causes these uncomfortable episodes. This can be because of perimenopause, but it can also happen with other conditions. Even some medications can cause it. The problem is with the hypothalamus, your body’s thermostat. Lower estrogen levels can cause it to malfunction.

4) What causes depression?

While the hormone changes will play a part, no one really knows all about it. One theory makes some sense, and it also explains the feelings of anxiety and doom some women report feeling. At one point in time, women seldom lived long after menopause. While this is no longer true, a lot of women still have that subconscious fear that they are approaching the end of life in a hurry. Fortunately, most menopausal women still have as much as half their life ahead of them.

5) About this loss of libido thing…anything we can do about that?

Here again, it depends on what you and your doctor decide. There are prescriptions that may help. There are also some herbs that may be useful. Damiana is sometimes called the “Female Viagra.” Maca, muira puama and catauba could be useful.

Bear in mind that many herbs are subtle in their effects. Herbs like damiana, maca, muira puama and catauba will take weeks or months before full effects take place. Other herbs, like kava kava, can only be taken for short periods of time. Kava kava can only be taken for a week to ten days before a break has to occur.

Knowing all you can about pregnancy week by week helps you to understand the minute details of movements taking place inside your womb. Doing so is an interesting idea. This write-up seeks to help every pregnant woman become a better-informed mom and to cope with the pregnancy symptoms and pregnancy complications.

Pregnancy Week By Week

Pregnancy Week 1-Week 4

The 1st week of pregnancy commences with the day of the woman’s last period. By the end of 4th week of pregnancy, there is fertilization of the egg and the beginning of a new life. This is the time when the early pregnancy symptoms start showing in.

Pregnancy Week 5-8

This period is the right time for taking the pregnancy test. It is commonplace for the tests to be accurate around this period. By the 6th week, the would-be baby’s heart starts beating! The future mom might start experiencing morning sickness during the 7th week. Moreover, by the 8th week, her fetus has small arms and legs!

Pregnancy Week 9-12

It is between the 9th and 12th week that the pregnant woman’s stomach gets enlarged to make room for her fast developing fetus. She notices a variety of changes in her body. The fetus begins moving inside the mum, though she may not necessarily realize it yet. And by the 12th week, the intensity of morning sickness starts lessening.

Pregnancy Week 13-16

Between the 13th and 16th week, it is possible to know the gender of the baby with a low level of certainty. At the end of the 14th week, the mother can listen to her future baby’s heartbeat during the visit to a clinic. She also notices movements of her baby, as her bones begin to become hard.

Pregnancy Week 17-20

The period from 17th to 20th week marks fast development of internal organs of the baby. The fetus is covered by fine hair called ‘lanugo.’ During this phase of pregnancy, it is feasible to know the gender of the fetus accurately by taking an ultrasound test.

Pregnancy Week 21-24

Around the 21st week, the fetus begins to learn breathing. The woman may experience few contractions during this phase, as her uterus begins preparation for the task of giving birth. When one approaches the 24th week, the process of fat depositing starts in the baby, which helps maintain the body temperature after its birth. By keeping an account of pregnancy week by week, one becomes mentally and physically prepared to negotiate with the changes occurring in one’s body.

Pregnancy Week 25-28

By this time, the woman’s uterus is congested and there is less movement of her baby. There is an important thing to note for the mom: her baby can distinguish between darkness and light and can also hear sounds from the external world.

Pregnancy Week 29-32

Around the 29th week, the baby’s head grows rapidly in proportion to the rest of the body. Its eyes and brain are developed to a large extent. When one approaches the 32nd week, only lungs remain to be fully developed.

Pregnancy Week 33-36

When the 33rd week begins, the fetus can open and close its eyes. Its finger nails get developed during this time. During the 36th week, the embryo has a weight of approximately 4 pounds and is 16 inches long.

Pregnancy Week 37-40

This is the climax of the entire pregnancy. By this time all the organs of the baby, except the lungs, are developed. Lungs, however, continue to develop. There can be childbirth anytime between the 38th and 40th week because the baby is ready to land on this planet!

Dear would-be-mom, thank you very much for taking some precious time this pregnancy week by week article. And now, of course, get ready to welcome your baby. Good luck!