The First Pregnancy

Pregnancy - The First Signs

By Jean Simmer

Pregnancy, whether it is expected or not, usually presents itself in many different ways. The first and most common sign of pregnancy is the missing of the menstruation. For women who have regular menstrual cycles, marking down her period can easily tell her when she is late. Many women, nowadays, will not even wait until their missed period and will do a pregnancy test before their missed period. Newest pregnancy tests are able to detect a pregnancy even before the missed period.

Pregnancy can also present itself by the typical morning sickness. Although these nauseas and vomiting have been described to be more of a morning problem, they can occur all day long. Women who are pregnant should rejoice when they are experiencing morning sickness as this can be a sign of good hormone levels in their body, telling them that their pregnancy is going well. For example, a stopped pregnancy is often accompanied by a lowering or even stopping of the morning sickness.

Some pregnant women will not feel any nausea throughout their pregnancy and that can be perfectly normal. For the other women experiencing nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, there are many helpful ways to control them and a pregnant woman should know that most nausea of pregnancy tend to settle after the 16th week of pregnancy.

Pregnancy can also present itself in the form of breast tenderness. It is normal that the pregnant woman's breast tissues by being stimulated by the pregnancy hormones will grow and experience tenderness. Such discomforts can be managed by wearing a supportive bra and will again settle with time.

Pregnancy can also present itself by a frequent need to urinate. The frequent need to urinate during pregnancy is caused by the new hormones and the pressure exerted on the bladder by the growing uterus.

Another frequent sign of a beginning gestation is the fact that the pregnant woman feels more tired than usual. She may experience the need to sleep more hours than usual or have lower energy throughout the day.

Once a woman suspects she is pregnant, she should write down the first day of her last menstrual period as this will be very important during her pregnancy. She should also do a confirmation pregnancy test and then contact her health care provider. For most women, the confirmation of a beginning pregnancy will be a very positive event in their life. If for a woman, the finding of a pregnancy is not a welcomed event, she should take the time to sit down with her spouse and consider all the involvement for them.

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Vitamin C During Pregnancy Offsets Smoking Harm

By Rebecca Prescott

Whilst most women are aware of the negative effects smoking whilst pregnant can have on their developing baby, many still cannot give up. The good news is that researchers believe that taking vitamin C can counteract some of these effects.

Smoking during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery of the baby, poor growth, and in some instances, is implicated in fetal deaths. It can also affect the way the infant's lungs develop, as nicotine can cross the placenta. As a result, babies may have less lung function and develop more respiratory illnesses.

But a group of researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University found that in baby monkeys given both nicotine and vitamin C, the flow of air in the lungs was close to normal. There were three groups of pregnant monkeys in the study - one group was given only nicotine, one given neither nicotine nor vitamin C, and one group given both. The nicotine given was comparable to that which a pregnant mother would smoke. The group given nothing acted as the control group.

Whilst this study was done on monkeys, the team behind the study believe that the results are very relevant to humans. But more work needs to be done to determine how much vitamin C is needed for smoking pregnant mothers to get similar benefits. And to ensure that higher amounts of vitamin C during pregnancy doesn't cause other unwanted effects.

The researchers did stress that despite the positive benefits of vitamin C during pregnancy, it did not counteract all of smoking's negative effects on the fetus. For example, lower body weight and nicotine's effect on brain development were still a potential issue.

Another benefit of taking vitamin C during pregnancy is that it may decrease the chance of their waters breaking too early. This is true for all women irrespective of whether they are smokers or not. This research was done by a team in Mexico at the National Institute of Perinatology, this time on humans. The women in this study were either given a placebo or 100mg of vitamin C per day. And the group who received the vitamin C had a lot less instances where their waters broke early. This meant less premature births with the associated risk of infections.

The women in the study received the vitamin C from the 20th week of pregnancy until they gave birth. Vitamin C helps maintain the collagen in the membranes that hold the amniotic fluid in place.

References:
1. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=59359
2. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=59843

If you'd like to learn more about the effects of vitamin C, including the different forms this supplement is available in, check out this article. And for herb pregnancy advice on which herbs to avoid and which can reduce the effects of morning sickness, see this article.

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The Effects of Pregnancy in Oral Health

By Robert Melkonyan

Pregnancy can have different effects in the woman's overall health condition. Most pregnant women can notice some changes in the gums throughout pregnancy, including redness and bleeding of the gums when brushing the teeth. In addition, some women can experience severe bleeding and swelling. These changes are known pregnancy gingivitis that usually starts on the second month of the pregnancy. Pregnancy gingivitis tends to increase around eight month and may decrease after giving birth.

This condition is usual in the front area of the mouth. The symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis are the same with the common gingivitis but may have different causes. Progesterone level in the body during pregnancy can reach up to ten percent higher than the normal level, which can improve certain bacterial growth that results to gingivitis. In addition, during pregnancy, the immune system works differently, which can change the body's reaction to bacteria.

To be able to reduce pregnancy gingivitis effects, it is best to have a good oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth at least two times a day for two minutes is recommended. Make sure to floss every day as well. Antimicrobial mouthwash is advisable to prevent gum infection. Some doctors suggest that rinses that have no alcohol content are better though there is no proof that alcohol-based mouthwash may have bad effects on pregnancy.

During pregnancy, it is important to visit your dentist to check your oral health especially the condition of your gums. Pregnancy gingivitis can be treated using professional cleaning, which can be performed anytime in your pregnancy especially on the second trimester. However, advanced and aggressive treatments including periodontal surgery are not recommended until after giving birth.

Another effect of pregnancy in oral health is pregnancy granuloma or pyogenic granuloma, also known as pregnancy tumor. Two to ten percent of pregnant women may suffer from this condition, which is a growth in the gums. Though it is also called pregnancy tumor, it is not cancerous and dangerous. Pregnancy granuloma usually develops in the second trimester or pregnancy where red nodules that are commonly found in the upper gum line. However, red nodules can be found anywhere in the mouth as well. These nodules can easily bleed, which can form a crust or ulcer.

Pregnancy granuloma causes are still unknown but poor oral hygiene is usually a main factor. Blood vessel malformations, trauma, viruses and hormones can also be factors of the condition.

Tooth loss is also a common condition for pregnant women due to sever morning sickness or frequent vomiting, which can affect the enamel of the front teeth. It is necessary to contact your dentist if you are experiencing frequent vomiting to know different medications to prevent tooth erosion.

Dry mouth is also an effect of pregnancy. You can prevent dry mouth through drinking water and having hard cadies that are free from sugar or sugarless gum to help in the stimulation of the saliva.

On the other hand, excessive saliva can also be an effect or pregnancy though it is less common, which happens in the early stages of pregnancy. Excessive saliva may be connected to nausea. Women who are planning to get pregnant should visit a dentist for oral checkup and treatment. Gums and teeth needs special attention during pregnancy, so right nutrition and regular brushing is important.

To learn about the importance of periodontal examination and to understand how Pregnancy affects dental health, visit our website to get answers straight from qualified dentists at http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk

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