Ovulation occurs when a woman’s ripened egg, or ovum, is released from one of two ovaries, making the journey down the respective fallopian tube and into the uterus. By this time, the uterus lining has thickened to prepare to protect the egg if it becomes fertilized and turns into an embryo. If the egg is not fertilized, it is absorbed into the uterine lining and then expelled along with the lining during menstruation.

If an egg is fertilized by a sperm, it implants into the uterus and pregnancy begins! Some women experience implantation bleeding: light bleeding that occurs when the egg implants. This often happens 6 to 12 days after fertilization, sometimes right around the time a woman would be expecting her next menstrual period, and is nothing to be concerned about.

Women are born with 1 to 2 million follicles, or immature eggs, in the ovaries. By puberty, only about 400,000 remain. With each menstrual cycle, approximately 1,000 follicles are lost, with only one maturing into an egg.

In healthy women, both ovaries can release eggs, but they do not alternate consistently, with the right ovary releasing an egg one month and the left releasing an egg the next month. Even healthy women can occasionally have cycles in which they don’t ovulate, and they will still get their period on schedule. This can be caused by stress, rapid weight loss or gain, illness, change in diet or exercise routine, or medications.

Having sex a few days before, during and directly after ovulation is the best way to try to conceive. Because you can ovulate without a menstrual period, or have a menstrual period without ovulating, calculating from period to period is not always reliable, but it is one easy and free method. There are several different methods that can be used to predict when you are ovulating and to determine your next ovulation date.

• Ovulation Calculator

• Natural methods to track your fertility, which include charting your basal body temperature, cervical mucus and cervical position

• Over-the-counter or prescription ovulation predictor kit.

Finally, some women can actually feel themselves ovulate. They will experience a sharp pain on one side of their abdomen, or experience a feeling similar to menstrual cramps. This is called “mittleschmerz,” literally translated from German to mean “middle pain.” For some, this pain is fleeting, for others it can last a few hours.

Using one or any combination of these methods will help you predict your time of ovulation.

Author: Dawn Allcot

Going into labor prematurely is a fear many pregnant women feel, especially those who have faced premature labor before. Premature labor is defined as labor that starts between the 20th week of pregnancy, when the cervix to begins opening earlier than it should.

There are many signs of premature labor. If caught early enough most are premature labor is painless and it can normally be stopped with treatments that include bed rest, fluids and medications that calm and relax the uterus. The signs of premature labor include:

• Contractions or tightening of the uterus in a noticeable pattern
• Lower abdominal cramping that may feel like period cramping
• Increased pressure in your pelvis or vagina
• Increased discharge
• Leaking of fluid
• Vaginal bleeding
• Decreased fetal movement

If you are further than your seventh month or past your 30th week of pregnancy your baby will more than likely survive with a short stay in the NICU. If born before your 30th week of pregnancy your baby could survive, but will probably need an extensive stay and extra care in the NICU.

If you have signs of premature labor you should call your doctor or midwife immediately to describe to them what is going on. They will either instruct you to come in and be seen, or to lie down and see if the signs fade.

If you have to go to the hospital you will be prepped as if you are in labor, given a gown, and an IV will be started. You will also be hooked up to monitors and will probably have your cervix checked for dilation. If you are in labor and it isn’t too late to stop it, then you may be given medications to stop the contractions. On rare occasions you may be hospitalized for the remainder of your pregnancy, which could be days, weeks or months in duration.

If labor has progressed and cannot be stopped, you will probably be given steroids to help your baby’s lungs quickly mature giving your baby a better chance of survival outside the womb. You will then need to deliver your baby and trust the hospital, your doctor and the NICU staff to take care of both of you until you can both go home.

Many women get concerned by cramping that they experience in early pregnancy. Some might worry that this is a sign that their pregnancy is not viable and that a miscarriage is on its way. Fortunately, more times than not, that isn’t the case.

Cramping in early pregnancy is common and usually very normal

Some women might feel cramping as soon as seven days after they ovulate. If they are in fact pregnant, then this cramping is called implantation cramping and is the cramping that occurs when the egg attaches itself, or implants, to the uterus. It is not cramping that all women feel, and can be easily unnoticed.

Some women start cramping shortly after they get a positive pregnancy test as their uterus starts preparing to carry a baby for nine months. The uterus is a big organ and as it grows in early pregnancy cramping is expected. If the cramping is constant or too intense for you to handle however it may not be “normal” and you should call your doctor if you feel you need to for reassurance.

Another type of cramping during pregnancy is called round ligament pain

This is cramping that occurs as the muscles under your uterus expand and grow in order to support the weight of your uterus and baby as it grows. This is probably the most complained about cramping in early pregnancy, and one most pregnant women will experience.

Cramping in early pregnancy is usually nothing for a woman to get worried about. Actually you can be comforted by knowing that if minor cramping does occur, then your body is probably preparing as it should to sustain the pregnancy. Cramping can also continue into the second and third trimester as the uterus continues to grow and as the body prepares for labor. But if you ever feel that the cramping is not normal, be sure to call your doctor for advice.

What else can you expect  during this stage of pregnancy?   Find out in our Pregnancy Week By Week Calendar

by: Anne Cavicchi

The first week of your baby’s life brings big adjustments for both of you. You are adjusting to being a mother and caring for your baby and your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb. It is a time of great joy — and possibly immense fear! Although you’ve been preparing for the birth of your baby for months, now he is here and depending on you for everything which can seem overwhelming. Don’t expect too much of yourself during these first days! If anyone offers you help — take it!

During your baby’s first few weeks of life, he will be concentrating on getting to know you and his surroundings. Your baby needs to be handled so that life outside the womb seems as little different as possible to life inside the womb. Your baby’s needs, while they may seem overwhelming to you, are really simple: food, warmth and comfort from cuddling. Wrap him snugly and warmly, hold him closely, handle him slowly, and feed him when he’s hungry. Your baby will have the routing and sucking reflexes as well as tongue thrust. These are needed to get nourishment from the breast or bottle. You can also use this time to bond with your baby with lots of skin to skin contact.

Whether you decide to breast or bottle feed, feeding in the first few weeks is not an effortless process. Try to have early feeding sessions in a quiet setting with as few distractions as possible. Make sure you are in a comfortable position as it takes new babies a while to eat and you don’t want to end up stiff and sore. Cuddle and caress your baby as feeding time is a wonderful opportunity to show your baby how much he is loved.

If you are breastfeeding, be patient while you and your baby are getting the hang of it! The benefits of breastfeeding are many and in order for it to be successful, it is important to start out right. Keep in mind though it may take several weeks until you both feel comfortable and get a feeding schedule down.

Most new moms feel and experience:

About The Author
Anne Cavicchi is a Canadian wife and mother of one boy and two step-daughters. She also owns Annie’s Maternity Corner where you’ll find everything you need for pregnancy and baby! Great products, articles, information and more to see you through pregnancy and baby’s first years at Annie’s. www.maternitycorner.com.