Seeing your baby on an ultrasound can clearly be called the most anticipated part of a pregnancy, especially for couples who only get one ultrasound during their pregnancy that is paid for by their insurance. Those who are lucky get to see their baby, not only in the standard 2D view, but in 3D or even in 4D which is available in some areas of the world now.

Ultrasounds are not just meant for fun. They are used medically for many things during pregnancy, and they are often a necessity. During early pregnancy you a woman might be given an ultrasound for several reasons. Those reasons include previous health problems, a miscarriage or the threatening of a miscarriage, or to date your pregnancy. These types will always be done during the first trimester.

During the second trimester, normally between the 18th and 22nd week of pregnancy a woman will be given an ultrasound in order to check the baby’s lungs, heart, and brain, as well as to check for any other visible problems such as the possibility of Downs Syndrome. At this point, unless your baby is not cooperating, you can probably find out the gender of your unborn child if you want to know. Sometimes if the doctor or technician is unable to get the measurements and pictures he was looking for, they will attempt another ultrasound later in the second trimester.

If a woman chooses to have an amniocentesis, normally because of a bad test result, advanced maternal age, or previous health problems with a child, they will also have an ultrasound so that the doctor can watch as the needle enters the amniotic sac. This generally occurs around the 15th week of pregnancy.

During the third trimester an ultrasound may be offered to the parents in order to check the baby’s weight, because of lack of fetal movement, or while checking the baby’s health and stress level while doing a NST, or an amnio to check the development of the baby’s lungs.

Today pregnant women are lucky to have the option of paying out of pocket to receive an extended 3D or 4D ultrasound. These are normally not done by medical staff, but by offices as a business. They are more like souvenirs for the parents and the fee for them comes with the option to have video and pictures of their unborn baby that they can keep and show family and friends. These ultrasound sessions normally last between 30 and 90 minutes depending on what the couple pays for.

No, this isn’t coming from your 5 year old in the back seat, or a premonition of what is to come several years down the road. Rather, it is the way most women often feel during the third trimester of their pregnancy.

The longest nine months of a woman’s life has to be the nine months that she is pregnant. Holidays, summer vacations, and your baby’s first year all fly by…but the nine months that your baby is growing inside of you can seem endless.

If you aren’t one of the lucky ones, the first trimester often consists of fatigue, nausea, and frequent bathroom trips. Add in the visits to your doctors office, and there is really not much to look forward to during the first 3 months of pregnancy. With a new life growing inside of you, your life has to change in some ways as well. You will probably find that you aren’t able to stay up or out late anymore, and that you prefer to be at home in bed quite early. You also have to give up that Friday night glass of wine or margarita when you go out with friends. While the first three months of pregnancy can drag, it does end eventually!

The second trimester is when the fun begins and you should definitely try to enjoy it! During the second trimester you will probably start feeling better and find that you have more energy. You will be happy to find that you are able to stay up later to watch your favorite TV shows, or enjoy a night out with friends, minus the alcohol, of course! You will also have an ultrasound, find out the sex of your baby if you choose, do your baby registry, start shopping for baby gear, and feel the first movements. The doctor’s appointments are rather infrequent, which can make that part of the month drag, but at least you feel like having some fun in between them.

The longest part of pregnancy for most is the last trimester. Not only has the fatigue returned, but as you get bigger you may find that sleeping becomes very uncomfortable, especially if you are a tummy or back sleeper. Even if you do get comfortable sleeping, you might find that you aren’t sleeping much, because you are getting up several times a night to use the bathroom, and as soon as you drift off, your bladder starts calling.

In the third trimester, you get bigger, you may also find that it is more difficult to do common everyday tasks, like walking around, tying your shoes, and shaving your legs. Every day, as you get bigger and more uncomfortable, your due date nears and time may seem to slow down. It’s almost like the anticipation in the months leading up to a big vacation. You look forward to it, and it can’t come fast enough. Your doctor’s appointments become more frequent in the third trimester, eventually becoming weekly, so they can help speed up the pregnancy.

In the last months of pregnancy often women say, “He can come any day now,” or “He is due at the end of the month, but if he wants to come early that is fine!” In the last month, the first thing on a woman’s mind in the morning will be, “Is today going to be the day?” and the last thing at night is probably, “I hope my water doesn’t break tonight so that MAYBE I can get a good nights sleep.” Eventually even the most patient women will find themselves asking, “Are we there yet?”

During pregnancy a woman experiences many aches and pains. During the first trimester she often has fatigue and nausea. There is normally also some cramping as the uterus starts to expand and grow. There is also the constant urge to go to the bathroom as the uterus puts extra pressure on the bladder that the bladder.

During the second trimester, most of the first trimester pregnancy symptoms go away, although a new one tends to pop up. It is generally referred to as round ligament pain. But what is round ligament pain exactly?

The round ligaments are the ligaments at the bottom of your belly, which are positioned under the uterus, and expand and grow to help support your uterus as it gets bigger. As these ligaments stretch some women find it painful and are concerned. Most doctors and midwives will reassure you that these pains are a normal part of pregnancy.

During the third trimester this pain can increase as your uterus grows even bigger and the ligaments have to stretch more to support the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta and extra blood that your body is carrying in your belly. If the pain becomes unbearable, ask your provider what pain medication is safe to take while pregnant.

Some women are concerned because they don’t have round ligament pain, or they don’t seem to suffer from it as much as other women. Not every woman will experience a large amount of pain. Generally, in a first pregnancy, the pain won’t start as early or be as severe as it is in a woman’s second, third and subsequent pregnancies. This is normal and to be expected.

After you deliver the baby, remember that your body has “memory” so after your pregnancy is over, and as your belly shrinks and your body returns to normal, these round ligaments will return to their former, pre-pregnancy shape and size. This shrinking may also cause some pain, but it shouldn’t be as severe as when the ligaments originally stretched to make room for your baby.

During pregnancy there are so many changes in your body it can be hard to keep up with them. You feel bloated, your breasts are changing, and you may also have a constant vaginal discharge. Generally, while discharge is normally not dangerous, it can be inconvenient.

So what causes the discharge? As your waistline expands, and your hormones change new blood circulation in the vaginal area causes the increase in discharge known as leukorrhea. It shouldn’t smell, and it is normal. It is your body’s way of flushing out bacteria that could harm you or your baby.

There is something you can do though about the discomfort that this vaginal discharge may cause you. Changing your clothes often and wearing panty liners or maxi pads will help keep the wetness down. Douching will not help get rid of the discharge, and it could also introduce bacteria to your uterus, so you shouldn’t douche at all while pregnant.

During the third trimester, towards the end of your pregnancy, you may notice an increase in the amount and consistency of the discharge. Where it once was thin, it might be getting thicker and may be tinted with blood. This discharge is known as your mucus plug and your body expelling the plug signifies that labor is a few weeks away.

Anytime you have discharge during pregnancy that is colored, heavier or thicker than normal you should see your doctor. In some rare cases it could be a sign of vaginal infection or a problem with your pregnancy. Problems could include a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or a STD. In most of these cases there are preventative measures that your doctor or midwife can do to solve any problems you may be having.

As always, if you have any fear that your discharge is not normal, or if you have any questions, ask your provider. It is their job to answer your questions and to reassure you that everything is going normally with your pregnancy.

Every woman dreads stretch marks, and most women have them on some part of their body, whether they have ever been pregnant or not. A woman’s thighs, hips, buttocks, and breasts are all common places that they can be found. But what are they, what causes them, and is there anything to be done to avoid them?

Stretch marks first show up during puberty, and both girls and boys get them. They are caused by rapid gain weight or growth in an area of your body. Collagen, a protein that is partly responsible for skin strength and elasticity is stretched quickly and often leaves scars that are called stretch marks. People who are obese and weight lifters often have stretch marks as well.

Pregnancy is a very common time for a woman to get stretch marks. If she doesn’t have them already on her breasts, they can often pop up because of the rapid increase of growth and fatty tissue that develops as a woman’s breasts prepare to breastfeed her baby. However, a woman’s stomach is the most common place for stretch marks to appear during pregnancy.

Stretch marks generally show up during the third trimester when a woman’s belly begins to rapidly get bigger. During the third trimester the baby is gaining most of his weight, and it is then that he grows at the fastest rate during the pregnancy.

There are several products on the market for pregnant women to use to help avoid getting stretch marks, and to help them go away after your pregnancy is over. Some women swear by them, while others claim that they don’t work. In reality, whether or not you get stretch marks is determined by how much elasticity you have in your skin. If you have a lot of elasticity, you probably will not get stretch marks, or they will at least not be severe.

Stretch marks cannot be remedied gotten rid of by a simple cream. While they may start out a pink or purplish color, they will eventually fade to match the color of your skin, like other scars do. Some people will use artificial tanning sprays and lotions to help make them less noticeable. If your stretch marks really bother you, visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to see what options they can make available to you.

If you are lucky you will never get a stretch mark. However, if you do, remember that you are not alone and that most women in the world are just like you and have stretch marks too.

A woman’s prenatal appointments generally start off all the same. Your carer will weigh you, ask you for a urine sample and take your blood pressure. For most women these things are routine and the results of them are never discussed. However occasionally they can forewarn your doctor or midwife that there might be a problem starting in your pregnancy.

If a woman’s blood pressure starts rising it will generally start in the third trimester, although some women experience it in the second. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can be an early sign that a woman has or is getting preeclampsia during her pregnancy. Another sign that can indicate pre-clampsia is protein in the urine.

There are still a lot of questions in the medical community regarding how and why preeclampsia starts. The best explanation seems to involve the placenta, not growing the appropriate blood vessels through the uterine wall to help sustain the pregnancy. In addition to causing the high blood pressure, it can lead to blood supply problems in your unborn baby, as well as liver and kidney problems in the mother-to-be.

Preeclampsia only occurs in about 5% of pregnancies, most of them being the first pregnancies for the mom-to-be. Pre-eclampsia can begin gradually or come on suddenly and can range from mild to severe. At its worst pre-eclampsia can cause death or serious injury to both mother and the baby. Sometimes it is necessary for the doctor or midwife to deliver a baby prematurely, in order to save both of your lives.

High blood pressure alone does not mean that you have or will have preeclampsia. There are many other signs that your provider will be looking throughout your pregnancy. These include an elevated level of protein in the urine, swelling of the hands, feet or face, sudden weight gain and blood clotting. Signs of severe preeclampsia include severe headaches or vision problems, breathing problems, abdominal pain, or a reduction in the need to urinate.

Depending on the severity of a woman’s pre-eclampsia it may be treatable with medication to prevent seizures or with high blood pressure medication. Delivery of the baby, whether early or at term will also lead to the preeclampsia going away.

Also referred to as “hemmies”, hemorrhoids are unfortunately a common part of pregnancy for many women. They can also appear during labor and cause trouble for women after the baby is born. What is a hemorrhoid?

A hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein that develops in and around the anal canal in both men and women. They are caused by excessive pressure to the pelvic and rectal areas. As pressure increases, blood builds up in the veins causing painful distention of the veins, leading to hemorrhoids.

The pressure that helps create a hemorrhoid is generally caused by rushing to complete a bowel movement, or from constipation. Constipation is a very common problem in pregnant women both in the first trimester, as first their organs start moving around to make space for the uterus, and in the third trimester as their intestines get cramped and crowded. Because of constipation, many women get hemorrhoids for the first time during pregnancy.

Hemorrhoids often develop during labor as a woman strains and pushes her baby out. A woman is normally told to “push like your are having a BM”, which is effective in helping the baby come down the birth canal, but it often also puts extreme pressure on the veins in the area.

Once they appear, hemorrhoids can be very painful even while you are doing the simplest things, like sitting. There are different suggestions your doctor may have to help you control and ease the henorroids. Pads soaked in witch hazel, like Tucks, can be used to wipe your hemorrhoids in an effort to help them decrease in size faster and be less painful. Some women will actually place a Tucks inside a maxi-pad in their panties so that it will sit on the hemorrhoid constantly.

Another option to help with hemorrhoids is to take a “sitz bath”. A sitz bath is a type of bath where only the woman’s hips and butt sit in warm water or a saline solution. It is used for people who have hemorrhoids or other issues like a recent surgery in the rectal area.

If your hemorrhoids do not seem to be going away, or they are increasingly painful, ask your doctor or midwife if they have any further ideas for relief.

Heartburn can pop its ugly head up at anytime during pregnancy. It is more common later in pregnancy, but many women feel it in the first trimester as well. What causes it? What can be done to help relieve it?.

When a woman gets pregnant, her placenta starts producing more of the hormone progesterone than what she normally has in her body. The progesterone coats the lining of her uterus, helping the muscles in the uterus relax in order to carry the baby. It also however, relaxes the valve between the stomach and esophagus that is intended to keep food and stomach acids down in the stomach. When this spincter muscle is relaxed, it allows the acid from the stomach to travel back up the esophagus, causing heartburn. This can also be called acid reflux.

Later during pregnancy, as your baby gets bigger and he starts pushing more on your organs, his position is likely to make the heartburn even worse! There are several things you can do to help ease the reoccurrence and discomfort of heartburn.

1. Try to stay away from foods that cause problems in the first place. These foods can include caffeine, chocolate, carbonated beverages like soda, citrus fruits such as oranges, and highly seasoned or fatty/fried foods.

    

2. Try not to eat large meals only once or twice a day. Your body needs time to digest little amounts of food in order to help keep the heartburn from starting. Eat small amounts several times a day.

    

3. Try not to eat and then go straight to bed. Take your last meal several hours before bedtime so that your food has time to digest while you are sitting up. This will lessen the chance of the acid travelling back up your esophagus when you lay down.

    

4. Don’t wear tight clothing that presses down on your belly. Keep it comfortable and loose so that you don’t have the extra pressure on the baby which can put extra pressure on your stomach and contribute to heartburn.

    

5. You should not be drinking alcohol and smoking during pregnancy anyway, but if you are, stop! Alcohol and smoking can cause heartburn on their own.

    

6. There are over the counter antacids that you might be able to take, but be sure to ask your doctor or midwife before you take them, to make sure they are safe for you in your pregnancy.

Remember, every pregnancy is different. Some women may never experience heartburn; others may find that they have terrible heartburn caused by foods they are eating that are not in this list. If you are unable to find relief, be sure to check with your health care provider as they may have a suggestion for you that will relieve your heartburn once and for all.