Maternity Insurance

Understanding the Common Signs of Pregnancy

The common signs of pregnancy don’t always as clear as we would like, understand their causes and typical timing is important in determining if another life is present.

Until you have the experience of trying to determine if you are pregnant or not, it seems like it would be easy to figure out.  What you might not know is every one of the classic signs of pregnancy can also be something else.  Contrary to popular opinion, the pregnancy symptoms don’t wait until you miss you a period to show up.  They often appear before that tell tale sign.  It’s not uncommon for a newly pregnant woman to think she has the flu or virus, when in fact; she has a little one waiting to make his or her presence known.  Many medical experts believe that the sooner a woman knows she is pregnant, the better possibly with a pregnancy test.  Once the news is out, the expecting mother can avoid harmful things like drinking alcohol, or taking risky medications.  Here is a look at some of the common signs of pregnancy and the possibilities of what they could mean.

Let’s take a look at the most common pregnancy symptom first.  There isn’t a person of either gender on the planet who has never heard of morning sickness.  While not every new mom is going to experience the well known problems with nausea and vomiting, it is pretty common.  When nausea is part of pregnancy, it can occur at any time of the day and often stops after the first trimester.  It’s important to note that some pregnant women actually have to contend with this discomfort all through their pregnancies unfortunately.  If the nausea is not pregnancy related, you can likely point the finger at a virus or flu, as well as food poisoning.

Another one of the more famous signs of pregnancy is sore or tender breasts.  This symptom can begin before the first missed period and is often a major concern for many women before they find out the cause.  In some cases, the breasts can feel heavy or swollen as early as 1 to 2 weeks after conception.  Sometimes, babies don’t waste any time letting their existence be known.  Some of the other causes of sore or tender breasts is impending menstruation, adjusting to birth control pills, and temporary hormonal imbalances.

There aren’t many people, male or female, who don’t feel tired for no apparent reason on occasion, but you guessed it, chronic fatigue can signal pregnancy too.  Like the tender and sore breast issue, fatigue due to pregnancy doesn’t take a lot of time to show up.  As early as one week after the little one began life, this sign of pregnancy can appear.  Fatigue can also be the result of depression, other common illness, like a cold, or stress, among other causes.  If you find that you aren’t pregnant and the fatigue symptom continues, make an effort to determine the cause with your doctor.

Pregnancy has a lot to do with blood.  In the beginning, you are waiting for your normal period until it doesn’t show and then time is spent hoping there is no break through bleeding, which may indicate that there is a problem with the pregnancy.  Another of the classic symptoms of pregnancy is a delayed or missed period.  In some cases, a pregnant woman may have bleeding after conception and it is usually a light period or what is called implantation bleeding.  Implantation bleeding is when the embryo implants to the uterine wall.  This event may cause some cramping and light spotting for the mother.  It’s sometimes mistaken for a menstruation cycle.  This sign of pregnancy can occur as early as 6 to 12 days after conception.

The Truth about Pregnancy Weight Gain

Beware of pregnancy weight gain.  To read one of the early pregnancy tests results and see a positive outcome is one of the greatest joys in life for more many women.  It means you can spend lots of time picking out first your maternity clothes and later, your little one’s new clothes.  Pregnancy is a wonderful time for most expecting moms. However, there is one aspect of this condition that puts everyone from the new dad to the expecting mom, to the medical community into a frenzy, pregnancy weight gain.  It’s understandable, with the rising rate of obesity and health problems, to want to keep weight gain in the healthy range.  Doctors also want to see their pregnant patients gain weight correctly and while eating a healthful diet.  On the other hand, not gaining enough weight can adversely affect the pregnancy. It’s a very delicate balance that has to be maintained throughout the nine months.

For those moms carrying single babies, there are general rules to follow when it comes to pregnancy weight gain.  If the mother to be is overweight when she gets pregnant, the standard belief is that she should gain about 15 pounds total with her pregnancy.  Even with an abundance of weight to begin with, the baby and the changes to the body, like greater blood production, has to increase the woman’s weight at least a little for everyone to be healthy.  A new mom in the average range of weight is going to be expected to gain between 25 and 35 pounds by the time she gives birth.  For a woman who has a weight problem on the other end of the spectrum, her weight is below normal, she should work to gain about 10 or 15 pounds more than the normal weight mother.  In the event of a multiple birth, there are no standards compiled, so it’s best to follow the advice of the doctor.

For generations the old cliché of “eating for two” was the advice of the day.  Now is the time to throw that not so wise wisdom out the window.  Most experts feel pregnant women need about 300 extra calories a day for a healthy pregnancy and to support the growing baby.  That means you don’t have free reign to eat as much as you like.  Your choices in foods are also very important.  Pregnancy weight gain is normal, but you have to make sure you gain it in the smartest way possible.  It’s important to strive to eat from the major food groups everyday.  Not only is this better for the mother in terms of heart health and other systems, it is going to benefit the baby as well.  Each food group has vital nutrients the growing fetus needs to be strong.  Eating for pregnancy really isn’t all that different than eating when you aren’t.  Make careful decisions about your food and add in an extra treat once in a while.

You might be wondering where that pregnancy weight gain goes in the body.  Especially if you are struggling with accepting the extra pounds, understanding how it helping you and the baby might help to make it a little easier.  About 8 pounds of the weight is what are called maternal stores, or fat to support you both.  Believe it or not, 4 pounds is nothing but water to hold off dehydration.  Another 3 lbs. is brought on by increased blood supply and the thicker, stronger uterine muscles account for about 2 lbs. by themselves.  Increased breast tissues tacks on another roughly 2 pounds.  The baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid make up the rest weighing in at about 12 pounds collectively, depending on the final weight of the baby.  As you can see, each and every pound of pregnancy weight gain is needed and necessary.  Proper nutrition will ensure that after the baby is born, the new mother is ready to take care of herself and lose any pounds that might be lingering.

The Basics of Pregnancy Discrimination

When you first discover you are pregnant and are eagerly awaiting the signs of pregnancy, the last thing to cross your mind is concerns about pregnancy discrimination.  Unfortunately, this form of discrimination is a major problem in the workforce despite claims to the negative.  In truth, there are less than honest companies out there causing undue stress and hardship to women simply because they are pregnant or have just had a child.  As a result, many pregnant women have more to worry about then just when to schedule their maternity leave and pregnancy weight gain.  Instead, she has to worry about her job security too.

The first thing you need to know about pregnancy discrimination is how to spot it.  Consider it a kind of maternity insurance against possible problems.  The most common forms of this kind of discrimination involve cases of loss of job position or promotion due to pregnancy.  Some women try to return from maternity leave only to discover that their position no longer exists or are offered a less desirable job instead.  However, this isn’t the only kind of pregnancy discrimination.  Another type involves refusals to hire a pregnant woman because of her condition.  The law clearly states that if a woman is capable of performing the job, she can not be denied employment due to pregnancy.  Of course, there are still companies that will refuse a job based on this issue.  With all of these career concerns, it makes paternity testing look like a walk in the park.

It would be nice if the above were the only ways some employers find to discriminate against pregnant women, but the truth is there are couple of others ones to watch out for as well.  Some new moms have found themselves in the position of being laid off or even fired for no other reason than a new bundle of joy is their futures.  It has also been reported that unmarried women have been turned down for medical benefits to support the pregnancy because of their marital status.  All of these things are illegal and should not be tolerated.  There are resources and organizations in place to help.

Your job is to help yourself if you find pregnancy discrimination at your place of employment.  Even with all the legal help in the world, you are still going to be your own and your unborn child’s biggest advocate and that means understanding the law to an extent.  Pregnant women have been protected from this kind of discrimination since the Civil Rights Law of 1964 was put on the books.  Under this protection law, any business with more than 15 employees may not fire or dismiss a person because she is pregnant.  It is also unlawful to take away benefits like seniority, medical benefits, or retirement benefits.  The Civil Rights Law of 1964 also states that a woman may not be discriminated against because she made the decision to have an abortion either.  In other words, pregnancy, the lack thereof, or anything having to do with your reproductive function isn’t grounds for having to worry about losing your job.

There is no doubt about it.  Pregnancy discrimination is an ugly thing and can’t be tolerated.  You can find more specific information on the federal government’s websites.  A good attorney and various women’s groups are excellent places to turn as well.  With a little bit of education about the law, you can get back to getting ready to enjoy your motherhood maternity experience.  If you notice things are becoming unpleasant, don’t hesitate to contact the people who can help you with the problem.