pregnancy symptoms

Overcoming the Pain of a Failed Pregnancy

pregsymp — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:52:08 +0000

Imagine a newlywed couple eager to have their first baby. After months of anticipation and careful attention to the pregnancy, the unexpected happens — they suffer a miscarriage. The trauma of losing an unborn child is a difficult period for any couple, but more so for the would-be first-time mother. After miscarriage and other forms of pregnancy loss, most couples usually have a lot of questions that need to be answered. A lot of people take it upon themselves to answer why the miscarriage happened and exactly how they could have prevented pregnancy.
But usually, miscarriage is rarely anyone’s fault, and sometimes pregnancy loss is even a predetermined outcome at the time of conception. There may not be any explanation at hand why miscarriages happen, though, the medical community recognizes a few known miscarriage causes. A number of theories abound regarding the cause of miscarriage.
One-time pregnancy loss, also called sporadic, are usually caused by chromosomal abnormalities while the fetus develops. A lot of times, doctors assume this as the default explanation for first time miscarriages due to the fact that most couples go on to have a normal pregnancy after one miscarriage.
Chromosomal abnormalities such as extra chromosomes or missing genes may cause the baby to stop developing and eventually to be miscarried. After the first miscarriage, most medical professionals do not conduct testing for the cause of miscarriage since chromosomal flaws are usually random, one-time events. Miscarriage due to chromosomal flaws may occur to any woman at any age, but those who are 35 years old and above are at highest risk.
When a miscarriage happens two times in a row, the cause is unlikely to be random chromosomal errors in a row. Usually, doctors will conduct a process of testing for recurrent miscarriage causes after the second pregnancy loss. In this case, chances are higher that the woman may have a detectable problem that causes the miscarriage.
About 50% of the cases, doctors find a cause for recurrent miscarriages and then the woman is given treatment in her next pregnancy. However, half of the cases may not reveal a cause. At any rate, a woman may still get pregnant again even with two unexplained miscarriages, and still with greater chances of a normal pregnancy than another miscarriage.

Causes of recurrent miscarriages are usually much more controversial compared to that of single miscarriages. The following is a list of some of the most commonly recognized causes of recurrent miscarriages:
Abnormality in the structure of the uterus
Blood clotting disorders, such as antiphospholipid syndrome
Certain chromosomal conditions, such as balanced translocation
Doctors believe that low progesterone and other hormonal imbalances may cause recurrent miscarriages. Although treatment with progesterone supplements is fairly common after one or two pregnancy losses, however, not all medical practitioners agree on the practice. Others believe that malfunction in the immune system, such as high levels of natural killer cells, may be the culprit.
Pregnancy losses after the 20th week are called stillbirths. Too-early births, on the other hand, are called preterm labors. Both preterm labors and stillbirths usually have different causes from earlier miscarriages, although chromosomal errors in the baby can also cause stillbirths. The most common causes of stillbirths and preterm labors are cervical insufficiency, problems in the placenta, and preterm labor due to medical issues in the mother.
No matter what may be the cause of pregnancy loss, the woman is advised to seek out emotional support from friends and relatives. Counseling helps a lot in dealing with the emotional aftermath of miscarriage.

12 Weeks Pregnant

Know the Early Signs of Pregnancy

pregsymp — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:51:39 +0000

I’m pregnant? How can that be? I was not expecting this to happen!

These are some of the common reactions of women who became aware of their pregnancy at the very last moment. Since many women today basically missed the early signs of pregnancy, they only became aware that they are indeed pregnant after they try using a home pregnancy kit or after their gynecologists confirm it.

To avoid the hassle and drama of unwanted pregnancy, it is best for all sexually active women to become responsible enough to engage in safe sex and of course, to become aware of the early signs of pregnancy.

The following are the seven signs of pregnancy:

1. Light to moderate spotting

Moderate spotting generally occurs before a woman’s menstrual period begins. Spotting can also be a sign of pregnancy as implantation starts. Since this type of bleeding is brownish and the flow is usually light to moderate just like the pre-menstrual spotting, some women often disregard it as an early sign of pregnancy.

2. Increased body temperature

Just like the spotting, sudden increased in body temperature is also one of the most frequently missed signs of pregnancy among women, for this also normally happens during menstrual period. If a woman’s basal body temperature is higher than normal, then it can be a symptom for pregnancy.

3. Nausea

Nausea or morning sickness is one of the most common signs of pregnancy. This basically happens during the first to two weeks of pregnancy. Although the feeling of nausea and vomiting oftentimes occur anytime within the day, these can trigger when one least expects it.

4. Missed period

A missed period is probably the most obvious indication that a woman is pregnant. When this happens, women tend to immediately look for other signs of pregnancy or better yet, confirm their condition by means of reliable pregnancy home kit.

5. Frequent urination

A pregnant woman may not notice her frequent trips to the comfort room, but others can easily notice this, thus, an indication of pregnancy. This symptom happens because the uterus begins to swell and pressure on the bladder eventually occurs.

6. Tender breasts and nipples

Tender and swollen breasts and nipples are signs of menstrual bleeding, but these can also be indications that a woman might be pregnant. A woman may notice such soreness during sleeping, exercising, and even while getting dressed. Apart from soreness and tenderness of the breast as possible signs of pregnancy, a woman may also notice that her nipples darken in color.

7. Exhaustion or fatigue

A sudden feeling of fatigue or exhaustion is also one of the early signs of pregnancy. A woman can tell if she’s pregnant when she easily becomes exhausted and tired even after doing little or no activity at all.

These are just seven of the many early signs of pregnancy. Since the symptoms explained above are perhaps the most obvious indications that a woman is pregnant, one should confirm pregnancy by immediately consulting a gynecologist. Keep in mind that not all signs of pregnancy apply to every woman, hence, a trip to the gyne can definitely save one from the paranoia of possible pregnancy.

11 Weeks Pregnant

Is it Safe to Take Antidepressant Medications During Pregnancy?

pregsymp — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:50:56 +0000

Most people believe that pregnancy is perhaps one of the happiest days of every woman’s life. Contrary to this, not all future mothers are ecstatic or joyous during their pregnancy. In fact, many women suffer from minor to serious cases of depression while they are pregnant.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body. Pregnancy hormones make women more susceptible to anxiety and depression problems. As sudden feelings of sadness and low moods are generally regarded as expectable effects of pregnancy, women tend to ignore such signs, without knowing that they are probably suffering from depression.

For such reason, doctors always remind pregnant women to observe their mood swings in order to determine if they are already showing symptoms of depression. It is also frequently advised to pregnant mothers to update their doctors on the times they feel unnaturally low or sad, for mental and emotional health are very essential in pregnancy.

Antidepressant medications in pregnancy

Treatments for depression that are commonly recommended to pregnant women are psychotherapy and prescription drugs. For mild or non-severe cases of depression, medical experts only recommend therapy sessions as treatment.

Medications, on the other hand, are advised to severe cases of depression. These antidepressant medications are the ones prescribed by doctors as therapy drugs to use during pregnancy. Despite the efficiency of medications as treatment for serious cases of depression among pregnant women, some people are still reluctant to adhere in drug treatments for a number of safety issues.

Depression treatments for pregnant women are more carefully considered by doctors for these involve two patients: the mother and the baby. In consultations, doctors should let the future mothers know the benefits and risks associated in their recommended treatment, particularly the medications.

Risks in using antidepressant medications on pregnancy

Despite the notable side effects associated on the use of prescription drugs, women are not really prohibited on using antidepressant medications during pregnancy. Studies on the benefits and risks of these medications help people in choosing which prescription drugs work best. Clinical evidences also guide pregnant women which medications are safer to use and which ones should be avoided.

The following are three common types of antidepressant medications that pregnant women should avoid:

1. Paxil

Paxil is one type of antidepressant drug that is associated with fetal heart defects once taken during the first few months of pregnancy. Medical experts do not recommend the intake of Paxil medication to pregnant women. As for the risks on the baby, continuous intake of SSRI antidepressants may result to temporary withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal complications.

2. Tricyclic antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants are the older classifications of antidepressants. Pregnant women are discouraged to use these types of medications, for these may pose higher risk for unborn babies to have physical deformities.

3. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

When pregnant women take antidepressant medications like Celexa and Prozac, their unborn babies are more susceptible to develop serious lung complications. Despite such possible side effect on pregnancy, serotonin reuptake inhibitors medications are proven to be effective drug therapy for depression.

10 Weeks Pregnant