Namita Shrivastav helps you understand the nine months that change your life.
You've missed your period, the colour on the strip has turned from pink to ash grey and the doctor now confirms it: You’re pregnant. Congratulations! You’ve just embarked on the most important journey of your life.
The feeling of becoming a mother is unparalleled and unique, yet each experience is different. No two pregnancies are alike; just as no two babies are. It can be easy or troublesome. Rocky or rollicking.
HELP YOURSELF * Read up. Empower yourself with knowledge. And if your body permits, you could be like this young mother who was found waddling in her office till an hour before she delivered. * Remember what the doctors say and take heart in the fact that they deliver babies successfully. * Listen to mama and grandma’s words of caution; traditions do have some place in such matters. * And finally, do what you think is right. Trust yourself. Your body was designed for this major function. As the weeks roll by and you get bigger, remember to enjoy this ‘miracle of life’.
To help you along, Femina spoke to eminent gynaecologists to hand-hold you through this fantastic journey.
PREGNANCY AND YOU A week by week account of your pregnancy
FIRST TRIMESTER How do you know you are pregnant? The first sign of pregnancy is that you’ve missed a period. Your breasts become tender and the size may increase slightly in the initial stages. A queasy feeling in the tummy, frequent urination, increased vaginal secretion and fatigue are also indications.
And so, you confirm your pregnancy with a home pregnancy test or at the hospital. There are several home kits easily available in the market today. Dr Kalpana Alexander of Matrika Hospital, Hyderabad, says, “When we have cases where one is false-positive or false-negative, we go for a more accurate blood test.”
What’s your baby doing now? The first 12 weeks after conception are referred to as the first trimester. After fusion of the sperm, Dr Savita Devi of Swapna Nursing Home, Hyderabad, says, “The cells multiply every 12 to 15 hours while being propelled towards the uterus.
After three weeks, the human embryo is two mm long. In the fourth week, a human form begins to emerge. By the fifth week, your baby is about one cm long and guess what, her every organ - nose, ears, eyes etc, are already under construction. By the sixth week, you may be hounded by morning sickness, which can strike you at any time of the day.”
Take your vitamins and relax. It’s a passing phase and your body is getting used to the idea of the little one growing inside you.
After the sixth week, your baby’s heart is beating 142 - 150 fluttering beats per minute and blood is being pumped through its tiny body. Every day, a great deal occurs in the embryo’s development. The hands still look like shapeless paddles, but the fingers begin to form. In seven weeks, the brain is developed. In the eighth week, the embryo graduates to a foetus.
By the end of the first trimester your baby is about three inches long. She can swallow, discharge fluids and absorb. And you’d be delighted to know that her tooth buds and vocal chords are under construction.
Tests To Take