FAQ’s

The earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. If you have a regular monthly cycle, normally you get your period about 4 weeks from the start of your last period.

Feeling sick or being sick. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of day. If you feel nauseous and can’t keep anything down, contact your GPchanges in your breasts. They may become larger and feel tender, like they might do before your period. They may also tingle. The veins may show up more and the nipples may darken and stand outneeding to pee more often. You may find you have to get up in the nightbeing constipated increased vaginal discharge without any soreness or irritation feeling tired having a strange taste in your mouth. Many women describe it as metallic “going off” some things, such as tea, coffee, tobacco smoke or fatty food.

There isn’t a specific time when pregnancy food cravings start. It’s different for every woman – and you may not necessarily have any cravings.

If you do start having cravings, it’ll probably be in your first trimester (it could be as early as 5 weeks into pregnancy). They’ll get stronger in your second trimester, and then eventually stop in your third trimester.Cravings come in all shapes and sizes. Some women crave fatty foods like chips. Others get pregnancy cravings for things they didn’t like before they got pregnant, or strange combinations of food such as mars bars with bacon.Try to eat as healthily as possible – keep those unhealthy temptations to a minimum! If you find yourself craving things that aren’t food, like toothpaste, coal or even soil, speak to your midwife or doctor, as this may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency.

Antenatal classes are available to give you and your partner lots of helpful information on labour, birth and early parenthood.They’re usually informal, fun and sociable, which makes them a great place to meet other parents-to-be. The friends you make at antenatal classes can become a great support network. You can now find many antenatal courses and workshops online.

Antenatal classes usually start 8 to 10 weeks before your baby is born, and happen once a week for about 2 hours.

You can choose classes that are just for pregnant women, or classes that welcome a partner or a friend. There are sometimes classes especially designed for single mothers or teenagers.

Antenatal classes may include info on:

• Diet: how to stay healthy and have a good diet while you’re pregnant
• Exercise: what types of exercise are good for keeping fit in pregnancy
• Labour: what to expect
• Relaxation: how to relax while you’re pregnant and after you’ve had your baby
• Delivery methods: different birth methods and interventions
• After the birth: how to look after your newborn, and how you can stay healthy
• Emotional wellbeing: how you might feel during and after your pregnancy.

A birth plan is a way of letting your midwife, nurses and doctors know what you want to happen during your labour. It’s a chance to plan things like where you want to give birth, who’s going to be with you during the birth, and what facilities you’d like to use.Things to think about and include in your birth plan:

• Where do you want to give birth? This could be at home, in a midwifery unit or in hospital.
• Do you want someone with you during the birth, such as your partner or a family member?
• If you need a forceps or vacuum delivery, would you want someone with you?
• If a caesarean is necessary, do you want someone with you?
• What birthing equipment do you want to use? This could include mats or beanbags.
• Do you want to use any special facilities, such as a birthing pool?
• Do you want to keep active during labour?
• What position would you prefer to be in while you’re in labour?
• Do you want immediate skin-to-skin contact with your baby, before the cord is cut?
• Are you happy for midwives, nurses and doctors in training to be present during your labour?
• What are your pain relief preferences?
• How do you want to feed your baby?
• Can your baby be given vitamin K if they need it?
• What are the symptoms of pregnancy?
• What is tip-off for a women that she’s pregnant?
• What changes occur to the cervix during early pregnancy?

• Symptoms of Pregnancy :
• Missed period
• Breast tenderness
• Nausea, vomiting or morning sickness
• Headache
• Bloating

Some of the tip-offs that you’re pregnant could include generalized bloating or difficulty in digestion. That’s a big one. Many women begin to feel like they have to urinate very often. Few others are nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and wanting to sleep for long hours.

Many changes happen to the cervix during pregnancy. Early on, the cells on the outside of the cervix become hypertrophied or more prominent. During the first exam, very early in pregnancy, sometimes you can actually see a blue cervix, due to increased blood vessel changes. Sometimes a little bit of bleeding can occur after normal activity or sex. Usually this is not dangerous, but it’s very alarming to a newly pregnant woman. Another change that can happen due to hormonal changes is that the cervical opening can become a little more relaxed. As labor approaches, the pelvic opening actually widens a little bit. The pelvic bones separate ever so slightly, which can cause a lot of discomfort. In late pregnancy, there can be much pressure and pulling and tugging in the pelvic region, which we call round ligament pain, and that’s usually in the groin area.