You are Pregnant, What’s Next?

by Gargi B Niyogi

You are Pregnant, What’s Next? If you have been planning your pregnancy…then it’s natural to be super you are pregnantobservant about the signs that indicate that you might have got lucky!!! One of the commonest signs is a missed period …its commonly advised to take a home pregnancy test a week after you have missed your period to understand whether you are pregnant or not. One week after your missed period would usually be week 5 in your pregnancy cycle and it basically means that the calculation begins right after your last menstrual period or LMP (get familiar with this term…you will hear it often!!).

It’s difficult to detect pregnancy earlier than week 5 though some super vigilant ladies do catch up on the fact that they expecting by the end of week 4.

Some common signs you can feel at this stage are exhaustion, lethargy, sore boobs, increased aversion to certain smells and wilder mood swings. Now, these are all relative signs and may not be experienced by each person. Nor are these signs a sure-fire indicator of being pregnant….the only conclusive evidence is a USG and a blood test preceded by a home pregnancy test (in descending order of importance).

Baby on Board ! Diary of an Expecting Mother 3

Image Credit : Pinterest

You can also experience spotting some days before your expected period date or around it. This is called implantation spotting and happens when the embryo starts attaching itself to the uterine wall. Spotting is light, brown and irregular, unlike a regular period.

What to Do

This is a time of uncertainty so concentrate your energies in soothing your body and mind.

Soak your feet in a warm tub of water and relax….

Listen to some really nice 90’s romantic numbers or Backstreet Boys or Madonna or Honey Singh (whatever suits you basically)Eat all your favorite foods…if you start suffering from morning sickness your appetite will disappear in some days so eat up now while you have the chance ;)

Try on some fab new makeup and beauty care products…this is a definite mood lifter

Watch happy movies, read happy books, think happy thoughts….remember positivity is important so keep happy!!

Baby on Board ! Diary of an Expecting Mother

Image Credit : Shutterstock

What Not to Do

As cruel as it may sound…do try and spend the initial week of your pregnancy in not thinking too much about it. Relying on the result of bodily signs may only bring up heartache later….you will get plenty of time to get excited later when your 7-week viability scan has happened!!! Reading up on the Internet too much about HCG Values, pregnancy signs, personal pregnancy experiences etc. is tempting but all it will do is screw up your mind and confuse you.

The Scan….what to expect

By week 5, the HCG levels (only manufactured in your body when you are pregnant) in your blood will be strong enough to draw out the precious second line on the home pregnancy test (though the line may be faint). You can also do a blood test later to check out more definitively whether you are pregnant.

The end of Week 5 is also when many couples decide to go in for their first ultrasound and that can be a harrowing experience. Your little miracle is still too tiny to be detected by a regular ultrasound and so the doctor may order a TVS (Transvaginal scan). All you can see at this stage is a little dot on the monitor but believe me, the experience will blow your mind. More so…if you can hear the baby’s heartbeat though in many cases the heartbeat cannot be heard by week 7. However the week 5/6 scans are done to determine the position of the embryo and its viability and that’s all you should be concerned about at this stage.

Baby on Board ! Diary of an Expecting Mother 1

Image Credit : Huggies

Week 5 is when the major bodily systems like the circulatory system, digestive system, nervous system etc. are forming and the heart is the first organ to be formed. At this stage, your little angel is only about 2 mm to 4 mm long and is actually the size of a little orange seed.

Once you have seen that little blip on the monitor…sit back and relax its BOB time  :)

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8 comments

Basabi Banerjee June 26, 2017 - 5:21 PM

Nice expression of an expecting mother . Suggestion as a senior lady and mother … Be positive, be hopeful and Be normal, be practical. Would be baby should get healthy, cheerful and normal atmosphere to grow in the mother’s womb.

Reply
Smriti June 26, 2017 - 11:36 PM

The baby on board BOB was so cute.

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V. sravanti June 27, 2017 - 12:10 AM

Wow!! so cute!

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Paneeni June 27, 2017 - 11:38 PM

This one is really awesome ?

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Alice June 29, 2017 - 9:49 AM

Thanks a lot :)) :love

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Moupee Jadhav July 1, 2017 - 6:58 PM

VERY INFORMATIVE READ INDEED

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Devasmita Nath July 2, 2017 - 6:43 AM

It always feels wonderful to know about the way a baby grows inside….how the little orange seed turns into a cute baby slowly slowly!… ?
Nice article ?

Reply
Poushali September 4, 2017 - 12:49 PM

Really nice writeup and a wonderful way to share the experience. :good: :love

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