Common Questions

Your body goes through many changes during the course of pregnancy. Most obviously, your breasts enlarge, and milk ducts that will produce breast milk increase. But also, your internal organs will be put under pressure as the uterus gets bigger, the result of which may be more frequent urination, heartburn or perhaps indigestion. Because of the changes in your body's circulation, your hands and feet may swell. And many women notice changes in their hair and skin.

The bladder is located on top of the uterus inside your body. As the uterus grows, your bladder stretches leading your brain to believe that the bladder is full. Your body is also producing more urine.

No. In fact, as your baby's head grows it will put pressure on the bladder increasing your need to pee. This is normal usually after about thirty two weeks.

Yes. Commonly called round ligament syndrome, your ligaments are stretching as the uterus grows, resulting in the pain you are feeling.

Research suggests that smaller women tend to have smaller babies. Women who are overweight tend to have larger babies, even if the weight that they gained during pregnancy was within the normal range.

The growth of a baby from conception to birth takes, on average, thirty eight weeks. For convenience most people, including the BabyPartner Diary, measure pregnancy from the Last Menstrual Period. Conception usually takes place about fourteen days after the Last Menstrual Period, so the total time is forty weeks or nine months. Many doctors and authors stress the importance of the two or three months spent in preparation for pregnancy. Physical fitness, abstinence from drugs and tobacco, and properly stopping contraception benefit a healthy pregnancy. The entire period is frequently termed the "twelve months of pregnancy".

Important medical tests you should consider having before becoming pregnant include Pap Smear, Rh-Factor test, Blood Typing, measurement of Rubella Titers. You should also talk to your doctor about specific medical problems on file, which may include diabetes, or sexual diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS. If you are over the age of 35, you should also consider having a mammogram

Pregnancy may increase your need for insulin. Be sure to measure your blood sugar regularly and talk to your doctor about the effects of insulin on your pregnancy.

You can wear an ice pack for the first twenty four hours after you delivered the baby. This should help to reduce the swelling and also numb the pain. Your doctor might recommend a heat lamp, or warm baths three times a day for about twenty minutes, and you may also be given anesthetic creams to reduce the pain.

It would be extremely unusual if your episiotemy opened up. The stitches have held the edges of your skin together during the first six hours when a tight seal of serum forms. Your episiotemy should be safe until the stitches come out.