Monitoring Your Baby’s Development: The 1st Month
Your baby’s development is just amazing. A lot can happen in matter of weeks. The first few weeks of life are the most crucial period for your baby. Let us look at your child’s development in the first 4 weeks of his or her life.
Ovulation
Ovulation is the perfect time for you to get pregnant. The egg now only needs to be fertilized.
Conception
This is when the egg is fertilized by the sperm, and voila! You’re pregnant.
Your baby’s gender
Your baby’s gender is automatically set the moment the egg was fertilized. The egg either carries either an “X” or a “Y” chromosome. Though your baby already has a gender, you won’t be able to tell yet if it’s a girl or a boy. You’re going to have to wait until somewhere around the 7th month.
Implantation
At this point, you, the mom to be may experience spotting or implantation bleeding. This can happened around 10-14 days after conception. You may mistake the spotting as the start of your period. However, you will notice the bleeding id extremely light and lasts only a day or so.
Neural tubes start to form
The neural tubes will later develop into the nervous system - the brain, the spinal cord, hair and skin. At this point, the foundation for your baby’s thought, senses, feeling, etc.
Heart and primitive circulatory system begin to form
With the first month of your baby’s life, a primitive circulatory system starts form rapidly. This primitive circulatory system is the life support that will carry your baby for his/her entire life.
Vaccination of Pregnant Women
Normally vaccines are used to prevent diseases and infections. However, there are some theoretical risk with regards to its effects on a pregnant woman and the unborn child.
Effects of vaccines on pregnant women
At present, the risk to a developing fetus from vaccinating a mother during pregnancy is still primarily theoretical. Live vaccines pose a theoretical threat to the unborn child. But there is still no evidence of risk of vaccinating pregant women, whether be it with inactivated virus, bacterial vaccines or toxoids. The benefits of getting vaccinated usually outweigh the potential risks, when there’s a high possibility of developing a disease, when infection poses a risk to both the mother and the fetus, and when the vaccine is unlikely to cause harm. Live-virus vaccines are generally contraindicated because pf the theoretical risk of transmitting the vaccine virus to the fetus.
Theoretical risk effects
When a pregnant woman is vaccinated or if a woman is vaccinated and became pregnant even a month prior to pregnancy, the theoretical risk is that the vaccines may cause birth defects like those that occur from chickenpox. These birth defects include: limb abnormalities including absence or underdevelopment; abnormal brain development; mental retardation; scarring of the skin; eye abnormalities.
In cases where a pregnant women is administered vaccines or if a woman later becomes after having been vaccinated recently, she should seek counseling to know the potential effects of the virus on the fetus.
However, vaccination is not an indication to terminate pregnancy. Regardless of the type of vaccine used, vaccination of pregnant women should be considered on the basis of risks versus benefits
(source:http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/preg-guide.htm)
Pregnancy Symptoms and Other Explanations
Different women have different different pregnancy symptoms. The most common symptom though, is a missed period.
It important to know and understand the various signs and symptoms of pregnancy because there may be an underlying condition to each symptom other than pregnancy.
Some women do not develop symptoms within the first weeks of pregnancy. Some my not even develop symptoms at all. While for other women, symptoms develop as early as week after conception.
Below are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms, and their alternative explanations (other than pregnancy). If you have any of the following symptoms, take a pregnancy test.
Implantation Bleeding
It is one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. Six to twelve days after conceiving, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. During this time, some women experience spotting and even some cramping.
Alternative explanations: actual or altered menstruation, changes in birth control pill, infection or abrasion gotten from intercourse.
Delay or Difference in Menstruation
The most common symptom leading women to test pregnancy. Your period should stop when you get pregnant. Some women experience bleeding while they are pregnant, but it should be shorter or lighter than a regular period.
Alternative explanations: excessive weight gain or loss, fatigue, hormonal imbalance ot problems, stress, stopping taking birth control pills, breast feeding.
Swollen/Tender Breasts
This common pregnancy symptom occurs one to two weeks after conception. Some women report that their breasts feel tender to touch, are sore or swollen.
Alternative explanations: hormonal imbalance, birth control pills, PMS.
Fatigue/Tiredness
Common pregnancy symptoms which can start as early as the the first week after conception.
Alternative explanations:stress, exhaustion, depression, illnesses such as the common cold, flu, etc.
Nausea or Morning Sickness
A popular pregnancy symptom that occurs 2-8 weeks after pregnancy after conception. Most women experience morning sickness throughout their pregnancy, while some women don’t experience morning sickness at all.
Alternative explanations: stress, stomach disorders or food poisoning.
Backaches
Lower backaches are common pregnancy symptom which occurs within the first few months of pregnancy, but may also be experienced throughout the entire pregnancy.
Alternative explanations: impending menstruation, stress, back problems, physical and/or mental strain
Backaches:
Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout an entire pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Impending menstruation, stress, other back problems, and physical or mental strains.
Headaches
Another common pregnancy symptom caused by the sudden surge of hormones in the body. This surge causes headaches early in the pregnancy.
Alternative explanations: ailments that can be the source of frequent headaches, eye strain, impending menstruation, dehydration, caffeine withdrawal.
Frequent Urination
A common pregnancy symptom which occurs about 6-8 weeks after conception.
Alternative explanations:urinary tract infection, increased liquid intake, excessive diuretics, diabetes.
Darkening of Areolas
It is common in pregnant women for the skin around the nipples to get darker.
Alternative explanation: hormonal imbalance, left over from a previous pregnancy. If the change in color is a bit strange, for instance purplish, it may be a sign of more a serious condition such as cancer. However, in the absence of lumps or rashes, it may simply be just hormones and is nothing to be worried about.
However, mentioning it to your physician is a good idea.
Food Cravings
Food cravings are common in pregnant women and may be experienced throughout the entire pregnancy.
Alternative explanation: poor diet or lack of a certain nutrient, stress, depression or impending menstruation.
(source:http://www.americanpregnancy.org/gettingpregnant/earlypregnancysymptoms.html)
Medication and Its Effects On BBT Readings
People who are charting their Basal Body Temperature to determined when ovulation will occur but who suddenly experience a certain condition which require them to take medications are worried that it might affect the result of their BBT readings. For instance. A woman charting her BBT but had an anxiety attack and needed to take medication such as Paxil and Remeron to help her sleep at night.
According to doctors, there has been no medical findings suggesting that medications such as those mentioned previously have no effect on a woman’s BBT reading. In fact, you can see no rise in daily temperatures.
However, hormones such as projesterone, have an effect on your BBT reading. Having a projesterone test could cause your BBT reading to rise, particularly if you take hormones during your luteal phase.
Clomid Effects On Your Basal Body Temperature
Women who are trying to get pregnant have reported that clomid affects their basal body temperature and thus, misinterpretation of temperatures on their BBT charts can happen.
What is Clomid?
Clomid (Clomiphene, Serophene) is an oral medication that induces ovulation. It works by making your pituitary gland think you ovaries are not doing their job. The pituitary gland will try to stimulate the ovarian response by increasing the output of stimulating the Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). According to report by women who take Clomid, the resulting high hormone levels begin to drop again by the fifth day of taking the medication. This is when the ovary begins to respond.
Clomid can be used by women who are not ovulating, those who are ovulating regularly, and those who require assistance in the correction of their luteal phase defect.
How does clomid affect basal body temperature?
According to some users of Clomid, this medication causes their basal body temperature to be quite high while taking it, then drop after, finally rising again with ovulation. Clomid has also been reported to have an effect on fertile cervical mucus. Clomid causes a decrease in the volume of cervical mucus or produce hostile cervical mucus, according to scientific studies.
Some women report that when charting your BBT and taking clomid at the same time, your temperatures will rise usually on the third day of Clomid use up to a few days after you stop using the medication. Ovulation usually happens 5-14 days after your last day of taking Clomid. Thus you can identify if the increase in your temperatures is due to Clomid or ovulation. If you start using your ovulation prediction kits while taking clomid or even up to 2 days after the last pill, you wil reportedly see a false positive test, which is quite normal. But for more accurate results, use your ovulation prediction kits 3-4 days after your last Clomid pill.
Variations on Basal Body Temperature Chart
Basal Body Temperature is used to find out when ovulation will occur. For most women, it is basically standard - low means 97.0 F range. High means 98.0 range, with a .4 rise the day after ovulation and a 14 day luteal phase. The luteal phase means the time from ovulation to menstruation or the start of the next cycle. However, for some women there are some variations on their temperature charts. But there are several possible explanations for these variations.
High temperatures on the whole chart
A consistently high temperatures on the whole chart (especially in the first half of the cycle ) may be a sign of a “hyper” thyroid. You must see your doctor and have a thyroid test. Either this will rule out the possibility of a thyroid dysfunction or confirm that your thyroid is indeed hyper-active. If you do have a hyper-active thyroid, your doctor will prescribe medications that will help balance the thyroid. These medications should also help your temperatures go back to normal.
Low temperatures on the whole chart
On the other hand, consistently low temperatures on the entire chart (in both halves of the cycle) may be a sign of a “hypo” thyroid or a low thyroid. You should also see your doctor for tests and treatment of a hypo-thyroid.
Both hypo and hyper thyroid can cause infertility.
Hormonal Imbalances
Apart from a dysfunctional thyroid, hormonal imbalances may also cause very low or very high temperatures. For instance, low estrogen may cause pre-ovulatory temperatures to be higher than normal, while high estrogen may cause temperatures to be lower than usual. And as with other reproductive hormones, imbalances in any of them will cause variations in your temperatures.
Slow Upward Shift
A woman with a fairly normal chart but then slowly rises upward after ovulation may cause difficulty in determining the exact date of ovulation. There is usually a .4 of a degree shift in temperature when ovulation occurs. However, if the shift happens on one-tenth increments, it will be more difficult to point the exact date of ovulation. For increased accuracy, be be extra attentive to the other signs of ovulation such as cervical fluid and/or cervical postions.
No Shift, Erratic Temperatures
There are instances when a woman has erratic temperatures. These cases where her temperature is all over the place from the start until the end of the cycle is known as anovulation. Anovulation is the absence of ovulation. Anovulation can happen evenm with menstrual bleeding each month. This is common in women who take birth control pills. They do not ovulate yet then bleed during “period” time. The chart will look like any of the following: all low temperatures, all high temperatures or erratic temperatures.
To know more about basal body temperatures, consult you doctor and/or bring your chart for clarifications.
