The most important symptom of pregnancy is the delay in menstruation. Nevertheless, each delay in menstruation does not mean that you are pregnant. Many factors like a change in life style, some types of sickness, going on a diet, changes in psychological situation, stress etc. may cause delays in menstruation.

The most convenient period of a women to give birth is between the ages of 18-35. At the beginning of this period, the woman’s own body has finished her development and suitable for the development of a baby.

Whatever your age or your position, if you would like to be pregnant or thought that you are already pregnant, you have to consult a gynecologist.

When does pregnancy start exactly ?

Pregnancy starts when sperms coming from male impregnate the ovum cell thrown out from female’s ovary. The period from that moment to the end of 8th week, is called “embryonic period”. The period between the 8th week to the date of birth is called “fetal period”.

How to calculate the age of pregnancy?

While calculating the age of pregnancy, the criterion is not the date of sexual relationship that was thought to be cause of pregnancy. In order to standardize the terminology all around the world, the first day of the last menstruation period (LMP-Last Menstrual Period) is accepted to be the starting date of pregnancy. Pregnancy is not calculated by months. Pregnancy lasts for 280 days in human beings. This is the equivalent of 40 weeks. Consequently, the pregnancy is calculated by weeks and its starting date is the first day of the last menstruation period.

How to calculate the expected due date of your baby?

There is a very simple way of calculating the expected due date of the baby: Add 7 days and subtract 3 months. In this method called “Naegels” it is 7 days added to the LMP and going back on date by subtracting 3 months. If we would like to explain by an example: For instance think about a mother candidate who has the first day of LMP as of July 7. The birth date for this patient is April 14. Nevertheless only 5% of the babies born on that date. Babies who born between 38th and 42nd week of pregnancy are considered to be “normal”. The ones born before 38th week are accepted as “pre term” and in contrast the ones born later than 42nd week are called “post term”. For example, if a baby who borns at 36th week and hence a preterm that means born earlier than the normal time, will not be accepted as “premature” in case of completing the development of lungs.

Symptoms of Pregnancy

The most significant evidence of pregnancy is the late menstrual period. Nevertheless, each late menstruation does not mean pregnancy. Some type of changes in life style, some sort of sicknesses, being on a diet, psychological fluctuations, and stress etc would lead to late menstruation.

Pregnancy Tests

How much you learn that you are pregnant earlier, the pregnancy care can start that much earlier. Therefore, a woman who has LMP should make pregnancy tests as soon as possible. With pregnancy, some hormones are excreted from pregnancy production. These specific hormones related with pregnancy make the women’s cycle of menstruation to halt. And women do not have menstruation during pregnancy. By detecting these hormones in blood and urine, diagnosis of pregnancy can be put on the case. Some hormones which are examined in blood can confirm the pregnancy even if there is no evidence of LMP. Pregnancy can be determined by analyzing urine often after a lag of 7-10 days.

Confidence level for the tests sold in the market is a little bit less than laboratory tests. Therefore, the women who performed the tests individually, and got negative results after a late menstruation period, should inform their physician about the issue and obey his/her guidance.

Changes in sensations

There might be some physiological changes in the mother candidate during the first three months of pregnancy. While she is so cheerful, she might start to cry heavily. While sometimes she could be so upset while sometimes she could be so calm. When the body is get used to deal with pregnancy, these problems will fade away. Nevertheless, in last period of pregnancy, again there could be a wave of anxiety. The person could be angry and excited. There might be some sleeping problems. These are the issues which are not so important. Even all women will have these feelings.

Also there might be some changes in the father candidate, he may have doubts about the health of his spouse and if he does not have adequate information on the issue, he might have the trouble of not helping her. That is why spouses can benefit from the experiences of their friends who have lived that period in their lives before, by talking to them. However, it should be noted that the most professional assistance can be taken from the specialist.

How soon can the movements of a baby be felt?

The women has bear a child before will display their experience on this issue. While these women can feel their baby’s movements, the others who have their first pregnancy will feel it in 19-20 week. The women will feel it like bird clap inside.

How often is the doctor control necessary?

Up to 32nd week, once a month, between 32nd and 36th weeks, once in 15 days, and afterwards how often your doctor will demand to see you for controls. Of course, some specific examination is done, development of the baby is controlled and checked out according to the standards and the possible problems related with the baby and the pregnant woman are controlled and specific threatment is done. Even if at some special pregnancy cases, special examination and research should be done. For your and your baby’s health, please do not forget to consult your physician regularly.

How soon can the gender of a fetus be determined?

In fact the gender of a baby is certain while fertilization happened. The only determinant here is the type of sperm who is transferred from the father. If the sperm carries Y chromosome, the baby will be a boy, otherwise if the sperm carries an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl. However, this diagnosis can be performed only when the sexual organs of the baby are big enough to be viewed under ultrasonography. Usually between 14th to 16th weeks, experienced eyes can determined the gender of a baby.

By the way biopsy, done for diagnosis purposes, by taking tissues from the baby, the gender of the baby can be determined with 100% assurance. Nevertheless, these operations could be done only if there is a medical reason. They cannot be performed solely for gender search.

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At this week, nose and eyes come to their last locations where they will exist when the baby borns. Simple reflexes like “blinking the eyes” develop. Similarly, ears take their last locations. Fetal stools called “meconium” accumulated in intestines. This stools like substance, is formed by amnion liquid absorbed by fetus, dropped cells, and enzymes produced by the digestion system. It is dark in color and looks like paste.  Neural fibers are covered with a material called “myelin” that provides their properties. Myelin is a very crucial material for the neural system. Blood circulation system is fully functional. The placenta of the baby is almost like fetus in size. Umbilical cord system begins to mature. The baby, who weights 120 gr., has grown to be fit into your palm.  Sobbing of the baby can be determined under ultrasonography. This is one the first indicators of the beginning of respiration.  Another first thing of this week is the appearing of light reflex for the baby. Yet your baby can response to light theoretically. This week is important at all sights. First, one of the top issues maybe the most important one, in couple’s agenda is solved within this week, “the gender of the baby”. Good ultrasonography equipment and an experienced eye most probably can determine the baby’s gender in 16th week. Under some circumstances, the gender of the baby can be determined at 12th-14th weeks or it cannot be determined until the last stage of the pregnancy. However, this is a very extraordinary situation. To determine the gender of the baby at those weeks actually depends on the experience of the physician who examines the case. Again triple test which is so crucial for determining Down syndrome can be performed this week.  The ideal time interval for this test is 16th- 20th weeks. Experienced mother candidates can feel the first movement of the baby this week. Nevertheless, it means nothing extraordinary. This thing will happen at around 20th week for the women of first pregnancy.

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The surprise news of the week: your baby’s hair is growing. Thin and silky hairs begin to appear called “lanugos” on the head of your growing baby. These primitive hairs have been lost during the birth raising. Second important news is the beginning of your baby’s sucking his/her finger. Your physician will show you that your baby is sucking his/her finger by taking into his/her mouth under ultrasonography. Don’t worry, it will not mean that your baby will have the habit of sucking finger after birth. It is a reflex developed in womb.  There is no permanent rule that each baby will suck his/her finger in womb however, this is a very often case that we will come up with during ultrasonography. The skin of the baby is so thin at that period, so that veins under the skin can be visible. Your womb becomes rather larger. You can feel your uterus like a ball when you touch your abdomen. There can be a leakage called colostrum from your nipples. This is a normal situation.

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Welcome to the “second trimester” which is the most comfortable session of the pregnancy. Yet, your baby looks like a real human. Sometimes he/she can keep his/her head up and while your doctor examines the baby by ultrasound, he/she will show you that your baby is waving to you. Yes, your baby can use his hands. Even though, it is completely a reflexive movement, but it is still important. His / Her salutation to you is a great pleasure for you, isn’t it? Since he / she has his/her finger prints which will accompany him / her for his/her whole life without any change. Now, he / she is almost 25 gr. and 10 cm. tall. Yet, he / she can have all food and oxygen from you by the help of his /her placenta. With the completion of the placentation your sleepy mood and exhaustion will fade away. Anybody looking at you carefully can even understand that you are pregnant.  Thanks to progesterone hormone, all smooth muscles in your body have relaxed. This will result as diminishing lumbagos, constipation and blood pressure (tension). Nauseas have disappeared, however, by the relaxing effect of progesterone, stomach contents will sneak through the throttle. After nausea, your feeding will become normal, and your energy increases. Many women gain their sexual desires that they lost before at that stage of the pregnancy. This is really nice. Do not forget that it is not forbidden to have sexual relations during pregnancy unless there is a complication.

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The fetus became more similar to a human yet. Eyes start to slide from the sides of the head to the center of the head. Ears move to their normal position. The gender of the baby can be determined easily when you look from outside. Nevertheless, it is too early to determine the gender by ultrasonography. Very rarely and by using high quality equipments, determining the gender could be possible at those weeks. The baby becomes taller. This week will the last week of the first trimester. The early symptoms and the initial complaints of the pregnancy have been almost disappeared. At this period, the candidates should not exhaust themselves and relax as much as it is possible. Uterus stretches as it becomes larger and it stretches the membranes which covers itself and keeps it in the ground. This can be perceived as a little crotch pain. This situation that is called “round ligament pain” is temporary and not important. The hormones that can affect everything in your body can also make some changes in your skin. Particularly there might be some patches in the skin and neck. This is called pregnancy mask or chloasma. This situation is also temporary and will become normal after the birth raising. Yet your tummy becomes bigger. The clothes which fit before cannot fit anymore. Now, it is time to purchase pregnancy clothes.

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