What to Know About Pregnancy and What Is a Pregnancy Calculator

Congratulations are in order if you just found out that you are pregnant. You now have a little bundle of joy growing inside of you. Figure out how far along you exactly are might be very confusing. Especially if it is your first and you could be wondering what is coming next. Listed below are some important facts you need to know and understand.

The reason why pregnancy is counted by starting from your last period

Midwives and doctors always use the 1st day from your last period to calculate your due date, even if they know you were not pregnant yet. That day is usually close to 2 weeks prior to your ovulation and conceiving. Doctors use the 1st day because women won’t know when they exactly ovulate, though, generally, all women know the date when they started their last period.

How doctors calculate your due date?

Normally, the doctor counts two hundred and eighty days from your 1st day of the last period to determine when your baby might be due. It’s exactly forty weeks, however, this date will just be an estimate. Just five percent of all babies may be born on the estimated due date.

You should immediately start with the basics of pregnancy

Calculate the due date of your baby

Once you more or less know when your baby will be due, you can concentrate on the weeks that lay ahead while your baby grows inside of you. Thus, you may estimate when it might be possible to hear his/her heartbeat when you can find out the sex of your baby and much more.

Choosing your midwife or doctor

In the beginning, you might see your doctor, a midwife or a gynecologist, and it’s very important to choose one that you feel comfortable with. If you decided who you want to assist you with your pregnancy, make sure to schedule your 1st prenatal appointment when you are about eight weeks into your pregnancy.

Make a decision when you would like to announce the pregnancy

Sometimes women might choose to announce it immediately, while others prefer to wait till after their 1st trimester, to avoid the risk of having a miscarriage. Choose who you want to notify first and how you would like to do it.

How to take the utmost care of your baby and your own body

Pay proper attention to your own health

It’s very important to always live a lifestyle that is healthy, but once there is a baby on board, it will be more vital. Ensure that you get enough folic acids, and start using prenatal vitamins which your doctor may recommend. Get sufficient sleep, do exercise routines that are pregnancy friendly and follow a healthy diet for pregnancy.

Avoid any pregnancy no-no’s

Pregnancy doesn’t mean you must exist in a sterilized bubble, although, there are things that can be dangerous when you are pregnant. Things to avoid can include caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, certain medications, and foods. Anything that contains toxins or drugs, such as marijuana, and also certain behaviors and activities should be stopped. Consult your doctor about what will be right for you and what not.

Prepare yourself for any symptoms of early pregnancy

All women won’t experience the same symptoms of pregnancy, but you should know what to expect and make sure you are not blindsided. Most women may experience sore breasts, funny food cravings, and jaw-dropping fatigue, vomiting, nausea, as well as some a frequent need to use the bathroom. These are the most common symptoms, so, if you experience anything that doesn’t feel right consult your doctor.

Be prepared for changes in your body

During pregnancy it won’t only be a big belly and breasts, there are many changes your body can go through. Although, it may never be the same for every woman. You can expect any of the following, such as varicose veins, stretch marks, swollen ankles, acne breakouts, darkened skin, and thicker or thinner hair. This can all happen over the forty weeks of pregnancy and you should be prepared for it.

Follow the development of your baby

Babies grow and change very fast and it’s important to know what you should expect over your pregnancy term to enjoy every moment.

What to expect during your three trimesters

First trimester

After implantation and fertilization, your baby will only be an embryo. It’s known as two cell layers which develop into body parts and organs. Your baby can grow quickly from a microscopic egg into a kidney bean size. The baby’s intestines start forming and the little heart beats fast. Then your baby’s nose, mouth, eyelids, and earlobes also take shape.

Second trimester

By now your baby’s length can be around three and a half inches and he/she may weigh close to one and a half ounces. The unique and tiny fingerprints will be in place on the fingers, with his/her heart pumping about twenty-five quarts of blood daily. With the weeks going on the skeleton of your baby starts to change from the rubbery cartilage to harden bones, and she/he begins to hear. At this time, you should feel flutters and kicks.

Third trimester

At the start of this trimester, your baby can weigh close to two and a quarter pounds. He/she can now blink with their eyes which already have lashes. Wrinkled skin starts to become smooth and he/she develops baby fat.

The hair, fingernails, and toenails also start to develop. Plus, billions of neurons get added to the brain. He/she is blossoming in your utero over the last weeks while still putting on some weight. By birth, an average baby can weigh about seven pounds and may be about nineteen inches long.

What Every Woman Should Know About Nexplanon Birth Control

Nexplanon is a small, flexible and thin arm implant, it looks like a match and is inserted into your arm. It allows a steady flow of low dosage hormones into the bloodstream for birth control. It can last for up to at least three years.

The hormones in Nexplanon birth control will stop your eggs from releasing through the ovaries, and prevent any sperm from reaching your eggs.

Thus, the reason why it’s considered as an option of long-acting birth control.

It will discreetly be placed under your skin of the upper, inner arm by your doctor. This procedure is reversible as well as your doctor can remove it during the period of three years at any time. Once removed, it’s possible to fall pregnant within one week after.

The effectiveness of Nexplanon birth control implants

This birth control procedure is your best option as it can assure over ninety-nine percent effectiveness. It means that less than one out of hundred women that use this procedure may fall pregnant every year.

The reason for its effectiveness is because you won’t have the risk of making any mistakes.

Since the implant is in the arm, there won’t be a chance to forget taking it like the pill or using it incorrectly. It can protect you every day, all day from falling pregnant for nearly four years.

Once you decide you are ready for children, it can easily be removed by your doctor and you may immediately fall pregnant.

However, this implant can’t protect you from any STDs, therefore, you need to use condoms as well, which will also give you double protection against pregnancy.

Is there a time frame for the implant to start working?

The best time to get the implant for protection against pregnancy immediately needs to be done within the first five days when your period starts. Having the implant done during any other time span of your cycle may require the use of something else as well. You’ll need extra protection such as a condom in your first week. Thereafter you will be safe.

Women that might not be able to use this procedure

There are a couple of reasons why a woman would not be able to use this method. These are as follow:

If you have any allergies to anything that Nexplanon contains.

When you suffered either in the past or are suffering now from breast or different cancer, that can be sensitive to your female hormone progestin.

Experiencing vaginal bleeding that can’t be explained.

With any disease or tumor, you may have in the liver.

If you suffered or suffer from any blood clots in your brain, heart, eyes, lungs, or legs.

When you suspect you might be pregnant or are pregnant.

Make sure to notify your doctor if you had or have any of these conditions that are listed above. He/she can recommend other procedures for birth control.

Additionally, you should ask your doctor if you can use Nexplanon when you have the following:

Any allergies to medicines that have a numbing effect like anesthetics, or antiseptic medicines used for cleaning the skin. This is because, during the procedure of placing or removing an implant, it will be used.

High blood pressure

A history of getting into depressed moods

Kidney or gallbladder problems

Headaches

Triglycerides or high cholesterol

Diabetes

Risks of having the procedure done

It’s rare to develop any problems that are serious by using Nexplanon. Although, you might experience pain in your arm for some days. If you notice infection in your arm you may need medicine. Additionally, there could be some scarring where they did the implant.

Make sure to contact the doctor when you experience the following:

When it seems that your implant has moved.

Experiencing longer or heavier bleeding than normal.

If your skin and eyes turn yellow.

Also, in the case where pain, redness, pus, or bleeding of the arm with the implant doesn’t go away.

Benefits of Nexplanon birth control

It’s private and convenient

Once the procedure is done, you can forget about it until you want to take it out or the time expires. This means that you won’t have any worries like with other birth control measures. Typically, the implant won’t even be visible under the skin and nobody will know about it.

You can experience fewer period problems

This procedure may help to cut down on cramps during your period. It may also reduce period bleeding. In some cases, about one out of three patients that have the procedure might even stop having periods after one year.

With Nexplanon implants it only releases one hormone

Most birth control hormonal methods consist of two hormones like progestin and estrogen. Some patients that have certain problems with their health won’t be able to use anything which contains estrogen. However, Nexplanon is estrogen-free with a super efficiency to prevent pregnancy, therefore, more patients can use it.

For more about this birth control method or any other, talk you your doctor today.