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Preparing for Pregnancy

By KidsDirect Editorial Team Preparing for Pregnancy Most doctors recommend giving your body a three to four month head start as you start preparing for pregnancy. That sounds like a long runway, but there’s a good reason for it. A fetus starts forming in the very first weeks of pregnancy, often before you even know you’re pregnant. Whatever shape your body is in during those early weeks, nutritionally and physically, shapes how that pregnancy goes. Getting ahead of it now gives you better odds of a smooth pregnancy and delivery later. This is everything about preparing for pregnancy. Conceiving Getting

Giving Birth, What to Expect

How labor usually starts Labor tends to announce itself in a few different ways. You might notice regular contractions that get stronger and closer together over time, your water breaking in a gush or a slow trickle, or losing your mucus plug, sometimes called bloody show. None of these show up on the exact same timeline for everyone, and some people go into labor with barely any warning at all. If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading through what happens week by week as you get closer to your due date, so labor doesn’t catch you totally off guard. Early

Ectopic Pregnancy

A quick note before you dive in This page explains what an ectopic pregnancy is and what the warning signs look like, it isn’t a substitute for medical care. If you’re pregnant and having any of the symptoms below, don’t wait to see what happens. Call your doctor or go to an emergency room right away. What an Ectopic Pregnancy Is An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, usually inside a fallopian tube, which is why you’ll also hear it called a tubal pregnancy. Less often, it implants in an ovary, the cervix,