14 Weeks Pregnant

By the fourteenth week of pregnancy you would have told family and friends the good news. Now you have an army of support to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. By this week in your pregnancy, you should be adjusting to all of the changes of your body. You should pretty much be used to being pregnant, the baby is still continuing to grow and you should be getting ready for your fourth month doctor’s check up. Every month at the doctor you should be getting your blood pressure checked, your urine checked and your weight checked. By the next month or so, it all seems very routine.

You will also see more physical changes in your body, your waist may be a bit fuller, this is due to the uterus being moved upwards causing the belly to start showing more. By now the baby is 100% formed and fore the remainder of the pregnancy is spent developing their organs, skin and systems. At this week in pregnancy, the placenta is starting to work. Like the previous weeks, you cannot see the changes in the baby unless you are scheduled for a sonogram.

Most new moms won’t be able to feel the baby moving until the sixth or seventh month. This is when the baby becomes much bigger and the movements can be felt in the uterus. As long as you continue to eat healthy and get plenty of rest the baby will continue to grow.

Baby’s Development

At the start of the second trimester, the baby is fully formed and will continue to grow as long as you provide the baby with the right foods. You should be eating a bit healthier and you should be staying away from fried foods or fatty foods. The baby’s system is in place and will only grow and development as the weeks and months go by. The baby’s organs are more established and the baby’s heart rate is twice as fast as your own. So when you hear the heartbeat at your doctor’s appointment don’t panic that it is too fast, it is supposed to be that way.

13 Weeks Pregnant

You now have officially entered the second trimester. At this stage of the pregnancy is where most families especially the new mom to be starts to celebrate. The risk for miscarriage has greatly reduced and the odds are in your favor that you will carry the baby full term. Also gone will be the morning sickness and the fatigue that you may have experienced in the first trimester. You will start to feel more energetic and your mental state will start to show improvements.

You will also start to show off your baby bump in this stage of pregnancy. The baby is still small in size but as the baby grows the uterus grows as well. You will your appetite grow as well and this is due in part of the baby taking the nutrients that you are taking in. Don’t feel that you have to stuff yourself, eat in moderation even if you eat a few times a day. The important thing is that you continue to eat right as long as you are healthy the baby is healthy.

Check with your doctor and see how they feel about any weight gain or loss you are experiencing. Sometimes doctors will recommend certain foods that are good for the mom and the baby. You should continue to limit your intake of caffeine drinks as well.

Baby’s Development

By now the baby is growing at a good pace, they measure approximately 2-1/2 to 3 inches and they weigh about .7 ounces. By the end of this week the baby is a full-formed baby. The head is still a bit larger than the rest of the body, but that will soon change. The baby’s eyes are starting to come closer together and the intestines and the organs are finding their places. The baby’s pancreas is starting to create insulin, this is important at this stage because it will help regulate the sugar levels for the baby after they are born.

The baby’s bones are still soft and a bit flexible but as the weeks progress they will become harder. It is imperative at this stage to keep taking your prenatal vitamins and drink plenty of milk. The baby will also start climbing and moving around the in the uterus. Though the baby is moving, you won’t be able to feel it yet. The placenta is functioning fully now and the baby is receiving oxygen, vitamins, minerals and proteins. The placenta also works as a filter that keeps carbon dioxide and waste out of the baby’s area.

The placenta is rather large in size but it allows most of the intake from the mom to cross into the baby’s bloodstream, this is how the baby gets his or her nutrients. But keep in mind that all of the good that goes to the baby, the bad goes as well. So stay away from alcohol, medications and even caffeine. At this week, the baby will have their first bowel movement called meconium.

Changes With Your Body

At week thirteen, the uterus will continue to grow in the up position. The pelvic bones are now able to take the pressure off the bladder. You will see your waistline start to get bigger. This will cause some aches in the abdomen, you may also experience round ligament pain, this occurs when the ligaments that surround the uterus stretch. These can be sharp pains in the abdomen that come with a dull achy feeling in the lower abs. This usually happens when you make a sudden movement like getting up or change positions.

This is normal, unless you start experiencing vomiting with this pain. Then you should call your doctor right away. This pain can be alleviate by simply relaxing and be very careful as you get up now. Some women have been diagnosed with what is called an incompetent cervix, this happens when the cervix becomes weal and it only opens about 2.5 cm during the pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and ask him to explain this condition more and your chances of having it.

Only about 25% of women who have this condition are detected with an ultrasound. This is one of the main reasons why miscarriages occur in the second trimester. The reasons why a woman may have this condition may be from a congenital disorder, cervical trauma or a previous D&C. But there is a remedy call Cerclage, this can be done to stitch and close the uterus so the uterus is capable of delivering the baby full term.

What To Expect

At this time, you may start to see stretch marks on your abdomen and on your breasts. Stretch marks sounds like the kiss of death for a women, but you can decrease the change of having them by gaining your pregnancy weight slowly. You don’t have to pile on the pounds in the first trimester, if you are having trouble with your weight, talk to your doctor; they may be able to slow you down a bit.

You may still have heartburn at this stage of pregnancy. You can reduce this by drinking a lot of fluids and eating the right foods. A small exercise routine like swimming or walking may reduce you heartburn as well. Stay away from heavy, greasy foods this can contribute a lot to the heartburn you may be feeling.

Your breast size will start to increase; this is because your body is preparing for lactation. They will continue to grow bigger as the pregnancy increases and will decrease weeks after the baby is born. The baby is a lot more flexible at this week in pregnancy. Many women and men question if they should be having sex throughout the pregnancy. Sex will not hurt the baby in anyway because the baby is well protected with the amniotic fluid but if you have a history of miscarriages, premature births or infections you will want to consult your doctor to see if it is possible at this stage.

Tips/Advice

Follow your doctor’s orders. This is very important during a pregnancy. Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. By now you probably have a copy of a baby book. Remember that all pregnancies are different and these books are general guides. So don’t get upset if you read something in a book and is doesn’t pertain to you at your stage in pregnancy. Relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

Article Source : www.pregnancyweeks.us

Evaluating and Treating Male Infertility

When suffering from infertility concerns, couples often turn to a fully equipped fertility clinic. Male infertility may be a tricky subject for some couples, so receiving expert advice and assistance is often more than welcomed. In cases where the couple is unsure of the precise cause of their infertility, a fertility specialist may put both partners through several tests and examinations to pinpoint the problem. Once the source of their infertility has been established, they may begin advising the couple on possible treatment options.

Male infertility treatments may vary greatly depending on the specific problem or condition the patient is suffering from. In some cases, medicines may be used while in others surgery or other procedures may be necessary. There are three basic treatment categories dedicated to this problem: drug therapy, assisted reproductive technologies and surgery. The treatment used in each individual case is designed to correct any mechanical or other problems the patient may have that are preventing him from effectively reproducing

Assisted reproduction is a broad category that includes several different treatments. Different methods are often used to obtain sperm, achieve insemination and to treat or cure erectile dysfunction. In vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies have been used to help couples conceive when natural conception is either difficult or impossible.