Expecting a Baby - Being Pregnant - Pregnancy Week by Week - Pregnancy Calendar

Expecting a Baby

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth

Congratulations! You're pregnant! Once that pregnancy test turns positive you may be wondering what comes next. Sure it might be morning sickness, but you also have the joys of feeling your baby move for the first time, hearing your baby's heart beat and so many other fun parts of pregnancy.

  1. Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms



  2. Growing Body & Baby
  3. Due Date Communities
  4. Prenatal Care
  5. Prenatal Fitness
  1. Prenatal Testing
  2. Choosing a Baby Name
  3. Baby Showers and Celebrations
  4. Pregnancy Calculators and Tools
  5. Twins and Multiple Pregnancy

Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms

Morning sickness. Insomnia. Leg Cramps. Backaches. Doesn't pregnancy sound fun? Well the good news is that there are ways to help rpevent or treat many of the pregnancy symptoms that you may experience. The other thing to remember is that some pregnancy symptoms are fun like feeling your baby move and wearing maternity clothes.

Growing Body & Baby

It"s probably not a surprise that you and your baby will spend the nine months of pregnancy growing and preparing for a life together. Here is a sneak peek into that world.

Due Date Communities

Pregnant Belly

Have you ever just want to be able to commiserate with someone else on the joyous and not so joyous events of pregnancy? Due date communities help you connect to people who are due when you are, allowing you to find that safe place to share.

Prenatal Care

Fetoscope - Hearing Baby's Heart Beat in Pregnancy

The term prenatal care probably means appointments with your doctor or midwife. It can also mean how well you take care of your body in between these visits. Staying alert and healthy can help you have the healithiest pregnancy possible.

Prenatal Fitness

Yoga in Pregnancy

Staying healthy in pregnancy is very important and prenatal fitness and exercise play an integral part in that process. There are exercises for every fitness level to benefit you and baby. Exercise in pregnancy controls your weight, decreases the risk of complications, make labor faster and can even speed postpartum weight loss.

Prenatal Testing

Prenatal Appointment

Prenatal testing is scary and exciting. Knowing about your baby before birth can be a blessing or a curse. Trying to interpret data and deal with the decisions that have to be made is very difficult. Whether it's a simple blood test like the AFP, a screening ultrasound, or an invasive test like an amnio, we've got your information.

Choosing a Baby Name

Mother and Newborn Baby

The name that you give your baby is very important. Do you go traditional and choose a family name? Do you pick something a bit unusual and risk someone misspelling or mispronouncing your baby's name? How do you decide when neither of you like the list of names for babies? Learn new names, and get baby naming advice!

Baby Showers and Celebrations

Baby Shower

From planning, to picking baby shower games and presents, there are a lot of details that go into planning the perfect baby shower or blessing way. Here you'll find information on themes, decorations, recipes and foods, as well as etiquette.

Pregnancy Calculators and Tools

Pregnant Belly Photos

Here are some fun and handy tools for pregnancy - from calculating a due date, to learning from fun quizzes and playing around with old wives tales, here's some fun for you!

Twins and Multiple Pregnancy

Twin Ultrasound

So you're expecting twins (or more)! Here we have information on figuring out if you're having twins to having a healthy multiple pregnancy. Learn by seeing ultrasounds and learning about good nutrition in a twin pregnancy. See how having more than one baby will change your birth plans and how life will be after you bring home more than one newborn.



Expecting a Baby - Being Pregnant - Pregnancy Week by Week - Pregnancy Calendar
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Getting Pregnant - How to Get Pregnant - Fertility - Pregnancy Tests

Getting Pregnant

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth

Planning for a pregnancy and baby has never been easier. Now that so much is known about fertility, ovulation and getting pregnant, we're able to help families conceive much more quickly. The same is also true for diagnosing and treating many couples who suffer from infertility. So from your preconceptional health visits to the big fat positive on your pregnancy test - we've got you covered.

  1. Planning for Pregnancy
  2. How to Get Pregnant
  3. Ovulation and Fertility
  1. Am I Pregnant?
  2. Pregnancy Tests
  3. Announcing Your Pregnancy

Planning for Pregnancy

Believe it or not, but what you do before you get pregnant actually has a large impact of the health of your pregnancy and baby. With a tiny bit of planning you can maximize your chances of having a healthy, full term baby - what we all want.

How to Get Pregnant

Getting pregnant involves the particular timing of sex with ovulation for most couples. Trying to determine when you ovulate can be tricky for some, but fertility charting and ovulation prediction kits (OPK) can be helpful. It is also a good idea to be preparing your body physically for a baby with good preconception care from your midwife or doctor.

Ovulation and Fertility

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Ovulation prediction and figuring out your fertility can be the key to getting pregnant quickly. While not everyone chooses to start out by detecting ovulation in order to conceive, it is becoming more common as women try to gain control over their fertility or if they are having difficulties in conceiving. This is also beneficial for women who are trying to plan for a specific timing of their pregnancy, though pregnancy doesn't always work out that way.

Am I Pregnant?

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Let's face it, women often spend a lot of time wondering if they are pregnant or not. Sure you've got a symptom or two, but what does it really mean?

Pregnancy Tests

Positive Pregnancy Test

The tests to determine how much hCG, a pregnancy hormone, that is in your blood or urine are very sensitive these days. This is true even of the home pregnancy tests. So which one will you take and will you know what it means?

Announcing Your Pregnancy

Yes! You're pregnant - congratulations! Now comes the fun part - telling people. You may have a really good idea of who you're going to tell when and why. But if you're looking for some creative ideas to share your good news, we've got you covered.



Getting Pregnant - How to Get Pregnant - Fertility - Pregnancy Tests
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Pregnancy - what to ask?

  1. At what facilities do you have privileges?
    Be sure to interview each facility just as much as you interviewed your doctor or midwife prior to selecting them to help you during the birth of your baby. Ask each hospital lots of questions during your interview.

  2. What tests or procedures do you normally recommend in pregnancy?
    Every practitioner probably has a slightly different offering of tests. From Amniocentesis to Stress tests, your midwife or doctor should explain each thoroughly to you.

  3. What pregnancy books do you recommend I read?
    No matter what they say, here are my recommendations for pregnancy books. I love to read!

  4. What do you recommend for normal pregnancy aches and pains?
    There are many common discomforts associated with pregnancy. Many of these can be eased without medications. See Pregnancy Remedy Index.

  5. Who are your back up practitioners? When might I see them? Can I meet them before the birth?
    Knowing the possibilities, even if remote, can make you feel more at ease. Don't hesitate to meet them even if just to say hello.

  6. Do you recommend any certain childbirth classes?
    There are lots of choices available to consumers when it comes to childbirth classes. Do you go to classes that your friends took? Should you take hospital based classes? Find out what options are available in your community and who your practitioner or your friends recommend.

  7. Do you routinely use interventions in labor or do you wait to see if they are needed?
    Routine use of interventions in labor has not been shown to be beneficial. Informed consent is a must for each intervention proposed.

  8. At what point to you talk about the artificial induction of labor?
    Induction of labor is used when medically indicated that your baby is safer on the outside than on the inside. Unfortunately, social induction, or inducing labor with no medical reason has become popular. While there are many theories on why, be sure to talk to your practitioner about using induction wisely.

  9. Which doulas have you worked with? Who would you recommend?
    Using a professional doula has been shown to decrease the rates of many interventions.

  10. What are your vaginal birth rates? For first time moms? For moms who have had babies before? For moms who have had previous cesarean births?
    Ask questions about the likelihood of you having a normal birth. Ask early and often. Let your doctor or midwife know you're committed to having a normal birth.
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