Baby Talk Blog

Things to love about being pregnant.

opktests — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:26:51 +0000

-Being newly pregnant and being able to have a “secret” from the rest of the world.
-Being able to wear comfortable shoes and no one thinks twice.
-Being able to take a nap without an excuse in the middle of the day.
-Hearing that glorious horse galloping heart beat for the first time around 12 weeks!
-The baby moving and it is your little secret.
-The glow, even on the days you don’t feel it.
-And last but not least the big round belly!

Do Dads get pregnancy pains??

opktests — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:07:44 +0000

So you thought it was just the mom who gets to go through the joys of pregnancy. Such as the morning sickness, nausea, pregnancy weight gain, and bloating. Many expecting dads though are getting a taste of pregnancy. Up to 65-percent of men with pregnant wives experience psychosomatic conditions of pregnancy—they gain weight, get back pain and sometimes even stomach spasms during birth.

The condition is called Couvade Syndrome. Men usually experience the most profound symptoms during the third and fourth month of pregnancy. Some reasons as to why this happens. Some believe it’s an expression of empathy. Others say it’s an expression of anxiety. A few believe it’s a form of rivalry—that men are trying to outdo their spouses, or even jealous.

Lucky for men, at least once the baby is born it seems that the symptoms go away!

I don’t recall my husband having any morning sickness or if he did he probably did not bother to tell me. I am sure that mine would have been worse than his since mine lasted for 7 months!

Happy Mother’s Day!

opktests — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:20:36 +0000

Well two more days until Mother’s Day. This will be my second mother’s day. It is interesting to see how things have changed even over a year. Our little girl is more darling than ever and is definitely becoming a little diva. So what are your plans for Mother’s Day?

I know that my husband is making brunch which will be great as I love brunch. Also our little girl loves brunch. I don’t know why but when it comes to brunch it is like she has an empty tummy which we can not fill. However, afterwards she has a huge nap. I guess she has to sleep it off. I am looking forward to a relaxing day. So to all you moms and moms to be have a great Mother’s Day.

You Know You’re TTC when…

opktests — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:45:04 +0000

-your evening ritual is taking prenatal vitamins, setting the basal thermometer by the bed and setting your alarm for the exact time to take your temperature
-you open the bathroom cabinet and pregnancy and ovulation test strips fly out
-you spend more time look at pregnancy tests that buying the groceries for the week
-you hope your period stays away
-when you don’t want to buy new clothes because you just might be pregnant

Good luck!

Think you might be pregnant??

opktests — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:21:22 +0000

What to look for if you might be pregnant? Some symptoms come very early and some you think is just PMS. You might think that what you are experiencing is just typical for that time of the month.

Some women seem to have a instinct that alerts them that something is not the same.

One of the early symptoms of pregnancy is fatigue. Strong, overwhelming exhaustion and feeling tired at points in your day when you usually have energy are all symptoms that some women report feeling. The fatigue that is a par tof pregnancy is a result of the pregnancy hormones taking their toll on your body. Fatigue can show up almost right away. I know for myself when I was pregnant with our daughter the early fatigue was brutal. I felt like I needed a nap and I had only just gotten up for the day. Oh well it is a good excuse to take a nap!

The next common early pregnancy symptom that you may experience is tender, sore breasts.

Morning sickness is another symptom of early pregnancy and the one that seems to be talked about the most. Morning sickness varies from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy. Morning sickness can be anything from slight queaziness to vomiting and is not just a morning discomfort, despite the name. Some women notice that their morning sickness is worsened by certain smells, including the smells of some food. Here’s hoping that your morning sickness only lasts the first tri mester. For me, it lasted 7 months! For the first few months I couldn’t even eat meat. Then I went through a phase where I could eat chicken but only if my husband cut it into small pieces before I even saw it. I know weird.

Finally, the most undeniable symptom of early pregnancy is missing your period. If you have any of the symptoms above and your period is late, it may be time to take a home pregnancy test. For quality tests purchase from www.opktests.com

Things You Should Know Before Getting Pregnant

opktests — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:31:15 +0000

It’s an exciting time in your life! You and your significant other have decided to expand your family. For a healthy pregnancy and baby, there are a few things you should do before you try to get pregnant.

Know Your Family Health History

You and your partner should find out about your family health history. Your doctor will ask you these types of questions so it is good to know them in advance.

Schedule an appointment with your Doctor

Once you decide you would like to try for a baby, set up an appointment with your doctor for a preconception checkup.

Fuel Up on Folic Acid

Ask your doctor to recommend a good prenatal vitamin. Even if you do eat a balanced diet, it’s difficult to get all the nutrients you need from food alone. Folic acid is important to take before you start trying for a baby and during your first trimester. Taking folic acid every day will dramatically decrease your chances of having a baby with neural-tube defects.

Stop Partying

If you are a smoker, use drugs or drink alcohol… now is the time to stop. Studies show that smoking or taking drugs can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight. Tobacco can also affect your fertility and lower your partner’s sperm count. Alcohol can get in the way of getting pregnant as well. Drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome and lead to many birth defects, including mental problems.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Studies show that if you are a healthy weight, you will probably have an easier time getting pregnant. If you are not in a healthy range, losing or gaining weight now may increase your chances to conceive. Talk to your doctor about the best way to achieve these goals.

Budget

Think about the cost of having a baby and plan ahead.

Whoop It Up

Before you get pregnant, you and your partner should take that vacation you keep talking about. Soak in the hot tub, have a sushi dinner- embrace a little adventure while you can. Take advantage of whooping it up and being spontaneous. Once you conceive, there are A LOT of changes to be made, with a whole new adventure ahead of you!

Tips for using Ovulation Predictor Kit

opktests — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:45:28 +0000

So you have picked up some ovulation predictor kits and have read the instructions and read the instructions. The first time looking at the tests it seems a bit complicated but it is very simple. A few tips when using the ovulation predictor kit are:

Use a temperature chart as well as using an ovulation prediction kit. By looking at previous charts, you can have an idea of when the best time to use the ovulation prediction test is.
Test more than once a day. Because your LH surge happens briefly, you may want to test twice a day to ensure that you do not miss seeing your surge.
Test at the same time each day. It does not matter what time you test but it is better to not urinate for four hours prior to testing. Try to be consistent so that you do not miss your LH surge. Read the manufacturers instructions for best results.
If you do not see a surge in your LH continue testing every day until you see a surge.
Have intercourse within 36 hours of testing positive for your LH surge.

GOOD LUCK

Using a ovulation predictor kit (OPK)

opktests — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:38:58 +0000

Have you been trying to get pregnant for a while and not been succesful? Have you been charting your temperature? A great tool to use in conjunction with your chart is ovulation predictor kits. Ovulation prediction kits are a very popular method of detecting ovulation. One of the benefits of using an OPK (ovulation prediction kit) is that you can predict ovulation before it occurs. With basal body temperature charting you can not tell that you have ovulated until after it happens. OPKs work by detecting LH (Luteinizing Hormone) levels in your urine. Just before ovulation there is a surge in LH. When this LH surge is detected, ovulation should occur within 36 hours.

For a free fertility chart

How to use an Ovulation Prediction Kit
You may use a test strip or a midstream ovulation prediction test. Both work the same way. With the test strip, you will need to dip the test strip into a container of urine and keep it in the urine for several seconds. The midstream test should be held in your urine stream. The tests normally take about five minutes to read. There is a control band and a result band. The control band gives you a color to compare the result band to. When you test you will detect some LH at any time during your cycle. That is because you produce LH throughout your cycle. You are looking for the results to be darker or the same color as the control band. If the result band is lighter than the control band you have not ovulated

For quality tests check out opktests.com