Is it time ?

I used to believe our local home movies when they are showing a woman in labor, till I had my own experience.

At least my own episode did not start with me screaming and holding my waist, while my husband frantically searching for the car keys, everybody running up and down and all the funny acts usually shown.

Every expectant Mama keeps wondering , how will I know when I am in labor ? Except you have a scheduled and planned  Cesarean Section (CS), like I did for my second pregnancy.

When we get to the last month of pregnancy, a lot of women get anxious, they want the baby to come immediately. It's always the hardest stage. And you can't be blamed because you have been through a lot and just want to get it over with ! hahaha

Some are anxious to meet their bundle of joy ,while a lot are just afraid of the process of child birth and can't wait to have it done with especially for first time Mums. I was a mixture of both feelings.

Well, again every woman's labor is different. So pinpointing when yours begins can be a bit tricky.

Labor is more of a process than a single event, when a number of changes in your body work together to help you to give birth..

However some common signs of the start of labor may include :

•Persistent lower back pain or abdominal pain, with a pre-menstrual feeling and cramps.

•Painful contractions that occur at regular and increasingly shorter intervals, becoming longer and stronger in intensity

•Broken waters. Your membranes may rupture with a gush or a trickle of amniotic fluid. Either way, call your maternity unit to let them know, or head straight to the hospital.

• Show :A brownish or blood-tinged mucus discharge (called show). If you pass the mucus plug that blocks the cervix, labor could be imminent,

•Disrupted sleep

Of course by now your bag(s) are packed and ready. I hope !

Its always best to get to the hospital if you have any of these symptoms so you can be checked . Its better to be sure you are okay and probably sent back home , than to get yourself into an emergency .

Except your hospital is a walking distance from your house or office. You should not take a risk especially if you live in a place where the traffic can be  unpredictable.

Bringing a baby into the world is an amazing achievement. But it's hard work, and it's natural to be nervous when you're not sure what to expect. 

In all these, please try very well to follow the instructions of the nurses and Doctors ,to make things a bit easy for everybody.

As labor progresses, complications may come in which may require that you have your baby by a Caesarean section, do not panic or try to resist.

Sadly lot of women have lost their babies or even their lives due to the mindset very common in my country Nigeria that a Caesarean birth is a sign that you are a weak woman and so  should be avoided at all costs. Its totally untrue. Labor is not a time to show your strength please .  Remember, the most important thing is a healthy Mama and Baby to make the joy complete. So listen to the people attending to you and follow their instructions and advice.

Confused about what to pack in your hospital bag ?

Request from your hospital to give you a list or guide , but most common items include :

1.For the mother

• Pajamas or nightgown
• Nursing Bras
• Post partum Sanitary pads 
• Underwear
• Toiletries
• A nice going home outfit
• Towel

2.For the baby

• Warm clothing
• Shawl
• Socks
• Caps
• Mittens (hand gloves)
• Towels
• Toiletries

This is just a guide ,I am sure the list from your hospital will have lots more .

Congratulations ! You did it !

On a journey !

Let's talk about the 3 trimesters of pregnancy ,and some of the very common things experienced by women.

Remember, Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.

Remember also that 4 weeks make a month , so do not be confused when counting. Pregnancy is measured in weeks.

First Trimester (Week 1 -12)(Early pregnancy )

During the first trimester your body will undergo many changes.

Hormonal changes will affect almost every organ and system in your body. These changes trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy. If you have a regular menstrual cycle,missing your period is usually the first sign that you are pregnant. Other changes may include:

• Extreme tiredness
• Tender, swollen breasts. Your nipples might also stick out.
• Upset stomach with or without throwing up(morning sickness)
• Cravings or distaste for certain foods
• Mood swings
• Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)
• Need to pass urine more often
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Weight gain or loss

As your body changes, you may need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, small meals. Fortunately, most of these discomforts go away as your pregnancy progresses. As a matter of fact I woke up one morning and I felt so different ,I actually went to check if I was still pregnant. I did another home pregnancy test just to confirm hahahaha....

Some women might not feel any discomfort at all! Very lucky I say.

If you have been pregnant before, you might also feel differently this time around.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13-28) (Mid pregnancy)

A lot of women, like me found this stage much easier than the first .The nausea disappears as well as the tiredness.

But other new, more noticeable changes to your body are now happening. Most visible being that your abdomen will start expanding as the baby continues to grow. Before this trimester is over, you will feel your baby beginning to move!

The first stirrings of the baby is called quickening and is a very powerful moment .

Finally you now know that yes , this is real !

So, as your body makes changes for the growing baby , you may feel the following :

• Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain.

• Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks
• Darkening of the skin around your nipples
• A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
• Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. Patches often match on both sides of the face.
• Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet.
• Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (Please If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, it is advisable to see your doctor right away. (This could be a sign of preeclampsia that is high blood pressure in pregnancy)

Third Trimester (Weeks 29-40) (Late pregnancy)

Hey ! This is the last lap of the journey !

Some of the things you experienced in the second trimester will continue .

Plus, many women find breathing difficult and notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often. This is because the baby is getting bigger and is putting more pressure on your bladder. There is no cause for alarm.

You will also experience new things such as :

• Shortness of breath
• Heartburn
• Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)
• Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum Your belly button may stick out.
• Trouble sleeping
• The baby "dropping," or moving lower in your abdomen
• Contractions, which can be a sign of real or false labor 

You should also have your hospital bag prepared at this stage and ready. 

Get a list of required items for both you and  baby from your hospital to guide you. 

Let everyone in your household know where the bag is please ! You never know.

Get excited ! this is the final countdown !


Tell me how you felt in this last trimester please ….

Some quick pregnancy facts

• A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks and is divided into three periods. each period is called a Trimester

       First Trimester - from week 1 - weeks 12       

       Second trimester- from weeks 13 - weeks 28

       Third trimester- from weeks 29- weeks 40 

Very common Symptoms of early pregnancy include : 

• The absence of your menstrual period, 
• Breast changes, tiredness, nausea, mood swings, or other symptoms. Now these symptoms vary. 
• Some women, I would call lucky as they hardly experience any of these symptoms, while on the other hand some experience severe symptoms and may even end up hospitalized for some time.
• As the  pregnancy progresses there may be heartburn, difficulty sleeping, swelling of the ankles or fingers, hemorrhoids, and mild contractions.
• By the end of 37 weeks, a baby is considered full term and its organs are ready to function on their own.
• As your due date gets closer, your baby may turn into a head-down position for birth. Most babies "present" head down.
• Babies at birth typically weigh between 2.7kg and 4kg and are 19 to 21 inches long. Most full-term babies fall within these ranges.

The journey begins

Now that you have confirmed that you are pregnant , what next ?

Well, you celebrate with your spouse, share the good news with family and friends, and then....it is time to get yourself registered with a hospital.

It is usually advisable to register early enough, within the first three months .This will help to detect any issues that may pose a challenge to the well being of the mother and child. It is best to register at 8 weeks after the second missed period.

Most women are ignorant of this and so defer registering for antenatal care till the pregnancy is a bit advanced. They believe that there are no advantages in registering for antenatal or seeing a gynecologist in the first three months.
Please be aware that early commencement of antenatal care by pregnant women as well as regular visits have the potential to affect mother and child positively.

Now, when you pay a visit to your doctor, there are tests that you will be asked to perform. Some tests are done periodically while some are done every time you visit the doctor or midwife.

Some of the routine tests include:

•  Weight - Your doctor/midwife should be watching carefully for a sudden weight gain, which, combined with excessive swelling, could mean trouble. She will also take note if you aren't gaining enough weight, which could be dangerous for the developing baby. This is not the time to eat for two, as pregnant women are usually advised. Just ensure you eat healthy and regular meals.

•    Blood pressure -This must be tested at every visit to the clinic.it is very important. If your blood pressure is not regularly monitored , please bring this to the attention of your doctor. The first blood pressure test taken at your first visit  will be used  as a base to compare with all the others every month. A sudden rise in blood pressure  is a warning for a problem such as preeclampsia--a high-tech word for high blood pressure during pregnancy.

•   Urine Tests- This should also be done regularly, The nurses will give you a little paper strip    with some colors on them and ask you to pass your urine on it. They watch the color changes and this determines if there is a problem or not. Urine is tested for three things; presence of infection, protein,  which can be a sign of high blood pressure; and sugar, which can be a sign of diabetes.

Blood tests
A blood test is usually done during your first visit.
If your doctor doesn't already know the details about your blood, he or she will draw some blood early in the pregnancy.
The blood will be taken from a vein on the inside bend of your elbow. This blood will tell a lot about…

• Your blood group:  A, B, or O. This information is important in case a blood transfusion ever necessary.
• Your rhesus (Rh) blood group: Your Rh factor may be negative or positive. The difference means nothing unless you are negative and the baby's father is positive. In this case, your baby may be incompatible with your rhesus blood group, which can cause problems with future pregnancies. Knowing your blood type in advance lets your doctor prevent any trouble from occurring.
•  Hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin keeps red cells filled with oxygen. Hemoglobin levels often fall during pregnancy, causing anemia; your doctor will  want to make sure your levels don't go too low.
•  STDs: Because sexually transmitted diseases can cause many problems for the developing baby, your blood will be tested for Hepatitis B, HIV, and Syphilis.

It is also very important to have an ultrasound scan done to confirm the well being of the baby.
The early ultrasound scan apart from confirmation of the pregnancy is very useful for accurate dating of the pregnancy. Late scans are not as accurate.

I am sure by now you agree with me that registering early for antenatal care and more importantly going for your regular visits is really important. Some hospitals actually organize classes where they teach pregnant women a lot of things to expect as well as things to look out for .
The expectant mothers also get the chance to ask lots of questions. (I used to be too shy back then to ask questions especially with my first pregnancy .)
Take advantage of the classes if your hospital offers this.

There are lots of materials available too for regular studying , however, most importantly always refer to your doctor to clarify any concerns or to seek for information . Very important.

Don't go on this journey alone....

Pregnant or not ?

The most and usually first observed common sign of pregnancy is a missed period, especially for women with a regular menstrual cycle.
The next thing that comes to mind is to do a test to confirm the pregnancy.
It is advisable to wait for at least one week after a missed period so that you can get an accurate result from the test.

A pregnancy test measures the presence of a hormone called Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) present in the blood or urine.
This hormone is present in women only when they are pregnant. It is produced after fertilization and rises rapidly in early pregnancy.
Pregnancy tests are of two types, the one that tests the blood and the one that tests the urine.
The urine test can be done at home using a home pregnancy test kit.
Most women usually make use of this as soon as they suspect they may be pregnant.
They are easy to use and has the advantage that it can be used privately. They are also not very expensive and are available mainly in pharmacies.
There are many types or brands of the home pregnancy test kit, with their different methods for testing .

Some will require you to collect your urine in a cup and dip the test stick into it while for others you put the test kit directly under your urine stream.
I actually tried both.

                                                            


The best tests kits are able to notice the smallest amounts of HCG, so check for one in the 15 to 30 HCG level. The pharmacist can guide you on this.
Home test kits claim to be 97 to 99% accurate if the instructions are followed correctly, so be sure to follow the instructions closely to get good results.
If the test is done too early, you may get a negative result even when you are pregnant. So its best to repeat the tests a few days later to be sure .


Most women will be too anxious.I bought the test kit up to 5 times !


If you get a positive result ,you should see a doctor immediately for another confirmatory test as well as discuss the pregnancy .


You can also go to the hospital for a blood test.
Blood tests can pick up the HCG earlier in a pregnancy than urine tests can. Blood tests can actually tell if you are pregnant about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate.

So what method did you use ? were you anxious like me ?

The journey of life

A few months after a woman is married and trying to settle down in her new home, where I come from people start looking at her expecting to see a bulge.

I can say I am sometimes guilty of that too more out of curiosity though, I guess it's the typical mentality. However it is not a very good mindset as it puts unnecessary pressure on the couple . You take note of that !

I still remember, like a couple months after my wedding , my mother will call me and ask me how I am feeling …hey! , I knew exactly what she meant but I'll still feign ignorance and ask her 'Mummy, how do you mean'?

Also, in my office then if I as much as complained about a headache ,my colleagues will make certain comments suggesting that it must be pregnancy. Hahahaha.....

This is just one of the many demands of our society on women.
And when the bulge finally shows up, yaay!!! everyone is excited.

Then the journey of life begins. The journey that will change your life forever, spirit, soul and body. Trust me !
There are so many things to talk about in pregnancy :
-Pregnancy tests
-Ante natal classes
-Shopping for the little one
-The pregnancy experience as it affects both mother's and baby's health.

-Labor signs, what to expect and the myths.

-and finally, arrival of the little one, a.k.a.. Childbirth.

During pregnancy, a lot of people will give you so many different pieces of advise, you will definitely get confused at some point.

An important thing to note is that ,no two women are the same, as a matter of fact no two pregnancies are the same even for the same woman. Trust me...

From what you eat to what you wear, you will receive lots and lots of advise, both solicited and otherwise!

Guess what ? just take it one day at a time, listen to your doctor or midwife's advise, and try to make your self as comfortable as you can be and as beautiful as well. Of course moderation is necessary.

For example, I heard back then that if I take cold water my baby will not have any hair on her head !

But, drinking lukewarm or hot water made me throw up, so I asked my doctor sister, what to do .
She was like …how can you even think of taking hot water in the hot weather??

Well guess what ? my beautiful daughter came out with a head full of hair , she is 13 years old now and her hair is rich ,full and long.

If cold water helps you relax, please take as much as you can.
Satisfy your cravings as much as you can but as sensibly too.

Of course you know alcohol, cigarettes and certain medications will harm your baby, so please no matter your craving for alcohol and cigarettes, don't touch ! As for medications , take only the ones prescribed to you by your doctor. Very important.


We will be right back...…..

Please drop your comments, how did you find out you were pregnant ?
What funny or strange advise did you get.?

You are all invited !

Hello Mothers, Fathers and all lovers of Children !

This is introducing Bloom kids …

Here we would talk about all things kids...from pregnancy to well... ..as motherhood (or better still, parenthood) never ends ,we will just keep talking about our children of all ages .

Please feel free , come on board and let's have great fun.

You are highly welcome !