by: Patricia Rider
It’s 1pm in the afternoon, and while you’re
listening to that very important meeting that your
boss just didn’t want you to miss, you start
feeling a little funny. The room becomes a little
muffled and suddenly you don’t hear the lecturer
speaking. In fact, he’s fading in and out and the
next thing you know you’re head first in your
Danish and your head has hit the table.
Wow, that was embarrassing! And everyone is
asking if you are alright. Ofcourse you’re
alright, why wouldn’t you be – and yet you just
can’t keep your eyes open. What is the matter
with you! You run to the bathroom and splash
water in your face, and while you’re in there you
might as well use the Lou. Actually, you’ve
needed to use that bathroom a lot lately. Sound
familiar? Well, you either are in desperate need
of a good night's sleep and you have a yeast
infection or both or maybe you're pregnant! Not that I’m
speaking from experience of course (actually a
scenario very similar to this did happen to me!)
There
are many early
signs of pregnancy, and
fatigue is definitely one of the most common.
Here is a list of many such symptoms and you may
experience a few or all of these. The most common
are:
Delay of menstruation
Sore Breast
Darker nipples
Nausea/vomiting
Mood swings
Discharge
Sudden return of acne
Bluish tinge to vagina
Fatigue
Slight cramping
Headaches
Possible spotting early on (1)
Others have reported a change in eyesight, sudden
cravings, and a bloated feeling. It is important to
remember that every woman is different and you
probably won’t have all of these symptoms, or you
may not notice them all or even have different
ones. But even if you don’t
‘feel’ pregnant, don’t start that triathlon just
yet! And if you haven’t missed your period, then
you may be feeling pre-mentrual symptoms.
If your menstrual cycle is late but you just know
your period is coming because you feel crampy –
think again! Often women feel that their period
is coming even if it is a few weeks late because
they feel ‘heavy and crampy’. If you are
pregnant, then this “crampiness” is caused by an
expanding uterus, an increase in blood flow, and
well – the beginnings of new life. (2)
I once read in “What to expect when you’re
expecting” that your body is running a marathon
when you are pregnant, even though you are sitting
on the couch reading a book – Whew! No wonder you
feel so tired, imagine actually doing some
exercise!
So, should you be
reaching for that home pregnancy test?
Well, your other option is to go and have a blood
test done. If you live in Canada it is free
(covered by your government health plan), but if
you live elsewhere than you may have to pay.
However a blood test, which tests the level of Hcg
(a pregnancy hormone produced by the placenta just
after implantation) in your blood just as a home
test does, is much more accurate than a home test
and can tell you how far along you are. I took a
home test when I was about three weeks pregnant
and it came out negative – my son is now 2! So
although a home pregnancy test is quick and is
about 97% accurate, it may not give you any early
results especially if yours is in that 3%! But do
keep in mind that false negatives are common, but
false positives are very rare. Also an early
blood test may not give you quick results,
especially if you are only a few weeks pregnant,
because you will have to be tested again to make
sure the Hcg level is rising.
What about folic acid?
If you haven’t been taking any then as soon as
you think you might be pregnant, it is a good idea
to start taking a supplement even if you’re not.
Research shows that women who take the recommended
amount of folic acid during pregnancy reduce the
risk of birth defects by 50%. We have compiled a
list of folic acid-rich foods we found on
Babycenter to help you supplement your diet. Most
of these foods are also very rich in many of the
other nutrients that you may need too!
Folic Acid foods:
1/2 cup chicken liver: 539 mcg
1/2 cup beef liver: 184.5 mcg
1/2 cup lentils: 179 mcg
1/2 cup cereal (fortified): 146-179 mcg
1 oz. wheat germ: 100 mcg
4 spears steamed or boiled asparagus: 88 mcg
Medium-sized papaya: 115 mcg
1/2 cup steamed broccoli: 52 mcg
1 cup cantaloupe: 27.2 mcg
Large hard-boiled egg: 22 mcg
3 oz. canned salmon: 17 mcg
So what now?
Well, if you’re not sure you are pregnant –
act as though you are. If you know you are
pregnant, then relax, take care of your health,
get plenty of rest, reduce your stress, and
enjoy! Because sleepless nights are on their way,
but they will be the sweetest nights of your life!
