Mommy's Life

Pregnancy - Week 8

2013-01-04T16:13:00.003-08:00

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Week 8:

In week 8 your baby is about ¾ of an inch long, and weighs about a ½ of an ounce.

Your baby's eyes are fully developed by the end of this week. The inner ears continue to develop further, while his ears lobes are starting to show. The mouth, nose and nostrils are also forming more to what they will look like. Your baby can open his mouth and suck at this point.

His hands, feet, fingers, and toes are mostly developed. His arms and legs continue to grow and can now bend at the elbows. His movements can now be seen by ultrasound.

All of his major organs are in the right place but they are not yet fully developed. His heart now has 4 chambers and can pump his own blood throughout his body.

The skin is formed but transparent. The external genitalia may begin to show this week but you can't yet tell whether you will have a male or a female.

You might start having difficulty sleeping. With this come more vivid dreams. You seem to notice them more because you wake up more often. It also comes from the combination of hormones and your disrupted sleep.

You also might have your first doctor's visit this week. Usually they look for the heartbeat in an ultrasound. These visits will start to come every 4 weeks to monitor how you and your baby are doing.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

My First Cesarean

2012-04-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

We have a guest writer today, so please enjoy this experience shared by LEE LEE:

No matter how physically and mentally prepared a woman may be to give birth for her first or even last baby, complications during labor and delivery may occur, therefore a cesarean section may have to be done.

I delivered my babies in Texas and attended Childbirth classes for all three children. I have to say my knowledge about Childbirth was enlightened even though I had been in the medical field [Dental] for over 8 yrs. When the instructor said that 1 in 3 of the pregnant women present in the class would have to have a C-Section, I looked to my left then to my right and thought it would be one of them and surely not me. I have only gained 25 lbs. during my pregnancy and was in great physical shape. So when my water broke at home 2 weeks before my due date, [ the baby was 38 gestational weeks old- and most pregnancies go to term= 40 weeks or over], I knew it would be an exciting event but was hopeful the labor would go quick and uneventful [as far as problems go], as I had planned to go A-LA-NATURAL and had planned not to take any "drugs" during my labor to help me along.

I got to the hospital about 12:30 am and was prepped and checked, but to my disappointment not dilated at all. So I accepted the fact that my labor was going to be a long one, but was prepared with the breathing techniques I had practiced and was able to focus on the positive - [my sweet baby son's face] soon to be looking up at me in delivery. Finally 12 hrs later I had dilated to 9cm and more than ready to push but every time a strong, hard contraction hit I could hear his head hit my pelvis bone, [and it would make a sound like you hear when you bite your teeth together], like bone against bone, and I knew something was not right . I had dilated to 9 cm but his head had not presented itself into the +1 position in the pelvis [+3 meaning head delivered], it was still at a 0 which meant to me he was stuck in the upper part of the pelvis.
When I strongly expressed my view to my Dr he ordered me down to x-ray to check the babies position inside the pelvis [not to worry- the x-ray does not hurt the baby this far along] and sure enough, the x-rays cofirmed that my pelvis was too small to let the baby pass though it.

This condition is called Cephlapelvic Disproportion or (CPD).

An emergency C-Section would have to be performed.

Talk about frustration personified! I had gotten all that way with my breathing and "tenacity" and no "drugs", and it was ME that would end up having the C-Section. I tried to remain calm as my husband fretted.

So off to the Surgery Room we went. Unfortunately the surgical barrier was draped so that I could not see a thing. Even in the mirror that was provided, all I could see was the "rear end" of my Dr working quickly to get my baby delivered safely. Lots of pressure, pulling and tugging went on until my son Jason was finally pulled free out of my pelvis. Jason arrived still looking pale blue at the whopping weight of 7lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long, blonde hair, but a weak, tiny cry. He had a very pointed little head and it was confirmed he had been "Stuck" in the pelvis and had had MECONIUM INGESTION. This is a condition where the baby has its first bowel movement [called meconium] in the amniotic fluid [while still inside the uterus] and swallows it, getting it into the lungs. Jason's Apgar score was a 6 [out of 10]- [The Apgar score is given to your newborn's physical condition 1 minute after the baby is born and 5 minutes later - to determine if any extra medical care is needed, [the worst=0 and the best =10] .

Five minutes later Jason's score was only a 7. He was not crying much and was in Respiratory Distress, so I did not get to hold him in delivery and only 1 picture was taken as he was rushed off to the NICU [Newborn Intensive Care Unit].

This time I was the one who started to panic, and closed my tear filled eyes to pray that I would see him again and that he would be fine.

The next time I saw him he was still in NICU and had an umbilical Arterial Catheter [which is also called a UAC- a small flexible tube that is put into the artery of the umbilical cord stump and sticks out of your baby's belly button]. With the UAC in place they were able to give him antibiotics, and IV fluids, draw blood samples, check his Arterial Blood Gases [ABG's-where the amount of oxygen and other gases can be checked in the baby's blood]. This is where I held him for the first time and would have to go to him daily to breastfeed him.

The doctors were fearful that Jason had a condition called Hyaline membranes or Respiratory Distress Syndrome that affect the lungs, and some babies do not live through this or if they do the baby can end up with major lung problems. So once again, I prayed that all would be well with this precious gift I had been given and his lungs would recover. My middle name is Faith and I had faith that Jason would recover from all of this as I thought the labor was just too hard on his little system.

My new motherly intuition was correct. It was not long before all the tests on Jason's lungs came back as normal. The antibiotics and prayers had done their job and 5 days later Jason and I were discharged and on our way home.

Jason will be 27 yrs old on Dec. 29^th. He is a healthy, happily married, fine young man, with integrity. Through High School he was a Superior athlete who stood tall in his team mates eyes at only 5'8''. He could run 40 yards in 4.2 sec. consistently. He ran in the National Jr. Olympics Finals in CA at 15 yrs old and anchored the 4x400 meter relay which came in 4^th in the Nation. He ran the 400 meters on the AHS track team in 49.8 sec. and ran the 100 meters with a time of 11.0 sec. His speed made him a wonderful center fielder and left fielder on the Varsity baseball team as a sophomore[even started playing on a college team @ 15 yrs old that summer]. He had a vertical leap of 42'' and could dunk a tennis ball easily and could do a standing broad jump of almost 10''. He did all of these things as his we stood in awe!

I thank my Heavenly Father daily for blessing our family with such a sweet, gifted young man who makes my heart smile daily. Children help to fill your life with wonderful experiences and even though it was a little tough getting him here and there was a little uncertainty of his health at the beginning, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat to have such joy of a son in my life.

I have 2 other fabulous children, [2 daughters] and they too have many special talents. They were also born by C-Section , as with Cephlapelvic Disproportion [CPD] doctors don't usually allow a trial labor for following pregnancies [as 2^nd and 3^rd babies are usually larger].

It didn't matter to me how my babies were delivered as long as they were healthy. So if a C-Section is needed, don't fret.

BUT DO PREPARE YOURSELF THROUGH EDUCATIONAL CHILDBIRTH CLASSES. These classes help parents to learn lots of things including CPR on an infant, even what to do if your infant chokes, plus there are many educational books you can read. I suggest you do not go into labor without knowing all you can, because like me, you may look to the pregnant woman on your left or right and it may be YOU going through the unexpected c-section or abnormal labor and the more you know the better "ARMED" you will be as knowledge is the key !
Unfortunately Children do not come with Instruction Manuals so Education is a Must! And lots of prayers are a MUST because they are answered every minute of every day!
My son is living proof!
All the Best and~Happy Mothering!
Lee Lee~[ mother of 3-stepmom of 4-grandmother of 1 ]

DISCLAIMER~

The contents of these BLOG ARTICLES written on Mommy's Life Website is from my personal Life's experiences as a mother and knowledge through Childbirth Classes, plus the knowledge from being involved in the Dental assisting field for 31 years. My Articles are not intended to provide Medical or Dental diagnosis or treatment of any kind. It is only meant to provide advice through my own experience. Always seek the advice of your doctor or pediatrician with any questions you have and do not rely on these articles written in this website.

Leelee

Pregnancy - Week 7

2012-04-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Week 7:

During Week 7 your baby will be about 1/2 of an inch long. Her eyes and ears are continuing to develop. Her eyelids are almost all the way grown.

The brain and spinal cord are almost fully developed. The lobes of the brain can be seen by ultrasound. Nerves that will soon become the Central Nervous System (CNS: Brain and Spinal Cord) are branching out and connecting to each other to form a primitive pathway for the CNS. Researchers estimate that 100 thousand new nerve cells are created every minute in your growing baby. By the time your baby is born she will have over 10 Million intertwined nerve cells.

Her cells are growing and multiplying rapidly and before she is born they will become 40 pairs of muscles and 23 pairs of vertebrae, all originating from her spinal column.

The organs in her body are growing as well. Among them are the appendix, pancreas, lungs, bronchi in the lungs, and the intestines.

Her toes and fingers have lengthened and now her elbow, wrist, and knee joints are noticeable. Her head sits more erect, and her body limbs are moving.

You might be noticing a bit of weight gain. Also be prepared for mood swings because of the huge surge of hormones that your body is experiencing.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Lucy Our New Puppy

2012-04-19T19:59:00.003-07:00

I don’t know if I have told you this before, but I have 5 kids . . . . 6 and under. Yea, things around my house are pretty crazy. Two days ago it was 5 kids 5 and under, so I was glad to get that one extra birthday squeezed in so I didn’t sound too crazy. I have 4 boys and 1 girl. Ages, 6, 4, 3, 1, 1, the girl is in the middle and yes, the last two are twins.

Anyhow, so our oldest is afraid of most animals and with him setting the precedent for my other kids, they are scared as well. My husband and I both grew up with dogs and thought it was a shame that our kids didn’t have the same experience with pets as we did. Plus we felt that if we got a pet then maybe our kids wouldn’t be so scared of other animals. I wasn’t sure about getting a dog because they shed and ruin lots of things, plus they can have a certain smell to them. Well after lots of talking, we got a puppy, a bloodhound puppy named Lucy.

She is the cutest puppy! We have had her exactly one week, and my kids are still terrified of her and don’t really want to go near her. She is a really good dog, but she is a puppy and likes to chew things and chase them. I didn’t realize how much it would stress me out to try and make sure my kids and Lucy were getting along! Before we bought the Lucy things were going great! Most days I was having a blast with my kids! Now I feel like I am getting mad and yelling at them all day. I HATE doing that! It makes me feel like a terrible mother! So I have decided I have two choices:

1) Keep trying to teach the kids and Lucy how to get along and play nicely together, and eventually they will learn to love her.

2) Sell Lucy and keep my sanity. Get a dog when the kids are a little older.

I will admit I am strongly leaning towards the second. I am wishing that things could go back to two weeks ago, when we were all enjoying life and my kids were enjoying a nicer mother. I fear that I have just bit off more that I can chew at the moment, and maybe we can get another dog when the kids are a little older. I will let you know what I decide to do.

Pregnancy - Week 6

2012-04-19T19:30:00.001-07:00

Week 6:

During this week your baby is about the size of 2 mm. The heart is developing into two different chambers. The heartbeat is visible through ultrasound. Your new little one's heartbeat is about twice as fast as your heartbeat.

On the little arm and leg buds, tiny finger and toe notches are beginning to appear. The nose and eyelids are visible as well. His eyes already have a lens, iris, cornea, and a retina.

On the baby's brain the neural grooves are beginning to form.

You may start feeling that you are pregnant. You will feel sick, tired, thirsty, constant urination (Well at least it feels like that!), and tender breasts among other things.

Doctors recommend that you drink lots of fluids during this time to help you feel better. Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day might help with morning sickness as well.
Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Tortilla Snack Recipe

2012-04-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

This is such a delicious snack! You will love it!

Tortilla Snack

1 Package of Tortillas (6 Inch Flour)

1 Small Can Chopped Ripe Olives

2 Packages Thin Sliced Ham

1 Small Can Green Chilies

8 Ounce Package Cream Cheese

Mix olives, chilies, and cream cheese. Spread mixture on tortilla. Put on two slices of ham and roll. Wrap in foil and let stand in fridge overnight.

Pregnancy - Week 5

2012-04-09T10:20:00.003-07:00

Week 5:

This week your baby is about 1-1.25 mm long. The central nervous system, spinal cord, spine, and brain are starting to develop more and take shape.

Your baby's organs are growing and developing rapidly. Her brain is starting to separate into two different lobes.

Also the baby's skeleton is taking shape along with most of the other organs.

The lungs are growing well. They start out forming close to the head of your baby, but as she grows they move down into the chest cavity.

You may be feeling nauseated as well as urinating more. But you may also feel normal still. There is not too drastic a difference of your size.
Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Juice Fast Day 4

2012-04-07T20:29:00.002-07:00

Day 4

Today was the last day of my juice fast. I didn’t lose any weight today, but I feel and look skinnier. I made juices for breakfast and lunch, and then I ate a healthy dinner. I think that they suggest that you eat only fruits and vegetables for a day or two when you come off of your fast, but I didn’t do that. I had hibachi chicken with lots of veggies. It was nice to eat something finally.

About 45 minutes after I had eaten my dinner, I got a headache. It was kind of frustrating because I know that juicing is really healthy, but it is not a diet that you can sustain. I want to start living a healthier lifestyle, but it is so hard to do that with all of the food options available. I thought that my dinner would be a super healthy choice, but then I didn’t feel good afterwards. Maybe I shouldn’t have had any chicken, or maybe it just shocked my body. Either way, I am well aware of what I should and shouldn’t be eating. I’m going to wait at least a week before I eat any sweets. Hopefully I won’t want them at all!

Overall I am glad that I did this 4 day juice fast. I think that I will do another one again in the future. I felt great doing it, and I looked great too. I hope that you will look into doing this juice cleanse. I loved it!

Pregnancy - Week 4

2012-04-07T20:18:00.002-07:00

Week 4:

During week 4 you may notice that your period is late, although you may have some spotting from the fertilized egg implanting into your uterus. Your placenta continues hormone production and also transports nutrients to the baby as well as oxygen.

Your baby is about 1 millimeter long, and is the shape of a grain of rice. You can see the locations where the eyes, nose, and mouth will all develop. Little buds are starting to grow out of the body, later to form arms and legs. In the umbilical cord you can visually see 3 distinct blood vessels appear. The cells continue to multiply and group together to make different body structures.

There are 3 different layers that are used in the development of the new baby's body.

1- The Ectoderm: The ectoderm consists of the forming of the nervous system, the brain, skin, and hair.

2- The Endoderm: The endoderm consists of the forming of the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, pancreas, and the thyroid.

3- The Mesoderm: The mesoderm forms the skeleton, connective tissues, the blood system, urogenital system, and most of the muscles.

During this week you should still feel quite normal, but you may feel some mild cramping due to implantation.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Pregnancy - Week 3

2012-04-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

Week 3:

This week the baby continues to grow and develop. He is about the size of the head of a pin. The fertilized egg burrows further into the uterine lining.

The HCG that the placenta is producing lets the ovaries know not to ovulate again.

The heart begins to beat and circulate blood.

You still do not feel any different than before you became pregnant.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Juice Fast Day 3

2012-04-06T23:16:00.002-07:00

Day 3

Today was a great day! I only lost one pound but I feel and look skinnier, especially around my tummy. I didn’t mind the juices at all today, but I did make my own drink mixes.

It seems silly to me when people say that they have more energy when they are eating less. That is exactly how I feel. I think that it is because I am only putting good nutrients into my body instead of processed junk and candy (mostly chocolate). I am eating about 1200 calories a day and I feel very invigorated. I usually am dying for nap by noon and today I had enough energy to WANT to workout! After I felt a little tired so I laid down for 15 minutes and woke up alert and ready for the rest of the day. That NEVER happens! A 15-minute nap has never happened on purpose in my life! I usually need at least an hour and a half to feel somewhat rested.

I felt so good today, and each day has progressively gotten better. I think that I am going to do this juice fast for another day. I am going to take it day by day and access how I feel, and go one day at a time. I really can’t believe how good I feel! I have been more patient with my kids, and I feel as though things are clearer. I feel like I have been taken out of a fog, a fog that I have been in for quite some time. If that isn’t incentive enough to eat healthier, I don’t know what is. Happy juicing and I shall update you tomorrow.

If you want to know what this juice thing is all about, click here.

Juice Fasy Day 2

2012-04-05T22:29:00.002-07:00

Day 2:

This morning I weighed 150, so that is pretty good. I felt better today that I did yesterday. It seems easier to handle than yesterday too. On day 1 I felt like I was drinking so much! Today it didn’t seem like that. I feel like I have more energy than I did on day 1 too. It always gets hard around dinnertime for me. I think of the foods that I want to eat. I have noticed though that when I crave food, it is healthy “real” food. None of that processed crap or sweets. That makes me feel like this could be working for me to change my food patterns.

I want this juice fast to help me change what I eat and to be healthier in my life. I want to have more energy and look better. My goal weight is 125. I know that I can't lose that much weight on this fast, but I think that it will give me a good jump-start. I’m feeling good and ready for tomorrow! I might even go an extra day!

To find out what this is all about, read this.

Juice Fast Day 1

2012-04-05T22:15:00.002-07:00

I heard about this great documentary for eating healthier by one of my friends. She told me to watch “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” on Hulu. It is an hour and a half show and I watched it all, completely impressed and feeling very unhealthy. If you haven’t seen it yet, you will want to at least watch it! This man goes on a “Juice” cleanse for 60 days. He eats nothing but fruits and vegetables that he juices in his juicer. He heals himself from the inside out and loses weight too. It sounds like a good idea, but I don’t think that I can do 60 days.

I have decided to try to do it for 3 days, and I am going to write all about it.

Day 1:

I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 152 lbs. It wasn’t too bad just having juice today. Some of the recipes that I used from the fat sick and nearly dead website were gross and some were good. I didn’t crave food until the end part of the day, which is when I usually eat treats. But I made it through pretty good. I think that tomorrow I will try to concoct some of my own recipes.

I thought that I would share one of the recipes that I liked from the website:

Carrot Apple Ginger Juice (233 calories)

3 carrots

2 apples (I used Pink Ladies)

1 small piece of ginger (about 1 inch)

Has anyone else seen the documentary?

Pregnancy - Week 2

2012-04-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

Week 2:

During the second week of pregnancy your ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube. Once the egg has been released it must be fertilized within 12-24 hours or it will die and will be removed with your uterine lining during your next period.

Conception typically takes place between days 14-17 of a regular 28 day cycle. When the egg gets fertilized it is in the fallopian tube.

*Fun Fact:* Sperm can live up to six days long. Also it can take up to 3 days for sperm to reach the fallopian tube.

Right from the beginning of fertilization your baby's gender is known. Sperm carry either an X or a Y chromosome determining the gender.

X - Female

Y - Male

As soon as the egg is fertilized it begins to grow and the cell begins to multiply.

Once the fertilized egg has reached the uterus it implants itself into the uterine wall. Usually close to the fallopian tube that it had come from. A premature placenta also develops, which causes HCG to be produced. HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a hormone that keeps the uterine lining from shedding and stimulates it to grow.

You still do not feel much different than before.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN

Do You Have a Plan if Your House Starts on Fire?

2012-03-29T21:25:00.003-07:00

This week my family and I were driving to my mother’s house when we saw a house that had black smoke billowing from the windows. I immediately called 911 and stopped to see if anyone was inside. Thankfully no one was inside. The firemen came with their hoses and trucks and put out the fire. No one was injured or hurt from the whole fiasco.

I couldn’t help but think about what I would do if my home were on fire. We have 5 small kids and I wondered if we could get them all out safely. We haven’t really talked about it with them, but we need to be doing drills and teaching them what to do.

I also thought about what things are most important to me, besides my family, and if they were easy to get to. When your home is on fire, it’s not really a good time to start looking for the family photos that are dispersed in 3 different rooms in the house. For me, all I could think of was my family photos. Most everything in my home can be replaced, but pictures of my babies are things that I couldn’t let go of easily.

I came up with a plan to get my family ready for the unthinkable, our home burning to the ground.

1:Teach my kids what to do it there is a fire. What they should do if they see smoke or hear the alarms.

2: Plan an escape route for everyone that leads to a group-meeting place that is far from the house.

3: Have treasured items like photos backed up on discs and in a place that is easy to get to in an emergency.

Losing a home to a fire seems unimaginable, but if I had to lose mine I would hope and pray that my loved ones and my pictures were safe! Everything else in a house is just stuff. In the big scheme of things it means nothing. Sure we would miss it, but not more that our family.

I really would encourage all of you, if you don’t have a plan, to make a plan for your family. It could save a life!

Pregnancy - Week 1

2012-03-29T20:42:00.004-07:00

I have been studying many books to find and figure out what is happening inside your body each week you are pregnant. Each book was unique but I was able to collect from all of them to tell you what is most accurately happening in the womb each week of pregnancy.

Week 1:

The very beginning of your baby's life begins. The first week of pregnancy officially begins the date that you started your last period. Your body sheds its uterine lining to prepare to make a new one.

Your body has not ovulated yet but the starting of your period starts that whole cycle rolling. Technically, you are actually two weeks pregnant before you actually conceive.

The reason why doctors count the day of your last period as the starting of our first week of pregnancy is because it is hard to tell when you exactly got pregnant. But doctors know that it is somewhere between two weeks after the day of your last period and two weeks before the start of your next period. It just gives doctors a specific date to go by. It is easier to plan that way.

Also one thing that my sister taught me is how to tell when your due date is. She has studied the reproductive system in graduate school and is now a Physical Therapist. She said that if you take the day of your last period and subtract three months and then add a week that is your "tentative" due date. When I did it I was only one day off from the doctor. Pretty exciting!

At this point, your body does not react any differently.

Some books that I studied from are:

The Pregnancy Book - Everything you need to know from America's baby experts.

By: William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., and Linda Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Your Pregnancy - Week by week

By: Dr. Glade Curtis, OB/GYN and Judith Schuler, M.S.

You & Your BABY Pregnancy - Your ultimate week-by-week pregnancy guide

By: Dr. Laura Riley, OB/GYN