Options Pregnancy Centre offers information and support to people who want to know about pregnancy; think they may be pregnant or know they are pregnant. We invite you to call and make an appointment to come in and talk with a trained volunteer counsellor. Rest assured that we respect your need for and right to privacy and confidentiality.

Pregnancy begins when the sperm of a man joins the egg ( ovum) of a woman. This usually occurs during intercourse but can happen in any close sexual encounter when a man's semen is deposited in or near a woman's vagina. Sperm in the semen swim into her uterus and up the fallopian tubes. At a certain time each month, one of a woman's ovaries releases an egg. The absolute length of time that an egg can be fertilized is unknown, but is  thought to be between 12 and 24 hours. By comparison, sperm have a life of up to 7 days, although they are most able to fertilize an egg for the first 2 to 3 days after they are released into the vagina¹. However, exact days when a woman can become  pregnant is very difficult to predict by a calendar²,³,⁴.  [For more information on fertility awareness, see Natural Contraception on Birth Control page]

Conception is the term for the event which creates a new living being with everything needed to become a distinct person with some characteristics of its mother and some of its father.

Detection of Pregnancy

At conception, special hormones begin to flow in a woman's body. A week after this event, there is sufficient concentration of a hormone called 'human chorionic gonadotropin' to show in her urine on a pregnancy test at the Options Pregnancy Centre or a medical clinic. A home pregnancy test will detect the hormone after 10 days. This may be even before a woman's period is due.

If you have a pregnancy test that shows you are pregnant, we encourage you to see your physician. If you do not have a regular physician, click here to see which physicians in the community are accepting new patients.

Time Line of Pregnancy

The age of the new living being is calculated from the time of conception. For the first 5 weeks it is called an 'embryo', after that a 'fetus' (Latin for 'little one'.)

However, the count of a woman's pregnancy begins on the first day of her last menstrual period (LMP).  Therefore, a woman is told she is, for example, 8 weeks pregnant when the fetus is actually only six weeks old (See Photo.).

Pregnancy is Divided into trimesters:

• First Trimester - 1-13 weeks, first 3 months
• Second Trimester - 14-27 weeks, middle 3 months
• Third Trimester - 28-40 weeks, last 3 months

Physical Experiences of Pregnancy

Besides the stop of menstrual periods you may be tired a lot, feel queasy, have tender breasts and have to urinate more frequently than usual. Eat small amounts of nutritious food frequently (juice and crackers when you feel nauseous) and rest more often. Usually the fatigue and nausea get better as the pregnancy progresses.

Thoughts and Feelings during Pregnancy

Some women experience mood swings, laughing one minute, crying the next; feeling confident one moment and worrying the next. Talking with someone who has been through a pregnancy is usually a big help as well as reading books or watching videos about mothering. Keeping active, especially outside, lifts your mood. This is often an ideal time to connect with your spiritual roots or look for answers yourself. Visit a place of worship!

Mother Care during Pregnancy

• Have frequent medical check-ups.
• Eat balanced meals.
• Cut out smoking and nicotine. The carbon monoxide from smoking hurts the baby and smoking decreases the amount of oxygen to the baby; other people’s smoke can also hurt you and the baby.
• Stop drinking anything with alcohol in it ie. coolers, cider, beer, wine, any liquor can cause birth defects.
• Take prenatal vitamins.
• Avoid over-the-counter medications, talk to your physician or pharmacist before you take anything.
• Keep caffeine to a minimum, only 2 cups a day total of coffee, tea, chocolate, colas.
• Keep active - walking, swimming biking are great exercise.
• Sign up for prenatal classes, see Community Referrals.
• Become informed about pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and adoption.
• Get adequate rest and relaxation.

If you need help Options Pregnancy Centre has practical support available for Expectant Mothers and for New Parents. Just call and make an appointment to come and talk.

Citations:

1. SexualityandU.ca Newsletter April 17, 2006
   http://www.sexualityandu.ca/eng/news/e-newsletter_0406.cfm
2. Fertility Window Difficult to Predict" Times-Colonist, November 20, 2000
3. The Truth about Fertility, Why More Doctors are Warning that Science can't Beat the Biological Clock". Newsweek, August 13, 2001
4. Kirkey, S. "Scientists Find Baby Factory Never Stops", National Post, July 12, 2003

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e-mail:  info@optionspregnancy.org
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