If you’re pregnant and considering an adoption plan for your baby, you’ve come to the right place. Or at least one of them.
If you’re looking for a family for your child, feel free to visit our Adoption Profiles. Or our links to other people and places who can help you with your decision. But first you’ll need to confirm that you’re pregnant. The simplest way to do this is with a urine test. You can pick up one at your neighbourhood drugstore. Or, for more conclusive results, you can consult your doctor or a family planning clinic.
Symptoms
Confirming your pregnancy as early as possible is important for a number of reasons. First, it will help reduce the uncertainty and the stress of an unplanned pregnancy. It will also give you time to evaluate your options and devise a strategy so that you don’t have to make quick decisions later. And lastly, because your baby’s major organs will be formed within the first three months, it will be of benefit to your child’s health, particularly if you’ll need to make changes to your lifestyle.
Pregnancy sets off hormonal changes, which have an affect on your body and behaviour. Common reactions include:
- Mood swings, fatigue and dizziness
- Nausea and perhaps even vomiting
- An aversion to some foods and a craving for others
- A frequent desire to urinate
- Enlarged breasts
- An unusual, almost metallic taste in your mouth
Most of the above last until about the 12th week, at which time they lessen or sometimes disappear. An average pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, although it can vary as much as two to three weeks either way.
Health Risks
During this time, there will be certain things you’ll need to avoid in order not to harm your baby:
- Cigarettes
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Medications
- Undercooked or raw meat
- Cat feces
Smoking increases the chances of your having a miscarriage or a stillbirth. It can also result in your baby being premature, malformed or of a low birthweight. If you can’t quit, at the very least you should try to cut down your cigarette use or switch to a weaker brand. Compared to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are much more harmful to the fetus and consequently should be strictly avoided.
Unless prescribed by your doctor, medications may have to be modified, reduced or stopped altogether. As for raw meat and cat feces, they contain a parasite that could put your baby at risk. One way to ward it off is to wear gloves and wash your hands when cleaning your cat’s kitty litter or handling raw meat. And remove undercooked meat from your diet.
Other Sources of Information
When it comes to information on pregnancy, this just the tip of the iceberg. Or rather the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Because a pregnancy is such a serious matter with long-reaching repercussions, you’ll need to consult a professional for more detailed advice and information, starting with your own doctor.
