Pregnancy: Information You're Expecting
Want to know exactly what to expect during a given week of your pregnancy or what foods to avoid when you're expecting? The sites below can answer the questions you have about your pregnancy from start to finish. Find out how to choose a doctor, how to stay happy and healthy during your pregnancy, even how to get your home and family baby-ready with the sites in this guide.
For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
If you are ready to have a baby there are many measures you can take to maximize your chances of conceiving quickly. Use these sites to learn what it takes for you to be healthy enough to get pregnant, as well as what you can do to make your body most fertile. Tips on what times of the month make you most fertile and what sexual positions are most likely to help conception are also included.
- Many parenting or pregnancy sites have pre-pregnancy sections. And many sites with pre-pregnancy information have resources for you and your baby throughout pregnancy and your baby's first years. If you find a site you like, you may be able to use it for quite some time.
- Although many sites in this guide have links that let you pose questions to a medical doctor, pediatrician, or gynecologist, there is never a substitute for calling your own doctor as she can answer questions taking into consideration your medical history.
- Before beginning any fertility treatment program or changing your lifestyle in any way to promote conception based on information you read online, visit your doctor to make sure you are not jeopardizing your health.
Mayo Clinic
offers medical advice on pregnancy issues from fertility to delivery. Visit "Planning for pregnancy" for preconception advice. The "Diet, exercise and lifestyle" section offers tips on how to care for your body to maximize fertility and have a healthy pregnancy.
Pregnancy.org
is a pre-pregnancy portal that is a great place to start if you're thinking of starting a family. You'll find links to articles on how to improve your odds of becoming pregnant, how to improve you pre-pregnancy health, and how to chart your ovulation.
The National Women's Health Information Center
is a government site that provides information on fertility and pregnancy. This section focuses on the pre-pregnancy period and how to be at your healthiest before you conceive. It provides links to other resources and related information, such as the increased nutritional needs of women who want to become or are already pregnant.
The March of Dimes
pre-pregnancy section lists questions you should ask yourself, your partner, and your doctor, before getting pregnant. The questions range from if you are emotionally prepared to your family history and how it may affect your pregnancy.
The Public Health Agency of Canada
provides a "Healthy Pregnancy" portal for women who are considering becoming pregnant. It provides links to information about diet and exercise, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. Download "The Sensible Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy," a 10-month pregnancy calendar you can personalize. There's also a multiple-choice quiz you can take to test your knowledge about pregnancy and health.
To improve fertility or deal with infertility issues ...
FertilityFriend.com
helps women track their menstrual cycles as well as temperatures to find the times when they are most likely to conceive. This site has community discussion boards and an extensive "Education Center" that can answer just about any technical question you might have about using the site or trying to conceive.
The American Fertility Association
has information and support for those trying to conceive: ideal health conditions, over-the-counter fertility kits, trying to conceive in your thirties and forties, discussion boards for a variety of interests, links to professionals, and your options for adopting a child.
Parents.com
provides tips and information on fertility that can help you determine the fertility of both you and your partner. The site offers articles, easy-to-read lists like "10 ways to improve your fertility," and a fertility quiz.
Institute for Reproductive Health
describes how to develop a natural family planning system based around a woman's fertile days. This site goes into scientific detail on methods for determining your fertility.
To understand the early pregnancy signs ...
Mayo Clinic
explains the early signs of pregnancy which include nausea, mood swings, and fatigue.
The National Women's Health Information Center
discusses home pregnancy tests, the difference between blood and urine tests, the most effective home pregnancy test brands, and any factors that might falsely affect the outcome of your test. This information is also available in Spanish.
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