OK, first I have to say that I’m not a woman so I’m obviously approaching this topic from a very different viewpoint of a breast feeder. That said, I can approach the topic from the point of view of a parent whose child may be breastfed by a wet-nurse. And my thoughts are; what’s the big deal?

If we get right back to basics, then we have to accept that wet-nursing has been around for as long as breast feeding has. Throughout history and across the world, wet-nursing and “cross nursing” (the occasional nursing of another’s infant while the mother continues to nurse her own child) has been in practice. Even as far back as 2000 BC, when the oldest written laws – the Code of Hammurabi – were put into practice, there were rules for wet nursing.

So why do so many people get in such a hullabaloo over it? Maybe it has something to do with the intense bond that develops between mother and child, when breastfeeding. In that case, I can understand why some mothers would not want to share that experience with anyone else.

Rhonda Shaw, a sociologist who studies shared nursing in New Zealand, thinks that for some people the idea of physically breast-feeding a child not your own evokes even deeper taboos. She says that many confuse “adult meanings of eroticism with breast feeding … Sometimes people associate a woman breast-feeding another woman’s baby with pedophilia.” Though I’m not sure I would agree with her, I do think she makes an interesting point.

But women who share milk say it’s good for babies and mums. One advocate of cross-nursing, who stayed home after the birth of her child, also nursed the infant of her working sister for a year. She said it created a unique bond with her niece, and brought the family even closer. Another cross-nurser (who also wishes to stay anonymous) says that cross-nursing brought her closer to her friend. “It takes female friendship to another level. You’re trusting another person to nurture your child,” she says. However, the overwhelming feeling from those I spoke to was distinctly negative. I must confess; that surprised me!

One of the ladies had actually cut off relations with a friend of many years because that friend had breast fed her child without her permission. I’m certainly sympathetic, because breast feeding someone else’s child without the parent’s permission does seem a little out of order, but I still couldn’t help thinking that she was blowing things out of proportion. When I asked her why she was so incensed she cited the risks of transmitting viruses through breast milk. That seemed fair enough, but on closer examination, research shows that breast milk contains many factors to protect the infant from such occurrences (although I accept that these may not offer complete protection).

So what about all the milk banks that are popping up around us? I mean, here are organizations that are going to make a considerable profit out of wet-nursing. What do they have to say about it? Well, not surprisingly, their first concern is around the safety of delivering milk to infants. To that end most milk banks will screen donors in a very similar fashion to blood banks.

Dr Ben Hartmann, manager of the PREM Bank, Australia’s first human milk bank says “I would suggest that although breast milk is an amazing and complex fluid that provides so many benefits – beyond just nutrition – to babies, the consequences of some of these risks are severe. One could only counsel parents considering the sharing of breast milk in the knowledge that they fully understood and accepted these risks. For this reason our current policy (and that of most other countries and organizations such as WHO) is that ‘donor’ breast milk should only be sourced from an appropriately managed human milk bank.”

I appreciate the service that many milk banks provide; giving breast milk to the most needy (which is always better than formula milk), but he’s bound to say that though! He wants to ensure his business doesn’t go out of business because people are sharing breast milk openly! I don’t know, personally I can’t see a problem with wet nursing or cross nursing. Sure, there may be slight risk of transmitting a virus (but any type of basic screening can rule out that risk). There is also the sharing of a unique bond that is created between mother and child when breast feeding, which since I’ll never be able to breast feed doesn’t mean much to me either. What I can say is that in communities in which I have witnessed cross nursing and wet nursing as a regularity, the sense of community and the bonds between friends, families, and children have been noticeably greater than in those where it doesn’t occur.

What do you think?

Although the stereotypical image of pregnancy is of a serene, happy, glowing mum-to-be, in reality it is actually a very stressful time not least as it is a very major life changing event. Many women experience anxiety over the health of their developing baby, feel overwhelmed at how their body is changing without their control, are tired from working hard yet concerned about what will happen to their career after maternity leave, worried whether they’ll be able to juggle motherhood with work and even anxious about whether they will still be able to relate to their friends once they become a mother. All in all there are a lot of things going on and these feelings can lead to depression especially if friends, a partner or family are unsupportive.

Until recently it was thought that during pregnancy women were almost immune from depression both mentally (overwhelming joy at being an expectant mother was thought to cancel out the risk of developing depression) and physically (pregnancy hormones were thought to be protective against depression). However, contrary to these beliefs new research has found that women are potentially more susceptible to depression while they are pregnant than at any other time in their lives.

Unlike postnatal depression, which is widely publicised and for which there is a great deal of support, antenatal or prenatal depression is often brushed over as women are lead to believe that pregnancy should be happy time or that those “unseemly feelings” are just part of the normal pregnancy moodiness. In this article we look at what causes antenatal depression, what are the symptoms, what the effects are, what you can do about it, and where to go to get further support.

What Causes Antenatal Depression?

No one knows for definite why some women get it and others don’t. It goes without saying that most women do experience mood swings during their nine months, but some are more affected by these than others. Hormones certainly play their part, but others also contribute.

The root cause of antenatal depression is thought to be centred on a pregnancy related hormone imbalance however it’s this combined with any number of life stressors that are likely to be responsible for determining the development of depression in pregnancy.

Any major event has lasting effects on you and pregnancy is not different. It is a significant and life changing experience and that can bring its own set of stress and uncertainty with it. If other traumatic things happen during your pregnancy (death of a loved one, losing your job, moving house, etc) then you are more likely to suffer from antenatal depression.

Your history and that of your family can also be a cause. For example, if you have suffered abuse (whether that be physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual) then it is quite possible that pregnancy can prove a very upsetting time.

Similarly, your family history can be a tell-tale sign. If depression is something that has affected you or a close family member previously, then you may be more likely to suffer from it during pregnancy.

And finally, pregnancy complications can also trigger depressive feelings. Women who have experienced difficulties conceiving, or who have had a miscarriage in the past will often worry for the safety of the baby and this often takes an emotional toll.

Signs Of Depression

Most women will have mood swings during pregnancy, so by no means should you think you are depressed just because you shout or cry at your partner. That is perfectly normal! However, if you are constantly feeling down, angry, anxious, or that you just can’t cope then this may be more than a temporary mood swing.

As a general rule of thumb you should apply the same standards as when you are looking for signs of “normal depression”, because essentially the symptoms are exactly the same. They include:

• Anxiety
• Extreme irritability with others and yourself
• Obsessive compulsive tendencies – eg washing your hands over and over again.
• Persistent sadness
• Inability to enjoy anything anymore
• Extreme fatigue
• Feelings of isolation or loneliness
• Inability to concentrate
• Difficulty making decisions
• Severe feelings of guilt
• Inability to have fun
• Sleep problems – either too much or too little
• Overeating or lack of desire to eat
• Agoraphobia – scared to leave the house or be in social situations

It’s worth noting that many of these symptoms will surface at some point during pregnancy and in isolation are not necessarily an indicator of depression.

Does Antenatal Depression Mean Postnatal Depression?

Opinions are divided on this point. Let me start by saying that if you experience antenatal depression it doesn’t necessarily follow that you will develop post natal depression. Research shows that many women recover completely as soon as their baby arrives. Similarly, if you experience depression during one pregnancy, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you will suffer from it in your next. However, when all is said and done, it appears that around 50% of women who experience depression in pregnancy go on the have postnatal depression.

So, the advice is to seek help if you suffer from antenatal depression because if you do go on to experience postnatal depression then the support and help structures should already be in place once the baby is born (and, remember, postnatal depression is quite common, so you’ve nothing to be worried about it).

Treating The Blues

Treatment ranges from simple measures such as increasing your level of self-care to medications in the case of severe depression, so in the case of continued depression you should seek professional advice. There are also a number of actions you can take to help you stay on top of things and here are some tips to assist you in feeling well again:

• Eating small regular meals can stabilise blood sugar levels and increase your energy
• Avoid foods that contain aspartame, like diet foods and diet soft drinks
• Avoid high-fat foods and caffeine
• Try acupuncture and acupressure
• Increase your relaxation activities such as yoga, baths and time for yourself
• Try to fit in plenty of pregnancy friendly exercise such as walking and swimming
• Get as much rest as possible
• Look for support people, such as family and friends, and ask them for help
• Attend face to face, or group support sessions with support people, psychologists or psychiatrists
• Learn anxiety-modifying and relaxation techniques such as meditation
• Talk to your Doctor or Midwife

Admitting you are feeling depressed is not a sign of weakness but a sign you are a good mother, putting yours and your baby’s health first. At the end of the day, you are not alone and the doctors have seen it all before and will be able to help you.

Where To Get Help & Support

If you think that you may be experiencing antenatal depression it’s important that you seek help from your healthcare provider, your doctor, and/or your midwife. It is equally important that you speak to someone as soon as possible. Unfortunately, depression does have a stigma attached to it which is why people are reluctant to talk to others about their experience. Yet depression is an illness that has symptoms and treatments like many others and talking will help you to work through any anxieties you have and help your loved ones better understand what you’re going through.

Professional Support Providers

The Black Dog Institute is an educational, research and clinical group with expertise in depression. It is attached to the Prince of Wales Hospital and affiliated with the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Beyondblue is a national, independent, not-for-profit organisation that specialises in depression and anxiety.

PANDSI is the Post and Antenatal Depression Support and Information Incorporated.

Black Dog and Beyond blue both have depression self-test resources available on their websites. The Black Dog’s test is specific to antenatal depression. The Black Dog Institute also lists antenatal depression contacts around the country.

So, when your thinking of names for your child, take heed of some of these useful points for consideration – they might just save your child (and you) from a very embarrassing situation.

How does it sound?

Consider how the name works with your surname. When the full name is read out loud, it should have a nice ring. Avoid names that rhyme with your surname, or produce a tongue twister (or an embarrassing sub-meaning). You may decide that, if you have a long surname, that a short first name is most appropriate, or vice versa.You should also consider the transition between the end of one name and the start of a next. First names that end in a vowel sound (such as ‘ee’) may not be suited to surnames that begin with the same sound, for example, “Ellie Edens” or “Carlo Overmars”.

Strike a balance between popularity and obscurity

It’s a tough one. It would be easy to name your child James or Jessica, but they will likely be able to start an exclusive group at school of people with the same name. They may also be referred to as ‘Jessie C’ or something along those lines. On the other hand, you don’t want to set your child up for years of abuse at the hands of cruel school kids. A name like “xerxes” may be unique, but your child will be cursed with explaining the pronunciation and spelling of his name for his entire life.

Consider your child’s initials

If you are a Mr and Mrs Kingsgrove, you probably don’t want to call your child David Ingersoll. Although those names aren’t inoffensive in their own right, the initials D.I.K is going to set your child up for unnecessary teasing.

Don’t forget your heritage

Many parents decide to honour their ethnicity or cultural links by naming their child accordingly. Have roots in North Africa? You may wish to consider ‘Hakim’ for a boy. Did you meet your spouse overseas? Maybe your new child will be named something that comes from that country.

Think about using a family name

It is common practise to perpetuate the memory of a loved one by using their name for your child. Be careful though – don’t let family ties dominate your choice of name. Also consider who you may “put out” if you don’t choose their name. I, for example, have lots of brothers and sisters and I love some of their names. I can’t, however, name my children after just one or two of my siblings because it would alienate the others. If you are unsure whether a family name would suit your new youngster, you could use it for a middle name.

Investigate the meaning

Some parents have a particular desire to give their baby a name, the meaning of which strikes a chord with them. This is particularly true with religious families for example, with ‘John’ meaning ‘God has given’. On the other hand, you may just wish to avoid a meaning which you particularly dislike. ‘Leah’ means ‘spiritless’ – perhaps not such an appealing name if you’re concerned about that meaning?

The Top 10 Names

According to the futuroligist and social researcher Mark McCrindle, the fashion of names has changed. He says that generation X are starting to show their conservative side now that they are becoming parents. “Today’s parents are avoiding gender neutral names, yet there is a creativity in their conservatism with the traditional names sharing the top 10”.

Top 10 For Boys: Jack, William, Lachlan, Joshua, Riley, Thomas, Cooper, Oliver, James and Ethan.

Top 10 For Girls: Mia, Chloe, Isabella, Charlotte, Emily, Ella, Olivia, Sienna, Ava and Sophie.

Despite the advances in modern medicine, for a number of reasons, getting pregnant today is harder than ever before. Why? Because in today’s world we can make a conscious choice about whether or not to have children, and we can also choose when we will have them. Today many factors including career, travel, a desire for independence and the urge to experience more of life prior to settling down and starting a family, have caused women to delay, or in some cases completely avoid settling down and starting a family at a young age. This in turn has made getting pregnant harder.

Obviously, the first thing a woman needs to consider in order to get pregnant is her health. The healthier you are, the more chance you have of conceiving. So first and foremost, you need to concentrate on maintaining as healthy a body and lifestyle as possible. Beyond that, your chances of falling pregnant depend on a number of factors including:

• Age of the couple (in particular the age of the woman)
• Timing of intercourse (with fertile periods)
• Lifestyle habits of the couple trying to conceive

In Beth Kiley’s book “Personal Path to Pregnancy”, she details a number of excellent strategies and tips for maximizing your fertility and improving your chances of getting pregnant by up to 50%. For example, she covers:

1. what to do before you conceive

2. exercises to complete to help boost fertility

3. how to work out when you are most fertile

4. what steps you can take to give yourself the best chance possible of getting pregnant

5. diet and vitamin supplements for pregnancy

6. reflexology, massage, and Chinese medicines for getting pregnant

7. the top tips for getting pregnant

In addition to the things you should do when trying to get pregnant, what I liked about Beth’s book was the way she also covers what you shouldn’t do. Plus she goes into a section about the man’s role (which is, obviously, a very important factor). If you are interested in what Beth Kiley has to say, you can even sign up for FREE and receive a weeks’ worth of tips and advice that you can start implementing immediately.

Beth is a true professional in her field; she speaks from experience, she doesn’t make wild claims or silly promises and her books are far more comprehensive and practical than much of the competition. Also she is quite happy to give away FREE advice (which nobody else is prepared to do) and let you decide if you think her expertise on the matter is going to help or not (you never know, you may even find that she provides the answers you need in her free emails so you won’t need to spend a cent). If you do decide that you are interested in her book, it is by far the best priced product of its kind on the market, retailing at only $29.77.

At the end of the day, there is a lot of information around on how to get pregnant… and with so much advice out there, it’s hard to really find the “nuggets”. It could be something as simple as balancing your hormones, monitoring your diet, or not using certain types of lubrication (yes, I know, I couldn’t believe it when Beth Kiley told me that things like Vaseline and KY kill sperm!). There are many sources of information so have a look around and I’m sure you’ll find something suits you and hopefully brings you closer to your dream of having a baby.

Good luck!

These days there are plenty of laws to make things easier for you when you’re pregnant at work, but whilst laws protects you on paper, the reality of your employment situation and the physical demands of daily work can take their toll. Here are a few simple ways you can make your working day easier and some of the issues that you may need to consider concerning your work.

1 Know Your Work Rights

Telling your boss, requesting flexible hours, maternity leave and pay can all seem a little daunting, but rest assured you have a number of rights when it comes to being pregnant and working. First and foremost, you’ll need to tell your employer. The sooner you tell your boss that you’re pregnant, the better, as it will give them more time to plan ahead. However, if you do want to keep it quiet for a while, you must tell your employer at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week your baby’s due.

When you do tell your boss, organise a proper meeting and go fully prepared with baby’s due date and when you want to start your maternity leave. You can always change those dates as long as you give 28 days’ notice. Also be prepared for questions your employer might ask. Can you help find a replacement? Will you be able to finish that project? Make it clear that you’ll be flexible when taking time off for antenatal checkups, and that you will stay in touch during your leave.

Every pregnant woman is entitled to take a certain number of weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML), plus an extra quota of Additional Maternity Leave (AML). Check your local maternity leave entitlements so you know where you stand. You can start your maternity leave any time from 11 weeks before the beginning of the week when your baby’s due. Or you can keep working right up until when you give birth!

2 Is You Work Suitable For Pregnancy?

If your work involves being in a safe environment where you’re not exposed to anything hazardous, and your pregnancy is normal and straightforward, then there’s no reason why you can’t continue to work.

However, if the nature of your work is dangerous and poses risks all the time, for example if you work with chemicals, dangerous materials or work extremely long shifts, you may need to consider whether or not it’s the right place for you to be whilst pregnant.

3 Dealing With Pregnancy-Related Symptoms

In the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, morning sickness can hit the hardest. Although this feeling of nausea (whether accompanied by vomiting or not) is usually completely gone by 16 weeks, it’s in those first weeks of pregnancy that you’re usually trying to be discreet about your pregnancy with your colleagues and employers! Small snacks can help, but try small amounts of different things before you find what suits you.

As you progress through the trimesters you may also suffer other symptoms, such as feeling tired, getting backache, finding it hard work being on your feet for too long and even absent-mindedness.

4 Traveling To & From Work

It’s not always easy to change your route to work, but if you’re always stuck on a busy train with no seat, think about adjusting your own timetable and/or route to work to grab yourself more breathing space on that unavoidable commute. Remember that once your employer knows your condition, you can ask for a reasonable adjustment to your timings if it’s feasible within your job. You may find shifting your hours a little earlier or later will help.

5 Make Your Workspace Comfortable

Workspace comfort has recently become more of priority for many employers and companies now use ergonomic seats and teach correct posture at your desk and compute. That said, it still doesn’t stop me slouching or sitting badly! Now that you are pregnant, hormones are affecting the way your ligaments and muscles support your changing shape so it is especially vital that you make sure you have good posture and that you have good support for your feet.

Make sure you can stretch and get up to move around regularly, and that you have a footrest (whether this is a proper rest or books or a box chosen to suit your level) that will keep your legs comfortable. If you don’t you’ll find that you are more likely to get sciatica, back pain or swollen ankles. Sitting for long periods at your desk is also a “no-no”. Get up, stretch yourself out, and make a virtue of toilet breaks!

6 Keep Fueled Up

Pregnancy is not a time to diet! I start feeling faint when I don’t eat between breakfast and lunch so making sure you eat the full meals during the day and keeping a supply of handy little snacks by your desk is a good idea. If you’re going into a long meeting, think about how you can take something discreet to eat with you (or take a break to go and have a quick snack).

7 Water Supply

Make sure you have a bottle of water at your desk and it’s even a good idea to carry a bottle of water with you on the journey to and from work. This doesn’t have to be mineral water but keeping a filled up bottle with you is handier than occasionally remembering to get a cup of water.

8 Handling Fatigue

You may feel tired as your body works overtime to support your pregnancy — and resting during the workday can be tough. It may help to eat foods rich in iron and protein. Fatigue can be a symptom of iron deficiency anemia, but adjusting your diet can help. Choose foods such as red meat, poultry, seafood, leafy green vegetables, whole-grain cereal and pasta, beans, nuts, and seeds. Also take short, frequent breaks. Getting up and moving around for a few minutes can reinvigorate you. Spending a few minutes with the lights off, your eyes closed and your feet up also can help you recharge.

Think about scaling back some activities when your workday ends (if you can). Consider doing your shopping online and making sure your partner helps out at home. Although this may sound counter-intuitive, physical activity does actually help boost your energy level — especially if you sit at a desk all day. Take a walk after work or join a prenatal fitness class.

And finally, go to bed early. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Apparently, resting on your left side will improve blood flow to your baby and help prevent swelling. Placing pillows between your legs and under your belly may also increase your comfort.

9 Keeping stress under control

Stress on the job can inspire you to push hard, but it can also sap the energy you need to care for yourself and your baby. To minimize workplace stress make sure you take control. Make daily to-do lists and prioritize your tasks. Consider what you can delegate to someone else — or eliminate overly stressful projects. Share frustrations and challenges with a supportive co-worker, friend or loved one and practice relaxation techniques, such as breathing slowly or imagining yourself in a calm place.

10. Feel confident about your time off work

There’s no need to feel concerned about taking time off work. Keep your employer informed of dates and times when you’ll need to attend check-ups and scans, and think about how much time you’ll need or want off for maternity leave.

Finally

Many women find themselves juggling pregnancy and work at some point in their life. For some, especially those who do not suffer from pregnancy sickness and whose jobs are important to them, work is a welcome way to wait out the nine months. Other women may need a month or more to prepare their nest and focus on the life they have growing inside them. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to go about working when pregnant. Whatever your pregnancy situation and your job, think through what is best for your situation and enjoy the experience (as much as you can).

Soothsayers have been claiming they can predict the gender of your baby for as long as anyone can remember. Some predictions are as strange as studying the shape of your nose and some are as ridiculous as relying on the “position of conception”. However, for anyone who has genuinely wanted to know the gender of their baby, the clear cut answers rely on ultrasound scans. And typically you would need to wait until the 20 week scan or later to clearly see the genitals.

So what if I told you that you can find out the sex of your baby at week 12… with a 75% degree of accuracy! You don’t believe me? Well, it’s true and it’s called “the nub theory”. This basically relies on the “angle of the dangle” and it’s a fairly new technique. It basically works like this: between weeks 11 and 14 the foetus has a small bump between the legs.

Until recently, sonographers (the people that read your scan) haven’t been able to conclusively predict the baby’s gender at this stage because the protuberance occurs in both males and females, and the look almost identical. However, recent studies show that there is, actually, a difference that can be spotted even as early as at the 12 week scan. Essentially a boy’s dangle is 30 degrees up (hardly a dangle, in my opinion, and a very boyish trait already!) and the girl’s is below 30 degrees. Both dangles are measured relative to the backbone.

Wow!

OK, so it’s not all that easy. There are “grey areas”, where it’s really not possible to see at this stage which way the bulge is leaning, but in essence the system works. The other challenge is that the scan has to be of the foetus lying as flat as possible as it’s very difficult to predict the gender when he or she is all curled up. Also, it must be side on and apparently it is better if the baby is right side up.

So there you go… need some proof? Look at this.

This is a scan taken at 12 weeks. Can you see the little protrusion near the top right corner of the picture. That is the “nub”, and as you can see it is at an angle of greater than 30 degrees relative to the back bone.

OK, now let’s look at the female equivalent. Once again, this scan is taken at the 12 week milestone (the end of the first trimester). And there you can see it; the nub is less than 30 degrees on this picture… and it really is very clear. Given that these two scans were taken at the same time, there is quite a difference, don’t you think?

Remarkable, but true! If you get your scan at 11 weeks, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the genders. If, on the other hand, you check the 12 week scan, you can predict the gender of your baby with a 75% degree of accuracy (at 13 weeks it’s closer to 95% accurate). When you next go in for your scan and you start talking about “nub theory” and checking the picture, be aware that some sonographers aren’t conscious of this theory so don’t be put off when they look at you like your crazy. Just ask to get a shot exactly like one of the ones above; the foetus right side on, back flat not curled up and a good shot of the ‘nub’ and you can do the rest.

That is, of course, if your keen to find out the gender of your baby. Personally, I’d rather be surprised, but that’s just me.

If you’re extremely tuned in to your body’s rhythms, you may begin to suspect you’re pregnant soon after conception. But most women won’t experience any early pregnancy symptoms until the fertilised egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, several days after conception. Others may notice no signs of pregnancy for weeks and begin to wonder “Am I pregnant?” only when they miss a period. Below is a list of some of the first signs of impending motherhood. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms of pregnancy:

1. Altered sense of taste. You may notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women say they have a metallic taste in their mouth, others that they cannot stand the taste of coffee, tea, or a food they usually like.

2. Food cravings. Yes, it’s a cliché, but food cravings sometimes can be a sign of pregnancy. Don’t rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, start counting the days from your last period.

3. Frequent urination. Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you may find yourself going to the bathroom more often.

4. Implantation bleeding or cramping. About eight days after ovulation, you may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown colour, as well as some cramping. This is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period.

5. Darkening of your areolas. If the skin around your nipples gets darker, you may have successfully conceived, though this may also signal a hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.

6. Tender, swollen breasts. If you’re pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period, only more so. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.

7. Fatigue. Feeling tired or even exhausted? High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel as if you’ve run a marathon when all you’ve done is put in a day at the office. Fatigue is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a surefire symptom on its own!

8. Morning sickness. If you’re lucky, morning sickness won’t hit you until a few weeks after conception. (A lucky few escape it altogether.) But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy. And not just in the morning, either — pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night.

9. A missed period. If you’re usually pretty regular and your period is late, it’s worth trying a pregnancy test. A missed period is the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who usually has regular periods.

And finally…

10. A positive home pregnancy test. If you’ve waited to test until at least the first day of a missed period and a blue line appears in the test window, you’re most likely to be, well, pregnant! Make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the good news, and head over to our pregnancy area. Congratulations!