Pregnancy 
1. Tender breasts/nipples: If you are pregnant you will notice that your breasts and nipples become tender around three weeks after conception (when your period is about one week late). They may also feel swollen -- similar to the way they feel when you expect your period.
2. Slight spotting or cramping: If you are pregnant, light pink spotting can occur at the time of implantation -- when the embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus. This happens around eight to ten days following ovulation, a bit earlier than your menstrual period is due. You can usually differentiate implantation bleeding from your menstrual period if it occurs a bit earlier than expected, if it is scanty, spotty, pinkish (and not red and heavy like a period), and does not follow the normal pattern of a period (light, progressing to heavy and then again to light). Cramping can also be common in early pregnancy. Until the uterus assumes its mid-position and becomes better supported by the bony pelvis in the second trimester, it is prone to menstrual-like cramping. Contractions of the uterus occur regularly, increasing with exercise, orgasm and even simple changes in position.
3. Darkening areolas: In very early pregnancy -- around the time of your expected period -- you may notice that your areola (the darker area that rings the nipple) begin to darken and increase in diameter. It is believed that the darker color of the areola helps the newborn to find the nipple for breastfeeding. You may also notice that the veins in your breasts become more visible and that Montgomery's tubercles, the tiny "bumps" that are scattered around the areola, enlarge and may increase in number, averaging between 4 and 28 per areola.
4. Extreme fatigue: If you are pregnant, a very common symptom in the first eight to ten weeks is exhaustion. When you are pregnant, your body is going through significant metabolic changes. Your entire body needs to adjust to the new process of growing a baby. For most women, the fatigue starts to go away by the 12th week of pregnancy.
5. Nausea and vomiting: If you are pregnant you may find quite early on -- as early as a week after conception -- that you are experiencing morning sickness. And you may also find that morning sickness is a misnomer. Nausea can occur anytime -- day or night.
6. Frequent urination: By the time your period is one to two weeks late you may find that you are peeing more frequently than usual. This is because the baby growing in your uterus is putting pressure on your bladder.
7. Constipation: You may notice a change in your bowels in early pregnancy. The extra hormones produced during pregnancy cause the intestines to relax and become less efficient.
8. Raised basal body temperature: You may very well be pregnant if your basal body temperature remains elevated even past the time your period is due and does not decline to preovulatory levels. When you conceive, the egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube, after which it takes about a week to travel to the uterus, where it will implant. It is at this time that your body is finally able to detect that you are pregnant. When hCG is released, women often experience a third temperature rise, not as dramatic as the first, but can usually be seen anywhere from about a week to 12 days after the first temperature rise at ovulation.
9. Missed period: This may be your first sign of pregnancy, especially if you're normally quite regular. Combined with other positive signs you may be sure you're pregnant, even before the test stick turns blue.
10. A positive pregnancy test: If your period is at least a day late, and you're ready to know the truth, you may want to take a home pregnancy test. A urine pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 10 to 14 days after fertilization. If you can't wait until a missed period, a blood pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 8 to 10 days after fertilization. Keep in mind that pregnancy tests are not 100 percent foolproof -- not even blood tests. If you have a negative result and still feel pregnant, be sure to retest a week later -- and check in with your care provider.
Morning Sickness
Aghhh ...the dreaded morning sickness. I could affirm after 4 pregnancies there was no cure for morning sickness. I had morning sickness all day for about 3-4 months with each pregnancy. I tried eating crackers, taking B-6, ginger teas, etc. What I can say is you may lose weight and a little is not a bad thing because I gained mine back double. Monitor and make sure you are hydrated. My favorite food was drinking hot ovaltine(chocolate malt) and peanut butter and jelly. I was in bed all day and very tired and weak. If you can, take a pre-natal pill. I didn't realize how important this was until the third pregnancy. Although, it seems as if your doing nothing, your body is working really really hard forming this beautiful being YHWH has blessed you with. The intricate details of the eyes,skin, hair, etc, make your body work! So, my advice would be eat what ever you can as much as you can during the first trimester. If all you can stomach is cocoa or eat ice cream....work it out and do not deprive you or that baby. Look below for my two favorites during pregnancy, best pre-natal pill or Liquid flora which can be taken during and while nursing and thereafter to prevent fatigue, vitamin deficiencies plus boosts iron. Its a little pricey but worth every penny for your health.
Rosehips are very high in vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron. They also taste very good in tea. I have used them for nausea when other herbs didn't work.
- Bren Chance
SIGNS THAT LABOR IS NEAR
1. Dropping. Some time during the final few weeks you may notice that your baby has moved down lower in your abdomen. Most first-timers notice their babies dropping within two weeks of delivery, though some mothers "drop" as many as four weeks before D-day. Second-time mothers often find their babies do not drop lower until labor begins, because mom's pelvic muscles have already been stretched, and no warm-up is needed. Baby's head settling into the pelvis is also called "lightening" (because the lower-riding load seems smaller and lighter) or "engagement" (since baby's head engages the pelvic opening). Whether baby "drops," "lightens," or "engages," you will feel and look different. Your breasts probably no longer touch the top of your abdomen. You might be able to sense baby's head resting just beneath the middle of your pelvic bone.
2. Frequent urination.
3. Low backache.
4. Stronger Braxton-Hicks contractions. You may notice that your warm- up contractions go from feeling uncomfortable to being rather painful like menstrual cramps. Even though these prelabor contractions are not as strong as labor contractions, they are strong enough to be starting the work of thinning out, or effacing, your cervix from a thick-walled cone to a thin-walled cup. While these contractions will get even stronger just prior to labor, they can continue this way, on and off, for a week or two before labor starts. They become less intense when you change position or start walking.
5. Diarrhea.
6. Increased vaginal discharge.
7. Bloody show. The combination of baby's head descending into the pelvic cavity and the prelabor contractions thinning the cervix can "uncork" the mucus plug that previously sealed the cervix. The consistency of this mucus varies from stringy to thick and gooey. Some women notice the one-time passing of an obvious mucus plug; others simply notice increased blood-tinged vaginal discharge. Some of the tiny blood vessels in your cervix break as your cervix thins, so you may see anything from a pink to a brownish-red-tinged teaspoonful of bloody mucous. If your discharge shows more blood than mucus – like a menstrual period or a lot of bright-red blood -- report this to your practitioner immediately. Once you notice a bloody show, you are likely to begin labor within three days, but some mothers hang on for another week or two.
8. Bag of waters breaking. Only 1 in 10 mothers experience their bag of waters breaking prior to labor. For most mothers this doesn't happen until they are well into labor. If your water breaks before labor has started, plan on your labor starting intensely within the next few minutes or hours, or at least within the next day.
Prelabor contractions (also called "false" contractions):
- Are irregular, following no discernable pattern for more than a few hours.
- Are non-progressive: don't become stronger, longer, or more frequent.
- Are felt most in front, in the lower abdomen.
- Vary from painless to mildly uncomfortable; feel more like pressure than pain.
- Become less intense and less uncomfortable if you change position or walk, lie down, or take a hot bath or shower.
- Make your uterus feel like a hard ball.
Labor contractions (also called "real" or "true" contractions):
- Follow a regular pattern. (Timing is seldom precise to the minute.)
- Are progressive: become stronger, longer, and more frequent. The contractions get longer and the intervals between them shorter.
- Are felt most in the lower abdomen and radiate around to the lower back.
- Vary from uncomfortable pressure to a grabbing, pulling pain, which can usually be managed, even lessened, by conscious release of tension in the rest of your muscles.
- Don't change if you lie down or change position; may be intensified by walking.
- Are usually accompanied by a "bloody show."
5 BEST BIRTHING POSITIONS 
1. Squatting. You may wonder why you should squat when you could be lying comfortably on your side in bed. Squatting benefits mother and baby. It widens the pelvic openings, relieves back pain, speeds the progress of labor, relaxes perineal muscles so that they are less likely to tear, improves oxygen supply to the baby, and even facilitates delivery of the placenta. If you have practiced squatting a lot during pregnancy, it will be easier during labor. If you try squatting down right now, you can probably feel where your upper leg bones, the femora, are attached to your pelvic bones. When you squat, the leg bones actually act like levers to widen your pelvic outlet by twenty to thirty percent. Squatting gives your baby a straighter route through a wider passage, creating the easiest path for moving baby through your pelvis. (Women who have short second stages will choose not to squat.)
2. Kneeling. Kneeling is helpful to ease overwhelming contractions, relieve back pain, or turn a posterior baby.
3. Sitting. The sitting position widens the pelvis, but not as much as squatting does. The most labor-efficient position is sit-squatting on a low stool. Alternatives are to sit astride a toilet seat, chair, or a birth ball you may have practiced on. If you must stay in bed because you've had a pain medication, you can sit astride the birthing bed.
4. Standing and leaning. Since your labor is likely to progress more quickly and efficiently if you walk a lot, you may find yourself upright during an intense contraction. Try stopping and leaning against the wall or your birth partner, or resting your head against pillows on a table.
5. Side-lying. Even though moving and being upright helps your labor progress, it is not humanly possible to be upright during your whole labor. Your hard-working body will need some rest, and if you don't get it, it may stop doing its job so well. Best to be upright, in varying positions, during active labor contractions, but to rest as much as possible during early labor and between contractions. Lie on your left side. Support your body with at least five pillows: one or two under your head, one supporting your top knee, one behind your back, and another under the bulge.
EATING DURING LABOR
Eat during labor to stay energized and build up energy. Eat by grazing foods high in protein and complex carbs as well as stomach friendly foods. You can or may feel nausea and unable to eat. It is very important to stay hydrated.
Drink, drink, and drink. Avoid becoming dehydrated, which depletes your energy, upsets your body's physiology, and slows labor. Pre-load your tank with at least 8 ounces of water per hour in early labor, and sip between contractions. Be sure to bring at least two water bottles with your favorite fluid to the hospital; place them within easy reach at your bedside. Many mothers in our practice have used a time-tested recipe they call "laborade," which is a healthy version of the familiar drink of athletes. It provides carbohydrates, electrolytes, and minerals to help keep your body chemistry balanced.
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- Early phase. For most women the latent phase is the easiest part of labor; it's also the longest. In this early phase, contractions can range from 5 to 30 minutes apart and last from 30-45 seconds. The early phase of labor lasts an average of eight hours for first-timers, but it can vary from a few hours to a few days. During early labor your cervix thins out, becoming from 50-90 percent effaced. It also dilates, reaching 3-4 centimeters by the end of early labor.
- Active phase. Contractions in the active phase usually occur every 3- 5 minutes and last 45-60 seconds. Women often describe active labor contractions as waves starting at the top of the uterus and going to the bottom, or from the back radiating around to the front. This is also the phase of labor when your membranes are most likely to rupture and produce a gush of fluid as your water breaks. This phase of the first stage of labor lasts on average of 3-4 hours. Your cervix completely effaces and you dilate from 4 to 8 centimeters. Baby's head descends lower into your pelvis, which often breaks the membranes and releases the amniotic fluid with a gush. Your brain responds to your increased discomfort by releasing endorphins, your body's natural pain-relievers.
- Transition phase. Transition means you are moving from the first stage of labor – stretching the pelvic passages open -- into the second stage, pushing baby out. Transition is the most intense phase of your entire labor, but the good news is it's the shortest, usually lasting only 15 minutes to an hour and a half. Many women do not experience more than 10 or 20 contractions during transition. Transition contractions are more frequent than those of active labor -- 1-3 minutes apart – and will last at least a minute or a minute and a half. Your cervix dilates the final few centimeters during transition
- Transition is usually the most difficult part of labor. This is the part where not solely due to exhaustion but, this is when the,' I can not do this anymore kicks in'. It is important to remember your beautiful baby is about to meet you. Birth is eminent and just remember you can do this. YHWH designed our bodies for such a beautiful wonderful task.
SECOND STAGE OF LABOR
Helping to push the baby out. Your contractions may now be less painful and are further apart, around 3-5 minutes from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next. Once transition ends, your cervix is fully dilated, and baby's head begins to descend into the birth canal. You may feel an uncontrollable urge to bear down. As you push your baby through the birth canal you may feel an alarming sensation of tearing momentarily as your vaginal tissues stretch to accommodate baby's head. The average length of the pushing stage is from one to one and a half hours in first-time moms. Your cervix, fully dilated after transition, allows baby's head to enter the birth canal. As baby's head stretches the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles, microscopic receptors in these tissues trigger the urge to bear down. They also signal your system to release more oxytocin, the hormone that stimulates uterine contractions. These two natural stimulants work together to push baby out.
Crowning – baby's head appears. After you push for a while your labia will begin to bulge – visible results of your work. Soon your birth attendant can see a puckered little scalp appearing as you bear down, then retreating when the contraction stops, to reappear with the next one. When your birth attendant announces, "Baby's starting to crown" your perineum gradually begins stretching until eventually your vaginal opening fits like a crown around baby's head. Once baby's head rounds the corner and ducks under your pelvic bone, it won't be able to slip back anymore. As your labia and perineum become more stretched, you will feel a stinging, burning sensation like a "ring of fire." This stinging feeling is your body's signal to stop pushing for a moment. In a matter of minutes the pressure of baby's head naturally numbs the nerves in the skin and the burning sensation will stop.
Once baby crowns, your birth attendant may advise you not to push, but rather to ease baby's head out slowly to avoid tearing your internal tissues or your perineum. As baby's head begins to stretch the skin of your perineum, some practitioners will decide to do an episiotomy. Be sure you have made your episiotomy wishes known ahead of time. A few more contractions and the baby slithers out into the hands of your birth attendant or onto the bed.
Your healthcare provider will suction mucous out of baby's nose and mouth if necessary, rub baby's back to stimulate a breath (you'll then hear baby's first cry!), and then drape baby over your belly tummy-to-tummy where a quick check-up for Apgar score is done. The cord will be cut (some dads want to do the honors) and your baby is ready to meet you. Sometimes baby may need some special care such as suctioning meconium, stimulating respirations, or administering oxygen, in order to make a healthy transition into life outside the womb.
Delivery of the placenta. You will feel some cramping and even a weak pushing sensation as somewhat milder contractions help deliver the placenta. If you had an episiotomy or tore, your birth attendant may have a bit of stitching to do. Your uterus continues contracting, both to expel the placenta and to clamp down on the blood vessels to stop the bleeding. If there's a problem, you may receive an injection of pitocin and ergot to help contract the uterus and stop the bleeding more quickly. A birth attendant may massage your uterus to help it contract and make sure it stays firm. Delivery of the placenta may take from five to thirty minutes.
1. Push when your body tells you. As soon as you have the overwhelming urge to push, bear down. This urge may come at the beginning of a contraction, or well into a contraction.
2. Push properly. Research validates what many mothers do instinctively: short, frequent pushes conserve your energy, preserve blood vessels in your face, deliver more blood to your uterus, enhance contractions, and deliver more oxygen to baby. After five or six seconds of bearing down to your maximum intensity, blow the air completely out of your lungs. Then inhale quickly, filling your lungs with enough new air for the next push.
3. Assume the best position for pushing. Lying on your back is the worst position for pushing; upright squatting is the best. Squatting widens your pelvis and takes advantage of gravity so baby can move down and out faster.
4. Take your time. New studies suggest that it is the intense and prolonged bearing down during the pushing stage that can deprive baby of oxygen, not the length of the second stage itself. Don't be alarmed if you hear the bleeps on the electronic fetal monitor slow down during your contractions, as long as they bounce back to normal after the contraction is over; baby's heart rate normally slows down during contractions and recovers between them.
5. Rest between pushes. When your contraction is over, ease into a position that lets you rest. Suck on some ice chips, listen to soft music, keep your room and attendants quiet, and use whatever relaxation techniques you need to drift into your own calm world.
6. Protect your perineum. The first few urges to push may take you by surprise, prompting you to tense instead of relax your pelvic floor muscles. Here's where your Kegel and relaxation exercises really pay off.
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Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of 
: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
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