The menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of a woman’s period to the first day of her next period. On average, a woman’s cycle is between 28-32 days. Some women have a regular cycle, while others may have a more random one. How regular or random your cycle is, has nothing to do with fertility, but it can make it harder to calculate when you are ovulating.

Ovulation can occur anywhere between day 10 to day 21 of the cycle. Since there is no accurate way to predict the day of ovulation, it is suggested to have sex every day starting day 10 of your cycle when you are trying to conceive. Some experts say that semen can live in your body up to 3-5 days from ejaculation, so even if you miss the actual day of ovulation, you may still have a chance to conceive.

There are tools to help you determine when you are ovulating. Tracking the date of ovulation can be helpful in allowing you and your partner to plan ahead when trying to conceive. One of the tools available in the market today is the basal thermometer, which checks your temperature upon awakening in the morning to help you predict ovulation. Another tool to tracking ovulation is the ovulation kits and fertility monitors, which checks luteinizing hormone levels in the urine to help predict ovulation.

Remember that the key to conception is intercourse. If you only have sex once a month, your chances to hit the right day and time are slimmer than if you are actively trying more frequently. So before you run to the store to buy a handful of product to track your ovulation, maybe you want to make sure you are really giving it a good try on your own.

Good luck!

If you plan to breastfeed, you should be prepared to face a lot of challenges. Although you may already be concerned about the actual act of breastfeeding and weather or not it will hurt – there are a few other issues awaiting your discovery. Once you will have your baby, get some breastfeeding experience under your belt, and are finally ready to take your baby out in public – you may encounter new issues that you may have not thought of yet.

The first time you will have to nurse in public may be a bit challenging. First, it is a very private and personal thing that it isn’t always the most comfortable for brand new moms. Your best bet is to try and find a semi-private area of the park / a booth at the restaurant (rather than table), and/or a changing room at a store.

After a couple times you will find the best places to nurse and what clothing may work best for nursing out in public (a nursing top or apron) and you will learn quickly whether or not you are even feel comfortable with the whole experience of nursing in public. If you discover that it’s too uncomfortable for you -  you can always pump and bring a bottle with you when you are out of the comfort of your own home.

The one thing you can not control, if you choose to breastfeed in public, are people’s reactions – so be prepared for anything. Some moms may nod at you, as if you shared something in common, some people will stare with disapproval or make a comment or even ask you to go somewhere else. You should know your breastfeeding rights, so you don’t feel threatened. Even tough breastfeeding in public is legal in the United States, not everyone knows it, which may lead to complaints. If you experience incidents of discrimination when breastfeeding in public or have problems at the work place, you can report it to first right.

‘How long are you planning to breastfeed?’ is a very common question people tend to ask during this stage of your life. As if you can predict if nursing will work out for you as well as for your newborn, or somehow you have foresight as to how long your body will produce milk.  What is more challenging is when the questions are geared towards judgment of your choices in breastfeeding. There will be someone who will judge you for nursing for too long, explaining to psychological implications of the act, while at the same time, another will judge you for the exact opposite, grilling you for not providing those very needed neutrinos for long enough.

You may think this is an exaggeration. Hopefully in your case it will be, and you will not experience any of these or other unpleasant incidents. But just in case, be aware, maybe even prepared with an answer, and don’t take anything to heart. You are doing the best for your baby, whatever your choice is.

The saying “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers” could not be any closer to the truth. Think of it for a moment.  Once you have your first baby, it will become more evident to you how needed you are (and how much can be done in not to much time…).

At home, even before the baby, you most likely did (or shared with your spouse) the household chores. Cleaning the house, washing & folding laundry, washing dishes, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning again, etc. Once you become a mother, your ‘skills’ are needed even more, and by more people. The obvious new roll you take on is the one of a mother. Your baby needs you for everything, especially in the first six months. Once your newborn can crawl, sit and entertain him/herself, you will still be needed, but will have more freedom to multi task as you may have done before.

The life you had before, may seem to have vaporized in front of your eyes, but one thing that hasn’t changed, is how much your spouse needs you now. Having a baby means changing the rules of the game completely, but at the same time it is important to continuously work on your romantic relationship. It is very common for new Dads to be jealous of the attention their newborns are getting from Mom. Attention that used to be his. Keep this in mind and talk to your spouse. Together you can divide the work load at home and find time to be together just the two of you.

After the birth you’ll find that you are needed at work more than you may want to be (at least in the beginning). After you get used to working, you’ll even find the positive sides of having time apart from your baby. Depending on your arrangement at work, you will be kept busy during the day.. and later kept busy at home too.

The many hats you wear keep you busy, and a helpful and understanding family will help you find the balance to tackle it all as well as find a minute to rest. If you can, accept any help offered to you, especially right after the delivery and in the first three months. Do not be too hard on yourself if you can’t get it all done as fast as you did before or beat yourself up if need help, embrace the new situation and ask for help when you need it.

It may not look like it in the beginning, but it DOES get easier.

Young babies usually sleep in time spans of 2-4 hours at a time, but yet we use the term ‘slept like a baby’ to indicate we have slept well. Oh the irony.

Newborns sleep 14-18 hours a day during their first week of life. In the first month after that, they typically sleep 12 to 16 hours a day. Sounds great, right? You will have time to adjust to your new roll, sleep, and enjoy your baby. Well, not quite. While newborns do need many hours of sleep per day, most babies don’t stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.

This means plenty of very irregular sleep for your baby, and a tiring new schedule for you (no one said raising kids was easy.. here is your first introduction..). You may find that there is little difference between night and day. Many babies even have a harder time relaxing after night fall, and may be more colicky at night. Feedings are regularly scheduled every 3-4 hours, which means you don’t get much continuous sleep either.

While not always doable, it is recommended to try and sleep when your baby sleeps. Yes, there are other chores you may need / want to accomplish while your baby is asleep, but if you can get help with those, or postpone them to another time (like tomorrow), you will thank yourself! Once rested, you will surely have more energy, and can get more done faster.. It is amazing what a little sleep can do…

When you think of your pregnancy, or your baby, you don’t commonly consider the changes that your body will endure in the process. Yes, you expect your belly to grow, but once you deliver you also wish for your body back and your baby belly to disappear. After all, you delivered, the baby is no longer inside and therefore your belly should go back to its normal state. Right? Well, not quite…it may take a little while.

Your genes (go ask you Mother about her experience to know what your starting point is!), along with your diet and lifestyle will dictate how your body will act post delivery. There is no magic wand to help you get your flat belly back (be true to yourself, was it really flat before the pregnancy?), and no way around having to exercise. Do so only after your doctor clears you to, after your six weeks postpartum check up.

Stretch marks appear due to stretching of your skin during pregnancy. If you have stretch marks, they are probably purple red in color. They will fade to some degree, but a scar will remain. If you absolutely can not live with these scars, wait for at least one year before you consider surgery. Tanning helps in some cases too.

Your breasts will endure the most dramatic change. During pregnancy you may have noticed that your breasts have increased in size. After delivery they enlarge even more due to your milk coming in. If you are breastfeeding you may also experience nipple pains such as cracking, engorgement of your breasts and leaking. These conditions will stabilize within a month or so. Just be patent and use lanolin or another ointment to relive the pain.

After nine month without experiencing your period, it may take you by surprise that you are bleeding so heavily and for so long after you give birth. Lochia (postpartum bleeding) usually lasts 4-8 weeks. This is normal. Your body is cleaning itself and unless you are passing through large clots of blood, there is no reason to be alarmed. The bleeding will get less intense and the red color will change to a brownish one. During this time use heavy duty pads. Do not use tampons.

Yes, things change after having a baby, your body included. Embrace the changes you approve of or cannot control (like sleepless nights with your baby and new emotions of love), and take action to change the ones you disapprove of (maybe start exercising to get your pre pregnancy shape back).

Pregnancy is a miraculous thing. The formation of new life is fascinating, and if you follow your pregnancy week-by-week, you’ll find that this change in your life includes more than just morning sickness  and doctor visits, right from the beginning.

Each woman experiences pregnancy differently, but each woman can experience difference with each subsequent pregnancy as well. Therefore, asking your friends and family about their pregnancies may not help you understand your own, because it is likely you’ll have a very unique experience with only a few shared similarities.

Throughout your pregnancy you will see( should see) your obstetric/gynecologist regularly, so make sure you are satisfied with him/her. If you aren’t, take the time to find another health professional for the duration of your pregnancy. Prenatal visits are important for monitoring your baby’s health and development as well as your own health. Throughout your pregnancy you will be asked to take several different prenatal tests – all aimed at ensuring your pregnancy is progressing properly. Genetic testing may be done depending on yours and your family’s health history.

Some very Common pregnancy problems include nausea, fatigue, mood changes, vaginal discharge, fluid retention, back and leg pains, diarrhea, dizziness, gas, headaches, heartburn, insomnia, hemorrhoids, sinus problems. These discomforts may or may not affect you. There is no way to foresee which pregnancy related issues may affect you, nor is there a way to prevent them. Therefore, it is best to not worry about what could happen. Remember that pregnancy problems are usually not severe and in most cases will disappear after the delivery. If you do suffer from any of the symptoms above or happen to be blessed with multiple issues – you should know that there are ways to minimize your discomfort. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms for a solution.

A pregnancy is not an illness. You can continue your life almost as you have before, as long as you are healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle. If you had engaged in regular exercise before pregancy, you can continue exercising until your doctor tells you otherwise. You may want to consider prenatal yoga. What you should change once you find out your pregnant is your diet. Avoid raw meats, seafood, raw eggs, high mercury fish, soft cheese, caffeine and more. Learn about what foods you should avoid and speak to your doctor about any questions you may have.

You should know that most pregnancies do not involve complications and even if you suffer from discomforts, they do not have to take over your life and ruin this miraculous experience for you. Expect for the best, but be flexible and learn to accept whatever comes your way. This nine months journey may be overwhelming at times, but it is temporary, and at its end you will meet your baby and your life will change forever…

A pregnancy takes its tall on your body in different ways. One of which includes the changes in your skin. Some of which include acne, melasma (also known as “mask of pregnancy”), pregnancy glow, Varicose veins, Spider veins, Linea nigra, stretch marks and other more or less pleasant changes. Not all women experience changes to their skin, but it is likely to occur, more so to lighter skinned women.

Stretch marks, also called striae gravidarum, are caused by excessive stretching of the skin accompanied by hormone changes. The hormone relaxin, that causes collagen levels in skin fibers to drop, makes the skin more vulnerable to getting stretch marks. The type of extreme stretching of the skin mostly happens during the third trimester, though it can happen earlier.

Pregnancy related stretch marks will usually develop on the abdomen, though it is common to get them on the buttocks, hips, breasts and thighs as well.  Therefore, if you choose to use lotion / butter / other products in attempt to avoid getting them, make sure you ‘attack’ all the above areas at minimum.

Will lotions and the like make a difference?

It is said that cocoa butter, vitamin E and alpha hydroxy acids lotions and other products are helpful in preventing the appearance of stretch marks. As of today, no method is medically proven to have a direct effect on the appearance of stretch marks, so don’t expect miracles. At the same time, it never hurts to try – at a bare minimum (no pun intended) these lotions may help relive the itchiness of the skin caused by the excessive stretching.

Who will get them?

Your genetic make up is key in knowing weather or not you should expect stretch marks, and if so, how sever they may be. However, your lifestyle and diet may have an impact on the elasticity of your skin as well.

If all else fails, you can be comforted by the fact that with time your stretch marks will fade to some degree. Tanning will help conceal them as well. But simply accepting them as a part of the changes you had to go through on your way to motherthood is the best approach..

For baby

For the first time mom it can be a challenge to start thinking about and creating your baby registry list. If you have the opportunity – it is a good idea to take your mother or another experienced mother with you on your first stroll through the baby stores.

The major stores have their own check lists to hand out, but you do not necessarily need everything on them. Pick and choose, ask veteran moms for advice, and remember you can always go back after your baby is here if you realize you forgot something.

Here are some basics

• Burp cloths. Get plenty to minimize your laundry loads.
• 1 or 2 pacifiers, if you choose to use them get different kinds to try out and make sure they are for 0 months
• 4 bottles and nipples. Make sure they are for 0 months
• 2 to 3 hooded towels to swaddle baby after bath
• A “take-me-home” outfit. Look for a set that’s cute for photos, but practical for the weather as well as easy to put on (if this is your first time dressing your baby, you don’t want to make it more complicated than it has to be)
• 6 to 8 onesies, half short sleeve and half long sleeve. Select a kind that will be easy to pull over baby’s head.
• 5 pairs of pants
• 6 to 8 sleepers (aka coveralls) with built-in footies, or rompers if it’s spring or summer
• 5 to 6 sleeping gowns, which snap, zip (recommended), or cinch closed at the bottom, making late-night diaper changes easy
• 1 to 2 pairs of mittens (for winter babies)
• 6 pairs of booties or socks
• Sleep sac, for when baby outgrows the swaddle or sleep gowns, but is still too young for a blanket in the crib.
• 4 to 6 bibs. At least two should be waterproof. Once baby starts solids, you’ll need something you can just hose off.
• 4 receiving blankets.

Baby care

• Diapers. Choose weather you are going with re-usable or disposable route, and stock up.
• Disposable wipes. Always have a few packets on hand — this is not an item you want to run out of.
• Diaper rash cream
• Bottle brush
• 2 Thermometers. One to label rectal, another for use under the arm
• Nasal bulb syringe for clearing stuffy noses (provided by some hospitals after delivery)
• Baby nail clipper
• Alcohol swabs and bandages
• Baby shampoo and cleanser

Furniture +

• Crib
• Portable crib, commonly known as a Pack ‘n Play, for when you visit the grandparents.
• Infant bath tub or seat with a newborn “sling”
• Changing table with pad (you can also covert an existing dresser by topping with a pad)
• Rocking chair (nice to have, but not a must)
• Stroller: Baby won’t sit up for a few months, so you’ll need a Snap ‘n Go, a travel system or a model in which baby can fully recline.
• Swing or bouncy seat. Can give you a few peaceful hands free moments.
• Activity mat /  baby gym
• Mobile for the crib: Think music, lights and movement. Preferably with remote control
• Crib bumper
• 2 to 3 fitted crib sheets
• 2 waterproof mattress pads (unless you have a waterproof matterss)
• 2 or 3 changing pad covers
• A rear-facing infant car seat with base. If you have two cars, consider getting a second base.
• Baby carrier and/or sling
• Diaper genie: Choose one that you can operate with one hand, one that uses regular garbage bags, and has an odor control system.
• Baby monitor

Don’t forget yourself

While excitement levels are high and you only have eyes for baby items, you should plan ahead and get a few important items for yourself. Better being ready than having to run to the store (or send hubby only to have him go back and exchange it to the right size…) with…

• Nursing bras and pads (there are reusable or paper pads to choose from)
• Nursing covers for public nursing
• Nursing cloths
• Breastfeeding pillow and cover
• Breast pump. If you’re going back to work, get a \ fancy automatic double pump. You will not regret it!
• Lanolin lotion for sore nipples (provided by some hospitals after delivery)
• Breast milk freezing bags