Amenorrhea is when a woman does not have her periods. There are two kinds of amenorrhea. The first kind is when you haven’t had your period at all by the time you are 16 years old. The second kind is when you are used to having periods and you stop having them for three months in a row. If you’ve never had periods you may have late puberty. This may happen if you are very thin or very athletic. Some other causes may be that you have a hormone problem or there may be problem with your uterus, vagina or ovaries. It’s a good idea to get a check-up. Your healthcare provider can make sure you do not have any of these problems.

Exercise helps both your body and your mind. It helps lower your risk or disease. It helps you feel better. When you exercise every day, you can lower your chances of having: a stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Exercise can lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Exercise helps your mood. It changes how you feel and gives you more energy and helps you to sleep better.

It is best to not take any medications but acetaminophen (Tylenol) in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. If you need symptom relief here are some medications that are safe to take when pregnant. For a stuffy, runny nose: Chlorpheniramine, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). The side effects of those two medications include drowsiness and dry mouth. Pseudoephedrine HCL (Sudafed) which keeps you awake at night. Also, saline spray may help and is totally safe. For cough: cough medicine with the expectorant guaifensin. Other ingredients are not safe to use. If you cannot sleep due to your cough, consider calling for a prescription medicine with a narcotic cough suppressant. Cough drops with natural ingredients like menthol are safe. Also try half and half honey and lemon juice. For fever, headache, or muscle aches take acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen. Do not let your fever go above 101 degrees. For sore throat: non-medicated throat lozenges are fine. Try acetaminophen for the pain and try gargling with salt water. For nausea: Vitamin B-6, Emetrol, Ginger, Seaband acupressure bands, Acupuncture, and take prenatal vitamins with dinner, not in the morning. It is important to avoid severe dehydration. For heartburn: Tums are safe to try. For diarrhea: Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids, eat easily digestible foods like white bread, bananas, applesauce and white rice. Also, Kaopectate is safe to use. Do not use Pepto-Bismol when pregnant.

Folic acid can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects; including spina bifida, a birth defect in which the bones of the spine do not form properly around the spinal cord, and anencephaly, a disorder involving the incomplete development of major parts or all of the brain. Because of this, all women of childbearing age should take 0.4mg of folic acid daily. If you cannot consume enough folic acid through your diet, you should take supplements. Foods high in folic acid are: dark leafy greens/vegetables, whole grain bread/cereals, citrus fruits/juices, dried pea/beans and folic acid-fortified breakfast cereals.

Gestational age is the age of an unborn baby, or fetus. It is measured in weeks and days and is based on the date of your last menstrual period. Your healthcare provider will talk about your pregnancy in terms of weeks, not months. There are three stages of each pregnancy, called trimesters. The first trimester is from the 1st week through the 13th week. The second trimester is from the 14th through the 27th week, and the third trimester is from the 28th week to delivery.