If you are pregnant and smoking while you read this, would you do me a favour? Stub this one out for me. I care about your child. If you leave a message, I will definitely reply and thank you from the bottom of my heart for it.

I read a forum a few days ago, which had a thread supporting pregnant women who wanted to quit. I can't find the link right now, but will add it in if I find it. Having quit before deciding to get pregnant, I thought I might drop in to lend my support.

I read from all sources that folic acid is an important supplement in early pregnancy to avoid neural defects in the baby. I spoke with a friend who is a doctor, and he advised me to begin taking it immediately, and I have already started.

Apart from that he doesn't think I need to do anything at all about the pregnancy just yet. Just keep going as usual, keep taking the folic acid and things should be fine at this stage. He says that I should go for an ultrasound scan anytime soon after the 8th week. So I will do that. Right now, I'm into my 6th week. That's a seventh of my pregnancy done without even feeling pregnant.

A very, very sad time in my life. My grandmother died. She was 78. I have no clue how I am ever going to get over this vacancy in my life.

She had been asking me this last whole year when she was going to be "promoted to great-grandmother" and when I met her last, I didn't tell her. To be fair, its too early to be telling anyone, and I had no clue that this would happen.......

She had met with an accident, no real damage, but she had become really weak from the trauma. My telling her that I was into my 5th week would have delighted her. I should have told her, even if just to make her happy.

Finally! I did the test again last night, after getting fed up of waiting for the periods to happen after the negative, and it was positive!!!

Yippie! Not bad for a first try.

I'm a little worried that so many days after missing a period, all I get is a faint negative, but surfing around on the net, I find that there are plenty of people like me.

Strangely, most of my symptoms have now changed. The oddness in the stomach remains, but since today, I am feeling very, very moody and tired. This may not be the pregnancy of course, as my work as an outdoor educator involves considerable physical exertion, and the last few days have been very demanding in the sultry Indian summer weather of this time of the year.

I don't know what to think. My period is 4 days late now. Pregnancy test negative. Breasts feeling sore. This is wierd. I am never late usually, and even in the rare cases that I am, it is hardly ever more than a day or so.

But all my previous discomfort is gone. No nausea and stuff - I think it was smething I picked up on the trip. Feeling slightly bloated, but that's usual when my periods are due. I even feel like I'll have a period soon, but the feeling passes away.

I'm feeling absolutely fine today. No uneasiness whatsoever :)

Slight tenderness in breasts and they look slightly bigger, but I'm not reading too much into it. It could be any of many things. I've been eating like a pig, so I might have put on some weight and am seeing it only where I'd like to find it, or simply because my periods are approaching, or it could also be that I AM pregnant.

The world is rocking!

I can't understand what is going on. The cramping has let up a bit, but its still there. I get hit and run bouts of queasiness I'm feeling feverish. I haven't felt worse in ages, yet there is nothing specific I can put my finger on.

I don't even feel pregnant and rosy and all that. Right now, I'm just really irritated with this confusing state of affairs. I'm feeling tired and feverish.

Strangely, many women claim to "know" that they are pregnant. I can't honestly make out. The very fact that my health is so drastically different from usual means that something unusual is happening to me. But pregnant...... doesn't feel like that at all.

It is also particularly irritating that this God trip happened right now. For one, it has confused me by adding a factor that might be the reason for how I'm feeling. For another, I'm atheist, and I'm going to hate it when in case I get pregnant soon, the family will be calling it a blessing of the Gods or similar.

The husband and I had been avoiding the mandatory trip to the temples associated with the clan after the wedding. It is supposed to be done at the earliest after the wedding to get their blessings. In any case, within a year. We couldn't escape, and had to do it.

I'm in a confused frame of mind right now. Everything done as planned. No changes out of the normal, except for a small trip (that's where I was missing) to the family Gods.

I've been eating the same as usual, no exertion to speak of.... nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, I'm suffering from heartburn - at least this is what I think it is. I've never EVER felt like this before, in my life. Its a choked kind of feeling, like I want to burp, and it burns really low in my throat. I feel constipated sometimes, my stomach is tender and hurts in a particular place or so. It also feels bloated. Nothing strong enough to be worrying about, but certainly different enough to be worried.

Its the time, when we are having sex to create a baby. Its different.

In the past few days, I have noticed a change in our relationship. Just the intention of getting pregnant has taken our relationship to a new level. As a couple, we feel closer. There is a new softness to our relationship.

There's hope, there's expectation, wonder, nervousness...... the works. And we are going through this incredible journey together.

I've cut down on the reading. It only makes me more and more nervous and jittery about all that I don't know. Humans have existed for centuries on this planet, and procreation seems to be a pretty strong instinct. I'm counting on it. I'll count my worries when they hatch.

Meanwhile, I'm into week 3 - Ferrtilization week. Finally, there's something for me to do about this pregnancy, if it is to happen and I'm enjoying it. Relaxation is recommended for this bit, so I am not currently reading up on all that should know, and focussing on going with the flow right now. Let's see if it workd ;)

My search takes me to a variety of information. I found a couple of places that tell me the exact changes that will be happening in my body week by week, and I have just discovered, that if I get pregnant, by pregnancy will be counted from conception. This means, that if I get pregnant, I'm already in my second week. The very thought fills me with awe! Am I really worthy of this, without having done a thing yet?

Now that we are certain, I'm planning my game plan. How to go about getting pregnant? When I first thought of it, I had thought it would be simple. Apparently it isn't. The only easy conceptions seem to be the accidental ones, that take the parents by surprise.

I need to figure out my dates when I am fertile. Considering that the first day of my last periods was on the 18th Februry, I should be fertile....... when?

Now that I've begun idea shopping, I found all sorts of mothers in all sorts of situations and information overload on ideas, and emotion overload on thoughts.

Poor Rosa here is speaking of her in-laws being not very supportive about her previous pregnancy, and is now wondering about how and when to tell them this time. And I'm here, knowing full well that parents in law definitely want a grandchild, as in right now. Jihill2 is a struggling writer with 4 children and a surprise pregnancy wondering what it means to her life in terms of change and challenge. Its my first, and I'm freaking out about that. Strange how these pressures get us.

My husband and I have finally decided that we are ready for a baby. I'm so excited about this. We have been planning about this for a long time. I had to quit smoking, drinking, save up money..... and he is with me all the way.

Our birthdays are in December, so I thought we might as well go for it now, and make it a season of celebration, if it all goes as planned.

I'm healthy. No medical history what so ever. There's stuff I should be taking care of, and as I surf, I'm discovering it bit by bit.