Pregnancy do and don'ts. And a few other questions.

[Shurup]

My wife and I were trying for a baby for some time now, this time her period was late about 3-4 days but came today very strong. We are 2 days into touring on a bike and so she blames her sitting on a bike and shaking (road bumps and holes, etc) for losing the "baby".

She found this rubbish article on internet

http://www.mommyish.com/2014/03/28/what-not-to-do-while-pregnant/

and is pretty upset now and says she shouldn't went on this ride.

Based on my somewhat outdated knowledge on this subject, the bike ride couldn't have affected the pregnancy (if there was one) at this stage. Maybe it (riding a bike) is not good for a baby or mother months into pregnancy but not when it's not even one month yet. Besides the article from the link above is mostly nonsense and I can't take it seriously.

Would be nice to get some clarification on this subject. Would the bike ride somehow affect the early pregnancy, make the fertilised egg detach from the bomb wall and get lost? Basically that's what she's saying all that shaking did to her, even though we didn't take any terribly bumpy roads yet.

What is the earliest the pregnancy tests (urine tests) can detect pregnancy? She checked a few times before our departure and they all came back negative.

[Sheryl]

No, bike riding cannot cause this.

BTW Immediately after conception the fertilized egg is not implanted. Implantation in the uterus does not occur until 14 days after conception. There are a variety of factors that affect whether this will successfully occur, but bike riding is not one of them! Mostly it has to do with hormone levels and secretion of certain substances in the uterus to prepare the lining. Many cases of infertility are the result of problems with implantation. Best to consult a fertility specialist if you have been trying for over a year withiout success.

OTC urine pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity and how early they can detect pregnancy but generally not reliable until about a week after a period is missed. Even then, false negative is possible so should repeat the test weekly if still no period. Blood tests are more sensitive.

[NancyL]

Shurup, you're right -- that article is rubbish and only serves to increase your wife's anxiety levels. Sheryl's right -- if you've been trying to conceive for over a year and haven't, you should consult a fertility specialist.

Hubby and I experienced years of fertility and miscarriage problems and articles like that were definitely NOT helpful, especially when cut out of a magazine or newspaper and given to me by "helpful" relatives. (This was before the time of older relatives using the internet). Some of these "don'ts" have a grain of truth. Many of the the things mentioned can be done in extreme moderation -- like one cup of coffee or one glass of wine. A few minutes around second-hand smoke isn't going to result in a miscarriage or deformed baby, either. Others are absolute rubbish -- like like sleeping on your back, esp. in the early stages of pregnancy. Or as Sheryl said, riding a bike.

I found the best resource for questions during the trying years of our fertility/miscarriage problems were the excellent nurses who worked for my fertility doctor. I called them often with questions like "can I do this" or "can I do that". Someone like that would be a much better resource than some junk website that exists to garner clicks on the internet.

[mommysboy]

Very frustrating as I well know. It took me and the wife ages to conceive. You don't mention age (male and female) but this is usually a very common reason for delayed pregnancy. Remember you only need to hit the target once, so to speak.

For once in my life I didn't get anxious or stressed and indeed finally indulged myself in bad habits. Perhaps because I relaxed it helped. We are pretty sure we conceived whilst on holiday away from the smoke and heat. So that would be my main tip. I think it has been shown that farmers are much more fertile than city folk.

Thinking back I'm sure we had a few misses along the lines you describe.