Nine Moons

Pregnancy articles

Getting pregnant · 6 min

How to work out when you ovulate

Find your fertile window: how ovulation timing works, signs to watch for, and when to see a doctor if you're trying to conceive.

Due date · 5 min

How your due date is calculated, and why it can change

How doctors calculate your due date from your last period, conception or IVF transfer, why the dating scan may change it, and how likely birth on the day is.

First trimester · 7 min

First trimester guide: weeks 1 to 13

What happens in weeks 1 to 13: early symptoms, folic acid and vitamin D, your first appointments and scans, and when to get help.

Nutrition · 8 min

What to eat and avoid in pregnancy: a guide to South Asian and Gulf foods

Is papaya, saffron, chai, kaleji or kingfish safe in pregnancy? A practical food guide for South Asian, Arab and global kitchens.

Faith & culture · 6 min

Fasting in Ramadan while pregnant: what to know

Is it safe to fast in Ramadan while pregnant? Who shouldn't fast, how to plan suhoor and iftar, and the signs that mean you should break your fast.

Health · 7 min

Gestational diabetes: risks, tests and what to eat

Who is at risk of gestational diabetes, how the glucose test works, and how to manage it with food, activity and treatment. Extra guidance for South Asian and Arab families.

Health · 5 min

How much weight should you gain in pregnancy?

Healthy pregnancy weight gain by BMI, where the weight goes, and how to stay on track without dieting.

Health · 5 min

Pregnancy warning signs: when to go to hospital

The pregnancy symptoms that need urgent care: bleeding, reduced movements, severe headache, fluid leaking, fever and more. Know when to call.

Third trimester · 5 min

Baby movements and kick counting: what's normal and when to call

When you'll feel your baby move, how to get to know their pattern, how kick counting works, and why you should never wait if movements slow down.

Labour & birth · 6 min

Signs of labour and the 5-1-1 rule

How to tell real contractions from Braxton Hicks, when to go to hospital with the 5-1-1 rule, and what to do if your waters break.

Labour & birth · 5 min

Hospital bag checklist for mum, baby and partner

What to pack for hospital, including the documents hospitals in the UAE, Pakistan and India ask for, plus a printable-style checklist you can tick off.

For partners · 7 min

For husbands and partners: what to do in each trimester

A practical guide for dads and partners: how to support her through each trimester, which appointments to attend, and how to be ready for labour.

Getting pregnant · 7 min

Early signs of pregnancy: the first symptoms and when they start

The earliest signs of pregnancy, from a missed period and tender breasts to nausea and spotting, when each one usually starts, and how to tell them apart from your period.

Getting pregnant · 7 min

When to take a pregnancy test, and what hCG levels mean

The best time to take a pregnancy test, how to read faint lines, hCG levels week by week, and the reasons for false negatives and false positives.

Getting pregnant · 8 min

How to get pregnant fast: 10 evidence-based tips

How to boost your chances of getting pregnant: timing sex, finding your fertile window, healthy habits for both partners, and when to see a fertility doctor.

Getting pregnant · 5 min

Implantation bleeding: what it looks like and how to tell it from a period

What implantation bleeding is, when it happens, its colour and how long it lasts, how it differs from a period, and when spotting needs a doctor.

First trimester · 7 min

Morning sickness: 12 remedies that help, and when to see a doctor

When morning sickness starts and ends, 12 practical remedies, safe medicines, and the signs of hyperemesis gravidarum that need treatment.

Health · 6 min

Discharge during pregnancy: what's normal, by colour

Normal pregnancy discharge versus signs of thrush, BV, infection or waters breaking, with a colour guide and when to call your doctor.

Second trimester · 7 min

Second trimester guide: weeks 14 to 27

What happens in the second trimester: your baby's growth, your bump, first kicks, the anomaly scan, the glucose test, common symptoms and what to plan.

Third trimester · 7 min

Third trimester guide: weeks 28 to birth

The third trimester week by week: your baby turning head down, common symptoms and relief, appointments, getting ready for birth, and warning signs.

Health · 8 min

Miscarriage: signs, causes and what happens next

The signs of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, why miscarriage happens, what doesn't cause it, treatment options, and support afterwards.

Health · 7 min

Pregnancy scans explained: dating, NT and anomaly scans

Every pregnancy ultrasound explained: when each scan happens, what it checks, how to prepare, screening tests like NIPT, and whether scans are safe.

Health · 7 min

Pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure in pregnancy

What pre-eclampsia is, its symptoms and warning signs, who is at risk, how aspirin helps prevent it, treatment, and what it means after birth.

Nutrition · 7 min

Anaemia in pregnancy: low iron, symptoms and iron-rich foods

What anaemia in pregnancy is, its symptoms and causes, normal haemoglobin levels, iron-rich South Asian and Arab foods, and how to take iron tablets.

Second trimester · 5 min

Boy or girl? When you can find out, and which signs are myths

When a scan or blood test can show your baby's sex, how accurate each method is, the myths that don't work, and the laws on sex determination.

Everyday life · 6 min

Exercise in pregnancy: what's safe, how much, and what to avoid

How much exercise is recommended in pregnancy, the best and safest activities, pelvic floor exercises, what to avoid, and signs to stop.

Everyday life · 6 min

Best sleeping positions in pregnancy, and how to ease back pain

Why side-sleeping matters from 28 weeks, how to use pillows, why back pain happens in pregnancy, what helps, and how to sleep better.

Everyday life · 9 min

Can pregnant women…? 27 everyday questions answered

Can you eat prawns, drink cold water, dye your hair, fly, use a sauna, take paracetamol or apply henna in pregnancy? Quick answers to the questions people search most.

Everyday life · 5 min

Stretch marks in pregnancy: why they happen and what helps

Why pregnancy stretch marks form, who gets them, whether creams and oils work, how to look after your skin, and treatments after birth.

Labour & birth · 9 min

Normal delivery: the stages of labour and tips that help

The three stages of labour, how the cervix opens to 10 cm, pain relief options, and evidence-based tips that improve your chance of a normal delivery.

Labour & birth · 8 min

C-section: why it's done, what happens, and recovery week by week

Planned and emergency caesarean sections explained: what happens on the day, recovery timeline, wound care, warning signs, and vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC).

After birth · 8 min

Recovery after birth: the first 6 weeks, and the 40 days

What happens to your body after birth, bleeding, stitches, baby blues and postnatal depression, traditional 40-day confinement, contraception, and warning signs.

After birth · 9 min

Breastfeeding for beginners: latch, positions and how much milk

How to start breastfeeding, get a good latch, choose a position, know your baby is getting enough, handle common problems, and which traditions to skip.