Moms have long had a special day once a year. Now one TV channel is featuring them every day of the week. Two brand-new series give viewers a perspective on the modern-day mom and her secrets to a healthy, balanced life-juggling career, family and personal time.
The shows feature women who mix motherhood with exciting and busy lives outside the home. They help bring attention to fun, hip and busy moms who know the secret to the healthy balance of work and family life.
A series for moms of today's fast-paced generation, "Yummy Mummy" celebrates and commiserates with the joys, challenges, payoffs and perils of being a modern-day parent, wife, professional and friend. Combining animated vignettes with live action, the show invites experts, celebrities and parents to share their knowledge and experiences. Host Erica Ehm is committed to uncovering the truth about parenting. She gives viewers a true understanding of a balanced, healthy and exciting life. The show can be seen Monday through Friday at noon and at 3 PM on Discovery Health.
"Runway Moms" is a vérité-style daytime series strutting its stuff on Discovery Health Channel weekdays at 8 AM with repeats at 2 PM and 4 PM. Liza Elliott-Ramirez runs Expecting Models, the only professional agency dedicated to providing work for pregnant professional models in the fashion and commercial world. The series follows Liza's New York City-based modeling agency, capturing moments on the catwalk and providing important information about healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery. Each episode profiles expecting models as they balance their career with the dramatic changes they experience throughout pregnancy.
Friday, 30 December 2011
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
What To Do About Hair Loss After Pregnancy
After the baby is born, though, the extra hair is gradually released, and hair loss after pregnancy is much more pronounced than it was before or during pregnancy.
This is normal, so do not worry about it. It could take up to a year for the hair to return to its normal rate of falling out, a few strands at a time.
So, do not worry if you notice hair loss after pregnancy. It is normal, and a result of your hormones gradually readjusting to their normal pre-pregnancy state.
Hormones affect many parts of the body, including hair, nails, milk production, ovulation, moods, and menstruation.
During pregnancy, nails become notably harder. Just as there is a normal amount of hair loss after pregnancy, the fingernails will also return gradually to the way a woman had normally experienced them.
Pregnancy is a whole body experience. After the baby is born, the mother’s body has a lot of things to do in order to return to its usual non-pregnant state.
A mother who is nursing will have a longer period of readjustment than one who is not. Still, always remember, nine and a half months up, at least the same amount of time down!
Besides hair loss after pregnancy, a woman might notice changes in her nails. Besides hair loss after pregnancy, you may have noted other changes in your hair during pregnancy. Hormones affect the whole body, including the hair.
Hair that was normally straight might suddenly begin to grow in curlier than ever during pregnancy. Or, hair that was curly may get straighter and straighter as a pregnancy progresses.
It can take a year for hair to readjust to its normal thickness and straight or wavy state after the baby is born.
It can be startling to see such an increase in hair loss after pregnancy. You may find clumps of hair on the drain, or in your brush. You won’t see thin patches on your head, so don’t worry about that. You are simply releasing hair that was extra during your pregnancy. This can take a year to return to normal.
One of the most interesting things about pregnancy is the way it affects a woman’s hair. During pregnancy, the hair becomes fuller. That is because the follicles don’t release hair at the same rate as when the body is not pregnant.
So, hair loss during pregnancy is not very common, and hair will usually fall out less than when a woman is not pregnant.
This is normal, so do not worry about it. It could take up to a year for the hair to return to its normal rate of falling out, a few strands at a time.
So, do not worry if you notice hair loss after pregnancy. It is normal, and a result of your hormones gradually readjusting to their normal pre-pregnancy state.
Hormones affect many parts of the body, including hair, nails, milk production, ovulation, moods, and menstruation.
During pregnancy, nails become notably harder. Just as there is a normal amount of hair loss after pregnancy, the fingernails will also return gradually to the way a woman had normally experienced them.
Pregnancy is a whole body experience. After the baby is born, the mother’s body has a lot of things to do in order to return to its usual non-pregnant state.
A mother who is nursing will have a longer period of readjustment than one who is not. Still, always remember, nine and a half months up, at least the same amount of time down!
Besides hair loss after pregnancy, a woman might notice changes in her nails. Besides hair loss after pregnancy, you may have noted other changes in your hair during pregnancy. Hormones affect the whole body, including the hair.
Hair that was normally straight might suddenly begin to grow in curlier than ever during pregnancy. Or, hair that was curly may get straighter and straighter as a pregnancy progresses.
It can take a year for hair to readjust to its normal thickness and straight or wavy state after the baby is born.
It can be startling to see such an increase in hair loss after pregnancy. You may find clumps of hair on the drain, or in your brush. You won’t see thin patches on your head, so don’t worry about that. You are simply releasing hair that was extra during your pregnancy. This can take a year to return to normal.
One of the most interesting things about pregnancy is the way it affects a woman’s hair. During pregnancy, the hair becomes fuller. That is because the follicles don’t release hair at the same rate as when the body is not pregnant.
So, hair loss during pregnancy is not very common, and hair will usually fall out less than when a woman is not pregnant.
Monday, 26 December 2011
What is so special about maternity clothes?
Maternity clothes are designed to make a women look and feel more comfortable when they are pregnant. It is important for women to wear clothes that will fit them well and not be too restrictive when they are pregnant as well as making them look and feel good about their body. This is going to be the difficult part for most of the women today. No matter what they find, it never seems to be good enough for them.
Pregnant women will find that over a time period of nine months, her body can make so many different changes. This is going to be easily noticed by others and hard to deal with by the mother to be. It is difficult watching their bellies expand as well as their bottoms and thighs. This is all part of being pregnant. Women will have to find clothes to fit them in all the right places when they are pregnant. It is important for the clothes to be loose fitting in the waist and flattering in all the other parts of the body.
Not only does a woman have to choose maternity clothes for their exterior appearances, they also have to wear under garments that are made especially for women. It is important for women to wear underwear that are made to stretch. Women may also find it necessary to buy special bras to fit their newly formed body.
Not only will a women’s belly grow when pregnant, their bust line will sometimes get bigger too. It may be a necessity for the pregnant lady to fit a bra that fits them more comfortably as well as give them the support that they must have in order to avoid the dreaded stretch marks on their chest.
There are so many different designer and creators of maternity clothes now that women will be able to find an outfit for just about any occasion and for any budget. You may not want to spend a lot of money on these clothes because they are only going to be used for a few months. However, these clothes are going to be a very important thing in this women’s life. They will determine how these ladies feel while their bodies are changing.
There are fun and flirty maternity clothes as well as clothes made for causal everyday. There are also many clothing options for a woman to wear to the office or to work. Women will have the chance to wear fabulous clothes that will allow them to still be comfortable too.
Feeling special is one of the main things that maternity clothes designers try to achieve. Their goal is to design clothes to flatter and enhance the figures of the mothers to be. When a woman feels special in their maternity clothes, they will feel better inside too. The months of being pregnant will fly by when women has better options for what they wear.
You can find more about maternity clothes on http://www.all-about-maternity-clothes.com/
Pregnant women will find that over a time period of nine months, her body can make so many different changes. This is going to be easily noticed by others and hard to deal with by the mother to be. It is difficult watching their bellies expand as well as their bottoms and thighs. This is all part of being pregnant. Women will have to find clothes to fit them in all the right places when they are pregnant. It is important for the clothes to be loose fitting in the waist and flattering in all the other parts of the body.
Not only does a woman have to choose maternity clothes for their exterior appearances, they also have to wear under garments that are made especially for women. It is important for women to wear underwear that are made to stretch. Women may also find it necessary to buy special bras to fit their newly formed body.
Not only will a women’s belly grow when pregnant, their bust line will sometimes get bigger too. It may be a necessity for the pregnant lady to fit a bra that fits them more comfortably as well as give them the support that they must have in order to avoid the dreaded stretch marks on their chest.
There are so many different designer and creators of maternity clothes now that women will be able to find an outfit for just about any occasion and for any budget. You may not want to spend a lot of money on these clothes because they are only going to be used for a few months. However, these clothes are going to be a very important thing in this women’s life. They will determine how these ladies feel while their bodies are changing.
There are fun and flirty maternity clothes as well as clothes made for causal everyday. There are also many clothing options for a woman to wear to the office or to work. Women will have the chance to wear fabulous clothes that will allow them to still be comfortable too.
Feeling special is one of the main things that maternity clothes designers try to achieve. Their goal is to design clothes to flatter and enhance the figures of the mothers to be. When a woman feels special in their maternity clothes, they will feel better inside too. The months of being pregnant will fly by when women has better options for what they wear.
You can find more about maternity clothes on http://www.all-about-maternity-clothes.com/
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Massage As Treatment for Round Ligament Pain During Pregnancy
Many women find that as they progress through their pregnancy, they begin to experience what is known as round ligament pain during pregnancy.
Round ligament pain during pregnancy is due to the weight of your expanding uterus on your already stretched ligaments, but it all starts with those pesky hormones that make all the other changes in your body!
Hormonal changes in your body start to soften your ligaments, to allow for greater movement and stretching during childbirth as your pregnancy progresses. However, those softer ligaments are also put under ever increasing pressure as your baby’s weight grows.
The further along in your pregnancy you are, and the heavier your baby becomes, the more likely it is you will experience round ligament pain during pregnancy, when you physically exert yourself by walking and other activities.
The good news is that in most cases, round ligament pain during pregnancy is completely benign, and while it may be painful, and slow you down quite a bit, there’s unlikely to be any lasting damage.
If you are experiencing what you believe is round ligament pain during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor, as there may be other causes for your symptoms. If RLP is diagnosed, your doctor will probably recommend avoiding physical exertion, gentle massage of the affected area to soothe the pain, and possibly a mild painkiller, such as Acetaminophen or paracetamol.
The application of mild heat to the area during massage can also bring relief to sufferers of round ligament pain during pregnancy, as can gentle stretching exercises.
Remember that round ligament pain during pregnancy, while certainly not pleasant, is usually also not dangerous, and that the vast majority of women who experience this problem will find that their symptoms spontaneously vanish within a few days or weeks of delivery.
In the mean time, put your feet up and relax as much as possible, take it easy, and use massage and other safe techniques to treat the symptoms of RPL.
Round ligament pain during pregnancy is due to the weight of your expanding uterus on your already stretched ligaments, but it all starts with those pesky hormones that make all the other changes in your body!
Hormonal changes in your body start to soften your ligaments, to allow for greater movement and stretching during childbirth as your pregnancy progresses. However, those softer ligaments are also put under ever increasing pressure as your baby’s weight grows.
The further along in your pregnancy you are, and the heavier your baby becomes, the more likely it is you will experience round ligament pain during pregnancy, when you physically exert yourself by walking and other activities.
The good news is that in most cases, round ligament pain during pregnancy is completely benign, and while it may be painful, and slow you down quite a bit, there’s unlikely to be any lasting damage.
If you are experiencing what you believe is round ligament pain during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor, as there may be other causes for your symptoms. If RLP is diagnosed, your doctor will probably recommend avoiding physical exertion, gentle massage of the affected area to soothe the pain, and possibly a mild painkiller, such as Acetaminophen or paracetamol.
The application of mild heat to the area during massage can also bring relief to sufferers of round ligament pain during pregnancy, as can gentle stretching exercises.
Remember that round ligament pain during pregnancy, while certainly not pleasant, is usually also not dangerous, and that the vast majority of women who experience this problem will find that their symptoms spontaneously vanish within a few days or weeks of delivery.
In the mean time, put your feet up and relax as much as possible, take it easy, and use massage and other safe techniques to treat the symptoms of RPL.
Saturday, 24 December 2011
What Are The Early Signs Of Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations (for example, in the case of twins, or triplets). Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies.
Human pregnancy lasts approximately 9 months between the time of the last menstrual cycle and childbirth (38 weeks from fertilisation). The medical term for a pregnant woman is genetalian, just as the medical term for the potential baby is embryo (early weeks) and then fetus (until birth).
A woman who is pregnant for the first time is known as a primigravida or gravida 1: a woman who has never been pregnant is known as a gravida 0; similarly, the terms para 0, para 1 and so on are used for the number of times a woman has given birth.
In many societies medical and legal definitions, human pregnancy is somewhat arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods, as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of fetal development.
The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). During the second trimester the development of the fetus can start to be monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester marks the beginning of viability, which means the fetus might survive if an early birth occurs.
Before pregnancy begins, a female oocyte (egg) must join, by male spermatozoon in a process referred to in medicine as "fertilisation", or commonly (though perhaps inaccurately) as "conception."
In most cases, this occurs through the act of sexual intercourse, in which a man ejaculates inside a woman, thus releasing his sperm. Though pregnancy begins at implantation, it is often convenient to date from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period. This is used to calculate the Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD).
Traditionally (according to Naegele's rule, which is used to calculate the estimated date of delivery, or EDD), a human pregnancy is considered to last approximately 40 weeks (280 days) from the last menstrual period (LMP), or 37 weeks (259 days) from the date of fertilization. However, a pregnancy is considered to have reached term between 37 and 43 weeks from the beginning of the last menstruation. Babies born before the 37 week mark are considered premature, while babies born after the 43 week mark are considered postmature.
According to Merck, the norm for human pregnancy is that it lasts 266 days from the date of fertilization. This is 38 weeks, or approximately 8 Gregorian months and 22.5 days, or 9.0 lunar months). Counting from the beginning of the woman's last menstrual cycle, the norm is 40 weeks (the basis for Naegele's rule).
According to the same reference, less than 10% of births occur on the due date, 50% of births are within a week of the due date, and almost 90% within two weeks. But it is not clear whether this refers to the due date calculated from an early sonograph or from the last menstruation (see further down).
Though these are the averages, the actual length pregnancy depends on various factors. For example, the first pregnancy tends to last longer than subsequent pregnancies.
An accurate date of fertilization is important, because it is used in calculating the results of various prenatal tests (for example, in the triple test). A decision may be made to induce labour if a baby is perceived to be overdue. Due dates are only a rough estimate, and the process of accurately dating a pregnancy is complicated by the fact that not all women have 28 day menstrual cycles, or ovulate on the 14th day following their last menstrual period. Approximately 3.6% of all women deliver on the due date predicted by LMP, and 4.7% give birth on the day predicted by ultrasound.
The beginning of pregnancy may be detected in a number of ways, including various pregnancy tests which detect hormones generated by the newly-formed placenta. Clinical blood and urine tests can detect pregnancy soon after implantation, which is as early as 6-8 days after fertilization. Home pregnancy tests are personal urine tests, which normally cannot detect a pregnancy until at least 12-15 days after fertilization. Both clinical and home tests can only detect the state of pregnancy, and cannot detect its age.
In the post-implantation phase, the blastocyst secretes a hormone named human chorionic gonadotropin which in turn, stimulates the corpus luteum in the woman's ovary to continue producing progesterone. This acts to maintain the lining of the uterus so that the embryo will continue to be nourished. The glands in the lining of the uterus will swell in response to the blastocyst, and capillaries will be stimulated to grow in that region. This allows the blastocyst to receive vital nutrients from the woman. Pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin.
Human pregnancy lasts approximately 9 months between the time of the last menstrual cycle and childbirth (38 weeks from fertilisation). The medical term for a pregnant woman is genetalian, just as the medical term for the potential baby is embryo (early weeks) and then fetus (until birth).
A woman who is pregnant for the first time is known as a primigravida or gravida 1: a woman who has never been pregnant is known as a gravida 0; similarly, the terms para 0, para 1 and so on are used for the number of times a woman has given birth.
In many societies medical and legal definitions, human pregnancy is somewhat arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods, as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of fetal development.
The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). During the second trimester the development of the fetus can start to be monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester marks the beginning of viability, which means the fetus might survive if an early birth occurs.
Before pregnancy begins, a female oocyte (egg) must join, by male spermatozoon in a process referred to in medicine as "fertilisation", or commonly (though perhaps inaccurately) as "conception."
In most cases, this occurs through the act of sexual intercourse, in which a man ejaculates inside a woman, thus releasing his sperm. Though pregnancy begins at implantation, it is often convenient to date from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period. This is used to calculate the Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD).
Traditionally (according to Naegele's rule, which is used to calculate the estimated date of delivery, or EDD), a human pregnancy is considered to last approximately 40 weeks (280 days) from the last menstrual period (LMP), or 37 weeks (259 days) from the date of fertilization. However, a pregnancy is considered to have reached term between 37 and 43 weeks from the beginning of the last menstruation. Babies born before the 37 week mark are considered premature, while babies born after the 43 week mark are considered postmature.
According to Merck, the norm for human pregnancy is that it lasts 266 days from the date of fertilization. This is 38 weeks, or approximately 8 Gregorian months and 22.5 days, or 9.0 lunar months). Counting from the beginning of the woman's last menstrual cycle, the norm is 40 weeks (the basis for Naegele's rule).
According to the same reference, less than 10% of births occur on the due date, 50% of births are within a week of the due date, and almost 90% within two weeks. But it is not clear whether this refers to the due date calculated from an early sonograph or from the last menstruation (see further down).
Though these are the averages, the actual length pregnancy depends on various factors. For example, the first pregnancy tends to last longer than subsequent pregnancies.
An accurate date of fertilization is important, because it is used in calculating the results of various prenatal tests (for example, in the triple test). A decision may be made to induce labour if a baby is perceived to be overdue. Due dates are only a rough estimate, and the process of accurately dating a pregnancy is complicated by the fact that not all women have 28 day menstrual cycles, or ovulate on the 14th day following their last menstrual period. Approximately 3.6% of all women deliver on the due date predicted by LMP, and 4.7% give birth on the day predicted by ultrasound.
The beginning of pregnancy may be detected in a number of ways, including various pregnancy tests which detect hormones generated by the newly-formed placenta. Clinical blood and urine tests can detect pregnancy soon after implantation, which is as early as 6-8 days after fertilization. Home pregnancy tests are personal urine tests, which normally cannot detect a pregnancy until at least 12-15 days after fertilization. Both clinical and home tests can only detect the state of pregnancy, and cannot detect its age.
In the post-implantation phase, the blastocyst secretes a hormone named human chorionic gonadotropin which in turn, stimulates the corpus luteum in the woman's ovary to continue producing progesterone. This acts to maintain the lining of the uterus so that the embryo will continue to be nourished. The glands in the lining of the uterus will swell in response to the blastocyst, and capillaries will be stimulated to grow in that region. This allows the blastocyst to receive vital nutrients from the woman. Pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Pregnancy Massage During the Third Trimester
If you are in the third trimester of your pregnancy, then you are probably already counting down the days until you get to hold your new arrival! Pregnancy massage can still help to alleviate some of the more common symptoms associated with the third trimester of your pregnancy. These include:
§ Helping to ease discomfort in the ribs, shortness of breath, and indigestion.
§ Swelling of the ankles and feet.
§ Preparation of the breasts for breast-feeding.
§ Softening and preparing the perineum for birth.
§ Relaxation and easing of anxiety.
Pregnancy massage during the final trimester is usually very different to that of the first and second trimesters. First, there is the aspect of comfort, with many women finding that lying down for massage is harder, and long periods of lying supine being ill advised. There is also an aspect of intimacy to the application of pregnancy massage in the preparation of your body for birth and motherhood that makes it something ideally suited to a private moment between you and your partner.
The benefits of massage in preventing stretch marks, relaxation and more still apply, but you will need to be especially careful and gentle during massage, to ensure your baby’s continued safety. Remember that if you experience any adverse effects from pregnancy massage during the third trimester, or if you notice anything strange during a massage, you should contact your doctor immediately!
§ Helping to ease discomfort in the ribs, shortness of breath, and indigestion.
§ Swelling of the ankles and feet.
§ Preparation of the breasts for breast-feeding.
§ Softening and preparing the perineum for birth.
§ Relaxation and easing of anxiety.
Pregnancy massage during the final trimester is usually very different to that of the first and second trimesters. First, there is the aspect of comfort, with many women finding that lying down for massage is harder, and long periods of lying supine being ill advised. There is also an aspect of intimacy to the application of pregnancy massage in the preparation of your body for birth and motherhood that makes it something ideally suited to a private moment between you and your partner.
The benefits of massage in preventing stretch marks, relaxation and more still apply, but you will need to be especially careful and gentle during massage, to ensure your baby’s continued safety. Remember that if you experience any adverse effects from pregnancy massage during the third trimester, or if you notice anything strange during a massage, you should contact your doctor immediately!
Ovulation Cycle
Knowing the science behind your cycle of ovulation may help to understand better when you can be more fertile and have the best chance of conceiving. Although it happens every month, the ovulation cycle is unique, customized for your body and influenced by what is happening in your daily life. Things like stress and big changes in your normal routine can lead to a significant change in the ovulation cycle, which can be painful when you are trying to conceive.
The first part of the cycle of ovulation is the follicular phase. From the first day of the menstrual period, this phase continues until ovulation occurs. This part of the cycle may last 7-40 days, and may vary due to many factors such as age, stress, illness, travel, etc.
The second part of the cycle is called the luteal phase and begins the day of ovulation until the first day of your period. This is a more precise chronology and usually lasts between 12 to 16 days after the day of ovulation. With this in mind, you can try to reduce the amount of stress and changes in your routines only during the ovulation phase, because ovulation is highly influenced by these factors.
How do you know when you ovulating? One way to keep track is through the study and monitoring of cervical mucus and/or basal body temperature to determine when ovulation occurs. Once you know your particular pattern, you can monitor every month to track your times of fertility. With this knowledge, you can time your “baby-making” sessions and then look for any early symptoms of pregnancy two weeks later. Of course, how often and when will be the best time to get pregnant may be different for different people depending on their unique personal circumstances.
If the egg is not fertilized during the ovulation cycle, you will see the hormone levels drop significantly and the uterine lining begins to shed. This will be about 12 to 16 days after ovulation and is cycle day one of your period. Once this happens, a whole new ovulation cycle begins.
Although this seems confusing and complicated at first, understanding your ovulation cycle will enable you to have the best chance of conceiving fast.
For detailed information to help you gain a more in depth understanding, read Personal Path to Pregnancy, the international best-selling ebook,
http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
The first part of the cycle of ovulation is the follicular phase. From the first day of the menstrual period, this phase continues until ovulation occurs. This part of the cycle may last 7-40 days, and may vary due to many factors such as age, stress, illness, travel, etc.
The second part of the cycle is called the luteal phase and begins the day of ovulation until the first day of your period. This is a more precise chronology and usually lasts between 12 to 16 days after the day of ovulation. With this in mind, you can try to reduce the amount of stress and changes in your routines only during the ovulation phase, because ovulation is highly influenced by these factors.
How do you know when you ovulating? One way to keep track is through the study and monitoring of cervical mucus and/or basal body temperature to determine when ovulation occurs. Once you know your particular pattern, you can monitor every month to track your times of fertility. With this knowledge, you can time your “baby-making” sessions and then look for any early symptoms of pregnancy two weeks later. Of course, how often and when will be the best time to get pregnant may be different for different people depending on their unique personal circumstances.
If the egg is not fertilized during the ovulation cycle, you will see the hormone levels drop significantly and the uterine lining begins to shed. This will be about 12 to 16 days after ovulation and is cycle day one of your period. Once this happens, a whole new ovulation cycle begins.
Although this seems confusing and complicated at first, understanding your ovulation cycle will enable you to have the best chance of conceiving fast.
For detailed information to help you gain a more in depth understanding, read Personal Path to Pregnancy, the international best-selling ebook,
http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Tips for Healthy Eating During Pregnancy
You probably already know how important it is to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important when you are pregnant. Keep in mind now you are eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the better it is for the pregnancy and you.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy produce a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:
- unpasteurized products- brie and other soft cheeses if unpateurized.
- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything potentially high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to heat the meat up a little.
- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat, you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglecting your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier meals and continue it even after the pregnancy.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy produce a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:
- unpasteurized products- brie and other soft cheeses if unpateurized.
- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything potentially high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to heat the meat up a little.
- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat, you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglecting your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier meals and continue it even after the pregnancy.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Pregnancy Nutrition – Is Caffeine OK?
Back in 1980 the FDA published a warning advising pregnant women to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its teratogenic effects (cause birth defects). This was echoed in 1994 with a review of over 200 medical journals by Dr. Astrid Nehlig that was published in The Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
Currently, the advice on caffeine intake during pregnancy nutrition is moderation - meaning less than 300mg. This is because new studies show no harm with intakes less than that. Due to the fact that scientific studies are showing new and different results, I tend to be conservative in my personal view on caffeine and pregnancy.
What does caffeine do?
Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, leaches calcium, reduces iron absorption, has a diuretic effect and crosses the placenta into your baby. This means it has the following results in your body:
• Raises your heart rate
• Decreases the amount of calcium in your body
• Dehydrates you
• Increases your blood pressure
• AND the same things occur for your baby (except baby will steal from your bones to get needed calcium)
That’s not all - it also interferes with a normal fetal growth, is associated with lower birth weight and weakens adrenal glands, which affect your blood sugar regulation and stress coping abilities.
It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to no more than 300mg per day. Some experts say no more than 150mg per day. You may be able to handle the caffeine, but baby’s liver is immature and not able to get rid of it like you. Imagine if that 1 cup of morning coffee lasted you 40-130 hours as it does for your baby.
Common caffeine sources
• Coffee (100-200 mg per 8 ounce)
• Tea (black 60mg, green 40mg)
• Soda (40-75mg per can)
• Dark Chocolate (5-35mg per 1 ounce)
• Milk Chocolate (1-15mg per 1 ounce)
• Headache medicine (65-130mg)
If you are a caffeine user, I recommend reducing to less than 300mg per day (some studies show increase miscarriages with more than 300mg). Then gradually reducing to as close to zero as possible, which will not only benefit your baby, but also your ability to handle stress.
Currently, the advice on caffeine intake during pregnancy nutrition is moderation - meaning less than 300mg. This is because new studies show no harm with intakes less than that. Due to the fact that scientific studies are showing new and different results, I tend to be conservative in my personal view on caffeine and pregnancy.
What does caffeine do?
Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, leaches calcium, reduces iron absorption, has a diuretic effect and crosses the placenta into your baby. This means it has the following results in your body:
• Raises your heart rate
• Decreases the amount of calcium in your body
• Dehydrates you
• Increases your blood pressure
• AND the same things occur for your baby (except baby will steal from your bones to get needed calcium)
That’s not all - it also interferes with a normal fetal growth, is associated with lower birth weight and weakens adrenal glands, which affect your blood sugar regulation and stress coping abilities.
It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to no more than 300mg per day. Some experts say no more than 150mg per day. You may be able to handle the caffeine, but baby’s liver is immature and not able to get rid of it like you. Imagine if that 1 cup of morning coffee lasted you 40-130 hours as it does for your baby.
Common caffeine sources
• Coffee (100-200 mg per 8 ounce)
• Tea (black 60mg, green 40mg)
• Soda (40-75mg per can)
• Dark Chocolate (5-35mg per 1 ounce)
• Milk Chocolate (1-15mg per 1 ounce)
• Headache medicine (65-130mg)
If you are a caffeine user, I recommend reducing to less than 300mg per day (some studies show increase miscarriages with more than 300mg). Then gradually reducing to as close to zero as possible, which will not only benefit your baby, but also your ability to handle stress.
Pregnancy Massage During the First Trimester
If you are an expecting mom, then there is a good chance you have been following trends in managing the symptoms of pregnancy, and in that case, you have probably seen that pregnancy massage can be of great benefit. Let us look at some of the benefits of pregnancy massage if you are in your first trimester:
§ Fatigue. The first trimester is one of the most tiring and stressful periods of your pregnancy and during this portion of your pregnancy, the relaxation, and rejuvenation that massage offers can be the biggest benefit to you.
§ Morning sickness. There have been extensive studies done on morning sickness, and findings indicate that there is a strong link between morning sickness and stress. Since massage can help to treat stress, it is also believed to be beneficial in lessening the symptoms of morning sickness.
§ Constipation. Constipation is common among women in their first trimester, largely thanks to the changes in your body caused by hormones. Gentle stimulation of the skin on your abdomen can help to stimulate intestinal movement, and kick-start a sluggish digestive tract.
§ Breast tenderness. While massage of sensitive and sore breasts is not recommended, massage therapy treatments like cold compresses and hydrotherapy can help to reduce tenderness and swelling.
§ Headaches. Again, because of the relaxation associated with pregnancy massage, it is an effective part of the treatment of first trimester headaches.
Getting into the routine of pregnancy massage early in your pregnancy and adapting that routine as your pregnancy progresses, is a great, natural way to treat many of the aches and pains associated with expecting throughout your pregnancy. So why not start now!
§ Fatigue. The first trimester is one of the most tiring and stressful periods of your pregnancy and during this portion of your pregnancy, the relaxation, and rejuvenation that massage offers can be the biggest benefit to you.
§ Morning sickness. There have been extensive studies done on morning sickness, and findings indicate that there is a strong link between morning sickness and stress. Since massage can help to treat stress, it is also believed to be beneficial in lessening the symptoms of morning sickness.
§ Constipation. Constipation is common among women in their first trimester, largely thanks to the changes in your body caused by hormones. Gentle stimulation of the skin on your abdomen can help to stimulate intestinal movement, and kick-start a sluggish digestive tract.
§ Breast tenderness. While massage of sensitive and sore breasts is not recommended, massage therapy treatments like cold compresses and hydrotherapy can help to reduce tenderness and swelling.
§ Headaches. Again, because of the relaxation associated with pregnancy massage, it is an effective part of the treatment of first trimester headaches.
Getting into the routine of pregnancy massage early in your pregnancy and adapting that routine as your pregnancy progresses, is a great, natural way to treat many of the aches and pains associated with expecting throughout your pregnancy. So why not start now!
What You Should Know About Pregnancy Home Massage Techniques
If you’re like most parent’s to be, then you’re probably very interested in how home massage techniques can help to alleviate the symptoms, aches and pains that most moms to be suffer during pregnancy.
However, while there is mounting evidence that home massage can be a great way to soothe backache, limit swelling, and help to fight stretch marks, there are also a few things you should know about home massage during pregnancy before you try it yourself! Here are a few of the facts you should be aware of:
§ Before you start any kind of home massage program during pregnancy, you should first get the all clear from your doctor. There are certain conditions that limit the areas that you can practice home massage during pregnancy, and some that mean you should avoid the practice altogether.
§ It is a good idea to learn how, and where, it is safe to massage during pregnancy. Some types of pressure are not recommended during pregnancy, and it is best to learn a few techniques before you try them!
§ Certain massage oils and lotions, particularly those that contain herbs, are not considered safe for use during pregnancy. Make sure that you avoid products that contain those ingredients.
§ There are certain positions that are considered safe for massage during pregnancy – for instance, lying on your side. However, those positions that put pressure on your abdomen should be avoided.
Home massage during pregnancy can be physically, emotionally, and mentally beneficial to you, your partner, and your baby. Make sure that you educate yourself about safe practices, and that you report any strange side effects to your doctor, however, if you want to get the benefits without the risks.
However, while there is mounting evidence that home massage can be a great way to soothe backache, limit swelling, and help to fight stretch marks, there are also a few things you should know about home massage during pregnancy before you try it yourself! Here are a few of the facts you should be aware of:
§ Before you start any kind of home massage program during pregnancy, you should first get the all clear from your doctor. There are certain conditions that limit the areas that you can practice home massage during pregnancy, and some that mean you should avoid the practice altogether.
§ It is a good idea to learn how, and where, it is safe to massage during pregnancy. Some types of pressure are not recommended during pregnancy, and it is best to learn a few techniques before you try them!
§ Certain massage oils and lotions, particularly those that contain herbs, are not considered safe for use during pregnancy. Make sure that you avoid products that contain those ingredients.
§ There are certain positions that are considered safe for massage during pregnancy – for instance, lying on your side. However, those positions that put pressure on your abdomen should be avoided.
Home massage during pregnancy can be physically, emotionally, and mentally beneficial to you, your partner, and your baby. Make sure that you educate yourself about safe practices, and that you report any strange side effects to your doctor, however, if you want to get the benefits without the risks.
The Whole Nine Months: Low Carb Diets and Pregnancy
It’s very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for two—which doesn’t mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your baby’s only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.
That being said, most prenatal dieticians strongly advise against adhering to a strict no-carb diet. Without sufficient carbs, your body will produce a by-product called ketones during your blood stream, which can put your baby at risk for brain damage.
But what about low carb diets? Aside from the risk of mental retardation, there are some aspects of low carb diets that can worsen the discomforts of pregnancy. For example, low carb diets tend to have low levels of dietary fiber, which exacerbate the constipation that many pregnant moms suffer because of the required iron supplements. Also, most prenatal dieticians recommend taking a lot of fruit because of its rich vitamin content, but most of the items you’ll find in a typical shake are banned by Atkins and South Beach because of the sugars.
But some doctors may recommend taking modified low-carb diets, especially if you are obese, suffer from gestational diabetes or low blood sugar. All three conditions have been proven to have adverse affects on the baby (including prematurity, birth defects, and early rupture of the membranes) so losing weight or controlling intake may actually be the best thing for your baby.
If you are asked to go on a low-carb diet during pregnancy, you will probably be told to go on the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet, or the second phase of the South Beach Diet. Here, you are allowed a controlled number of carbohydrates, usually from whole grains and fruits, while minimizing white bread, white rice, and pasta. That is fine, as you are still giving your baby the adequate nutrients, while removing processed foods.
If you are not allowed to go low-carb, but still need to control your weight, there are some options open to you. First of all, eat small but frequent meals. If you want a snack, instead of taking junk food or processed meats (which have a lot of calories, but significantly less nutrients), take salads, fruits, nuts and crackers. Choose lean cuts of meat, and minimize salt and rich sauces during cooking. And while you do need carbohydrates, take in moderation. One plate of pasta is good, three servings of it smothered in white sauce is not.
But the most important thing to remember is that before you go on any diet during pregnancy consult your obstetrician-gynaecologist. She or he can properly determine the best course of action given your particular medical history and the condition of your baby. Do not go on any weight management program without the advice and the approval of your doctor. Whether it’s low carb or Zone or the Mediterranean Diet, the point is that there is a proven link between prenatal nutrition and the baby’s health. Complications can include low birth weight, birth defects, and early delivery.
That being said, most prenatal dieticians strongly advise against adhering to a strict no-carb diet. Without sufficient carbs, your body will produce a by-product called ketones during your blood stream, which can put your baby at risk for brain damage.
But what about low carb diets? Aside from the risk of mental retardation, there are some aspects of low carb diets that can worsen the discomforts of pregnancy. For example, low carb diets tend to have low levels of dietary fiber, which exacerbate the constipation that many pregnant moms suffer because of the required iron supplements. Also, most prenatal dieticians recommend taking a lot of fruit because of its rich vitamin content, but most of the items you’ll find in a typical shake are banned by Atkins and South Beach because of the sugars.
But some doctors may recommend taking modified low-carb diets, especially if you are obese, suffer from gestational diabetes or low blood sugar. All three conditions have been proven to have adverse affects on the baby (including prematurity, birth defects, and early rupture of the membranes) so losing weight or controlling intake may actually be the best thing for your baby.
If you are asked to go on a low-carb diet during pregnancy, you will probably be told to go on the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet, or the second phase of the South Beach Diet. Here, you are allowed a controlled number of carbohydrates, usually from whole grains and fruits, while minimizing white bread, white rice, and pasta. That is fine, as you are still giving your baby the adequate nutrients, while removing processed foods.
If you are not allowed to go low-carb, but still need to control your weight, there are some options open to you. First of all, eat small but frequent meals. If you want a snack, instead of taking junk food or processed meats (which have a lot of calories, but significantly less nutrients), take salads, fruits, nuts and crackers. Choose lean cuts of meat, and minimize salt and rich sauces during cooking. And while you do need carbohydrates, take in moderation. One plate of pasta is good, three servings of it smothered in white sauce is not.
But the most important thing to remember is that before you go on any diet during pregnancy consult your obstetrician-gynaecologist. She or he can properly determine the best course of action given your particular medical history and the condition of your baby. Do not go on any weight management program without the advice and the approval of your doctor. Whether it’s low carb or Zone or the Mediterranean Diet, the point is that there is a proven link between prenatal nutrition and the baby’s health. Complications can include low birth weight, birth defects, and early delivery.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy
Giving birth will no doubt be one of the most magical moments of your life and to ensure that your child is strong and happy, it is important you do all you can to have a healthy pregnancy. To help you and your baby on your way, this article has compiled a number of tips that are guaranteed to make those nine pregnancy months the best they can be!
The first thing you must do when you find you are pregnant is to visit an obstetrician/gynecologist (OBGYN). They will give you an ultrasound to see how far along you are and whether your pregnancy appears to be normal. This stage is crucial and it is important not to leave this too late.
After this, you must begin to change your lifestyle. Remember, you are no longer eating and exercising for yourself but for two! Firstly, if you are a smoker or a drinker, you must quit. Cigarette smoke can lead to low birth weight in babies as well as miscarriages and tubal pregnancies so try to avoid second hand smoke as it is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. The same can be said for alcohol and other toxic chemicals and substances such as paint fumes. These items are both damaging to the mother and to the pregnancy.
Another part of changing your lifestyle is your diet during pregnancy. Make sure to drink plenty of water – about 6 to 8 glasses a day. It is not healthy to be overweight or underweight during a pregnancy but do remember that you shouldn’t diet during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a time to be worrying about your weight! Don’t skip meals as you and your baby need as much nutrition and calories as possible, although not the fattening kind so make sure you get a balance. Junk food is great to satisfy those crazy pregnancy cravings but try not to go overboard!
If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy, a great alternative to dieting is light exercise. You may not have loved it before your pregnancy, but learn to love it now as it will definitely pay off in the long run by keeping your baby healthy and your body fit. Light exercises will not harm your pregnancy so try swimming, yoga and walking.
An additional healthy pregnancy tip that those with busy schedules tend to forget is the importance of sleep. Make sure to get plenty of rest so that you and your baby can recuperate and to ensure that your immune system is as strong as possible. It is advised that you rest on your side to reduce swelling and generate the best circulation to your baby.
To recap: avoid damaging substances such as nicotine and alcohol, don’t diet during pregnancy, drink plenty of water, practice as much exercise as safely possible, and get plenty of sleep! Following these pregnancy tips will make certain that you have a healthy pregnancy and have a happy and fit child.
The first thing you must do when you find you are pregnant is to visit an obstetrician/gynecologist (OBGYN). They will give you an ultrasound to see how far along you are and whether your pregnancy appears to be normal. This stage is crucial and it is important not to leave this too late.
After this, you must begin to change your lifestyle. Remember, you are no longer eating and exercising for yourself but for two! Firstly, if you are a smoker or a drinker, you must quit. Cigarette smoke can lead to low birth weight in babies as well as miscarriages and tubal pregnancies so try to avoid second hand smoke as it is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. The same can be said for alcohol and other toxic chemicals and substances such as paint fumes. These items are both damaging to the mother and to the pregnancy.
Another part of changing your lifestyle is your diet during pregnancy. Make sure to drink plenty of water – about 6 to 8 glasses a day. It is not healthy to be overweight or underweight during a pregnancy but do remember that you shouldn’t diet during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a time to be worrying about your weight! Don’t skip meals as you and your baby need as much nutrition and calories as possible, although not the fattening kind so make sure you get a balance. Junk food is great to satisfy those crazy pregnancy cravings but try not to go overboard!
If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy, a great alternative to dieting is light exercise. You may not have loved it before your pregnancy, but learn to love it now as it will definitely pay off in the long run by keeping your baby healthy and your body fit. Light exercises will not harm your pregnancy so try swimming, yoga and walking.
An additional healthy pregnancy tip that those with busy schedules tend to forget is the importance of sleep. Make sure to get plenty of rest so that you and your baby can recuperate and to ensure that your immune system is as strong as possible. It is advised that you rest on your side to reduce swelling and generate the best circulation to your baby.
To recap: avoid damaging substances such as nicotine and alcohol, don’t diet during pregnancy, drink plenty of water, practice as much exercise as safely possible, and get plenty of sleep! Following these pregnancy tips will make certain that you have a healthy pregnancy and have a happy and fit child.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Tips for a Smooth Start to Breast Feeding
Many different sources were used while writing this article; I hope you find it informative and helpful.
There are many ways to plan to be a mother and to breast feed for the first time.
First find out as much as you can, this can involve reading about breastfeeding during your pregnancy, check out our web site there is a mass of information on it, so you will know what to do once your baby is in your arms, attending antenatal lessons and learning `about breast feeding there, or you can even join a support group and enjoy mingling with other mothers who can give you lots of tips and guidance.
During pregnancy, it is very important you take good care of yourself. This ensures when it comes to the time to have your baby, it is as stress free and healthy a birth as it can possibly be.
There are plenty of things you can do to prepare yourself for feeding your baby whilst you are still pregnant; these include ensuring your breasts are prepared for the feeding experience. It's always a good idea to tell your midwife or obstetrician of any breast surgery you may have had as this might influence your abilities to feed your baby. Also check your nipples to see if they have become inverted, this can present difficulties when the time comes for the baby to latch on,
Speak to your friends and family about their breastfeeding experiences, or go to a breastfeeding support group so you can meet and chat to other breastfeeding mothers.
Once your baby has been born, its important that the baby is put to the breast immediately. This is because the suckling instinct in a baby is very strong when they are first born. If you can get your baby to latch on inside those first few minutes of life, it is imprinted on them and subsequent breast-feeding experiences should become a lot easier.
Most maternity hospitals give you the opportunity to let your baby stay in the same room as you overnight. This is a good idea, so make certain you take advantage of it. It will give you that added time to both get to know one another and create the mother and baby bond that is so important.
If your baby does sleep in the nursery it's important that the nursery staff don't feed your baby formula whilst you are sleeping. Insist that when he awakens he is brought to you for feeding from your breast even if it is the middle of the night.
Don't be concerned that you are not producing much milk to start off with, this is normal. The thin liquid that is created just after your baby is born is rich in nutrients and antibodies. It is enough to keep your baby happy until your milk "comes in" a few of days after your baby is born.
I hope you found the above helpful and you have a good experience breastfeeding your baby.
Roger Overanout
There are many ways to plan to be a mother and to breast feed for the first time.
First find out as much as you can, this can involve reading about breastfeeding during your pregnancy, check out our web site there is a mass of information on it, so you will know what to do once your baby is in your arms, attending antenatal lessons and learning `about breast feeding there, or you can even join a support group and enjoy mingling with other mothers who can give you lots of tips and guidance.
During pregnancy, it is very important you take good care of yourself. This ensures when it comes to the time to have your baby, it is as stress free and healthy a birth as it can possibly be.
There are plenty of things you can do to prepare yourself for feeding your baby whilst you are still pregnant; these include ensuring your breasts are prepared for the feeding experience. It's always a good idea to tell your midwife or obstetrician of any breast surgery you may have had as this might influence your abilities to feed your baby. Also check your nipples to see if they have become inverted, this can present difficulties when the time comes for the baby to latch on,
Speak to your friends and family about their breastfeeding experiences, or go to a breastfeeding support group so you can meet and chat to other breastfeeding mothers.
Once your baby has been born, its important that the baby is put to the breast immediately. This is because the suckling instinct in a baby is very strong when they are first born. If you can get your baby to latch on inside those first few minutes of life, it is imprinted on them and subsequent breast-feeding experiences should become a lot easier.
Most maternity hospitals give you the opportunity to let your baby stay in the same room as you overnight. This is a good idea, so make certain you take advantage of it. It will give you that added time to both get to know one another and create the mother and baby bond that is so important.
If your baby does sleep in the nursery it's important that the nursery staff don't feed your baby formula whilst you are sleeping. Insist that when he awakens he is brought to you for feeding from your breast even if it is the middle of the night.
Don't be concerned that you are not producing much milk to start off with, this is normal. The thin liquid that is created just after your baby is born is rich in nutrients and antibodies. It is enough to keep your baby happy until your milk "comes in" a few of days after your baby is born.
I hope you found the above helpful and you have a good experience breastfeeding your baby.
Roger Overanout
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
The New Kid on the Block: 30 Years and Growing
When couples attend Pink Kit classes, they often ask, “Why should we be preparing for birth? We’ve made our birth plan and chosen our care provider.” What is important is that the women is driving the car, not just taking a journey by car, which can imply she is the passenger. What we’re trying to get people to understand is that developing birthing skills is a necessity just like learning to drive a car. These couples include people planning homebirths with independent midwives and people planning hospital births with continuity of care team midwives or a GP or obstetrical specialist. Common Knowledge Trust (CKT) has discovered that analogies may help answer this question.
The Journey
First, we tell them labour is like taking an unknown journey by car. Even if you’ve taken this road before, each journey is different and unknown. It can be very strenuous and demanding. It might be long. You might get tired. Someone or a few people might accompany you. Throughout this journey, others might try to help you out in order to safeguard you and make certain you reach the end safely. Some professionals might suggest that you skip the journey. Circumstances might actually require you to do that. Other professionals will encourage you to take the journey because it might become a highlight of your life.
Then we ask, what is the difference between that scenario and labour? After many responses, we tell them the real difference is that you have already learned to drive a car. If you had to take such a journey and didn’t know how to drive, would you be willing to spend eight to 12 weeks learning beforehand? Where is the birth professional in this analogy? Some are encouraging you to make the journey and others might think it’s too dangerous, or you might think you don’t need to do it, fly instead. The birth professional is usually the low or high tech mechanic.
Next, the couples talk about their relationships to the professional care provider. Their midwives are encouraging them to choose a birth plan. They have decided where to birth, and the doctors are often telling them what they need. So we present analogies to other common professional relationships. We are all passive when we go to the dentist, yet most of us take care of our teeth every day. If we took this approach to birth, we would prepare beforehand, but in the presence of the professional we would be passive. Not ideal.
Giving birth is more like learning to sing, dance, paint, throw pots or play an instrument. We probably seek a professional teacher. Yet we have to do the work to learn, as well as show the teacher our progress. If we took this approach to birth, then the birth professionals would be our musical instrument instructors, yet even midwives don’t often take that role. The Pink Kit is the driving lessons, so this analogy still doesn’t give us a clear understanding of what other similar professional relationship is like labour and being cared for.
By the time the class works through all the analogies, the couples begin to understand: only the woman is going to labour. The father, partner, friend or relative is there to help her on the journey, which will occur around and through whatever professional care they receive.
The Kit
Since The Pink Kit information developed in the U.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s, thousands of couples have used the preparation and then laboured in hospital. Having done the preparation ahead of time, the couples work together with directed breathing; they use positions that keep the woman open. There is been a great deal of ‘best positions’ that have been theoretical and not worked for women, because they didn’t know enough about their bony structure or how the muscles reacted to positions. They do hip lifts and sit-bone spreads and carry out sacral rocking so their sacrum is mobile. This developed instead of the counter pressure on the sacrum that closes the space the baby needs, although it relieves the back pain. Learning to keep the sacrum mobile, gives the baby room and the woman relieved regardless of assessments, monitoring or other procedures going on around them. They just go on working through the process of labour. Staff and doctors often comment on what a “good labour” they had. “Weren’t they lucky? One woman responded: “I wanted to grab that person by the neck and shout, 'You don’t know how hard We worked for that good birth!'”
The Skills
When we ask couples what their mothers and fathers taught them about managing labour, most say: “Nothing,” “Not much,” or “It hurts, you’ll get through it.” If they haven’t been taught by their mothers and fathers how to manage labour, where are they getting the information, and how useful is it?
Whenever people need to accomplish a new task, it’s vitally important that they learn appropriate skills and then apply them. Because so few people have been at births, they have no idea what appropriate skills are. If a woman perceives her contractions as manageable, she will use her breath sustainably, create self-relaxation responses, get into” labour and accept the process. If she perceives them as painful or very, very painful, she will respond with ragged breathing, tensing her body and using other struggling behaviours. What CKT is teaching expectant couples (lessons they will eventually teach their own children) are the sustainable behaviours they can put into place regardless of the woman’s perception, particularly when she does feel her labour to be “painful
The fact is that these are the universal skills that any woman can use, not just another ‘theory’ or ‘technique’. People are continually saying that what they learned in ‘childbirth education’ classes went out the window, which means, to date, those skills aren’t universal enough or not useable. Why would a woman want to respond to labour with frantic behaviour? It’s the lack of appropriately learned skills.
As women learn these appropriate skills and apply them to the task, there is more consistency in how women respond to the process of labour and how their partners can help them stay on a sustainable behaviour track. Because labours are so similar, we can define, hear, see, experience, practice, model, remind, encourage, remember and know appropriate responses to the experience. A woman who is struggling with labour may hold her breath or scream, groan and moan, whereas a woman who is managing her responses to the sensations will tend to breathe in through her nose and out through either her nose or mouth in a manner that sounds “right.” Because most people have no idea what sounds right, we have to show them so they can develop the skills.
We ask fathers or the support people to look at the woman’s face and forehead when she is relaxed during labour . Usually when relaxed, a person’s forehead is smooth. When a woman wrinkles her forehead in labour, the father understands that her internal sensations are intense, and he can observe whether she is responding to them with tension. He can then help her reduce the tension using “common body language” or “common body touch.” If she is breathing more raggedly, he can model directed breathing to remind her to use breath as a focus.
If the partner sees the woman standing on her toes, with shoulders around her ears and bum muscles tight, a father working with The Pink Kit is less likely to tell her to relax, drop her shoulders or come off her toes. Using his skills and knowledge, he’ll just tell her to relax inside the pelvic clock and minnie mouse muscles (her bum muscles). She’ll know what he is talking about. She would have done that herself, except the sensations were a bit too much at the time. She still might not like the experience, but she’ll love how she managed herself. She’ll love her partner for knowing specifically what she needed to do rather than giving her a general direction that could elicit: “I’m trying to relax!” “Shut up!” or “You try!”
One woman said after her birth: “Before each contraction, I set up my directed breathing. The contractions were fine. So I thought to myself, ‘maybe the breathing has nothing to do with it,’ and I just let the next contraction happen. It was off the planet in intensity. What scared me was that it took me four to five more contractions to get it back.”
What the statistics (on our website) don’t show is how empowered both mothers and fathers feel; that the woman knew she could turn to her partner for the coaching skills; that their partnering and parenting relationships are enriched.
There is no doubt that if we had all been at 100 births, we would see and hear which mannerisms are sustainable and which indicate that a woman is struggling with her perception of the experience. But the skills haven’t been passed on generation to generation. Common Knowledge Trust wants that to change. All the couples who use these resources tell us the same thing—they will pass the knowledge on to their sons and daughters. Women will labour, whether at home, in hospital, with a midwife, with a doctor, whether having a natural or a medical birth. Skills work well in all situations.
Knowledge is power. It reduces fears, increases confidence, builds skills and encourages conscious response rather than impulsive reaction to an intense experience. It develops a strong and deeply personal sense of accomplishment for both women and men. Most important, we’ll pass it on to our children.
The Journey
First, we tell them labour is like taking an unknown journey by car. Even if you’ve taken this road before, each journey is different and unknown. It can be very strenuous and demanding. It might be long. You might get tired. Someone or a few people might accompany you. Throughout this journey, others might try to help you out in order to safeguard you and make certain you reach the end safely. Some professionals might suggest that you skip the journey. Circumstances might actually require you to do that. Other professionals will encourage you to take the journey because it might become a highlight of your life.
Then we ask, what is the difference between that scenario and labour? After many responses, we tell them the real difference is that you have already learned to drive a car. If you had to take such a journey and didn’t know how to drive, would you be willing to spend eight to 12 weeks learning beforehand? Where is the birth professional in this analogy? Some are encouraging you to make the journey and others might think it’s too dangerous, or you might think you don’t need to do it, fly instead. The birth professional is usually the low or high tech mechanic.
Next, the couples talk about their relationships to the professional care provider. Their midwives are encouraging them to choose a birth plan. They have decided where to birth, and the doctors are often telling them what they need. So we present analogies to other common professional relationships. We are all passive when we go to the dentist, yet most of us take care of our teeth every day. If we took this approach to birth, we would prepare beforehand, but in the presence of the professional we would be passive. Not ideal.
Giving birth is more like learning to sing, dance, paint, throw pots or play an instrument. We probably seek a professional teacher. Yet we have to do the work to learn, as well as show the teacher our progress. If we took this approach to birth, then the birth professionals would be our musical instrument instructors, yet even midwives don’t often take that role. The Pink Kit is the driving lessons, so this analogy still doesn’t give us a clear understanding of what other similar professional relationship is like labour and being cared for.
By the time the class works through all the analogies, the couples begin to understand: only the woman is going to labour. The father, partner, friend or relative is there to help her on the journey, which will occur around and through whatever professional care they receive.
The Kit
Since The Pink Kit information developed in the U.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s, thousands of couples have used the preparation and then laboured in hospital. Having done the preparation ahead of time, the couples work together with directed breathing; they use positions that keep the woman open. There is been a great deal of ‘best positions’ that have been theoretical and not worked for women, because they didn’t know enough about their bony structure or how the muscles reacted to positions. They do hip lifts and sit-bone spreads and carry out sacral rocking so their sacrum is mobile. This developed instead of the counter pressure on the sacrum that closes the space the baby needs, although it relieves the back pain. Learning to keep the sacrum mobile, gives the baby room and the woman relieved regardless of assessments, monitoring or other procedures going on around them. They just go on working through the process of labour. Staff and doctors often comment on what a “good labour” they had. “Weren’t they lucky? One woman responded: “I wanted to grab that person by the neck and shout, 'You don’t know how hard We worked for that good birth!'”
The Skills
When we ask couples what their mothers and fathers taught them about managing labour, most say: “Nothing,” “Not much,” or “It hurts, you’ll get through it.” If they haven’t been taught by their mothers and fathers how to manage labour, where are they getting the information, and how useful is it?
Whenever people need to accomplish a new task, it’s vitally important that they learn appropriate skills and then apply them. Because so few people have been at births, they have no idea what appropriate skills are. If a woman perceives her contractions as manageable, she will use her breath sustainably, create self-relaxation responses, get into” labour and accept the process. If she perceives them as painful or very, very painful, she will respond with ragged breathing, tensing her body and using other struggling behaviours. What CKT is teaching expectant couples (lessons they will eventually teach their own children) are the sustainable behaviours they can put into place regardless of the woman’s perception, particularly when she does feel her labour to be “painful
The fact is that these are the universal skills that any woman can use, not just another ‘theory’ or ‘technique’. People are continually saying that what they learned in ‘childbirth education’ classes went out the window, which means, to date, those skills aren’t universal enough or not useable. Why would a woman want to respond to labour with frantic behaviour? It’s the lack of appropriately learned skills.
As women learn these appropriate skills and apply them to the task, there is more consistency in how women respond to the process of labour and how their partners can help them stay on a sustainable behaviour track. Because labours are so similar, we can define, hear, see, experience, practice, model, remind, encourage, remember and know appropriate responses to the experience. A woman who is struggling with labour may hold her breath or scream, groan and moan, whereas a woman who is managing her responses to the sensations will tend to breathe in through her nose and out through either her nose or mouth in a manner that sounds “right.” Because most people have no idea what sounds right, we have to show them so they can develop the skills.
We ask fathers or the support people to look at the woman’s face and forehead when she is relaxed during labour . Usually when relaxed, a person’s forehead is smooth. When a woman wrinkles her forehead in labour, the father understands that her internal sensations are intense, and he can observe whether she is responding to them with tension. He can then help her reduce the tension using “common body language” or “common body touch.” If she is breathing more raggedly, he can model directed breathing to remind her to use breath as a focus.
If the partner sees the woman standing on her toes, with shoulders around her ears and bum muscles tight, a father working with The Pink Kit is less likely to tell her to relax, drop her shoulders or come off her toes. Using his skills and knowledge, he’ll just tell her to relax inside the pelvic clock and minnie mouse muscles (her bum muscles). She’ll know what he is talking about. She would have done that herself, except the sensations were a bit too much at the time. She still might not like the experience, but she’ll love how she managed herself. She’ll love her partner for knowing specifically what she needed to do rather than giving her a general direction that could elicit: “I’m trying to relax!” “Shut up!” or “You try!”
One woman said after her birth: “Before each contraction, I set up my directed breathing. The contractions were fine. So I thought to myself, ‘maybe the breathing has nothing to do with it,’ and I just let the next contraction happen. It was off the planet in intensity. What scared me was that it took me four to five more contractions to get it back.”
What the statistics (on our website) don’t show is how empowered both mothers and fathers feel; that the woman knew she could turn to her partner for the coaching skills; that their partnering and parenting relationships are enriched.
There is no doubt that if we had all been at 100 births, we would see and hear which mannerisms are sustainable and which indicate that a woman is struggling with her perception of the experience. But the skills haven’t been passed on generation to generation. Common Knowledge Trust wants that to change. All the couples who use these resources tell us the same thing—they will pass the knowledge on to their sons and daughters. Women will labour, whether at home, in hospital, with a midwife, with a doctor, whether having a natural or a medical birth. Skills work well in all situations.
Knowledge is power. It reduces fears, increases confidence, builds skills and encourages conscious response rather than impulsive reaction to an intense experience. It develops a strong and deeply personal sense of accomplishment for both women and men. Most important, we’ll pass it on to our children.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Pregnancy’s Beautiful Stretch Marks
The minute you find out you are pregnant you know things are going to be changing, from your waist size to those little stretch marks that pop up. Stretch marks are exactly that, red or purple marks left in your skin because it has stretched. The most common areas for it to appear is the buttocks, thighs, stomach, breasts and even arms. 90 percent of all pregnant women will get them, whether they get a lot or a few depends on the body and how they are preventing them.
There are a ton of lotions out there that claim to help prevent stretch marks, such as scar serum, cocoa butter or Maderma. Make sure your skin is always moist, this helps in stretching the skin and not tearing it. There are new discoveries every day, ask your doctor what he/she recommends. Try them out yourself first and see if they work for you. This isn’t something you just put on one time during your pregnancy, you’ll have to make this a daily effort in order for it to work. That’s where most women fail, they just stop doing it.
During your pregnancy try to eat healthy and stay in shape. This can help to keep off any access weight. The recommended weight gain for the average, 25-35 healthy pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. Make sure you drink plenty of water, staying hydrated helps keep the skin healthy. The moment your skin dries out you can begin getting stretch marks.
If you’ve had one or more children your chances of getting more stretch marks will increase. Your skin has already been stretched out and you are about to do it again. Large babies and multiple babies can increase your chances of getting stretch marks too. Begin using preventing creams and lotions with vitamins A and E in them, as soon as you find out your are pregnant and try to lessen your chances of getting them.
After the pregnancy if you have any stretch marks you may still have a few stretch marks, even after all the care you took. These do fade over time, so don’t worry about the way you look. If they are unbearable to you and you’ve waited a while, you can choose to have a tummy tuck or laser removal. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to see what he/she has to tell you. You may discover that you can live with them after all.
Besides caring for your skin daily and eating right, there isn’t much you can do to prevent these beautiful pregnancy marks, however this doesn’t mean you don’t have to try. Take comfort in knowing that half the woman you know that have been pregnant probably have a mark or two, they may even have a little road map. Think about it as you’ve just been initiated into the gang of motherhood. No woman should ever feel ashamed of her stretch marks, they may not be the prettiest thing in the world but they do represent one thing…your child. Remember that the next time you are getting disgusted by them.
There are a ton of lotions out there that claim to help prevent stretch marks, such as scar serum, cocoa butter or Maderma. Make sure your skin is always moist, this helps in stretching the skin and not tearing it. There are new discoveries every day, ask your doctor what he/she recommends. Try them out yourself first and see if they work for you. This isn’t something you just put on one time during your pregnancy, you’ll have to make this a daily effort in order for it to work. That’s where most women fail, they just stop doing it.
During your pregnancy try to eat healthy and stay in shape. This can help to keep off any access weight. The recommended weight gain for the average, 25-35 healthy pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. Make sure you drink plenty of water, staying hydrated helps keep the skin healthy. The moment your skin dries out you can begin getting stretch marks.
If you’ve had one or more children your chances of getting more stretch marks will increase. Your skin has already been stretched out and you are about to do it again. Large babies and multiple babies can increase your chances of getting stretch marks too. Begin using preventing creams and lotions with vitamins A and E in them, as soon as you find out your are pregnant and try to lessen your chances of getting them.
After the pregnancy if you have any stretch marks you may still have a few stretch marks, even after all the care you took. These do fade over time, so don’t worry about the way you look. If they are unbearable to you and you’ve waited a while, you can choose to have a tummy tuck or laser removal. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to see what he/she has to tell you. You may discover that you can live with them after all.
Besides caring for your skin daily and eating right, there isn’t much you can do to prevent these beautiful pregnancy marks, however this doesn’t mean you don’t have to try. Take comfort in knowing that half the woman you know that have been pregnant probably have a mark or two, they may even have a little road map. Think about it as you’ve just been initiated into the gang of motherhood. No woman should ever feel ashamed of her stretch marks, they may not be the prettiest thing in the world but they do represent one thing…your child. Remember that the next time you are getting disgusted by them.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Wives Tales and Pregnancy
It's all great to hear advice during your pregnancy, especially unwelcome advice. I'm sure you've been told by one person or another how to live. Am I right? It only gets worse the further along in your pregnancy you are. Someone will want to tell you that you shouldn't bend, or walk a certain way, not to pick up a baby in case you hurt the one in your stomach or put yourself in labor. As the pregnancy gets closer to the due date you'll be told many different home remedies of how to put yourself in labor. Got a headache? Someone can tell you exactly what to drink to get rid of it without any medication, remember it is important to ask a doctor before trying to take something you've never tried before doing it. But the most fun I have during the course of the 9-10 months stretch is hearing all the wives tales, also known as myths.
I'm pretty sure you aren't going to even care at this point what sex the baby is, all you want is for the morning sickness to stop. You may even be counting down the days until the first trimester is over. Chances are if you morning sickness someone is bound to tell you what sex of the baby is. One wives tale is if you are having severe morning sickness is a sign you are having a girl.
Here's a wives tale that is a lot of fun and you can test it on everyone in your household. Take a thin piece of string or your hair, slide your ring down it, hold it above your belly and let the ring dangle above it. If the rings spins in a circle it is a boy, but if it goes from one side to the other, it is a girl. Once you've tried it out on your tummy, get someone in your house and do it above their hand. Does the ring spin in a circle above your husband's hand? Hmm, is it really and old wives tale or is there really something to it?
Many women claim to suffer from bouts of heartburn during the pregnancy, according to the old wives tell this would mean your baby will be born with a head full of hair.
Right before the end of your first trimester your doctor will listen to your baby's heart rate, this is to make sure the baby is doing alright. The wives tale goes, if the heart rate is high it is a girl and a low one is a boy.
Ever have someone tell you that you are carrying high or low and wonder what that really means? Basically if you are carrying your baby low it is closer to your abdomen, a high baby is closer to your chest. Look at yourself in the mirror. How is your baby sitting? The old tale says that if you are carrying high it is a girl, carrying low is a boy.
Wives tales can be a lot of fun but keep in mind these aren’t fact. Don’t go preparing your child’s room just because one of these told you, you were going to have a girl.
I'm pretty sure you aren't going to even care at this point what sex the baby is, all you want is for the morning sickness to stop. You may even be counting down the days until the first trimester is over. Chances are if you morning sickness someone is bound to tell you what sex of the baby is. One wives tale is if you are having severe morning sickness is a sign you are having a girl.
Here's a wives tale that is a lot of fun and you can test it on everyone in your household. Take a thin piece of string or your hair, slide your ring down it, hold it above your belly and let the ring dangle above it. If the rings spins in a circle it is a boy, but if it goes from one side to the other, it is a girl. Once you've tried it out on your tummy, get someone in your house and do it above their hand. Does the ring spin in a circle above your husband's hand? Hmm, is it really and old wives tale or is there really something to it?
Many women claim to suffer from bouts of heartburn during the pregnancy, according to the old wives tell this would mean your baby will be born with a head full of hair.
Right before the end of your first trimester your doctor will listen to your baby's heart rate, this is to make sure the baby is doing alright. The wives tale goes, if the heart rate is high it is a girl and a low one is a boy.
Ever have someone tell you that you are carrying high or low and wonder what that really means? Basically if you are carrying your baby low it is closer to your abdomen, a high baby is closer to your chest. Look at yourself in the mirror. How is your baby sitting? The old tale says that if you are carrying high it is a girl, carrying low is a boy.
Wives tales can be a lot of fun but keep in mind these aren’t fact. Don’t go preparing your child’s room just because one of these told you, you were going to have a girl.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Preparing the kids for Pregnancy
The moment you find out your pregnant you want to tell everyone, including your kids. The way you tell your child depends on their age, an older child will understand what it means when you tell them you are pregnant or that they are going to be a brother or sister soon. However, a toddler is a little bit harder to explain this too.
Think about your child’s personality when it comes time to tell them. You know your child best. They may enjoy being sent little clues like you did with daddy, or they may just want you to tell them straight out. You could get lucky and have them walk in the room while you are announcing it. This happened to me when I was expecting child number four. I had just walked out of the bathroom waving the wand in the air to show my husband. I had no clue that my kids had walked into the room until I heard them screeching I was pregnant. Oops.
Their Reactions
Don’t be shocked if at first your child acts distant, many children will respond to the news in their own way. One of your children may even start to pretend to be pregnant right along with you, mimicking everything you do. While another child may tell you they don’t want you to bring home a new baby. These are all common reactions to the news, the way you handle it will determine the outcome.
If your child seems reluctant to want another child in the home you may want to find out why. The only way to find out what’s bugging him/her is to ask. Maybe they are just scared that you are going to stop loving them, or that everyone will forget about him/her when the baby is born.
Showing them They are Important too
A good way to do this is to make sure they get something the moment the baby is born, some have had the doctors give the sibling their own baby doll when their sibling was born. Try reading children’s books with them to show them that it’ll be a good thing. Dad can always spend some one on one time with them.
Involving Your Child in the Pregnancy
This is their baby too, have your children accompany you to a few of the doctor visits. Let them hear the heartbeat of their little sister or brother. Watch their faces light up when they see the baby for the first time on the screen. There are many ways you can involve them, you can encourage them to help you decide on a name. Try letting them feel the baby kick for the first time by placing their hand on your swollen belly.
It’s easy to prepare the siblings for your new arrival as long as you involve them in the pregnancy along the way. They’ll be happy to be part of it and feel more of a connection to the baby when he/she is born.
Think about your child’s personality when it comes time to tell them. You know your child best. They may enjoy being sent little clues like you did with daddy, or they may just want you to tell them straight out. You could get lucky and have them walk in the room while you are announcing it. This happened to me when I was expecting child number four. I had just walked out of the bathroom waving the wand in the air to show my husband. I had no clue that my kids had walked into the room until I heard them screeching I was pregnant. Oops.
Their Reactions
Don’t be shocked if at first your child acts distant, many children will respond to the news in their own way. One of your children may even start to pretend to be pregnant right along with you, mimicking everything you do. While another child may tell you they don’t want you to bring home a new baby. These are all common reactions to the news, the way you handle it will determine the outcome.
If your child seems reluctant to want another child in the home you may want to find out why. The only way to find out what’s bugging him/her is to ask. Maybe they are just scared that you are going to stop loving them, or that everyone will forget about him/her when the baby is born.
Showing them They are Important too
A good way to do this is to make sure they get something the moment the baby is born, some have had the doctors give the sibling their own baby doll when their sibling was born. Try reading children’s books with them to show them that it’ll be a good thing. Dad can always spend some one on one time with them.
Involving Your Child in the Pregnancy
This is their baby too, have your children accompany you to a few of the doctor visits. Let them hear the heartbeat of their little sister or brother. Watch their faces light up when they see the baby for the first time on the screen. There are many ways you can involve them, you can encourage them to help you decide on a name. Try letting them feel the baby kick for the first time by placing their hand on your swollen belly.
It’s easy to prepare the siblings for your new arrival as long as you involve them in the pregnancy along the way. They’ll be happy to be part of it and feel more of a connection to the baby when he/she is born.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Staying Fit During Your Pregnancy
Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body. During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter. Isn’t that what we all want?
Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.
Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.
Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on.
Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.
If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike. A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms.
Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.
Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.
Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.
Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on.
Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.
If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike. A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms.
Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.
Friday, 9 December 2011
Concerns During Pregnancy
There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are.
Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.
Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.
Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.
Dehydration- While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.
Painful urination - Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.
Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel. Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.
Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.
Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.
Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.
Dehydration- While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.
Painful urination - Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.
Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel. Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Picking a Name Before Your Pregnancy Ends
Choosing a name is one of the most important things you'll have to decide on during your pregnancy. Pick a name that your child is going to love, not something he/she will hate or be made fun of. There are a lot of things to consider when naming your child.
Origin
The origin of a name can help you pick out what name you like best, this also adds a piece of history to your child. Giving your son/daughter an Italian name because their great grandfather originally came over from Sicily will mean a lot to the family. Not to mention your child will always know they’re Italian. This doesn’t mean you can only choose names that go with your heritage, there may be a name out there that belongs to your child that isn’t.
The Sound of the Name:
Names can be hard to pronounce sometimes, not just for other people but for your child as well. Don’t choose a name you have a hard enough time saying, imagine how hard it’ll be for your own child to learn. The spelling can also be a cause for concern. Your child must learn how to spell his/her name, you don’t want a name that has over 20 letters long. Do you think you’d be able to learn to spell that in kindergarten? Think about your child first, sure the name might sound great but make sure it isn’t something that is going to be really hard. This doesn’t mean don’t choose a name that is unique, that is what makes your child stand out. But make sure that is what you really want.
Meaning
Meaning can be another factor when choosing a name, learn what that name means before you pick it. You might want something that means something dear to you. My daughter’s name means pure hope, I thought it was a lovely gesture and it sounded beautiful. Think about choosing a positive meaning for your child, this is the first thing that will be associated with him/her the moment he/she is born.
Gender names
Gender naming is another important issue. Think about if the name sounds like a boy’s name or a girl’s name. There are names that can go either way such as Sam, Erin or Angel.
Nicknames
When picking out a name, don’t forget that your child may end up being called by a nickname because of the name you have chosen. If this is something you don’t want, try picking a name that can’t be shortened. But don’t be surprised if it happens anyways. If you don’t mind, try picking out a name that’ll have a nickname you enjoy.
Last but certainly not least, remember children can be cruel think about the initials your child will have. You don’t want something that it’s initials mean something else. You want your child to be proud of his/her name. Not everyone is going to like the name you have chosen for your child, but as long as it is something you like, your child will like it too.
Origin
The origin of a name can help you pick out what name you like best, this also adds a piece of history to your child. Giving your son/daughter an Italian name because their great grandfather originally came over from Sicily will mean a lot to the family. Not to mention your child will always know they’re Italian. This doesn’t mean you can only choose names that go with your heritage, there may be a name out there that belongs to your child that isn’t.
The Sound of the Name:
Names can be hard to pronounce sometimes, not just for other people but for your child as well. Don’t choose a name you have a hard enough time saying, imagine how hard it’ll be for your own child to learn. The spelling can also be a cause for concern. Your child must learn how to spell his/her name, you don’t want a name that has over 20 letters long. Do you think you’d be able to learn to spell that in kindergarten? Think about your child first, sure the name might sound great but make sure it isn’t something that is going to be really hard. This doesn’t mean don’t choose a name that is unique, that is what makes your child stand out. But make sure that is what you really want.
Meaning
Meaning can be another factor when choosing a name, learn what that name means before you pick it. You might want something that means something dear to you. My daughter’s name means pure hope, I thought it was a lovely gesture and it sounded beautiful. Think about choosing a positive meaning for your child, this is the first thing that will be associated with him/her the moment he/she is born.
Gender names
Gender naming is another important issue. Think about if the name sounds like a boy’s name or a girl’s name. There are names that can go either way such as Sam, Erin or Angel.
Nicknames
When picking out a name, don’t forget that your child may end up being called by a nickname because of the name you have chosen. If this is something you don’t want, try picking a name that can’t be shortened. But don’t be surprised if it happens anyways. If you don’t mind, try picking out a name that’ll have a nickname you enjoy.
Last but certainly not least, remember children can be cruel think about the initials your child will have. You don’t want something that it’s initials mean something else. You want your child to be proud of his/her name. Not everyone is going to like the name you have chosen for your child, but as long as it is something you like, your child will like it too.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Morning Sickness During Pregnancy
Morning sickness can be one of your first signs that you are pregnant. This doesn’t always mean that you’ll get sick only in the morning. This can happen, morning, noon or night. It will normally occur in the first trimester or your pregnancy and end by the second, this isn’t the case in all pregnancies though. Some women will continue with it until the very end of term.
Nausea can happen immediately or you may get lucky and have no morning sickness at all. No one is for certain what causes morning sickness, it is a change in the body that happens during pregnancy. Many women seem to get sick after taking the prenatal pill, try taking it later in the day. Your doctor may even advise you to take some other form of vitamin instead of the pill. Always find out first with your doctor before taking anything new or taking yourself off medication, even prenatal pills.
There are a few ways to minimize the sickness, but they don’t work for everyone. Try keeping crackers on hand, I prefer saltines for some reason. Try drinking some ginger ale, it calms the stomach down. Dry cereal is another good thing to eat, your stomach may just be a little bit hungry and trying to tell you. Remember to take small portions, this way you know if it is all going to come up or not. Sleeping is another good way to avoid it, however it will wake you up. Keep yourself hydrated, not only can this make your sickness come but you can become dehydrated and need to go to the emergency room if you aren’t careful.
Smells is another thing that seems to cause morning sickness. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you smell is grease. Yes, this can easily set it off. Bad smells and even certain tastes, get the feel for your body during the pregnancy and figure out just what sets it off. Knowing how to avoid it, can make a world of difference.
A few reasons you should go to your doctor would be if you begin losing weight because you are constantly sick. If you become dehydrated, faint, look pale, confused or throw up more than four times in a day. Your doctor may be able to prescribe something that will stop it.
Try slowing down a bit, sometimes your body is just exhausted from all the errands you are running and it tries to give you a break. Listen to your body, take a nap, relax and watch a television show…take some time off. If you are looking for remedies for your morning sickness, you may try buying some pregnancy pops. Or if you’d prefer to stay away from the sweets you can wear a bracelet designed to stop morning sickness, they are just like the motion sickness bracelets. They don’t work for everyone but they could work for you.
Nausea can happen immediately or you may get lucky and have no morning sickness at all. No one is for certain what causes morning sickness, it is a change in the body that happens during pregnancy. Many women seem to get sick after taking the prenatal pill, try taking it later in the day. Your doctor may even advise you to take some other form of vitamin instead of the pill. Always find out first with your doctor before taking anything new or taking yourself off medication, even prenatal pills.
There are a few ways to minimize the sickness, but they don’t work for everyone. Try keeping crackers on hand, I prefer saltines for some reason. Try drinking some ginger ale, it calms the stomach down. Dry cereal is another good thing to eat, your stomach may just be a little bit hungry and trying to tell you. Remember to take small portions, this way you know if it is all going to come up or not. Sleeping is another good way to avoid it, however it will wake you up. Keep yourself hydrated, not only can this make your sickness come but you can become dehydrated and need to go to the emergency room if you aren’t careful.
Smells is another thing that seems to cause morning sickness. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you smell is grease. Yes, this can easily set it off. Bad smells and even certain tastes, get the feel for your body during the pregnancy and figure out just what sets it off. Knowing how to avoid it, can make a world of difference.
A few reasons you should go to your doctor would be if you begin losing weight because you are constantly sick. If you become dehydrated, faint, look pale, confused or throw up more than four times in a day. Your doctor may be able to prescribe something that will stop it.
Try slowing down a bit, sometimes your body is just exhausted from all the errands you are running and it tries to give you a break. Listen to your body, take a nap, relax and watch a television show…take some time off. If you are looking for remedies for your morning sickness, you may try buying some pregnancy pops. Or if you’d prefer to stay away from the sweets you can wear a bracelet designed to stop morning sickness, they are just like the motion sickness bracelets. They don’t work for everyone but they could work for you.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Stress Free Holidays During Your Pregnancy
Holidays can already be a stressful time, and mix that with pregnancy and hormones and you can be asking for trouble. I’m not meaning for just the pregnant woman either, anyone and everyone in her path. Women already feel the pressure of having that perfect holiday for her family, which is probably why she decides to do 100 things at a time...stressing herself out in the end. However, she doesn’t have to have a stressful holiday. There are five ways to make your holidays something to remember.
Mark the Dates
Go out and buy yourself a calendar for the holidays. Post it up on the wall and start marking dates. You won’t need to stress out because you won’t be double booking yourself. This can also help you in preplanning, mark the day you should send out the holiday cards or buy certain items.
Choosing Your Activities
During the holiday season you are sure to be invited to a couple of parties. It isn’t necessary to attend every one of them. Decide which ones you’ll enjoy the most, maybe two or three and explain to the rest you’ll miss going but need some rest.
Choose Where You’ll Go
Whether you want to stay home for the holidays with your own family or go across country to be with the entire family the decision should be yours. Don’t feel guilty telling them you won’t be making it this year, explain you need rest and traveling isn’t very helpful. You may even want to extend an invitation for the family to come to your house instead.
Designating Jobs
If you’ve decided to have the holidays at your house you can still have a good time. Don’t forget that asking for help is okay. No one expects you to do it all on your own. Do you really have to cook the ham, bake the potatoes, make a cake, clean the house and set up the tree all by yourself? Designate others to help, they'll feel happy you’ve given them something to do instead of sit around waiting while they watch you do it all.
Shopping Time
Shopping during the holiday season can be a nightmare that you don’t need to attempt while pregnant. It’s safer to just stay home during some of those sales. Instead you may want to try shopping online, not only will you be home but you can relax. The only thing you’ll need is a credit card and let your fingers do the work. You can even do all your holiday shopping early and have it delivered right to your front door. All you need to do is wrap it up and hide it in the closet.
Remember the holiday season is all about making memories that’ll last. You may be pregnant but you don’t have to sit at home the whole time stressed out, instead you can actually enjoy yourself with these helpful tips. Don’t forget to take a little time off to do something just for you, after all you deserve it.
Mark the Dates
Go out and buy yourself a calendar for the holidays. Post it up on the wall and start marking dates. You won’t need to stress out because you won’t be double booking yourself. This can also help you in preplanning, mark the day you should send out the holiday cards or buy certain items.
Choosing Your Activities
During the holiday season you are sure to be invited to a couple of parties. It isn’t necessary to attend every one of them. Decide which ones you’ll enjoy the most, maybe two or three and explain to the rest you’ll miss going but need some rest.
Choose Where You’ll Go
Whether you want to stay home for the holidays with your own family or go across country to be with the entire family the decision should be yours. Don’t feel guilty telling them you won’t be making it this year, explain you need rest and traveling isn’t very helpful. You may even want to extend an invitation for the family to come to your house instead.
Designating Jobs
If you’ve decided to have the holidays at your house you can still have a good time. Don’t forget that asking for help is okay. No one expects you to do it all on your own. Do you really have to cook the ham, bake the potatoes, make a cake, clean the house and set up the tree all by yourself? Designate others to help, they'll feel happy you’ve given them something to do instead of sit around waiting while they watch you do it all.
Shopping Time
Shopping during the holiday season can be a nightmare that you don’t need to attempt while pregnant. It’s safer to just stay home during some of those sales. Instead you may want to try shopping online, not only will you be home but you can relax. The only thing you’ll need is a credit card and let your fingers do the work. You can even do all your holiday shopping early and have it delivered right to your front door. All you need to do is wrap it up and hide it in the closet.
Remember the holiday season is all about making memories that’ll last. You may be pregnant but you don’t have to sit at home the whole time stressed out, instead you can actually enjoy yourself with these helpful tips. Don’t forget to take a little time off to do something just for you, after all you deserve it.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Halloween Pregnancy Ideas
The minute you begin your pregnancy everything is changing, your body, your clothes sizes, even your looks. But that doesn't mean you have to skip out on your favorite holidays, like Halloween. Being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. Whether you are buying your costume or making them yourself, you can have fun. There are many costumes you can buy for couples or just for yourself. The Pregnancy couple may want to go as a baker and an oven, or an egg and bacon bit. Both outfits are really cute and creative, you can even make them at home if you chose too.
If you want to get really creative you can make your own costumes, here are a few costumes that you can make just using your belly and normal clothes are:
The eyeball- This is something my husband created, all you need is a little facial paint and black clothes. This is something even a person that can't draw can have a little bit of fun with. Wear all black clothes on Halloween and paint your belly white, make the center of the eye whatever color you desire and don't forget the red veins. Make it scary or cute, whatever fits your desire. Have a bit of fun and show off that tummy by keeping the shirt up or wear a shirt that shows your tummy. My husband got a kick out of this one and was so excited that he got to do the artwork.
If you want to dress up completely but not stand out, try going as a human pumpkin. Wear a tiny green cap or make one out of felt and all orange, if you can cut a slit in your shirt for your belly to stick out. Now, paint it orange and decorate your pumpkin.
A pea is another simple costume you can make and stay warm. Go find some green jeans or sweats and a green sweatshirt. Keep the shirt up or cut a hole in it to make your little pod stick out and paint it all green.
If you aren't feeling up to having a full body costume, you could always just paint the belly and proudly show it off. After all, how often will you be pregnant? Think of anything that is round: basketball, volleyball, soccer ball, a bowling ball, etc
Don't forget witches were mothers too, so if you've always dressed as a witch for Halloween you don't have to stop the tradition. This year go as a pregnant witch or maybe a witch holding a pumpkin. Use that belly!
A Bun in the oven- Get a medium or small box, cut it out so that you can wear it over your shoulders. Make room for your head to slide through. Decorate it with paints like an oven. Cut open the front of the box so that it will open and close. On the outside of the box write, “Bun in the Oven.” Paint your belly a light beige for all to see the little baby bun.
If you want to get really creative you can make your own costumes, here are a few costumes that you can make just using your belly and normal clothes are:
The eyeball- This is something my husband created, all you need is a little facial paint and black clothes. This is something even a person that can't draw can have a little bit of fun with. Wear all black clothes on Halloween and paint your belly white, make the center of the eye whatever color you desire and don't forget the red veins. Make it scary or cute, whatever fits your desire. Have a bit of fun and show off that tummy by keeping the shirt up or wear a shirt that shows your tummy. My husband got a kick out of this one and was so excited that he got to do the artwork.
If you want to dress up completely but not stand out, try going as a human pumpkin. Wear a tiny green cap or make one out of felt and all orange, if you can cut a slit in your shirt for your belly to stick out. Now, paint it orange and decorate your pumpkin.
A pea is another simple costume you can make and stay warm. Go find some green jeans or sweats and a green sweatshirt. Keep the shirt up or cut a hole in it to make your little pod stick out and paint it all green.
If you aren't feeling up to having a full body costume, you could always just paint the belly and proudly show it off. After all, how often will you be pregnant? Think of anything that is round: basketball, volleyball, soccer ball, a bowling ball, etc
Don't forget witches were mothers too, so if you've always dressed as a witch for Halloween you don't have to stop the tradition. This year go as a pregnant witch or maybe a witch holding a pumpkin. Use that belly!
A Bun in the oven- Get a medium or small box, cut it out so that you can wear it over your shoulders. Make room for your head to slide through. Decorate it with paints like an oven. Cut open the front of the box so that it will open and close. On the outside of the box write, “Bun in the Oven.” Paint your belly a light beige for all to see the little baby bun.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
A Guide To Your Pregnancy
The first step of your pregnancy, after seeing the little positive stick should to have it confirmed. Call immediately to have a pregnancy test done with your local doctor, you may be in luck and get in that same day or have to wait about a week or two. Patience will become your best friend during this time or your worst enemy, waiting can become a very hard thing when you want to know for sure whether you are or aren't pregnant. More than likely you'll get a phone call a few days later to confirm it.
Set up an appointment to see your OB/GYN or midwife as soon as possible, chances are you'll be meeting his/her staff before you ever meet them. This is the first appointment where your doctor/midwife will want to know all your medical history. If you’ve been pregnant, what types of sicknesses run in your family, etc. If you can, try making sure you know all of this ahead of time, maybe even have it all down on paper so when he/she asks you are prepared. During the days or weeks leading up to this meeting you may have concerns, write them down and ask them. Believe it or not doctors are there to help you, and they’ve been asked every question you can possibly think of. Before leaving your doctor may even give you a bag full of goodies all about being pregnant. Read these, they may prove beneficial and not to mention they’ve got coupons. Your doctor will either give you another appointment or have you set one up before leaving. There are some great books out there if you are really worried about what will happen next or how birth is going to be, check them out at your local library.
Make sure that you get your prenatal vitamins, they are very important during pregnancy. If for some reason you can’t take them, talk with your doctor he/she may be able to prescribe a lower dosage or something else. You’ll get your first ultrasound, also known as US around week 20, this is normally when you find out what sex the baby is. However some doctors like to call it safe and give you an ultrasound around 10-12 weeks just to make sure the baby is in the proper location and all is going well. You will also be asked to take an orange drink that you must drink in five minutes. You’ll wait around for an hour to three hours, at which point your blood gets drawn and you can go home. The test determines if you have or have a chance of getting gestational diabetes.
At first your appointments will be about 4 weeks apart until you hit the 36 week and at that point it’ll be two weeks later and a week later after that until the baby is born. By now you should be preparing to have the baby. Yes, I’m sure you’ll have some anxiety towards the end of your pregnancy. You’ve went this far, it’s time you see your reward.
Set up an appointment to see your OB/GYN or midwife as soon as possible, chances are you'll be meeting his/her staff before you ever meet them. This is the first appointment where your doctor/midwife will want to know all your medical history. If you’ve been pregnant, what types of sicknesses run in your family, etc. If you can, try making sure you know all of this ahead of time, maybe even have it all down on paper so when he/she asks you are prepared. During the days or weeks leading up to this meeting you may have concerns, write them down and ask them. Believe it or not doctors are there to help you, and they’ve been asked every question you can possibly think of. Before leaving your doctor may even give you a bag full of goodies all about being pregnant. Read these, they may prove beneficial and not to mention they’ve got coupons. Your doctor will either give you another appointment or have you set one up before leaving. There are some great books out there if you are really worried about what will happen next or how birth is going to be, check them out at your local library.
Make sure that you get your prenatal vitamins, they are very important during pregnancy. If for some reason you can’t take them, talk with your doctor he/she may be able to prescribe a lower dosage or something else. You’ll get your first ultrasound, also known as US around week 20, this is normally when you find out what sex the baby is. However some doctors like to call it safe and give you an ultrasound around 10-12 weeks just to make sure the baby is in the proper location and all is going well. You will also be asked to take an orange drink that you must drink in five minutes. You’ll wait around for an hour to three hours, at which point your blood gets drawn and you can go home. The test determines if you have or have a chance of getting gestational diabetes.
At first your appointments will be about 4 weeks apart until you hit the 36 week and at that point it’ll be two weeks later and a week later after that until the baby is born. By now you should be preparing to have the baby. Yes, I’m sure you’ll have some anxiety towards the end of your pregnancy. You’ve went this far, it’s time you see your reward.
Friday, 2 December 2011
Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy
Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or you’ve known for a few months, announcing your pregnancy to family and friends can be a lot of fun. Some may want to wait until a certain time during their pregnancy, while others want to call everyone immediately after finding out themselves.
Telling The Father
Have a romantic dinner for two with candle lights, it may be your last time for a while, between morning sickness and raising your little one. Serve up baby carrots, baby back ribs and anything else you can think as baby. At the end, pour apple juice instead of wine and hand him a present. Inside you can have a tiny baby bib that says, “I heart My Daddy”
or a pair of baby booties.
If you can’t tell the father right away because he’s away on business, or deployed try sending him a care package. Inside the box place a few baby items, everything in blue and pink and a baby naming book in the center. Place a note on top of the book with, “I need a name soon, I’ll be here by June.” Or whenever the baby is due.
You can also see how long it takes him to figure it out. Go to the dollar store and pick up a bunch of small baby items, a bib, rattle, bottle, booties, etc. For a week, leave an item laying around the house where he is bound to find them. At the end of the week if he hasn’t figured it out yet, prepare the big gift. Have a large teddy bear sitting at the dinner table in the seat beside him, make sure there is a bib wrapped around him and maybe a sign that says Hi Daddy.
Telling Family and Friends
Show up to a family gathering wearing a shirt that announces your state. These days there are a ton of shirts out there with clever sayings, “Baby on Board,” “A Bun in the Oven,” or something related to the pregnancy. The moment you walk in or take off your jacket everyone will figure it out without you ever having to say a word. Now, get ready for the tears and excitement. You’ll be answering a ton of questions.
If you already have children you may want to call the grandparents up and tell them that the next Christmas they may want to add one more to the list.
If this is the first grandchild, you may want to get a bracelet link for your mom that reads, “#1 Grandma” or grandparent t-shirts. This will not only be a great present for them but something they will cherish and love forever.
No matter when you spread the news it can be a lot of fun, just think creative and let the pieces fall. You may even want to try catching all of it on video, so think ahead and prepare for the BIG moment, and I’m not meaning the birth.
Telling The Father
Have a romantic dinner for two with candle lights, it may be your last time for a while, between morning sickness and raising your little one. Serve up baby carrots, baby back ribs and anything else you can think as baby. At the end, pour apple juice instead of wine and hand him a present. Inside you can have a tiny baby bib that says, “I heart My Daddy”
or a pair of baby booties.
If you can’t tell the father right away because he’s away on business, or deployed try sending him a care package. Inside the box place a few baby items, everything in blue and pink and a baby naming book in the center. Place a note on top of the book with, “I need a name soon, I’ll be here by June.” Or whenever the baby is due.
You can also see how long it takes him to figure it out. Go to the dollar store and pick up a bunch of small baby items, a bib, rattle, bottle, booties, etc. For a week, leave an item laying around the house where he is bound to find them. At the end of the week if he hasn’t figured it out yet, prepare the big gift. Have a large teddy bear sitting at the dinner table in the seat beside him, make sure there is a bib wrapped around him and maybe a sign that says Hi Daddy.
Telling Family and Friends
Show up to a family gathering wearing a shirt that announces your state. These days there are a ton of shirts out there with clever sayings, “Baby on Board,” “A Bun in the Oven,” or something related to the pregnancy. The moment you walk in or take off your jacket everyone will figure it out without you ever having to say a word. Now, get ready for the tears and excitement. You’ll be answering a ton of questions.
If you already have children you may want to call the grandparents up and tell them that the next Christmas they may want to add one more to the list.
If this is the first grandchild, you may want to get a bracelet link for your mom that reads, “#1 Grandma” or grandparent t-shirts. This will not only be a great present for them but something they will cherish and love forever.
No matter when you spread the news it can be a lot of fun, just think creative and let the pieces fall. You may even want to try catching all of it on video, so think ahead and prepare for the BIG moment, and I’m not meaning the birth.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Eating Right During Your Pregnancy
You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important when you are pregnant. Keep in mind now you are eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the better it is for the pregnancy and you.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:
- unpasteurized products- brie
- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.
- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:
- unpasteurized products- brie
- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.
- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.
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