Pregnancy ultrasound is an awesome technology. With ultrasound, you get to see your baby even before he is a baby. There is no known risk to you or your baby from ultrasound during pregnancy.
Ultrasound machines use high-pitched sound waves (250 times higher-pitched than can be heard by the human ear), transmitted through the abdominal wall to produce an echo image of your pelvis. By moving the transducer (the ultrasound transmitter) appropriately, different areas of anatomy, along with your baby, in the pelvis can be seen during pregnancy.
If it is very early in your pregnancy, the ultrasound technician may use a slender transducer in the vagina to visualize the uterus more easily. When you are further along in your pregnancy, ultrasound conducting gel will be placed on the lower abdomen for your ultrasound.
The amount of useful information gained from a pregnancy ultrasound examination depends on several factors. For instance, during fetal scans, the gestational age, maternal size and amount of amniotic fluid can limit the detail of an exam. During a pregnancy ultrasound examination, you can see if you are having twins or multiples, which way the baby is positioned in the uterus, the location of the placenta, fetal heart and limb motion, and the amount of amniotic fluid. In addition, measurement of various fetal parts can be made in order to estimate the age of your baby and to assure that fetal growth is normal.
The most amazing parts of the pregnancy ultrasound are seeing your little baby’s heart beat, the individual hair on her head, her rapid movements or kicks, and her profile. If you want to know the sex of your baby, you can see that too, usually at 18-20 weeks.
Over the past few years, a new ultrasound technology has emerged. 3D ultrasound, often used in pregnancy, actually generates 3D pictures of your baby. Now, you can see exactly what he looks like before he’s even born. Whether you know it or not, there is probably a 3D pregnancy ultrasound clinic near you. Your doctor may even view your pregnancy with 3D ultrasound in her office!
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Pregnancy And What To Expect
There are no two pregnancies that are alike so, while it is difficult to say exactly how each will progress, there are certain factors that are common among all women going through pregnancy. Quite often, early symptoms of pregnancy will appear and prompt the soon-to-be mom to purchase a home pregnancy test. These can be found at virtually every retail and/or grocery store. It is important to remember that pregnancy tests, while designed to be accurate, are sometimes wrong. Regardless of the result, it is recommended that women experiencing pregnancy symptoms should schedule an appointment with a health care professional who will accurately test for pregnancy.
Among the pregnancy symptoms that most women experience are heightened sensitivity to certain smells and/or food, exhaustion, recurring morning sickness and mood swings. During the entire pregnancy, it is very important that the woman participate in a healthy lifestyle. Among other things, this would include not smoking or being near secondhand smoke, avoid drinking alcohol, etc. In addition, the mom-to-be should drink plenty of milk and eat healthy foods. This will help to promote good development for the child and will be a healthy start for him/her.
Once a woman is confirmed with pregnancy, the next step is shopping for maternity clothes. There is generally a maternity section of every store, but many women simply wear oversized shirts and comfortable elastic waist pants. Preparing for a new baby will include shopping for nursery items, including a rocking chair, bassinet, baby blankets, clothes and toys. If there are plans to convert any room in the house into a nursery, it’s best to start early. It’s also very important that the mom-to-be not be near any paint or harmful products that may cause her, or her unborn child, any problems.
During the nine months of pregnancy, women will go through a lot of changes - both physically and mentally. Mood swings will become more intense and there may be frequent trips to the bathroom as the pregnancy progresses and the growing child begins to press more heavily on the bladder. After the baby is born, the woman will likely have a desire to lose her pregnancy weight. Immediately following birth, it may be a good idea to rest before starting on any exercise program. A licensed medical doctor will be able to prescribe a timeline for such things as physical activity, which will greatly be determined by the mom’s overall health.
This article is to be used for informational purposes only. It is not designed to be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical advice. Any woman who believes she may be experiencing pregnancy symptoms, or has reason to believe that she may be pregnant, should consult a licensed medical physician for proper testing and determination.
Among the pregnancy symptoms that most women experience are heightened sensitivity to certain smells and/or food, exhaustion, recurring morning sickness and mood swings. During the entire pregnancy, it is very important that the woman participate in a healthy lifestyle. Among other things, this would include not smoking or being near secondhand smoke, avoid drinking alcohol, etc. In addition, the mom-to-be should drink plenty of milk and eat healthy foods. This will help to promote good development for the child and will be a healthy start for him/her.
Once a woman is confirmed with pregnancy, the next step is shopping for maternity clothes. There is generally a maternity section of every store, but many women simply wear oversized shirts and comfortable elastic waist pants. Preparing for a new baby will include shopping for nursery items, including a rocking chair, bassinet, baby blankets, clothes and toys. If there are plans to convert any room in the house into a nursery, it’s best to start early. It’s also very important that the mom-to-be not be near any paint or harmful products that may cause her, or her unborn child, any problems.
During the nine months of pregnancy, women will go through a lot of changes - both physically and mentally. Mood swings will become more intense and there may be frequent trips to the bathroom as the pregnancy progresses and the growing child begins to press more heavily on the bladder. After the baby is born, the woman will likely have a desire to lose her pregnancy weight. Immediately following birth, it may be a good idea to rest before starting on any exercise program. A licensed medical doctor will be able to prescribe a timeline for such things as physical activity, which will greatly be determined by the mom’s overall health.
This article is to be used for informational purposes only. It is not designed to be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical advice. Any woman who believes she may be experiencing pregnancy symptoms, or has reason to believe that she may be pregnant, should consult a licensed medical physician for proper testing and determination.
Pregnancy Tests – Have All The Information For A Healthy Delivery
With today’s increased knowledge of health and development of the fetus in the womb, there are several tests that expectant mothers will undergo to ensure the health prospects of both herself and her baby. All of these tests are standard, and you should make sure to ask your doctor about when they are scheduled and that they are all on his list.
CBC Test: CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This test checks for anemia and other abnormalities that may occur within blood components.
Urinary Analysis: Regular urine analysis safety check for infection, protein, blood, or any other products that should not be present in the urine and that may signal complications.
RH factor: This test also tests the blood type. Differences in the blood type or Rh factor could lead to serious complications in the newborn, or in your next child. Women who are RH negative need to have additional screening done later in the pregnancy.
Immunity: A blood test is required to ensure immunity from German measles (rubella).
STD: Tests for sexually transmitted diseases are also necessary, including screenings for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Some tests include cultures for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Blood glucose is checked for diabetes.
Pap smears check the cells of the cervix for abnormalities, including cancerous or precancerous cells.
Screening for bacterial and viral infections in the vagina and cervix is often performed during the second half of the pregnancy. Testing to detect bacterial vaginosis, which could increase the risk for premature rupture of membranes and subsequent labor, and a culture for group B streptococci, which can infect and harm the newborn after delivery, may be done during your pregnancy.
There are other tests that may be taken according to your own personal health history. Expectant women with high blood pressure should be regularly checked. Make sure when you visit your obstetrician that all these tests are accounted for, and consult her on any that may need to be done additionally.
CBC Test: CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This test checks for anemia and other abnormalities that may occur within blood components.
Urinary Analysis: Regular urine analysis safety check for infection, protein, blood, or any other products that should not be present in the urine and that may signal complications.
RH factor: This test also tests the blood type. Differences in the blood type or Rh factor could lead to serious complications in the newborn, or in your next child. Women who are RH negative need to have additional screening done later in the pregnancy.
Immunity: A blood test is required to ensure immunity from German measles (rubella).
STD: Tests for sexually transmitted diseases are also necessary, including screenings for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Some tests include cultures for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Blood glucose is checked for diabetes.
Pap smears check the cells of the cervix for abnormalities, including cancerous or precancerous cells.
Screening for bacterial and viral infections in the vagina and cervix is often performed during the second half of the pregnancy. Testing to detect bacterial vaginosis, which could increase the risk for premature rupture of membranes and subsequent labor, and a culture for group B streptococci, which can infect and harm the newborn after delivery, may be done during your pregnancy.
There are other tests that may be taken according to your own personal health history. Expectant women with high blood pressure should be regularly checked. Make sure when you visit your obstetrician that all these tests are accounted for, and consult her on any that may need to be done additionally.
Monday, 27 February 2012
Pregnancy Symptoms
Pregnancy is defined as ‘the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus’. Let us see some of the common symptoms of pregnancies among women.
Missing the period is the most common sign and indication of pregnancy. However a variety of other reasons such as stress, illness, and weight fluctuations etc also can cause the late or missed periods. Missing periods normally can also be a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which periods can occur months apart. Hence one has to observe rather examine the other symptoms to confirm the pregnancy. Another important symptom of pregnancy is the change in the size and feel of the breast immediately after the conception. Breasts begin to enlarge to get ready for breast feeding and women claim that the breasts become sensitive and they experience a very sharp and twinkling sensation.
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Another most common symptom of pregnancy is nausea and vomiting normally seen among women. This is also known as morning sickness. A feeling of sickness is also being experienced by most women from the fifth and sixth week of the pregnancy. The morning sickness can start as early as 2 weeks of pregnancy.. The degree of nausea and vomiting differs from person to person. Mostly this symptom may disappear after period of 3 to 4 months. Most of the pregnant woman experience tiredness and fatigue.
Frequent urination is also a common feature among pregnant women within 2-3 weeks after consumption due to the reduction in the size of the bladder . Drastic change in the taste and smell is also another factor resulting in craving for certain foods and start hating certain other types of food. All the above symptoms though normally confirm the pregnancy a clinical cal test is the ultimate proof.
One can confirm pregnancy by conducting the small home pregnancy test by detecting the level of HCG in the urine and if the result is positive one may need to make an appointment with family doctor to confirm the pregnancy and to start the follow up. Like the home pregnancy test the office urine test also confirms pregnancy by detecting the level of HCG in the urine.
Similarly a blood test can also be made that may give a positive or negative results normally conducted when there are apprehensions of miscarriage or unusual pregnancy. After a period 0f 4 to 6 weeks the obstetrician can confirm the pregnancy by a physical examination. The thickening of the vaginal tissues and softening uterus confirms the pregnancy.
This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice regarding pregnancy. Prior to beginning any treatment regimen or taking any medication, the patient must consult a licensed medical doctor for advice and/or to determine the best course of action for his/her individual situation.
Missing the period is the most common sign and indication of pregnancy. However a variety of other reasons such as stress, illness, and weight fluctuations etc also can cause the late or missed periods. Missing periods normally can also be a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which periods can occur months apart. Hence one has to observe rather examine the other symptoms to confirm the pregnancy. Another important symptom of pregnancy is the change in the size and feel of the breast immediately after the conception. Breasts begin to enlarge to get ready for breast feeding and women claim that the breasts become sensitive and they experience a very sharp and twinkling sensation.
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Another most common symptom of pregnancy is nausea and vomiting normally seen among women. This is also known as morning sickness. A feeling of sickness is also being experienced by most women from the fifth and sixth week of the pregnancy. The morning sickness can start as early as 2 weeks of pregnancy.. The degree of nausea and vomiting differs from person to person. Mostly this symptom may disappear after period of 3 to 4 months. Most of the pregnant woman experience tiredness and fatigue.
Frequent urination is also a common feature among pregnant women within 2-3 weeks after consumption due to the reduction in the size of the bladder . Drastic change in the taste and smell is also another factor resulting in craving for certain foods and start hating certain other types of food. All the above symptoms though normally confirm the pregnancy a clinical cal test is the ultimate proof.
One can confirm pregnancy by conducting the small home pregnancy test by detecting the level of HCG in the urine and if the result is positive one may need to make an appointment with family doctor to confirm the pregnancy and to start the follow up. Like the home pregnancy test the office urine test also confirms pregnancy by detecting the level of HCG in the urine.
Similarly a blood test can also be made that may give a positive or negative results normally conducted when there are apprehensions of miscarriage or unusual pregnancy. After a period 0f 4 to 6 weeks the obstetrician can confirm the pregnancy by a physical examination. The thickening of the vaginal tissues and softening uterus confirms the pregnancy.
This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice regarding pregnancy. Prior to beginning any treatment regimen or taking any medication, the patient must consult a licensed medical doctor for advice and/or to determine the best course of action for his/her individual situation.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Pregnancy and Morning Sickness
The toughest bit of the 1st trimester of pregnancy is morning sickness and any woman who has gone through or is going through it, knows the first signs usually develop during the month following the first missed menstrual period, when hormone levels increase. It may range from mild, occasional nausea to sever, continuous, debilitating nausea with bouts of vomiting. In most cases, symptoms may be worse in morning, albeit they can strike day or night.
Despite all advances in medicine, there is no way of predicting how long your morning sickness will last even if you have suffered it before. Generally, nausea and vomiting last till about 12 - 13 weeks of pregnancy. However, some women continue to feel ill beyond their 22nd week as well.
However, some studies show that mild to moderate sickness is a sign of a good pregnancy, and less risk of miscarriage.
There is no simple treatment. The best course of action is home treatment. The following tips work wonders not only when you wake up feeling nauseous but also work when you get that queasy feeling during the day.
Changing what, when and how much you eat coupled with certain changes to the way foods cooked helps.
During morning or for that matter all day sickness, you may find that eating five or six small meals, rather than the usual three large ones, is easier on the body. Make sure each meal contains some protein and carbohydrate, like whole wheat bread with grated cheese and a slice of tomato, rice or wheat preparation with some easily digestible / light cereals, orange juice and a whole wheat biscuit. Be creative; choose low fat health foods you know will tempt your appetite. Aversions to food because of nausea are perfectly normal and understandable.
Try not to kiss meals
Eat small, dry snacks.
Don’t jump up out of bed immediately. Lie quietly for a while and ask you husband to bring you a slice of fresh lemon or orange or a dry, bland biscuit.
Avoid large drinks, have frequent small one between meals.
Spicy, fried foods, and fatty foods like very rich sweets, are best avoided.
Avoid excessive consumption of pickles or chutney, which is rich in salt.
Don’t spend much time in the kitchen and avoid the strong smell of certain foods when shopping.
Prepare food when feeling least nauseous.
Taking lemon or orange juice in the morning and before meals relieves nausea of early pregnancy.
Suck an ice cube till the nausea passes off.
Sip on cool water.
However, if you have severe, persistent nausea and vomiting, see your doctor. This not so common complication of pregnancy can lead to dehydration and malnutrition, sometimes calling for prescribed medication and in some cases even hospitalization. Although drugs are best avoided in pregnancy, especially in the early months, there are some that have been in use for many years with no apparent danger to the developing baby.
Despite all advances in medicine, there is no way of predicting how long your morning sickness will last even if you have suffered it before. Generally, nausea and vomiting last till about 12 - 13 weeks of pregnancy. However, some women continue to feel ill beyond their 22nd week as well.
However, some studies show that mild to moderate sickness is a sign of a good pregnancy, and less risk of miscarriage.
There is no simple treatment. The best course of action is home treatment. The following tips work wonders not only when you wake up feeling nauseous but also work when you get that queasy feeling during the day.
Changing what, when and how much you eat coupled with certain changes to the way foods cooked helps.
During morning or for that matter all day sickness, you may find that eating five or six small meals, rather than the usual three large ones, is easier on the body. Make sure each meal contains some protein and carbohydrate, like whole wheat bread with grated cheese and a slice of tomato, rice or wheat preparation with some easily digestible / light cereals, orange juice and a whole wheat biscuit. Be creative; choose low fat health foods you know will tempt your appetite. Aversions to food because of nausea are perfectly normal and understandable.
Try not to kiss meals
Eat small, dry snacks.
Don’t jump up out of bed immediately. Lie quietly for a while and ask you husband to bring you a slice of fresh lemon or orange or a dry, bland biscuit.
Avoid large drinks, have frequent small one between meals.
Spicy, fried foods, and fatty foods like very rich sweets, are best avoided.
Avoid excessive consumption of pickles or chutney, which is rich in salt.
Don’t spend much time in the kitchen and avoid the strong smell of certain foods when shopping.
Prepare food when feeling least nauseous.
Taking lemon or orange juice in the morning and before meals relieves nausea of early pregnancy.
Suck an ice cube till the nausea passes off.
Sip on cool water.
However, if you have severe, persistent nausea and vomiting, see your doctor. This not so common complication of pregnancy can lead to dehydration and malnutrition, sometimes calling for prescribed medication and in some cases even hospitalization. Although drugs are best avoided in pregnancy, especially in the early months, there are some that have been in use for many years with no apparent danger to the developing baby.
Pregnancy Naturally
A rush of emotions. A little stick. Will it be pink! Or blue? Who should you tell first? What do you do now?
Pregnancy can be a wonderful experience that is full of excitement and love and anxiety and tension. There are a lot of decisions to be made and you must face the realization (whether it’s your first or your 12th) that life will never be the same.
Once you have the details of the actual delivery, the who (midwife or doctor), what (your baby), where (home birth, birthing clinic or hospital) and when (determining your due date) down, you can get on with making sure that baby has the best possible beginning even before you give birth.
Nutrition will be one of the keys to help you to keep your growing baby healthy and safe while still in your womb. And an extra bonus will be helping you to keep up your energy and minimizing the unpleasant effects of carrying your little one inside of you.
If you have a craving, indulge it. If you can’t eat something, don’t worry about it. The body has different needs during this time and those needs show themselves in various ways. It’s a temporary situation and nothing to be concerned about.
Prenatal Vitamins – While many multiple vitamins have the necessary quantities of vitamins and minerals for an average adult, prenatal vitamins have the increased quantities of those vitamins most important during this precious time. In addition, some prenatal vitamins have added the herb Ginger to help with morning sickness.
Calcium and Magnesium – These minerals are important during pregnancy for a number of reasons. If you don’t have enough calcium to provide to your baby as he begins to form bones and teeth, your body will naturally compensate by pulling these critical minerals from your own teeth and hair. This is why many women get more cavities and have brittle, dull hair during pregnancy. In addition, adequate levels of calcium may prevent preeclampsia during late pregnancy. Of course, there is the added benefit of avoiding excess leg or muscle cramps, common in pregnant women.
Red Raspberry – This herb is commonly known as the woman’s herb and can be taken throughout pregnancy. It has been used traditionally to strengthen the uterus and help women carry full-term reducing the chances of premature birth.
5-W – This is an herbal combination by Nature’s Sunshine Products. Many mothers and midwife’s insist they would not deliver without it. 5-W (five weeks) should be taken during the last five weeks before the scheduled due date. This product will help to tone the uterus and shorten the duration of labor.
Common ailments and natural alternatives
Sometimes our best efforts aren’t enough and we end up getting sick or having other problems that need to be addressed during this delicate time. Because anything that you take will also affect your growing baby, it’s best to use safe, natural alternatives whenever possible.
For almost all of the following, the best natural prevention is water. Pregnant women need far more of it than the average adult. Be sure you have water with you every where you go and drink it by the gallon.
Allergies and sinus congestion – Fenugreek may assist by acting as a mild laxative (opening the bowels to flush the irritants and mucus) and by reducing mucus secretions. A side benefit of fenugreek is that it promotes lactation in nursing women.
Back pain – See a good chiropractor and use rice pillows to ease the pain.
Bladder Infections – Use cranberry supplements daily as a preventative if you are prone to bladder infections. Should you contract a bladder infection during pregnancy, you could increase your dosage of cranberry and add colloidal silver, a natural antibiotic. Be sure to do this at the very first sign of the infection as bladder infections that reach the kidneys may increase the risk of preterm labor.
Colds – Echinacea is a safe alternative that can be used during pregnancy. Sip on Echinacea tea or take a few capsules several times a day. Another herb that may be effective is Olive Leaf. Of course, don’t forget to increase your vitamin C.
Constipation and hemorrhoids – This sometimes occurs due to the extra iron in prenatal vitamins. While it is generally not safe to take a laxative during pregnancy, there are some things you can do. Increase magnesium. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant and will help to relax the sphincter muscle that allows for proper elimination. Increase fiber. Often, due to cravings or specific food aversions during pregnancy, women don’t get enough fiber. Supplement if needed. Exercise may also help.
Insomnia – Valerian root acts as a natural sedative and may be just enough to help induce sleep.
Nausea – Ginger or peppermint tea can be very helpful here. Also try aloe vera juice.
This is a time of joy but it may take a little extra strength and willpower to stick to your desire to stay natural. Just remember, the less toxins you put into your body, the healthier your baby will be.
Pregnancy can be a wonderful experience that is full of excitement and love and anxiety and tension. There are a lot of decisions to be made and you must face the realization (whether it’s your first or your 12th) that life will never be the same.
Once you have the details of the actual delivery, the who (midwife or doctor), what (your baby), where (home birth, birthing clinic or hospital) and when (determining your due date) down, you can get on with making sure that baby has the best possible beginning even before you give birth.
Nutrition will be one of the keys to help you to keep your growing baby healthy and safe while still in your womb. And an extra bonus will be helping you to keep up your energy and minimizing the unpleasant effects of carrying your little one inside of you.
If you have a craving, indulge it. If you can’t eat something, don’t worry about it. The body has different needs during this time and those needs show themselves in various ways. It’s a temporary situation and nothing to be concerned about.
Prenatal Vitamins – While many multiple vitamins have the necessary quantities of vitamins and minerals for an average adult, prenatal vitamins have the increased quantities of those vitamins most important during this precious time. In addition, some prenatal vitamins have added the herb Ginger to help with morning sickness.
Calcium and Magnesium – These minerals are important during pregnancy for a number of reasons. If you don’t have enough calcium to provide to your baby as he begins to form bones and teeth, your body will naturally compensate by pulling these critical minerals from your own teeth and hair. This is why many women get more cavities and have brittle, dull hair during pregnancy. In addition, adequate levels of calcium may prevent preeclampsia during late pregnancy. Of course, there is the added benefit of avoiding excess leg or muscle cramps, common in pregnant women.
Red Raspberry – This herb is commonly known as the woman’s herb and can be taken throughout pregnancy. It has been used traditionally to strengthen the uterus and help women carry full-term reducing the chances of premature birth.
5-W – This is an herbal combination by Nature’s Sunshine Products. Many mothers and midwife’s insist they would not deliver without it. 5-W (five weeks) should be taken during the last five weeks before the scheduled due date. This product will help to tone the uterus and shorten the duration of labor.
Common ailments and natural alternatives
Sometimes our best efforts aren’t enough and we end up getting sick or having other problems that need to be addressed during this delicate time. Because anything that you take will also affect your growing baby, it’s best to use safe, natural alternatives whenever possible.
For almost all of the following, the best natural prevention is water. Pregnant women need far more of it than the average adult. Be sure you have water with you every where you go and drink it by the gallon.
Allergies and sinus congestion – Fenugreek may assist by acting as a mild laxative (opening the bowels to flush the irritants and mucus) and by reducing mucus secretions. A side benefit of fenugreek is that it promotes lactation in nursing women.
Back pain – See a good chiropractor and use rice pillows to ease the pain.
Bladder Infections – Use cranberry supplements daily as a preventative if you are prone to bladder infections. Should you contract a bladder infection during pregnancy, you could increase your dosage of cranberry and add colloidal silver, a natural antibiotic. Be sure to do this at the very first sign of the infection as bladder infections that reach the kidneys may increase the risk of preterm labor.
Colds – Echinacea is a safe alternative that can be used during pregnancy. Sip on Echinacea tea or take a few capsules several times a day. Another herb that may be effective is Olive Leaf. Of course, don’t forget to increase your vitamin C.
Constipation and hemorrhoids – This sometimes occurs due to the extra iron in prenatal vitamins. While it is generally not safe to take a laxative during pregnancy, there are some things you can do. Increase magnesium. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant and will help to relax the sphincter muscle that allows for proper elimination. Increase fiber. Often, due to cravings or specific food aversions during pregnancy, women don’t get enough fiber. Supplement if needed. Exercise may also help.
Insomnia – Valerian root acts as a natural sedative and may be just enough to help induce sleep.
Nausea – Ginger or peppermint tea can be very helpful here. Also try aloe vera juice.
This is a time of joy but it may take a little extra strength and willpower to stick to your desire to stay natural. Just remember, the less toxins you put into your body, the healthier your baby will be.
Friday, 24 February 2012
Pregnancy And Hair Loss
First of all congratulations on your pregnancy!
One of the major changes is change with the hair like other parts of the bd. It could thin or fall out, or it could also thicken. Understanding why this happens during pregnancy and what you can do to help the problem will help you in fighting the thinning and loss of your hair or with extra hair growth.
Hormones have lot of effects on your hair. The main reason your hair will change during pregnancy is the change in hormones. Estrogen plays a large part in the way that your hair is shaped. If your hair begins to grow faster and becomes thicker, it is most likely because there is an increased amount of estrogen that is moving through your body. Estrogen moves to the hair follicles in your body to increase the growth rate. There will also be extra nutrients that are provided from the estrogen increase, which will also increase hair growth. This is usually a result of the estrogen allowing the metabolism to move faster, which then supplies extra nutrients throughout the body.
Another change that you may notice from pregnancy is a change in the style. Your hair may not only be fuller or thinner, but may also change from straight to curly, or have the opposite effect. This is usually attributed to the hormone changes as well. The hormone increase that you experience will automatically move into the cortex, where hair begins to grow and add the texture to it. Usually, this will not change back until the hormones return to normal after pregnancy.
These same changes also occur after your baby is born. You may realize that your hair is thinning or falling out. Usually, the first three to six months after pregnancy will cause a change in your hair. This should be expected and is normal after a pregnancy. This usually occurs because the estrogen levels are able to move back to normal and slow down the nutrients that are moving through your body.
If your hair falls out during pregnancy, it’s because of not receiving the nutrients your body needs. Without those essential nutrients, your body is unable to produce the amount of estrogen it needs. One of the things to be aware of is if your hair falls out during your pregnancy. If this occurs, it is most likely a result of not receiving enough nutrients for your body to produce the right amounts of estrogen. This is especially a problem within the first trimester because of morning sickness and nausea. It is important to make sure that you are getting the right amounts of nutrients during this time to allow your body to stay balanced.
Knowing what changes your body goes through during pregnancy will help you adjust your hair routine to keep it healthy. Additional vitamins and other supplements will help your hair and scalp healthy and your hair beautiful.
One of the major changes is change with the hair like other parts of the bd. It could thin or fall out, or it could also thicken. Understanding why this happens during pregnancy and what you can do to help the problem will help you in fighting the thinning and loss of your hair or with extra hair growth.
Hormones have lot of effects on your hair. The main reason your hair will change during pregnancy is the change in hormones. Estrogen plays a large part in the way that your hair is shaped. If your hair begins to grow faster and becomes thicker, it is most likely because there is an increased amount of estrogen that is moving through your body. Estrogen moves to the hair follicles in your body to increase the growth rate. There will also be extra nutrients that are provided from the estrogen increase, which will also increase hair growth. This is usually a result of the estrogen allowing the metabolism to move faster, which then supplies extra nutrients throughout the body.
Another change that you may notice from pregnancy is a change in the style. Your hair may not only be fuller or thinner, but may also change from straight to curly, or have the opposite effect. This is usually attributed to the hormone changes as well. The hormone increase that you experience will automatically move into the cortex, where hair begins to grow and add the texture to it. Usually, this will not change back until the hormones return to normal after pregnancy.
These same changes also occur after your baby is born. You may realize that your hair is thinning or falling out. Usually, the first three to six months after pregnancy will cause a change in your hair. This should be expected and is normal after a pregnancy. This usually occurs because the estrogen levels are able to move back to normal and slow down the nutrients that are moving through your body.
If your hair falls out during pregnancy, it’s because of not receiving the nutrients your body needs. Without those essential nutrients, your body is unable to produce the amount of estrogen it needs. One of the things to be aware of is if your hair falls out during your pregnancy. If this occurs, it is most likely a result of not receiving enough nutrients for your body to produce the right amounts of estrogen. This is especially a problem within the first trimester because of morning sickness and nausea. It is important to make sure that you are getting the right amounts of nutrients during this time to allow your body to stay balanced.
Knowing what changes your body goes through during pregnancy will help you adjust your hair routine to keep it healthy. Additional vitamins and other supplements will help your hair and scalp healthy and your hair beautiful.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Pregnancy and Childbirth are the Gateway to Parenthood
This gateway is recognised in absolutely all cultures as being a significant transition in a person’s life just as reaching puberty. When we reach puberty, we move from being a child to an adult. When we get pregnant and give birth, we move from being a woman and man to being a mother and father. These are huge changes. Puberty for a woman occurs at one time … menses starts. For young boys this is not as clear a time.
Pregnancy and childbirth is an experience that only women physically experience. There is truth in the statement ‘no one will do the labour except you.’ However, pregnancy and childbirth stimulate emotional changes in both men and women. Many cultures honour the becoming a father. Many fathers exhibit physical and emotional sympathetic symptoms when their partner is pregnant. This has been given termed ‘Couvade symptoms.’ The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ resources have been loved by fathers ever where. They like the practical, can do approach and they can do. Men are absolutely wonderful childbirth coaches. Remember, they have all been born through a woman’s body. No woman has been inside a man’s body. And, they have the same body. Once they learn to work with the ‘pain’ of labour being part of the process (unless told differently) rather than indicating a ‘problem’; men will bring persistent and determined skills that their partners can rely on.
In modern maternity care, the role of the father in childbirth has changed dramatically in the past 30 years.
Up to the 1970s fathers were excluded from the labour and delivery. In some cultures this exclusion existed historically and still exists. Women were left alone in a hospital ward or room while staff periodically came in and checked them. Since the 1970s fathers have been encouraged to support their partner in labour.
As an aside, there are many terms used in childbirth discussions that no one has bothered to define or clarify but we are somehow all expected to know. Do your own research and ask 20 people what a natural birth is, what interventions mean or what a father is supposed to do to support his partner in labour. You’ll discover that we use those terms to mean or imply something significant yet few people have the same understanding.
Since The Pink Kit Method has been used by so many women and men, we have come to find our own set of definitions. Birth is natural, it comes at the conclusion of pregnancy. Birth is natural, so is pain, death, bleeding, long labours, quick births, tears, pain free experiences, tension, relaxation, screaming, quiet breathing and all the combinations you can imagine. Childbirth interventions can be lying down for a vaginal exam, taking a shower if you’re tense, having someone breathe with you, taking castor oil to stimulate labour along with all the medical assessments, monitoring and procedures that people discuss. Fathers, friends and relatives who support a woman can be there yet not know what to do, feel useless, helpless, a failure, know how to breathe with the woman, touch her just right, encourage her or wish someone would give her pain relief because she is so obviously suffering.
Variability is the name of the game in childbirth.
Yet, childbirth is a remarkably same experience for all women. (At the moment we will assume a woman will labour to give birth. Women who plan an elective delivery for personal choice or necessity can still use The Pink Kit Method. Doing so gives expectant parents a sense of involvement and closeness not offered in other types of childbirth education. Many of the skills learned are applicable.) Childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. An object will move through your container. Your job is to get out of the way of the object. In other words, work with the process of opening up for the object and ejecting it. The opening up phase of childbirth is accompanied by a series of contractions that open the diaphragm (cervix). Once the cervix is open and when the object has moved through the tube (pelvis), the contractions begin to eject the object by opening the aperture (vagina).
Not one woman in history or any place on Earth has given birth by a different experience. No baby has popped out of the crown of a woman’s head after a shiver started at her big toe, moving up her body until her cranium separated. No baby has delivered out a mouth, nose or ear. As silly as it sounds, we must remind ourselves of our similarities. Instead people have focused on all the variability’s, diversity and differences. Common Knowledge Trust shares our similarities:
· The childbirth preparation that does prepare our physical container to allow this object to pass through it with less trauma.
· The positive birthing behaviours we can use to work through the process of childbirth even when we don’t like the experience AND in and around all medical care.
· The real and effective coaching skills that help women stay focused, open, relaxed and willing to meet the challenge of childbirth.
Pregnant women and expectant fathers have a specific window of opportunity to prepare for childbirth in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnant body is beginning to prepare for childbirth and so is the baby. Our body and baby prepare in their own way but arrive at the same point together which is labour. If a woman needs or plans a non-labouring delivery, her body and baby don’t know that. They are still preparing for labour and birth. Why is childbirth called ‘labour’? It’s hard work. Use The Pink Kit Method and learn the skills to make your work easier.
The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ presents 4 foundations. The first two are presented in The Pink Kit: Essential Preparations for your birthing body which is mostly about the body preparation necessary. In order to prepare for birth, we must have a relaxed and good understanding of our 3D body. As one father explained ‘Until my wife and I used The Pink Kit, I thought giving birth was about having strong muscles to push the baby out. Now I understand it’s about creating space.’ Space creation is done in a 3 dimensional reality, not a 2 dimensional one.
This means that we must know those parts of our body that are most involved with birth. Because CKT is the collective voice of ordinary people, we explain birth as plumbing: object, container, tube (pelvis), diaphragm (cervix) and aperture (vagina). Mostly we, the container, must prepare so that when the object decides to come out, we can work to open our container through the process of the efforts of our baby. The physical parts of our container must be prepared and as humans we have minds that direct us how to do that.
Humans are gifted with an amazing mind.
We can remember the past and even alter our perceptions or responses of what happened before. We can make plans into the future just as athletes mentally go over the event again and again, we can imagine ourselves working through labour and giving birth. When we prepare our container, we use our amazing Mind. When childbirth occurs, then we can use our minds to implement our skills in how to create space, stay open and relaxed for our child to move through us. It’s vigorous for most of us. Babies are big.
When we connect our mind to our body or yoke them together then we have more control over our body and instinctive responses. For example, all professional or amateur athletes have a sophisticated connection between their mind and body. They’ve achieved that by practice, practice and more practice. Although the ability to run or jump is something that humans do naturally, these athletes do not go into their events just ‘intuitively’ or ‘instinctively’ doing those things. They learn how to do them well.
Unfortunately, we give birth infrequently and have to rely on ‘something’ other than practice to bring good labour management skills to childbirth. That ‘something’ else is the process of labour that keeps going. There is nothing like it in our lives really. Once labour starts, it continues and leads us on whether we have skills or not, like it or not, are coping or not or have a good coach or not. We can use that physiological experience to apply the skills right away at each moment of the process. If we don’t apply the positive skills then we often just react, particularly if there is a lot of pain associated with labour.
We will still breathe in labour whether we breathe positively or scream.
Our body has to be in some posture or position, we can either use positions and postures that facilitate the passage of our baby through our body or we can get into positions we like that slow the birth process and keep us in labour for hours longer than necessary. Although there is a current belief that women will get into the best position, that’s hardly the case just as many women tense up naturally to the pain of childbirth. If the present day beliefs were true that women naturally knew how to give birth, that would reflect by an infrequent use of pain relief or medically assisted births. Women tense up at home, birth centre as well as in hospital.
We cripple ourselves when we believe that external factors are the sole reasons for good or bad births. We leave ourselves feeling victims to the external rather than powerful within ourselves. ‘I blamed my first bad experience on the hospital, doctor, what they made me do and my husband for being pathetic at helping me. Next time, I changed where I gave birth … home, changed my birth provider … a woman midwife; I still had a horrible experience. Then I realised that I had to learn how to birth.’
True power for all of us as women and men is to have personal skills. Childbirth is an event in our lives where it’s easy to get skilled because the event is so similar to all women regardless of where they birth or with whom or who they are. For such a BIG and important event people perpetuated a belief that women should have to respond to the experience ‘intuitively’ or ‘instinctively’ rather than with ‘skills.’ As humans we have many physiologically natural urges besides childbirth. When we get hungry, we can browse on the nearest bush or learn to cook. We all urinate and defecate, but we don’t do it where ever we are sitting, we learn to hold it until we go to the toilet. The operative word is ‘learn’. We can learn to respond to labour contractions, use our minds and yoke our bodies and to choose positive birth behaviours in contractions and between them.
Birth discussions revolve around women taking responsibility for making choices about where or with whom they will birth or what they want done or not done to them. If choice achieved the goals, then we’d all be happy. We have assumed that ‘taking responsibility’ is about making choices. Being responsible requires two different aspects. One is choice, the other is skills not just options. Any woman in her right mind would choose an easy birth, not to tear, to heal well etc. Whether most women would choose home birth would depend on other factors: whether they prefer the hospital, have health issues, young children at home and want a break, home isn’t where they want to birth, it isn’t safe or quiet etc. Not one woman would choose a birth she found too painful, to use pain relief when she didn’t need it, have a major operation if she felt confident and knew she and her baby were healthy or to live with childbirth trauma. All women can have skills. So taking responsibility is just as much about being skilled at doing something so that the choices a person makes are more likely to actualise.
For example, if a woman doesn’t want to use pain relief then she has to have the skills to manage the experience of labour. Such a woman can still have a very painful labour and change her mind about her choice if she doesn’t have the skills to cope and then feel let down or guilty. Shame, blame and guilt are a huge part of childbirth today. A woman may choose a home birth and find that the unexpected happens (for example, her waters break and she doesn’t go into labour after 48 hours) and she ends up in hospital. With skills, she can still have a wonderfully empowering birth.
For the past 30 years birth discussions have revolved around ‘choice’ and ‘informed consent’ (information).
Common Knowledge Trust would like ‘skills’ to form the triad. When we couple skills to choice, we are more likely to have a goal (choice) and take steps to achieve that goal (developing and using skills). When we couple skills to information, we can are more likely to have mastery rather than data. Childbirth skills will only become the common knowledge approach to childbirth when all expectant couples know that The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ is available and that the skills they can teach themselves work in all birth situations because … you will have another contraction regardless of your beliefs, where you birth, with whom, whether you have a long labour or a short one and all the other variables we can tell in our stories. Too often we hear pregnant women say: ‘I hope I have a good birth.’ Hope is not a plan. The Pink Kit is the plan.
Pregnancy and childbirth is an experience that only women physically experience. There is truth in the statement ‘no one will do the labour except you.’ However, pregnancy and childbirth stimulate emotional changes in both men and women. Many cultures honour the becoming a father. Many fathers exhibit physical and emotional sympathetic symptoms when their partner is pregnant. This has been given termed ‘Couvade symptoms.’ The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ resources have been loved by fathers ever where. They like the practical, can do approach and they can do. Men are absolutely wonderful childbirth coaches. Remember, they have all been born through a woman’s body. No woman has been inside a man’s body. And, they have the same body. Once they learn to work with the ‘pain’ of labour being part of the process (unless told differently) rather than indicating a ‘problem’; men will bring persistent and determined skills that their partners can rely on.
In modern maternity care, the role of the father in childbirth has changed dramatically in the past 30 years.
Up to the 1970s fathers were excluded from the labour and delivery. In some cultures this exclusion existed historically and still exists. Women were left alone in a hospital ward or room while staff periodically came in and checked them. Since the 1970s fathers have been encouraged to support their partner in labour.
As an aside, there are many terms used in childbirth discussions that no one has bothered to define or clarify but we are somehow all expected to know. Do your own research and ask 20 people what a natural birth is, what interventions mean or what a father is supposed to do to support his partner in labour. You’ll discover that we use those terms to mean or imply something significant yet few people have the same understanding.
Since The Pink Kit Method has been used by so many women and men, we have come to find our own set of definitions. Birth is natural, it comes at the conclusion of pregnancy. Birth is natural, so is pain, death, bleeding, long labours, quick births, tears, pain free experiences, tension, relaxation, screaming, quiet breathing and all the combinations you can imagine. Childbirth interventions can be lying down for a vaginal exam, taking a shower if you’re tense, having someone breathe with you, taking castor oil to stimulate labour along with all the medical assessments, monitoring and procedures that people discuss. Fathers, friends and relatives who support a woman can be there yet not know what to do, feel useless, helpless, a failure, know how to breathe with the woman, touch her just right, encourage her or wish someone would give her pain relief because she is so obviously suffering.
Variability is the name of the game in childbirth.
Yet, childbirth is a remarkably same experience for all women. (At the moment we will assume a woman will labour to give birth. Women who plan an elective delivery for personal choice or necessity can still use The Pink Kit Method. Doing so gives expectant parents a sense of involvement and closeness not offered in other types of childbirth education. Many of the skills learned are applicable.) Childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. An object will move through your container. Your job is to get out of the way of the object. In other words, work with the process of opening up for the object and ejecting it. The opening up phase of childbirth is accompanied by a series of contractions that open the diaphragm (cervix). Once the cervix is open and when the object has moved through the tube (pelvis), the contractions begin to eject the object by opening the aperture (vagina).
Not one woman in history or any place on Earth has given birth by a different experience. No baby has popped out of the crown of a woman’s head after a shiver started at her big toe, moving up her body until her cranium separated. No baby has delivered out a mouth, nose or ear. As silly as it sounds, we must remind ourselves of our similarities. Instead people have focused on all the variability’s, diversity and differences. Common Knowledge Trust shares our similarities:
· The childbirth preparation that does prepare our physical container to allow this object to pass through it with less trauma.
· The positive birthing behaviours we can use to work through the process of childbirth even when we don’t like the experience AND in and around all medical care.
· The real and effective coaching skills that help women stay focused, open, relaxed and willing to meet the challenge of childbirth.
Pregnant women and expectant fathers have a specific window of opportunity to prepare for childbirth in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnant body is beginning to prepare for childbirth and so is the baby. Our body and baby prepare in their own way but arrive at the same point together which is labour. If a woman needs or plans a non-labouring delivery, her body and baby don’t know that. They are still preparing for labour and birth. Why is childbirth called ‘labour’? It’s hard work. Use The Pink Kit Method and learn the skills to make your work easier.
The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ presents 4 foundations. The first two are presented in The Pink Kit: Essential Preparations for your birthing body which is mostly about the body preparation necessary. In order to prepare for birth, we must have a relaxed and good understanding of our 3D body. As one father explained ‘Until my wife and I used The Pink Kit, I thought giving birth was about having strong muscles to push the baby out. Now I understand it’s about creating space.’ Space creation is done in a 3 dimensional reality, not a 2 dimensional one.
This means that we must know those parts of our body that are most involved with birth. Because CKT is the collective voice of ordinary people, we explain birth as plumbing: object, container, tube (pelvis), diaphragm (cervix) and aperture (vagina). Mostly we, the container, must prepare so that when the object decides to come out, we can work to open our container through the process of the efforts of our baby. The physical parts of our container must be prepared and as humans we have minds that direct us how to do that.
Humans are gifted with an amazing mind.
We can remember the past and even alter our perceptions or responses of what happened before. We can make plans into the future just as athletes mentally go over the event again and again, we can imagine ourselves working through labour and giving birth. When we prepare our container, we use our amazing Mind. When childbirth occurs, then we can use our minds to implement our skills in how to create space, stay open and relaxed for our child to move through us. It’s vigorous for most of us. Babies are big.
When we connect our mind to our body or yoke them together then we have more control over our body and instinctive responses. For example, all professional or amateur athletes have a sophisticated connection between their mind and body. They’ve achieved that by practice, practice and more practice. Although the ability to run or jump is something that humans do naturally, these athletes do not go into their events just ‘intuitively’ or ‘instinctively’ doing those things. They learn how to do them well.
Unfortunately, we give birth infrequently and have to rely on ‘something’ other than practice to bring good labour management skills to childbirth. That ‘something’ else is the process of labour that keeps going. There is nothing like it in our lives really. Once labour starts, it continues and leads us on whether we have skills or not, like it or not, are coping or not or have a good coach or not. We can use that physiological experience to apply the skills right away at each moment of the process. If we don’t apply the positive skills then we often just react, particularly if there is a lot of pain associated with labour.
We will still breathe in labour whether we breathe positively or scream.
Our body has to be in some posture or position, we can either use positions and postures that facilitate the passage of our baby through our body or we can get into positions we like that slow the birth process and keep us in labour for hours longer than necessary. Although there is a current belief that women will get into the best position, that’s hardly the case just as many women tense up naturally to the pain of childbirth. If the present day beliefs were true that women naturally knew how to give birth, that would reflect by an infrequent use of pain relief or medically assisted births. Women tense up at home, birth centre as well as in hospital.
We cripple ourselves when we believe that external factors are the sole reasons for good or bad births. We leave ourselves feeling victims to the external rather than powerful within ourselves. ‘I blamed my first bad experience on the hospital, doctor, what they made me do and my husband for being pathetic at helping me. Next time, I changed where I gave birth … home, changed my birth provider … a woman midwife; I still had a horrible experience. Then I realised that I had to learn how to birth.’
True power for all of us as women and men is to have personal skills. Childbirth is an event in our lives where it’s easy to get skilled because the event is so similar to all women regardless of where they birth or with whom or who they are. For such a BIG and important event people perpetuated a belief that women should have to respond to the experience ‘intuitively’ or ‘instinctively’ rather than with ‘skills.’ As humans we have many physiologically natural urges besides childbirth. When we get hungry, we can browse on the nearest bush or learn to cook. We all urinate and defecate, but we don’t do it where ever we are sitting, we learn to hold it until we go to the toilet. The operative word is ‘learn’. We can learn to respond to labour contractions, use our minds and yoke our bodies and to choose positive birth behaviours in contractions and between them.
Birth discussions revolve around women taking responsibility for making choices about where or with whom they will birth or what they want done or not done to them. If choice achieved the goals, then we’d all be happy. We have assumed that ‘taking responsibility’ is about making choices. Being responsible requires two different aspects. One is choice, the other is skills not just options. Any woman in her right mind would choose an easy birth, not to tear, to heal well etc. Whether most women would choose home birth would depend on other factors: whether they prefer the hospital, have health issues, young children at home and want a break, home isn’t where they want to birth, it isn’t safe or quiet etc. Not one woman would choose a birth she found too painful, to use pain relief when she didn’t need it, have a major operation if she felt confident and knew she and her baby were healthy or to live with childbirth trauma. All women can have skills. So taking responsibility is just as much about being skilled at doing something so that the choices a person makes are more likely to actualise.
For example, if a woman doesn’t want to use pain relief then she has to have the skills to manage the experience of labour. Such a woman can still have a very painful labour and change her mind about her choice if she doesn’t have the skills to cope and then feel let down or guilty. Shame, blame and guilt are a huge part of childbirth today. A woman may choose a home birth and find that the unexpected happens (for example, her waters break and she doesn’t go into labour after 48 hours) and she ends up in hospital. With skills, she can still have a wonderfully empowering birth.
For the past 30 years birth discussions have revolved around ‘choice’ and ‘informed consent’ (information).
Common Knowledge Trust would like ‘skills’ to form the triad. When we couple skills to choice, we are more likely to have a goal (choice) and take steps to achieve that goal (developing and using skills). When we couple skills to information, we can are more likely to have mastery rather than data. Childbirth skills will only become the common knowledge approach to childbirth when all expectant couples know that The Pink Kit Method for birthing better™ is available and that the skills they can teach themselves work in all birth situations because … you will have another contraction regardless of your beliefs, where you birth, with whom, whether you have a long labour or a short one and all the other variables we can tell in our stories. Too often we hear pregnant women say: ‘I hope I have a good birth.’ Hope is not a plan. The Pink Kit is the plan.
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Pregnancy - What You Should Cover Up While Pregnant
Pregnancy - It has been said that a woman is at her most beautiful when pregnant. Well I am about to burst your bubble and tell you that there are women out there who beg to differ - especially for those saying goodbye to their 36 -26-36 figure for the next 9 months. Well ladies have I got news for you, this is just one of the many changes you can expect throughout your pregnancy.
Carrying a baby and all that extra weight can take its toll - proving very stressful for some women who tend to feel ugly about them selves at this time, why? When in the world of fashion you have designers who focus purely on the pregnant woman.
In the world of cosmetics we call it a make over and in the world of pregnant women it is called a cover up. This only apply`s to the woman who is still trying to come to terms with her new look similar to that of a sumo wrestler.
Pregnancy is a wonderful experience and even more special when holding your new born baby in your arms. If this is your first pregnancy then you may need a little more understanding on the baby`s development within. At first you may not even be aware of any baby movement like the odd flutter all because the whole process is new to you
It is around 18 to 20 weeks into your pregnancy when you may experience your first sensational sensation. Don`t expect your baby to constantly kick because there will be times baby needs to rest.
From as early as 20 to 24 weeks the activity inside the womb will gradually increase and from then onwards over approximately the next ten weeks, your baby will be in overtime mode with kicks and turns.
From 24 to 28 weeks baby can develop hiccups, which will explain any jolts you may feel occasionally throughout this period. It is at this time the amniotic sac will now contain up to 750ml (26floz) of fluid which permits the infant in the womb to move around freely. Into the 29th week your baby will start to make smaller but more distinct movements because of the limited space - in other words hard to manoeuvre inside a cramped uterus.
Positioning time for baby is classed as normal around the of 36th week where the infant is now in the head-down position, Expect baby`s activities at this time to feel like prodding jabs from the feet and arms followed by a couple of uncomfortable rib kicking episodes.
From 36 to 40 weeks the baby inside the womb will be of a good size therefore less action. Activity on the inside is a lot less frequent now and even more so during the last two weeks of your pregnancy. The infant now waiting to make his/her appearance will have their growth rate slowed down slightly. This is nothing to worry about as it is completely normal.
For all those pregnant women who still feel the need to cover up then go and fashion your self up from head to toe with all the latest trendy designer gear in maternity wear but what you have to remember is, that you can never cover up the end result - can you MUM
Carrying a baby and all that extra weight can take its toll - proving very stressful for some women who tend to feel ugly about them selves at this time, why? When in the world of fashion you have designers who focus purely on the pregnant woman.
In the world of cosmetics we call it a make over and in the world of pregnant women it is called a cover up. This only apply`s to the woman who is still trying to come to terms with her new look similar to that of a sumo wrestler.
Pregnancy is a wonderful experience and even more special when holding your new born baby in your arms. If this is your first pregnancy then you may need a little more understanding on the baby`s development within. At first you may not even be aware of any baby movement like the odd flutter all because the whole process is new to you
It is around 18 to 20 weeks into your pregnancy when you may experience your first sensational sensation. Don`t expect your baby to constantly kick because there will be times baby needs to rest.
From as early as 20 to 24 weeks the activity inside the womb will gradually increase and from then onwards over approximately the next ten weeks, your baby will be in overtime mode with kicks and turns.
From 24 to 28 weeks baby can develop hiccups, which will explain any jolts you may feel occasionally throughout this period. It is at this time the amniotic sac will now contain up to 750ml (26floz) of fluid which permits the infant in the womb to move around freely. Into the 29th week your baby will start to make smaller but more distinct movements because of the limited space - in other words hard to manoeuvre inside a cramped uterus.
Positioning time for baby is classed as normal around the of 36th week where the infant is now in the head-down position, Expect baby`s activities at this time to feel like prodding jabs from the feet and arms followed by a couple of uncomfortable rib kicking episodes.
From 36 to 40 weeks the baby inside the womb will be of a good size therefore less action. Activity on the inside is a lot less frequent now and even more so during the last two weeks of your pregnancy. The infant now waiting to make his/her appearance will have their growth rate slowed down slightly. This is nothing to worry about as it is completely normal.
For all those pregnant women who still feel the need to cover up then go and fashion your self up from head to toe with all the latest trendy designer gear in maternity wear but what you have to remember is, that you can never cover up the end result - can you MUM
Monday, 20 February 2012
Expectations On Expecting
Becoming pregnant can be one of the most special times in someone’s life. There are, however, a lot of changes in your body during pregnancy that you should be aware of. Pregnancy care information will be readily available from your obstetrician and you should abide by the recommendations provided to ensure you have a comfortable pregnancy resulting in a healthy baby.
Changes in your body during pregnancy will occur during the different trimesters. The first and the last trimester are typically when women feel the most discomfort. The second trimester is usually a bit of a reprieve with many women getting over some of the changes, being more comfortable and enjoying this portion of the pregnancy. The first and third trimester, however, is when the most radical changes are occurring that are foreign to a non pregnant state. Thus, the woman carrying the child may be uncomfortable and ill during this time.
Morning sickness or for that matter a feeling of nausea any time of the day is a very common result of pregnancy and happens most frequently in the first trimester. There also may be an increased sensitivity to smells which will trigger nausea. Sometimes these smells are ones that are typically enjoyed when not pregnant. These should be avoided if possible. Eating bland food when a person is feeling nauseated also helps alleviate the symptoms.
Breasts may begin to enlarge very early in the pregnancy and will continue to throughout the pregnancy. You may also notice tenderness during this time and increased sensitivity. This is the time to invest in a few well fitting bras. Of course, as your breasts grow the size may change somewhat but it will be more comfortable for you if you have a bra that fits well and offers plenty of support.
Urinary frequency and thirst in prenatal care is another common side effect of pregnancy. Women tend to be more thirsty and need more nourishment including drinking plenty of water. Drinking more fluids coupled with the uterus growing and pressing on your bladder will cause most women to have to urinate a lot more frequently than they used to. This is common throughout the pregnancy but is most pronounced during the first and last trimesters. During the second trimester, this usually subsides a bit but most women will still have a sense of having to urinate more frequently than when not pregnant.
Stomach problems are another concern including upset stomach, indigestion, constipation and heartburn. There are changes in your uterus that slows the metabolism. Foods that may not normally trigger these problems may start to bother you. Eating foods that are high in fiber will help alleviate that and stay away from spicy foods or foods you find that trigger adverse reactions. If you exercise, wait for approximately two hours before partaking in any activity to allow the food to digest.
If you are having trouble sleeping while you are pregnant, try lying on your side and using pillows under your stomach and between your legs. This added cushion will often increase the comfort, allowing you to have a more restful sleep. Doing relaxation exercises, taking a warm bath and going to bed only when you are tired will also help with feelings of restlessness. If you are having trouble sleeping, it may be best to simply get up for awhile and go back to bed awhile later.
Skin, nails and hair are also affected when pregnant. You may find your skin excessively oily or dry and your hair may lose its luster or thin a bit. These changes will go back to normal after you give birth. The increased hormone levels will affect this significantly. It is usually recommended that you do not do anything drastic to your hair such as coloring it or getting a permanent. Your hair may not react the same to various chemicals so now is not the time to drastically change your hairstyle.
Swelling of the feet and limbs can be more pronounced. You may also get some varicose veins. Lying on a bed and propping your feet up will help with swelling. Staying off your feet and relaxing for awhile will also help. If you experience leg cramps, do some leg stretches to loosen up your muscles.
All of the conditions found in changes in your body during pregnancy will go away after you give birth. Having pregnancy care information from your obstetrician will help you to cope with these changes in your body. Also, remember that this I a temporary condition and even if you are uncomfortable, your body will go back to normal shortly after giving birth.
Changes in your body during pregnancy will occur during the different trimesters. The first and the last trimester are typically when women feel the most discomfort. The second trimester is usually a bit of a reprieve with many women getting over some of the changes, being more comfortable and enjoying this portion of the pregnancy. The first and third trimester, however, is when the most radical changes are occurring that are foreign to a non pregnant state. Thus, the woman carrying the child may be uncomfortable and ill during this time.
Morning sickness or for that matter a feeling of nausea any time of the day is a very common result of pregnancy and happens most frequently in the first trimester. There also may be an increased sensitivity to smells which will trigger nausea. Sometimes these smells are ones that are typically enjoyed when not pregnant. These should be avoided if possible. Eating bland food when a person is feeling nauseated also helps alleviate the symptoms.
Breasts may begin to enlarge very early in the pregnancy and will continue to throughout the pregnancy. You may also notice tenderness during this time and increased sensitivity. This is the time to invest in a few well fitting bras. Of course, as your breasts grow the size may change somewhat but it will be more comfortable for you if you have a bra that fits well and offers plenty of support.
Urinary frequency and thirst in prenatal care is another common side effect of pregnancy. Women tend to be more thirsty and need more nourishment including drinking plenty of water. Drinking more fluids coupled with the uterus growing and pressing on your bladder will cause most women to have to urinate a lot more frequently than they used to. This is common throughout the pregnancy but is most pronounced during the first and last trimesters. During the second trimester, this usually subsides a bit but most women will still have a sense of having to urinate more frequently than when not pregnant.
Stomach problems are another concern including upset stomach, indigestion, constipation and heartburn. There are changes in your uterus that slows the metabolism. Foods that may not normally trigger these problems may start to bother you. Eating foods that are high in fiber will help alleviate that and stay away from spicy foods or foods you find that trigger adverse reactions. If you exercise, wait for approximately two hours before partaking in any activity to allow the food to digest.
If you are having trouble sleeping while you are pregnant, try lying on your side and using pillows under your stomach and between your legs. This added cushion will often increase the comfort, allowing you to have a more restful sleep. Doing relaxation exercises, taking a warm bath and going to bed only when you are tired will also help with feelings of restlessness. If you are having trouble sleeping, it may be best to simply get up for awhile and go back to bed awhile later.
Skin, nails and hair are also affected when pregnant. You may find your skin excessively oily or dry and your hair may lose its luster or thin a bit. These changes will go back to normal after you give birth. The increased hormone levels will affect this significantly. It is usually recommended that you do not do anything drastic to your hair such as coloring it or getting a permanent. Your hair may not react the same to various chemicals so now is not the time to drastically change your hairstyle.
Swelling of the feet and limbs can be more pronounced. You may also get some varicose veins. Lying on a bed and propping your feet up will help with swelling. Staying off your feet and relaxing for awhile will also help. If you experience leg cramps, do some leg stretches to loosen up your muscles.
All of the conditions found in changes in your body during pregnancy will go away after you give birth. Having pregnancy care information from your obstetrician will help you to cope with these changes in your body. Also, remember that this I a temporary condition and even if you are uncomfortable, your body will go back to normal shortly after giving birth.
Pregnancy Week By Week: Week #1 & #2
Week #1
The most wonderful experience that can happen to a woman is to be pregnant. It is a truly amazing process of life and being able to go through 9 months of carrying another living, breathing person inside of you will change you forever.
When you think about pregnancy, you think about 9 months. But you actually have to start from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Women have no idea when they ovulate or conceive, but they do know when the first day of their last menstrual cycle occurred. Ovulation won’t take place for another 2 weeks, so you may actually conceive during week 3.
If you are planning on becoming pregnant, now is the time to start getting your body ready. You need to start taking prenatal vitamins, which contain folic acid and iron (two very important nutrients for fetus development early in pregnancy).
Also, start tracking ovulation by taking your basal body temperature and watch for the signs. Check out the article called “So You’re Ready to Have a Baby…..” to see more information.
Make sure to check back next week to see what happen in week 2. Until then, happy baby making.
Week #2
This is around the week of ovulation. You are now at the midpoint of your menstrual cycle (if you have a regular 28-day cycle), about to ovulate and are most likely to get pregnant. Your uterus has shed its lining and is preparing itself to house your fertilized egg. Your egg is ripening in one of your ovaries and is getting ready to be released.
A woman is truly fertile for about 4 days a month and this is determined by when she is ovulating. You need to keep track of your menstrual cycle, your basal temperature and the consistency of your cervical mucus. These will give you the best signs of when you are about to ovulate.
Prepare to have fun trying to make your baby.
The most wonderful experience that can happen to a woman is to be pregnant. It is a truly amazing process of life and being able to go through 9 months of carrying another living, breathing person inside of you will change you forever.
When you think about pregnancy, you think about 9 months. But you actually have to start from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Women have no idea when they ovulate or conceive, but they do know when the first day of their last menstrual cycle occurred. Ovulation won’t take place for another 2 weeks, so you may actually conceive during week 3.
If you are planning on becoming pregnant, now is the time to start getting your body ready. You need to start taking prenatal vitamins, which contain folic acid and iron (two very important nutrients for fetus development early in pregnancy).
Also, start tracking ovulation by taking your basal body temperature and watch for the signs. Check out the article called “So You’re Ready to Have a Baby…..” to see more information.
Make sure to check back next week to see what happen in week 2. Until then, happy baby making.
Week #2
This is around the week of ovulation. You are now at the midpoint of your menstrual cycle (if you have a regular 28-day cycle), about to ovulate and are most likely to get pregnant. Your uterus has shed its lining and is preparing itself to house your fertilized egg. Your egg is ripening in one of your ovaries and is getting ready to be released.
A woman is truly fertile for about 4 days a month and this is determined by when she is ovulating. You need to keep track of your menstrual cycle, your basal temperature and the consistency of your cervical mucus. These will give you the best signs of when you are about to ovulate.
Prepare to have fun trying to make your baby.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Ways to Get Pregnant
The decision to get pregnant and to expand your family is an exciting moment of your life. Once you have decided to have a child enter your life, the next steps are to make sure we do everything possible to get pregnant by natural means if possible. There are a variety of ways to get pregnant easily by changing your lifestyle today. To live a healthier life, you are more likely to enjoy these ways to get pregnant and have a healthy body for your baby’s future!
Look for changes in lifestyle that can help you get pregnant more easily in the future. If you have recently discovered that you are already pregnant, it is possible to adopt these changes and reap success. It is never too late to be healthy for your child! Most of these recommendations are based on traditional wisdom coupled with the statistics. Some mothers and babies do not follow all these tips of a great lifestyle, but it is always better to be safe when you are responsible for the life of another human being. Some of the best ways to get pregnant through a healthy lifestyle are the following:
What to Eat? Whatever goes into your body will go into the body of your child as well. This fact alone should make you rethink some of your choices. Prefer to eat "junk food" rather than a balanced diet? You need to reconsider some of your food choices every day so that your child is getting all the nutrients and vitamins that he or she needs now. There are a number of foods to avoid during pregnancy. Some of these foods are considered at risk even if you were not pregnant, but with the increased risk of carrying a child, some of these foods should be avoided at the risk of complications or problems. Some examples are fish high in mercury, soft cheeses and sushi.
Are you in shape? Carrying a baby takes a lot of work. It is logical therefore that the more normal your body weight and strength were prior to pregnancy, the better you will be while carrying your child. It takes a lot of strength to make your job easier. Furthermore, strong abdominal muscles and good fitness will help you throughout the nine months and when the work begins at last during childbirth. Try to maintain a level of physical activity throughout pregnancy if you have consistently worked out before you conceived. Never push yourself and always follow your doctors orders
Taking drugs, alcohol or smoking? You know that excessive drinking of alcohol is not healthy for you, so participating in these activities, while your baby is sharing your blood does not make much sense. Both legal and recreational drugs can also affect the growth of your child. Consult your doctor to ensure that medicines that are prescribed may not affect your baby. Avoid smoking and alcohol to give your child the best chance of being born healthy and strong.
Heard of folic acid? Even before pregnancy, doctors prescribe folic acid as one of the ways to get pregnant safely. Most doctors recommend folic acid supplements for pregnant women, because women do not get enough in their daily diet. Folic acid is important to take well before you actually get pregnant, so you should start taking at least a month before trying. What it does is help prevent certain neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
By following a smart and healthy lifestyle, you will be doing your best to contribute to a healthy conception and pregnancy. For much more comprehensive guidance to maximize the odds of getting pregnant, check out Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertility guide here http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Look for changes in lifestyle that can help you get pregnant more easily in the future. If you have recently discovered that you are already pregnant, it is possible to adopt these changes and reap success. It is never too late to be healthy for your child! Most of these recommendations are based on traditional wisdom coupled with the statistics. Some mothers and babies do not follow all these tips of a great lifestyle, but it is always better to be safe when you are responsible for the life of another human being. Some of the best ways to get pregnant through a healthy lifestyle are the following:
What to Eat? Whatever goes into your body will go into the body of your child as well. This fact alone should make you rethink some of your choices. Prefer to eat "junk food" rather than a balanced diet? You need to reconsider some of your food choices every day so that your child is getting all the nutrients and vitamins that he or she needs now. There are a number of foods to avoid during pregnancy. Some of these foods are considered at risk even if you were not pregnant, but with the increased risk of carrying a child, some of these foods should be avoided at the risk of complications or problems. Some examples are fish high in mercury, soft cheeses and sushi.
Are you in shape? Carrying a baby takes a lot of work. It is logical therefore that the more normal your body weight and strength were prior to pregnancy, the better you will be while carrying your child. It takes a lot of strength to make your job easier. Furthermore, strong abdominal muscles and good fitness will help you throughout the nine months and when the work begins at last during childbirth. Try to maintain a level of physical activity throughout pregnancy if you have consistently worked out before you conceived. Never push yourself and always follow your doctors orders
Taking drugs, alcohol or smoking? You know that excessive drinking of alcohol is not healthy for you, so participating in these activities, while your baby is sharing your blood does not make much sense. Both legal and recreational drugs can also affect the growth of your child. Consult your doctor to ensure that medicines that are prescribed may not affect your baby. Avoid smoking and alcohol to give your child the best chance of being born healthy and strong.
Heard of folic acid? Even before pregnancy, doctors prescribe folic acid as one of the ways to get pregnant safely. Most doctors recommend folic acid supplements for pregnant women, because women do not get enough in their daily diet. Folic acid is important to take well before you actually get pregnant, so you should start taking at least a month before trying. What it does is help prevent certain neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
By following a smart and healthy lifestyle, you will be doing your best to contribute to a healthy conception and pregnancy. For much more comprehensive guidance to maximize the odds of getting pregnant, check out Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertility guide here http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Folic Acid and Pregnancy
One of the first things your doctor will tell you if you are trying to conceive or if you have recently discovered that you’re pregnant is you should take more folic acid. Folic acid can be found in a number of foods, including cereals and dark leafy greens. It’s very difficult to get adequate folic acid from food, so it’s important to take a good multivitamin containing folic acid to prevent serious birth defects such as spina bifida.
Before conception, it can be extremely easy to take folic acid for the health of your baby and a better pregnancy. So what is folic acid? Often called folate, it is a B vitamin that can be found in green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach and orange juice. If you receive 400 micrograms of folic acid, or 4 milligrams of folic acid before conception, it can significantly reduce the risk of some types of neural tube defects.
One of the most common birth defect is spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and column. Taking folic acid can help reduce this problem significantly. In addition, anencephaly, which is a serious underdevelopment of the brain, and encephalocele, which is when brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skin abnormally, can both be reduced through the intake of folic acid. And all these anomalies occur in the first month of pregnancy, which is usually well before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, intake of folic acid before the woman is pregnant is of utmost importance.
Only about 50% of pregnancies are planned, so intake of folic acid is important for anyone who wants or is considering conception in the future. Although the reasons why folic acid is so great at reducing the risk of these birth defects has not been explained, we know that it plays an important role in cell growth and development.
Learn more about folic acid and pregnancy plus all the other important vitamins necessary when trying to conceive by reading Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertlity guide. http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Before conception, it can be extremely easy to take folic acid for the health of your baby and a better pregnancy. So what is folic acid? Often called folate, it is a B vitamin that can be found in green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach and orange juice. If you receive 400 micrograms of folic acid, or 4 milligrams of folic acid before conception, it can significantly reduce the risk of some types of neural tube defects.
One of the most common birth defect is spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and column. Taking folic acid can help reduce this problem significantly. In addition, anencephaly, which is a serious underdevelopment of the brain, and encephalocele, which is when brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skin abnormally, can both be reduced through the intake of folic acid. And all these anomalies occur in the first month of pregnancy, which is usually well before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, intake of folic acid before the woman is pregnant is of utmost importance.
Only about 50% of pregnancies are planned, so intake of folic acid is important for anyone who wants or is considering conception in the future. Although the reasons why folic acid is so great at reducing the risk of these birth defects has not been explained, we know that it plays an important role in cell growth and development.
Learn more about folic acid and pregnancy plus all the other important vitamins necessary when trying to conceive by reading Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertlity guide. http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Tips For Getting Pregnant
If you're like most women, you have probably spent a good portion of your adult life trying not to get pregnant. And you have probably received lots of information from various sources (friends, family, school) on just how to accomplish this. I'm sure you imagined that when the time came that you actually wanted to get pregnant, it would be quite an easy task. That tips on getting pregnant would be the last thing you would need. Simply stop using any precautions, ie. birth control, and that should do it!
Well, as it turns out, it is not always so simple. Yet most women have much more knowledge about how to avoid getting pregnant than how to actually get pregnant. You probably never thought you would need any tips on getting pregnant, but the truth is it might not "just happen" unless you get some good information first.
If you ask your friends for tips on getting pregnant, most will just tell you to have a lot of sex. This is definitely a good start, but the number one mistake that couples make when trying to get pregnant is improper timing of intercourse. One of the biggest reasons that occurs is because many women have the mistaken idea that they ovulate on day 14. This is a myth that has been perpetuated because most examples of an ideal menstrual cycle use a model of 28 days, in which case it is likely you would ovulate around day 14--but not definitely. However, many women do not have a perfect 28 day cycle, it can range from 24 days to 35 days or even a bit more or less. So you must never assume that you ovulate on day 14--that is one of the best tips on getting pregnant that you could ever get.
So how do you figure out when you do actually ovulate? Well, there are several methods that can help you accomplish this. One way is using a basal body thermometer and take your temperature each morning upon waking and keep a record for several months. You will start to see a pattern that shows a slight shift up in the temperatures each month. At the point that your temperature shifts up, you have just ovulated. Keeping this chart for a few months will give you a very good idea as to the approximate time of month that you in fact ovulate.
Another thing you can do is check your cervical mucus throughout your cycle to notice any changes. You will start to notice that your cervical fluid changes in consistency as you get towards the middle of the cycle. When the cervical fluid becomes clear and stretchy (like raw eggwhites), you are approaching ovulation.
If you are more interested in a scientific method, you can purchase ovulation test kits, a saliva test kit or a fertility monitor. Each of these note changes in your hormones that indicate when ovulation is approaching. These methods are more expensive, but can be very reliable.
Once you have pinpointed when you will be ovulating, you need to time intercourse so that you can have the maximum number of sperm "waiting" when your egg is released. One of the best tips on getting pregnant would be to have intercourse every day up through the day of ovulation as soon as you discover your ovulation is approaching through one of the methods outlined above. The reason is that the sperm can live for about 5 days inside a woman's body while waiting for the egg to drop. Once ovulation occurs the egg only lives for a short time. So having intercourse after you have already ovulated is probably too late! The egg will start to disintegrate within 12-24 hours of ovulation.
So in conclusion, if you are searching for tips on getting pregnant, concentrate your efforts on figuring out when you ovulate so that you do not waste the small window of opportunity to get pregnant that arrives each month. Once you have that figured out, you can time intercourse to maximize your chances of having the most sperm available and "waiting" when the day of ovulation arrives. Good luck!
Beth Kiley is the author of the international best-selling e-book, Personal Path to Pregnancy. For more tips on getting pregnant, get her FREE report, “The 7 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid”, by going here: http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Well, as it turns out, it is not always so simple. Yet most women have much more knowledge about how to avoid getting pregnant than how to actually get pregnant. You probably never thought you would need any tips on getting pregnant, but the truth is it might not "just happen" unless you get some good information first.
If you ask your friends for tips on getting pregnant, most will just tell you to have a lot of sex. This is definitely a good start, but the number one mistake that couples make when trying to get pregnant is improper timing of intercourse. One of the biggest reasons that occurs is because many women have the mistaken idea that they ovulate on day 14. This is a myth that has been perpetuated because most examples of an ideal menstrual cycle use a model of 28 days, in which case it is likely you would ovulate around day 14--but not definitely. However, many women do not have a perfect 28 day cycle, it can range from 24 days to 35 days or even a bit more or less. So you must never assume that you ovulate on day 14--that is one of the best tips on getting pregnant that you could ever get.
So how do you figure out when you do actually ovulate? Well, there are several methods that can help you accomplish this. One way is using a basal body thermometer and take your temperature each morning upon waking and keep a record for several months. You will start to see a pattern that shows a slight shift up in the temperatures each month. At the point that your temperature shifts up, you have just ovulated. Keeping this chart for a few months will give you a very good idea as to the approximate time of month that you in fact ovulate.
Another thing you can do is check your cervical mucus throughout your cycle to notice any changes. You will start to notice that your cervical fluid changes in consistency as you get towards the middle of the cycle. When the cervical fluid becomes clear and stretchy (like raw eggwhites), you are approaching ovulation.
If you are more interested in a scientific method, you can purchase ovulation test kits, a saliva test kit or a fertility monitor. Each of these note changes in your hormones that indicate when ovulation is approaching. These methods are more expensive, but can be very reliable.
Once you have pinpointed when you will be ovulating, you need to time intercourse so that you can have the maximum number of sperm "waiting" when your egg is released. One of the best tips on getting pregnant would be to have intercourse every day up through the day of ovulation as soon as you discover your ovulation is approaching through one of the methods outlined above. The reason is that the sperm can live for about 5 days inside a woman's body while waiting for the egg to drop. Once ovulation occurs the egg only lives for a short time. So having intercourse after you have already ovulated is probably too late! The egg will start to disintegrate within 12-24 hours of ovulation.
So in conclusion, if you are searching for tips on getting pregnant, concentrate your efforts on figuring out when you ovulate so that you do not waste the small window of opportunity to get pregnant that arrives each month. Once you have that figured out, you can time intercourse to maximize your chances of having the most sperm available and "waiting" when the day of ovulation arrives. Good luck!
Beth Kiley is the author of the international best-selling e-book, Personal Path to Pregnancy. For more tips on getting pregnant, get her FREE report, “The 7 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid”, by going here: http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Pregnancy – Foods and other things to Avoid
It is essential that you take care when preparing foods and avoid doing certain things when pregnant. This is due to your baby’s immune system not being sufficiently developed to fight any infection you may pass to it whilst within the womb. It is believed that a female’s immune system may not function at its peak during pregnancy so it is essential that all necessary precautions are taken
Pets
It is essential that if you have a pet that every time you come into contact with them you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.Pets can pass on harmful bacteria that may be present in their faeces. You may inadvertently become infected with this by touching your mouth or other part of the body and this may in turn infect your unborn child.
Cats are of particular importance due to toxoplasmosis found within their faeces. If you have a cat that uses a litter tray it is important that someone else carries out this task or if this is not possible then you should wear rubber gloves and a face mask to prevent any bacteria being passed. This also applies to gardening where faecal matter can be found in the soil. Again, wear gloves and wash your hands as soon as possible after finishing.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite. It can go unnoticed in a healthy adult or even an unborn baby. Once you have this infection you will not become re-infected and will be immune for life.
Listeria
This is a bacteria which develops into an illness called listeriosis. The symptoms of this are mild flu, aches and pains, sore throat and high temperatures. In the more serious of cases this can cause septicaemia and meningitis in unborn babies. This is the worst case scenario. In some cases many people are not aware they have caught the bacteria as they do not show any of the above symptoms. During pregnancy, mothers have to be aware of certain foods where this bacteria may be prevalent.
This is true for after pregnancy aswell especially if you are nursing your child.
The symptoms usually develop from 2 to 30 days after eating contaminated food.
Foods to Avoid
Cheese
Not all cheeses contain the bacteria but there are some which can be potentially harmful to a pregnant mother.
Avoid both pasteurised and unpasteurised soft cheeses which usually have a surface mould or rind such as Brie, Camembert and Danish Blue. Also avoid cheeses coated in wax such as Gouda, Post Salut. It is best to stay clear of the majority of blue cheeses such as Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort. Hard Cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmesan, and Red Leicester fall into the safe category as do softer cheeses made from pasteurised milk such as Cottage cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, processed cheese and cheese spreads. If in doubt play safe and avoid eating it.
Eggs
The salmonella bacteria are most commonly found in eggs. It is best to avoid any foods made with raw or partly cooked eggs such as homemade mayonnaise, meringues, cheesecakes, sorbets or mousses. Eggs are only safe if they have been cooked long enough so that their yolks are hard.Shop-bought mayonnaises are usually safe as long as they have been made with pasteurised eggs. Always check the label if in doubt.
Milk
Avoid all products which have not been pasteurised.
All pasteurised products are safe to use all through pregnancy and beyond.
Meat
Do not eat raw or under cooked meat or poultry. Also avoid meats which have been preserved in nitrates such as salami, frankfurters and luncheon meat. Always cook meat so the juices run clear and there is no ‘pinkness’ or blood within. When touching raw meat and poultry always wash your hands thoroughly before touching any other foods. Liver contains vitamin A in the form of retinol which if taken by a pregnant women can increase
her levels way above the recommended daily level and become damaging to the baby. Liver should be avoided aswell as products containing liver such as pate and liver sausage.
Seafood
Oysters and any raw or uncooked fish should be avoided. Also shelled seafood such as crab, prawns, and langoustines should be avoided unless they have been thoroughly cooked and are hot. Most seafood bought from a fishmonger or supermarket should be safe. Fresh tuna should only be eaten once a month due to the potential levels of mercury found within. This is also true for swordfish and shark. Tinned tuna contains lower levels so this is safe to eat every week.
Salads
All pre pared shop bought salads are best to be avoided. So too are dressed salads such as coleslaw, potato salad and Florida salad. It is best to make your own and ensure that all leaves are thoroughly washed free from soils and other deposits found on the leaves.
Pets
It is essential that if you have a pet that every time you come into contact with them you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.Pets can pass on harmful bacteria that may be present in their faeces. You may inadvertently become infected with this by touching your mouth or other part of the body and this may in turn infect your unborn child.
Cats are of particular importance due to toxoplasmosis found within their faeces. If you have a cat that uses a litter tray it is important that someone else carries out this task or if this is not possible then you should wear rubber gloves and a face mask to prevent any bacteria being passed. This also applies to gardening where faecal matter can be found in the soil. Again, wear gloves and wash your hands as soon as possible after finishing.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite. It can go unnoticed in a healthy adult or even an unborn baby. Once you have this infection you will not become re-infected and will be immune for life.
Listeria
This is a bacteria which develops into an illness called listeriosis. The symptoms of this are mild flu, aches and pains, sore throat and high temperatures. In the more serious of cases this can cause septicaemia and meningitis in unborn babies. This is the worst case scenario. In some cases many people are not aware they have caught the bacteria as they do not show any of the above symptoms. During pregnancy, mothers have to be aware of certain foods where this bacteria may be prevalent.
This is true for after pregnancy aswell especially if you are nursing your child.
The symptoms usually develop from 2 to 30 days after eating contaminated food.
Foods to Avoid
Cheese
Not all cheeses contain the bacteria but there are some which can be potentially harmful to a pregnant mother.
Avoid both pasteurised and unpasteurised soft cheeses which usually have a surface mould or rind such as Brie, Camembert and Danish Blue. Also avoid cheeses coated in wax such as Gouda, Post Salut. It is best to stay clear of the majority of blue cheeses such as Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort. Hard Cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmesan, and Red Leicester fall into the safe category as do softer cheeses made from pasteurised milk such as Cottage cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, processed cheese and cheese spreads. If in doubt play safe and avoid eating it.
Eggs
The salmonella bacteria are most commonly found in eggs. It is best to avoid any foods made with raw or partly cooked eggs such as homemade mayonnaise, meringues, cheesecakes, sorbets or mousses. Eggs are only safe if they have been cooked long enough so that their yolks are hard.Shop-bought mayonnaises are usually safe as long as they have been made with pasteurised eggs. Always check the label if in doubt.
Milk
Avoid all products which have not been pasteurised.
All pasteurised products are safe to use all through pregnancy and beyond.
Meat
Do not eat raw or under cooked meat or poultry. Also avoid meats which have been preserved in nitrates such as salami, frankfurters and luncheon meat. Always cook meat so the juices run clear and there is no ‘pinkness’ or blood within. When touching raw meat and poultry always wash your hands thoroughly before touching any other foods. Liver contains vitamin A in the form of retinol which if taken by a pregnant women can increase
her levels way above the recommended daily level and become damaging to the baby. Liver should be avoided aswell as products containing liver such as pate and liver sausage.
Seafood
Oysters and any raw or uncooked fish should be avoided. Also shelled seafood such as crab, prawns, and langoustines should be avoided unless they have been thoroughly cooked and are hot. Most seafood bought from a fishmonger or supermarket should be safe. Fresh tuna should only be eaten once a month due to the potential levels of mercury found within. This is also true for swordfish and shark. Tinned tuna contains lower levels so this is safe to eat every week.
Salads
All pre pared shop bought salads are best to be avoided. So too are dressed salads such as coleslaw, potato salad and Florida salad. It is best to make your own and ensure that all leaves are thoroughly washed free from soils and other deposits found on the leaves.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Smoking Before or During Pregnancy
If you are a smoker and are thinking of becoming pregnant, the first step you must take is to stop smoking. If you're like most smokers, you may have thought of or tried to quit before. However, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, it is now necessary not only to think about your health but the health of your unborn child. Smoke can effect both child development and future growth.
About 13% of women in the United States smoke during pregnancy. This is a shocking number when you consider that there would be an estimated reduction of 10% in infant mortality, if these women had quit.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals - some 2,500 chemicals have entered your baby’s bloodstream with every puff of a cigarette. Nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous and toxic to the fetus, affecting the most critical stages of development, while inside the womb.
Even if you do not smoke, the child may be affected by a mother who is often exposed to cigarette smoke. Passive smoking can be just as harmful to both mother and baby. A woman who smokes or is exposed to frequent second-hand smoke is more likely to have a baby born with low birth weight and stunted growth. The sooner a woman quits or stays away from passive smoking, the greater the chances of good health for her and her baby.
Smoking has been associated with a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is when the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. When this happens, medication must be taken to remove the embryo or in the worst case, the tube is removed surgically. Smoking can also increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and vaginal bleeding, which is sometimes severe enough to harm the child.
Smoking during pregnancy can make the child develop more slowly, increasing the risk of low birth weight and the risk of preterm birth (the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of gestation) by 30%. You may also see an abnormalitiy such as cleft lip, cleft palate or other congenital defects. Also, infants born to smoking mothers are more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and can have a higher probability of developing asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities due to the slowdown in growth development.
It is clear that smoking during pregnancy - or being exposed to second-hand smoke,while pregnant can seriously affect you and your baby during pregnancy and early years of his life.
To learn of other important factors that can affect your pregnancy and ability to get pregnant, read the international best selling ebook, Personal Path to Pregnancy. http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
About 13% of women in the United States smoke during pregnancy. This is a shocking number when you consider that there would be an estimated reduction of 10% in infant mortality, if these women had quit.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals - some 2,500 chemicals have entered your baby’s bloodstream with every puff of a cigarette. Nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous and toxic to the fetus, affecting the most critical stages of development, while inside the womb.
Even if you do not smoke, the child may be affected by a mother who is often exposed to cigarette smoke. Passive smoking can be just as harmful to both mother and baby. A woman who smokes or is exposed to frequent second-hand smoke is more likely to have a baby born with low birth weight and stunted growth. The sooner a woman quits or stays away from passive smoking, the greater the chances of good health for her and her baby.
Smoking has been associated with a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is when the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. When this happens, medication must be taken to remove the embryo or in the worst case, the tube is removed surgically. Smoking can also increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and vaginal bleeding, which is sometimes severe enough to harm the child.
Smoking during pregnancy can make the child develop more slowly, increasing the risk of low birth weight and the risk of preterm birth (the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of gestation) by 30%. You may also see an abnormalitiy such as cleft lip, cleft palate or other congenital defects. Also, infants born to smoking mothers are more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and can have a higher probability of developing asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities due to the slowdown in growth development.
It is clear that smoking during pregnancy - or being exposed to second-hand smoke,while pregnant can seriously affect you and your baby during pregnancy and early years of his life.
To learn of other important factors that can affect your pregnancy and ability to get pregnant, read the international best selling ebook, Personal Path to Pregnancy. http://widjajanti.411help.hop.clickbank.net
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Prenatal Nutrition: The Effects Of Caffeine and Green Tea
Pregnant women would be wise to limit the amount of green tea they drink during pregnancy, and should be careful about taking any green tea supplements. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, and has a host of health benefits relating to dental health, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and weight loss. But researchers have found, whilst examining the active constituent of green tea, the epigallocatechins, or EGCG for short, that it may affect the way the body uses folate. Folate is important for pregnant women as it prevents neural tube birth defects in babies.
The problem of green tea during pregnancy is that the EGCG molecules are structurally similar to a compound called methotrexate. Methotrexate is able to kill cancer cells by chemically bonding with an enzyme in the body called enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Healthy people have this enzyme also - it is part of what is called the folate pathway, which is the pathway, or steps, the body takes to transform nutrients like folate into something that can be used to support its normal functions.
But this chemical similarity means that the EGCG in green tea also binds with the enzyme DHFR, and when it does this, it inactivates this enzyme. When this enzyme is inactivated, the ability of the body to use folate is going to be affected. How much green tea is able to be consumed, or precisely how much folate absorption is affected, is unclear. Though the research article did say that drinking 2 cups of green tea a day can stop cancer cells (which is what methotrexate is targeting) from growing.
The good news on caffeine drank during pregnancy, from coffee and tea, is that a moderate amount is fine. Two studies, one by Danish scientists who interviewed more than 88,000 pregnant women, and the other by the Yale University School of Medicine, had similar findings on caffeine during pregnancy.
The concerns over caffeine were that it would lead to low birth weight or miscarriage. And this is still true of a very high daily intake of coffee. The Yale team found that drinking about 600mg of caffeine a day, which is about 6 cups of coffee, would reduce birth weight to levels that were clinically significant. The rate at which birth weight was reduced was established at being 28 grams per 100 mg, or 1 cup, of coffee per day. But they emphasized that this would not be significant for moderate caffeine consumption.
The Danish study found that drinking 8 cups or more of coffee per day (this would be about 16 cups or more of tea), would increase the chances of miscarriage, or stillbirth, by 60% compared to women who did not drink caffeine. They also found that moderate coffee or tea drinking did not pose significant risks. For those drinking half a cup to 3 cups of coffee a day, the risk of fetal death was 3% higher compared to non-caffeine drinkers. And for those drinking 4 to 7 cups of coffee a day, the risk increases to 33%. One cup of coffee equals about 2 cups of tea when comparing caffeine levels. The recommended amount of coffee drunk is up to 3 cups daily, or 6 cups of tea, by the UK food agency.
References:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=58807
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=24747
http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=63174
The problem of green tea during pregnancy is that the EGCG molecules are structurally similar to a compound called methotrexate. Methotrexate is able to kill cancer cells by chemically bonding with an enzyme in the body called enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Healthy people have this enzyme also - it is part of what is called the folate pathway, which is the pathway, or steps, the body takes to transform nutrients like folate into something that can be used to support its normal functions.
But this chemical similarity means that the EGCG in green tea also binds with the enzyme DHFR, and when it does this, it inactivates this enzyme. When this enzyme is inactivated, the ability of the body to use folate is going to be affected. How much green tea is able to be consumed, or precisely how much folate absorption is affected, is unclear. Though the research article did say that drinking 2 cups of green tea a day can stop cancer cells (which is what methotrexate is targeting) from growing.
The good news on caffeine drank during pregnancy, from coffee and tea, is that a moderate amount is fine. Two studies, one by Danish scientists who interviewed more than 88,000 pregnant women, and the other by the Yale University School of Medicine, had similar findings on caffeine during pregnancy.
The concerns over caffeine were that it would lead to low birth weight or miscarriage. And this is still true of a very high daily intake of coffee. The Yale team found that drinking about 600mg of caffeine a day, which is about 6 cups of coffee, would reduce birth weight to levels that were clinically significant. The rate at which birth weight was reduced was established at being 28 grams per 100 mg, or 1 cup, of coffee per day. But they emphasized that this would not be significant for moderate caffeine consumption.
The Danish study found that drinking 8 cups or more of coffee per day (this would be about 16 cups or more of tea), would increase the chances of miscarriage, or stillbirth, by 60% compared to women who did not drink caffeine. They also found that moderate coffee or tea drinking did not pose significant risks. For those drinking half a cup to 3 cups of coffee a day, the risk of fetal death was 3% higher compared to non-caffeine drinkers. And for those drinking 4 to 7 cups of coffee a day, the risk increases to 33%. One cup of coffee equals about 2 cups of tea when comparing caffeine levels. The recommended amount of coffee drunk is up to 3 cups daily, or 6 cups of tea, by the UK food agency.
References:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=58807
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=24747
http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=63174
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Pregnancy And Massage Therapy
When you are pregnant, your body is under tremendous pressure. Everything hurts, everything aches. But how can you get relief from this tension and stress. Massage after all is out of the question, isn't it? Well maybe not. Many massage therapists today specialize in Prenatal Massages.
You may wonder how a prenatal massage differs from traditional massage. Well, your therapists will use a variety of different massage techniques The techniques they use will concentrate on a woman's, neck, back and pelvic regions. These are of course the areas most often negatively affected by a pregnancy. If you are modest, don't worry, your therapist will be able to customize the massage to you while respecting your personal limits. Another big difference in a prenatal massage is your position. Since you cannot and should not lay on your stomach, you will most often be laid on your side with pillows for support. While there are special tables designed to allow room for a pregnant belly, most therapists will prefer to have you rest on your side.
The benefits of massage during pregnancy are numerous. When you are under stress, your body produces stress hormones. Stress hormones that you produce will be felt by not only you, but also your baby. By reducing your stress, through massage, you can increase the safety of your baby. It can also ease your muscular aches and pains that can quite frankly make your life hell. This will let you enjoy this special time in your life that you may never experience again.
Finding a therapist who specializes in prenatal massage might take you a little effort. Do not assume that any massage therapists can accommodate you. Some might not have the experience and some might not feel comfortable accepting you as a patient at all. Ask your potential masseuse or masseur if they have experience dealing with pregnant clients. If they do not, they will probably at least be able to point you in the right direction.
You may wonder how a prenatal massage differs from traditional massage. Well, your therapists will use a variety of different massage techniques The techniques they use will concentrate on a woman's, neck, back and pelvic regions. These are of course the areas most often negatively affected by a pregnancy. If you are modest, don't worry, your therapist will be able to customize the massage to you while respecting your personal limits. Another big difference in a prenatal massage is your position. Since you cannot and should not lay on your stomach, you will most often be laid on your side with pillows for support. While there are special tables designed to allow room for a pregnant belly, most therapists will prefer to have you rest on your side.
The benefits of massage during pregnancy are numerous. When you are under stress, your body produces stress hormones. Stress hormones that you produce will be felt by not only you, but also your baby. By reducing your stress, through massage, you can increase the safety of your baby. It can also ease your muscular aches and pains that can quite frankly make your life hell. This will let you enjoy this special time in your life that you may never experience again.
Finding a therapist who specializes in prenatal massage might take you a little effort. Do not assume that any massage therapists can accommodate you. Some might not have the experience and some might not feel comfortable accepting you as a patient at all. Ask your potential masseuse or masseur if they have experience dealing with pregnant clients. If they do not, they will probably at least be able to point you in the right direction.
When NOT to Exercise
Exercise is a great addition to any healthy pregnancy but the health of your baby is the most important thing of all. So knowing when to put down the weights or hop off the treadmill and give yourself a rest is just as important.
No matter how fit you were before your pregnancy, you should not participate in any exercise with any of the following conditions:
Pregnancy Induced hypertension
Pre-term rupture of placenta membranes
Pre-term labor now, or in previous pregnancies
I ncompetent cervix
Persistent bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester
Intrauterine growth retardation
If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms while you are exercising, you should stop and seek medical attention right away:
Pain of any kind
Bleeding
Amniotic fluid leak
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Faintness
Muscles weakness
Swelling of the calves
Headache
Difficulty walking
Contractions/Pre-term labor
Unusual absence of fetal movement
If you weren't involved in a regular exercise program prior to getting pregnant, the 1st trimester isn't the time to start. If you are interested in incorporating exercise into your pregnancy try walking or other light exercise initially but wait until your 2nd trimester to add more challenging activities.
By this time, morning sickness should have subsided, you'll be feeling more energetic than before, and your body will be more ready to handle the demands of an exercise program.
Of course we recommend checking with your doctor about exercising while pregnant - regardless of your activities beforehand. They may have slight modifications and/or suggestions for you specifically.
For specific exercises to do during each trimester of your pregnancy, complete with photos and descriptions, check out The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide.
No matter how fit you were before your pregnancy, you should not participate in any exercise with any of the following conditions:
Pregnancy Induced hypertension
Pre-term rupture of placenta membranes
Pre-term labor now, or in previous pregnancies
I ncompetent cervix
Persistent bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester
Intrauterine growth retardation
If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms while you are exercising, you should stop and seek medical attention right away:
Pain of any kind
Bleeding
Amniotic fluid leak
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Faintness
Muscles weakness
Swelling of the calves
Headache
Difficulty walking
Contractions/Pre-term labor
Unusual absence of fetal movement
If you weren't involved in a regular exercise program prior to getting pregnant, the 1st trimester isn't the time to start. If you are interested in incorporating exercise into your pregnancy try walking or other light exercise initially but wait until your 2nd trimester to add more challenging activities.
By this time, morning sickness should have subsided, you'll be feeling more energetic than before, and your body will be more ready to handle the demands of an exercise program.
Of course we recommend checking with your doctor about exercising while pregnant - regardless of your activities beforehand. They may have slight modifications and/or suggestions for you specifically.
For specific exercises to do during each trimester of your pregnancy, complete with photos and descriptions, check out The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide.
Monday, 6 February 2012
An Exercise You MUST Do For Easier Labor and a Faster Recovery
If you are pregnant, or planning on getting pregnant you have probably already accepted the inevitable expanding waistline. While an exercise program over the next 9 (or 10) months isn't going to be aimed at getting a 6-pack, those core (a.k.a abdominal) muscles will still need some attention.
We usually think of our core muscles as the ones we use while doing a "crunch" but the truth is, there are many more muscles than that in your mid-section, and crunching in probably the least important exercise in the bunch.
You see, strengthening these core muscles will not only allow you to get back to your pre-pregnant shape (or better) faster, but since these are the muscles you "push" with, strengthening them will will make labor and delivery much easier.
The easiest, and most important exercise is the kegel. Most of you have heard of this before - strengthening the muscles of your pelvic floor. Kegels utilize the same muscles used in stopping he flow of urine when you go to the bathroom.
So, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Contract these muscles and hold them tight for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this 5-10 times.
When you become more comfortable performing this little movement, you can try it while you are sitting or standing. These positions work well because it is beneficial to perform kegels several times throughout the day.
Once you master this, you'll be ready for the other core strengthening exercises in our Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide. In addition to core exercises specific to each trimester, you'll find easy to follow exercise routines you can do in the comfort of your own home with little equipment.
We usually think of our core muscles as the ones we use while doing a "crunch" but the truth is, there are many more muscles than that in your mid-section, and crunching in probably the least important exercise in the bunch.
You see, strengthening these core muscles will not only allow you to get back to your pre-pregnant shape (or better) faster, but since these are the muscles you "push" with, strengthening them will will make labor and delivery much easier.
The easiest, and most important exercise is the kegel. Most of you have heard of this before - strengthening the muscles of your pelvic floor. Kegels utilize the same muscles used in stopping he flow of urine when you go to the bathroom.
So, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Contract these muscles and hold them tight for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this 5-10 times.
When you become more comfortable performing this little movement, you can try it while you are sitting or standing. These positions work well because it is beneficial to perform kegels several times throughout the day.
Once you master this, you'll be ready for the other core strengthening exercises in our Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide. In addition to core exercises specific to each trimester, you'll find easy to follow exercise routines you can do in the comfort of your own home with little equipment.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Safe Pregnancy Exercise – How to Warm Up and Cool Down
Safe pregnancy exercise of any kind - cardiovascular or strength training - require extra circulation of blood throughout your body.
As you move, your muscles require more oxygen and nutrients to keep them going. Your blood carries these essentials throughout the entire body. As your muscles begin to work harder, your heart needs to pump faster to keep up.
If you jump right into a workout with out warming up, your heart is not pumping fast enough to the oxygen and nutrients around in an efficient manner. This is especially important for expectant mothers because you need blood not only for your hard working muscles, but for your baby as well.
A good warm up ensures that your body is prepared well enough for both in advance, keeping you and your baby safe during your exercise session.
So, before you do anything - even before you stretch - get a light sweat going with 5-10 minutes of light to moderate activity. Walking, jogging, rowing and biking are just a few examples of activities that will start you off on the right foot.
At the other end of the workout, cooling down is just as important as warming up.
Your body required extra circulation in order to keep up with the demands of your workout, so you'll want to give yourself some time to return to normal before going back to your daily routine.
Using the same light activities as your warm up, take 10 minutes after your workout to let your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature drop before sitting in your car to head home, hopping in the shower, etc.
Complete your safe pregnancy exercise session with these simple tips - your body and your baby will thank you!
As you move, your muscles require more oxygen and nutrients to keep them going. Your blood carries these essentials throughout the entire body. As your muscles begin to work harder, your heart needs to pump faster to keep up.
If you jump right into a workout with out warming up, your heart is not pumping fast enough to the oxygen and nutrients around in an efficient manner. This is especially important for expectant mothers because you need blood not only for your hard working muscles, but for your baby as well.
A good warm up ensures that your body is prepared well enough for both in advance, keeping you and your baby safe during your exercise session.
So, before you do anything - even before you stretch - get a light sweat going with 5-10 minutes of light to moderate activity. Walking, jogging, rowing and biking are just a few examples of activities that will start you off on the right foot.
At the other end of the workout, cooling down is just as important as warming up.
Your body required extra circulation in order to keep up with the demands of your workout, so you'll want to give yourself some time to return to normal before going back to your daily routine.
Using the same light activities as your warm up, take 10 minutes after your workout to let your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature drop before sitting in your car to head home, hopping in the shower, etc.
Complete your safe pregnancy exercise session with these simple tips - your body and your baby will thank you!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Why You Need to Stretch During Pregnancy and How to Do It Safely
When you think of a typical pregnancy exercise program, stretching and warming up are easily forgotten. But they are a MUST for any safe and effective workout.
Aside from just feeling good, stretching helps to keep your pregnant body healthy in a number of ways:
1. Prevents injuries by pulling your body gently back into balance.
2. Increases circulation - more blood flow to the muscles means a healthier muscle.
3. Gives you more energy! Along with greater blood flow comes more oxygen which keeps us from feeling sleepy during the day.
4. Eases the aches and pains of pregnancy by loosening the tight muscles that cause low back pain, headaches and other common complaints.
5. Enhances your workout by increasing your range of motion.
6. Improves your posture which helps you look and feel better as your body continues to change.
Keep in mind that being gumby is not the goal - being too flexible can be just as dangerous as not being flexible enough. So, it's important to stretch only those muscles that are tight and to combine your stretching with a good pregnancy strength training program.
Top Ten Tips for Stretching Success
Stretching is essential to any pregnancy exercise program. But, most people don't realize HOW to stretch.
Just going through the motions can be more dangerous than not doing it at all. Follow these ten tips to round out your workout.
1. Warm up with 5-8 minutes of cardiovascular exercise - that is, an activity like jogging, biking or walking that will get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Then begin your stretching routine.
2. Stretch only those muscles that are tight.
3. Don't stretch muscles that are already loose - if you don't "feel the stretch", you may not need to do it.
4. Avoid over-stretching. During pregnancy your joints are especially loose and prone to injury.
5. Stretching should NOT hurt. Stretching a tight muscle should feel good, back off if there is any pain.
6. Hold stretches for 20-30 seconds each.
7. Never bounce while you stretch.
8. Stay relaxed and breathe deeply to help lengthen your muscles.
9. Do not lock out your joints, keep elbows and knees slightly bent to reduce stress on them.
10. Stretch after your exercise session too, to help your body cool down and prevent injury.
There you have it, the basics of stretching! Follow these simple guidelines and reap the benefits of stretching during pregnancy.
Aside from just feeling good, stretching helps to keep your pregnant body healthy in a number of ways:
1. Prevents injuries by pulling your body gently back into balance.
2. Increases circulation - more blood flow to the muscles means a healthier muscle.
3. Gives you more energy! Along with greater blood flow comes more oxygen which keeps us from feeling sleepy during the day.
4. Eases the aches and pains of pregnancy by loosening the tight muscles that cause low back pain, headaches and other common complaints.
5. Enhances your workout by increasing your range of motion.
6. Improves your posture which helps you look and feel better as your body continues to change.
Keep in mind that being gumby is not the goal - being too flexible can be just as dangerous as not being flexible enough. So, it's important to stretch only those muscles that are tight and to combine your stretching with a good pregnancy strength training program.
Top Ten Tips for Stretching Success
Stretching is essential to any pregnancy exercise program. But, most people don't realize HOW to stretch.
Just going through the motions can be more dangerous than not doing it at all. Follow these ten tips to round out your workout.
1. Warm up with 5-8 minutes of cardiovascular exercise - that is, an activity like jogging, biking or walking that will get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Then begin your stretching routine.
2. Stretch only those muscles that are tight.
3. Don't stretch muscles that are already loose - if you don't "feel the stretch", you may not need to do it.
4. Avoid over-stretching. During pregnancy your joints are especially loose and prone to injury.
5. Stretching should NOT hurt. Stretching a tight muscle should feel good, back off if there is any pain.
6. Hold stretches for 20-30 seconds each.
7. Never bounce while you stretch.
8. Stay relaxed and breathe deeply to help lengthen your muscles.
9. Do not lock out your joints, keep elbows and knees slightly bent to reduce stress on them.
10. Stretch after your exercise session too, to help your body cool down and prevent injury.
There you have it, the basics of stretching! Follow these simple guidelines and reap the benefits of stretching during pregnancy.
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