Understanding the Needs of Your Body During Pregnancy

Understanding the Needs of Your Body During Pregnancy

March 26th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Pregnancy takes a lot of you over nine months. Your baby takes nutrients from your body, and you experience changes due to hormones released during the pregnancy. It is vitally important that you consider what you need to do to keep your body and mind healthy during pregnancy.

Eating Healthy

Because your baby takes its nutrients from your body, you need to be sure you are taking in enough healthy foods to nourish both yourself and your baby. In addition to taking a prenatal vitamin, you need to increase your intake of certain foods, such as milk and spinach for calcium, carrots and squash for vitamin b, and easily broken down proteins like eggs and beans. You should also eat foods high in folic acid, which includes most leafy vegetables.

The Importance of Exercise

Especially throughout the second and third trimesters, you will gain weight rapidly. Part of this is due to the weight of the baby. However, it is also due to your increased food intake. The baby takes the nutrients, but not necessarily the fat. To stay healthy, keep blood pressure low, and avoid being overweight after the pregnancy, you need to exercise and stay fit. There are many exercise programs developed specifically for pregnant women, although most exercise routines can be continued throughout most of your pregnancy.

Physical Changes and Challenges

As your baby grows, you will have some back pain. This can often be relieved through back massages, taking frequent breaks from chores that require standing, and changing positions frequently. You can also take Tylenol for back pain during pregnancy. Don’t both with a chiropractor, however, as most of them will not do any adjustments while you are pregnant.

You may also have problems with dry skin, brittle nails, and breast tenderness. The best way to address these issues is to invest in good, nourishing body lotion loaded with vitamins and minerals. You can also get similar strengthener for your nails. For aching breasts, a bra that fits comfortably yet offers extra support can really help. The less they move, the less they will hurt.

Emotional Health

There are a million things that cross through your mind when you are pregnant. You will be excited, of course, but you may also feel worried about the pregnancy, the health of the baby, or your ability as a parent. This is all very normal, but you need to address your concerns. At the very least, talk to your spouse about how you are feeling. Ignoring these emotions and fears can mean higher chances of post-partum depression after your baby is born.

As you get larger with your pregnancy, you may also begin to have feelings of being ugly or fat. You will feel like your body is no longer your own, and you want to reclaim it. When you start feeling really down, take yourself out for a girls day at the spa. If you cannot afford that, have a spa day at home with some friends. Get your hair done and put on some makeup to feel more like yourself. You might also want to go shopping for something sexy to wear after your pregnancy is over. This will help remind you that this form of your body is only temporary.

Talking to the Womb: Signs that your Baby is Listening

Talking to the Womb: Signs that your Baby is Listening

March 25th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Talking to your baby in the womb can help build bonds and affection between you and the child. This is especially true for fathers, as they do not have the natural bond that mothers have when the baby is first born. This truth is found in nearly every book on pregnancy. What may not be clear is why it is important, or how you can tell if your baby is really listening.

In the first several weeks of pregnancy, your baby has not developed enough to hear. Talking to the womb in this stage only helps you and your spouse feel closer to the baby. However, between weeks 12 and 16 your baby will have nearly fully developed ears. Everything going on around you can be heard by your baby.

Even though your baby can hear, the amniotic fluid muffles sound. Anything that seems slightly loud to you will be heard by your baby in much softer tones. So you don’t need to worry about loud noises affecting the baby. But if you yell too loudly, a child throws a temper tantrum, or the music is too loud, your baby will let you know through the womb. He or she will likely kick repeatedly and move around a lot because the noise is uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

Playing music to your stomach is sometimes thought to develop the brain, much as is believed about infants through toddlers. However, there is no evidence that this is true for fetuses. The baby may even become overly active when you play music to your stomach, letting you know that they do or don’t like it. Of course, knowing which is the case is impossible, but after a while that kicking will get on your nerves.

The most important thing to do once your baby can hear is to speak to your baby. You will be able to develop bonds closer than the already internal bond mother and child have. Your spouse will also be able to develop a bond with the baby in this manner. To even further the family experience, you can even have other children get involved with talking to the baby.

It is fairly easy to tell when your baby can hear you talking. Your baby may not show any signs of your voice throughout the day. But if you sit in a quiet room with no other sounds and talk to your baby, you will likely feel at least slight movement, if not a kick, in response to your voice. This is also true for the father, who can talk directly to your stomach with one hand resting on it, and feel the baby kick in response to his voice.

There is other evidence that the baby is listening within the womb that is evident after the baby is born. The infant will immediately recognize that he or she belongs with mom, dad, and siblings, because the voices will be familiar to them. If you played loud music during your pregnancy or had older siblings throwing fits during the pregnancy, this noise will likely do little to effect the baby’s sleeping because he or she is already used to that environment.

Expected Pregnancy Symptoms Week By Week

Expected Pregnancy Symptoms Week By Week

March 25th, 2010 by admin  |  1 Comment

Most pregnancy information focuses on the growth and development of the fetus, and what you need to do to help that process along. But there are many pregnancy symptoms and changes that you yourself will experience during pregnancy that may or may not have any bearing on the infant itself. It is important to understand what pregnancy symptoms to expect, and how to take care of yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of your baby when it arrives.

Pregnancy Symptoms During First Trimester (Week 1 – Week 14)

The first few weeks of pregnancy is often the most difficult for the mother. It starts with morning sickness, which can actually come on throughout the day, at any time. This nausea is rarely beaten by anything you do. It is important to keep your strength up, and to nourish your body. Even if you don’t feel like eating, remember that your baby is taking most of the nutrients your body has stored, and it is important to get something down. Eating small meals can help, but if solid food doesn’t work you should take in plenty of fluids, as well as chicken, beef, or vegetable broth.

The first trimester can also bring fatigue, so make sure you are getting plenty of rest. If you don’t work, taking naps during the day can be a huge help. You may also experience some tenderness in your breasts, which can usually be relieved by wearing an extra-supportive bra that limits movement. You will also have increased urination, so be sure to drink lots of water. Drinking water and juices will also help you avoid the issue of constipation that will generally arise in the first trimester, and last throughout the pregnancy.

Pregnancy Symptoms During Second Trimester (Week 15 – Week 27)

This is the easiest trimester of pregnancy for the mother. Most of the pregnancy symptoms from the first trimester, such as fatigue and nausea, will begin to fade and eventually disappear. You will still have frequent urination, and you may still experience constipation. Keep up a high fiber diet with lots of fluids to avoid this. Your spouse will enjoy this phase of the pregnancy as well, as your breasts begin to become enlarged. Do not be surprised if you have some seepage from your breasts, particularly after a warm shower. Lotion on your nipples and breast area can help prevent dryness caused by the seepage.

Due to hormones released during this trimester, your blood tends to circulate faster. This is what gives your skin the pregnancy glow, but it can also cause bleeding gums, nasal congestion, or leg cramps. Make sure to address any concerns with your doctor, and rest frequently whenever needed.

Pregnancy Symptoms During Third Trimester (Week 28 onwards)

This final trimester of pregnancy can be rather uncomfortable, and most women are happy to go into labor to end it. As your baby continues to grow, he will begin kicking you in the ribs. You will also have some shortness of breath, heartburn, and back pain due to the baby pushing on your lungs and stomach, and the sheer weight of the baby on your body. Circulation is still increased, so you may experience some spider veins, especially in the legs. If the uterus presses on veins near the legs, you may also experience some swelling of the ankles and feet. Fear not, the discomfort will be over soon!

Preparing Body, Mind and Home for a Twin Pregnancy

Preparing Body, Mind and Home for a Twin Pregnancy

March 23rd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Being pregnant with twins is very exciting, but it can also be more than a little bit scary. There are several things to keep in mind during your twin pregnancy. Not only are you going to have double the babies and double the things to buy, but you are also going to have double the pregnancy symptoms. It is important to take care of your body and mind while preparing your home during a twin pregnancy.

Preparing Your Mind

First, do not let your fears rule your life. Every parent has worries and fears about the outcome of the pregnancy, getting ready for the baby, and being a good parent. Being pregnant with twins means you will probably have even more fears than most. You should talk about your concerns with your doctor and your spouse, then put them aside. Learn about the risks that come with multiple births so that you can prepare for them and avoid them with doctor’s orders, but do not dwell on them. There is much to do, and you cannot waste any time being too afraid to do it.

Preparing Your Body

Pregnancy takes a lot out of your body in the way of stored fat, proteins, and nutrients, and a twin pregnancy takes even more. It is vitally important that you get all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs, as well as what both of your babies need. A woman pregnant with a single child needs to nearly double her calcium intake and eat twice as many fruits and vegetables. A woman pregnant with twins needs to nearly double this again. It may seem like you are eating all the time, but eating many frequent meals or snacks throughout the day will ensure you are getting all the nutrition you and your babies need.

A twin pregnancy also comes with twice the symptoms. You may have worse nausea, worse heartburn, worse everything. Saltines, rest and fluids are the best remedies for most of your discomfort. You will experience more back pain than a single pregnancy, so invest in a good heating pad or back massager. You should also expect more stretch marks and dry skin, so get some really good cocoa or shea butter lotion.

Preparing Your Home

Do not become overwhelmed thinking you have to have two of everything right off the bat. If you are having a boy and a girl, try to buy mostly unisex clothing in light greens and yellows. If you don’t know what you are having this works well also. The more clothing your children can share, the better off you will be. There will always be lots of laundry, so focus more on quality than quantity. You should also consider using cloth diapers rather than disposable, as the average family with twins goes through 140 diapers a week.
It is okay to start out with one crib in the beginning, giving you a few months to purchase a second one. The babies will be small enough to share a bed, and they will draw comfort from each other as well. You will need two car seats, however, and a good quality double stroller is an absolute must.

Late Babies – When You’re Past Your Due Date

Late Babies – When You’re Past Your Due Date

March 22nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Being past your due date can be worrisome, uncomfortable, and frustrating. However, in most cases there are absolutely no reasons to worry. While it may be uncomfortable, pregnancies extending one to two weeks past the expected due date is common and absolutely normal.

There are several reasons you may be going past your due date. The most common reason is that the due date is not one hundred percent accurate. Your due date is calculated based on the date of your last normal period, as well as the development of your baby during the first ultrasound. There are many problems with this calculation that leave room for error.

First, some women have a period after they are pregnant. It may be lighter than normal, but if you give that date to your doctor, your due date could be calculated as much as a month off. Second, this is based on the precipice that you have an exact 28 day cycle, with a precise number of days for ovulation. Unfortunately, most women are not textbook cases, so this can leave room for error of up to one week. Finally, ultrasounds do not provide a fool proof method of determining gestation, because the size, weight, and developmental measurements used to determine your due date are variable by pregnancy. There is a relatively wide range of normal for different stages. This can cause an error in calculating your due date of up to two weeks.

For all of these reasons, doctors do not become concerned until you have reached two weeks past your due date. At this point, the doctor may begin talking to you about inducing labor. This is not actually necessary in most cases. Babies have been born overdue without inducing labor up to one month after their due date for millennia, usually with no complications. The only real concern is that the baby will continue to grow in size as long as it is in the womb, making delivery harder on your body. In short, unless the doctor sees some type of stress in the baby, the decision to induce is entirely up to you.

There are some things you can do to try to induce labor naturally at home. Walking tends to help bring on, intensify, or increase contractions, and progresses labor. Taking long walks can really make the difference between contractions lasting a few seconds twenty to thirty minutes apart for days, and getting those contractions to a point that constitutes labor.

Many women have also found that sex can induce labor. The movement of intercourse alone has an effect on your body. However, the real stimulator for labor here is the pleasure of sex. It causes your reproductive muscles to contract, which includes the uterus, and can induce labor very effectively. Of course, this method will only work if you can get past the discomfort of being so very pregnant to enjoy the experience and get those contractions going.

Your doctor may be able to give you more advice on how to induce your labor naturally, although you should not take any herbal supplements without your doctor’s approval. There are some very old “remedies” for being overdue that are not necessarily safe for you and your baby.

Labor Exercises – Making Labor Easier

Labor Exercises – Making Labor Easier

March 21st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There are conflicting views on whether or not exercising during pregnancy can make labor easier on your body. While keeping yourself in shape during your pregnancy is important, there is no definitive evidence that it makes labor easier. However, many women claim that it has helped them. Additionally, one study of a very small group of women showed lower pain levels and shorter pushing phases in women who exercised than women who didn’t.

However, there is such a thing as too much exercise. If your pelvic floor muscles become too tight, it can make it difficult to push the baby out into the world. However, if you build the muscles enough to control them easily, you can make your pushing phase of labor easier and less painful. It can also lessen your chances for tears in the perineum.

Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are recommended for women during and after pregnancy. These exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, which can help you in many ways. First, you will have an easier time avoiding leakage or incontinence that comes with pregnancy, and can continue shortly after giving birth. Additionally, you will be able to make those muscles more elastic, making labor easier and less painful. Finally, doing the exercises after the birth will help tighten your muscles to their original elasticity, making sex more enjoyable and less painful.

Kegel exercises are very simple to do once you get the hang of it. These muscles are the same ones you use when you urinate, or avoid urination. The easiest way to start is when you are using the restroom. Simply use the muscles to start and stop the flow of urine. As you practice this, you will eventually come to know the feeling of the muscles being contracted. At that point you can begin doing the exercises at other times. Simple sit in a relaxing position, such as when you are watching television, and contract and relax the muscles.

Other Exercise

Walking and bicycling are also good exercises for pregnant women. The exercises helps keep your back muscles strong, relieving some of the back pain that comes with later pregnancy. This also strengthens your abdominal muscles, making labor less painful and making it easier to contract your muscles during the pushing phase of labor. The exercise will also help to keep your body in shape, making it easier to lose weight and regain your original figure after pregnancy.

Warnings

Although it is safe in most cases to continue exercise as you always have during pregnancy, there can be risks and complications that do not allow for hard exercise. You need to listen to your body, and do not overdo it. You will find that you wear out more easily and become breathless more easily the further into your pregnancy you get. If you are out of breath or tired, do not try to keep exercising. Take a break and go back to your routine later, or simple shorten your routine during your pregnancy.

If you have any problems that may result from your exercise, talk to your doctor. You should also inform your doctor at the beginning of your pregnancy of any exercise routine you have or plan to have during your pregnancy. This gives your doctor an opportunity to address any concerns he might have.

Going Into Labor – Knowing It’s for Real

Going Into Labor – Knowing It’s for Real

March 20th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Starting as early as the second trimester you may begin to have contractions. This occurs as your uterus contracts and relaxes repetitively. Some of these may be caused by the baby’s stretching, while others are simply the uterus moving the baby into birthing position and preparing your body for actual labor. These practice contractions are called Braxton Hicks, after the scientist who first noted them in 1872.

Braxton Hicks contractions feel more like pressure than pain. They may be felt from inside the body, or by placing a hand on the belly. For the most part, it will simply feel like your stomach has tightened. While medical dictionaries may say that they are not painful at all, most pregnant women disagree, and say that they feel very much like real labor pains toward the end of the third trimester. This can make it difficult to tell if you are actually in labor or if you are having Braxton Hicks contractions, especially if it is your first pregnancy.

These pre-labor pains are perfectly normal, and nothing to worry about. They may increase in intensity as you move around, and lessen or disappear as you rest. If you are overly uncomfortable and having contractions try resting for a while and drinking a glass of water. This will usually make them stop. You can also take warm baths to relax the muscles, which will also relax the uterus and stop the contractions. If you are ever in doubt of whether your contractions mean you are in labor, try these methods to stop them. If they become more frequent and regular rather than ceasing, you may be in labor.

The easiest way to tell the difference between Braxton Hicks and real labor is the length and frequency of the contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions are often irregular in frequency, and do not become very close together. Labor pains, on the other hand, will be very regular in timing and frequency. They will start out at about fifteen or twenty minutes apart when you first notice them, and increase in frequency to about ten minutes apart. Once you have had contractions lasting more than thirty seconds at ten minutes apart for one hour or more, it is likely time to start heading to the hospital.

Braxton Hicks contractions are also less painful than labor pains, and not as intense. They usually occur only in the abdomen. Labor pains, by contrast, will typically encircle the abdomen and go around into your back. They will be very intense, and they will likely be painful. Rather than simply feeling a tightening of the abdomen, you will feel as though a ring within your stomach has cinched to half its original size. Walking will make the contractions stronger and more frequent, and help progress your labor.

If you are unsure whether or not you are in labor, you should call your doctor. He will ask you the intensity, length, and frequency of your contractions. If there is any doubt that you might be in labor, he will have you go to the hospital. It is not uncommon to make several trips to the hospital as contractions start and stop, preparing your body for giving birth. Even though these tips can help you determine the difference between fake and real labor pains, there is no guarantee. Especially with first pregnancies, contractions can come frequently and regularly without progressive labor.

Feeling Your Baby Move – When and What to Expect

Feeling Your Baby Move – When and What to Expect

March 19th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Being pregnant is very exciting, especially when it is your first pregnancy. It is common to want to experience everything at once, but you have nine months to experience all the joys and trials that pregnancy has to offer. Waiting for physical signs of your baby can be frustrating, but it won’t happen right away. Just as you won’t begin to show until around the fourth month, you have to wait until about the same time to feel your baby move.

You may not even notice the first time your baby moves. It will feel like gas bubbles or stomach rumblings, and it will not be discernable as baby movement to first time moms until it becomes more frequent. This usually begins around 16-25 weeks. The initial movements are so light that they cannot be felt outside the belly, so your spouse will have to wait even longer before he can feel the baby. After the first movements, your baby will become more and more active as it grows, and you will feel the movement in a much more pronounced way.

If you are thin by nature, you will likely feel baby move earlier in your pregnancy, and the movement will be more pronounced for you. Your spouse may also be able to feel the baby move much sooner than the middle or end of the second trimester. On the other hand, if you are overweight by nature you may not feel your baby move at all until closer to 25 weeks, and you may not be able to really feel kicks from outside your stomach until the end of the second trimester or the beginning of the third trimester.

By week 28 of your pregnancy you will begin to feel actual kicks and jabs that can be felt by placing a hand on your stomach. The movements will still be few and far between, but will pick up pace and strength as your pregnancy progresses. By the middle of the second trimester, you will be wishing that the baby would stop kicking and let you rest.

The most active times for most babies through the third trimester is between nine in the evening to one o’clock in the morning, which is very inconvenient for mom. If you want to increase the movement of your baby at non-peak times so that siblings or your spouse can feel the baby move, you may try some music or simply rubbing your stomach. Some babies respond to this and other sounds, such as mom or dad’s voice, and kick or move in response.

In the third trimester your baby will kick and roll around more frequently. As your pregnancy comes to a close, your baby will become confined and start elbowing and moving around trying to make the most of his or her small space. You should not be surprised to feel feet poking you in the rib cage. This too will become less frequent as the baby moves into position for the birth around 38-40 weeks, and the kicking will come back down out of your ribs. However, the kicking will get more frequent and stronger, and by the middle of your third trimester you should feel your baby kick at least thirty times each day.

Your Baby’s Growth: Stages of Fetal Development

Your Baby’s Growth: Stages of Fetal Development

March 18th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

It can be amazing watching your baby grow and develop, but frustrating not to be able to see that development in the womb as well. There are many books that show pictures of the fetus at different stages that can help you determine what your baby looks like as it grows within you. At some point you will also have at least one ultrasound during your pregnancy, allowing you to see your baby up close and personal. For now, here is some basic information on how your baby grows and develops in the womb.

The progress of your pregnancy is broken down into either weeks or trimesters. A pregnancy is considered 40 weeks long, which doesn’t break down evenly into three trimesters, so this can be a bit confusing. Essentially, each twelve weeks equals a trimester, with the last month of pregnancy being a separate final stage.

The First Trimester

Most of the actual development of your baby occurs in the first trimester. Within the first month the eyes and heart is developed, and your baby begins to take on some rudimentary features. In the second month, all of the major organs begin to develop, including the digestive system, respiratory system, and nervous system. By the end of the first trimester, your baby has developed eyes, ears and kidneys almost fully. Your baby also has all of its limbs, and is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Your baby is still very tiny at around four inches long, and only weighs about an ounce.

The Second Trimester

Throughout the second trimester, your baby’s body is developing and solidifying. In the beginning of the fourth month, your baby’s skin is transparent, but by the end of the second trimester, your baby’s skin will be red and wrinkly. By the end of the fourth month, you should be able to tell the sex of the baby, and this is likely around the same time your doctor will schedule an ultrasound. You will also begin feeling movement in the fourth month, increasing throughout the second trimester. Your baby will become more defined, with nose fully formed, finger and toe nails, and even eyelids and eyelashes. Essentially, by the end of this stage your baby will be nearly fully developed, and be ready to grow. At the end of this trimester, your baby is about a half pound in weight, and is about the length of a banana.

The Third Trimester

Throughout the third trimester, your baby will continue to grow at an increased rate. The infant gains weight quickly, and will more than double in size in the next six weeks, to about three and a half pounds. Throughout this trimester, the baby’s organs become fully developed, and the baby prepares for birth. He will move down into the birth canal, putting pressure on your pelvis. Your baby will move more than ever before, and will now be able to fully hear and see. By the end of the third trimester, your baby is fully developed.
The final stage of pregnancy, or the last month, is actually just a time for the baby to ready itself for delivery. The baby continues to put on weight, and grow in size. The closer to 40 weeks you can be before delivery, the healthier and bigger your baby will be. However, an infant at 37 weeks is considered to be a term pregnancy.

How to Choose Safe Exercises During Pregnancy

How to Choose Safe Exercises During Pregnancy

March 17th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Exercising during pregnancy is important for the health of both mother and baby. However, you need to know what is safe and what to avoid when exercising. This is largely going to rest on your level of fitness before you became pregnant. If you exercised regularly prior to pregnancy, then you can generally keep exercising in that manner during pregnancy while scaling back on the intensity. For instance, if you are a runner, then you can keep running. However, if you did not get a lot of exercise before pregnancy, then you will have to start out slow with an exercise program that is safe.

Having said the above, there are general dos and don’ts that apply no matter what your level of fitness was prior to getting pregnant. First of all, it is very important that you don’t overheat your body. This is what keeps pregnant women out of the hot tub at the gym when they would very much like to be in it. Overheating your body can cause your blood pressure to rise and it can cause dehydration and swelling. Of course, you need to sweat, but make sure that you don’t exercise in extreme heat and that you wear minimal clothing and keep the intensity of your workout to a comfortable level.

You should also keep your heart rate lower when you are exercising. When you begin to sweat you will begin to breathe harder and your body will begin to get warm. This is the maximum you should push your heart rate. If you are too out of breath to talk normally to someone, then you need to slow it down. Getting a heart rate monitor will help you keep track of your heart rate so that you can make adjustments as needed.

It is important to avoid high-impact activities when you are pregnant, especially in your third trimester. If you have been involved in a high-impact activity such as running or tennis prior to pregnancy and you are physically fit, then you can usually keep doing it and may be able to modify the activity to be easier on your body. If you are not used to any high-impact activities, then avoid them while pregnant.

When you do any strength exercises, keep the weight lower for the lower extremities. This will help keep your blood pressure down. Lunges and squats are fine, but no added weights. You should exercise 3-4 days per week for about 30-45 minutes during your first and second trimester. Once in your third trimester, bring the time down to 20-25 minutes 4-5 days per week.

When it comes to stretching, make sure your stretches are short and easy. In other words, don’t hold your stretches for too long. Your body is producing a hormone – yes the dreaded H-word – called relaxin that relaxes the tissues around your joints to prepare the pelvis for delivery. This also affects the muscles throughout the rest of your body and if you stretch too much you will end up with hyper-mobility of the joints, which can be painful and damaging.

Exercising safely while pregnant means ensuring that your body remains a safe haven for your developing baby. You want to be sure everything is going just fine. Exercise is very important and your body will bounce back more quickly after the baby is born. Just remember not to overdo it and you will be a model for good health all throughout your pregnancy.

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