The Danger of Smoking During Pregnancy

The Danger of Smoking During Pregnancy

June 21st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

We know that it’s a bad habit, but yet many of us pick it up somewhere along the way. There’s nothing cute or glamorous about smoking, but yet many women still can’t kick the habit. It may have been something that you picked up when you were much younger, and have inevitably become addicted to. It may be something that you turn to when you’re stressed or when you’re in a social situation.

The smoking pattern of everyone is quite different, but yet the results are the same. Though we hear it time and time again, we somehow ignore the warnings that smoking is bad for us. We know that there is long term potential risks and danger to our health, but we have such a difficult time in quitting. When it comes to pregnancy however, there has never been a greater reason to quit the bad habit. Though we know that smoking is bad enough for us, it takes things to an exponential high when it comes to smoking during pregnancy. Quitting smoking is what you should do for the baby, and there are many reasons why.

Consider the Risks to Your Pregnancy

Though common sense can tell you what you already know, smoking is inherently bad for you and your baby. If the risks to you alone weren’t enough to get you to quit before, consider what smoking can do to your baby and to your pregnancy. The risks as you can see on a chart like this are numerous and therefore this is something to stand up and take notice of.

During pregnancy, there are a great number of risks that can come about as a result of smoking. If you are worried about maintaining a healthy pregnancy, then smoking is the first thing to cut out. When you smoke, it cuts off oxygen and nutrients that your baby and your placenta need to thrive and survive. When this happens, your baby isn’t getting what it needs. Additionally the placenta will spread out in search of oxygen for the baby and this can lead to placenta previa. In this condition, the placenta can cover up the cervix and this is a huge danger. You contribute to the risks of an ectopic pregnancy, vaginal bleeding, and a displacement of the placenta. These are only the risks present to and during your pregnancy – it does get worse!

Consider the Risks to Your Baby

As if the risks to your pregnancy aren’t enough, consider the actual risks to your unborn child. When a woman is pregnant, she will usually put nothing before the health and safety of her baby. She lives for her baby and does whatever she can to nurture and care for her baby in the womb. When you smoke however, this nurturing isn’t exactly happening.

Smoking can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and many of these unthinkable consequences of pregnancy which lead to the unthinkable with your baby. You are contributing to possible birth defects such as a cleft lip and may even cause actual breathing problems in your newborn once they are born. Down the road, smoking during pregnancy may even contribute to your child developing asthma. So you can see that the risks far outweigh the necessity to light up. If you ever needed a reason to quit smoking, let the health of your baby be the incentive that you needed.

The Old Wives’ Tale of How You Carry and the Gender of Your Baby

The Old Wives’ Tale of How You Carry and the Gender of Your Baby

June 20th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

If you are newly pregnant, then you will find that you are immediately met with all sorts of advice and information. Some of it may be helpful and some of it may be worth tuning out. As you progress through your pregnancy, you may be amazed to find out that the unsolicited and often unwanted advice continues. You want to be careful so as not to offend anybody that wishes to share their experiences or advice with you.

It can all get to be a bit overwhelming as you not only hear conflicting information, but also a lot that you know firsthand is wrong. One such instance is the old wives’ tale that seems to always rear its ugly head. There are people, particularly old timers, that truly believe some of these old myths that have traveled their way through time. If you have been told about any of them, such as how you carry your baby determining the gender of your baby, then it’s high time to stay tuned to the real meaning behind them.

Is It Really An Indication?

One of the biggest myths that have traveled through timeless pregnancies and number of years is that of how you carry your baby. If you have never heard of it, then you are likely to be hit up with it as you progress through your pregnancy. The old wives’ tale goes that if you are carrying your baby lower, then you are inevitably having a boy. If you are carrying your baby high, then you must be having a girl.

This may sound familiar and you will likely be told this myth at some point in your pregnancy if you haven’t already. It’s one of those myths that are so well traveled and so timeless that many people really and truly believe this. You may even find that you are told this by a nurse or a medical professional who should know better than to believe in these often silly myths. Go ahead and humor the storyteller by listening to their story, but avoid the temptation to buy into it and believe that it is real.

There is a Reason for Everything

If you look up any of these old wives’ tales including this one at a reputable source such as this, then you will quickly see that there is no real merit to this sort of myth. In fact you carrying high or low is simply an indication of the position of the baby and how your body responds to it. This has a lot to do with the placement and development of the uterine and pelvic muscles throughout pregnancy. This can be contributed to by your own build of your body before pregnancy, as well as how your body responds to the pregnancy along the way.

If you are carrying high, then that means that the baby is located in the upper part of the uterus. If you are carrying high, then it means that your baby is located closer to the pelvis. The only thing to be concerned with if you are carrying low is that if you happen to be carrying the baby too low, it can cause things such as premature labor. Though this isn’t a certainty, it is something to ask your healthcare provider about to ensure that proper tests are run. It doesn’t however determine the gender of your baby, so avoid the temptation to listen to such talk!

Weight Gain in First Trimester

Weight Gain in First Trimester

June 18th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

You’ll hear it a million times throughout your pregnancy, but it’s true. Everybody is different! Though it’s an old adage and you will likely get sick of hearing it, it does bear repeating. Many women feel that they have to be like their friends or family when it comes to their pregnancies. They may also feel that just because they’ve been pregnant before that they will know what it’s like and have full and set expectations the next time around.

Even with the exact same woman, one may find that each and every pregnancy is completely and totally different. One of the biggest ways that you notice the differences is how a woman gains her weight. Some women may seem to put on virtually no weight at all, losing it as soon as they give birth. Other women however may feel as though they put on a ton of weight at the beginning and continue to do so as the pregnancy progresses. It can be helpful to understand weight gain throughout each trimester.

Consider Your Pre-Baby Body Shape

Though many women stress out about gaining too much or too little weight during their pregnancy, it really depends heavily on the shape that a woman was in before she got pregnant. If she was bigger boned or even overweight, then chances are that she may not gain as much. It is actually recommended that those women who start out overweight don’t gain as much overall. A woman who is underweight however may gain a great deal of weight up front as her body prepares for the pregnancy.

As you can see by looking at this guidelines it is not only uncommon but actually recommended that an underweight woman gain up to six pounds in her first trimester. It may be even more than that depending on just how underweight she was to begin with. So while this may seem like a shock to the system or something that you should be concerned with, the weight gain will be different in every single case. It depends greatly on the shape your body was in before you got pregnant.

Pace Yourself But Let Your Body Dictate

Though one woman may panic because she’s gained eight pounds in her first trimester, another woman may hope for that type of response. Women who are sick throughout their entire first trimester may not gain any weight, and as a matter of fact may even lose weight. This isn’t uncommon but can worry some moms. The truth is that your body will catch up to where it needs to be in order to provide for your baby. If you’re concerned then you should always talk to your doctor. However in most cases, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. You should know that your body will dictate and that it will put the needs of your baby first.

Though the average suggested weight gain is around 25-35 pounds, it’s important to remember that is just the typical range. Every woman is different and though one woman may gain more in her first trimester, that will likely even out as she progresses through her pregnancy. The exact opposite situation can prove true too. So try hard not to compare yourself to others and know that your body will gain what it needs to for your baby. So long as you eat right and take good care of yourself, you are doing everything you need to for your baby and your pregnancy.

Taking the Stress Out of the Last Days of Your Pregnancy

Taking the Stress Out of the Last Days of Your Pregnancy

June 11th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Early on in your pregnancy you may feel as though you can’t wait for your due date to arrive. You are inundated with symptoms of all varieties, and you may feel as though nine months is an eternity away. You make it through your pregnancy, your series of doctor’s appointments, tests, and ultrasounds to arrive at the big day. You had such high hopes and anticipations for what it would be like to get to the end, and you initially feel excited.

Once the reality that your due date is near hits you, it’s likely that you are feeling a whole host of other things. Many women feel a great deal of stress as they approach the final days of their pregnancy. It’s not that they’re not excited to meet their little babies, it’s just that they know their lives are about to change. Additionally they may feel as if they aren’t quite ready for labor, and so it’s important to take the stress out of this final stage of pregnancy.

Getting Your Head on Straight at the End

The problem for most women is that they feel as though they have so much to do. They feel like they are grossly unprepared for the birth and arrival of their little baby. Though you’ve likely been planning for the birth for nine months now, it can still feel like it comes at you rather quickly. One of the most important things you can do to take the stress out of your final days of pregnancy is to relax. This means that you should try to get in all of the naps and restful nights of sleep that you possibly can. There is nothing wrong with putting your feet up and closing your eyes for a few minutes – as a matter of fact that may be a good recommendation. This can help you to get your head on straight and to decompress as your due date approaches.

Get Ready and Then Wait

The final few days of a pregnancy are almost a game of “hurry up and wait” so just be prepared for this. The best thing that you can do is to be prepared in every sense of the word. Take your preparation time very seriously and take your time with it. Avoid the temptation to pack everything in at the last minute, as the baby may arrive faster than you thought. Take your time along the way to get baby’s room ready for their arrival. Also be careful to get your overnight bag packed well in advance of your due date as this can always work to your advantage. There is no such thing as too prepared when it comes to your due date, and this really helps to take a lot of the stress out of your final days.

Once you have learned to embrace relaxation and done everything you possibly can to get prepared, then it’s time to sit back and wait for that little baby. Try not to let your mind wander and let all the bad or scary thoughts in. You will be just fine and you will give birth as millions of women have done before you. Doing your part in advance and learning to embrace relaxation can do wonders for your final days of pregnancy, and of course for your labor and delivery as well.

Understanding Gestational Diabetes In Your Pregnancy

Understanding Gestational Diabetes In Your Pregnancy

June 10th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Many women think of pregnancy as a time to eat whatever they want. Though you are sure to indulge in some foods or treats that you never did before you were pregnant, it should be done within reason.

Although the common misconception is that you are eating for two, this can often lead to complications down the road for both you and the baby. Many women tend to overeat, and at that they tend to eat a lot of the wrong foods. Though eating far too many sweets alone can’t put your baby in an instantly dangerous situation, it can present some difficulties. Just as diabetes can occur in the body at any point in time, you are more likely to develop it in pregnancy. Though most pregnant women are safe from this risk, there is a very real possibility and therefore you want to be very in tune to what this means.

What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Just about every pregnant woman takes a blood glucose test in her second trimester of pregnancy. This is a simple test whereby a woman drinks a sugary glucose drink to see how her body processes. If all goes well, then the woman is fine and should go on with her pregnancy without the risk of gestational diabetes. Sometimes however there is a very real risk and it shows up through this risk. What happens is that the body can’t properly create and utilize insulin and this puts a risk to the pregnancy and most especially to the baby.

As you can easily see through diabetes advice, the inability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin means that the glucose that you have in your system isn’t able to be digested properly and ultimately has nowhere to go. This glucose in your body can come to you via sweets or even some less likely sources such as white bread, pasta, and rice, as well as fruit. Therefore it’s important for a woman to get a proper diagnosis and then to know how to contend with it if it is found that she has gestational diabetes.

Handling This Pregnancy Complication

So here’s how it works-there is hope and help if you find that you have gestational diabetes during pregnancy. In a simple or lesser case, you may just be put on a special diet whereby you are eating foods that can be digested and passed along to baby properly. This is easy to manage, but may also result in additional monitoring for the baby. If the case is full fledged or a bit more extreme, then you may need to take insulin shots on a daily basis as a regular diabetic does. If this is the case, then it may mean a great deal of monitoring of the baby, particularly as you move closer to your due date.

The biggest possible risk to your baby is that they will be rather large, and that this may mean not only a “fat” baby but also one that has health problems upon delivery. These aren’t the usual birth defects that you hear about, but certainly something that doctors don’t like to see. It is manageable for you as a mother and for your baby, but something that is important to keep up with. So keep tuned into this condition and be sure that you handle the management appropriately if it should be necessary.

Uterine Contractions In The Third Trimester

Uterine Contractions In The Third Trimester

June 8th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There’s just so much to think about during pregnancy. You want to ensure that you are doing the very best to take care of your baby. You want to ensure that you are in good health and that you care for yourself in the proper way. There is so much to think about and just as you get used to one phase or symptom of pregnancy, an entirely different type comes about.

You may feel as though you know what you are doing, particularly if you are beyond your first pregnancy. However, there are so many things to think about and many elements of pregnancy that can literally take you off guard. One such thing that tends to cause a woman to lose her breath is uterine contractions. If you have never experienced these before, they can be a little intimidating. They can be scary as you prepare for the upcoming birth of your child. It is good to know though that these are not only common, but very normal.

So What Exactly is Going On?

You can be going about your business, not have a care in the world, when all of a sudden one of those uterine contractions may strike you. Some women will go an entire pregnancy without feeling them, and some will start experiencing them somewhere around the 20th week. As you can see here there are many different symptoms as you move about your pregnancy, and this is just one of them. If you feel uterine contractions, know that they are normal.

What usually happens at this point of the pregnancy is that the uterus contracts, but not in a painful way. Though contractions will be painful and rhythmic as you enter the final days before delivery, this is totally different. Uterine contractions, or Braxton Hicks contractions as they are called, are felt earlier on are often more of a tightening than anything else. They are shorter in nature, usually around 15 to 30 seconds, and then go away. There is often no rhythm nor rhyme or reason to these contractions because they come on and go away just as quickly. If there is any pain associated with them, it is often very minor as the focus is usually more on the tightening of the entire area.

Preparation for the Big Day

The uterus has gone through a lot to prepare your body for pregnancy. It has also grown exponentially to house your baby and ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. The uterine contractions felt are very normal as the uterus contracts along the way as a result of all of these changes. Consider this to be a bit of preparation for the big day, but in a much more minor way than you will consider.

Some women will feel these uterine contractions as early as the 20th week, and they may actually get used to them as they stay for the remainder of the pregnancy. As the due date nears and the baby prepares for birth, these Braxton Hicks contractions may come faster and furiously. You will know when it’s actual labor as there will be much more pain and regularity to them, but know that the Braxton Hicks contractions may very well stay with you up until the big day.

Developing Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

Developing Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

June 4th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Your legs have always been one of your best physical attributes. All of a sudden during pregnancy they feel achy and heavy and just not quite right. What in the world could it be? You know that it’s not always easy to be on your feet for an extended period of time, but can it possibly be contributing to an actual health problem.

Though we may not wish to admit it, pregnancy changes our bodies in many different ways. Some for the better and some for the worse. Some of the changes will only exist during pregnancy, and some will linger on well after the baby is born. So the reality is that we need to understand what these changes are and learn how to properly cope with them and eliminate the possibility of an everlasting health issue. When it comes to varicose veins, many women don’t even realize that they are developing them. However pregnancy is such a prime time that it’s become all too common.

So What Is That Feeling?

Here’s what happens during pregnancy that contributes to the likelihood of varicose veins developing. As you can see from varicose vein during pregancy, when you are pregnant the uterus puts extra pressure on a great deal of things. One such part that is affected is the vein running down the right side of your body. This is responsible for moving blood and happens to be what puts pressure on the veins in the leg. This is nothing that you can prevent, but something that happens as you move throughout your pregnancy. The problem with this is that the additional pressure happens to create the likelihood for varicose veins to develop. This is especially true if you have a family history of them or if you happen to be on your feet a lot.

You’ll know that they’re coming by the achy feeling in your legs. You will also often feel that your legs are really heavy. At times, there can be an itchiness or even a burning sensation around the area that may be affected. You can sometimes see the varicose vein starting to develop beneath the surface. As progesterone builds up within your body during pregnancy, it slows everything down and this contributes to the development of varicose veins as well as the symptoms that you may feel.

Can They Be Avoided?

For many women, the development of varicose veins happens to be short lived. They may very well clear up on their own once you deliver the baby. If you didn’t have them before, then they may go away on their own and you will be back to normal in no time. If however you were overweight before your pregnancy, if you happen to gain a great deal of weight during your pregnancy, are carrying multiples, or had them before then they may be there to stay.

The best thing you can do is try to stay off your feet for long periods of time. If you must be on your feet, then do your part by taking rests whenever possible. This will help to ensure that they don’t develop and that they subside a lot faster. When you start to feel that achiness or that burning or itching sensation, this is usually a good indication that you want to get off of your feet and rest up. All of these measures will help you to avoid them or at least ensure that they go away shortly after delivery.

Managing Your Exhaustion During Pregnancy

Managing Your Exhaustion During Pregnancy

May 31st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There are many aspects of pregnancy that you can’t even explain to others. The way that you feel, that first kick from the baby, so many things are just miraculous and difficult to put into words. One such aspect of pregnancy that is rather difficult to put into words is the absolute exhaustion that you feel.

For many women, exhaustion during pregnancy is a tired feeling that you’ve never quite felt before and it just beats you down. You can barely keep your eyes open during normal and rather routine activities, leaving you feeling drained so very easily. This is very common at the very beginning of a pregnancy and in the first trimester. Usually you feel much better by second trimester, though you’re certainly not up as late as you used to be. Then by the time that third trimester comes around, you feel that exhaustion again. There are many factors that contribute to it, and learning how to properly manage it is always a good idea.

It Seems to Come Out of Nowhere

One of the first indicators to many women that they are pregnant is that absolute exhaustion that you feel. It’s hard to describe, but as you have difficulty getting up in the morning or keeping your eyes open through dinner; you somehow know what’s going on. Though it is a very common symptom of pregnancy, it can be very frustrating for many women. If you have other children to care for, have a full time job, or simply have responsibilities that you must maintain then it can be very trying.

It may seem that the exhaustion comes out of nowhere, but it does make sense if you think about it. In the first trimester, the exhaustion is often attributed to the major change in hormones. As it often is, progesterone is usually the culprit and contributes to everything slowing down and you feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck. You are likely experiencing other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and these can take a lot out of you as well. You are also building another person and as you work through the process of building another human being and the placenta, it’s only natural that you feel tired. You will feel this again towards the end of your pregnancy as you are carrying around a lot of extra weight and your body gets ready for delivery.

So How Do You Manage Pregnancy Exhaustion?

Since the exhaustion can be so debilitating and frustrating, many women want to know how to properly manage it. As you can see from these ideas, there are some rather simple but effective measures one can take which will help the exhaustion to subside a bit. Though it may sound counterintuitive, getting in a bit of exercise can be a real lifesaver when it comes to restoring some of that lost energy.

Along the same lines, eating the right foods that are loaded with nutrients and natural energy boosters can help you to feel more like yourself again. You can also rely on short little naps to help you get back to a normal state. Shutting your eyes for just twenty minutes when you feel tired can be a real energy booster. Getting more sleep at night and taking it easy throughout the day will always help you to feel more energized and ready to take on the world.

Managing Your Expectations During Pregnancy

Managing Your Expectations During Pregnancy

May 30th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There are many points of view of what realistic expectations are during pregnancy. Though this may be quite different for every woman, it is most certainly something to consider. Have you ever really thought about what your expectations are throughout your pregnancy?

Even if you have been pregnant before, you may quickly find that each and every pregnancy is different and therefore brings about all sorts of different thoughts and concerns. If you’ve never given much thought to it, then it may be something to sit and contemplate. Are you fully prepared for what pregnancy will be like? Have you talked to your partner about each of your expectations to ensure that they are realistic and in line with each other? All of these things are good to think through, but the bottom line is to expect the unexpected. This is often what will happen in a pregnancy and in parenthood, so getting used to that philosophy can work quite well.

It Is a Change Physically and Otherwise

If you think that pregnancy is simply a physical change, then you are in store for some big surprises. It is a stage of life that contains a great deal of physical changes, that’s for sure. You will watch your body change and morph into something that you never envisioned. You will change in shape, in size, and in some instances, you may not even recognize your own body. That will all change back with a bit of hard work after the baby is born, but for the time being it can be a lot to take in.

Pregnancy also contains a lot of mental and emotional changes as well. Your hormones will be on a roller coaster at times, and therefore preparing yourself for that is always a good idea. You may feel less than joyous at all times. You may feel anxious, sad, nervous, angry, or just plain run the gammet of emotions on any given day. So know this in advance and ensure that you set this as a realistic expectation or both you and your partner. If you don’t, then it may come as quite a shock when these changes occur.

Expect the Unexpected

Anybody going into pregnancy thinking that things are going to be and stay a certain way will be shocked when that is not the case. Expect the unexpected and you will be just fine. This is also the case for parenthood, so it can serve as great preparation. You can do everything right throughout your pregnancy and take care of yourself really well, and yet still can develop high blood pressure. You can eat all the wrong foods and eat far too much sugar, and yet never develop gestational diabetes. You may be a tiny girl with a tiny frame, and yet you may still have a rather large baby.

There are no assurances, so do your best to get prepared and get ready, but also to be flexible. That’s the best lesson that any pregnant woman can learn as she heads into her pregnancy. You can have expectations and do your part to manage them, but just know that they may change up a bit from time to time. So get ready for a long and crazy journey, and above all be sure to expect the unexpected and enjoy every minute of it.

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