The Pregnancy Glow and Other Myths of Motherhood
May 13, 2008
It happened during the ninth month of my first pregnancy. I was going through a department store check-out lane where a teenage girl was ringing up my purchases. She looked shyly at my burgeoning belly with an expression that could only be described as reverent.
With eyes full of dreams of future motherhood she asked, "Is pregnancy really as bad as everyone says?"
Without the slightest guilt, I replied, "No. It’s worse."
The Deception
When my husband and I announced the birth of our blessed expectation some months prior, along with endless congratulations, I received the good news of the many wonderful changes I could expect.
“You’ll positively glow."
"Your hair and nails will look fabulous."
"You’ll feel absolutely beautiful."
According to family and friends, as a gestating woman, I would feel nothing short of a precious vessel, glowing with health and radiance given only to those experiencing the miracle of growing a child.
About a week later, wearing the pallor of death, I was running away from the smell of my husband’s lunchtime tuna fish sandwich knowing I’d never been so violently ill my entire life.
The Reality
Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant
April 24, 2008
When I was in my early 20’s, I read Adele Davis’s book, "Let’s Eat Right To Keep fit." I learned from her that "you are what you eat." I also learned that our babies are what we eat while we are pregnant, and then are what they eat once they are born. If you nurse your babies, then they continue to be what you eat as long as you are nursing them. My bible during my first pregnancy over 38 years ago was "Let’s Have Healthy Children," also by Adele Davis. I started to follow her guidelines way before getting pregnant, knowing that my health had a big effect on my baby’s health.
There is much more information about good nutrition available today, and I want to encourage anyone who wants to have healthy children to start early in learning about and implementing a healthy way of eating. Educating yourself regarding good nutrition is a major part of good parenting. However, a good rule of thumb is, if they didn’t eat it 200 years ago, don’t eat it now! This means no fast food, no packaged food - including sodas, cakes and candies - no preservatives, no fruits and vegetables grown with pesticides or artificial fertilizers, or animals grown with hormones and fed food grown with pesticides. It also means no smoking or drinking. It means no caffeine. If you want healthy children, you need to put pure, clean organic food into your body before you get pregnant and continue throughout your pregnancy. Of course, then you want to continue to feed yourself and your family clean food once your children are born.
Pregnancy and Exercise, How to Stay Fit While Being Pregnant
April 4, 2008
EXERCISE SAFELY
The first thing to understand when you exercise during your pregnancy is to take extra care. This doesn’t mean exercise less, rather be sure to know and understand your body limits. Even though exercising during your pregnancy can be beneficial, there are certain risks involved that may be detrimental. Be sure to check in with your doctor or midwife to ensure that you are able to exercise during pregnancy.
Once you have the go-ahead from your physician, keep them updated with how you are doing. Are you experiencing fatigue or pain while you are exercising during your pregnancy? Be sure to let them know if that’s the case. It’s important to have caution while exercising, and if you’re in doubt, check in with your physician. It is also very important to remember that exercising while pregnant isn’t mean to improve your physical fitness, rather maintain your physical condition.
While choosing an exercise to do during your pregnancy, be sure to consider ones that involve a partner - be it your spouse, or a friend. Pick pregnancy exercises that you enjoy, as that will help you to stay motivated to exercise during pregnancy Stay away from pregnancy exercises where you might be in danger of falling, losing your balance or getting hit in the abdomen, as these might increase the chance of something going wrong during your pregnancy.
Conception Tips and Tips For Getting Pregnant For Those Who Are Trying To Conceive
March 16, 2008
CONCEPTION TIPS
Conception takes place in three basic stages: ovulation, then fertilization, and the division of the fertilized egg, which then implants in the uterus - which it isn’t until then when pregnancy is considered successful! To better understand the process, we have explained in greater detail below each step of the process. If you are trying to conceive, keep reading these conception tips and your chances of getting pregnant are greater.
WHAT IS OVULATION
Ovulation usually occurs midway through a woman’s menstrual cycle. At this point, the follicle which outgrows the others, ruptures and the egg is released. The site of this release is called the stigma, and the follicle goes on to form the corpus luteum.
The corpus luteum produces progesterone which is a hormone responsible for nurturing the baby until the placenta takes over. Barely visible to the naked eye, your baby at this point isn’t bigger than a pencil dot. Keep reading if getting pregnant is what you want!
Tiny hairlike projections called cilia move the released egg from the ovary along the fallopian tube to the uterus. If conception is successful, chances are this will take place toward the outer end of the fallopian tube, near the ovary.
Folic Acid - An Overview of Its Importanace Before and During Pregnancy
February 26, 2008
FOLIC ACID ? AN OVERVIEW
Folic Acid, also know as Vitamin B9, assists in preventing certain birth defects of the spinal cord and brain known as neural tube defects (NTDs). Without a sufficient amount of Folic Acid the cells that form the baby’s brain and spine become deficient resulting in spina bifida (open spine) or anencephaly (undeveloped brain). There are over 4,000 births defects annually as a direct result of insufficient Folic Acid in the Mother’s body. Folic Acid should be taken prior to conception since these births defects begin in the first month of pregnancy.
Folic Acid also helps prevent other birth defects such as cleft palate, low birth weight and helps in the production of additional red blood cells needed to support the growth of the fetus. Other studies have show that Folic Acid helps in the prevention of heart disease, stroke and anemia. The Center for Disease Control recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of Folic Acid daily and that once pregnancy is confirmed increase to 800 micrograms daily. The normal diet does not provide a sufficient amount of Folic Acid so supplementation is required.
10 Pregnancy Risk Factors that Every Pregnant Woman Should be Aware of
February 7, 2008
Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child, some which are beyond your control and others that are within your control. Here are ten of the most common pregnancy risk factors that can be controlled or influenced:
Pregnancy Symptoms, Signs and Symptoms of Being Pregnant
January 17, 2008
EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS
Although a lot of women experience pregnancy symptoms, and find signs of being pregnant, other’s don’t “feel” pregnant. Certain signs and symptoms of being pregnant can be confused with other illnesses. The following list are some telltale symptoms of pregnancy. Morning sickness is one of the most common signs of being pregnant, but you also might be one of the lucky ones who never experience this pregnancy symptom. Missing a period is another sign and symptom of being pregnant. We’ll go into greater detail below, and you can read below.
MISSING A PERIOD
One of the most common signs and symptoms of being pregnant, missing a period can also be caused by other reasons. Although missing a period is one of the most common of the pregnancy symptoms, stress, illness, weight fluctuations or coming off the oral contraceptive pill can also be the cause of this. Irregular periods are a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which periods can occur several months apart. If you still feel like you are experiencing other pregnancy symptoms, continue reading the other signs of being pregnant.
TENDERNESS OF THE BREAST
Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Choosing The Right Foods
December 29, 2007
So you need to gain weight but don’t want to gain too much weight during your pregnancy right?
There are many things that you can do to improve your diet and ensure that you gain a minimal but healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.
Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy.
So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after:
Tip #1 Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think wild rice, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. Whole foods don’t include waffles and pancakes!
Tip #2 Add calories during the second trimester. Eating for two doesn’t literally mean eating for two. In fact during your first trimester your baby is about the size of a small bean! Most women don’t actually need to start adding 300 calories a day to their diet until the second and third trimesters.
Dealing With Common Pregnancy Complaints
December 11, 2007
Pregnancy is not without its side effects. During pregnancy your body will undergo many hormonal changes. These hormone fluctuations can result in a variety of unpleasant symptoms including: nausea, fatigue, bloating and fluid retention and mood swings.
What’s a pregnant woman to do? Believe it or not, there are many changes you can make to your diet that will help minimize many of the common pregnancy complaints you are having.
Nausea/Morning Sickness ? This is one of the more common complaints pregnant women have, particularly during their first trimester. Many women find that sipping on some
fizzy soda water with fresh squeezed lemon often helps reduce nausea. Ginger tea is also another well known remedy for nausea and morning sickness. If you are still not feeling better, an extra 10 to 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 is often just enough to help ease nausea. You can take a supplement or try foods rich in B6 such as lean meats, fish and avocados.
Edema ? Most women swell a little during pregnancy. The best thing you can do to ease swelling is drink more water. You may think you are already drinking too much, but in all reality you probably aren’t. Some women find that wearing compression hosiery can also help reduce fluid retention. Some women also find that a little extra calcium/magnesium can help combat fluid retention and bloating.
Keeping Cool When Pregnant
November 21, 2007
Chill Out: how to keep your cool this summer
When the heat is on, life can become very hard when you are pregnant. Instead of looking forward to those long, hot August days, you may find yourself dreaming of igloos and frozen ice-caps, so try out these tricks to help you keep your cool when the temperature rises.
Clothes
? Wear loose fitting clothes that will let the air circulate - tight waistbands in particular will make you feel hot and bothered.
? Natural fabrics such as cotton are best, as they will allow your skin to breath.
? You may need to buy some larger shoes, particularly if your feet start to swell.
? Water
? Even if you are still suffering from morning sickness, it is vital that you drink 8 glasses of water a day as it is very easy for pregnant women to become dehydrated.
? Try to avoid coffee and fizzy drinks as they can act as diuretics.
Summer food
? Think carefully about your food hygiene - it is very easy to get food poisoning in the summer.
