Style2

Style3[OneLeft]

Style3[OneRight]

Style4

Exercise in the 1st Trimester

In the 1st trimester the body does not goes any noticeable change in the pregnant lady. But there are some changes that will alter the capability and desire to exercise. This could be due to increase in urination, increase in blood volume, nausea, morning sickness, vomiting, weight gain in minor way, tender breasts, fatigue etc.

Also in the body there is increase demand of cardiovascular system to pump blood and oxygen for the developing baby. Due to this the heart rate increase and breathlessness might be experienced.

Effects of exercising during pregnancy

There are numerous benefits that are linked with physical activity in pregnancy. With regular exercise the circulatory system of the body improves and ample blood and oxygen reaches the baby’s body. Muscle cramps and nauseas can be lessened, the weight gain is balanced and the mother is protected by gestational diabetes. It also helps in alleviating stress and makes the body ready for physical labor, the chances of abortion also gets reduced.

Safety and comfort- these two issues become of prior importance. The clothes should be loose and comfortable and must allow heat loss. The bra should be well supportive. Shoes should be cushioned, snug and well fitted with more room in the front.

Nutrition and diet- make sure that you carry a water bottle while exercising. Consume water in small and frequent manner. The expectant moms may fell sick, in case of more discomfort seek the medical advice. Stay away from drinking and smoking.

Guidelines for exercise- the 1st and the 2nd trimester resemble a lot when it comes to exercise sessions. While exercising it is important to monitor duration and sessions. Your just talk session must be comfortable which means you should be able to talk with complete comfortableness. See that you exercise for about 30-45 minutes not more than that. Consume fluids throughout the day. In case of swelling, dizziness or discomfort stop immediately and take the medical advice. Breathe properly and take sufficient rest in between the sets.

Top Ten Steps to Take Before Conceiving

Pregnancy is a stage wherein the mother needs to be very strong physically as well as emotionally.

To have a healthy pregnancy period and healthy baby, you need to take extra care of yourself. If you want to have a healthy pregnancy than you need to understand the first few basic steps required right from the time of your decision to conceive.

Planning is the key to an efficient pregnancy period. Follow these simple and basic steps, to make your pregnancy period and your baby healthy...

Choose the best doctor
A good doctor is essential for a good pregnancy and healthy baby. A good doctor means - one who has been recommended by your close ones, who is friendly, with whom you can build a relationship and whose clinic is somewhere near to your residence.

Watch what you eat
Keep a very close eye on what you eat, because now you are not eating only for yourself, but also for the baby. Hence, ask your doctor to recommend a good healthy diet plan for you, so that the growing baby gets all the required nutrients. To avoid harm for your baby avoid uncooked food, cold meats, raw food and unhealthy foods. Also pay attention while eating fish, as some fishes have a high level of mercury and other contamination in them.

Avoid alcohol and cigarettes
Both these substances can cause huge damage to the health of your baby. Hence, to have a safe and healthy pregnancy kicks both these harmful items away from your life.

Go for an overall health checkup
Go for an overall health checkup, so that you evaluate your health well in advance. This will help you to find out any obstacles which can affect your pregnancy. Go for x-rays before planning your pregnancy, so that the harmful rays won't harm the baby's health.

You need a healthy body weight
If you are too thin or overweight than this point applies to you. Check in with your doctor and achieve a moderate weight to have a safe pregnancy period and to avoid complications.

Check if you have received all vaccinations
Before conceiving, check if you have received all vaccinations. As occurrence of vaccine-preventive diseases like chickenpox during pregnancy can have severe birth defects. If you haven't received immunization than immunize yourself, before conceiving.

Eat well
The most important thing for a healthy pregnancy is eating a healthy well balanced diet. Include protein rich food in your diet. Never skip breakfast, keep yourself very well hydrated, and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Take prenatal vitamins
Include folic acid and iron in your diet, before conception and during early pregnancy. Consuming adequate folic acid helps to prevent development of neural tube birth defects. Start taking in at least 400 micrograms of folic acid before you become pregnant. Never increase the dosage of folic acid as it can lead to complications.

Make sure health problems are under control
If you have any health problems, than make sure that they are under control or else they can lead to complications. Hence keep a check on your obesity, asthma, diabetes, cholesterol before conceiving.

Think before you pop a pill
Consume only the pills that your doctor has prescribed, avoid popping pills unnecessarily as it can harm you and your baby's health.

Five Proven Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks


Pregnancy brings another turn of experience to an eager parent. Physical changes tag along with emotional changes throughout pregnancy..Among the physical changes are nausea, fatigue, backaches, and constant urination to mention a few. But the majority eager mothers cannot miss out the development of unpleasant stretch marks. This is an absolutely problem to deal with. According to studies, 70-90% of pregnant mothers develop stretch marks. Approximately Ninety percent Americans have it.

Stretch marks begin as raw, scarlet, brown, purple lines in parallel at the bulging stomach, normally occurring throughout the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. And afterward grow fainter as silvery or white lines. But these lines are not local at the stomach. They may also extend in the arms, breasts, thighs and buttocks that likewise enlarge in the course of pregnancy.

They are caused by changes in the expandable supportive tissue in the deeper layer of the skin. Skin is really elastic, then again the swift stretch along with weight addition, that comes with pregnancy can oftentimes be over the skin can deal with hence the appearance of lines. Stretch marks are not painful but they are occasionally scratchy or stinging.

According to Alexa Boer Kimball, a dermatology professor from Harvard University, an individual might be more likely to develop stretch marks if:
  • Expectant parent gains a lot of weight
  • Hopeful parent has compound pregnancy
  • Hopeful parent carrying a big baby
  • Hopeful parent has excess amniotic fluids
How to avoid stretch marks?
It is now a given fact that stretch marks do not really actually go away. It can only be treated until it is less striking. So what can be done to put a stop to stretch marks? Many studies done in the past have contrasting ideas regarding stretch marks. Yet, what was determined is genetics is a determinant factor if one predisposes stretch marks or not. It means that if the mother had stretch marks previously, the possibility of her daughter having stretch marks during her pregnancy is high. Fortunately there are things that can be done to improve an eager parent's general wellbeing and condition of their skin, essentially preventing stretch marks:
  • Eat healthy, mixed but balanced diet. This will discourage unnecessary weight gain. The suggested weight gain for pregnant women is 25-30 pounds only.Let ones skin stretch at a constant rate without any unforeseen jolts to prevent scarlet marks. Moreover, it is helpful not just to the skin but to the growing baby as well.
  • Use a bath scrub to massage the areas where stretch marks more likely to be found, such as arms, breasts, thighs, and buttocks. This will increase the circulation to the area.
  • Increase liquid ingestion (water, fresh juice). Hydration is critical to the overall well being of the skin, as well as to the growing baby.
  • Take vitamins every day or as recommended by the physician. Correct nutrition is critical to both parent and baby.
  • Keep the skin liberally and effectively moisturized beginning from pre-pregnant and first trimester period until the recovery of pre-pregnancy weight. These moisturizers (containing shea butter and olive oil), will keep the skin soft and elastic, thus preventing overstretching of the skin. These moisturizers give more vitamins and nutrients that help increase collagen production that is greatly critical to the skin throughout this stage. They also care for the dermis to keep the skin intact despite severe stretching.
Bear in mind that stretch marks may also develop during post partum stage. The sudden weight loss makes the skin susceptible to stretch marks once again..

If one has done the suggestions mentioned above, and still develops stretch marks, one should not despair. With modern technology, there are already various treatments available that can lessen the appearance of stretch marks. Consult your dermatologist after one has recovered from pregnancy..

Credit : Clivir Team

Skin Tags During Pregnancy

Skin tag is a condition during pregnancy period in which soft tumors may appear on various parts of the body. They are not considered harmful by skin specialists but in case of too severe cases they can be surgically removed.

What are Skin Tags 
Skin tags are benign tumors hanging on your skin during pregnancy. It is benign as in it is a tumor which is incapable of converting to a cancer. Therefore in general they are harmless. But if they become too painful to handle and itchy then one can get them removed by surgery. Pregnancy skin tags look like small soft spots of flesh hanging from the skin by a small stalk. They are more prudent to adults who are heavy weight. Women suffering from obesity will have more probability of facing skin tags during their pregnancy period. The medical name for skin tag is “Acrochordon”. Skin tags usually fall off on their own but in some cases they stay for some time and take quite a long time to fall off. They usually appear on that part of body where skin is in contact with some jewelry or watch or in armpits, groins, genitals.

Where Do Skin Tags Appear?
Pregnancy skin tags basically appear under the breasts in women. They can also appear under armpits, eyelids, buttocks, necks, torso (breasts), groin folds, genitals. Skin tags can appear to people of any age group but pregnant women are more susceptible to it. They can appear anywhere in body on skin but are mostly found on neck and armpits. During pregnancy genitals is the most favorite area for skin tags to occur. Genitals skin tags can cause vaginal infection if proper hygiene is not maintained. So, genital skin tags should be cleaned properly so that infection can be avoided. Any fluid secretion from the mentioned area should be cleaned properly.

Causes of Pregnancy Skin Tags
  • The main reason of skin tags appearing during pregnancy is hormonal advancement. This hormonal advancement cause hyperactive growth of skin. A lot of hormonal changes take place during pregnancy but the body needs time to adjust to all of the changes. Skin tags can be viewed as a direct result of hormonal changes which causes abnormal skin growth.
  • Overweight middle aged women are more prudent to it. Pregnant women had to undergo a number of hormonal changes during pregnancy and apart from skin tags there are a number of other side effects that are caused in this period.
  • In non pregnant women vaginal skin tags usually develop during the menstruation period.
  • Skin tags usually stay of the same size until they are rubbed or played with. Else they are painless and seldom cause any problem. In the initial stage women don’t even realize they have skin tags growing.
Problems Caused by Skin Tags
The basic point to be kept in mind is that skin tags are not supposed to be treated. People use all kinds of chemical and natural skin creams to get rid of them. The chemical creams are obviously harmful but that doesn’t mean the natural creams are an ultimate solution. Sometimes they can react too and cause your skin tags to get worse. So it is advisable that skin tags are left as it is and women should put more focus on what’s going on inside them. Women should enjoy the full beauty of the natural miracle on child birth in spite of spoiling the beauty by focusing on mere physical beauty and what one sees in the mirror.

Treatments for Skin Tags
Although there is no proper treatment for pregnancy skin tags and they are advised to be left alone but in severe cases certain medical treatments can be used.
  • The treatment is first tag off at narrow base with a piece of dental floss or string, then freeze tag with liquid nitrogen.
  • Once frozen it has to be burned with electric cautery or Hyfrecator.
  • After burning it can be removed with a pair of scissors with or without anesthetic as per your wish.
Pregnancy skin tags are common in pregnant middle aged women. It is nothing to be scared off, as they are least dangerous and do not cause any kind of harm or pain. The only required thing is to take proper care of your body and the conceived woman should enjoy the new life as much as it is possible.

Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy

There are innumerable benefits if you are able to keep yourself active throughout your pregnancy phase. You can ensure that the progress of your pregnancy is going on well and you do not end up developing complications that might prevent you from exercising.

But above all, the sole point to remember is that one must check with the doctor and your fitness instructor simultaneously, on whether your body is in a condition to do workouts and what type of workout is permissible. You need to act on expert suggestions to ensure your well-being as well as your unborn baby.

Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

Given below are some of the benefits of exercising during your pregnancy term:

Deal with Pregnancy Fatigue Better – During the first and the later part of the third trimester most pregnant women suffer from exhaustion and low energy levels. It is but quite a paradoxical condition and too much of rest can make one feel even more drained out! Then one must also take care not to push oneself too hard during pregnancy. So the way out is, a little workout. Maybe you can go for a walk in the garden or outside or stroll around the entire house. Even a small physical activity will make you feel better and soar up the plummeting energy levels.

You Can Sleep Better – Often pregnant women are found to complain that they cannot fall asleep easily. But it has been noticed that if you do a regular exercise, your body will feel the necessity to rest and you will find it easier to fall asleep. But you must take note that you do not exercise just before bedtime as higher energy levels just post exercise will actually keep your sleep away.

Deal with Constipation and Gestational Diabetes – Most women experience constipation during their pregnancy term. Regular workouts, even a daily walking regimen will perk up your metabolic system and encourage active bowels. You will find that even your digestive system will show marked improvement. Gestational diabetes during pregnancy is quite normal. Exercising regularly helps one to lessen its impact, even avert it and even if it happens, come out of it postpartum, more easily.

Specific Back Exercises Help – Back pain is the common issue with most pregnant women. And the best way to prevent the back ailments is to have or develop strong abdominal muscles, and regular exercise can help you in this endeavour. There are specific back exercises that are for strengthening the back muscles and abs of pregnant women and which do not affect the tummy. Seek the advice of an expert fitness instructor and consult your doctor before you begin with them.

Stretches Help a Lot – Muscle cramps, especially in the legs affect most pregnant women. You will find that a little bit of stretching will do a world of good and bring in much relief from the persistent pains. You can do some simple stretches like flexing the toes upward and not downwards, and you will discover that the sore muscles in the legs and cramps are slowly warded off. If you are prone to get these cramps before bedtime, a toe or leg stretching exercise will help you get an undisturbed sleep.

The Possibility of an Easy Labour Increases – Although regular exercising is no guarantee that your labour would be a painless one, but it can ensure that the labour complications are less. The most important fact is that it helps your system to prepare for the stress of labour and helps you deal with it with ease.

Finally, give birth to a healthy baby through regular exercising. This is perhaps the most beneficial aspect of regular exercising. The chances of a healthy mom giving birth to a healthy baby are very high. Such women are found to be better equipped to deal with labour and delivery and as such their recovery period is also a lot smoother and lesser too, compared to women who are not into the habit of regular exercising. Thus, the postpartum recovery is also enhanced.

Financial Planning for a Baby Before Pregnancy

Life could be very enjoyable when you plan your living well. As a woman who is anticipating pregnancy, there’s every need for you to plan well even before your baby is conceived.  Financial planning is very vital if you must have a smooth ride while pregnant and even when the baby finally arrives.  Here are some tips to guide you.

• Begin Saving on time
You need to start saving some cash before the pregnancy comes. Yes, your husband might be there making some plans too, but you don’t need to depend on that alone. This is exactly where most women make mistakes. They keep hoping on their husband to provide all the comforts they need before and after pregnancy. Every responsible woman ought to plan ahead. You must have some private savings in order to tackle some emergency situations that may arise in the course of your pregnancy.

• Budget Your Medical Expenses
You need to plan all your medical expenses before hand. You can make the budget with the help of your hubby. Take time to create a list of all the possible aspects that must be attended to. This gives you an idea of the amount of cash to be made available. Always make sure the budget is within the threshold of your financial strength.

• Check out Your Health Insurance Policy
If your health insurance covers pregnancy, you need to make sure you utilize the opportunity.  Make sure your insurance company knows all the vital aspects of your medical history.  Using your insurance policy when it covers pregnancy issues can be very helpful in planning for your pregnancy financially. Note that most insurances companies may not be there to know whether you’re pregnant or not. It’s your duty to let your insurance company on time. This helps you to enjoy all the benefits due to you.

• Take a Maternity Leave
If you’re a working mum, you need to take a maternity leave with all the rights that comes with it.  This is usually a profitable period that will help you to plan every other aspect you need for your pregnancy period.  Make sure your employer is well notified on time through appropriate means.

• Don’t be Idle
You don’t need to be idle as a pregnant mother. Depending on your level of education, you can take up a work-at-home job. This ensures you earn some bucks while at home.  It also serves as an exercise medium to help your pregnancy period. Work-at-home jobs are indeed available in diverse forms. You can save lots of cash from such avenues. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection. These are very common these days.

In all, the bulk of the whole issue lies of adequate preparation. If you lack wisdom on all how to go about it, you can always consult a reliable financial adviser to help you out.  You’re sure of having a smooth ride all through your pregnancy period and even after the baby is born.

Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

For any woman, pregnancy period is the most precious time in life. It is more important when she becomes pregnant for the first time. During nine months of pregnancy, she can make all wonderful efforts to conceive a healthy and intelligent baby. During pregnancy or planning a baby, it is most essential for mother to become healthy. She should follow healthy diet in her daily meal.

Pregnant Woman must Eat

Follow a diet is depending on your body weight. It is very important to take balance diet as per your weight. If you are overweight, then you should avoid food that contains fat to maintain unnecessary increase of calories. If you are underweight, then you need to put on some weight. You can eat as per your capacity, but always remember do not keep your stomach overloaded.

Some important tips to prepare perfect diet schedule. You need to take care of your health from first day of your pregnancy. Iron, Calcium and Folic Acid is the basic necessity in your daily meal.
  • Fresh vegetables such kale, broccoli, leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes etc. and green vegetables are good source of folic acid.
  • Fresh fruits, it is helpful to take atleast 2 cup fruits daily. You can take banana, orange, apple, dried apricots or peaches or you can also take fruit juices.
  • Starchy foods like potatoes, whole grains, one bread slice, 1 cup cereal, half cup of cooked rice, pasta, brown rice and fortified cereals contain folic acid.
  • Proteins like fish, egg, meat for non-vegetarian and beans, pulses, nuts, peas for vegetarians.
  • Food contains calcium like fat free milk or yogurt. You can also take low fat cheese. 3 cup of milk everyday is essential. You can take calcium fortified foods or lactose free milk product if you don’t like milk.
  • Nuts are also considered as healthy diet. You can take five ounce of nuts during a weak. Try some less fat nuts like almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts [unsalted] with good nutrients.
  • Other additional vitamin supplements are folic acid and vitamin D, which is must for every pregnant woman.
  • You can control your weight by avoiding fat-free and sugar free food. You can measure calories of your food and check that which food contains how many calories. Thus you can control your weight and maintain your diet accordingly.
Protections against infections

You need to take precaution if you are not immune.
  • If you are planning for a baby, then rubella vaccine is advisable to take under guidance of your doctor. If you take rubella, you should avoid pregnancy for three months. You should take blood test and check for your immunity before getting pregnant.
  • Protects yourself from food poisoning. You should eat hygienic food and mineral drinking water to protect yourself from bacteria and germs. Wash your hand before eat.
Important Things
  • You should have full [pre-pregnancy] blood test for diagnosis of disease if any such as diabetes, hepatitis B, HIV, etc.
  • If you have any problems such as dental related or any other, when you consult your doctor, you should inform them about your pregnancy and take medicine under guidance of your gynecologist.
For pregnant woman, healthy living, healthy environment and healthy diet are very important. Born a healthy child is the first step towards building healthy society.
Therefore, as a mother always try to keep yourself healthy for bringing happiness in your life with arrival of healthy baby.

Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

A baby is every woman’s dream which completes her life. The health and strength of the baby is of the utmost importance. A pregnant woman needs around 300 calories more than a routine before pregnancy. The nutrient’s for the unborn baby is through what the mother eats. So thus there are few restrictions regarding the eating habits for a healthy and fit child. Fruits and vegetables, iron, proteins, folic acid, calcium and lots of water are must for a woman and her growing child. It is true that a woman feels the vigor and need to taste different varieties and try various foods even during 2 am at night and it is not a problem unless your husband can wake up and get you what you order for. But there are set of seven fruits a women should avoid during pregnancy listed below;

i) Green or unripe papaya;
A papaya contains vitamins and nutrients. It is the source of vitamin A and b- carotene which are used for the feto-maternal growth. But an unripe or a semi ripe papaya is restricted for pregnant women as it contains an enzyme called latex. This latex leads to uterine contractions and further to miscarriage or still birth. An unripe papaya acts like the enzymes oxytocin or prostaglandins which are the initializes for the body labor. Papaya though ripe or unripe has abortifacient and teratogenic effects. It is to be noted that a ripe fruit helps against constipation and heat burn.

ii) Catapple;
It is good to avoid cat apples, green apples during pregnancy. It excites the uterus and might lead to miscarriage. It is also found by researchers that apple cats which are sour, sweet or bitter lead to premature delivery.  Unpasteurized apple juice or apple cider juice is restricted.

iii) Pineapple;
Pineapple is a tasty fruit with numerous vitamins and minerals. It contains bromelain enzyme which contracts uterine and also might cause allergic problems.  It is said by researchers to avoid this fruit during the first three months of pregnancy.

iv) Fish;
Raw or uncooked fish dishes should be avoided. Uncooked dishes of even oysters, clams and mussels should be kept away from pregnant woman. These substances once cooked might kills the toxins in them but the natural toxins they would liberate cannot be halted. 

v) Peach;
Peach is said to increase the temperature of the body due to which over bleeding might happen. The hairy peel on the fruit irritates the stomach and the throat.

vi) Peanuts;
Peanuts cause allergic diseases to the fetus. Long term use during pregnancy might also cause allergic diseases for the child during childhood. 

vii) Ginger or chilli;
Ginger and chill are the spices which are every day used in Indian foods. The gingerol enzyme in ginger leads to blood clot consequently long term use of ginger for women is avoided. It is believed that it might also lead to constipation. 

These nine pregnant months are those days where a mother should be healthy enough for a healthy child. Avocados, Broccoli, carrots, DHA eggs, mangos, lentils, yogurt, and spinach are few of the nutritional overachievers which need to be added in the daily meal.

Tips For Low Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Most of us realize by now that the old adage regarding diet during pregnancy, "I'm eating for two!" isn't really valid. Case in point: Jessica Simpson, who gained way too much weight over the nine months she was pregnant with daughter Maxwell largely due to the fact that she regularly indulged her craving for macaroni and cheese. Now she's finding out how difficult it is to lose all those extra pounds.

Of course, you need to gain weight in order to ensure the health of your developing baby. But how much is too much? And how can you walk that fine line in between two extremes?

Weight Gain During Pregnancy

For most women of normal weight, putting on 25 to 35 pounds is healthy. That's not too much to worry about never losing after your bundle of joy is born but not too little that the growing baby will suffer nutritionally.

However, it's easy to gain far more than that, especially if your cravings run to sugary treats and fatty, high carbohydrate foods. Those tend to create a spike in blood sugar, and your body responds by wanting more to eat.

Dietary Considerations

Although we may all be tempted to make a run through the fast food drive-in to satisfy a craving, pregnant women - especially those who rapidly gain too much weight - are better served by avoiding processed foods. The amount of salt and fat and sugar found in prepared and packaged foods is very unhealthy and those empty calories aren't beneficial for baby, either.

A recent study determined that low glycemic foods are best at squelching overeating that stems from blood sugar spikes. In a report published in the British Medical Journal, expectant moms who stuck to a low glycemic index diet gained, on average, 27 pounds during their pregnancy, as opposed to 30 pounds in those who stuck with their normal diet (while those numbers aren't amazing, they show a trend in the right direction). Usually, 48 percent of women gain more weight than their doctors recommend. By sticking to low glycemic foods, the percentage of women who gained more than recommended was only 38 percent.

High glycemic index foods include starchy white rice, potatoes, white flour and sugar in any form. Healthier options are lean meats, whole grains and vegetables.

Weight Problems

Those women who gain more than the 35 pound recommended limit are subject to a number of problems during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain has been linked to Caesarian section births and heavier children. The risk of diabetes for both mom and child is also increased. And, of course, it's difficult to lose all those extra pounds after birth.

If weight gain is a concern for you, try opting for a low glycemic index diet. You may also want to wear revolutionary new support undergarments that help keep your body balanced and promote overall good health. The better you feel mentally and physically, the more apt you are to exercise rather than overeat. In particular, maternity bodysuits that promote proper posture provide an automatic way to feel balanced, focused, and healthy in mind and body throughout pregnancy.

There's no need to gain excessive weight during pregnancy and it could actually be detrimental to you and your baby's health. Try opting for a low glycemic index diet and don't forget to wear supportive undergarments every day to stay balanced and healthy. It's much easier to gain less weight now rather than lose it later!

Credit : CM Morehouse

Benefits of Folic Acid


If you want to become pregnant there are numerous issues that you should shed light on. One of those the prime things to take care of, while you are pregnant or if you are planning of conceiving, are to consume folic acid. It is extremely important for the mental well being of your baby, since deficiency can lead to a condition known as NTD, abbreviation for neural tube defects. There are two types of neural tube defects which go by the names of;

Anencephaly - this is a disorder of the brain that comes about in the twenty third week of pregnancy. In this particular defect a major part of the brain is unable to close which leads to loss of the majority of the brain. A baby born with this disease has the frontal section however the remaining part of the brain is exposed and usually the survival rate is close to nil.

Spina bifida - this particular disease has to do with the embryonic neural tube which is located near to the spinal cord. A major portion of the spinal membrane is unable to close and is usually exposed. Though it can be treated by taking folic acid or through surgery, most of the children born with this are unable to survive.

So if you are planning to conceive, folic acid foods can help diminish the chances of this particular disease showing up in your child. Pregnant women are advised to consume foods with high quantity of folic acid, at least four times a week during their pregnancy time period. Its main purpose in fetus development is the development of the neural bones. This is why a folic acid deficiency leads to incomplete development of neural bones in the brain and spinal cord area.

Its benefits are uncountable when talking about catering to the different defects that can be present in your child. A few of the benefits include:
  • If helps to reduce the chances of cleft lip and palate
  • The chances of miscarriage are prevented
  • It also reduces chances of high blood pressure during pregnancy
  • It helps the mother to recover quickly after giving birth
  • It also decreases the chances of cancers and heart related diseases
If you aren't aware of how important folic acid is, you should consult your doctor immediately and learn more about it. Also try to get all the information you can on folic acid side effects.

Credit : Munira A

How to Identify Pregnancy Symptoms


To get a pregnant is a dream of every woman. Pregnancy changes life of woman. Woman experiences great feeling during pregnancy. It is very essential to know about pregnancy in early stage to start tender care. Experienced mother or woman when she gets pregnant for the second time can easily identified her pregnancy, but many women who get pregnant for the first time may not know easily about her pregnancy. There are many signs or tips that can help you to confirm with you that you are pregnant or not.

Important Information to Identify Pregnancy Symptoms

When you missed your period
When your periods stop, it becomes first symptoms of pregnancy. In addition, if you feel swollen on breasts, itchy sensation around the nipples. Missing period is considered most trustworthy symptoms of pregnancy. If your period is not regular, then home pregnancy test is more advisable. It is very easy to perform and reliable.

Feel Uneasiness in the Morning
Morning sickness, you can feel uneasiness or sick especially in the morning and vomiting is also a symptom of pregnancy. You can check pregnancy symptoms chart to know all symptoms of pregnancy. Such symptoms start when you become four to six weeks pregnant.Many women feel exhausted during their first and third trimester of pregnancy.


Find Change in Skin Color
Your skin color changes during pregnancy. You can find dark circle around your nipples nearly around eighth week of pregnancy. You may find bumps in the region of your nipple. Thus, dark nipple color is also one of the symptoms for pregnancy.

Vomiting or Dislike Food Taste
You may aversion to eat or not find any taste in food. They also don’t find any taste in tea, coffee or food even though they are habituated to take it daily. Food craving can be considered one of the symptoms of pregnancy.

Other Symptoms
Due to change of hormones in pregnancy you may also find headaches, but it is not reliable symptoms as there are many other reasons for headaches.
-    Many women find bloating during pregnancy, but not surely for all. These may cause prior to pregnancy in many women.

Home Pregnancy Test
Home pregnancy test is considered reliable to check your pregnancy. It measures the level of HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in your urine. HCG is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy. HCG level is different in blood and urine. You need to check this test in early morning. You can check it from your first morning urine test. It is not essential, but recommended for perfection. It measures 25-30 MIUs of HCG. Such amount is found in urine during fourth or fifth week of pregnancy. If you perform pregnancy test in very early stage, then only you don’t find precise results otherwise this test is very reliable and hardly ever produce false result. You can check for pregnancy test after a few days of your missing period.

Are you Pregnant - Consult your Gynecologist without Delay
Early Pregnancy symptoms will not continue for a long time. Mostly it will stop around 10th week of pregnancy. If you find any problem after first trimester, you should take advice of your gynecologist. Once you found that you become pregnant, it is advisable to consult your experienced gynecologist without any delay to start your pregnancy treatment. Regular Check up, take prescribed medicine and vitamin supplements without missing and healthy diets are very essential once you know that you are pregnant.

Frequent Urination in Pregnancy


Have you been rushing to the bathroom ever so more recently?  Well you do not need to worry. Frequent urination is one of the most common early pregnancy signs that a woman experiences. You may feel the need to urinate even if your bladder is almost empty.

Why do you need to use the bathroom so often?
The higher rate of urinating begins quite early in pregnancy, and is much more prominent during the first and last trimester of the gestation period. This is because of different reasons. During first trimester, there are lot of hormonal changes in the body of a woman. The rise in the level of pregnancy hormone HCG causes more of body fluids to be expelled from the kidneys. As the baby grows, the uterus grows significantly large to pressurize your uterus. This causes a reduction in bladder’s capacity and you may feel the urge to pee even though the bladder is empty.
If your bladder is not very strong, you can leak some urine even while you are coughing, sneezing or laughing too hard.

How can you reduce the toilet trips?
Although frequent urination is a common pregnancy feature, you may do your bit to reduce some of the time you spend in the toilet. The mentioned tips are bound to prove helpful in doing so.
  • Drink a lot of water during the day, 8 to 10 glasses at least.
  • However, cut down the water some time before going to sleep.  Drinking a lot of water at night will only interrupt your sleep throughout the night.
  • Reduce the caffeine intake. Avoid tea, coffee, colas as all of these are diuretics and increase the water retention in your body. You can opt for juices, coconut water and herbal tea instead to keep you fresh and rejuvenated.
  • Do Kegel exercises regularly. This will make the muscles that keep the urethra closed much stronger and avoid problems like leakage.
  • Always try to empty the bladder completely. Do not hold down the urge to go to the toilet, instead lean slightly forward while urinating to empty the bladder.
  • You can use a panty shield to save yourself from inconvenience due to unexpected leaks.
When will the bathroom trips stop?
The urge to urinate more can often stretch through the entire length of pregnancy. As much as you are troubled by this, rest assured that the problem will vanish automatically after the little one is born. This problem is only due to the huge uterus and the hormonal changes, both of which will subside after the delivery. You might not sleep well during the last trimester due to your huge size and the tendency of urinating due to the pressure of baby’s weight on the uterus. Even after delivery, the body will try to get rid of most of the fluids and you may urinate to eliminate the extra fluids. But the problem will soon go away and you will return back to your normal self.

When is it a cause of concern?
If you have any one or more of these signs accompanying urination, it may indicate a possible complication:
  • Blood in urine
  • Urge to urinate again just after you have urinated
  • Fever
  • Pain or burning sensation while urinating
All these signs indicate a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Although UTIs are common during pregnancy, you must tell your doctor about your problem and get yourself treated right away. If the UTI is left untreated, it may further complicate the situation. You may have a kidney infection and greater chances of premature birth of the baby in such a situation.

Getting Pregnant Faster: Effective Tips For Pregnancy


Women all over the world are trying to find effective ways to get pregnant. This is especially so for those who have spent years trying to get pregnant with no success. While most people know that sexual intercourse usually leads to pregnancy, most people do not know how to do it so as to maximize their chances of having a baby. They are also not aware that there are other ways through which one can successfully conceive without necessarily having sex.

There are various ways through which a woman can get pregnant. Procedures such as IVF can help a woman increase her chances of getting pregnant. These assisted mechanisms of conception are usually useful especially in instances where a woman has various complications such as having blocked fallopian tubes. This is so especially because most of the assisted mechanisms involve fertilizing the egg outside the mother's womb and then placing the fertilized egg inside into the womb of the mother.

While such methods of assisted reproduction have proven to be effective over time, it is usually advised that you resort to them after trying to get pregnant naturally. This is so mainly because of the fact that such methods usually pose risks to the mother's health. Like any other surgical procedures, the risks vary and since they involve interference with the body of a woman, it is usually advised that women try out natural methods of conceiving if they are healthy.

Pregnancy that occurs naturally is ideal. This is because it is a cheaper way to have a baby and also because there are no risks posed to the mother's health when trying to get pregnant. However, most women usually fail in this attempt because of poor timing. A successful pregnancy can only occur if there are living sperms in the woman's reproductive system when she is ovulating. Since sperms can survive inside a woman for about 5 days, having sex within this period is bound to increase the chances of a woman getting pregnant.

Maintaining a healthy diet is the other thing that women usually forget. It is important for women to understand that diet plays a significant role in determining both their ability to keep a pregnancy and also of getting pregnant. As a result, leading a lifestyle that is not healthy and eating junk food is bound to affect their hormonal balance and hence their ability to conceive. Ensuring that one lives a stress-free life is also important in helping one to make sure that the chances of one becoming pregnant are high.

Credit : Sarah Forbes

Important Tips On Getting Pregnancy


Getting pregnant is an intense desire for every woman. Many women avoid pregnancy for few years of marriage due to their career or other reasons while some women want to get pregnant soon after marriage. It depends on everyone’s personal preference and economical condition to raise children. Every woman is exited to become pregnant and excitement becomes more for the first time pregnancy. Many women get pregnancy soon after marriage without more efforts while some women have to make efforts for getting pregnant.

To get pregnant for the first time is not indeed a difficult task for women. Once you and your partner plan to have baby, you just know some basic information about conception process and make proper planning to get pregnant.

Understand the Basics of Intimacy
You should understand basics of intimacy for getting pregnancy. Intercourse is the best way to get pregnancy. You and your partner should try to relax before having sex. You should not get tense that you are having sex for getting pregnant. Keep it as normal process and having sex during your most fertile period will increase chances for getting pregnancy. You should also understand that if your partner ejaculates often become helpful in improve sperm motility and therefore, he should ejaculate minimum one time in a week. Plan your intercourse for baby making sex. If you keep interval for three days before intercourse it will give you positive results for getting pregnant. Getting pregnancy is a natural process and you will get good result if you keep yourself happy and without any pressure about getting pregnancy.

Sperm Count Checking
You should know about sperm count of your partner. If sperm count of your partner is normal, then you have more chance to get pregnant easily. It is not that low sperm have less chance for pregnancy. You should not get depress or think negative in case of low sperm count of your partner. In case of low sperm count, you have to enjoy sex on alternative day that means keep some gap to give some rest to your partner to get positive results by increasing sperm count. There are other factors that also depend to get pregnant other than sperm count such as sperm morphology, sperm motility and many other can be identify from fluid analysis. If your partner has healthy sperm count, then you should continue intercourse during your fertility period.


Right Planning for Intercourse
For getting pregnant, woman should understand most important thing for intercourse by identify her ovulation date. Five days before ovulation is considered as fertile period and this is the time you take the advantage for getting pregnancy. You should follow your ovulation chart or ovulation prediction kit or you can use basal body temperature method. You can also notice from some symptoms during ovulation period in your body. Generally ovulation period is start on 14 days from your next menstrual period. Three days before ovulation date is considered as most fertile period and you should get good result if you intercourse during this period. Once you miss your ovulation period you should wait for a month until your next ovulation period.

Best Conception Position
Right position during intercourse can affect greatly for getting pregnancy for the first time. Right intercourse position helps you if you are looking for getting baby boy or baby girl. The conventional missionary position is considered as perfect position for intercourse and rear entry position is also helpful for getting pregnancy for women with a tilted uterus. It can also helpful that it ejects sperm close to the cervix to increase chances of conception. You should take care that sperm cannot leak and more amount of sperm enter in woman’s vagina. You should also stay in that position after intercourse to make possible that maximum sperm stay in the uterine tract that increases pregnancy chances.

Getting pregnancy is the very complicated process if woman do not get success after many years of marriage. In such case she might get depress or think negative. There are many factors that cause resistance in pregnancy. If you do not get success in getting pregnancy for many years after marriage you should consultant expert gynecologist for your physical check up. Doctor can guide you for complete body check up and if require they also insist to make test of your partner for positive outcome. You should always remember to keep yourself and your partner healthy and happy. Healthy diet and regular exercise will keep you physically fit and increase chances for healthy pregnancy.

Effects of Using Mobile Phones During Pregnancy

Pregnancy demands extreme care and precautionary measures in order to provide an adequate environment for the development of the baby. The use of mobile phones has always been a subject of discussion in the domain of development & technology. It is evident from research that though these devices do not exhibit any harm during the early stages of life yet after a prolonged use, these can cause some significant harms to your health. Mobile phones have been a recent revolution and hence it’s not possible to predict its disadvantages as well as ill-effects on human health in such a short notice.

Possible threat:
For developing baby, an ionizing radiation is more harmful as compared to a non-ionizing one. X-rays as well as radiations rendered by a CT scan can cause harms to the developing baby as ionizing radiation can bring about changes at metabolic level. Mobile phones render a milder version of non-ionizing radiation and therefore exhibit little or no impact in the first few years but can be hazardous over longer period of use.


Steps that should be taken in order to avoid the ill-effects of mobile phones on baby:

Less use: 
You should make use of mobile phones as less as possible. You can send a message in form of text from your mobile as well as use alternatives like landline phones. These alternatives help you by providing you an aegis against the radiations emitted during the call. Use your phone as little as possible, and only when you have no alternative - send a text or use a landline instead

Short Calls:
You should consider your mobile phones as utility devices that should be used only at moments of emergency. You should make all your long talks from your landline and till then you should avoid making any long call from your mobile.

Abandon if signals low:
you should try to use your cell as less as possible when the signal is low. Under such a situation the level of emitted radiation increases significantly and therefore can harm you even more. You should try coming out of your house or near the window in order to make a call as this can aid you in receiving better signal strength.

Use hands-free set:
though mobile phones do release some undesired radiations yet its intensity can be significantly reduced by using a headphone. In this manner you would significantly increase the distance between you as well as your mobile phone. This would significantly contribute in providing less pressure to your brain.

Analyze reviews:
You should carefully analyze the reviews before buying any mobile phone as this can help you in reaching decisive conclusions about a handset. Though very rare, yet some models are often susceptible to self combustion. Such information can be easily collected from customer reviews.

Check SAR Rating:
Always check the SAR rating before purchasing a mobile phone as this would inform you of the level of radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Prohibit use during driving:
Whether pregnant or not, you should discard the use of mobile phones during driving as it significantly reduces the responsiveness of mind and therefore there is an increased risk of accident.

How to Get Pregnant With Overweight

Most studies reveal that overweight is among one of the causes for low chances of getting pregnant among many mothers; chances of fertility and conceiving successfully are reduced tremendously. Even though pregnancy may come to be still some other complications are bound to come along if the situation does not get attended to by an expert until the whole process becomes complete. Unhealthy diets may be resorted by many women who do not have proper knowledge on ways of getting and retaining the best pregnancy while being overweight and so healthcare experts therefore will be the solution here to provide the needed amount of care and support evenly. The following are ways of helping a mum get pregnant though she could be overweight;

Necessary loss of weight

Mothers must be able to lose necessary weights even though the process is not easy for them because they will be asked to leave out most juicy items in their diets so that they may reduce weight to required levels. Strong willingness must be shown by the mother otherwise it will be a waste of time and energy in the long run. Discipline ways of living such as positive thinking and urge to get pregnant easily will assist most mothers in losing weights and thus be able to enjoy being pregnant with lesser complications than construed.

Determining that which is supposed to be lost 

In the long run before mothers think of being pregnant assessment of their weights must be done so that doctors may be able to let them decide the appropriate weights that will see adequate amounts of weights to be lost. Some may not want to lose too much weight thus stressing the whole process while others may end up losing more than expected posing health risks to general body systems in the process. Care must be considered while losing such weights so that it may not impair the normal body functioning over time. Basal metabolic rate will show the necessary amounts of calories per day and so its calculation must be done so as to know what should not be in the normal diet of the mother.

Controlling the diet

Mothers must keep a list of all the foods that they eat everyday because the body requirements will be calculated and hence quantified easily. The process will help in knowing whether the body is living within the premise of necessary or unnecessary ones in the social set up. Different foods have varying amounts of calories and so having the list will assist in selecting the best food that contain the necessary foods; replacements may be done so that unhealthy foods can be replaced easily by the healthier ones.

Having an exercise plan

First the mother is supposed to have a list of activities designed so that the best exercise plan may be generated based on these activities. Exercises are vital for the weight loss process and so the best plans must be used so that the mother attains that desired weight level which will favor pregnancy easily.

Experts in the field will help in designing the best plan that will produce desired results because in the long run every person have different rates of weight loss and so they will require different plans also. Other chores and daily activities such as walking and also doing other household chores such as cleaning, sweeping among others are also forms of exercises even though they are planned.

Commitment to plans

Several plans may be in place and so mothers are supposed to have high levels of commitment in the long run so that any plan designed will get the best attention for success. High morale and motivation must be in place so that the mother does not get distressed at all as this will reduce the chances of getting the pregnancy. Here health care experts are the persons that are required so that they provide the workable tips that will see the mums lose weights and adhere to other programs in a professional manner accredited and fit for human functioning system.

Mothers are also required to practice adequate patience over time because the process will take quite some good amounts of time before the reality comes to light up the moment. Finally if the mothers adhere to all the advice then getting pregnant so fast will be very possible under minimum conditions in the home without straining a lot in the budget and other ways of commitment.