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Varicose Veins in Pregnancy

The veins are responsible for making the blood circulate throughout the body. These veins are incorporated with natural valves which are adept enough to restrict the blood that is pushed by the heart, from flowing in a backward direction. The heart is a pumping machine that takes and pushes the blood through these veins to various parts of the human body and in this process if the valves start to work in an improper manner then the blood would start flowing back and that would lead to the accumulation of blood at a point accompanied with the swelling of body organs as well as weakening of the veins. These affected veins turn blue or purple and are visible underneath the skin. You won’t feel any such pain in the day time but after the completion of your day work, you would surely have an acute pain caused due to the accumulation of blood over the day time.  

Varicose Veins at the time of pregnancy
At the time of pregnancy, you would be more susceptible to varicose veins near your leg however, they canbe present anywhere in the body but the probability of their presence in the leg is comparatively high.  Hemorrhoids or piles are a kind of varicose veins that develop near the rectal area.

These get usually worse at the time of pregnancy as there is an extended pressure of the growing baby on the hips as well as the groin region. It can considerably put pressure and stress on the vein termed as vena cave which usually runs on the right hand side of the body.

This process eventually increases the level of pressure of blood near and in your leg veins which thereby enhances the chances that you would face the problem of varicose veins. As your baby grows, this pressure increases rapidly.

How to get away from the problem of varicose veins?
These are a common problem in times of pregnancy but this pain usually subsides within the time span of three or hopefully four months after the delivery of your baby.

There is another alternative if you are not comfortable due to their presence. You can get them treated surgically. Make sure you had the number of children that you wanted before going for this treatment.

Prevention from varicose veins
After making some very simple changes in your lifestyle you might prevent or significantly decline the affects of varicose veins.

You should be regular with your exercises and at the same time you should opt for some effective alternatives as well. This can be a quick walk or a practice of yoga.

You should try to spread your legs whenever you get time or whenever possible. You should lie down keeping a pillow underneath your feet.

Before getting up from the bed make sure that you put on some simple stockings as well as support tights as by doing this you would prevent extra amount of blood from getting accumulated in your legs.

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

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.

Tips to Face Labor Pain

To give birth to a child is considered as a new life for a mother. After giving birth to a baby, women feels like her new life. It happens due to terrible labor pain during delivery period. Women who go through cesarean do not know anything about labor pain, but for women with a normal delivery needs to face unbearable labor pains until she gives birth to a baby. There is no fixed time for labor pain; sometimes it will take 1-2 days or more. There are many ways that can help you to be comfortable during delivery by reducing labor pain.

Don’t Fear, Face it
Many women fear from labor pain. They hear from the experiences of others. Don’t be afraid by listening from others. It’s indeed a challenge that every woman has to face it in her life when she gives birth to her baby. Your body is physically ready to face this pain, as women have more physical strength to bear any pain than men. Pain increases if you are emotional or think more about it.  Emotional and psychological phobia can also cause in increasing your labor pain.

Try to divert your mind or Think Different
  • You need to do whatever gives you relaxation and mental peace. Labor time is not fixed and no one can judge that timing, even doctor cant. Therefore, you should divert your attention in other things.
  • There are many things like peaceful atmosphere is essential because woman cannot tolerate noisy atmosphere in this situation. Try to keep reasonably peaceful atmosphere around her. Keep less lighting to give her relaxation.
  • Your close relatives like your husband, mother, friends, and sisters can help you. You need to call your relative, with whom you find mental peace and strong support. Their presence increases her psychological strength to face labor pain. If she likes light music, then you can play music as per her liking. Light massages in certain body area will definitely help you to divert your attention. Your mother or any close relative can give you massage on hands and feet under guidance of your in-charge nurse or doctor.
  • Right way of Breathing by taking deep breath is very important in labor pain.
  • Pain Killing injections also help in reducing labor pain.
  • Acupressure treatment from an expert professional helps you in reducing pain by pressing pressure points in the body.
  • Try to relax as much you can and let your uterus to do the rest.
  • Do some mobility during labor pain, it speeds up your labor.
  • Right posture of your body is very important. Right position in sleeping helps in increasing blood flow to the uterus and you can feel comfortable.
Always Remember
It is advisable to continue your exercises during pregnancy to reduce labor pain. It is also recommended that you start exercise only after consulting your gynecologist. There are various exercises that help you reduce labor pain if you perform it regularly throughout your pregnancy such as aerobic, walking, jogging or swimming. Try to keep yourself active and healthy to reduce labor pain during delivery. When your baby comes in this world, you definitely forget all your pain and just get crazy after her or him.

Diet Chart for Breastfeeding

A mother needs to have a specified nutritional intake as she is the one not only feeding herself but also her child. They need balanced vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fluid intake to improve their energy levels.

There is actually no strict restriction on diet during breast feeding.  It is just following the diet during pregnancy. Fruits and vegetables intake has lower risks of certain cancers and obesity risks. A child usually eats a certain fruits or vegetables based on whether he or she likes the taste and so it is important to let the babies know about the tastes and feed them with quality nutritional fruits for a healthy start. A baby understands the flavor from a mother's diet because the amniotic fluid which carries the food and its taste is transmitted through mother’s milk. Thus a baby understands to like a certain taste when the mother consumes the food.

The following are few points to be taken care of :
  • High calorie diet is not the aim but high carbohydrate and nutritional diet is. a hungry mother need to add less sugar and lower fat content intake and should always prefer high carbohydrate foods which boost up the energy levels like starch foods such as cereals during breakfast, pasta, vegetables like potatoes , rice, bread which provide the energy one would require for the day. 
  • Vitamin D is vital for a mother during breast feeding. Iron supplements like meat and pulses should be added to the diet.
  • Intake of calcium and protein from the food products like those of milk products, cheese, yogurt, meat, egg, pulses, cereals, less fat white fish and oil fish are few options for a healthy and low fat  diet.
  • It is also important to add fiber to the meal. Cereal fiber can be found in those starchy food items as mentioned above. Few fruits and vegetables like peas, lentils, corn, coconut, beans, mango also has fiber content. 
  • Always have dry raisins, apples, almonds, water packed fruits, soups, beans. Whole grains like cereals, oatmeal, pasta, nuts should be available in the kitchen.
  • Boiled egg’s have high protein content.
  • A salad of vegetables eaten raw or cooked or dipped in little fruit salad or sprinkles of nuts will make a nutritional diet.
  • Intake of milk, fruit juices or water will avoid dehydration. Drinking fluids every time even after meals would increase the fluid, water content in the body and keep the mother healthy consequently she will have the energy to breast feed her baby.
  • Intake of vitamin C through water melon’s, strawberries, citrus fruits like  oranges, grapefruit are compulsory. Other sources of vitamin C include green peppers, small tomatoes and potatoes.
Weight loss diets are not actually prescribed by doctors for breast feeding mothers. Most of the food items can be eaten by nursing mothers though few of them under caution and restriction if she is under side effects. So, the only thing to do during breast feeding is not to worry about the weight. Eat as much fruits and vegetables to add to your baby’s weight and enjoy breast feeding stage of women’s life.

Going Back to Job after Delivery

Returning to work is very hard for a mother after pregnancy as there are many things to be taken care of before returning to work place. The last few months have surely been tough for you but breaking the pattern won’t be easy. You need proper planning to settle everything down before going back to work.

Plan the return
Planning is a big part of the entire procedure as there are a lot of things to take care of before you go back to work after pregnancy. The mental adjustments can be the biggest of all the challenges, staying at work, not being able to be with your child can be a painful experience to cope up with for the first few days.

The work environment will surely be flexible to you and your bosses will be sympathetic for first few days. You must utilize this time to settle back to work. You have to be sure that you return your mind in the office and start putting your best performances forward as soon as possible. Once you can do that, things will become easier for you.

Try to be in touch with your co-workers when you are on the leave. Call your boss at times and ask about how work is going. This will help you when you will return to the office after pregnancy. They will welcome you back easily and you will be able to fit in fast. You also have to learn how to divide your personal and work time to balance things properly. Don’t think about work when you are at home and try to think less about your child when you are at work.

If you can, try to work from home for first few days to start with. It will make the transition smoother.

Flexibility at work
There are many work places which offer you flexibility after you return to work and that flexible period of time can be used properly by you to get back into the working mood. From work load to time management, everything can be flexible for you. Here are few things that will help you:
  •  Part time working can be a great option for you to start working again
  • If possible, start working from home. That will allow you to work on your own time
  • Flexible work timing is really a great option. You can choose when you want to come to office and how many hours you want to work if your office allows so
  • The break time can be set according to your needs too. The start and end time can be managed accordingly
  • Sometimes, you can share your job with someone else. That will make things easier for you
Child care help
When you go back to work after pregnancy, you need someone to take care of your child. If you have a family member, who can do that for you, then that is surely the best possible option for you. However, if you don’t have that option then you can always hire professional help. Hiring a trustable nanny can be a great option for you.

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.

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