Newborn baby

Congratulations! Your first baby is a very exciting time in your life, but it’s also a time when you need to do a lot of preparation and make a lot of decisions!  Here are some points to consider.

Prepare:

* Choose a doctor who will guide you through every step of the process, patiently answering questions. It is critical your doctor is capable and skilled, and will execute your desires.  Ask friends and family for recommendations to find a good doctor. People will tell you when they’ve had a great experience, and also which doctors to stay away from.  Narrow your choices, then check the doctor’s credentials with the American Medical Association and the state licensing board.  Feel Doc out at the first visit and be sure that you are comfortable – if not, find somebody else.

* Prepare a cozy retreat for yourself and baby in your home.  This can be a fully – equipped nursery room all baby’s own, or just a corner of your bedroom where a cradle and rocking chair are ready for action!

* Take good care of yourself. Rest, healthy foods, lots of water, fresh air and exercise are crucial. Help prevent stretch marks by massaging any areas you are concerned with, and keeping the area moisturized with cocoa butter or something similar.  Studies show that chiropractic care can alleviate many of the “aches and pains” caused by carrying the baby and reduce labor and delivery time by 50%, so an appointment may be a thought.  Finally, many mothers get a boost of energy in their last trimester – it is fine to keep busy, but don’t move furniture without help!

Breast feeding photo by targetwoman.com

Decide:

* Will you breastfeed? There are many positive reasons – the natural immunity, the bonding experience between you and baby, the thousands of dollars you will save by not buying formula! Studies show that breastfed babies grow up healthier, leaner, and with higher IQ’s than those fed formula.  Of course, there are practical considerations as well. If someone else will be the primary caregiver for many hours at a time, you have to plan ahead by expressing your milk into bottles for baby’s consumption during your absence.  This is not advised until after six weeks, as the differences confuse very young infants.

* What about circumcision?  If your baby is a boy, this is something you need to research. Many families opt for the surgery as a matter of tradition, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against routine circumcision, saying there is not enough benefit to outweigh the inherent risks involved. Others disagree!

* Do you have a sufficient support structure in place?  Be prepared for the absolute worst.  If a natural birth is not possible, you will be recovering from the surgery used to deliver your child.  Will you have help at home, and with the baby, for those crucial few weeks?  While the vast majority of births happen naturally, and things go quite well, you also need to be prepared for baby blues, and the more serious post-partum depression. Half of new mothers suffer from some depression after baby is born. It’s believed to be caused by hormonal imbalance, but it helps to discuss it beforehand as well. You will be overwhelmed with all the new responsibility, you will be exhausted from taking care of baby, you will feel completely unattractive, you will be stressed to the max—know these things ahead of time and try to take them in stride.  If you have adequate help, it will make things much smoother for all of you through this period.

The Actual Birth:

You’re at due date and really anxious to see your baby.  How can you naturally induce labor, but not hurt baby?  Walking uses the natural forces of gravity, and the actual movement can help to position the baby in the correct birth position.  Sex can actually stimulate labor, as your partner’s semen contains prostaglandins, which can stimulate contractions. Castor oil has been used for generations to stimulate contractions as well.   Mix 1 to 4 ounces of castor oil with 6 ounces of orange juice, and down it quickly. This will cause your bowels to empty within about three hours, squeezing your uterus in the process and stimulate contractions. Get advice with this though.  Always check with your doctor for his opinion.

How to Hold a NewBorn Baby

During your first visit, your doctor probably spoke to you about your “birth plan.” When you will be expecting your first baby, the prospect of delivering without any pain medication can be truly terrifying, and you may tell him you want as many drugs as possible, as early as possible! However, do your homework. Most pain medication slow down the process, and put you and baby in a bit of a fog, and most women actually opt for natural births with subsequent children.

Calcium with vitamin D is also essential for infant development and for the long-term health of the mother. Vitamin D helps the body absorb and retain calcium. Consuming plenty of calcium during pregnancy helps the baby to grow strong bones and teeth, a healthy heart, nerves, and muscles, and to develop normal heart rhythm and blood clotting abilities. It’s important for the mother’s health as well — The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that pregnant and nursing women consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day and between 400 and 800 international units of vitamin D per day.

These first two nutrients, folic acid and calcium with vitamin D, are vital to every baby’s health, but the third nutrient is one that many people don’t know enough about — DHA omega-3. DHA omega-3 is possibly the most important nutrient for expectant mothers.

DHA omega-3 is a fatty acid important for brain, eye and nervous system development and function, as well as heart health. A diet rich in DHA omega-3 during pregnancy and breastfeeding may play a role in supporting healthy pregnancies, helping a mother’s emotional well-being after birth and aiding the mental and visual development of infants. Despite its importance, consumers rarely get enough DHA omega-3 in their diets. The recommended intake for pregnant and breastfeeding women is at least 200 milligrams per day of DHA.

Microalgae are the only vegetarian source that provides a meaningful amount of DHA omega-3. Look for vegetarian algal sources of DHA in mainstream food and supplement products —including certain types of fortified yogurts, eggs, milk, soymilk or prenatal vitamins and supplements. Babies get DHA omega-3 through breast milk, and can also get it in more than 99 percent of infant formulas on the U.S. market.

Women who consume a Western diet are at risk for low stores of DHA. This is because the primary dietary sources of DHA are fatty fish and organ meats, dietary choices that are not staples of the Western diet. Additionally, expert bodies such as the FDA have advised pregnant and nursing women to limit their fish consumption due to the potentially high levels of toxins such as mercury.

Other vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seeds, walnuts and certain vegetable oils, contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), not DHA omega-3. ALA has no known independent benefits on brain or eye health and there are insufficient data to support its role in cardiovascular health. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), found in fish oil, has been shown to support cardiovascular health but has not been proven to play a role in brain or eye health.

Olympic Gold Medal soccer star and new mother Mia Hamm is spreading the word about DHA and the “Big 3” nutrients in a public service announcement sponsored by the Society for Women’s Health Research. To view the PSA and find out more about the “Big 3” nutrients please visit www.thebig3.org.

A contribution from Lorraine Penaloza – the Society for Women’s Health Research PSA

The information provided here does not necessarily reflect the information or thoughts of the publisher and owner. In all situations related to pregnancy, advice should be sourced from a qualified doctor or physician.

The thing you have to remember is, babies take a long time. The first signs of early pregnancy may not come for as long as a week to several weeks after conception. plus, every body is different, and the symptoms (to use medical parlance, even though it sounds like we’re talking about the flu) can all be signs of something else entirely. Remember that there is no evolutionary advantage to knowing the instant that you’re pregnant, so the human body didn’t evolve a dashboard light.

Of course, there’s the good old standard store-bought test – and that doesn’t show results any sooner than any of the other signs. Wouldn’t you know? Here’s the other signs which may or may not show up before you’re definitely for-sure anyway.

A delayed or missed period – Being the most common reported sign of early pregnancy. It can also be an unusually light period. But period abnormalities can also be caused by sudden changes in weight, fatigue, tension, stress, hormonal changes, or changes in medications.

Implantation bleeding – just the opposite. A sudden spot of blood indicates that the fertilized egg is attaching itself to your uterine wall. Except, whoops, this could be a period. Implantation bleeding only goes on for a brief while, not days and days.

Swollen or tender breasts – This one’s almost definite. If your breasts suddenly inflate a size bigger almost overnight, as if you’d had a visit from the booby fairy, you’re probably pregnant. But not all women gain mass in their breasts during pregnancy, and it can also be caused by sudden hormonal changes or taking or ceasing to take birth control pills.

Morning sickness – Another almost-sure sign. Not very good for detecting early signs of pregnancy, however, since it doesn’t happen until 2 to 8 weeks after conception. Note that this isn’t like the flu, where you’re sick all day. This is where you wake up queasy, usually barf, and then you’re fine although hungry. We still have no idea why this happens, although scientists are still wondering about it.

Backaches and headaches – But sometimes this is just a plain old backache or headache. Backaches are your body adjusting to try to accommodate for the added weight and bulk about to take place, and the headache has to do with hormonal changes. this is a particularly common symptom with the first pregnancy, so it’s one of the early signs of teen pregnancy.

Decreased bladder capacity – Going to the bathroom more frequently may be an early sign, or it may be because you’ve been hitting the beer, coffee, or soda too hard, or even that you’re coming down with diabetes.

Increased appetite – I know, it’s supposed to be an old wives tale that you suddenly wake up in the night wanting pickles and ice cream. However, changes in appetite are unarguably common. So it isn’t so much that you crave specific food, or even unusual food, as that you just crave more food, since you’re now eating for two. It’s easy to translate that into craving a specific kind of food. Typically, women report craving sweet, salty, or spicy tastes. Doctors are mostly of the opinion that there’s no medical basis for women to develop unusual cravings, but most of them advise you to go with them as long as you’re still eating healthy.

Remember, taking good care of yourself now is imperative including your diet. If you have concerns or a motherly interest about the food and beverage you’re consuming, consult your doctor and down-load this pregnancy diet guide and read it!

DISCLAIMER: This is not a medical website, and consulting a web page is no substitute for a doctor’s opinion. Get yourself to a doctor if you think the above list might apply to you.

Copyright Pregnancy and Baby Tips
.

Your Child’s Weekly Progress

Week-by-week developments start from the day your body prepares the process of ovulation. Within a 14 day time frame the ovulated egg combines with the sperm to form a zygote. Rapid developments progress throughout the first 4 weeks following combination. The woman can find out if she is pregnant through tests during the first 4 weeks. During this time the zygote develops into an embryo and forms what is called the primitive streak. The primitive streak then expands into three layers. The bottom layer develops the baby’s tongue, lungs, surrounding gland structure and the tonsils. The middle layer produces the lining of the heart, blood cells, reproduction and excretory system. The top layer produces cells for the baby’s skin, teeth, mouth, anus, eye lens, and nervous system components.

The pregnancy continues on week-by-week to develop parts of the heart and circulation begins the beating of the heart. Between the 8th and 9th week of pregnancy the embryo’s cerebellum begins formation. This time includes details on the embryo’s gender development. After the 9th week in pregnancy the fetus becomes active. During the 11th week detailed body features can be recognized in the forming fetus. This period of development provides very important basis in your child’s formation.

The fetus begins to develop an immune system throughout the following weeks. Expecting mothers, now more than ever, need to keep in mind proper nutritional habits. Doctor visits help determine any pregnancy related issues for the expecting mother. Cramps, morning sickness, persistent nausea, lack of energy and backaches may form due to the hormonal changes involving pregnancy. These symptoms begin during the initial stages of development and sometimes continue throughout the duration of the pregnancy.

The joys of pregnancy go hand-in-hand with physical pain as you progress through the journey of baby development. Women possess a privilege of motherhood in their pregnancy capabilities. Week-by-week reports make the journey through pregnancy thrilling and wholesome. Expecting mothers should keep a pregnancy calendar to provide detailed information during doctor visits, health-issue analysis, and gauging of mood swings. Visiting the doctor alone does not constitute your week-by-week pregnancy calendar. You need to write down signs and symptoms throughout the entire duration of your pregnancy. Detailed records should be kept all the way up until the final moment, where you welcome your newborn child into the world.

Ectopic pregnancies occur 1/100 cases of fertilization. Much more common than popular belief says exists. The following gives insight to some of the symptoms included in an ectopic pregnancy.

Exactly, What Describes an Ectopic Pregnancy?

Ectopic pregnancies include fertilization of an egg outside of the womb. The pregnancy begins to develop in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix or other places outside of the womb. Fallopian tube implantation results from scar tissue on the lining or a blockage in passing the egg to its specified destination of the womb.

What do You Look for as Symptoms in An Ectopic Pregnancy?

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy usually present in the 4th and 10th week. The expectant mother will begin to experience some of the following symptoms if an ectopic pregnancy exists:

Painful urination or bowel movements

Dark and watery vaginal bleeding outside of normal color during menstruation.

Generalized pain, feeling faint, and digestion issues, such as diarrhea.

Continual, sharp pains on one side of the lower abdomen.

Shoulder pain on either side.

Are All Expectant Mothers Susceptible to Ectopic Pregnancies?

Unfortunately, yes, almost 1 in every 100 pregnancies concludes in an ectopic pregnancy. Considering risk factors of having an ectopic pregnancy better prepare a woman when exploring the option of becoming a mother.

Contracting Chlamydia, even if treated, raises the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy.

Women over the age of 35.

Previously experiencing an ectopic pregnancy.

Previously experiencing a caesarean section.

Fitted, contraceptive coils prevent pregnancies from occurring in the womb, but not the fallopian tubes.

Taking lower dose hormonal contraceptive pills increase chances by minimal values.

The presence of tubal endometriosis.

Treating An Ectopic Pregnancy

All ectopic pregnancies close by terminating the embryo or fetus. Consist doctor visits helps in identifying the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. Doctors must conclude the pregnancy resides outside of the uterus before engaging removal methods. Medically, the fetus or embryo cannot thrive outside of the uterus and pose life-threatening issues if allowed to continue growing in the woman host.

Continuing Life After Experiencing An Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancies caught early minimize the damages to fallopian tubes. 6 in 10 women will go on to produce viable, natural pregnancies in the future. Severely damage or ruptured fallopian tubes commonly causes infertility in its sufferers.

Previous ectopic pregnancies increase future risks of producing another one. A woman cannot do much to prevent another ectopic pregnancy in the future. Previous ectopic women need to see their doctor more regularly in the early stages of pregnancy to determine whether or not the embryo or fetus implanted in the correct location.

Doctors encourage expectant mothers who’ve undergone an ectopic pregnancy to wait out a few months before trying to get pregnant again. Pregnancy viability depends on the severity of removing a previous ectopic pregnancy.

Sufferers of an ectopic pregnancy can find counseling assistance at the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust foundation during anytime during or after the event.
Kitty writes and publishes regularly on pregnancy, babies and pregnancy weight gain. The normal development and health of your baby depends on it. There’s much, much more pregnancy information here.

Acid reflux is a common condition in the West and there is a suggestion that it is increasing. Obesity is increasing in the West and since obesity can cause or worsen acid reflux, the increase in acid reflux is likely to be related to a combination of our diet, lifestyle and obesity. There is, however, a group that develops acid reflux as a part of life’s natural process. Pregnant women develop GERD symptoms as a result of pregnancy.

It is estimated that as much as 80% of pregnant women have GERD symptoms and the symptoms vary from mild to very severe. It is rarely serious in this group and, of course, it is limited to the length of the pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting is common in the first trimester and is mainly due to the rising level of the female hormone, estrogen and progesterone circulating in the blood stream. Acid reflux symptoms are more common in the third trimester.

In the third trimester, the uterus is large and has pushed up into the upper abdomen distorting the configuration of the organs in the abdomen. The stomach is pushed up against the diaphragm. This can affect the competence of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) and cause acid reflux. It can also force part of the stomach up through the diaphragmatic hiatus. This is a hiatus hernia. A hiatus hernia can result in acid reflux.

In addition weight gain during pregnancy (especially in the apple shape) will settle around the waist. This weight will press on the abdomen and increase the intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure on the LES may force food up into the esophagus.

During pregnancy estrogen and progesterone levels need to be high to maintain the pregnancy. These two female hormones are produced by the ovaries until the placenta takes over. These hormones relax smooth muscles of the uterus and are necessary to allow the uterus to stretch to accommodate the developing pregnancy.

Unfortunately this muscle relaxation is not confined to the uterus. The muscles of the GI tract are affected. In the large bowel reduced strength of peristaltic contraction leads to slow transit time and likely constipation. In the esophagus it reduces the tone of the LES allowing reflux and slows down peristalsis along the esophagus. The food swallowed is cleared slower and the LES is lax. A double whammy.

Patients who have had GERD symptoms before falling pregnant tend to have severe GERD in pregnancy. Sometimes in pregnancy GERD can be so severe that hospitalisation is necessary. Also vomiting can be so severe that weight loss follows. In pregnancy regular weight gain is expected. Weight loss suggests a referral to a gastro-enterologist especially if the weight is below the pre-pregnancy benchmark.

Severe GERD can lead to mal-nutrition. This can be harmful to the mother and may put the foetus at risk at a time of vital development and growth.

Ginger is a good safe treatment of GERD in pregnancy and you only need a small amount. It can stimulate saliva production. Saliva is a natural antacid. Ginger helps relieve nausea and vomiting and it is a carminative (relieve gas). Lifestyle change is important. If still smoking and drinking alcohol, then it is time to stop. Elevating the head of the bed is beneficial and lying on the left side is best because in this position the stomach is lower than the esophagus.

Avoid or reduce your intake of fats, coffee, tea, chocolate, certain citrus fruits, certain spices, tomatoes and garlic. When exercising, avoid bouncing up and down and exercises that involve bending forwards. Stick to exercises that keep you upright. Stretching exercises and power or brisk walking are unlikely to aggravate GERD symptoms.

Antacids are safe in pregnancy because they do not cross the placenta into the baby’s circulation. However, antacids containing sodium (sodium bicarbonate) can cause fluid retention. Aluminium containing antacids can make constipation of pregnancy worse. Magnesium can slow down labour. These drugs are in Category A. The categories were laid down by the FDA in 1979 and are related to safety profile and potential harm to the foetus. Category A is safe in pregnancy.

The H2-receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors are in Category B except omeprazole which is in Category C. These drugs cross the placenta but trials results are not adequate to consider them safe during pregnancy. So far no trial has shown any harm to the foetus.
Dr. Phil Hariram is a retired General Practitioner who has spent 27 years treating acid reflux.

http://www.acidrefluxguru.com

Kitty writes and publishes regularly on pregnancy, babies and pregnancy weight gain. The normal development and health of your baby depends on it. There’s much, much more pregnancy information here.