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Stretching exercises may be more effective at reducing the risk of preeclampsia
than walking for pregnant women who have already experienced the condition and
who do not follow a workout routine, according to researchers at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.
Also called thrush, this common infection affects many women whether they are
sexually active or not. Candida is a yeast or fungus that is commonly present in
the bowel and vagina, and less commonly inside the mouth.
The need for leading a healthy, active lifestyle is indeed serious, but
exercise can be play as well as work. Keep in mind that most sports and games
require movement. You can think of the benefits of participating in or training
for a sport as the three Fs, because you’ll often get faster and fitter-and
you’ll have fun, too.
This is a very common infection or irritation of the bladder that results in
an urgent desire to urinate frequently, regardless of whether your bladder is
full. Passing urine is usually painful and the urine may be cloudy or even
contain blood. You may feel discomfort after passing urine or have abdominal
pain.
Health experts are calling for women to avoid alcohol completely during
pregnancy in the light of a new study has found a little evidence that binge
drinking while pregnant seriously harms the developing foetus.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued a
practice bulletin for management of asthma during pregnancy. The new
recommendations appear in the February (2008) issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Fertility and diet go hand-in-hand. There are certain foods that can
help boost a woman's chance of becoming pregnant, while other foods can harm her
chance of conceiving.
Obese women can gain little or no
weight during pregnancy and even lose a few pounds without harming
their babies, new research suggests.
Obese women are known to have more
difficulty becoming pregnant and also are more likely to miscarry.
Excess weight could exert its effects either by acting on the
ovaries, which produce eggs, or on the endometrium, where the
fertilized egg implants.
Women who are obese when they
conceive are more likely to have babies with birth defects than
are mothers of normal weight, a US study suggests. For many
types of birth defects, including spina bifida, heart, limb and
genital defects, mothers were between 1.3 and 2.1-fold more
likely to have been obese.
Weight gain and water retention during pregnancy cause significant
physical changes that often lead to foot discomfort. Alteration in
center of gravity due to weight gain can add pressure to the knees
and feet. Posture and alignment can shift, and everyday movements
like lifting, sitting, standing, and walking can be affected.
Today women are gaining full
status as women in our society, they are getting educated and
having careers. With the only disadvantage that their biology is
working against them. At the age of 16, a woman had 400,000 eggs
- but by the age of 46 there are virtually none left. Women
loose around two eggs an hour.
The American Heart Association
estimates that out of 1,000 births, nine babies will have some
form of congenital heart disorder. Congenital cardiovascular
defects are the most common birth defects.
 Approaches
to Childbirth
As modern society increasingly comes to accept childbirth as a natural
process, you will find a growing number of options available for giving birth.
Pregnancy is a time of change, from stretch marks to acne, your skin reflects
the big transformation that’s occurring in your body. While not every woman will
experience all of these skin changes during pregnancy, here are a few things you
might notice.
Cervical Cancer and Pregnancy
Cervical cancer occurring coincident with
pregnancy is, fortunately, quite rare, probably less than 1 in 10,000
pregnancies.
Pregnancy and cervical cancer can be categorized under two categories for a
better understanding.
Read on....
The Omega 3 fatty acids
are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are found in various foods,
including fish, game, seeds, and plants. Studies have shown that the omega-3
fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular may lower a woman's risk for
depression, aid a fetus's vision development, and even regulate a newborn's
sleep patterns.
Pregnancy and Heart Disease
Pregnancy
is one of the physiological conditions that places a considerable burden on the
heart, forcing it to work harder for a significantly long period - nine months.
While a normal heart is quite capable of taking this extra workload right in its
stride, a diseased one may not be able to cope.
Read on....
In general, regular exercise does
not seem to decrease or increase the chances of having a baby through
IVF However, with four or more hours of exercise per week for 1 to 9
years, the odds of a live birth fell by 40 percent relative to
engaging in no exercise.
Health & Fitness Needs During Lactation
Weight
reduction can be difficult for anyone at anytime, but a mother who
is trying to return to her pre-pregnancy weight is also challenged
with additional stresses of increased child care commitments, less
rest and sleep, household responsibilities, and, possibly, returning
to work outside the home. Read on....
A large study of mothers and children
carried out in Zimbabwe lends further support to the view that it is
probably better for mothers with HIV infection to breastfeed
exclusively rather than engage in mixed feeding, as children exposed
to a mixture of breastfeeding and other forms of feeding are more
than four times as likely to have become infected with HIV at the
age of six months when compared to infants exclusively breastfed.
Recovering after Caesarean birth
If
you have had caesarean section, you will be very aware of the
discomfort of the incision, not to mention the difficulties of
getting in and out of bed, moving around and finding a
comfortable position for breastfeeding.
Pregnancy is a time when one gets to
hear a number of myths; you must heard them all. Relax. A lot of the
things you hear might not have a scientific basis. Here we deal with
some of your worst pregnancy concerns, which could prove to be mere
myths.
Pregnancy is a time
of intense change within the female body. The hormones of
pregnancy have steroidal type effects and which can dampen down
allergies.
Pregnant women with asthma are not
necessarily ‘high risk’ patients. In fact, asthma can follow a curious pattern
in pregnant patients. One third of women experience no change in their asthma
during pregnancy, one third actually notice an improvement when they are
pregnant, and one third may experience a flare-up of their asthma during this
time. Since there is no index to predict which way a patient will react, it is
necessary to closely follow every pregnant asthma patient.
Read on....
Like adults, children have varying appetites, depending on mood,
health and general inclination. Nevertheless, there are certain
problems which are characteristic of many newborn babies and
others which affect children at different ages and which can be
readily addressed by the parents.
Pregnancy and
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple
Sclerosis is more prevalent in women of childbearing age than in
any other group. When young women receive a diagnosis of MS,
they frequently have questions about the effects of the disease
on childbearing and vice versa.
Read on....
Maternity Dressing
Up
The rule of thumb for expecting moms is wear
whatever makes you feel good and comfortable.
Read on....
Start
thinking about your options for childcare now, before you start finalizing your
own career plans. There are few rights and wrongs when it comes to
childcare - but there is a right way for your baby, you, and the other members
of your family.
The menstrual cycle is not the same for every
woman. A normal menstrual period lasts from 2 to 7 days. The normal cycle
patterns can range from 21 to 35 days. When bleeding occurs that is not part of
the regular cycle; periods are longer or heavier than normal; occurs between
periods; time between periods is longer than normal; or there is an absence of
periods, this is called abnormal or irregular uterine bleeding.
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a type
of bacterium that causes illness in newborn babies, pregnant women,
the elderly, and adults with other illnesses, such as diabetes or
liver disease. GBS is the most common cause of life-threatening
infections in newborns.
Throughout pregnancy, your growing and
changing shape makes it important to alter the way you perform a
number of everyday tasks and movements.
Read on....
During the first
three months of pregnancy, when foetal cells are beginning to develop into
rudimentary organs, the quality rather than the quantity of the mother's
food is particularly important.
Women on even very low calorie diets
usually make enough milk, at least until the mother's calorie intake
becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time. Generally,
the baby will get what he needs. Some women worry that if they eat
poorly for a few days this also will affect their milk.
An ectopic pregnancy (also called a tubal
pregnancy) occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted
outside the uterus, typically in one of the Fallopian tubes. Sometimes the
embryo can also occur in the cervical canal, one of the ovaries or the pelvic or
abdominal cavity (abdominal pregnancy).
Nutrition during pregnancy is serious business. Research has shown that when
mothers-to-be eat poor diets, there is an increase in risk of low-birth-weight
infants, particularly in women with poor health and nutrition status before
pregnancy. The risk is compounded by lifestyle choices, such as smoking, that
may affect pregnancy outcome.
Anemia during Pregnancy
Adequate iron is essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells, and
for both fetal demands and the large increase in maternal blood volume. Pregnant
women should eat a range of iron-rich foods in order to prevent an iron
deficiency.
Read on....
Preeclampsia: a Common Pregnancy Complication
Preeclampsia,
also known as toxemia is a disease characterized by the
gradual development of high blood pressure (over 140/90) that
is often accompanied by protein excretion in the urine and
excessive swelling of legs, hands, and face.
Read on....
Pain Relief During Labor
Despite the arguments in favor of natural childbirth,
there is no intrinsic virtue in avoiding pharmacological pain
relief if you feel you need it.
Read on....
We
now know that unborn babies are aware of much of their
surroundings and are able to respond physically to a variety
of stimuli. We also understand a great deal about the way a
baby's body function in the uterus and what she can hear and
see.
Read on....
Basal body temperature (BBT)
The normal human body oral temperature averages
at about 98.6°F (37°c) but varies during the day, especially in response to
exercise. A woman's body temperature not only fluctuates throughout the day, it
also responds to hormonal changes throughout the month, thereby giving a
valuable information about individual fertility cycle.
Read on....
Exercise Routine for Second Trimester
While
the first trimester is crucial for laying down the groundwork
for the developing organs and concerns over the possibility of
miscarriage, and the third trimester centers on the baby
attaining maturity and the delivery process itself, the second
trimester is a sort of reprieve during which the pregnancy can
almost be enjoyed.
Read on....
Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a tiny parasite
[protozoan] that spends part of its lifecycle in animals and the rest in humans.
It is a common infection caused by the one-celled organism Toxoplasma gondii.
Read on....
When it comes to health benefits fish
continues to line up high on the positive side. There’s the omega -3
fatty acids found in all fish and especially the fatty fish. Omega – 3’s
help promote heart health and aid in prevention of heart disease making
them a positive choice. Recent FDA advisory, however, indicate that
pregnant women and women considering pregnancy should not eat shark,
swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they could contain enough
mercury to harm an unborn infant's nervous system.
Read on....
Postnatal Yoga (Birth to
six weeks)
Giving birth can be a very demanding physical
event. It can also give rise to strong emotional and spiritual experiences.
Read on....
Sleeping During
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, inadequate sleep is a common complain made by women,
mostly, due to the result of anxiety and
stress, hormonal fluctuations, and
physical discomfort.
Read on....
Obesity: A
Health Risk during Pregnancy
Overweight is defined as being 10% to 15% heavier than
recommended for a woman's height, or having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30.
Obese was having a BMI of 30 or more.
Read on....
High-Risk Pregnancy: Hydramnios
Hydramnios is a condition in which there
is too much amniotic fluid around the fetus. It occurs in about
3 to 4 percent of all pregnancies. It is also called
polyhydramnios.
Read on....
High-Risk Pregnancy: Oligohydramnios
Oligohydramnios is a condition in which there is too little amniotic fluid
around the fetus. The condition is often the result of a tear or rupture in the
amniotic membrane, causing it to leak amniotic fluid and thus lower the level of
fluid still surrounding the baby It occurs in about 4 percent of all
pregnancies.
Read on....
The first stage of labor consists
of an early phase that begins with the onset of contractions and the
gradual effacement (thinning out) and dilation (opening) of the
cervix, followed by an active phase in which the cervix begins to
dilate more rapidly and contractions are longer, stronger, and
closer together
The active phase ends with a "transition period"
as the cervix fully dilates to 10 centimeters.
Read on....
Before you rush out to buy lots of
baby clothes, a roomful of toys, and several packs of diapers, ask
friends and family if they have any baby clothes or toys they can
pass on to you, and which diapers they recommend.
Read on....
A hydrosalpinx is a fallopian tube that is filled with fluid. Injury to the
end of the fallopian tube, the ampulla, and its delicate fingers, the fimbria,
causes the end of the tube to close. Glands within the tube produce a watery
fluid that collects within the tube, producing a sausage shaped swelling that is
characteristic of hydrosalpinx.
Read on....
Chorioamnionitis is an infection of two membranes of the placenta (the chorion and the amnion) and the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby. Chorioamnionitis can cause bacteremia (blood infection) in the mother and may
lead to preterm birth and serious infection in the newborn baby.
Read on....
Most babies are born headfirst, but at the end of pregnancy, around 3-4% are
found to be breech. Before term, which is defined as 37 weeks, it doesn't
matter if the baby is breech, as there is always a good chance that she will
turn spontaneously.
Read on....
It seems pregnancy brings more than a
"healthy glow." It might also help clear psoriasis for those who have the skin
disease. A study showed that psoriatic women who have high estrogen levels
during pregnancy experience significant improvements of their psoriasis.
Read on....
Retinitis Pigmentosa
An inherited progressive degeneration in the retina, the light -
sensitive membrane at the back of the eye. Speaking, generically it can be
described as a progressive cause of visual loss, which is attributed to the loss
of viable photoreceptors.
Heartburn during Pregnancy
One possible cause of heartburn in pregnancy; is the extra
pressure on the stomach (during the third trimester) exerted by the growing
baby. Also, during pregnancy, the placenta produces the hormone progesterone,
which relaxes the smooth muscles of the uterus.
Read on....
Choosing Contraception
The most common reason for failure of a contraception method is not using the
method properly and consistently. Because of this, it's recommended that you
choose a method you feel comfortable using on a regular basis. The most
popular and effective contraceptive methods available around the
world. Read
on....
With all the advances in medical care and technology, it is safer today than
ever before for most women in later age to become pregnant. There are still some
increased risks associated with later-age pregnancy that you should know if you
fit into this category.
Read on....
Chlamydia- The Silent
Epidemic
A
bacterium called chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia. This infection has
become the most common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID) in the Western world.
Chlamydia infection may be symptom less in women the whole time that it is
causing damage, but there may be some tell-tale signs. Women with
chlamydia may be some increased or altered vaginal discharge and get a cervical
infection that can spread up into the rest of the pelvic organs.
Read
on....
Breathing For Labor and for
Life
Learning to breathe differently may sound difficult, but in fact, certain
breathing techniques can become second nature, given time and practice. In order
to learn therapeutic ways of breathing, however, we have to become aware of what
we are doing. Read on....
While good physical health -including healthy diet and avoiding hazards like
smoking, drugs, and irradiation - is vital to successful conception and
pregnancy, so too, is the emotional state.
Read on....
With all the advances in medicine,
doctors and their patients can learn a lot about the development
of a fetus, and one of the tools that's commonly used is
amniocentesis.
Read on....
During pregnancy, the developing
baby is protected by a fluid-filled sac called the bag of
waters, or the "membranes." This bag usually stays intact until
several hours before labor starts-or even for a while after
labor has begun-but it can burst or start leaking any time
during the pregnancy.
Read on....
After
the baby arrives
After delivery the first question
naturally is how is my baby? The second question asked by workout -
alcoholics often is "When can I begin exercising now that I’ve given
birth?"
Read on....
Defining Postpartum
Fitness Regime
Each of
the positions should be achieved by slow movements and held at a
point short of stretch pain for 15–30 seconds. Read on....
Micronutrients During Pregnancy And Lactation
Overdose
of certain vitamins, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins, can be
deleterious in pregnancy. Read on....
A Complete Body Workout for Pregnant
Women (Part-Ii)
This is the
concluding part of complete body workout for pregnant women
comprising of Lower Body workout aiming to workout the pelvic floor,
stomach , legs, hips and thighs. Read on....
A Complete Body Workout for Pregnant Women
(Part-I)
At no point in a woman's life is general fitness more important than
during pregnancy. The advantages of having a regular exercise
routine during pregnancy are almost endless. Exercising will give
you more energy, help you remain flexible and carry your baby with
ease. Read on....
Folic: The Great Protector
Folic acid
is critical to the overall synthesis, repair and protection of DNA,
the body's genetic blueprint molecules. Everyone's diet should
contain foods rich in folic acid. Read on....
Planning a Fit Pregnancy
Pregnancy
places great physical demands on the body, but the fitter you are,
the better you will be able to cope. Supple joints & groin and
buttock muscles make it easier to adopt useful position such as
squatting during labor and birth...Read on.
Pregnancy and Exercise
Pregnancy is a highly complex
physiologic state, and precautions are needed during pregnancy to
ensure that your exercise program does not contribute to
complications.
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