Nutrition during pregnancy is the key to a healthy baby and stronger body, but this fact has been glossed over by advertising that undermines your common sense. If you watch TV, one commercial entices your appetite to eat more. The next commercial elaborates on your weight gain and promises that by eating their food you'll become slim. The next ad tells you how depressed you are and by taking their drug, you'll feel much better. Are you letting your mind be programmed by a continuous cycle of contradictions or do you make your choices based on what a healthy body and baby needs?
Packaging of food for retail sales in some part of the world includes the basic nutritional value of the item. You can read the label and see how much fat, protein, carbohydrates, sugar and calories are per serving before you purchase. When there are more fat grams than protein grams, that would not be an optimum protein choice for you and your baby. Processed sugar is another ingredient that your body does not need during pregnancy. Empty calories have no nutritional value and when you make better choices of food, you're in control of your body and the health of your baby.
You know how certain foods make you feel when you eat them. When was the last time you ate something that made you bloated or your stomach became upset afterwards? Did it give you gas? Do you realize that your body is telling you that you could be allergic to one of the foods you just swallowed or maybe that combination was not a good choice for your baby?
Digestion is a very complex process and the less things you combine at the same time the more effectively your body will nourish and repair. Through experimentation, I found that if I properly combine foods by not eating carbohydrates and protein at the same meal my digestion works much more efficiently and I'm not bloated and tired after eating. One meal consists of pasta and veggies and the next meal will be protein and veggies.
Your body tells you when something isn't right and your common sense will alert you to issues before complications arise. I found cheese to be clogging my digestive track with all the fat that it contains. My system functions better when I don't eat it. Think of the person who is lactose intolerant and still drinks milk. Anyone that's not getting sound sleep and still drinks coffee. Eating strawberries or tomatoes and they break out in hives. These indicators make you aware that elimination of that item is the better choice for you.
If you're wondering how your baby is doing at this very moment, you can do a basic scan test to find out. See your doctor for a scan text. you ca also have a pH test at home. Contact your local pharmacist for your pH test kit. In the morning during your second bathroom visit, put the pH strip in your urine flow and see what color it turns. Do this for a couple days to make sure the results are accurate. When your internal body is balanced, the strip will turn green. You'll notice on the scale that yellow is at one extreme. That's when the body is too acidic and that's where cancer likes to live. The other extreme is purple, if you're too alkaline.
If you're acidic, take the time to write down what foods and beverages you consume and use the Internet for research or make an appointment with a nutritionist for guidance. Exchange those acidic foods and beverages for more alkaline choices. In most cases, when you add more fruits and veggies to your daily food intake you'll become more alkaline. By maintaining your pH in the green zone, you'll notice that you do feel better because your body is getting the proper nourishment you need during your pregnancy.
All factors considered, your health and that of your baby is most valuable asset. You determine that by what you eat and drink, along with sound sleep and exercise. Your skin, hair, eyes and tongue are obvious indicators of how healthy you and your baby are and your mood and attitude can fluctuate by what foods and beverages you digest. How all this relates to your total health picture is determined by your daily choices. Think about your choices, it does make a difference during this period.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Swaddling 'ways you can go about it
What is Swaddling?
Swaddling is an ancient tradition of wrapping baby securely in her blanket. This can help her feel safe and secure as she begins to adjust to all of the new experiences around her and especially her new environment.
Why Swaddle?
First and foremost as your baby’s caregiver you want her to feel safe and secure. However, there are also many other reasons why you might try swaddling her. You might try swaddling your baby if she is having trouble sleeping and becomes easily startled. Or if you believe that her own muscle movements may wake her.
Also if your baby seems uncomfortable for no obvious reason swaddling may be a good idea. And sometimes babies don’t like to feel their arms and legs freely moving, and would really enjoy the nice snug feeling of being hugged by their blanket.
Some tips about Swaddling to Remember:
Swaddling is typically only effective for the first few weeks after birth. After your baby reaches about one month old, swaddling can restrict your baby’s motor development.
In an especially warm room do not swaddle your baby as overheating has been shown as a SIDS risk factor.
Swaddling should be snug and secure, not loosely wrapped. You want your baby to feel cuddle by her blanket.
And of course, if your baby doesn’t enjoy being swaddled, that is absolutely okay. All babies are unique and special. It is important to take the cues from your baby on what she likes best.
How-to Swaddle your baby in 7 easy steps:
1. Lay your baby’s blanket on a flat surface.
2. Then fold one corner of the blanket.
3. Next, place your baby in the middle of the fold with her head just above the edge of the blanket.
4. Take the right corner of your blanket and gently wrap over baby’s arm and tuck securely into the opposite side.
5. Then take the bottom and fold upward to cover baby’s feet and legs.
6. Take the left corner of blanket and gently wrap over baby’s arm, tucking it around the opposite side as far under baby’s back as it will go.
7. Keeping your little bundle snugly wrapped, pick her up and give a little kiss and hug.
Also:
If your baby wiggles her arms out of your nice snug swaddle while she sleeps. You may find that your baby does not enjoy having her arms confined. If this is the case, try keeping her arms outside of the blanket when you wrap her.
Swaddling is an ancient tradition of wrapping baby securely in her blanket. This can help her feel safe and secure as she begins to adjust to all of the new experiences around her and especially her new environment.
Why Swaddle?
First and foremost as your baby’s caregiver you want her to feel safe and secure. However, there are also many other reasons why you might try swaddling her. You might try swaddling your baby if she is having trouble sleeping and becomes easily startled. Or if you believe that her own muscle movements may wake her.
Also if your baby seems uncomfortable for no obvious reason swaddling may be a good idea. And sometimes babies don’t like to feel their arms and legs freely moving, and would really enjoy the nice snug feeling of being hugged by their blanket.
Some tips about Swaddling to Remember:
Swaddling is typically only effective for the first few weeks after birth. After your baby reaches about one month old, swaddling can restrict your baby’s motor development.
In an especially warm room do not swaddle your baby as overheating has been shown as a SIDS risk factor.
Swaddling should be snug and secure, not loosely wrapped. You want your baby to feel cuddle by her blanket.
And of course, if your baby doesn’t enjoy being swaddled, that is absolutely okay. All babies are unique and special. It is important to take the cues from your baby on what she likes best.
How-to Swaddle your baby in 7 easy steps:
1. Lay your baby’s blanket on a flat surface.
2. Then fold one corner of the blanket.
3. Next, place your baby in the middle of the fold with her head just above the edge of the blanket.
4. Take the right corner of your blanket and gently wrap over baby’s arm and tuck securely into the opposite side.
5. Then take the bottom and fold upward to cover baby’s feet and legs.
6. Take the left corner of blanket and gently wrap over baby’s arm, tucking it around the opposite side as far under baby’s back as it will go.
7. Keeping your little bundle snugly wrapped, pick her up and give a little kiss and hug.
Also:
If your baby wiggles her arms out of your nice snug swaddle while she sleeps. You may find that your baby does not enjoy having her arms confined. If this is the case, try keeping her arms outside of the blanket when you wrap her.
Questions to ask your doctor during pregnancy
At what facilities do you have privileges?
Be sure to interview each facility just as much as you interviewed your doctor or midwife prior to selecting them to help you during the birth of your baby. Ask each hospital lots of question during your interview.
What tests or procedures do you normally recommend in pregnancy?
Every practitioner probably has a slightly different offering of tests. From to Stress Amniocentesisests, your midwife or doctor should explain each throughly to you.
What pregnancy books do you recommend I read?
No matter what they say, here are my recommendations for pregnancy books. I love to read!
What do you recommend for normal pregnancy aches and pains?
There are many common discomforts associated with pregnancy. Many of these can be eased without medications. See Pregnancy Remedy Index.
Who are your back up practitioners? When might I see them? Can I meet them before the birth?
Knowing the possibilities, even if remote, can make you feel more at ease. Don't hesitate to meet them even if just to say hello.
Do you recommend any certain childbirth classes?
There are lots of choices available to consumers when it comes to childbirth classes. Do you go to classes that your friends took? Should you take hospital based classes? Find out what options are available in your community and who your practitioner or your friends recommend.
Do you routinely use interventions in labor or do you wait to see if they are needed?
Routine use of interventions in labor has not been shown to be beneficial. Informed consent is a must for each intervention proposed.
At what point to you talk about the artificial induction of labor?
Induction of labor is used when medically indicated that your baby is safer on the outside than on the inside. Unfortunately, social induction, or inducing labor with no medical reason has become popular. While there are many theories on why, be sure to talk to your practitioner about using induction wisely.
Which doulas have you worked with? Who would you recommend?
Using a professional doula has been shown to decrease the rates of many interventions.
What are your vaginal birth rates? For first time moms? For moms who have had babies before? For moms who have had previous cesarean births?
Ask questions about the likelihood of you having a normal birth. Ask early and often. Let your doctor or midwife know you're committed to having a normal birth.
Be sure to interview each facility just as much as you interviewed your doctor or midwife prior to selecting them to help you during the birth of your baby. Ask each hospital lots of question during your interview.
What tests or procedures do you normally recommend in pregnancy?
Every practitioner probably has a slightly different offering of tests. From to Stress Amniocentesisests, your midwife or doctor should explain each throughly to you.
What pregnancy books do you recommend I read?
No matter what they say, here are my recommendations for pregnancy books. I love to read!
What do you recommend for normal pregnancy aches and pains?
There are many common discomforts associated with pregnancy. Many of these can be eased without medications. See Pregnancy Remedy Index.
Who are your back up practitioners? When might I see them? Can I meet them before the birth?
Knowing the possibilities, even if remote, can make you feel more at ease. Don't hesitate to meet them even if just to say hello.
Do you recommend any certain childbirth classes?
There are lots of choices available to consumers when it comes to childbirth classes. Do you go to classes that your friends took? Should you take hospital based classes? Find out what options are available in your community and who your practitioner or your friends recommend.
Do you routinely use interventions in labor or do you wait to see if they are needed?
Routine use of interventions in labor has not been shown to be beneficial. Informed consent is a must for each intervention proposed.
At what point to you talk about the artificial induction of labor?
Induction of labor is used when medically indicated that your baby is safer on the outside than on the inside. Unfortunately, social induction, or inducing labor with no medical reason has become popular. While there are many theories on why, be sure to talk to your practitioner about using induction wisely.
Which doulas have you worked with? Who would you recommend?
Using a professional doula has been shown to decrease the rates of many interventions.
What are your vaginal birth rates? For first time moms? For moms who have had babies before? For moms who have had previous cesarean births?
Ask questions about the likelihood of you having a normal birth. Ask early and often. Let your doctor or midwife know you're committed to having a normal birth.
prenatal care
Antenatal care is something that everywoman needs during pregnancy but not something that everywoman has access to. It's quite true that in theory everywoman is able to get some type of antenatal care. Theory states that everyone either has access to antenatal care through their insurance plan at work, or they can purchase insurance separately. Unfortunately theory is not always a reality for most. Many are able to choose a antenatal care program at work, if they work enough hours to qualify for it. Those who do not qualify cannot always afford the option of seeing a good doctor or a midwife instead they cant choose their antenatal care centre because the premiums tend to be astronomical. Then there is also the issue of securing antenatal care for those who got pregnant at an elderly stage and for dependents such young ladies or even teenagers.
It seems that something such as antenatal care should be available for every pregnant woman. After all they all needs the attention of a qualified doctor during this period. When someone who doesn't have healthcare gets sick they tend to wait it out to see if it's serious enough to justify paying a ton of money to see a doctor. This of course leads to them loosing the baby and allowing them to get extremely ill which takes them even longer to recover. once they cannot get a correct medical attention for themselves and their babies. When the lack of antenatal care available to many is viewed in these terms it is easy to see how this dilemma affects everyone as a whole and not just those who can afford healthcare.
Because of such trends as those described above, other countries have recognized the need for such antenatal care and as a result have implemented programs that are specifically designed so that every pregnant woman has access to the medical attention they need. Some argue that there are many programs and organizations that offer free healthcare services to those who doesn't qualify for it or simply can't afford it. It seems that such a service should solve the ongoing issue of lack of prenatal care, but in reality it doesn't. Such services are met by such a magnitude of individuals looking for free qualified medical help that the organizations that provide such services find that they can't quite keep up with the demand. antenatalcare is something that everywoman has to deal with.
For those individuals who have access to antenatacare, they find they have a continual fight with caring for the baby in terms of money afterbath. Unfortunately until some steps are taken to resolve this recurring problem those who have no choice but to go without the proper antenatalcare will have to continue to endure until a solution is found.
It seems that something such as antenatal care should be available for every pregnant woman. After all they all needs the attention of a qualified doctor during this period. When someone who doesn't have healthcare gets sick they tend to wait it out to see if it's serious enough to justify paying a ton of money to see a doctor. This of course leads to them loosing the baby and allowing them to get extremely ill which takes them even longer to recover. once they cannot get a correct medical attention for themselves and their babies. When the lack of antenatal care available to many is viewed in these terms it is easy to see how this dilemma affects everyone as a whole and not just those who can afford healthcare.
Because of such trends as those described above, other countries have recognized the need for such antenatal care and as a result have implemented programs that are specifically designed so that every pregnant woman has access to the medical attention they need. Some argue that there are many programs and organizations that offer free healthcare services to those who doesn't qualify for it or simply can't afford it. It seems that such a service should solve the ongoing issue of lack of prenatal care, but in reality it doesn't. Such services are met by such a magnitude of individuals looking for free qualified medical help that the organizations that provide such services find that they can't quite keep up with the demand. antenatalcare is something that everywoman has to deal with.
For those individuals who have access to antenatacare, they find they have a continual fight with caring for the baby in terms of money afterbath. Unfortunately until some steps are taken to resolve this recurring problem those who have no choice but to go without the proper antenatalcare will have to continue to endure until a solution is found.
Contraceptive Ring
The NuvaRing is a small, plastic contraceptive ring which is inserted into the vagina and left in place for a duration of three weeks. The ring releases a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin into the body in order to prevent conception. Organon USA, the manufacturer of the birth control ring, has marketed the device as an alternative to the Ortho Evra patch, which may be linked to a number of serious and potentially deadly side effects.
However, studies have found that users of the NuvaRing may also face dangerous health risks. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine and a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic both concluded that women who use the NuvaRing may face double the risk of blood clots compared with birth control pills. The findings of these studies have been corroborated by additional research in Great Britain and New Zealand.
Because of this increased blood clot risk, NuvaRing users may also be at an increased risk of other serious conditions, including heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms. Studies have found that NuvaRing users are twice as likely to suffer a fatal pulmonary embolism as with other types of birth control.
The reason for the increased blood clot risk observed with the NuvaRing may lie in the type of hormones used by the birth control ring. The type of progestin used in the NuvaRing and other "third generation" contraceptives has been linked to an increased risk of blood clots compared with the hormones used in older, "second generation" contraceptives.
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban all third generation contraceptives that contain the type of hormones used in the NuvaRing. The group says that although these products may increase a woman's risk of blood clots and other serious side effects, they contain no additional contraceptive benefits.
Dozens of women who have been injured after using the NuvaRing have filed lawsuits against Organon. These lawsuits have alleged that the birth control ring caused the women to develop blood clots and other serious side effects. They also allege that Organon falsely marketed the NuvaRing as a safe alternative to the Ortho Evra patch. Legal experts believe that dozens of additional NuvaRing lawsuits could be filed by early 2008.
Although no verdicts have been reached in the NuvaRing lawsuits which have been filed so far, attorneys representing the women who filed them say that they are pleased with the effects they have already had. Organon USA has already been forced to update the warning label on the NuvaRing in order to alert women of the increased side effects risk they may face by using the device.
However, studies have found that users of the NuvaRing may also face dangerous health risks. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine and a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic both concluded that women who use the NuvaRing may face double the risk of blood clots compared with birth control pills. The findings of these studies have been corroborated by additional research in Great Britain and New Zealand.
Because of this increased blood clot risk, NuvaRing users may also be at an increased risk of other serious conditions, including heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms. Studies have found that NuvaRing users are twice as likely to suffer a fatal pulmonary embolism as with other types of birth control.
The reason for the increased blood clot risk observed with the NuvaRing may lie in the type of hormones used by the birth control ring. The type of progestin used in the NuvaRing and other "third generation" contraceptives has been linked to an increased risk of blood clots compared with the hormones used in older, "second generation" contraceptives.
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban all third generation contraceptives that contain the type of hormones used in the NuvaRing. The group says that although these products may increase a woman's risk of blood clots and other serious side effects, they contain no additional contraceptive benefits.
Dozens of women who have been injured after using the NuvaRing have filed lawsuits against Organon. These lawsuits have alleged that the birth control ring caused the women to develop blood clots and other serious side effects. They also allege that Organon falsely marketed the NuvaRing as a safe alternative to the Ortho Evra patch. Legal experts believe that dozens of additional NuvaRing lawsuits could be filed by early 2008.
Although no verdicts have been reached in the NuvaRing lawsuits which have been filed so far, attorneys representing the women who filed them say that they are pleased with the effects they have already had. Organon USA has already been forced to update the warning label on the NuvaRing in order to alert women of the increased side effects risk they may face by using the device.
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