Women are eventually worried about their appearance when they are pregnant. Their body becomes fatter and in some women pigmentation appears in some parts of their body.

During pregnancy, especially at the beginning of third trimester, stretch marks usually appear on the tummy. This can happen due to the rapid enlargement of the uterus, then it makes the stretching of the skin of the tummy. The skin in some parts somehow loses its elasticity, and when the baby born, the skin becomes suddenly flabby, and the stretch marks don’t seem want to go from the tummy.

There are many factors that play roles in the appearance of stretch marks: heredity, change in hormones, diet, etc. Women with darker skin have the bigger chance to have stretch-marks rather than those with lighter ones.

When the stretch marks starts to “show up” on your skin, apply some treatment cream on the marks. Unfortunately, there is no exact internationally recommended treatment, some cream works for some women, are not for others. But there are many cosmetic products produced to treat their marks.

A specific treatment for stretch-marks that could completely remove the stretch-marks and return the skin to its natural color is not available till now. The various options of treatment for stretch marks that are available in the market today only provide some relief from the symptoms and do not help in the complete removal of them. Plenty of topical medications are available in the market, which are being widely used in the treatment for stretch marks. Some treatments available for stretch marks include topical medications, laser techniques, and surgical procedures.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Any_Safarodiyah

Pregnancy is when women are most beautiful, when there’s another life being nurtured inside the mother’s womb. This act of creating life, though, is not without its complications, and expectant soon-to-be mothers should do their best to keep their health in optimal condition, for their sake as well as the unborn child’s. Even the common cold can affect the pregancy. So what are the steps to take during pregnancy? Here are a few tips and suggestions.

The first step in pregnancy is to visit a doctor and have yourself examined for any possible complication, get your pap smear, blood test, the works; also make sure that you get as much information as possible to help make sure your pregnancy is being handled properly. Of course, it is best to take great care in choosing a physician, a midwife, a hostpital, and all the necessary staff in the pregnancy. Make sure that they are just as concerned for the baby as you are

Pregnancy makes it all the more important to maintain a healthy diet especially since there’s another life at stake. The intake of folic acid (necessary for embryo development and cell growth) should begin as soon as possible. Another important supplement that might be needed is iron, for healthy blood, and for the development of the bones and teeth of the baby. Do not overdose on the seafood intake as fish tend to have high levels of mercury. The recommended weight gain during pregnancy is around 25 to 30 pounds — on healthy food, of course.

As metabolism increases during pregnancy there is larger loss of water, which should be compensated by drinking more water than usual.

Exercise is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, though, of course, pregnant women shouldn’t exert extreme amounts of effort. It is best for expectant mothers without complications to work out at moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day. It is important, though, to first consult with your physician before working out.

While it’s important to keep physical health at an optimum, emotional health should also be taken into consideration. Disorders such as depression can lead to loss of appetite and weight, sluggishness, irregular sleeping habits and disturbances in motor activity, as well as an intensified presence of feelings of worthlessness, incapability, or guilt. Pregnant women are more susceptible to this, and they will need an extraordinary amount of support from peers and family. Counseling and meditation have also proven to be successful in treating this disorder. But as an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and prevention may just save your pregnancy. Introspection may help; examining your capabilities as a mother, past relationships, etc. Don’t forget to take your needs seriously. Work with your partner and don’t be shy to get professional health.

Pregnancy can be a nine month tribulation of passing gas, nausea, and heartburn. It is a period of bonding with an unborn child, wondering about your child’s purpose in life, feeling every hearbeat and kick with amazement. To avoid any later regrets, take care of your health. And enjoy life.

“In her own interest, every pregnant woman should make a habit of never entering a room without making a note of the quickest way of getting out of it and into either fresh air or a bathroom.” –Audrey Hull

Great advice Audrey!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Arnold_Livingston

Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body. During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter. Isn’t that what we all want?

Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.

Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.

Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on.

Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.

If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike. A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms.

Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Yeap

If you’re finding yourself walking into your local drug store and walking down the aisle of feminine products, trying to figure out what pregnancy test is the most accurate, you’re not alone. So many different companies have now developed tests that they claim are more effective and provide faster results. The prices range greatly, so you’re more inclined to spend more thinking that a more expensive brand will definitely be better. However, they’re all based on the same factors and chemicals. They all require you to urinate on a stick. You’d think that they’d find a better way to give a woman good news other than making her drink several glasses of water just to have the urge to use the bathroom. Perhaps someday, the drugstores will have a different type of pregnancy test. Until then, you can walk up and down the aisle and rest assured that the many manufacturers who make these tests all use the same technology. You can make the decision as to how much you want to spend on purchasing a test. Some women will spend massive amounts of money purchasing a variety of these tests, hoping that different brands will provide different answers. The facts will still remain the same – if you’re pregnant, that’s not going to change depending on a simple brand.

A home pregnancy test uses urine to detect if hormones are present, but usually, this can only be done a week or more after a missed period. If taken too soon, the hormone will not yet be at a high enough level to be detected. Some tests do state, however, that you use first morning urine, because it is more concentrated and will have the largest amount of hormones present.

Pregnancy tests are very accurate when used correctly. But, remember, they must be used at the right time of the month. Too early, and a false negative result will occur, due to the need for the pregnancy hormone to be present in a high enough quantity for the stick to measure. If the menstrual period is two weeks late, and the test is still negative, an appointment with the doctor might be indicated.

Some women are now using the online test. This test does not provide a definite yes or no answer, but it does help to determine if the woman should go to her doctor or to her local drugstore to have a real test that is official. This may seem like a waste of time to some people, but the online pregnancy test does potential mothers a great service. The online tests help women focus on the actual symptoms of pregnancy without the anticipation of a definite yes or no answer. The test helps a woman decide if she should test further.

What does a woman do when she takes a home pregnancy test and it indicates that she is pregnant. The tests are on average a dependable inexpensive way to confirm a pregnancy. They are very reasonably priced, and are very similar to the urine pregnancy tests used by physician’s offices. However most women decide to go and see their doctor to determine the next course of action. Guess what? The first thing the nurse does on her arrival is ask for another pregnancy test – no different to the one she has already taken, except that this one incurs a doctor’s fee.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Kassulke

During pregnancy your nutrition needs are going to increase. Even before becoming pregnant it is a good idea to make every effort to start eating healthy and taking a women’s multivitamin. A prenatal multivitamin is a better choice during pregnancy.

Let’s start with the recommended daily intake of food during pregnancy.

DURING PREGNANCY :

7 or more Fruits and Vegetables (3 fruits/4 vegetables)

Fruits and Vegetables high in vitamin C are the best. These include strawberries, melons, oranges, papaya, tomatoes, peppers, greens, and broccoli.

9 or more Whole Grain Products

A fortified breakfast cereal containing iron and folic acid is the best way to start each day. Enriched bread, rice, pasta, and any whole grain product are your other choices.

4 or more dairy products

Low-fat milk or non-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are the obvious choices.

60 grams of protein (two or more 2-3 ounce portions of lean meat)

Other sources of protein include eggs, nuts, dried beans, and peas. Do not eat undercooked or uncooked meat or fish. (NO SUSHI) Do not eat deli luncheon meats

PREGNANCY NUTRITION FACTS

Fish

Some fish are higher in mercury content than others. Mercury can cause problems with your growing baby’s brain and nervous system.

Fish to avoid completely:

shark
swordfish
king mackerel
golden snapper
white snapper

Fish eating limitations:
Limit your intake of fish to 12 ounces a week
Limit your intake of white tuna or tuna steak to 6 ounces a week

Safest fish to eat:
shrimp
salmon
catfish

light tuna

Weight

Calorie intake should only be increased by 300 a day during pregnancy for the average woman.
Weight gain should be around 28-40 pounds for women that are underweight at pregnancy.
Women that are overweight at pregnancy should gain only 15-25 pounds.
Weight gain should be around 2-4 pounds the first trimester and 3-4 pounds a month for the remaining time.
Excess weight gain is hard to lose after pregnancy because your body’s fat increases up to one third during pregnancy.
Breast feeding burns 500 or more calories per day making it easier to lose weight.
Consult your health care provider for your specific healthy weight gain.

Vitamins and Minerals

Check the RDA chart for your needs during pregnancy.

Folic Acid is a special concern because a deficiency can lead to neural tube birth defects. Your multivitamin should contain 400 mcg of folic acid. Birth defects happen before you even know you’re pregnant so always take a multivitamin with folic acid during child bearing age.

Vitamin C taken in doses over 500 mg/d can lead to your baby being born dependent on large quantities of vitamin C.

Iron is also of special concern because the average American diet does not provide enough iron during pregnancy. If your prenatal multivitamin does not contain enough iron your doctor will prescribe an additional supplement. Iron is needed for you and the baby to have healthy teeth, bones, and blood.

Water is often overlooked during pregnancy but it is vital for you and your baby. It carries the nutrients from your body to the baby and it helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, swelling and urinary tract infection. A minimum of 6 eight ounce glasses a day is required. Juice can count toward your 6 glasses but be careful of the added calories. Any drink containing caffeine actually reduces the fluid in your body and cannot count towards your 6 glasses.

Calcium is needed by you and the baby for strong teeth and bones. During pregnancy you need 1,000 mg/d and 1,300 mg/d if you are less than 18 years old.

Alcohol Consumption

There is no safe time or amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. No alcohol is the only way to insure the health of your baby. Alcohol you drink goes to your baby through the umbilical cord. Alcohol affects the baby’s growth, the baby’s brain, and can cause birth defects. These effects will remain with your unborn child for his/her entire life. FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) is the name given to anyone affected by their mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Problems learning, memory retention, and hearing are just a few things that alcohol can do to your child.

Caffeine

Caffeine in large quantities can lead to low weight babies. It also reduces the amount of vital water in your body. Although not yet proven, some studies suggest that it may harm the fetus. While not as dangerous as alcohol it should still be avoided.

Diabetics

Diabetics can have perfectly normal babies like every other woman. There are a just a few things you need to be careful of.
1. Keep your blood sugar under control for a minimum of 3 months before becoming pregnant.
2. Make sure you get enough folic acid at all times during your child bearing years (400 mcg/d).
3. Don’t let your blood sugar get too high during pregnancy. This can lead to birth defects or your baby having blood sugar level problems

Ways To Control Morning Sickness

*Eat 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones

*Don’t go without eating for long periods of time

*Don’t drink fluids with your meals

*Don’t eat greasy, spicy, or fried foods

*Avoid unpleasant smells

*Don’t get over tired

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Keller ]]> http://www.mrbabbie.net/18/womens-health-pregnancy-nutrition-is-for-all-women-of-child-bearing-age/feed 1