Blood Tests Highlight Potential Problems in Pregnancy

Blood tests are part of antenatal care and they need to be administered in order to monitor the health of baby and mother. The blood tests will check the Rh status, your blood type and the antibody screening. Blood type is checked in order to know the potential risk of bloods mix up.

One of the tests that are conducted primarily is of CBC which means complete blood count. This test helps in knowing the level of hemoglobin and platelet count. This helps in measuring the risk of anemia. It must be identified so that the condition of anemia can be improved by eating diet rich in iron or by taking supplements. Why the count of platelet is important to know? The reason is that women lose half a liter of her blood at the time of delivery. The count of platelet helps in knowing the ability of the blood to clot. Urine screening is also part of routine blood tests during pregnancy and is performed in order to know about the urinary tract infections which are more commonly known as UTIs. Sometimes, urine tests also help in noticing other abnormalities like excess of sugar and protein. Why they are important? This is because UTIs may lead to kidney infections.

Spotting during pregnancy is often noticed by many of the pregnant women and especially in their early trimesters. It is normal in the first trimester and is usually light and goes away at the start of the second trimester. Spotting during pregnancy first trimester could be dangerous if it is not light or normal but heavy and active. This may lead to miscarriage. Ectopic pregnancies are one of the causes of bleeding during pregnancy. In such pregnancies, baby starts growing outside of uterus and most likely in the fallopian tubes. If blood tests are done regularly then the complication indicated by spotting like, miscarriage can be prevented.

Pregnancy diet is the key factor in handling all of the pregnancy risks or complications. Why this is so? The reason is that pregnancy diet is counted as a cause of many complications in most of the cases. Along with routine blood tests, diet during pregnancy must also be improved so that health pregnancy can be ensured. When a woman conceives, she certainly needs more proteins, calories, folic acid and many more nutrients and minerals. Transition to nutritious meals is a healthy step and you can seek the advice of your midwife regarding diet plan of pregnancy.

Hence, blood tests during pregnancy help in averting many of the health risks which are often associated with pregnancy. They highlight potential problems of pregnancy on time so that timely measures can be adopted.

Role of Prenatal Supplement in Pregnancy Diet

Prenatal supplement includes all of the essential vitamins and minerals that are required to be taken during pregnancy. Ideally, expecting mother is required to fulfill all her nutritional needs but it could not be possible by just relying on eating healthy foods but you need to take supplements.

In the pregnancy diet, make sure that the vitamins you are taking in contain folic acid as well. For about 600micrograms of is required during pregnancy. If it is being ignored than neural tube defects would be the ultimate outcome. Another vital nutrient that medical researchers suggest for having in diet during pregnancy is choline. The required dosage must be 450 mg in daily consumption. Most of the prenatal vitamins do not contain choline so make sure it is being present inside. In the later stages of pregnancy, your requirement of iron and calcium may arise. They must be continued throughout pregnancy. If you are suffering from any of the medical condition like diabetes, anemia, high blood pressure then do consult your midwife regarding.  Dietitian who is registered can help you out in making the right diet plan that suits to your body requirements.

Low birth weight babies could be the possible outcome if compromise is being made on the pregnancy diet. What are the other causes of low birth weight baby? Premature birth which means baby growth is incomplete at the time of delivery. Multiple pregnancies or mother expecting twins or triplets is another cause. The reason is that they often born earlier as they do not find much space in uterus to grow further. Low birth weight babies could be inherited as well like some illness and disabilities. What to do in order to improve the health of the baby? Keep baby’s growth and developmental checks. Breast feeding is one of the best ways in order to keep baby away from any of the chronic diseases. Nutritious diet can also help baby to grow properly.

A part from diet and low birth weight baby, nausea during pregnancy is common. It is not harmful and will go off as the second trimester of the pregnancy starts. Is nausea dangerous? No it is not as it is a good sign that the hormonal level is high and supporting the growth of the baby. How to stop nausea during pregnancy? Ginger tea is effective against morning sickness. Try to have drinks of peppermint as it helps in reducing nausea feel. Herbal remedies could also work for you like having lemon tea, and chamomile tea.

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Pregnancy: Blessing or Complication?

We can’t categorize either pregnancy is blessing or complication. The reason is that it is blessing for those moms who conceived by trying a lot of conceiving methods. It is complicated because fourty weeks of pregnancy come with a lot of risks factors ad each women has to go through them.

Skin changes during pregnancy brought a glow on the face. It is a common perception that when a woman gets pregnant, there comes a glow on her face. This is not only the perception but in real it happens. Biologically, there is an increase in blood volume and blood vessels as well which brought a glow on the face. Stretch marks are also common in the pregnant women. The pinkish and reddish veins would be appearing on the abdominal area and on breast as well. For about ninety percent of the pregnant women experience such stretch marks. Exercising and apply lotions which are with vitamin E and hydoxy acids helps in preventing from this condition.  Pregnancy mask is another skin change in pregnancy from which a pregnant woman goes through. Dark spot s forms on the face cheeks nose and chin area.

Spotting during pregnancy is another complication of the pregnancy if it gets severe. Spotting in normal causes is not alarming or risky as placental implantation takes its place that is the reason why most of the pregnant women bleeds in fourth and fifth week of pregnancy or first trimester. If there is light spotting during pregnancy then it is normal but if bleeding is heavy then may lead to the chances of miscarriage as well. According to an estimate for about twenty to thirty percent of the pregnancies are complicated by vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.

You can keep your pregnancy healthy and without any complication if you keep habit of balanced diet. Folic acid is considered to be one of the main ingredients of the pregnancy diet. What is the reason behind? Actually folic acid during pregnancy helps in preventing from the neural tube defects. According to the statistics of Center of Disease Control and Prevention for about 3000 infants born yearly are with the neural tube defects. The defects encircles: spina bifida and anencephaly. In such conditions, brain would not be formed properly and thus its functioning would also get disturbed. How much folic acid during pregnancy? For about 400 to 600 micrograms of folic acid is sufficient to conceive a healthy baby.

So, we come to the conclusion that pregnancy is blessing and complication both. You can deal with the complications in a much better way.    

Pregnancy Issues and Advice for Expecting Mothers

If you are one of expecting mothers then you might be dealing with certain pregnancy issues like spotting, heartburn, skin changes and many more. How to deal with these issues and what would be the best possible way for treating must be your concern.

Lets starts with the skin changes during pregnancy, when a woman conceives, her skin starts glowing and this glow is being observed by everyone. You might know regarding this glow but this is not a myth but in fact it contains medical logic as well. Fifty percent of the blood gets increased in the pregnant women leading to redness on face. Also, the oil glands of the skin secret oils which add shine to your face as well. Apart from that shine, another skin change in pregnancy is pregnancy mask that is being observed in most of the pregnant women. The mask appears in the second trimester. The patches of brown and yellow color appear on the face known as chloasma. They may appear on cheeks upper area, nose, and chin. Why this is so? The pregnancy hormones like progesterone and estrogen activate the melanin cells to start secreting the extra pigment which scattered over the skin. It cannot be prevented but yes its intensity can be controlled by avoiding exposure to sunlight.     

Spotting during pregnancy is another major pregnancy issue. Spotting or light bleeding is not a sign of problem but yes it might be if a pregnant woman bleeds heavily. In the first trimester, bleeding or spotting is quite normal or natural. The reason is that placental implantation takes its place due to which light spotting during pregnancy is being noticed in most of the pregnant women. If bleeding proceeds from light to heavy then it is not normal and you need to consult your midwife regarding.  

Apart from spotting and skin issues, birth defects are also common in those women who are deficient of folic acid. Why there is a need of folic acid during pregnancy? The reason is that it prevents from the neural tube defects (NTDs) which are actually the defects of spinal cord and brain. These defects develop in the first trimester. How much folic acid during pregnancy? It is being recommended to take 600mg of folic acid in a day during pregnancy. This will help in keeping the danger or risk of NTDs away. Intake of folic acid during pregnancy also helps in formation of red blood cells and that is the reason why it also helps in keeping away the risk of anemia. 

How to Avoid Pregnancy Complications?

Pregnancy gets complicated either due to poor diet or due to bad lifestyle habits like, smoking, drinking alcohol, caffeine etc. If these are avoided a great number of your worries would end up by their own.

When a woman gets pregnant, there are many changes that are being noticed and one of them is of skin changes. The pregnancy glow is being one of the skin changes during pregnancy and noticed on the face of the woman who gets pregnant. The increased volume in blood leads to glow on the skin. Also, there is a secretion of oil from oil glands which leads to waxy shine on your face. Along with this skin changes in pregnancy also includes eruption of acne, pregnancy mask appearance on the face. You might find pregnancy mask on your face and this is especially prominent in the second trimester. Brownish patches starts appearing on the face which is named as chloasma. This can appear anywhere on your face but most commonly on upper cheeks of face, nose, chin, and forehead. Sometimes during pregnancy, you might come across with the issue of acne. So, you need to keep your skin clean.

Bleeding or spotting during pregnancy is common in the first trimester. Actually in the first half of the pregnancy, placental implantation takes place due to which embryo get implanted inside the womb. Try to avoid wearing tampon, and do not insert anything into vagina. Also, avoid sexual intercourse while you suffer from the issue of bleeding. In order to go for proper treatment, you need to measure in which quantity you bleed. Light spotting during pregnancy is not harmful as it is quite natural especially in the first trimester. If spotting increased from light to heavy then you need to consult your midwife.    

Folic acid during pregnancy is necessary so that pregnant women do not get anemic and can stay away from health complications.  Neural tube defects (NTDs) can be prevented if folic acid is being taken in routine diet. The NTDs defects are relevant with the birth defects which are associated with spinal cord and brain. How much folic acid during pregnancy? The medical experts suggest that to take 400mcg of folic acid each day. It keeps the risks of the NTDs away from fetus. The US National Institute of Health suggests folic acid for up to 600 mcg in a day. When there comes in the need of extra folic acid? The need of extra folic acid arises in obese pregnant women. This is because they are naturally with tube defects and needs folic acid in more quantities.

 

Why Heartburn and Vomiting Is Felt In Pregnancy?

Heartburn and vomiting are tow common complaints of the pregnant women as they are common in the first trimester. They can be treated with the help of simple remedies.

Heartburn condition develops when the acid indigestion occurs due to imbalance of progesterone hormone. This hormone slows down the wavelike contractions of intestines and esophagus and develops heartburn during pregnancy. Also, heartburn could be generated by the later stages of the pregnancy. The reason is that baby occupies the major space of the abdomen and pushes the acids of the stomach into the esophagus. What to do in order to avoid heartburn? Heartburn relief during pregnancy can be achieved by simply making some changes in your diet plans. Try having smaller meals as this will help in digestion of the food more easily. Chew gum after having meal as salivary glands produce saliva which neutralizes the acid. Drink ten to twelve glasses of water in daily routine. Avoid the usage of the alcohol and smoking as this may lead to heartburn during pregnancy.

Vomiting during pregnancy is common and according to estimates for about 70 percent of the women gets mild to moderate symptoms of vomiting in the first trimester. All these symptoms go away when a pregnant woman reaches to fourth month of the pregnancy. Weight loss and dehydration are the two common issues faced by the pregnant women when they are having vomits. Is there any hormone involve? The hCG, estrogen and progesterone hormones are involved for generating the symptoms of vomiting. How to stop vomiting during pregnancy? Eat dry peach or citrus fruits as they will help to overcome the issue of vomiting. Non ripe mangoes can also be used for treating vomiting. Also, by eating dry crackers in the morning helps in eliminating the vomiting feel in the morning.

How age affects pregnancy and its related issues? Age certainly has its own advantages and disadvantages during pregnancy. Fertility issues are more dominant in the women with the age more than 30. Heartburn and vomiting issues are equally faced by all mothers. Older mothers are with more of the pregnancy issues, they have just reduced amount of follicles in the ovaries which are functioning. Reproductive organs problems are common in the old age mothers like poly cystic ovary syndrome and Chlamydia.       

Thus, we lead to the conclusion that heartburn and vomiting is mostly felt due to the hormonal changes of the body. No matter, in which age you conceive but the fact is that heartburn and vomiting during pregnancy are common and especially in the first trimester.   

 

 

 

 

How to Deal with Pregnancy Health Issues?

Pregnancy brought a lot of health issues some are mild and some get chronic if they are ignored at their mild stage. Anemia, bleeding and Braxton hicks contractions are some of the major health concerns of the pregnant women.

Firstly, we will discuss anemia and then what to do in order to avoid being anemic during the pregnancy. Anemia during pregnancy develops when there is a deficiency of red blood cells. Why red blood cells get deficient? When a woman gets pregnant for about fifty percent of her blood get increased as according to the medical studies. Unfortunately, most of the females are not having iron in sufficient stores inside their bodies and they get anemic in the very start of the pregnancy. The common signs of being anemic are tiredness, dizzy feel and weakness. It can be deal well if daily thirty milligram of iron is being inducted into the body via diet rich of iron and through the iron supplements.

Secondly, bleeding during pregnancy cannot be ignored as in most of the cases it becomes chronic if ignored. One of the main outcomes that are being noticed is the miscarriage. Is bleeding during pregnancy normal? If bleeding proceeds from light to heavy quantities then it can be sign of threatened or completed miscarriage. In such types there might be the infection in the urinary tract. Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy could be due to use of drugs or medications or becoming dehydrated. How to deal with bleeding? You can deal with it by consulting a doctor when you notice an increase in bleeding quantities. Avoid trying anything at home like usage of tampon and any insertion in the vagina.

Thirdly, Braxton hicks contractions are mostly a concern for a pregnant women but it is without any healthy issues most of the times. These are quite normal and mostly erupt in the second and the third trimester when the movements of the baby starts. Braxton hicks contractions feels like pain and cause discomfort. Although they stay just for thirty seconds to a minute or two but if they become frequent which means four contractions in a hour then it is not normal. They can go off by simply remedies like walking, having a relaxed sleep, drinking plenty of water. Sometimes dehydration can cause the muscles of the uterus to contract.

All in all, anemia, bleeding and Braxton hicks contractions can better be deal by just simple remedies. But in severe cases of bleeding, and anemia there is a need of midwife.    

Heartburn during Pregnancy: Is it Harmful?

Heartburn during pregnancy is not harmful if it is mild and it is quite normal during the first trimester. You will feel like burning sensation in your chest area.

Heartburn is an acid reflux or acid indigestion which initiates from bottom of the breast bone up to throat lower area.  Heartburn during pregnancy occurs when a pregnant women releases hormone named progesterone which relaxes the uterus muscles along with esophagus valve. This in turn helps the acid to back up and causes the burning sensation. We can’t say that heartburn is more prominent in first or second or even the third trimester as these remains until baby born. There is no need to get tensed over the issue but yes, if you are suffering from severe heartburn during pregnancy. In this type, the health of the fetus comes at risk.

What are the causes of the heartburn during pregnancy? More prominently, the hormone named progesterone is responsible for causing heartburn. Indigestion occurs when the food you eat is acidic and travels up to your mouth. Smoking is one of the major causes of heartburn. The reason is that it contains tar, lead etc. which are not good enough for the lungs and may cause breathing problems in fetus. Along with smoking alcohol and caffeine needs to be avoided as they are also the cause of heartburn during pregnancy.

For heartburn relief during pregnancy try certain measures. Avoid usage of citrus fruits which are acidic in their nature. Eat small meals after an hour or two. Avoid big meals as this way gastrointestinal issue can be controlled. Take time in eating and chewing of food and chew thoroughly. Avoid drinking water or other beverages while having a meal. Avoid eating when your bed time is near. Try to elevate your upper body part with the help of the pillows this will help in controlling the acids of the stomach. Don’t try t wear tight fitting cloth and especially around the tummy r waist area. Avoid the habit of smoking for heartburn relief during pregnancy as smoke contains tar, lead, carbon monoxide which when inhaled may cause harm to the fetus.

So, heartburn during pregnancy can be controlled by just following the precautionary measures. You can use home based remedies but it is better to adopt the given measures as well. Do consult doctor or your nearby health practitioner if you are suffering from severe heartburn during pregnancy. If you ignore then most probably thee are chances that your digestive tract get damaged badly. Over the counter medication can also be helpful in this

How to Control Bleeding During Pregnancy?

According to the estimates of American Pregnancy Association, the woman might experiences bleeding during the time of pregnancy for up to thirty percent.

What are the reasons of bleeding during pregnancy? This must be the very next question when you start bleeding during pregnancy. There are number of reasons as during the first half of the pregnancy the reason might be implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus lining. If bleeding starts in the second half, then it could be more serious as it might be due to placental complication.

Is it normal to bleed in pregnancy? No it is not. If you comes through any of such condition do call your health practitioner and ask for the ways of controlling it. The vaginal bleeding during pregnancy of first trimester might not be that much dangerous. It may vary from light to heavy bleeding. If you are bleeding then it could be one of the sign of the miscarriage. But on the other hand the chances are rare and according to an estimate about half of the pregnant women who bleed do not get miscarriage. Is it normal to bleed in pregnancy is also answered by medical studies. Approximately, the estimates of the medical studies say that 15 to 20 percent of the pregnancies end at miscarriages due to bleeding. This is more common in the first twenty weeks.  

To get the answer of is bleeding during pregnancy normal? You need to go through some of the steps. They are required to analyze the quantity of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. Firstly, place the pad with a panty this will help in knowing the quantity of bleeding. Do check the pad on hourly basis in order to determine bleeding level. Also, do check other symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and fatigue.  You can ask, is bleeding during pregnancy normal from obstetrician. Call your obstetrician when you feel the situation is out of your control. Let him or her know what are the signs and the symptoms. Along with that, the reasons are also important to bring into the notice.

Bleeding during pregnancy must be noticed and must not be left unattended. Instead of treating yourself with home based remedies it is better to go to the gynecologist for getting the right piece of advice. The light bleeding during pregnancy usually experienced in the start of the pregnancy this is usually occurs because the fetus is getting attached to the uterus wall lining. Doctors do check HCG levels and usually the amount get doubled after every two days. If the level of HCG is low then it might increase the chances of miscarriage. So, do look out for the bleeding quantities and the HCG level present in the blood.

 

 

 

Is Braxton Hicks Contractions Serious?

Braxton hicks contraction is a type of false labor pain that occurs when the real labor pain do not begins. They are normal enough and you are not required to get panic for these contractions.

What are Braxton hicks contractions? This might be the question in order to understand the concept. The Braxton hicks is not real labor pain but they often are experienced when the pregnant women in actual is not going through the real labor pains. They are observed commonly or feel in the early second trimester of the pregnancy. Braxton hicks contractions is a condition in which the tightening in the abdomen area is being felt which often comes and goes. These contractions are often not that much painful and may occur on regular intervals. They will not increase with walking as most of the women might think of.

One of the main things in this regard is that women often get confused that either they are going through true labor pain or not. So in order to know exactly what is Braxton hicks you need to know the difference. In false labor pains, they are irregular and do not get closer. They contractions of labor pain are regular and usually it might last up to thirty to seventy seconds. With the time going through the Braxton hicks contractions feel like different in each women. The false contractions might get stopped when you walk, sleep or do movements. In case of true labor pains, no matter how many positions you change they keep on going inside. Another main difference is that the contractions are weak in case of false pains and in case of labor pain they get steadily stronger and gain strength. By knowing all of the differences, you might get cleared on what is Braxton hicks.

With the increase in maturity of the fetus inside the mother, the chances of getting the braxton hicks increase. The Braxton hicks contractions feels like tightening of the abdomen. They come and go and they do not stay for longer as the true labor pain. If you get discomfort and want to get yourself at an ease then take a walk. This is a common perception that false labor contractions stops when the pregnant women changes position. Another good thing is to take rest or take a sleep. Relaxing is one of the other way out.

So, all in all, Braxton hicks contractions are not that not harmful or complicated. They do not cause any harm to the fetus and are just false labor pains that can be settled by having a rest. You can change p[position of the body in order to avoid the contractions.