Archive | May 2012

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.