More than what we read about morning sickness, we’ve heard a lot about it from many pregnant women. Morning sickness is an unpleasant accessory to one’s pregnancy. Probably this is nature’s way of preparing a woman for the eventual hardships that she will face shortly. Studies reveal that 80% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness during pregnancy. Although it is an irritable health condition, it does not cause any harm to the mother and child in the majority of cases unless the symptoms are extremely severe.

What is Morning Sickness?

Despite the word indicating “morning”, it is not necessary that this condition turns up only in the mornings. It may affect pregnant women at any time of the day. Surprisingly, it can even be in the middle of a night. This may include nausea and vomiting or just the vomiting sensation without the actual vomiting. Though I’ve heard many women complaining of this discomfort till their 5th month, it is more common in the first trimester of the gestation period. But few women may have this even in their third trimester. Call a doctor if there are persistently extreme symptoms if you pass dark coloured urine or very less amount of it, if you feel faint or dizzy, and if the blood in vomiting and high heartbeat is seen.

Here are some ways by which you may get some relief from your morning sickness:

Divide Your Meal in Multiple Small Portions

Nausea worsens if the stomach is empty. Frequently eating small portions of your meal helps the sugar levels on an even tone. Keep nutrition-rich snacks aside for munching throughout the day. If vomited, big meals are a waste without serving the purpose and hence go for the smaller ones.

Go For a Protein Rich Diet

Consume foods that are easily digestible and are rich in protein and vitamin B. Keep oily, acidic, and spicy foods away as such contents can erupt nausea.

Pick Cold Meal Not to Get Cooking Smells

I was on my toes during my pregnancy days when garlic was being used in cooking and boiling. It used to drive me nuts. Cold foods do not emit the food aroma as hot food does. This subsides your nausea to some extent. Continue having cold foods till your nausea becomes a passé cloud.

Increase Drinks in Between Meals

If you have a tough time keeping down the volume of fluids, avoid taking them during meals. However, add fluids in between the meals as it is essential to be hydrated during your pregnancy.

Sniff the Aroma of Citrus Fruits or Ginger

Citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, and sweet lime may help you ease your vomiting sensation. Ginger also works similarly if sniffed. Add lemon and ginger to your green tea or black tea to get rid of nausea.

Keep Perfumes and Scents Away

Surprisingly perfumes and aromatic scents trigger nausea. Body odours are quite irritating as I disliked my husband’s body odour which I earlier liked very much. The poor creature had to always be away from me. Avoiding these can help you get better.

Take Anti-nausea Tic Pills On Prescription

Take a suggestion from your doctor in using the anti-nauseatic pills if you have too many issues with it or if the nausea is persistent even after the first trimester.

Get a Fresh Breath

Get out and take a fresh breath in a garden or greenery. Avoid areas with heavy blooms as pollen may erupt the nausea tic elements in you. A fresh breeze can take away nausea.

Try and figure out these tips to conquer morning sickness. Understand that this is a temporary element and you will see days with the perfectly rising sun. Enduring this discomfort would prepare you for the required toughness when you become a mother.

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Nature has provided every organism with extreme defense mechanisms towards their off-spring and human beings are not an exception. In turn, humans do not leave any stone unturn to safeguard their younger ones with the help of their unique property called intelligence. Mother Nature has deployed the maternal and paternal instincts in humans. These instincts motivate them to take very special care when it comes to nurturing their off-spring. A care-free young lady with a lesser sense of responsibility turns explicitly defensive while taking care of the child and this infact starts even before the child is born.

Thanks to technology which is making us plan the pregnancy and its ability to be able to analyze it for any defects the neonate may have soon after birth. There are even established facts which can suggest us about the measures to be taken in order to prevent birth defects. However, there are 4% of disorders which affect an unborn child irrespective of the care taken. Rest of them can be avoided with few habit changes. They may be a little tough to handle but when you’ve planned for a baby, your preferences automatically change and the priorities will be shifted from you to your baby. Let us find some measures to be taken during pregnancy to keep your baby free from congenital disorders.

Start on Folic Acid Supplements

Folic acid is the most essential element for a pregnant woman in shaping up her baby’s brain and spine. Folic acid is a vitamin B available from fortified foods and supplements.

Alcohol Consumption Can Be Disastrous

A developing baby in the fetus may get alcohol in the mother’s blood stream through the umbilical cord and it can be fatal for the baby. Miscarriages may be vulnerable with alcohol abuse in pregnancy. Still birth and a series of long lasting intellectual, physical and behavioral disorders are susceptible. No particular time and no specific variety of alcohol are ever suggested to pregnant women. Termed as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), they are imminent with alcohol abuse.

Stop Smoking When You Are Planning For Pregnancy

Pre-mature birth, cleft lip, cleft palette and infant death are the possible ailments smoking may cause to a pregnant woman and her neonate. Being around tobacco smoke itself is harmful for the mother and the fetus. Hence, it is good to avoid being in the vicinity where someone is smoking.

Drugs are a Threat for Pregnant Women and Their Fetuses

It is nothing but putting your baby in jeopardy with the consumption of drugs. These can lead to premature labour with low birth weight, placental abruption, intra-uterine death (IUD) and maternal death. Any kind of drugs are not safe at any particular level.

Leading a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutritious diet within the norms of the pregnancy diet is very important. If you are planning your pregnancy, it is recommended that your BMI should be brought down if you are considered as ‘obese’. The risk of serious birth defects escalates with every extra pound the mother gathers. Diabetes and blood pressure to be kept under control as it has a negative impact on the fetus. Keep visiting the doctor in regular intervals to get your health condition monitored. An ideal healthcare provider would suggest you the necessary medications during pregnancy and the vaccinations which are required during pregnancy. Pregnant women with infections are at greater risk of having babies with birth defects. Your doctor should be aware of your condition if there are any infections on you. These measures and little care can get you a healthy baby in your hands as it is time to prioritize on the baby.

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Blood sugar is a relatively serious condition wherein your body is unable to regulate the required sugar levels in your blood as it does not possess the essential amounts of insulin. More or less a common disease that grasps pregnant women, diabetes or more specifically gestational diabetes represents almost 3.3% of all live births. Regardless of the type of diabetes that you may have, one must ensure that the necessary measures are taken in order to have a safe and healthy pregnancy.

So you must be wondering about the connection between diabetes and pregnancy?

The baby in the womb receives a constant supply of nutrients and water through the placenta which also manufactures a number of hormones in order to maintain the pregnancy.  Dr. Devon says, “Hormones in early pregnancy can possibly affect the insulin secretion to increase resulting in a drop in the glucose manufactured by the liver. This may lead to hypoglycaemia, i.e., low blood glucose levels. Some of these hormones like estrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen at the advanced pregnancy stage can actually create a blocking effect on insulin thus creating a condition known as insulin resistance.”

The growing placenta produces more of these hormones and thus increases the insulin resistance. To overcome this resistance, the pancreas has the capability to produce additional insulin. However, if there isn’t sufficient production that can overcome the effect of the placental hormones, the results of gestational diabetes may actually worsen.

Babies may encounter greater risks and complications like birth defects, stillbirth, Macrosomia, Birth injury, Hypoglycemia, Respiratory distress, if the mother is diagnosed with blood sugar. The doctor will design the treatment depending on the severity of your condition and also taking into consideration your age, overall health, and medical history. Additional parameters include measuring your tolerance levels to medication, procedures and therapies along with expectations for the course of the disease is also studied.

Eating a healthy diet is important to keep gestational diabetes in check during pregnancy. Include a lot of fruits and green vegetables in your diet and also a good portion of healthy protein and complex carbs. Also, aim to limit your fat intake to 30 percent of your total daily calories and the best way to do it. is by avoiding sugary, processed food.

Try maintaining a normal weight and BMI. This ideally means that you aim to gain the right amount during pregnancy and lose the extra pounds post-delivery. Staying active in consultation with your doctor also helps.

Fortunately, all the potential risks associated with gestational diabetes can be eliminated if one can carefully control their blood sugar levels.  For this, you need to monitor your blood sugar level several times a day. Check the fasting sugar rate after waking up in the morning and then again an hour after each meal to ensure that your blood sugar levels are between a healthy range.

In the case of gestational diabetes, the blood sugar tends to return to normal post-delivery. However, keep in mind, that one is more likely to face gestational diabetes for subsequent pregnancies. In future, one may even develop diabetes. As Dr. Devon says, “Women with gestational diabetes have a 50% chance of developing diabetes within 10 to 20 years of delivery.”

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I still remember those sleepless nights when my six month old was teething. This was my first experience as a mum and when my little girl was cranky and irritated, especially at night, I was completely at a loss of how to soothe her. Thankfully, my trusted paediatrician and the all-time source of information ‘the internet’ came to my rescue. I found out that baby teething is a common affair when a child is between 4 to 6 months old. Just being aware of some of the common indicators of baby teething will help you to act and respond faster to your baby’s needs.

Signs and symptoms

Every kid experiences different symptoms, say many reputed paediatricians.

Drooling

Trust me it’s hard to believe so much fluid can come out from a baby’s mouth unless you see it for yourself. Actually, teething stimulates drooling and it starts when the baby is between 10 weeks to two – three months old, though my daughter started when she was much older. I used to find her clothes always soggy which the paediatrician later on confirmed was due to teething.

Teething rash

Due to the continuous drooling and dripping, my baby started suffering from redness and rashes around her mouth, which according to the paediatrician was another symptom of teething. However, this was cured by applying baby nursing cream and lotion at regular intervals.

Coughing and/or gag

Drooling and dripping all the time can make your baby gag and cough too. Do not worry if your baby does not have any other signs of cold and flu.

Biting

This was the biggest problem when my little baby girl was teething. Pressure from the teeth poking through under the gums caused a lot of discomfort and to get instant relief, she was more inclined towards biting and chewing on just about anything that was in front of her.

Irritability

Don’t know about others, but my daughter used to be extremely fussy throughout the day due to aching. The doctor explained to me that because of the pressure of the little tooth on the gum most children (if not all) are likely to be fussy and irritable, either for a few hours or throughout the day.

Pulling ears and rubbing the chin and cheeks

This was the weirdest symptom of all. My baby girl used to pull her ears a lot or used to rub her chin and cheeks. I was a little surprised by this behaviour, but the paediatrician relieved me by telling me that this behaviour indicates that your baby will soon have little pearly white teeth. According to her, babies usually do this to create counter pressure that eases some of the pain.

But as I said earlier, it is not mandatory for all babies to show the same teething signs. While some will have the symptoms as stated above, others will show other signs or no sign at all.

Other Signs

Swollen gums

Swollen red gums are also a sign of teething, as was indicated by my paediatrician. For quick relief, gently rub your clean finger over the gums.

Refusing food

Often because of pain and irritation while teething, babies refuse to eat much. If it lasts long, then call your paediatrician and ask for a solution.

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One is well aware of the fact that excessive weight gain or loss could possibly lead to an inability to become pregnant. The imbalance of weight is affecting the fertility of women profusely, so much so that around 12 per cent of infertility problems are due to imperfect body weight, meaning either obesity or low body weight, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Now, having pointed that out, let’s delve into the fact on why and how weight imbalance affects pregnancy. Actually, being extremely over or underweight impacts the pituitary gland, causing it to malfunction and spark problems with ovulation.

But besides that, many other problems have been examined by the experts, mainly related to overweight and infertility.

• Women who are overweight or obese are likely to take more than a year to get pregnant than average women of healthy weight.
• A woman who is obese is more prone to a miscarriage than a woman of healthy weight.
• Obese women are likely to have diabetes that develops during pregnancy and it is called gestational diabetes.
• Obese women tend to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy, resulting in damaging other organs, often the kidneys.
• Obesity also increases the risk of postpartum infection which leads to delivery related complications.
• Obesity also leads to an overdue pregnancy that is the continuation of pregnancy beyond the due date.
• Obesity also increases the risk of an emergency C-section. It also leads to a complication like a wound infection. Women who are obese are also less likely to have a vaginal delivery after a C-section.
• Infants born to obese women are likely to be large in size than it is normal, and need neonatal intensive care or have a congenital abnormality.

Obesity is associated with poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is one of the major causes of infertility. And sadly, it is found to be the most common hormonal problem, affecting at least one out five women’s reproduction.

Being underweight is also a concern when it comes to pregnancy as it is known to reduce the fertility quotient in women extensively. As this affects the hormonal balance and ovulation, there is less possibility of a successful pregnancy. In fact, compared to healthy weight women, underweight women are likely to take a year more in order to get pregnant.

So, finally, the question is, what should be the ideal body weight to have a successful pregnancy? According to the Institute of Medicine, obesity is measured by the ratio of height and weight of a man and woman.

• Normal BMI: Defined by an index of less than 25.
• Overweight: Defined by a BMI of 25 or more.
• Obesity: Define by a minimum BMI of 30 to 34.9 and maximum above 40.

And for improving the chances of having a healthy pregnancy, follow the below mentioned steps:

• Go for regular prenatal care check-up during pregnancy.
• Consult the doctor about how much weight you should lose or gain during pregnancy. But do not diet in order to lose weight as it can lead to malnutrition for your baby.
• Do regular activities like yoga and free-hand exercises as prescribed by the doctor.

The post Both Over and Underweight Can Affect Pregnancy! appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

Being pregnant for the first time can be a challenge when you have tons of questions to which you do not always have answers. A very common area of confusion for pregnant women is food. You probably think that expecting a baby means “eating for two”. The phrase is very misleading as health professionals these days are not recommending such a diet at all.

The Tommy’s Guide states: “An extra 200 calories – the equivalent of two small slices of bread – is all that is recommended during pregnancy and only in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy.”

Nutritionist Greer Craig says, “You want to eat what will give you the most nutritious bang for your calorie buck. You have to refocus your thoughts on where can I get the most protein and healthy fats. Quinoa is a great swap for pasta, and it also has riboflavin in it, which is really great to help curb migraines, headaches – that is a common pregnancy symptom.”

Craig re-emphasizes the importance of focussing your energy on fruits, vegetables, and foods that contain vitamins and iron.

One of the essential intakes during pregnancy is folic acid followed with a combination of vitamins that your body requires. This can be taken either through supplements or through foods that you consume.

Tommy’s Guide says: “Vitamin D is the lesser known but equally important nutrient, for the formation of healthy bones and teeth for the baby. During winter months, lack of sunshine can mean vitamin D is harder to come by, so women will be more likely to need a vitamin D supplement.”

Additionally, calcium is something you should not forget to include in your diet as it essentially focuses on the baby’s development and enhances the health of your teeth and bones. Fish with bones and dairy products are some of the common food products which are rich sources of calcium. However, while consuming dairy products, ensure that these are pasteurized.

Another key ingredient that helps your body manage stress during pregnancy through absorbing iron from fruits is Vitamin C. The most available form of natural Vitamin C can be found in oranges. However, you can also find plentiful sources of Vitamin C in tomatoes, broccoli, and even potatoes.

Pregnant women tend to get easily exhausted. To get an adequate energy boost, iron should be made a part of your daily diet. Lean meats, green vegetables, dried fruits, and nuts are high on the iron count. However, make sure you consult your doctor before eating peanuts as it may have an adverse effect on your health.

“Any vegetable is going to be a superfood powerhouse – you’re not going to go wrong. If we roast them, that gives them a little more flavor, like maybe a potato chip. You just put a little bit of sea salt and olive oil on it,” said Craig.

Still, have a sweet tooth?

“You want to think outside the box and still eat that fruit, that more nutritiously dense option. So, maybe freezing a banana and then having your own version of banana ice cream,” said Craig.

Craving for soda? Definitely not a good idea!

“Absolutely no nutrition. It’s going to wreak havoc for your metabolism, even though there’s no calories, it’s total havoc in your system. So, I say to make yourself a fun little cocktail out of fruit water. Cheers to that,” said Craig.

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