A sudden fluctuation in metabolic rates coupled with increased blood flow makes your glands work overtime. Besides that, your nose will start picking up on the faintest of smells. And soon, you will notice that you no longer smell as nice as before. Body odour can make you feel conscious and even embarrassed. However, before feeling insecure, we should remember it is due to hormonal change.

What Causes Body Odour During Pregnancy?

Estradiol, a hormone that increases during pregnancy, heightens your sense of smell. While outside odours slip under the radar, the smell emerging from your own body might become intolerable. The best way to cope with such bodily changes is by understanding the underlying reasons.

Hormonal Change

A drastic change in hormonal levels makes the body produce a pungent smell. The most affected areas are the armpits and the genitals, explaining why pregnant women have to put up with underarm odour.

Excessive Sweating

You will find yourself struggling with heat as your body temperature shoots up. Plus, the additional weight of pregnancy makes you sweat profusely, intensifying body odour. Body moistness also creates an ideal atmosphere for bacteria to thrive.

Increased Sensitivity

During pregnancy, you will experience different cravings and sensations. As a result of the heightened sense of smell, your nose will pick up scents that people around you have not noticed. So, there’s a chance your body odour is not as foul as your nose is making it out to be.

Preparation for Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, your body starts lactating. Until the baby’s hearing and vision develop, their sense of smell is their only guide. Therefore, when your body emanates a strong odour, your baby will recognize you by your scent. Even the smell coming from your armpits will encourage the baby to swirl towards your breasts.

Change in Diet

You will need a lot of nutrition while you’re pregnant, which is why you should eat a wide variety of nutritious food, ranging from fruits to leafy vegetables. However, your food choices can also impact your body odour. For instance, red meat has amino acids that cause sweating, and seafood affects body odour and vaginal discharge. Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower contain sulfur that gets absorbed in the bloodstream and erupts as sweat on the skin’s surface.

Often, people around you won’t notice the odour. So, mostly, it’s your heightened sense of smell that’s making you feel conscious or embarrassed. However, if you notice vaginal secretions with a strange color or odour, then consult your doctor.

How to Smell Nice During Pregnancy?

Bathe Twice a Day

Taking a shower twice a day can keep body odour away. Use an anti-bacterial soap to kill the bacteria causing body odour. Remember, bacteria thrive in moist spaces, so dry your skin thoroughly using a towel.

Keep Your Skin Fresh

You can also use home remedies to smell fresh. While taking a shower, keep a container with some water and squeeze a few drops of lemon. This will keep your skin fresh for a long time.

Shampoo Regularly

Shampoo thrice a week and spray your comb with perfume. This will make your hair smell nice every time you comb it.

Stay Trimmed

Trim your body hair, especially in the armpits and genitals.

Stay Hydrated

Remember to drink a lot of water and fluids.

Even after practicing good hygiene, you may experience body odour. In such a scenario, consult your doctor, who may prescribe some medicated soap. Most importantly, don’t obsess about it too much as it is a normal part of pregnancy.

The post How Can Pregnant Women Keep Body Odour Away? appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

Craving for chocolate is normal during pregnancy. However, be sure that your chocolate consumption rate is moderate. The reason behind is chocolate contains caffeine and American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2008 found that it is very necessary that a pregnant woman must keep the level of caffeine intake below 200 mg/day¹. Too much intake of caffeine can lower your hunger and leads to less intake of essential foods during pregnancy.

Chocolates have their own nutritional value that is helpful for a pregnant woman. Chocolates contain magnesium that helps in regulating blood pressure, theobromine helps in oxidizing the function of kidney and flavonoids are antioxidants which helps in stimulating the blood vessels.

There are various other benefits of eating chocolate during pregnancy such as:

• It helps in providing relief from pre-eclampsia, a condition where the pregnant mother is inclined towards having high blood pressure and an increase in the level of protein. So, the theobromine found in chocolates can reduce the pre-eclampsia condition and lessens the risk by 70 %.
• The flavonoids present in the chocolate works as an antioxidant which helps in increasing the immunity level of the pregnant woman. The antioxidants also help in reducing the risk of heart disease. The flavonoids also help in balancing the level of cholesterol in the body.
• Chocolate helps to increase the release of serotonin and endorphin in the brain. The resveratrol present in chocolate protects the brain and the nervous system.

Don’t get too much excited that during pregnancy you can eat any kind of chocolate.

Because not all the chocolates are better for the suitable for pregnant women because normal chocolates contain sweeteners that may lead to diabetes. So, only the dark chocolate is good for health as it contains a good amount of essential nutrients and low quantity of sweeteners. Avoid chocolate mousse because it includes raw eggs which are unsuitable for a pregnant mother. During pregnancy, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and white chocolate are all considered safe for use. As long as you apply with your limits, the occasional intake of chocolate cake and ice cream are acceptable.

Occasionally, dark chocolate could be a tolerant treat and can certainly take its place in a healthy and well-balanced diet. Though, if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes or any other medical issues of pregnancy, it is always recommended that you must consult your nutritionist prior to making any changes to your diet.

References:

https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/caffeine-intake-during-pregnancy/

The post Is It Safe to Eat Chocolates During Pregnancy? appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

Ever wondered if there is a relationship between your umbilical cord and the belly button? Of course, there is! When you have your little one inside your womb, it needs a life-support system to survive the pregnancy gestation period. This support is comprised of the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amniotic sac filled with amniotic fluid.

“The baby’s life hangs by a cord”, as said by Ian Donald, aptly tells the importance of the umbilical cord.

The umbilical cord plays the essential role of attaching your baby to the placenta and keeps feeding your baby. During delivery, the placenta is expelled from your uterus through a process known as the after-birth. The umbilical cord, once your baby is delivered is clamped and cut. The remaining section of the cord heals and later becomes the baby’s belly button.

Nevertheless, most are aware of these common facts. But there are some really fun insights that you probably never thought about:

Umbilical Cords Vary in Length

The lengths of the umbilical cords of babies are variable. However, there is no concrete evidence to ascertain why the length varies at all. Within the full gestation period of 28 weeks, the cord may reach its full length which usually is between 45-60 centimeters in length. In a small percentage of pregnancies, the cord is less than 45 centimeters in length and investigative studies have shown that placenta retention and C-section is usually higher in such instances.

Tangles, Knots, and Loops

Babies in the womb are constantly moving around. A common game that they indulge in is playing ‘loop the loop’ with the cord. If the baby is healthy and the cord remains intact, it does not really pose any risk to the baby. Approximately 35% of the babies born have the umbilical cord wrapped around their necks and 1% of them have the cord in a true knot.

It Stops Working When Needed

In the womb, the umbilical cord remains in a temperature controlled environment. Post the baby’s birth, the cord is exposed to cooler air and the ‘Wharton’s Jelly’ within it starts to harden and shrink. Natural clamping occurs that squeezes and closes the blood vessels inside the cord. Depending on the temperature outside of the mother’s body, natural clamping takes approximately between 3 and 20 minutes.

The Umbilical Cord Tissue is Full of Potential

Most of us have heard about cord blood stem cells but the new research that has everyone’s attention is on umbilical cord tissue. Many ongoing clinical trials have brought significant evidence forward that the cord blood tissue also contains stem cells that possess the potential to multiply and transform into various cell types, like cartilage, bone, fat, etc. This essentially means that the cord tissue with more stem cells can potentially be used in treating more conditions and disorders.

As Nancy Reagan rightfully said, “Now science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with many answers that have for so long been beyond our grasp.” 

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