Pregnancy and Birthing

You’ve just had a new baby, and you’re still trying to recover from birth. Your baby is fussy and won’t sleep at night, you still have one or two pounds of baby fat to lose, your pre-pregnancy clothes no longer fit, and the cost of supplies for your new tiny one are presenting an extraordinary amount of financial drain. Nothing more could possibly go wrong, right? Thatis when your hair starts falling out. Hair loss after pregnancy isn’t a new phenomenon by any means, but you can’t believe it’s happening to you. At the rate your hair is falling out, you expect to be bald inside days. Is this new baby truly worth everything you’re going through?

The key to this situation is not to panic. Things will get better, you will adjust to the new style of operation in your home, and your hair won’t continue to fall out at this abnormal rate. The reason it’s doing it now is because that while you were pregnant, a higher share of hair went into its resting phase. Some of the hairs on your head are always at rest and then eventually fall out to allow for new hair growth. While carrying a child more hairs are resting without dropping out, so after you’ve delivered your baby, that’s when they will start to fall out. You may even experience some thin areas or even thinning spots, but don’t worry, because your hair will begin to grow usually again soon.

Even though it’s during pregnancy that so much hair goes into the resting state, it isn’t going to start falling out until roughly a quarter after delivery. Thatis because during pregnancy your hormone levels are so high that the hair just doesn’t fall out, even if it is resting. Once you’ve had the baby, and your hormone levels return to normal, all of this resting hair may fall out at one point. In fact, you can lose as much as 60% of your hair following a pregnancy. It’s wise to prepare yourself for the chance so that when it happens you won’t have a different reason to get upset.

Another thing to keep in mind is that during pregnancy the increased estrogen levels in your body keep more hair growing than would normally remain prepared. This leads to a thicker, fuller head of hair than you’ve ever had in your life. Sadly, this wealth of hair is what is going to fall out after your pregnancy ends and the estrogen decreases again. The best idea is to enjoy the lush, full hair while you have it and resign yourself to the fact that it will not always be there, because experiencing hair loss after pregnancy is standard and temporary.

Infertility and fertility problems are more common today than ever before. Sometimes the problems are small enough to be readily dealt with and sometimes the problems are severe enough to complicate the journey toward parenthood. While you may end up with more options when it comes to child rearing opportunities, your obvious preference is to conceive naturally and carry a baby to term.

There is a natural progression of dealing with these issues in order to determine the cause, and the partner, that has the fertility problem. First, the woman should track her fertility for at least three months when trying to conceive. Tracking fertility can help determine when ovulation happens. Fertility monitors can help a great deal, but you can also make a full fledged chart to help determine when you’re most likely to be able to conceive.

Unfortunately, some health insurance companies are now mandating documentation that you have been trying to conceive, which can mean you have to wait longer. Being prepared for such delays helps you avoid them.

Women can find themselves under particular pressure when it comes to failed conceptions. Societally speaking women tend to bear the brunt of the “blame” for infertility. Ironically, men are rewarded for their prowess when it comes to fertility. There can be an unfair shift of blame that happens. Blame and infertility and fertility problems can’t help in solving the problems and in fact can be partially responsible for causing the problems.

As you are determining whether or not your cycle is fairly regular or predictable, you can also start with some fertility treatments that are all natural and have shown to help some women’s bodies increase their conception ability. Natural fertility teas, Vitex, and prenatal vitamins can work together in order to help increase fertility and help a woman’s body get in tune with your conception desires.

Most fertility experts will not diagnose a fertility problem until after 12 to 24 months of trying to conceive through natural process. Many couples find that the period of time between starting the process and finding that there is a problem is a very long wait. Everything from taking care to eat foods that help boost conception (fatty acids can help increase fertility) and restricting caffeine intake can help prepare the body for getting pregnant.

Your chances of decreasing your infertility and fertility problems drop dramatically when you relieve the umbrella of stress you start living under. Many couples become more successful when they move to an every other month effort.

These acupuncture for infertility and fertility problems are easier to treat than ever before. With scientific advancements you and your partner are more likely to be able to find the treatment, whether natural or medical, that will work for you and your partner. It’s not easy to get through issues with fertility center but it’s not a sign that you need to give up. You don’t have to stop trying until you feel comfortable moving onto other parental options.

Depression during pregnancy can be harmful to both mother and baby, so the results of a new study of 10,000 British women could be significant. The study concludes that eating omega 3-rich seafood can substantially reduce the risk of depression.

A questionnaire given to women who were 32 weeks pregnant included questions about their mood and their diet. Women who had eaten more than 1.5 grams of omega 3 fatty acid each week – equivalent to 3 or more portions of seafood – were found to have around 50 percent less incidence of depressive symptoms compared to women who had eaten no fish during their pregnancy.Thirty two weeks into their pregnancies, the women were given a questionnaire that included questions on their mood and what they had eaten during pregnancy. Researchers found that those women who had regularly eaten at least 1.5 grams of omega 3 fatty acid each week (equivalent to 3 portions of seafood) during their pregnancy were around 50 percent less likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to those women who had eaten no seafood.

Although common in Western countries, depression is very rare in countries where people eat a lot of fish; for example Japan.

The findings of this study are particularly interesting as before its publication the standard medical advice to pregnant women was to reduce the intake of fish because of its mercury content. Researchers are now seeking a reappraisal of this advice in view of the obvious benefit of omega 3 which is found mostly in seafood.

Rather than eat fish; women should consider getting their omega 3 in capsule form. However, be wary of the cheaper brands as there is a risk that the omega 3 has been extracted from fish with high mercury content. Some brands do use fish from areas of the sea with lower levels of mercury present.

Is getting pregnant after a miscarriage any different from getting pregnant if you never been pregnant before? Go to Pregnancy for more information.

Yes and no. No different because you still have to fall pregnant at your ovulation time and it is better to know when that will happen.

But it is also different because you need to look at the reasons why a miscarriage occur in the first place and try to avoid it happening again.

Miscarriages can occur for different reasons: being under stress, contracting an illness, physical trauma or many other reasons that remain unknown.

The reasons that remain unknown are normally related to fetus abnormalities. And very often it is due to fertilization which occurs because of old sperm with an old egg that is defective.

Let me explain…

In order to achieve healthy conception you need a freshly released egg and fresh sperm. Sperm is considered to be fresh and viable on 1st and maybe 2nd day after ejaculation. But the normal life span of sperm is around 3 days.

So, if on the third day after ejaculation the sperm fertilizes the egg, the pregnancy is likely to abort in the early stages.

The same thing can happen with old eggs. The egg is healthy and viable on the 1st and maybe on the 2nd day after being released from the ovaries then becomes old and potentially defective. Fertilization of this egg will probably end up in a miscarriage.

So, how to avoid fertilization with old sperm or an old egg? First, you need to know the length of your cycle and the exact time of your ovulation.

Ovulation normally occurs on day 14 of your cycle if your cycle is the normal 28 days. So, in order to avoid old sperm you should abstain from intercourse at least two days before ovulation (abstain on 11th and 12th day).

Then during ovulation time you should have frequent intercourse (on day 13 and 14).

Then, to prevent fertilization of an old egg you should abstain again on the day 15. Refer to Pregnancy for more information.

If your cycle is long (longer then 28 days) your egg stays inside longer which makes the egg old before it even gets released. So, women with long cycles will have more problems getting pregnant and carry healthy pregnancy then women with shorter cycles.

If you period is long you should try natural methods first to make your cycles shorter. These include improving your general health, improving your diet, doing moderate but regular exercise, having enough rest and relaxation, taking vitamins and other things that make you healthier.

Very often general health improvements practiced for 3-4 months or so will be enough to regulate your cycle. When your cycle gets to 28 days or less you should start watching for fertility signs and try to pinpoint your time of ovulation. Then plan your sexual activity in order to avoid old sperm and old egg.

When you ovulate later than day 15 of your cycle, it is a good idea not to try to conceive at all. This pregnancy is likely to abort in the early stages or be somehow defective because of a potential old egg.

To sum up, you can have a healthy pregnancy after miscarriage but there are a few things you should look at. First, is there a reason why you had a miscarriage?

Secondly, you should look at your cycle: the length of it and when you ovulate.

And thirdly, you should work on avoiding old sperm meeting an old egg. It seems like a lot of work you have to do but eventually all this work is likely to result in what you want - a baby.

If this seems complicated it is only a matter of some education. I have helped many people to understand how this all works, so it is not impossible. All you have to do is spend a little time learning and you increase you chances of a good pregnancy 10 fold. Visit Pregnancy for further information.

As parents, you will want to capture the emotional moments of welcoming a new baby to the family. A baby photo book is the perfect way to record those memories for years to come. Pre-made photo albums, scrapbooks and professional baby photos can be costly, so why not do it yourself?

Making a personal, yet polished looking baby photo album is surprisingly easy. Making your own can be a wonderful family project, especially if you have younger kids who want to help in welcoming their new sibling.

baby photo gallery
Your baby photo gallery is a great place to record landmark events in your child’s life. Start with his first bottle, the first time daddy changes a diaper or the first trip in the car. These are all great moments to take pictures.

Don’t count on your own camera. Ask your friends and family to contribute adorable shots that they’ve taken. Over the course of the first year of your baby’s life, continue to add every new baby photo taken. Finish the album with a plethora of pics from your baby’s first birthday party.

Unlike pre-made baby books and albums, you’ll be able to make your own photo album more interesting by varying the themes and layouts. You can also give your pages a little personal touch by adding some memorabilia by using a pocket envelope or sealed page to your layouts.

celebrity baby photos
These can include things like the baby photo birth announcement or a lock of hair from their first haircut. Be careful with sharp edges, thick items and chemicals that can damage your baby book.

Thanks to the internet, you can make an online baby photo album that family members from all over the world can enjoy. Visit a computer software shop for a scrapbook program. They are inexpensive and extremely easy to upload and use.

These programs come with a wide variety of pre-built backgrounds, page layouts, fonts, titles and graphics that will make the project cute and colorful. Basically, all you have to do is upload your photographs, type in the text and you’re done! You can also print these pages to make a hard copies for your celebrity baby photos frames.

baby girl photo
If you’re new to scrapbooks or don’t have a lot of time to design your own, then buy a baby scrapbook kit. The kits contain almost everything you’ll need and are a good shortcut to creating simple layouts that you can still be proud of.

As well, digital scrapbook membership sites offer hundreds of page options and you can customize them to suit your child birth photo. This personal touch will guarantee a treasured family keepsake that you will pass on for generations.

You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important when you are expecting. Keep in mind now you aren’t eating for one. Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the better it is for the baby and you.

Never skip a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been hungry since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. So do it!

Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding more calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.

Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Eating a lot of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with better choices and see how alive you feel.

Foods You Should Avoid While Pregnant

Not all foods are safe while you are pregnant, there are a few things you should avoid eating:

- unpasteurized products- brie

- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
- Raw eggs

- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.

- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.

If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.

You may also learn that your belly won’t handle certain foods that it usually does. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to avoid all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.

While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may learn that you really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.

Did you know that 90% of women get stretch marks during pregnancy. Learn how to prevent stretch marks with an effective stretch marks cream.

Read how to loose weight.