Pregnancy Meditation

Most moms-to-be spend a lot of their time worrying about their developing baby. But remember, it’s even as important during the subsequent nine months to tune to someone else’s cues: your own.

Maybe you’re exceedingly tired. Or thirsty. Or hungry. Maybe mom’s and growing babies need some quiet time to connect.

Your doctor or midwife may say, “Listen to your body.” except for many of us, that’s followed by, “How?”

Meditation can help you hear your voice, your body, that tiny heartbeat — and assist you to feel refreshed and a touch more focused.

What Is Meditation?

Think of meditation as some quiet time to breathe and connect, remember of passing thoughts, and to clear the mind.

Some say it’s finding inner peace, learning to let go, and getting into touch with yourself through breath, and through mental focus.

For some of us, it is often as simple as deep, in-and-out breaths within the bathroom stall at work as you are trying to specialize in you, your body, and therefore the baby. Or, you’ll take a category or get back your own special place within the house with pillows, a mat, and total silence.

What Are the Benefits?

Some of the advantages of practicing meditation include:

 better sleep

 connecting to your changing body

 anxiety/stress relief

 peace of mind

 less tension

 positive labor preparation

 lower risk of postpartum depression

Doctors and scientists have studied the advantages of meditation on pregnant women and that they have shown that it can help moms-to-be throughout pregnancy and particularly at birth.

Mom’s who have high levels of stress or anxiety during an antenatal period are more likely to deliver their babies at preterm or low birth weights.

Birth outcomes like those are a pressing public health issue, especially within us. Here, the national rates of preterm birth and low birth weight are 13 and eight percent, respectively. this is often consistent with a report published within the journal Psychology & Health.

Prenatal stress also can impact fetal development. Research studies have shown that it can even affect cognitive, emotional, and physical development in infancy and childhood. All the many reasons to squeeze in some meditation time!

Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy is when a pregnancy developed outside of your uterus, usually in your Fallopian tube . Ectopic pregnancies are rare but serious, and that they got to be treated.

What’s an ectopic pregnancy?

Normal pregnancies grow inside your uterus after a fertilized egg travels through your Fallopian tube and attaches to your uterine lining. ectopic pregnancy is when an embryo attaches elsewhere in your body, usually in your Fallopian tube — that’s why it’s sometimes called “tubal pregnancy.”

Ectopic pregnancies also can happen on your ovary, or elsewhere in your belly.

Ectopic pregnancies are rare — it happens in about 2 out of each 100 pregnancies. But they’re very dangerous if not treated. Fallopian tubes can break if stretched an excessive amount by the growing pregnancy — this is often sometimes called a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. this will cause internal bleeding, infection, and in some cases cause death.

Can I get pregnant after an ectopic pregnancy?

Most women who have an ectopic pregnancy can have healthy pregnancies within the future, counting on the treatment you had and therefore the condition of your fallopian tubes. If one among your fallopian tubes was removed or your tubes are scarred, it’s going to be harder to urge pregnant. If you’ve got an ectopic pregnancy, you’re more likely to urge another one in the future.

Hypothyroidism and Pregnancy

Facts about hypothyroidism and pregnancy

Hypothyroidism may be a condition that’s caused by an underactive thyroid gland. it’s going to happen during pregnancy. Many symptoms of the condition are almost like pregnancy symptoms. for instance, they will both cause fatigue, weight gain, and changes in menstruation. Having low thyroid hormone levels also can cause problems with becoming pregnant. It also can be an explanation for miscarriage.

What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism may be a common condition. It can go undetected if symptoms are mild. The thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones. Symptoms could also be mild and should start slowly. the foremost common symptoms include:

 Feeling tired

 Inability to stand cold temperatures

 Hoarse voice

 Swelling of the face

 Weight gain

 Constipation

 Dry skin and loss of eyebrows

 Brittle nails

 Carpal tunnel syndrome (hand tingling or pain)

 Slow pulse rate

 Shortness of breath with activity

 Muscle cramps, weakness, joint pain

 Trouble concentrating

 Irregular menstrual periods

The symptoms could also be like other health problems. Talk together with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How does hypothyroidism affect the baby within the womb?

During the first few months of pregnancy period, the baby relies on the mother for thyroid hormones. These hormones are vital for the normal brain development and growth of the baby. Hypothyroidism within the mother can have long-lasting effects on the baby.

How is thyroid function tested?

You will have thyroid function tests that measure thyroid hormone (thyroxine, or T4) and serum TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels. TSH levels that are above normal and T4 levels that are below normal may mean you’ve got hypothyroidism.

Who should have thyroid function testing?

Routine screening for hypothyroidism during pregnancy isn’t advised. A pregnant with symptoms of hypothyroidism, a history of the condition, or other endocrine system conditions should be tested.

How is hypothyroidism treated during pregnancy?

Hormone replacement is used to treat the mother. the amount of thyroid hormone given is predicated on the mother’s levels of thyroid hormones also as her symptoms. thyroid hormone levels may change during pregnancy. The thyroid hormone replacement dose will likely change over time. thyroid hormone levels got to be checked every 4 weeks within half of pregnancy. the amount could also be checked less often during the last half of pregnancy as long because the dose doesn’t change. The treatment is a safe and vital sign to both mother and baby. Thyroid hormones shouldn’t be taken at an equivalent time as prenatal vitamins. this is often because the minerals within the vitamins may stop the absorption of the thyroid hormone. All newborns are screened at birth to see thyroid hormone levels.

Diabetes During Pregnancy

What is diabetes?

Diabetes may be a condition during which the body can’t make enough insulin, or can’t use insulin normally. Insulin may be a hormone. It helps sugar (glucose) within the blood get into cells of the body to be used as fuel. When glucose can’t enter the cells, it builds up within the blood. This results in high blood glucose (hyperglycemia).

High blood glucose can cause problems everywhere the body. It can damage blood vessels and nerves. It can harm the eyes, kidneys, and heart. In early pregnancy, high blood glucose can cause birth defects during a growing baby.

Gestational diabetes.

This is often a condition in which the blood sugar level goes up and other diabetic symptoms appear during the antenatal period in a woman who has not been diagnosed with diabetes before. It happens in about 3 in 100 to 9 in 100 pregnant females.

What causes diabetes during pregnancy?

Some women have diabetes before they get pregnant. this is often called pregestational diabetes. Other women may get a kind of diabetes that only happens in pregnancy. this is often called gestational diabetes. Pregnancy can change how a female body uses glucose. this will make diabetes worse, or cause gestational diabetes.

During the pregnancy / antenatal period, an organ called the placenta gives the growing baby nutrients and oxygen. The placenta also makes hormones. In late pregnancy, estrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen can block insulin. When insulin is blocked, it’s called insulin resistance. Glucose can’t enter the body’s cells. The glucose stays within the blood and makes the blood glucose levels go up.

Who is at risk for diabetes during pregnancy?

The risk factors for diabetes in pregnancy depend upon the type of diabetes:

 Type -1 Diabetes often occurs in children or young adults, but it may start at any age.

 The overweight female is more likely to have Type 2 diabetes.

 Overweight females are more likely to have gestational diabetes. It’s also more common in a female who has had gestational diabetes before. And it’s more common in women who have a loved one with Type 2 diabetes. Women with twins or other multiples also are more likely to possess it.

How is diabetes during pregnancy diagnosed?

Nearly all nondiabetic pregnant females are screened for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy period. A glucose screening and monitoring test are given during this time. For the test, you drink a glucose drink and have your blood sugar levels tested after 2 hours.

If this test shows a high blood sugar level, a 3-hour glucose tolerance test is going to be done. If the results of the second test aren’t normal, gestational diabetes is diagnosed.

What are the possible complications of diabetes during pregnancy?

Most complications happen in women who have already got diabetes before they get pregnant. Possible complications include:

 Need for insulin injections more often

 Very low blood sugar levels, which may be life-threatening if untreated

 Ketoacidosis from high levels of blood sugar, which can even be life-threatening if untreated

Females with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in later life. they’re also more likely to possess gestational diabetes with another pregnancy. If you’ve got gestational diabetes you ought to get tested a couple of months after your baby is born and every 3 years then.

Possible complications for the baby include:

Stillbirth:

Stillbirth ( fetal death ) is more likely in pregnant women with diabetes. The baby may grow slowly within the uterus thanks to poor circulation or other conditions, like a high vital sign or damaged small blood vessels. the precise reason stillbirths happen with diabetes isn’t known. the danger of stillbirth goes up in women with poor blood sugar control and with vessel changes.

Birth defects:

Birth defects are more likely in babies of diabetic moms. Some birth defects are serious enough to cause stillbirth or fetal death. Birth defects usually occur within the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Babys of diabetic moms can have defects in the heart and blood vessels, brain and spine, urinary system and kidneys, and digestive system.

Macrosomia:

This is often the term for a baby that’s much larger than normal. All of the nutrients and micronutrients the baby gets come directly from the mother’s blood. If the mother’s blood has an excessive amount of sugar, the pancreas of the baby makes more insulin to use this glucose. This causes fat to make and therefore the baby grows very large.

Birth injury:

Birth injury may occur thanks to the baby’s large size and difficulty being born.

Hypoglycemia:

The baby may have low levels of blood sugar right after delivery. This problem occurs if the mother’s blood sugar levels are high for an extended time. This results in tons of insulin within the baby’s blood. After delivery, the baby continues to possess a high insulin level, but not has the glucose from the mother. This causes the newborn’s blood sugar level to urge very low. The baby’s sugar level is checked after birth. If the extent is just too low, the baby may have glucose in an IV.

Trouble breathing (respiratory distress):

An excessive amount of insulin or an excessive amount of glucose during a baby’s system may keep the lungs from growing fully. this will cause breathing problems in babies. this is often more likely in babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Preeclampsia:

Women with diabetes are at increased risk for preeclampsia during pregnancy. To lower the risk, they ought to take low-dose aspirin (60 to150 mg a day) from the top of the first trimester until the baby is born.

Morning Sickness

Morning sickness may be a common symptom of early pregnancy and, in many cases, goes away by the end of the first 3 months. it’s caused by changes in hormones during pregnancy and should make eating difficult.

Although it’s called ‘morning sickness’, nausea (with or without vomiting) can happen at any time of the day.

Morning sickness doesn’t usually cause any problems for the unborn baby. However, if a pregnant woman experiences severe and ongoing vomiting, it’s important to contact a doctor.

Some food and eating suggestions that will help manage symptoms of morning sickness or nausea include:

 Eat smaller meals more often. Missing meals can make nausea worse.

 Avoid large drinks. Have frequent small drinks between meals.

 Limit fatty, spicy, and fried foods.

 Be aware food features a stronger odor or smell when it’s heated, which can make nausea worse. If possible, have other people help with cooking, or prepare your food sometimes of the day once you feel better.

 Try eating a dry parle biscuit before you get out of bed in the morning.

 Eating a healthy snack before you attend bed in the dark. This might include fruit, crackers with hard cheese, or yogurt.

 Try ginger tablets, dry ginger pop, peppermint tea, or ginger tea (put 3 or 4 slices of fresh ginger in hot water for five minutes).

 Avoid foods if their taste, smell, or appearance causes you to feel sick.

If vomiting, it’s important to drink enough fluids. it’s going to be easier to have many small drinks than to try to and drink a large amount in one go. Try a variety of fluids like water, fruit juice, lemonade, and clear soups. Sometimes it is often helpful to undertake crushed ice, slushies, ice blocks, or maybe suck on frozen fruit like grapes or orange segments.

Note: The stomach acids in vomiting can soften teeth enamel. it’s best to not use a toothbrush to wash the teeth straight after vomiting as this might damage them. Have a drink of water to wash your mouth.

Don’t take medicines of any kind to treat your morning sickness, unless your doctor knows you’re pregnant and has prescribed specific medications.

If you’re unable to require fluids or feel weak, dizzy, or unwell, you’ll be affected by dehydration and you ought to seek medical attention urgently.

Duration

Morning sickness usually starts to get better after three to 4 months of pregnancy. However, some women still experience nausea for an extended period. About one woman in 10 continues to feel sick after week 20 of their pregnancy. morning sickness is usually considered to be a minor inconvenience of pregnancy, but it can have a big, adverse effect on an expectant mother’s day-to-day activities and quality of life. It can often be treated by making dietary changes and taking much rest. The support of family and friends also can make nausea more manageable. in additional severe cases, there are medicines that will be used.

What causes morning sickness?

The exact explanation for morning sickness is unknown. However, a variety of various causes are suggested, including:

Increased estrogen levels — changes in levels of the female sex hormone estrogen during the early stages of pregnancy may cause short-term nausea and vomiting.

Increased human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels — a hormone the body begins to supply after conception.

Nutritional deficiency — a lack of vitamin B6 within the diet is assumed to be another possible cause.

Gastric problems — progesterone may be a hormone that helps prepare the womb for pregnancy and protects the womb lining. As progesterone production increases this might affect the tone within the lower esophagus affecting the valve into the stomach causing nausea.

Risk factors

A number of various factors are related to an increased risk of developing morning sickness. These include:

 previous pregnancy with nausea and vomiting

 female fetus

 family history of nausea

 history of kinetosis or history of nausea while using contraceptives that contain estrogen

 young maternal age

 obesity

 stress

 multiple pregnancies, like twins or triplets

 first pregnancy

An enlarged placenta is additionally a known risk factor for morning sickness. The placenta is that the organ that attaches the mother to her unborn baby and provides the baby with food and oxygen.

The placenta can become enlarged in multiple pregnancies, like twins or triplets, or during a molar pregnancy, where the fertilization of the egg goes wrong and results in abnormal growth of cells inside the womb.

Things to avoid during pregnancy

Here are a few products or lifestyle habits pregnant women and their partners should take care of during pregnancy. From hair highlights to deal with paints, learn more about what’s safe for your baby.

Acupuncture and massage

Acupuncture and massage, are generally considered to be secure during pregnancy, there are still times during pregnancy once they shouldn’t be used. for example, the abdomen should not be massaged during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

It is generally safe to have acupuncture once you are pregnant. you ought to search for a qualified acupuncturist who has extensive training and knowledge with pregnant women. Tell your acupuncturist you’re pregnant because certain acupuncture points can’t be used safely during pregnancy.

If you’re considering using a complementary therapy, it’s important to inform your doctor or midwife. If you then plan to use a complementary therapy, you ought to always consult a professional practitioner.

Exercise

It’s great to be active and stay fit while you’re pregnant but ask your midwife or doctor first to form sure there are not any health problems that prevent you from exercising. If there are not any problems, attempt to do a half-hour of moderate exercise, like walking or swimming, on most days of the week.

Regular exercise can:

help you occupy a healthy weight

help you relax

help cause you to stronger and fitter — good for dealing with pregnancy, labor, and being a parent

help decrease discomforts like backache and varicose veins that affect some pregnant women

Cleaning products

Check the labels of cleaning products to make sure there are not any safety warnings for pregnant women. If you use cleaning products, glue, paint, or other household chemicals, follow the security directions on the label. confirm the space is well ventilated when you are cleaning — open windows and doors.

Some toilet deodorant cakes contain a substance called naphthalene. Exposure to very large amounts of naphthalene can damage blood cells, resulting in a condition called hemolytic anemia. Symptoms that will occur after exposure to large quantities of naphthalene include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Newborn babies are particularly at risk if they’re exposed to naphthalene.

Hair dye

Most research studies, although limited, show that it’s safe to color your hair while pregnant. Some research studies have found that very high doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm. however, these doses are compared to the low amount of chemicals when you dye your hair.

Many women plan to wait to dye their hair until after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the risk of chemical substances harming the baby is far lower. If you’re coloring your hair yourself, you’ll reduce the risk further by ensuring that you:

wear gloves

leave the dye on for the minimum time

work in a well-ventilated room

Highlighting hair, by putting the dye only onto strands of hair, also reduces any risk. The chemicals used are only absorbed by hair, and not by your scalp or bloodstream.

Semi-permanent pure vegetable dyes, like henna, are a secure alternative.

Pregnancy can affect your hair’s normal condition. for instance, your hair may react differently to coloring or perming and become more or less absorbent, frizzy, or unpredictable.

It’s always an honest idea to try to do a strand test first, using the hair coloring or treatment that you simply shall use. Speak to your hairdresser for advice.

X-rays

You should avoid having an x-ray while you are pregnant. Your consultant will assess whether your treatment can wait until you’ve had your baby. they’re going to assess whether the advantages of treatment outweigh the low risk of getting an x-ray. they’ll also think about using another imaging method instead, like an ultrasound scan.

The risk from x-ray radiation is said to the stage of pregnancy at which the exposure occurs and therefore the dosage amount that reaches the baby. there’s a slight risk of birth defects and physical and mental development problems.

However, repeated exposure to radiation can damage the body’s cells, which may increase the danger of cancer developing. this is often why the dose of radiation utilized in an x-ray is usually as low as possible. X-rays during pregnancy carry a really small risk of exposing the unborn baby to radiation, which could cause cancer to develop during his or her childhood.

Sunbeds

Pregnant women often find that their skin is more sensitive than normal. If use a sunbed when you’re pregnant, your skin can therefore be more likely to burn.

Sunbeds give out ultraviolet (UV) rays, an equivalent sort of harmful radiation found in sunlight. Getting a tan employing a sunbed isn’t safer than tanning within the sun. In some cases, sunbed use is often more harmful. Many sunbeds give out greater doses of Ultraviolet rays than the midday Mediterranean sun.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing carcinoma including melanoma, the foremost serious sort of carcinoma. it’s illegal to work a commercial solarium in Australia.

There is no clear evidence about the effect of Ultraviolet rays from sunbeds on an unborn baby. Some studies have suggested there could also be a link between increased UV rays and a folic acid deficiency. this is often because UV rays can break down folic acid

Top 10 Essential Pregnancy Foods

Pregnancy may be a critical time during a woman’s lifetime. She has got to take excellent care of her and therefore the baby growing within the womb. a method of achieving it’s by keeping a tab on the food that goes in. One must maintain a healthy pregnancy nutrition level and confirm that she is eating the proper sort of pregnancy food. Research studies say that a pregnant woman must consume 350 to 500 extra calories than normal. Failing this, you’ll see developmental issues within the baby. So what are the foods to eat during pregnancy? Let’s determine during this article.

Nutritional Requirements During Pregnancy

Consultant all over the world recommends that an expectant woman must follow a particular diet plan which will include all the essential nutrients required to stay both the mother and therefore the growing baby healthy. Here may be a list of all the nutrients that you simply would require once you are pregnant.

 Carbohydrates, to be energetic all the time

 Protein helps in maintaining the healthy growth of your baby

 Monounsaturated fats are important for the growth of a healthy brain and eyes in your baby

 Fibre will assist you to keep your stomach fitness and avoid constipation

 Calcium helps in avoiding preterm birth and other pregnancy complications

 Zinc can drive several biological functions that include cellular integrity, protein synthesis, macromolecule metabolism and thus is a crucial nutrient helping baby grow

 Iron-rich foods for pregnancy has got to be an important part of your diet because it helps a mother make adequate hemoglobin for all the additional blood that fills her body when she is pregnant

 Folic acid for the healthy growth of the baby and avoids birth defects

 Vitamins A, D, C are important for the healthy growth of the baby and taking excellent care of the mother

Important Foods for Pregnant Women

Every pregnant woman needs more calories and nutrients than that’s normal. Nutrition during pregnancy should be kept at good levels due to the very fact that there’s a life growing within you. For this reason, it’s your responsibility to consume only the proper sort of food during pregnancy. If you’re taking your initiative into motherhood, then here may be a detailed version of food for pregnant women.

1. Dairy Products – Yogurt

When we mention nutrition in pregnancy, you merely cannot ignore the role played by various dairy products, especially yogurt. they provide you with the specified protein and calcium that your growing baby needs. additionally, you’ll cash in on the probiotic supply to eliminate pregnancy risks.

2. Whole Grains

Whole grain like oats and quinoa can assist you to quash your high-calorie needs which will arise during the second and third trimesters. On the opposite hand, they’re going to also function as an upscale source of magnesium, fiber, B-complex vitamin that goes lacking during a pregnant woman’s diet most of the time.

3. Sweet potatoes

This veggie carries beta-carotene that gets converted to vitamin A, a really essential nutrient required for cell differentiation within the growing fetus. While you’re out there trying to find high vitamin A rich food, confirm to avoid animal organs just like the liver, heart, and brain.

4. Legumes

This group of foods can assist you to get fiber, folate, protein, calcium iron, potassium, magnesium, et al. that you simply might need for normal delivery. you’ll obtain all of those rich nutrients from food items like peanuts, peas, lentils, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, and more!

5. Dark and Leafy Greens

These are a number of the best iron-rich foods for pregnancy. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, leeks, then on are rich in nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and so on. Also, they need antioxidants and plant compounds that help in easy digestion, strengthening the system, and preventing constipation.

6. Fruits for Pregnant Woman

Fruits are the simplest supplements for all the nutrients a pregnant woman needs. Fruits to eat in pregnancy include berries, bananas, oranges that are the simplest suppliers of nutrients like healthy carbs, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, antioxidants, and even water to stay you healthy and hydrated!

7. Dried fruit

Dry fruits are small, easy to munch, and are rich in nutrients like fiber, minerals like potassium, iron, and vitamins like folate. Prunes, dates, dried figs are those that are more frequently recommended by doctors.

8. Soy Foods

If you’re a vegan, then you don’t need to hand over your dietary habits as you’ll get all the nutrients in soy foods. Simply add tofu to your food regimen and you’ll be good to travel. It contains proteins that you simply require for healthy baby growth.

9. Pumpkin Seeds

As your uterus grows, the muscles around it expand and it needs proteins to face up to the pressure and keep your growing muscles healthy. once you add pumpkin seeds to your pregnancy diet, you’ll rest assured knowing that your muscles will never be bereft of the proteins it needs. additionally, you’ll even cash in of the opposite nutrients it’s during a high quantity like zinc, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and iron

10. Water

Keeping yourself hydrated is that the most vital part of pregnancy. once you are pregnant, your body produces more blood leading to dehydration if you’re not drinking enough water. you’ll see symptoms like headaches, tiredness, anxiety, reduced memory, mood swings, and more!