1. Get plenty of rest: Most likely, you will be more tired than ever before during the first trimester. Listen to your body and go to bed or take naps when you are feeling tired. This may also mean cutting back on obligations, or going out with friends. Do not let yourself worry about housework, errands, or getting ready for the baby, which needs to be done. You will have more energy in the 2nd trimester, so let the things that can wait, wait. Also, ask your husband, boyfriend, or family to help you when you are tired.

2. Ask (or beg) your significant other to do the grocery shopping, cooking, and some of the cleaning: You may have aversions to foods in the first trimester or simply just do not have the desire to cook. Prepare a list of food items that you enjoy and ask your husband to prepare the meals each night or a few nights per week. Alleviating the stress of having to deal with food aversions at the grocery store and over the stove will help alleviate some of the nausea you may be feeling. Not only that, but if you are like me and working full time, you are tired in the evenings and will not feel like cooking or cleaning.

3. Make large meals on the weekends to last throughout the week: You will find that you have a little more energy for a few hours on the weekends. Snatch up those moments of energy to make a one-dish meal for the week (soups, casseroles, lasagnas, stews) so that you have something on the nights you lack the desire and energy to cook.

4. If you are experiencing nausea, try different avenues to alleviate it: There are many tips out there to ease the nausea, such as eating crackers in the morning before you get up, eating crackers all day, drinking ginger tea, and drinking ginger ale. I did not find these things to help with my nausea. One of the things that helped me was eating black licorice, eating grilled cheese sandwiches all day, and drinking lemonade. So, what works for one, does not work for all. Try different things.

5. Dont read all of the pregnancy books: Ask your doctor for one book that their practice recommends and stick with that book. If you feel the need to buy several books on the market, do not let yourself get worried about all of the things they discuss in these books. For example, I thought there was a chance that my baby was going to have neural tube defects (due to lack of folic acid) since I did not take prenatal vitamins prior to conception and in the first month of pregnancy. My doctor assured me that you do not even need to take the prenatal vitamins until the 20th week.

6. Call your doctor if you have concerns about anything! Your doctor will assure you more than the books or anyone else for that matter.

Lastly, have fun during your first trimester! Cherish all of the changes and experiences your body goes through during pregnancy as it forms a little miracle inside.

Practical Tips To Survive The 1st Trimester Of Pregnancy is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

But one things for sure. After the delivery process, many are just plain tired. In addition, having to breastfeed and nurse a newborn several times a night can be exhausting.

The new mum today does not have much time to rest and relax during her confinement period at home. She needs to get back to work pretty quickly and that means, facing added pressure to lose weight so that she can fit back to her office wear.

Post-natal massage may just be the solution to her needs. Here are 6 top benefits of Post-natal massage therapy:

1. Relaxation
2. Stress Relief
3. Relieves aches on shoulders or neck
4. Hasten the reduction of fluid retention.
5. Help uterus to shrink to original size
6. Reduce cellulite and help to tone up the body.

In many parts of Asia, many women before delivery would in fact, prebook sessions with an Indonesian massage therapist for post-natal massage. The treatment is a traditional one which has been handed down several generations and even practiced today. This treatment involves the use of a massage oil applied to the stomach and a tummy wrap (bengkung), essentially a cotton cloth of several metres. The bengkung is used to wrap the body so as to push up the uterus, clear water retention, wind, spasm, shrinks the tummy and helps to reduce weight. Post-natal massage is usually done in the privacy of ones own home.

For a mother that has delivered her baby naturally, it is generally pretty safe to go for a post-natal massage. For those that delivered by caesarian, be sure to consult your professional massage therapist or your doctor first. Most in fact, would recommend that you wait a few more weeks before proceeding with a post-natal massage.

Post-natal massage provides a sense of continuing comfort for the new mother. The aim of this massage is to give nurturing and emotional support as well as alleviate the muscle strain of labor and childbirth. Some post natal massage therapies also come with a detoxification ritual that rids the midriff of post birth bagginess.

In some instances, post-natal massage can also bring about a much shapelier silhouette, compared to the one just before pregnancy!

Post Natal Massage Therapy is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

Since the beginning of modern technology, paternity test has quite gained popularity since rape cases have escalated to greater height. Paternity tests, today, are one of the methods being used in solving cases that involve pregnancy, rape, child claims, and for very simple reason that the mother would just like to know who the father of the baby is.

Sounds quite peculiar isnt it? But these things really do happen and there are women who just dont know who is the father of their baby. Paternity test is also common in situations wherein the man does not accept the truth that he is the biological father of a certain child.

Generally, paternity test are conducted through a comprehensive DNA testing and analysis of different enzymes, proteins, and HLA antigens.

The utilization of DNA, when checking for confirmations of the alleged claims of fatherhood, ahs been a breakthrough in the world of science. It is also an effective measure because, in reality, the DNA of an individual is almost exact replicas of every somatic cell of the parents. The combination of these DNA from the parents is united during sexual reproduction wherein these combinations will form another new cell.

The paternity test, on the other hand, has three test options available: prenatal testing, viability test, or in-home testing.

The Prenatal Paternity Test

The very first option is the prenatal testing. This is done when the pregnant mother is still on its 10th through the 13th week or 14th to 24th week of pregnancy, depending on the procedure to be used.

Mothers who undergo through this option wish to determine the paternity even before the baby is born. The babys DNA is enough to determine and prove the paternity of the father.

Most people contend that it is not advisable to conduct paternity test during pregnancy. In contrast, conducting paternity test during pregnancy is already reliable and effective in determining the paternity. This is because the babys DNA is already developed since the start of conception.

Alternatively, the prenatal paternity test may be conducted either through amniocentesis or chronic villi sampling (CVS).

When using a chorionic villi sampling, the process is conducted during the 10th through the 13th week of pregnancy. In this process, the cells from the placenta are collected. This is done by inserting a catheter through the vagina to collect cells. The ultrasound will be the one to guide the OB-GYN during the process.

In amniocentesis, the process is the same. Though, it must be done during the 14th to the 24th week of pregnancy. Also, the type of cells to be collected is the loos fetal cells embedded in the amniotic fluid. It is the fluid that is collected.

The Viability test

This type of paternity test uses remarkable samples so as to check for the DNA. This is commonly used when the supposed to be father is not present or cannot be found. In this process, they use preserved samples like hair, body tissues, and blood.

The In-Home Test

This is the most convenient procedure among the three. The in-home testing, as its name implies, is done within the comforts of ones home.

In most cases, people who uses this kind of method is not at all determined to make such a fuss about the issue. It is usually for some personal reasons or other rationale and usually wouldnt want other people to know about it. Though, it must be kept in mind that the results derived from this process is not admissible in court in the light of rape cases, divorce, child custody, or other legal issues where determination of paternity is important.

In this process, the DNA is collected using the buccal swab. This buccal swab resembles to the common cotton-tipped swab but has a special component known as the Dacron. It is then rubbed against the interior of the individuals cheek. Several loose cheek cells stick to the swab. Here, the DNA can be obtained.

After the DNA is collected, it will be brought to the laboratory for some series of tests. It is a must that DNA samples must be in a sealed and tamper-evident packing.

Usually, paternity test results are available after 5 working days. It can also be earlier depending on the viability of the samples.

Indeed, paternity test had definitely made a major breakthrough in the world of science. Because of these innovative procedures, paternity tests are now considered as one of the most effective investigative methods in the society today.

Paternity Test: Are You The One? is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

- Birthing Pool

Being in water during the early stages of labor can greatly relieve the contraction pains in some women, as the bouyancy takes some of the pressure off the muscles of the lower back. Some women prefer to stay in the water right through to the later stages of labor, and some even choose to complete the birth in a birthing pool.

Birthing pools have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they are seen as a natural way of reducing pain, in line with today’s widespread preference for keeping things simple and as close to nature as possible.

- TENS

A TENS machine is a small electronic device which you attach to your lower back with electrode pads. The machine passes a very slight electric current through the pads, which is intended to interfere with the pain signals, reducing the extent of the discomfort. The level of current can usually be increased during contractions, and then lowered back down as the pain subsides again. Some women find TENS machines to be highly effective, while for others the effect is minimal. The devices can usually be hired from the hospital, but are relatively cheap to buy yourself if you want to be sure that one will be available.

- Gas and Air

This is also known as entonox, and is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that is breathed in via a pipe whenever the mother-to-be feels the need. It is a very light method of pain relief, and is enough on it’s own for some women, especially in straightforward births. The effect is more of a distraction from the pain than an actual reduction, but doesn’t feature the drawbacks of the two more heavy-duty pain relief drugs below.

- Epidural

An epidural is an injection of pain relief drugs direct into the lumbar region, and is extremely effective at blocking pain. The initial injection must be performed by a doctor, although the drug levels can then be subsequently topped up by the midwife for as long as it is required. Early epidurals also interfered with movement, and so the entire birth had to be carried out lying down, but more advanced versions of the drugs used now allow the mother to walk around a little to relieve discomfort.

- Pethidine

This is the strongest pain relief option available in most cases, and is extremely effective in stopping pain over a 3 to 4 hour period. Unlike an epidural, it can’t be used indefinitely, and only two doses are usually allowed, meaning it is less than ideal for labors lasting longer than 8 hours or so. The drug can also pass through to the infant, in some cases delaying the start of breathing. Antidotes are, however, available should this occur.

Although the choice of which method of pain relief to use is usually left up to the mother, most midwives recommend starting with the less invasive choices such as TENS and gas and air, only moving up to drug treatments if necessary later on.

Pain Relief During Childbirth is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

The first step is to understand female anatomy and how it works during different phases of childbirth. Ovulation is one such phase of the menstrual cycle, when an egg or ovum is released from ovaries. If this ovum meets with male sperm in its journey down the fallopian tube conception takes place. It does sound simple, but Ovulation depends on the interplay of glands and hormones. This may be one reason why some women cannot conceive. The gland that affects Ovulation is the Hypothalamus, using its hormones for communication with the pituitary gland, referred to as the master gland of the endocrine system. In turn, the pituitary gland produces luteinizing hormone (LH) and FSH. High levels of LH cause Ovulation within two days. The cycle continues with mature follicles releasing ovum into the peritoneal cavity and then into the fallopian tube, and from there to the uterus. If the ovum does not encounter a sperm within 24 hours it dies.

Ovulation occurs two weeks before the onset of the menstrual period once every month till menopause, or break in between for child birth and pregnancy. Certain changes occur in the cervical mucus, which gets slippery and slick, accompanied by general or localized pain. Sometimes there is delay or deviation from 24 to 35 days in the menstrual cycle, or slight fever in women who follow natural family planning methods. This persuades them to mistake Ovulation for premenstrual symptoms, if accompanied by pain and changes in body. Instead of playing guessing games, Ovulation should be confirmed with kits available in market or through blood tests or pregnancy ultrasound. Once sure, it is advisable to take precautions to avoid miscarriage or bleeding. Motherhood is something nature intended us to enjoy, and we should welcome it in all its cycles.

Ovulation is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

All the emotions of joy, fear, amazement and acceptance, assembled within you. There was no exact word to describe the feeling.

Now you should prepare yourself for the next huge things. The upcoming nine months will be more thrilling than before. You’ll experience unexpected, remarkable changes in your body.

In general, pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. Each one has its own nature.

Take a look at the general symptoms you may have in the first trimester of your pregnancy – a crucial time when you should be careful with your fetus. Also, the tips given will hopefully help you go through this wonderful journey. Enjoy.

1. Morning sickness – Nausea and vomiting are two common symptoms of early pregnancy. Hot drinks, crackers, and fresh fruits are great choices for relieving them.

2. Frequent urination – The growing of uterus causes some pressure on your bladder. You’ll be going to the restroom more often.

3. Tender breasts – The increasing hormone lets your breasts become more sensitive, fuller and heavier than usual. This time you may replace your bra with a more comfortable one.

4. Uncommon Exhaustion – Don’t push yourself by working too hard. Try to get some rests whenever you feel fatigue.

5. Increased craving – Acquire nutritious and balanced food intake. Make sure you and your baby are well nourished.

6. Bad moods – The change of hormones in your body causes your moods to switch as well. Mild exercises can help your moods. Moreover, just think that it’s a preliminary change and challenge you’ll have before and after your baby arrives.

Some of you may not recognize that you’re pregnant until it reaches five to six weeks from your last period. But soon when you find it out, it’s best to think which health care provider you’ll go to for a routine check-up.

Ask your pregnancy condition to your obgyn. Some of the congenital abnormalities may be observed at the end of the third month of pregnancy by a USG examination. Consult with him when unexpected things occur.

Read also lots of information about pregnancy. Knowing what happens in your uterus – and your pregnancy in general – will make you feel safe and comfy.

Most of all, enjoy your bigger size. It’s an amazing experience you’ll never forget in your life.

Overcome The Symptoms In The First Trimester Of Your Pregnancy is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

Western countries are believed to have spent over a billion dollars in research of this kind. Old wives tales and folklore have thrived on our desire to have the baby of our choice. The ancient Chinese are reported to have devised a system that was some 65 percent accurate.

But first, why would anyone want to choose the gender of ones baby?

Any baby, boy or girl, is a gift of nature, and should be welcome as such?

Over the years, different reasons have been given for preferring a baby of a particular gender.

The most important reason, and the one which I strongly support, for trying to influence the gender of your baby at the time of conception, is medical. Many disabilities are now known to be transmitted across generations through genes. Many of these disabilities are gender specific. For example, a woman herself may not suffer from a gene-linked illness, but she will convey the disease-causing gene to her male children who will then be affected by the disease.
There are about 350-plus X-linked disorders (diseases that only male children inherit), some of them fatal, such as hemophilia, muscular dystrophy and X-linked hydrocephalus, and gender selection is almost a compulsion for such families. If the woman is a known carrier of an X-linked disorder, sex selection is the one way to try and prevent passing on the disease to a male child.

Some may accuse these couples of playing God. But couples attempting gender selection usually have practical reasons for doing so. Quality of life becomes an issue for both parents and child. For instance, will the child be so handicapped that he is in perpetual discomfort? What will happen to this child if the parents are no longer able to care for him? Can the parents’ marriage weather the stress of raising a boy who will need constant nursing and who will never live a normal life?

The same argument of playing God can be used against contraceptives and abortion?

One must make the choices in life that one believes are necessary. Sometimes gender selection, attempting to improve the odds in favour of conceiving a boy or girl as desired, is a choice one must make.

One Important Reason Why you should Consider Choosing the Sex of your Baby is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

In modern societies where blame, shame and guilt are raging emotions often associated with birth, changing the system doesnt seem to have worked. Its so easy to ask so who is to blame? Gotcha.

I want a new blue car to drive. Im planning chicken, salad and apple pie for dinner. When my husband and I have sex this weekend, I want to have the most delicious orgasm. Ill breastfeed. These sentences have two elements. The most obvious are the choices. The less obvious are the skills. Driving is a learned skill, so is cooking, making love well and breast feeding. Within these skills are some that relate to natural physiological human urges: hunger, sex, breastfeeding. Somehow we know that we have, or havent or need to develop skills around these natural physiological experiences. Birth is no different.

Common Knowledge Trust is located in New Zealand, yet all The Pink Kit Method for birthing better resources that are and will become available developed in the US in the 1970s when choices for expectant couples opened up possibilities unheard of for our mothers and grandmothers. Little focus has been on the skills birthing women and coaching partners need, although Lamaze, Bradley and Birthworks have offered couples tools and skills to work with the birth plans or choices couples are making.

There are so many choices for modern women and such a focus on individuality that we have lost sight of something very important. We are all one humanity. Every woman throughout Time or Place on this planet has given birth out the same hole. Birth is essentially the same process: one contraction following another until something comes out our vagina. We share the same body and can prepare our birthing body the same way. We discovered this in the 1970s. Stick to the shared body and share a common language. This is The Pink Kit Method for birthing better. and every expectant couple can teach themselves in the privacy of their own home, along with whatever they are doing to plan or prepare for childbirth. The skills adapt to your individual situation, because they are your skills!

Many birth plans have been foiled by the unexpected. Birth plans are about choice. Birth is about reality and what is happening now. Couple our own skills to the choices we make. When the unexpected happens we have the skills to take into whatever situation we find ourselves. The reason we have so often heard Theres no way to prepare for birth, is because the unexpected is common place. We do not know what our labour will be like, if well birth on our due date or go over 4 weeks, whether our water bag will leak for 2 weeks, our birth professional be sick, the hot water didnt work to fill the pool, our baby turned breech and were faced with a c/s and on and on. We learned in the 1970s with skills, we can use them in all situations. Nothing has to stop us. We adjust.

The Pink Kit Method for birthing better can become the common knowledge skills for expectant couples worldwide. This will happen because you make the resources available in your local community. We dont need another professionally trained group to teach us about our birthing body, we can do it ourselves at home. We (both mother and father) can all learn how to Map the pelvis, know what positions keep us open, to relax inside The Pelvic Clock, to do Kates Cat, Hip Lifts, Sit Bone Spreads, use a common language and common touch at any birth. And theres more!.

Five years of statistics show that couples who learn and use the skills have about 7% c/s. Some of those couples said they did the work, but really didnt and gave up in labour. This is compared to the 27% all having access to midwifery car, childbirth education, natural therapies etc.

Childbirth can change, one labour at a time, one contraction at a time in even around all the assessments, monitoring and procedures being done. If women wanted natural birth, theyd go bush. We take aspirin for headaches, antibiotics, immunisethe normal and natural is no longer. If birth was so natural, why are direct entry midwives trained for 3 years? Birth is natural. It will happen at the end of pregnancy. If youre planning a labouring birth, then become skilled. If youre planning or needing a non-labouring birth then treat yourself to becoming skilled and use the skills in the birth of your child. Every expectant parent can become involved in birth preparation and have a more positive and fulfilling birth. Dont expect perfect.

Nows the time to reclaim our childbirth skills is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

Not every pregnant woman will experience morning sickness, although most do to some degree, and it can vary from a feeling of mild nausea or queasiness ranging up to feeling truly dreadful and unable to keep any food or liquids down. The severity of the effects seems to be greatest in women with a history of migraine or travel sickness.

It’s not known exactly what causes it, but most doctors agree that the changes in hormone levels that pregnancy triggers are the most major factor. One of the effects of these hormones is to change the way your digestive system works, which can lead to higher levels of acid.

Another possible cause is that many women experience a heightened sense of taste and smell while pregnant, which can make nausea feel worse when unpleasant or strong odours are around.

Finally, tiredness and stress play a part, and most pregnant women are tired and stressed a lot of the time!

Morning sickness can occur over the full range of your pregnancy, but most women find that it more or less disappears by around 14 weeks as hormone levels in the body stabilise.

There are dozens and dozens of traditional ‘cures’ for the feelings of nausea, with every mother having an opinion on the subject! The fact is that every woman’s body is different and so no single thing will work for everyone. However, there are some simple things to try which can help most feel better.

As previously mentioned, an empty stomach can be a cause, so snack little and often to keep hunger at bay, and keep a couple of biscuits by your bed for if you wake up during the night.

Sucking on an ice cube can help, as can fizzy drinks. Fresh ginger is reputed to calm the stomach, so making a tea from crushed root ginger or even chewing on a piece can be worth a try.

Remedies for travel sickness can also help, so it might be worth trying the magnetic wristbands you can buy, but you should never take any medication while pregnant without consulting your doctor.

Morning sickness is a natural part of pregnancy and will not harm your baby in any way, but in severe cases you may be unable to keep any food or fluids down and if this continues you could become dehydrated, which is very dangerous for your baby. If your urine starts to become very dark in colour this is a sign that your fluid levels are too low, and you should speak to your midwife or doctor.

Finally, when you’re in a bout of morning sickness, don’t worry too much about what you’re eating – getting enough energy is more important than a balanced diet at that moment, so if chocolate makes you feel better then go for it! You can always stock up on healthier foods when the sickness has abated a little.

Morning Sickness : Causes and Cures is a post from: Home And Family Blogs

A survey of 378 hospitals showed that only 6 percent to 12 percent of women did not request pain relief, compared to 11 percent to 33 percent nine years prior.

Regional analgesia, including epidural, spinal or combined epidural-spinal techniques, accounted for 76 percent of the anesthesia services provided in the larger hospitals and for 57 percent in smaller hospitals.

There are two types of regional pain-relieving drugs – analgesics and anesthetics. Analgesia – pain relief without total loss of feeling or muscle movement – is typically administered to women in labor. This treatment blocks pain by numbing the nerves around the spinal or epidural space that encases the spinal cord. Anesthesia blocks all feeling and movement.

In the past, doctors debated the safety of using an epidural during early labor in first-time mothers. But newer research shows that those who are concerned about receiving pain relief during early labor may be able to rest easy.

Spinal-epidural analgesia during early labor does not increase the cesarean delivery rate in first-time mothers, according to a study by Dr. Cynthia A. Wong, associate professor of anesthesiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

This study also found that analgesia via combined spinal-epidural techniques resulted in better pain relief and a shorter labor when compared to pain medications administered by other routes such as intravenous or intramuscular injections.

“Mothers have come to expect the kind of pain relief provided by regional techniques,” said Dr. Brenda Bucklin, associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. “With recent studies showing that having this type of anesthesia early in labor will not increase chances of a cesarean delivery, I think their popularity will continue.”

More Women Now Choose Pain Relief During Labor is a post from: Home And Family Blogs