Tips for Overcoming Sickness

Though morning sickness may or may not be an aspect of your pregnancy, approximately half of all women who are pregnant experience morning sickness. The term “morning sickness” is actually a misnomer. Feelings of nausea, heartburn and even vomiting can strike at any time during the day. What causes morning sickness? There are many theories. Some believe that the changing hormone levels in a woman’s body result in nausea and a general sense of malaise. There are other researchers that have suggested that morning sickness is a protective mechanism that prevents the mother from ingesting potential harmful items such as teratogens or abortifacients.

For most women morning sickness disappears shortly after the first trimester, or at about 13 weeks.

Coping With Morning Sickness
If you have morning sickness, fortunately there are many things you can do to cope. Here are some time tested remedies that help relieve some of the symptoms of morning sickness:

• Eat several small meals per day instead of three large ones.
• Have some crackers and soda or water by the bed and try eating a few before you rise in the morning. An empty stomach often results in more nausea.
• Drink lots of fluids. Some women find carbonated water flavored with lemon to be quite soothing.
• Try some ginger or ginger ale, which is well known for alleviating nausea.
• Eat foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates.
• Avoid fatty or spicy foods, which are more likely to cause nausea.
• Get plenty of rest and take prenatal vitamins. If your vitamins make you nauseous, try taking them with meals.
• Avoid strong odors or smells that can induce nausea.
• Avoid lying down immediately after eating.

When morning sickness becomes serious….

Morning sickness can be more than an annoyance. Hyperemisis is a serious medical condition that occurs in some women and requires a visit to your physician. To learn more about morning sickness and hyperemisis, please visit Women’s Health Care Topics – your one-stop source for the best and latest information on pregnancy and women’s health.

Medications During the First Tri-mester: Safe or Out!

Do you take any medicines? 

Is your medicine cabinet baby-proofed? Even though baby isn’t here yet, are the medications you take now safe for the baby you’re hoping for?

Make a list of all medications you take on a regular basis. Be sure to include both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Some medications that are harmless before pregnancy can be quite dangerous to developing babies. So, that over the counter nasal spray or prescription acne medication you use? Ask your doctor now whether or not they’re safe to use during pregnancy. If they’re not, eliminate them from your system now, before you conceive.

Talk to your doctor about replacing current medications with one that’s pregnancy safe or, if possible, consider giving up that particular treatment until after baby is born and done nursing. (Always check with the prescribing doctor before stopping ANY prescribed medications.)

To learn more about the different risk categories for medicines look at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Weeks One and Two of Pregnancy

Everything Feels Better When You First Become Pregnant!

Weeks one and two are an extremely exciting and mystifying time for most women. Most women eagerly start calculating their pregnancy week by week as soon as they decide to conceive.

During pregnancy week 1 and beyond you will experience the joy of creating life, which is a life-changing event for most women! This guide will walk you step by step through each week of pregnancy. You’ll find informative information about the changes occurring in your body and in your baby. We’ll walk you through each of the stages of pregnancy, and help you understand what you should expect as your body changes and your baby grows from week to week.

During pregnancy week 1 and pregnancy week 2, you may not even be certain that you are pregnant yet! Many women experience few if any symptoms at all. Weeks one and two are mostly consumed with the process of ovulation and fertilization. During pregnancy week 1 and 2 your body will produce estrogen and progesterone in varying amounts to prepare the body for ovulation, when the ovaries release an egg. If you are lucky, this egg will be fertilized and will travel up the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where it will reside for the next 40 or so weeks.

To learn more about Weeks One and Two of Your Pregnancy, visit Women’s Health Care Topics.

Prepping for Pregnacy: Month One

 

At one month pregnant it’is confusing to realize that for the first two weeks you are not pregnant. Doctors start counting from the first day of your last menstrual period and not from the day of ovulation or conception approximately 2 weeks later.

 

Preparing yourself for pregnancy should start before the first month of pregnancy. Of course you’re thinking about it. That’s why you’re reading this article. Whether your heart is ready for pregnancy and you’re preparing for the rest of your life or, your mind is telling you that this is the best time to become a mom or, your body just told you you’re going to be a mommy, you want to start your pregnancy on the right foot.

A healthy pregnancy is healthy both physically and emotionally. You owe it to yourself, your partner, your family and your unborn to be physically, emotionally and spiritually ready to make a happy, healthy baby. So, let’s go through the list to ensure you’re ready for the first month of pregnancy. Learn more about early pregnancy preperation.

Pregnancy Due Dates are an Estimate, not a Definite

Pregnancy due dates are an estimate of when your baby will make his or her appearance in this world. The truth is only five percent of women deliver on their official “due date.” Why so much flexibility?

A typical gestation for a pregnancy is somewhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Once a woman carries her baby to 37 weeks doctors consider her full-term. Just because a woman is full-term however, doesn’t mean her baby is ready to make his or her appearance in the world. Most first time moms quickly learn that often pregnancies extend to 41 weeks or more. Read more

“What Are Common Sleep Problems During Pregnancy?”

What Are Common Sleep Problems During Pregnancy?

Ask any pregnant woman what her biggest problem is during pregnancy, and probably four times out of five you’ll find sleep problems among the top five complaints.

Sleep problems are common during pregnancy. During early pregnancy many women have trouble sleeping because their minds are racing with activity and excitement about their new discovery. Early hormone fluctuations can also lead to difficulty sleeping. Still other problems including those associated with a frequent need to urinate are common during early pregnancy, and may contribute to sleep problems during pregnancy. Read more

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