Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Postpartum Depression

Much more serious and lasting than the "baby blues," some women experience what is clinically referred to as postpartum depression. The following are the most common symptoms of postpartum depression. However, each woman experiences these symptoms differently. Symptoms include:

Pospartum Care

After delivering her baby, a mother will continue to be monitored and receive pain relief, if needed. A mother and baby usually remain at the hospital for a couple of days to recover.

Postpartum care for the mother:

As the mother recovers, the following symptoms are not uncommon:

Health Benefits to Moms Who Breastfeed

  • Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
  •     Reduced risk of anemia
  •     Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
  •     Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation

Breastfeeding Facts

  
  • Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
  • The varying composition of breastmilk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs
  •     Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in the US (20-35 million episodes of diarrhea occur in children under the age of 5, resulting in over 200,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths in the U.S.)
  •     Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and beneficial acts a mother can do for her child.  Dramatic health benefits have been proven to pass from mother to child through breastmilk   From antibodies which protect an infant at birth...to the exclusive nutrients in mother's milk which have been shown to prevent a number of childhood diseases

Monday, May 23, 2011

Pregnancy Stages (First Trimester)

First Trimester

Week 1
Mother:


    You started your period on the first day of this week. The last period you will have for at least the next nine or ten months. Some women, especially those who choose to breastfeed exclusively, may not have another period for a year and a half!
    It seems odd to begin counting the weeks of your pregnancy with your last menstrual period, however, most women are not conscious of the day they ovulate, much less the day they conceive their baby. Since most can remember the day their period started, it makes a very clear starting point for determining the due date for your upcoming birth.
    Remember that your due date is just an estimate! The average pregnancy last 40 weeks. Most women deliver their babies between 38 and 40 weeks from the first day of their last period.
    If you are hoping or planning to become pregnant now is the time to begin improving your diet and adding vitamin supplements such as folic acid and iron.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pregnancy Tests

A pregnancy test is done to determine if a woman is pregnant with a baby. When a woman gets pregnant, pregnancy hormone called the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is released in the blood and the urine. Pregnancy test detects the hormone hCG and confirms the pregnancy. The amount of the hormone is directly proportional to the length of your pregnancy and thus, pregnancy test also determines how far the pregnancy has reached by detecting the level of the hormone present in the blood or urine.


Time to go for a pregnancy test:

Fertilization Process.

the process of fertilization from where it begins. Before ovulation, mucus is secreted which is extremely stretchable. This is the highly fertile period for chancing conception. As it is the mucus that carries the sperm into the uterus.


During intercourse the excitement dilates the arterioles that supplies the blood to the penis. The blood then is accumulated in three cylindrical soft sinuses that move through the penis lengthwise. They cause pressure that enables the penis to enlarge, get erect and penetrate the vagina.

Signs Of Ovulation.

Ovulation is when one or more eggs are released from one of your ovaries. This happens toward the end of the time you're fertile between periods.

Each month, between 15 and 20 eggs mature inside your ovaries. The ripest egg is released and swept into one of your fallopian tubes. Your fallopian tubes connect your ovaries to your uterus (womb).

What Is Ovulation.

Ovulation is a part of a woman's reproductive cycle in which an egg is released by a mature ovarian follicle in order to travel down the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. Understanding the process of ovulation and your particular reproductive cycle can help you plan your pregnancy more effectively.


The first part of ovulation is the follicular phase, which takes place from the first day of a woman's period to her next ovulation.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Top Tips On Getting Pregnant.

1- Eat a healthy  balanced diet: 

Food is very important . The body needs vitamins and minerals that are found in a variety of foods to supply the chemicals needed to produce the lining of the uterus. If you have been on the pill for a long time there may be a deficiency in some vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B complexes. This means that you might consider checking up on your diet.  Women should also take 400 micrograms of folic acid inspired part of the diet daily as this can prevent spina bifida and neural tube defects.

2 - Avoid alcohol.

It's a good idea for you both to avoid alcohol  or at least to really cut down.