Things to know about the health of you and your baby.

The most important thing you can do when you have decided to have a baby is to take good care of yourself.  The parental period is a time to build a strong foundation for you, your baby and your family.

One of the best things you can do for you and your baby is to eat healthy. Making smart nutritional choices will help promote your baby’s growth and development.

Pregnancy Nutrition

During pregnancy a balanced diet is the most important part of good health.  Pregnancy Nutrition is the only source of nutrients for your baby.  You will need to learn how to make good food choices for you and your baby as well as the nutrients your baby will need.  You have to avoid things that can be harmful like alcohol, drugs,smoking cigarettes.  These things are very harmful to you and your baby.

Emotional Changes

We all think of pregnancy as an exciting time and you think mostly of how your body will change.  Some of us don’t realize the emotional changes that occur.  Feeling sad or worried about every little thing is normal and is usually due to changes in hormone levels.  The following represent some of the most common changes even though every woman’s pregnancy is unique to them.

• Hormones – Mood swings are very common because of these hormone changes.
• Self Image – You will start feeling bad about yourself that you are fat and unattractive.  Instead you should feel proud of the signs of your fertility.
• Anxiety about the health of the baby – You will feel and worry about the health of your baby. Talking with other mothers will help.
• Concerns about Labor – It’s very normal for mother’s to worry about childbirth, the pain, if you will embarrass yourself are common.

Although you will have ups and downs in your emotional crises most will be perfectly manageable.  Just remember that all the emotions you feel are felt by most pregnant women.

Pregnancy Complications

As we have mentioned before how important it is to visit your doctor on a regular basis to make sure you are on top of any complications with your pregnancy.  There are tests done in the beginning stages and some screenings later in pregnancy to help prevent these problems.  It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice so you have a safe delivery and a health baby.

Here are a few complication that could occur:

• Gestational Diabetes
• Ectopic Pregnancy
• Hepatitis B
• Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)
• HIV Infection
• Placenta Previa
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Toxoplasmosis
• Listeriosis
• Fetal Problems
• Premature or Pre-term Labor
• High – Blood Pressure
• Placental Abruption
• Post-partum Depression
• Mastitis

Nutrition Before Pregnancy

So you have decided to have a baby and you know that eating well and eating the right healthy foods will ensure the well being of your baby.  Now is the time to plan for the good health of your baby by eating nutritionally sound meals so your baby will have a good health environment to grow in. 

Since you have decided to start a family you should begin evaluating what you are eating to make sure you are getting enough nutrient stored in your body to carry your baby full term.  First thing to do to make sure you have the nutrients you need is to take  a prenatal supplement with the proper amount of folic acid.  Check with your doctor for recommendation of the amount  you should take.  Some of the benefits of Folic Acid are:

• Helps to prevent congenital disorder like spinal bifida
• Helps facilitate proper cell growth
• Helps proper development of the embryo
• Helps reduce risk of neural tube defects
• Helps reduce the risk of recurrent miscarriage
• Helps reduce the risk of preterm delivery and even low birth weight babies.

The importance of a balanced diet is a known part of good health in anyone’s life, but it’s even more important when you are pregnant.  Just remember that the only nutrients your baby gets is through you and what you eat.

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Now you are pregnant it’s essential for you to continue eating as good as you can through the nine months of your pregnancy.  One thing to realize and be careful of within the first three months is how hard it is to eat a balanced diet when you are having morning sickness and food aversions.  Eating junk food is not going to help your baby and give your baby the nutrients they need.

When you eat well during your pregnancy it helps your baby eat well after she/he is born.  Research has shown that what your baby is exposed to when developing like fruit and vegetables will be less fussy when they are growing up.

One of the most important nutrients that you and your baby needs is iron.  Not having enough iron could lead to anemia.  If you think that you are not getting enough iron check with your doctor about taking an iron supplement.

Finally, one of the best things you can do for your baby and yourself for that matter is eating right during your pregnancy.  Just look at the foods in your diet and make sure that they provide the nutrients you and your baby needs.

Nutrition After Pregnancy

Just as important as good nutrition before and during pregnancy is the importance of proper nutrition after the birth of your baby. It should be easy to continue your good eating habits by eating a good-quality diet just as you have been doing.  If you are not going to breastfeed you should eat just the way you were prior to getting pregnant.  If you are breastfeeding you need special nutritional management.

You will have a few problems after the birth of the baby as far as you are concerned like getting your iron back up to normal again, dealing with fatigue, maybe a little constipation here and there but just take a creative approach to your eating habits by choosing the right foods will help.  The secret to post-pregnancy nutrition is to gradually regain a desirable figure, while maintaining or restocking nutrient stores.

It is also important to first consult your physician before starting any physical activity program to start your healing process.  Ask your doctor about any precautions you need to take before you start getting your body back in shape again to prevent any injuries you could experience.

When you get pregnant there are many changes your body will go through.  Your body changes in more ways than you think, and it does not stop when the baby is born.  You need to think about the postpartum care and what it involves, managing all the problems that comes after childbirth.  Here’s are some of the important things to expect after delivery.

Contractions

After the first few days after delivery you may feel contractions called after pains. These after pains (contractions) will occur during breast-feeding and they help prevent excessive bleeding.  The way it does this is by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus. The after pains feel kind of like menstrual cramps when you have your menstruation period.  If they are unbearable see your doctor and they may prescribe pain medication.

Soreness in the Vagina

Some women will have a tear during delivery and this could hurt for a few weeks when you sit or walk.  Some of the things you can do to help is:

• Keep the Wound Clean
• Sit Down Carefully
• Do your Kegels Exercises
• Always looks for Signs of Infection
• Soothe the Wound with ice packs

Discharge from the Vagina

For up the six weeks after delivery you will have a discharge that’s bright red heavy flow of blood for a few days.  The discharge will gradually go away. Use sanitary napkins to reduce the risk of infection instead of tampons.

Hemorrhoids

It’s possible you may have hemorrhoids if you have pain during a bowel movement.  Hemorrhoids is the swelling near your anus which is stretched and swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum.  If bad see your doctor for a hemorrhoid medication.

Having a Problem Urinating

Surrounding the bladder and urethra you may have swelling or bruising of the tissues that may lead to difficulty urinating.  It may help to place a hot or cold packs on the tissue between the vaginal opening and anus.  This could also be symptoms of a urinary tract infection so be sure to consult your health care provider.

Leaking Urine

The connective tissue at the base of the bladder  stretch after pregnancy and birth.  This could cause nerve and muscle damage to the bladder or urethra.  Some times when you laugh, strain, or cough you may leak urine.

Bowel Movements

Sometimes because of fear of hurting your perineum or aggravating the pain of hemorrhoids you may find yourself avoiding your bowel movements.  Something else could happen is the inability to control bowel movements (fecal incontinence).  This happens sometimes when you have an unusually long labor.  Again and always if you have these problem or any problem consult your health care provider.

Sore Breasts

A few days after delivery, your breasts may become heavy, swollen and tender.  This discomfort should not last but a few days.  Feeding your newborn regularly will help this problem.

Weight Loss

After you give birth you may feel  out of shape and in some cases you may still look pregnant and flabby.  Don’t get upset this will not last forever and is perfectly normal.  You should loose ten or more pounds during birth from the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid.  The next few days you should loose more from leftover fluids.  Sorry after that it’s back to eating right and exercise.  This should get you back to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Mood Changes

Many women after childbirth will have some powerful emotions going on.  This is called the baby blues, mood swings, sadness, irritability and anxiety are common.  The baby blues typically will not last long about seven to ten days.

Hair Loss

When you are pregnant you normally do not loose any hair but after delivery you could sheds the excess hair all at once.  Your hair will be back to normal in about six months.

Changes in the Skin

You could notice small blood vessels breaking during the pushing stage of labor causing small red spots on your face.  Not to worry they should go away in about a week.

Just wanted your to know some of the main changes your body will go through after childbirth.  You should have a postpartum checkup in about six weeks or so after birth to make sure there are no problems with your vagina, cervix and uterus and that they are healing well. Even though what you are feeling is entirely normal you still need to talk to your health care provider about any concerns you may have.

Every women when pregnant has discomforts that’s unique to them.  Some pregnancy discomforts may occur in the first few weeks, when others occur when you get closer to delivery.  Some women feel some changes in their breasts while some feel tired or fatigue.

Find out the most common pains and what causes these pains along with recommendation to help relieve the pain…. but remember to discuss any concerns about pregnancy discomforts you are having with your doctor.

Source: WebMD

Complications of pregnancy are the symptoms and problems that are associated with pregnancy.

There are both routine problems and serious, even potentially fatal problems. The routine problems are normal complications, and pose no significant danger to either the woman or the fetus. Serious pregnancy complications can cause both maternal death and fetal death if untreated.

Most women have normal, uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries.  Unfortunately there are some women that experience some pregnancy complications during their pregnancy.

Here are some of the best known pregnancy complications to be aware of…

Ectopic Pregnancy

A ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. Even though this could happen to any women pregnancy you are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy if you have had a pelvic inflammatory disease or other sexually transmitted disease. It could also happen if you had an ectopic pregnancy previously or have had some previous tubal surgery.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes affects the way your body uses sugar (glucose) which is your body’s main source of fuel.  Good news is it can be managed during your pregnancy by eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and in some cases taking medication.  Blood sugar levels typically return to normal soon after delivery.
Hepatitis B

HIV Infection/Sexually Transmitted Diseases

According to the March of Dimes, there are about 6,000 to 7,000 women infected with HIV give birth every year.  The bad part about this is the mother can give HIV to there child.  HIV transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding is called prenatal transmission. Prenatal HIV transmission is the most common way children are infected with HIV.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)

HG is a severe form of morning sickness, with unrelenting, excessive pregnancy-related nausea and /or vomiting that prevents adequate intake of food and fluids. The serious , and sometimes fatal complications of HG are almost always avoided with aggressive treatment.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is a loss of the fetus before the 20th week and sometimes sooner by the tenth week.  About 10 to 30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes.    Listeriosis is relatively rare and occurs primarily in pregnant women, newborn infants, elderly patients, and patients who are immunocompromised. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasjmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondjj.  The infection is most commonly acquired from contact with cats and their feces or with raw or undercooked meat.

Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are infections in the bladder, kidneys, ureters (the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder) or urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body). UTIs are caused by bacteria. If not treated and you have a kidney infection it could cause early labor in your pregnancy. If your doctor treats a urinary tract infection early and properly, it won’t hurt your baby.

Placenta Previa

Placenta previa is an uncommon pregnancy complication that can cause excessive bleeding before or during delivery. It’s when the placenta has attached to the uterine wall close to or covering the cervix.

Placental Abruption

This is when there is a separation of the placenta from the uterus. It can cause heavy bleeding in the mother and can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients.  Placental Abruption should be treated quickly before it puts both mother and baby in jeopardy.

High-Blood Pressure/Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a disorder is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and will effect both the mother and baby.  It is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.

Premature or Pre-term Labor

Premature labor, also known as preterm labor, is a very serious complication of pregnancy. This is defined as labor that begins prior to 37 weeks gestation.  Early detection can help prevent premature birth and possibly enable you to carry your pregnancy to term or to give your baby a better chance of survival.

Post-partum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD, also called postnatal depression) is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, after childbirth. Postpartum depression can make you feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless.  Symptoms typically last from a few hours to several days, and include tearfulness, irritability, hypochondriasis, sleeplessness, impairment of concentration, isolation and headache.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling and redness of the breast. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding, although in rare circumstances this condition can occur outside of lactation.

Fifth Disease

Fifth disease is caused by a virus called parvovirus B19. It commonly infects children and typically causes a mild rash that may resemble a “slapped-cheek”. Other symptoms that can occur include joint pain (arthralgia), fever and general flu-like symptoms.