Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

You really need some tips so you can go into labor now. You are past your due date and your body is feeling the effects. You are carrying around a full term baby inside of you and it is wearing you thin. You want to be able to give birth already and to get pregnancy over with. You need some help.

You need some help so you can induce your own labor. You don't want to go down the route of medical induction because it scares you. You wouldn't want anything going awry and harming your unborn child. You would much rather bring on labor naturally and without any side effects.

You are going to learn 5 tips to induce your labor today. These tips will help you to jumpstart your labor so you can finally work towards giving birth sometime in the near future.

The first tip to go into labor now is to learn to relax. Relaxing your body and distressing your body is going to help you to give birth quickly. The best way to make this happen is to distract yourself. Try watching some funny movies as it will help to get you laughing and to take your mind off of the pregnancy. The more you relax, the more open your body becomes and the faster you are able to go into labor.

The second tip to induce your labor naturally is to have sex. Although this seems like the last thing you want to do, a quickie in the bedroom can really work wonders for you. Having sex relaxes your body and pulls the tension out of it. As well, if you have an orgasm, then this dilates your cervix and you want this to happen. People also believe that sperm is a natural induction tool and it can help to force your body into labor.

The third tip is to eat something spicy. Eating spicy foods can force your body into labor because it speeds up the natural processes of your body. Stock up on some spicy salsa or eat a whole jalapeno and this will definitely work wonders for you.

The fourth tip is classified as an old wives tale but it really works. If you want to go into labor now, then take a drive in a car on a bumpy road. If there is a gravel road next to your home or out in the country then take a drive. The bumps and shocks in the road will transfer into your body, causing your water to break. This is the first step to going into labor so you need to make it happen.

The final tip for inducing your own labor is to have positive thoughts. When you think positively, then the outcome is a positive one. Surrounding yourself with negative energy is a bad idea and you need to stop it. Think positively and you will be able to induce your own labor now.

Multiple embryo transfer is a common practice for couples undergoing In Vitro Fertilization. Several viable embryos are implanted to increase the odds of conception, and decrease the need for subsequent IVF cycles. One motivation is cost. IVF treatments are often self paid and most insurance plans limit the number of cycles covered, or more frequently cover nothing at all.

Multiple-pregnancy occurs more frequently when multiple embryos are transplanted. And these pregnancies can cost far more than an additional IVF cycle ever could. These costs are often hidden or ignored by couples desperate to have a baby: lost income, hospital deductibles, out of network costs, and amounts over usual customary and reasonable are all terms any couple should know before undergoing a multiple embryo transfer. A little advance planning can minimize costs.

Multiple Transfers Mean Multiple Pregnancies

Multiple transfers mean a higher rate of multiple pregnancies. The logic is simple. If more than one viable embryo is implanted in your uterus, more than one embryo may develop. Roughly one-third of multiple embryo transfer pregnancies IVF result in twins or triplets.

Multiple Pregnancies High Risk

Twins and triplet pregnancies are more likely to experience complications: incompetent cervix, placenta previa, iron deficiency anemia, gestational diabetes, and pre-eclamsia are all more common in multiple pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. Mom may be ordered to stop working to take bed rest: meaning months of unplanned lost income.

Pre term labor occurs in approximately 50% of twins, and 90% of triplets. Premature infants are at a higher risk of hearing loss, vision problems, and developmental delays. Pre term labor is also the leading cause for infants to spend time in Neo Natal Intensive Care, and this is where the hidden costs reveal their ugly head at the worst possible time.

Surprise Hidden Costs

Parents sometimes learn about left over hospital bills the hard way when infants require specialized care in the hospital. At a recent comment brings home the point: "I was born weeks premature, and my family finished paying the hospital bills on my 25th birthday". These hidden costs come from three places: embedded deductibles, out of network fees, and amount over customary and reasonable.

Health insurance plans commonly contain a deductible. An embedded deductible contains two components: and individual deductible and a larger family deductible. With health insurance premiums rising rapidly, the most common method of keeping premiums in check is the introduction of larger hospital deductibles. A couple may plan to pay one individual deductible for mom's hospital stay. But when multiples are born prematurely and require NICU care there may be two or three extra deductible to satisfy.

Health insurance plans may also contain co-insurance for out-of-network care. People are most likely to go to an out-of-network provider when specialized care is required. High risk multiple pregnancies and deliveries are a common reason for out-of-network utilization. This may mean bigger bills than expected for co-insurance: sometimes 20% to 40% of charges.

Couples may face an even bigger surprise: amounts over usual customary and reasonable. In network providers agree to cap their fees according the insurer's contract. Look at any explanation of benefits and find the providers charges. Listed below are the allowed charges. They are usually 50% less or more. Guess who is responsible for the difference when using an out-of-network provider? The unsuspecting couple who emptied their bank account to pay for the IVF cycles needed to get pregnant with twins or triplets gets left with the bill.

Plan Ahead

Couples should anticipate these unexpected costs and purchase supplemental maternity insurance before getting pregnant. Short term disability insurance replaces mom's income if bed rest is required, and hospital indemnity insurance covers mom's normal labor and delivery, and pays an additional benefit for each infant confined to the NICU.

I know everyone is so tired hearing about Fifty Shades of Grey. The one thing that no one is really talking about is how Christian Grey made Anastasia Steele use kegel balls during during a charity function. She was hesitant at first but then she enjoyed the new sexy orgasmic experience.

What are kegel balls and kegel exercisers? Kegel balls (or ben wa balls or geisha balls or orgasm balls) were intended to help women exercise and strengthen their pelvic floor muscles. They are used by inserting them into the vagina and using the PC muscles to hold them in, stimulating movement and vibration. They can either be round weighted balls with or without a string that can be made of silicone or green materials such as glass or metal. Kegel Exercisers are anatomically designed toys with several round bulbs that stimulate the pelvic muscles. The best kegel exercisers are either made from body-safe silicone or sustainable materials like glass, wood or metal.

What are pelvic floor muscles? They are a set of muscles that support the pelvic organs such as the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum.

Why is it so important to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles? Besides increasing circulation and enhancing overall vaginal and rectal health, exercising the pelvic floor increases your sexual performance. It makes it easier to achieve multiple orgasms and increases orgasm intensity and frequency. Who doesn't want that?

Besides having better orgasms, there are some added benefits of doing kegel exercises for new or aspiring mothers:

• Protects the vagina by learning to relax and control the muscles for labor and delivery


• Sets the stage for a swifter postpartum recovery


• Helps vagina to regain tightness after childbirth

Let's not forget older women. Kegel exercisers can benefit these women:

• Prepares the body for an easier menopause


• Improves vaginal wall thickness


• Increases natural lubrication


• Improves bladder control

How do you find the pelvic floor muscles:

• The next time you urinate, try to stop the flow of urine. The muscles in your vagina, bladder and anus tighten and move up. Congratulations-you found your pelvic floor muscle group!


• Insert a finger into your vagina. Once again, pretend to try to stop the flow of urine. You should feel the muscles tighten and move. Congratulations-you found your pelvic floor muscle group!

All women should experience the joys of kegel balls or kegel exercisers. If nothing else, try something new and experience some new sensations. During sex, you can also try to squeeze the pelvic floor muscles. Your partner should feel the muscles tighten and will thank you. You never know-you just might like it too!

You don't have a boy, are you desperate? Have you tired of repeated doctor's visits? Have you fed up of trying different treatment options? I'm sure if your answer s yes then your bank balance must also be giving warning alarms. Spending here few seconds would help to turn your dream into reality.

The exciting news I have for you is that nowadays the natural treatments are increasingly becoming popular as the percentage of determining the sex of unborn is increasing with the help of these conventional approaches. The easiest as well as the cheapest method to complete your dream family is by adopting specific intercourse positions.

The following reading would describe the best sexual positions that help the woman in conceiving a baby boy. Here I will also explain you the theory that works behind these sexual intercourse positions.

Many couples who are in search of knowing some specific sexual intercourse positions must have heard a lot of things about theses positions. The truth however is there are only few intercourse positions that work.

The fact that determines the sex of the unborn is that which type of sperm or the sperm fertilizes the egg. Many couples must have enough information about the Y (Boy) chromosomes as well as X (Girl) chromosomes. Both these kinds of sperm race towards the egg.

Each sperm kind has a particular set of characteristics. The best characteristics of Y chromosome is that these are fast but at the same time their bad feature is they are weaker as well. X sperms on the other are stronger, but at the same time they are slower as well.

It is vital to embed this information in the head if the couple wants to conceive for a baby boy. It is important for the couple to overcome the weak characteristic of their favorite sperm.

In order to conceive for a baby boy, it is important for the couple to understand that chromosome will begin to die quickly. There are many opinions for overcoming their weakness. The best idea is to opt a sexual intercourse position that can increase the chance of having a baby boy.

Those sexual positions are recommended for conceiving a baby boy that helps in placement of sperm's nearest to cervix. The deeper positioning helps these weak and tiny guys to stay closer to cervix. The deeper positioning helps these weaker guys to stay alive in their trip in vagina.

Rear entry is the well known position for deepest sperm penetration closest to cervix. Such position also needs that women should lay down on the bed on her tummy while resting the knees in sitting position.

Endocervical polyps

Endocervical polyps are the most common benign neoplasms of the cervix. Please note that the word neoplasm refers to a cancerous growth. They are focal hyperplastic (abnormal cell growth) protrusions of the endocervical folds, including the epithelium and substantia propria. They are most common in the fourth to sixth decades of life and usually are asymptomatic but may cause profuse leukorrhea or postcoital spotting. (blood after orgasm)

Grossly, they appear as typical polypoid structures protruding from the cervical os. At times, endometrial polyps protrude through the cervical os. They cannot be distinguished from endocervical polyps by gross appearance. Microscopically, a variety of histologic patterns are observed, including
(1) typical endocervical mucosal
(2) inflammatory (granulation tissue)
(3) fibrous
(4) vascular
(5) pseudodecidual
(6) mixed endocervical and endometrial
(7) pseudosarcomatous.

Treatment is removal, which can usually be accomplished by twisting the polyp with a dressing forceps if the pedicle is slender. Smaller polyps may be removed with punch biopsy forceps. Polyps with a thick stalk may require surgical removal.

Microglandular hyperplasia
Microglandular hyperplasia refers to a clinically polypoid growth measuring 1-2 cm. It occurs most often in women who are on oral contraceptive therapy or Depo-Provera and in pregnant or postpartum women. It reflects the influence of progesterone.

Microscopically, it consists of tightly packed glandular or tubular units, which vary in size, lined by a flattened-to-cuboidal epithelium with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm containing small quantities of mucin. Nuclei are uniform, and mitotic figures are rare. Squamous metaplasia and reserve cell hyperplasia are common. An atypical form of hyperplasia can be mistaken for clear cell carcinoma. Unlike clear cell carcinoma, it lacks stromal invasion, has scant mitotic activity, and lacks intracellular glycogen

Squamous papilloma
Squamous papilloma is a benign solid tumor typically located on the ectocervix. It arises most commonly as a result of inflammation or trauma.

Grossly, the tumors are usually small, measuring 2-5 mm in diameter. Microscopically, the surface epithelium may show acanthosis, parakeratosis, and hyperkeratosis. The stroma has increased vascularity and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate. Treatment is removal. The squamous papilloma resembles a typical condyloma acuminatum but lacks the koilocytes microscopically.

Smooth muscle tumors (leiomyomas)
These benign neoplasms may originate in the cervix and account for approximately 8% of all uterine smooth muscle tumors. They are similar to tumors in the fundus. When located in the cervix, they usually are small, ie, 5-10 mm in diameter.

Symptoms depend on size and location. Microscopically, leiomyomas resemble the typical smooth muscle tumor found in the uterine corpus. Treatment is required only for those patients who are symptomatic. The cervical leiomyoma is usually part of the spectrum of uterine smooth muscle tumors.

Mesonephric duct remnants
When present, mesonephric duct remnants are typically located at the 3-o'clock and the 9-o'clock positions, deep within the cervical stroma. They usually are incidental findings and are present in approximately 15-20% of serially sectioned cervices. As the name implies, mesonephric duct remnants are vestiges of the mesonephric or Wolffian duct. Usually, they are only a few millimeters in diameter and seldom are grossly visible.
Microscopically, they consist of a proliferation of small round tubules lined by epithelium that is cuboidal to low columnar. The tubules tend to cluster around a central duct. The cells lining the tubules contain no glycogen or mucin, but the center of the tubule may contain a pink material that contains glycogen or mucin.

Endometriosis
When present in the cervix, endometriosis is usually an incidental finding. Grossly, it may appear as a bluish-red or bluish-black lesion, typically 1-3 mm in diameter. Microscopically, the implants are typical endometriosis, consisting of endometrial glands, endometrial stroma, and hemosiderin-laden macrophages. The implants usually gain access to the cervix during childbirth or previous surgery.

Papillary adenofibroma
This neoplasm is uncommon. Grossly, it appears as a polypoid structure. Microscopically, the neoplasm contains branching clefts and papillary excrescences lined by mucinous epithelium with foci of squamous metaplasia. A compact, cellular, fibrous tissue composed of spindle-shaped and stellate fibroblasts supports the epithelium. The stroma is devoid of smooth muscle, and mitoses are rare. Similar growths occur in the endometrium and the fallopian tubes.

Heterologous tissue
Heterologous tissue includes cartilage, glia, and skin with appendages. This type of tumor rarely occurs in the cervix. While they may arise de novo, these tumors probably represent implants of fetal tissue from a previous aborted pregnancy.

Hemangiomas
Hemangiomas in the cervix are rare in occurrence and are similar to those found elsewhere in the body.

Many pregnant women who find it difficult to sleep at night are looking for products that can provide them comfort. At times, women use multiple pillows to reduce discomfort. To avoid the inconvenience of using multiple pillows, many manufacturers have come out with special pillows for pregnant women. These special products are called pregnancy pillows which are a preferred choice of pregnant women as they help them sleep without any discomfort. However, not many men are happy with these special products as they leave little room for them in the bed.

Pregnant women find it difficult to sleep at night because their tummy gets heavier as the pregnancy progresses. The problem becomes more acute when you enter into second trimester as the lump in your tummy puts strain on your back. It is a good idea to sleep on your side as it improves the flow of oxygen to the baby.

Pregnancy pillows can help you sleep comfortably on your side without causing any strain on your back.Even though many would-be-moms prefer using these pillows, there are many who question its usefulness. Here are some of the reasons why pregnant women should buy these pillows.

They are preferred over ordinary pillows because they provide comfort and support for your growing body. Ordinary pillows are too soft and don't provide you with the required support.

Another benefit of using these pillows is that you don't have to deal with multiple pillows. When you use ordinary pillows you have to arrange all the pillows to sleep comfortably, which requires both time and effort. When you use pregnancy pillow you get extra sleeping time as you don't have to arrange multiple ordinary pillows.

They can also be used after the birth of the baby. Many mothers use them to support the baby when they breastfeed them.

Is the surrogate fee taxable along with egg and sperm donor fees?

Become a surrogate mother and you sacrifice your body and your family. If you call the IRS you will likely get a variety of answers if you ask them about the surrogate fee taxable issue. In the end they will encourage you to pay income tax. But that doesn't mean you as the surrogate are legally obligated to do so. You could possibly claim your surrogacy as a business and deduct all the expenses including part of the house payment or rent.

In most surrogacy agreements the surrogate fee taxable issue actually becomes pay to an independent contractor, not an employee. Independent contractors fill out a business tax form and pay their own taxes on profit after deducting all their expenses. Most commercial surrogacy agencies to be safe issue an IRS form 1099, independent contractor pay. Some women show the surrogate fee taxable. Others don't report their profit as a surrogate mother. How is one supposed to add up all the expenses anyway? Are we going to deduct the master bedroom and bathroom, the car, the computer, lost wages recovering after childbirth and all the pickles, ice cream and other odd cravings and increase in caloric intake one gets when pregnant?

Most "surrogacy fee taxable" clauses in surrogacy agreements also state that the compensation is for "pain and suffering" or "pre-birth child support" both of which are rarely taxed. The written agreement will also say that taxes are entirely her problem in a surrogate fee taxable clause. It's not earned income but not a gift either. The surrogate mother is the one giving a gift it seems to me.

Regarding egg donors and sperm donors there was an IRS PLR, private letter ruling, saying it may be deductible for parents as a medical expense. Since infertility is a medical condition, helping along the pregnancy could be construed as medical care.

To me this all seems closer to being like an organ donor in a transplant operation. Are we going to require the wife to pay income tax on the estate and insurance settlement of a deceased car accident victim if his heart is used to save someones life?

Egg and sperm donation is not a product. If it was, it would be illegal because the selling of human body parts (organs and tissue) is against the law. It is also not a service currently under most peoples understanding. So, surrogacy is not yet defined by the IRS. Being an egg donor is not without pain and suffering. Shots and drugs to induce egg formation etc. Then there's the going in after the eggs. Money paid to donors could fall under compensatory damages that one receives for physical damage or illness and therefore be non-taxable income.

Sperm donors? Well, to donate means to give. Customarily, no tax. In fact, sperm donation has never been taxable. Why shouldn't the same standards apply to women. This could be construed to be both gender discrimination and an issue of violation of equal treatment under the law.

Was the cost of surrogate mother a gift with gratuitous intent?

Well, yes. The intended parents are just infertile couples seeking surrogate mother help to have a child of their own like the rest of us would if we were in their position. The alternative is adoption and that is definitely tax- deductible for the adopting parents plus employers can also deduct if they help out financially. Cost of surrogate mother and egg/sperm donation paid for by the intended parents may be deductible if the services, even though performed by people who are not medical professionals, are needed to treat the tax payer's condition of infertility. See: Internal Revenue Code Section # 214. This is especially true if intended parents are business owners or self-employed. They are currently allowed to deduct insurance premiums, deductibles paid before insurance kicks in and amounts not paid by insurance from their income up to a certain limit on their tax forms.

Really? Why should there be a double hit? Not allowing the intended parents to deduct the expense at the same time as also taxing the woman trying to profit as a surrogate mother seems unfair. Most studies have found she is actually a giving and caring person just trying to help her fellow-man. It's all by contract and there is rarely an emotional attachment between the surrogate mother and the child. Open surrogacy is when there is contact between the two after the birth. Closed surrogacy means no contact.

If the IRS decides that pain and suffering is not valid, then the amount received by the donor could be considered a gift. Currently, there is a gift limit of $10,000 per year per person. So, it may be best to pay/receive it over a two-year tax timetable. Likewise, be sure a check or wire transfer comes from each person. Again, not over $10,000 per gift giver per year is possibly deductible.

The $15,000 to $25,000 surrogate mother fee earned could possibly put her into a higher tax bracket. If the fee is paid over a two-year period then both years might go to higher tax brackets. By the way, military wives can get best compensation for surrogacy right now because their insurance still pays for hospital baby delivery but not cost of IVF, in vitro fertilization. Anyway, that means the extra money would be taxed at a higher rate. Then there is state income tax once you report it to the Feds. Over half the surrogate fee could go to the government.

The higher income level could also mean you may not qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (if that is applicable to your situation).

All this could reduce the real surrogate fee and the benefits of surrogacy. Most women just want to become surrogate mother and thereby give the gift of life to deserving infertile couples seeking surrogate mother. The money is usually secondary. All this plus the health risk of being a surrogate mother? When you consider she is at work 24/7 for nine months straight it really amounts to just pennies per hour.

Anyway, some pay income tax some don't. You need to speak to your lawyer and tax specialist prior to starting your journey into surrogate motherhood. Truth is most surrogacy mother situations are a sacrifice for them in many ways. They themselves think of it as a gift. They are caring and big-hearted. Do they have to put up with negative ethics of surrogacy plus get confused by the "is surrogate fee taxable" debate? There have even been churches that ask surrogate mothers not to come around until after the baby is born. Then there is the wear and tear on their body and the sacrifice the family unit itself has to endure.

Why would a government tax a GIFT OF LIFE?

I don't think the legislators or the courts want to open the Roe v. Wade court case up again. When does life start? That is the debate they don't want to get mixed up in again. The Roe v. Wade decision gave women right over their own body. Birth control has helped emancipate women and that is a good thing. Shame on the Catholic Church and any one else that tries tell their members not the use birth control and to take individual freedoms away. Anti abortion and anti birth control agendas coming out of the Vatican and the right-wing of the Republican Party are tyranny in my opinion.

Is Uncle Sam watching all this? Sure they are. They are broke. The US has been funding all the bailouts and waging 2 wars at once. In fact, get ready for a national sales tax. Coming soon to a store near you.

Please read our other surrogate mother information and surrogacy issues such as surrogacy statistics, cost of surrogacy etc. Do not hesitate to contact us about your situation. We may have people in your state and area to help you in your surrogate motherhood research or a state next to you if your state has surrogacy issues.

Copyright 2010 - http://www.surrogacy-surrogate-mother.com Reprint rights allowed with attribution back.

A smart woman would take pregnancy related nutrition help in order to decrease the risk of complications during the nine months and delivery. Good health is inevitable for the mother and baby with appropriate nutrition during pregnancy period.

List Of Foods For Good Pregnancy Nutrition

Milky Ideas!

There are many women who don't like milk. If you are one of them, don't worry. You can still get nourishment during pregnancy. Add some chocolate or vanilla in milk or drink it chilled with ice to get a new taste. If you still cannot stand the taste of milk, here's another way to reap the calcium benefits of milk. Add powdered milk to mashed potatoes, soups, and other such foods and relish the newly flavored dish!

In addition to this, you can garnish your soups, salads, and vegetables with grated cheese. Better still; eat your snacks with a yogurt dip. If you hate yogurt, replace it with mayonnaise in your salad dressings.

Got a sweet tooth? Eat milk pudding. If you choose ice cream or iced milk, you need to have one and half cups of them to get an equivalent of one serving of milk. This is because they have sugar as well as air content in them. Take more pregnancy nutrition help and you will come to know of lots of ways to eat food items that you don't like, yet are important for your health.

You should also discuss with your doctor about its diet supplements. No matter how informed you are about pregnancy diet, it's always better to take pregnancy nutrition help through articles, books, and your doctor.

No matter how healthy your diet may be, you might have to change it a little while you are pregnant. Some foods you may want to eliminate altogether, while others, you will want to increase in your daily menu. In our modern research, we try to figure out more about health, food, and nutrition during pregnancy. In order to do this, we need to learn more about the very foods that we eat and how they affect our bodies.

For example, you might ask what impact vegetarian diets, red meats, strong cheeses, organic foods or others may have on how your baby grows during the nine months of pregnancy.

Foods You Want to Eat

During your first trimester, foods that have a lot of protein, are the best foods that you can choose to eat. By consuming more protein you will be giving your baby the main building block of all cells. Protein is especially critical, since your tiny unborn child develops their major organs in these 3 months.

Vegetarians

Any vegetarian diet should be filled with foods that contain protein for cellular growth and development. You may be surprised at the variety of vegetarian protein that is really available. Beans with rice very high in protein and come a colorful variety.

Meat Eaters

For non-vegetarians, turkey, beef, tuna, and finally chicken have a high level of protein per ounce ranked from most to least. If you are on a vegetarian diet, beans and rice are excellent protein sources when combined. If money is tight, two eggs or peanut butter are other options.

For a fast, handy snack, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, can have protein by grabbing a small handful of natural almonds with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Almonds are packed with vitamins and minerals that help you ensure that your baby gets exactly what nutrition it needs the most.

Organic Foods

Organic foods also need to be carefully selected, since they may be prone to have more natural residues. However, if they are grown locally, these foods may be better for your body since it is more used to the immediate environment. Be sure to check where and how they are grown, such as being a hybrid of two or more strains of foods.

Foods You Want to Avoid

There are certain types of fish and cheese, that may actually be bad to eat while pregnant. These are foods that you may want to check out, before heading to your favorite seafood restaurant or fixing yourself a sandwich. Check with your medical provider before munching on raw sushi, oyster, muscles, octopus, and similar raw fish.

Cheese

In addition, some strong cheeses may carry bacteria that could hurt your baby. Blue cheese, feta, wine cheese, Manchego sheep milk cheese, and others that have a potent aroma often require getting used to for adults, let alone a tiny fetus. You will most likely want to take these foods off your menu, at least while you are pregnant.

Sugar

Foods high in sugar take your body on an energy roller coaster, stressing both you and your unborn child. Pregnancy takes an enormous amount of energy already and may suffer by extreme energy swings. If you must have something sweet, try foods such as applesauce, grapes, or other raw fruit. Use spices to add flavor to fruit to make it have more taste. Do avoid honey as it has a bacteria that can hurt small children.

Healthy Food Makes A Long Term Difference

Through all stages of your life, eating the proper foods makes a difference to your overall health. But, during pregnancy it is absolutely critical to the normal growth of your baby. Making a list of the right and wrong foods to eat can help you and your baby stay on a nutritious track.

By making a careful selection for your menu, you help to ensure not just a safe nine months of pregnancy, but a safe start so your baby can grow those first teeth and strong legs to walk on.

Regular physical activity is important for many women during pregnancy to have a healthy living lifestyle. You can reap huge benefits during delivery if you undertake regular exercises. In most cases, moderate exercise is safe and beneficial for both mother and the baby. In general, at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day is recommended. You should aim to do a mixture of both aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening physical activity. If you are not used to regular exercise, you can start with gentle physical activities and then gradually increase the duration and intensity of the exercises.

What type of exercises should I do whilst pregnant?

Pregnant women should try to do a mixture of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises.

• Aerobic activity is any activity that makes your heart and lungs work harder such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming or dancing. Aerobic activity is something which makes you mildly out of breath and sweaty.

• Muscle strengthening activity includes weight training, climbing stairs, lifting or carrying shopping, yoga or similar resistance exercises that strengthen major muscle groups.

What kinds of physical activities are recommended during pregnancy?

Being pregnant does not mean that you should restrain yourself from doing any kind of physical activities. However, you do need to be sensible about what type of physical activity you do.

In general, any physical activity which will improve or maintain your physical fitness as well as your health is recommended. It includes:

• Everyday activities. Such as walking, regular domestic chores, gardening etc

• Active recreational activities. Such as dancing, swimming etc

• Gentle Sports: Such as playing tennis/ badminton and regular exercise sessions at the gym etc

Pelvic floor exercises are also important during pregnancy and are advised for all pregnant women. These help in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles which comes under strain when you are pregnant and at the time of labour.

What are the benefits of physical activities during pregnancy?

Regular Physical activity can help you to:

• Improve stamina and increased lung capacity

• Have less fatigue & better sleep

• Maintain healthy weight during and after delivery

• Less chances of developing back ache which occurs frequently in pregnancy

• Avoid constipation

• Less risk of developing swelling of feet, ankles or hands

• Avoid anxiety & depression

• Have a reduced risk of developing diabetes during your pregnancy (gestational diabetes). In women who do develop diabetes during their pregnancy, regular physical activity may help to improve the control of their diabetes.

• Perhaps, have a shorter labour and be less likely to have problems or complications during the delivery of your baby.

What precautions are to be taken while doing exercises in pregnancy?

Special care should be taken while choosing exercise routine as there are many physical changes during pregnancy which can lead to injury if not taken care of. This includes increased blood volume and hormonal changes that can affect the muscles and ligaments, change is mobility of joints and ease of breathing during pregnancy.

• Exercising while lying on your back after 16 weeks of pregnancy can make you feel light-headed and you may faint as vena cava, one of the main blood vessels of your body gets compressed by the developing baby.

• Experts also recommend that you should be careful if you are undertaking activities where you may be more likely to lose your balance and fall, injuring your abdomen, and possibly injuring your developing baby. You are advised to avoid activities such as horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics and cycling whilst being pregnant.

• Contact sports such as squash, judo, boxing, kickboxing etc must be avoided as you have a chance of being hit in your abdomen.

If you are joining exercise class that is not designed for pregnant women, do let your trainer know that you are pregnant. Also, you should always remember to warm up and cool down at the beginning and at the end of each session.

How much physical activity should I do whilst pregnant?

If you are used to doing regular exercises before you were pregnant, you can try to keep up with your usual level of physical activity for as long as you can and feel comfortable while doing it. However, it is normal that as your pregnancy goes along, you may have to take it easy and have to slow down the intensity of your physical activity. You may not be able to exercise to the same level as before. A good goal to aim for is at least 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity per day whilst you are pregnant. Keep your exercise sessions to no longer than 45 minutes.

If you are not used to doing regular physical activities before pregnancy, you should not just suddenly start an intensive exercise programme. Start with 15 minutes of physical activity three times a week and then increase this gradually to 30-minute sessions four times a week and finally to 30 minutes every day. Listen to your body and act accordingly

You should aim to become warm, mildly out of breath, and mildly sweaty during your exercise sessions. You should be able to complete a sentence comfortably and hold a conversation whilst you are doing physical activity. If you can do this, you are probably exercising at the right level or intensity. If you become too breathless to talk whilst you are doing physical activity, it probably means that you are doing too much and you have to slow down.

When is it not safe to exercise?

Physical activity during pregnancy is safe for most women. Doctor's advice should be taken as they will be able to guide the expecting mothers better depending upon their medical history. You must seek medical advice before starting physical activity if you have;

• Known heart & lung problems

• Vaginal bleeding that continues throughout the pregnancy

• High blood pressure during pregnancy

History of pre mature labour in the past

• Any signs of preterm labour during this pregnancy

• Premature rupture of the membranes

• Known weakness of their cervix (cervical incompetence), including women who have had a stitch in their cervix

• Low lying placenta for more than 20 weeks

• Signs that their baby may be small-for-dates (Intra uterine growth retardation) on ultrasound scanning during this pregnancy

• A twin or multiple pregnancy (triplets, quadruplets, etc)

• Poorly controlled epilepsy

• Poorly controlled thyroid disease during pregnancy.

• Severe anaemia during pregnancy.

• Bone or joint problems that may affect your ability to exercise.

• Poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy

Is there any reason why I should stop exercising during pregnancy?

As mentioned above, there are many benefits of doing regular physical activity whilst you are pregnant. However, there are a few things that you should be careful about. You should stop exercising and seek urgent medical attention if you develop:

• Excessive shortness of breath

• Chest pain or palpitations

• Dizziness

• Painful contractions, signs of labour or any leakage of amniotic fluid (waters breaking)

• Heavy vaginal bleeding

• Excessive tiredness

• Severe abdominal pain

• If the movements of the baby have become less than normal

• Calf pain or swelling with redness

When can I start exercises after delivery?

It is generally advised that you can start walking, doing pelvic floor exercises and stretching immediately after birth provided that you have had a normal vaginal delivery with no complications. You should gradually increase your physical activity to build up to your pre-pregnancy levels. If you have had a Caesarean section, you should ask your doctor when it is safe for you to start physical activity. In general, it is not usually recommended to start until after your postnatal check at 6-8 weeks. Postnatal exercise does not reduce the quantity or the quality of your breast milk or have any harmful effects on your baby.

Post natal exercises can help you to:

• Lose weight and get back in shape

• Increase your energy levels

• Improve your mood and avoid anxiety / postnatal depression

• Help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and reduce your chance of developing stress incontinence (leakage of urine during strain/coughing)