Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

Many couples face paying for their in vitro fertilization treatments out-of-pocket. Health insurance plans that cover in vitro fertilization procedures are uncommon and hard to find. So many couples look hard at various financing options: loans, savings, and cutting costs. Supplemental insurance offers the safest alternative and provides the best return.

When looking at ways to pay your IVF costs you can dip into savings, take a loan, and begin cutting costs. Supplemental insurance complements each alternative.

IVF Depletes Savings

An average in vitro fertilization cycle costs between $10,000 and $15,000. Couples who have built up a nest egg and have enough cash readily available are on the safest ground. But IVF does not work every time. A couple can quickly exhaust savings just trying to get pregnant.

Loans are Hard to Repay

Most families are living check to check and have little in savings, but they may have equity in their home, or they may qualify for financing. A loan allows a couple to have the upfront cash needed to begin their treatments. But IVF often does work, which means increased expenses for feeding, clothing and raising a newborn coupled with lost income from mom during her maternity leave. Repaying a loan under these conditions is very hard - especially for a couple finding it hard to save already.

Saving Money Takes Time

Other couples look to save money over time rather than take on debt just before losing income and increasing costs. Many of these couples may have married later in life and are rapidly approaching an age where child bearing in no longer realistic or safe. They may not have the luxury of time to save up, and today's interest rates are very small.

Supplemental insurance provides a safety net that helps in all three scenarios. It pays cash benefits directly to the insured when they deliver their baby. Plus, it may pay additional benefits in case of pregnancy complications, and multiple births that are born premature.

Couples with savings can be more aggressive with their nest eggs, those taking out loans can solve their income dilemma, and older couples can start more quickly with financing knowing that their downside it now covered. Rather than getting a measly 5% return on your money, supplemental insurance can return 300% for normal delivery - when the timing is right.

Whether you are looking for a comprehensive affordable Kentucky Health Plan to provide complete individual or family coverage or a short term affordable package of basic benefits, there is an affordable Kentucky individual health insurance plan available to meet your needs. The two biggest providers of coverage in the Bluegrass are Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana also called Humana One which offers several different options.

Anthem has one of the largest provider networks in Kentucky and offers discounts to customers who stay within the network to obtain healthcare. Anthem offers three basic types of coverage with a number of options under each of those umbrella plans. There is Anthem Lumenos HSA, Anthem SmartSense, and Anthem Premier. Premier offers the highest level of benefits for a wide variety of services. Anthem says this plan is best for "families or individuals looking for richer benefits." The Premier plan offers the most benefits before the deductible of any of the other plans. It also provides richer coverage for preventive care and prescription drugs.

If the Premier plan is too expensive or doesn't make sense for your families needs, SmartSense may work better. This Anthem plan offers more affordable premiums but still covers essential medical services plus wellness visits. However, SmartSense does not cover maternity benefits or many brand name drugs. Another affordable option from Anthem is Lumenos HAS. This plan offers traditional benefits coupled with a Health Savings Account to cover expenses that are not covered by the plan. Because of the HSA feature, deductibles under the Lumenos plan start much higher and begin at $1500 per individual.

Humana also offers three basic coverage plans in Kentucky: HumanaOne Portrait, HumanaOne Monogram and HumanaOne Autograph. Monogram provides the most basic coverage at the lowest premium. This plan provides protection from unforeseen medical emergencies but includes a high deductible to keep down the cost. The HumanaOne Autograph plan gives you more options of balancing the cost of the premium and coverage. It also includes up to 6 covered in-network office visits pre year. The plan with the most complete coverage and best benefits is HumanaOne Portrait. This has the highest premiums and will mirror the insurance coverage provided by most big employers.

A vast majority of women who are expecting are very unsure about what to expect during the time that they are pregnant. On top of this, they are strongly concerned with the health and delivery of their coming child and this all equates into some stressful months. Read on to learn tips and suggestions how you can better care for not only yourself but your baby, also.

If is important for pregnant women to be stress-free, as much as they can. Not only does stress bring about a variety of issues to a pregnant woman, but it may also have the baby feeling stressed. In some cases, you will see the baby being born prematurely due to extreme levels of stress.

A lot of people don't know this but women who are in their third and second trimesters only need around an extra 300 calories in a given day. Gaining too much weight during a pregnancy can increase the duration of labor, cause hypertension, and increases your risk of gestational diabetes. To prevent gaining excess weight, eat a healthy diet, and stop eating when you are full.

To get a good night's restful sleep, establish a regular routine. Sleeping can sometimes be difficult during pregnancy and a routine will make it easier to fall asleep. Eliminating stress in the evenings can make it easier to get to sleep. Hot water can often help you relax. You may enjoy hot showers or decaffeinated tea towards the end of the night.

Try to get a bedtime routine going when you are pregnant, as this will help you to sleep. Creating a consistent bedtime routine will ease your body into relaxing in expectation of bedtime and help sleep come faster. Other things you may find very soothing include a warm bath or shower, quiet music, and/or massage.

Wear clothes that are well fitting. Many women endure the discomfort of wearing regular clothes because of the chagrin of buying maternity clothes that may not be as stylish. Wearing clothes that fit your body will make you more comfortable and happy.

Learn what the signs of premature labor are. Read about this, so that you can learn when to talk to your doctor.

Visit your doctor before you become pregnant! Be sure you consult with a doctor if you are thinking about conceiving a baby, as you want to make sure you are healthy and have the ability to produce a healthy baby. If any changes need to be made, they should be made now in order to enhance your chances of conceiving.

Gentle exercise when you are pregnant is a beneficial thing. Exercise can reduce your risk of miscarriage, decrease the length of time you spend in labor, and make your post-partum recovery and weight loss easier.

There is the risk of experiencing heartburn during pregnancy. Some suggestions to prevent heartburn are to avoid foods high in acid, fat, spices, and sugar.

If you have a cat, make sure you are not the one who is changing the litter box. While litter can contain chemicals harmful to a pregnant woman, the danger actually comes from possible contact with cat feces. If possible, have your spouse or a neighbor help you out with doing this task for the duration of your pregnancy.

You need to know about tracking your cycles when you are attempting to get pregnant. By finding out when you are ovulating, you can increase your odds of becoming pregnant. Once you are pregnant, the fact that you kept a close schedule of these cycles will allow you to locate the date you would have conceived with near-pinpoint accuracy.

Make sure to incorporate a birth plan. Include everything that you need the people that are closest to you to do while you are giving birth. You should include your birth plan as well as your insurance card and a camera in an overnight bag.

Think about swimming when you are pregnant. Sometimes you might not want to put on a swimsuit in the later part of your pregnancy, but the benefits from swimming make it worthwhile. Swimming will help soothe any aches and pains you may be feeling, while making you feel almost weightless. Not only that, it is a great way to get some exercise in.

Pregnant ladies are advised to wear sports bras. They support your breasts as they swell with milk and help to relieve back pain. Furthermore, do not wear underwear that is too tight around your waist. This can make you feel uncomfortable and can potentially restrict oxygen from getting to your baby.

Many moms-to-be aren't fully sure of the best way to take care of themselves during pregnancy. As society gains more knowledge on the subject, what's best practice tends to change. However, if you bring to bear the sensible advice in this article, you will have made a major contribution to your health, your baby's health, and the enjoyment of your pregnancy.

Women are especially vulnerable during pregnancy and that is why they must take extra care of their bodies during that period of time and up until they are nursing. It is not enough that a pregnant woman stays away from alcohol or smoking, everything that has to do with her body such as eating or even proper personal care habits must be watched vigilantly as it may affect the baby.

In terms of using personal care products, a pregnant woman must place careful scrutiny over the items she chooses for the wrong personal care products might contain substances that could be harmful to her and to the baby as an after-effect. To help mothers-to-be out there who have no idea what personal care products to choose and what they should avoid and what they should look for in a product, here is a break-down of the most commonly used items by pregnant women and the substances they should and shouldn't contain.

1.) Soap - Soaps are the most commonly used product, not just by pregnant women but by everyone so the contents of the soap we use are especially important. We are exposed to it at least 5 times a week and frequent use of the wrong soap can cause harm to your skin-and to the baby for pregnant women. So what should soaps suited for pregnant women contain? Shea Butter, Palm Oil, Coconut Acid and Evening Primrose Oil or Lavender Oil, are good products to be found on a soap- ingredient list. What it shouldn't contain are Isoeugenol, Hydroxycitronellal, D&C Violet 2, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Coumarin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate and Benzone derivatives such as Oxybenzone, or Benzophenone-3, Benzyl alcohol, Paraben chemicals and Eugenol as these chemicals are known contributors to cancer, endocrine and organ system toxicity. One should also stay from soaps with added fragrances as they can contribute to skin irritation.

2.) Toothpaste - For something we put into our mouths daily, toothpaste should be especially safe. Contents like Myrrh, Water, Propolis, a Calcium Carbonate Base are good while Papain, Alumina, Propyene Glycol and Methylparaben can cause allergies, neuro and organ system toxicity as well as developmental and reproductive toxicity, which can be really harmful to the baby.

3.) Shampoo - Even shampoos can be harmful so it is good to also watch out for what you wash your hair with. Calcium Oxide, Sunflower Extract, Cinnamon scent, Rosemary Oil, Provitamin B5, Vitamin F, Wheat Proteins and Lemon are safe ingredients while shampoos containing Parabens such as BUTYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, METHYLPARABEN and Benzenes and Acids like Lactic acid, Salicylic Acid and Benzoic Acid are harmful to your hair and general health as they can cause the same health hazards such as cellular and biochemical mutation, developmental and reproductive, organ and neuro toxicity as well as certain cancers.

Careful inspection of an over the counter item's ingredient list is very important whether one is pregnant or not. With this knowledge that you now have on personal care items, you can be sure that you'll be staying away from all the harmful substances you might be putting on your body.

Buying from a credible store also helps prevent items containing suspicious ingredients from getting into your shopping cart. Make sure you are buying from a trust-worthy store before trying out any product.

Yoga is already known through out the world, but some people still doesn't know what is allowed and what is not allowed when you are going to do yoga. One of them is, " Are Woman allowed to do Yoga when they are pregnant ? ". The answer is Yes of course. Yoga will even help you during your pregnancy and the birth of your baby.

In yoga there are many poses, for pregnancy it is best yo practice Yoga Asanas. By practicing yoga asanas, it have a tremendous effect to your pregnancy. It could ensure you to have a smooth pregnancy. It also helps you to have a natural childbirth. And a lot of women after giving birth will gained a lot of weight, Yoga Asanas could also help you to reshape your body after childbirth.

I will tell you some of the benefits while doing Yoga in pregnancy,

1. In the last month during pregnancy, usually woman will have cramping and fluid retention ( edema ) almost all the time. If you are doing Yoga, it will relieve your edema and cramping.


2. Yoga could help you slowing the metabolism to restore your calm and focus, by Raising the level of energy.


3. While pregnant, a lot of woman experiencing nausea, morning sickness and mood swings. Doing yoga with the combination of pranayamas ( yoga breathing ), it will help you reduce all of them.


4. You could influencing the baby position and turning it in advance, if you want to do that. Massaging and strengthening the abdomen, will help you to stimulate your appetite and bowel action.


5. It will also help you to relieve the tension around your cervix and birth canal. It also help you to opening your pelvis in order to make your labor quicker and easier.


6. After giving birth, Yoga will help you to restore your abdomen, uterus and pelvic floor. And will help you to relieve the upper back tension and also breast discomfort.

These are some of the benefit in doing Yoga for your Pregnancy. It is advised to do this while having an expert guidance by taking a prenatal yoga class. And you could find some books to help you doing the practice. Some of them even have a picture to help you doing all the yoga exercises. So, for those who are pregnant, Yoga is a good exercise for you. Yoga will help you a lot during and after the pregnancy.

Are you feeling depressed? Is it brought about by too much worry, or maybe fear and sadness?

Usually, people tend to be depressed. There are a lot of reasons why people become depress; it can be because of too much worry fear, sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. Severe depression can ruin your daily life and even the way you handle your relationship with loved ones and family.

So do not let depression ruin your life. Some people tend to neglect the feeling of depression. Others thought that there are no solutions or medication for depression. You are definitely wrong, you should not neglect too much depression and there are plenty of ways to treat depression.

There are some doctors out there you prescribed medications such as Anti-Depressants and Sleeping Tablets just to treat postnatal depression. But there are caring doctors who don’t. These medications are actually the last resort for depression and insomnia, which are already severe and the problem is not being treated with other medications.

People who were prescribed with such medications will have higher risks of having other illnesses or complications that can be harmful to their health. This is why some people are afraid of using prescribed medications and rather switches on to the natural ways of treating depression.

So if you are afraid to use prescribed medications, it is alright, since there are other alternatives that you can use to treat your depression.

When one is depressed, usually this person does not want to mingle with others and refer to be alone. Loneliness is one of the causes of depression, so locking yourself to your room is not the solution. It is better to join groups. Go out and keep yourself busy. You can join at your church, mingle and help out; this can help you be relieved from depression.

Another cause of depression is being worried about something or being sad, so in order to be relieved you have to talk things out. You can do this with your trusted friend, with your loved ones. In sharing your problem with someone you trust can help you out in relieving yourself from depression.

Exercise is another way that you should do that can help you be relieved from depression. In order for you to boosts your self-esteem and to relaxed your mind, you have to give at least 30 minutes of your free time each day doing jogging, walking, running, swimming, dancing, and so on. But in choosing the activities that you can do each day, choose the one or few that can make you enjoy and have fun.

Using herbal remedy can also aid you with your depression. This herbal remedy can effectively and naturally treat your depression, since it is made with all natural formulation; you won’t be worried with having side effects. But be an alert and informed buyer; make sure to research about the product before using it.

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Many couples look for the best way to get pregnant without first considering their insurance needs. Normal pregnancy is an expensive undertaking by itself when you consider the costs of doctors, hospitals and mom's lost income during maternity leave. Throw in complications, and the cost equation escalates rapidly. Fortunately, buying insurance to cover your pregnancy is quite affordable. It's the one time you can buy insurance to cover a planned event: your normal labor and delivery. You can use your plans to get pregnant to turn the table on insurance companies.

The best way to get pregnant is to conceive with the proper insurance plans already in place. Once you are already pregnant it will be too late to get coverage: pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition. There are two types of coverage you should have in place before you conceive: major medical insurance, and supplemental maternity insurance.

Major Medical Health Insurance for Doctors and Hospitals

Make sure you have a good health insurance plan in place before getting pregnant. Major medical insurance pays benefits directly to your doctors and hospitals when you go for prenatal exams, and to deliver your baby.

Group health plans through employer groups typically provide the best maternity coverage. Group plans will often cover your normal labor and delivery in addition to complications. If your employer does not offer coverage you may need to utilize the individual market.

Maternity coverage in the individual market is hard to find. Insurers want to protect themselves against adverse selection, so they rarely include coverage for a normal pregnancy without a large deductible or long waiting period. Adverse selection refers to the tendency for people to buy insurance only when they know they will need it. Even with these drawbacks, it makes sense to protect your finances in case complications arise. Most policies will cover complications.

Supplemental Maternity Insurance Fills Key Gaps

Supplemental maternity insurance pay benefits directly to you, not to your doctor or hospital the way major medical insurance pays benefits. When bought before conception it covers your normal labor and delivery helping you to create maternity leave income. Complications of pregnancy and premature birth may also result in additional cash benefits paid directly to you.

If you have an employer plan use supplemental maternity insurance to replace your income during maternity leave and allow yourself to bond with your baby without worrying about how to pay your bills. Use your supplemental coverage to fill the holes in your individual coverage. Ask your employer to make supplemental insurance available at work for you and your co workers.

Postpartum depression is a much more common problem than once thought with as many as 15% of new mothers suffering from symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder (also known as "Manic" Depression) to schizophrenia. Most cases of Postpartum depression are from new mothers, but it can affect a woman after any pregnancy, usually within three months after child birth.

Doctors don't really know what causes this type of disorder. There have have been many studies done and there are a few theories as to possible causes, but no hard facts, as of yet. Below are some of the theories resulting from many different studies done on this condition.

Some studies show that it could be caused by a sudden, dramatic change in the level of a woman's hormones. This is a distinct possibility considering that the body is taken from having such a large amount of hormones to literally being "brought back to reality" with her hormones returning to a normal level. This occurs very suddenly over the twenty four hour period following childbirth. This is similar to the mood changes a woman experiences when suffering from Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Other studies disagree. They tend to believe that it has something to do with the dramatic changes in the person's life by the stress of suddenly entering into motherhood. This is another possibility to consider as each person will react differently to different situations and different forms of stress.

Another study done shows that there are changes in thyroid hormones that bring about changes in women such as mood swings, anger, sadness and insomnia. This can be detected with blood tests and resolved by giving the patient medication to help get their hormone level back to normal.

Others say that the condition is brought on by the sudden shock of having all of the enormous responsibility that goes with having a child. Suddenly being responsible for the life of another human being is difficult for some women to grasp.

Another part of the difficulty is lack of sleep brought on by late night feedings and irregular sleep patterns, long periods of the baby crying and trying everything that they can think of to get the child to stop, without any results. This can bring on terrible feelings of guilt and thoughts of themselves as being a bad mother. This can lead to the mother feeling overwhelmed and helpless.

Another potential "trigger" to postpartum depression could be the amount of weight gain. This is a very sensitive topic for many women. Their self esteem could suffer from this, especially if they have a spouse or significant other that is not very supportive. They may have had high hopes of their body immediately returning to normal after giving birth, but may be faced with the reality that, for some, they're overweight for the first time in their life.

These are all just theories of course and will be until medical science can establish the truth, based on facts.

If you or anyone that you know is suffering from what you think may be postpartum depression, please seek medical attention as soon as possible. There may be treatments that your doctor can offer that will be helpful to get you or your loved one through this rough time in your life.

Pregnancy is one of the most anticipated stages of a woman's life. However, this will also be a challenge for women especially when it comes to sleeping. The good news is that a pregnancy support pillow has been developed to help pregnant women to sleep comfortably.

Women can have a lot problem when it comes to sleeping during pregnancy. It's difficult for them to find the right position they must sleep because of their pregnant belly. This will cause pain both on their backs, sides, hips, and even thighs and legs so they need a pregnancy support pillow to help them be at the best position for comfort.

If you are a pregnant woman who has pain problems, you must know that there are different types of pillows that you can use. You just need to get the right pillow suitable for your pain problem from the following options.

1. Body pillow. Side sleepers may feel a lot of pain on their backs since they have additional pressure due to their bellies. They can use these pillows as back support while lying down by placing them on their back side while they sleep. This will keep their back at the most comfortable posture that they want to have.
2. Belly pillow. When a pregnant woman sleep on her side, the weight of her belly will move lower and can also cause back pain and belly discomfort. They can use these pillows to support their bellies' weight. This pregnancy support pillow has the right contour that is suitable for the belly's shape and is soft enough for comfort.
3. Nursing support pillow. This type of pillow can do two things for pregnant women. First, they can serve as support pillow for the back and body. After birth, they can use this pregnancy support pillow for support while nursing their kids. This will allow them to lay their arms and their baby comfortably on the pillow and prevent arm strain. They will have frequent nursing sessions so this pillow will come in handy in carrying their babies on their arms.

There are many options in looking for a pregnancy support pillow so you just have to look online for the most reputable company so you will get those that will last for a long time. This will help you get the right comfort that you are looking for and make it as good investment for your home.

Acupuncture is a natural, safe and effective way to relieve common pregnancy discomforts by rebalancing the various systems in the body.

A short explanation of how acupuncture works: the surface of the human body is a map of its internal functioning. The meridian channels that run up and down the body are connected by acupuncture points. Pain means that chi is blocked along these channels. Acupuncture is a method used to clear the flow and create opening.

Acupuncture has been found to be especially useful in treating these common pregnancy complaints:

• Pain (e.g. lower back)


• Nausea


• Insomnia


• Headache


• Skin problems (e.g. eczema)


• Digestive problems (e.g. constipation)


• Sciatica

Here are a few pressure points that are useful for relieving some common pregnancy discomfort that you can try at home:

• Apex of the head - massaging the top of the head in an uplifting motion lifts the chi and helps hold the pregnancy. It also treats hemorrhoids and prolapsed organs.


• Point at two fingers above the wrist (P6) - applying pressure to this point help alleviate nausea because it helps to hold the stomach chi down.


• Outside of leg - using a foam roller to massage and release the muscles can help ease sciatica.

There are a number of pressure points that are contraindicated during pregnancy - they are the same points that are used to induce labor, so make sure yourself, your loved one (who has the good intention of giving you a massage!) or your massage therapist do not stimulate these points. Most of these points when stimulated move too much "chi", and therefore are not suitable for pregnancy. Points to avoid during pregnancy:

• Points on sacrum - stimulation may be too opening and can cause baby to descend


• Point between the thumb and forefinger - it's used to treat headache, and courses the chi through the body which can be too stimulating


• Point located four fingers above the ankle - this point connects to the uterus and is used to increase contractions


• Points in the shoulder area around the trapezia - these points are considered downbearing and very opening, and can also be used during labor

Always go to a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) who has a degree from an accredited school and a license from your state. Most education programs do not provide specialized trainings on pregnancy, so ask if the acupuncturist has treated pregnant clients before, or if s/he has received any post-grad training on prenatal care.