Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

Molar pregnancy is a serious issue that one in every 1-2 thousand pregnant women faces. Read on and be informed to reduce your risk of developing uterine cancer.

Approximately one in every 1000 to 2000 pregnant woman end up having a molar pregnancy. This is where you are pregnant but it is growing into a mole within the womb and can result in uterine or ovarian cancer if not managed correctly. On ultrasound there is no baby's heartbeat, but there will be this grape-like mole growing inside your womb.

There are two types of molar pregnancy. Both are very serious and both are very abnormal pregnancy growths. A complete molar pregnancy there is no baby, no baby parts, no placenta and no amniotic fluid. There is just a big mole and it looks like a bunch of grapes growing inside your womb.

A partial molar pregnancy occurs when you have one egg but two sperms penetrated that egg. During the development and cell duplication process a severe abnormality of the developing embryo occurred. Therefore with you could have a uterine mole containing no heartbeat, but may have some baby parts such as hair, teeth, bone, amniotic fluid, placenta parts are all mixed up into a grape like structure.

With a molar pregnancy you produce an excess amount of pregnancy hormones which give you many exaggerated symptoms of pregnancy such as:

Excessive morning sickness.

Your breasts grow quickly and are very tender.

Your womb is bigger than the gestational age of your pregnancy.

You have a lot more pressure symptoms in your pelvic area.

Routine pregnancy hormonal testing shows

On blood work your pregnancy hormones are much higher than the expected range for your pregnancy age and they are rising faster than the normal pregnancy pattern.

An ultrasound shows no babies heart beat and a grape like structure growing instead.

Most molar pregnancies need to be scraped away from the uterus with a procedure called a D and C for dilatation and curettage. The problem with this abnormal pregnancy is that even with a dilatation and curettage, it may be impossible to clean out the route of the mole that have imbedded into the muscles of your womb.

As long as there are small branches of your molar pregnancy are embedded in the muscles of your womb you will produce pregnancy hormones. This may give you pregnancy symptoms for months after diagnosis or treatment.

The most important thing for you to do when managed for any abnormal pregnancy is to take self-responsibility and make sure you do not become pregnant for a least six months to one year because of your risk of developing uterine cancer. Your physician may insist on you taking birth control pills or injections to ensure no new pregnancy occurs until your molar pregnancy is totally resolved.

Having one abnormal pregnancy does not mean you will have another one. We never know the outcome of any pregnancy, as all pregnancies are completely different. Having a history of an abnormal pregnancy does mean you should see it as a warning sign for both yourself and your partner to eat healthier and supplement daily with high quality vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to prevent production of internal bodily toxins affecting egg's or sperms.

Many times providers fail to realize the emotional devastation a woman goes through in losing her pregnancy, especially when it was an abnormal pregnancy. To a woman a pregnancy means a baby. On top of this, molar pregnancy symptoms may last for months and be very hard to cope with. A woman may feel she has this alien growing inside of her and be emotionally traumatized by the frequent blood tests and ultrasounds needed in the year following diagnosis of a molar pregnancy.

You may even experience pregnancy loss grief and if so please seek professional support from someone that can help expedite your healing process.

Planning how long you will be away from your job is just one matter involved in your maternity leave. The other is planning how you will return: who will watch your baby, how you will fit back into the work routine again, how to field questions from coworkers and supervisors and more. This short guide will help you feel more comfortable when you return to work after a leave of absence to have your baby.

First Things First

Before you step foot back in the office, make sure you've got all your ducks in a row at home. The most important thing is finding quality daycare for your baby. If you're lucky enough to have a partner who can stay home with the baby, great! If not, query friends and family members to find a recommended sitter or daycare facility. Be sure to coordinate pickup and drop off times, too, so that they correspond with your work hours. You also need to consider what you will do over holidays when the daycare center may be closed while you still need to work.

You may want to talk to your boss about working some of your scheduled hours from home, if possible. That's an ideal solution to daycare, but you may still need to hire a sitter so you can attend virtual meetings or speak with clients even if your baby won't go down for a nap or acts fussy due to teething.

Your Place Back At Work

It's probably not going to be easy showing back up at your workplace after a couple months or more of being away. For one thing, your supervisor probably had to cover your work by asking other staffers to handle tasks while you were gone so your desk might be occupied and your paperwork shuffled. Don't resent it; try to roll with the flow without causing any further upsets. Thank those who performed your duties in your absence while trying to regain a sense of order so you can jump right back into the tasks that need to be accomplished.

Fielding Questions

Inevitably, you will be bombarded with a series of questions from your coworkers and perhaps even your boss. They may range from the inane, "How can you return to work so soon after having major surgery?" to the well-meant but nonetheless demeaning, "What's that wet spot on your blouse? Don't they make pads or something to prevent that?"

Try to realize that everyone else you work with is going through the same period of readjustment you are. They aren't likely to understand why you have to run to the bathroom in the middle of a meeting because you heard a baby crying in the corridor or how difficult it is to get to work on time each morning when you've got a baby to get ready for daycare. Do your best to stay professional and explain your actions, when appropriate.

Your Appearance

Wet spots on your blouse brings up another point you need to consider when arriving back at work after maternity leave: your appearance. If you are collecting your breast milk, make sure you schedule your day to take care of pumping before you begin to leak. And always wear pads in your bra while keeping several spare sets in your purse. You may want to wear an apron you can take off right before getting leaving each morning, too, to prevent spit up and formula spots.

If you are having a hard time fitting back into the professional clothing you used to wear, try slipping into a post maternity body shaper first. With its slimming and smoothing properties, these special body shapers make it easy to fit into nearly any clothing that's normally too tight. Opt for an undergarment that uses neuro-banding across the back to promote good posture and you'll find it easier to stay both physically and mentally balanced, too!

It is possible to return to work after maternity leave and successfully juggle career and mommyhood. Be prepared for the situations you may encounter before and during work hours and slip into your post maternity body shaper to enjoy the confidence that comes from feeling and looking your best each day.

Vitamins and supplements for pregnant women are essential to get extra amount of folate and other necessary nutrients for the healthy development of the fetus during the entire term. Due to the growing acceptance of herbal products, a lot of pregnant women are inclined to select these types of supplements. For one, they might have already been taking one type of herbal supplement for an existing condition while others might be taking it to alleviate the physical discomforts that come with pregnancy. However, not all herbal supplements should be taken as they might cause possible side effects on the baby.

Quinine. Quinine is present in a lot of drinks such as tonic water. This is commonly utilized because of its somewhat tart taste. It was discovered that a woman who took over a liter of water everyday when she was pregnant caused the baby to suffer from withdrawal symptoms upon birth. The baby demonstrated nervous quivers a day right after it was born which slowly dissipated after two months. For this reason Germany's BFR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) cautioned women against taking quinine drinks while pregnant and that quinine drink should be classified as a medicinal item.

Ginseng. In a recent study at the Chinese University of the Hong Kong Prince of Wales Hospital, over 20 active ingredients of the ginseng plant was discovered to be present in a number of supplements. On an experiment conducted on rats, they have confirmed that pregnant rats that were given the active ingredient had abnormal embryo growth and consequently caused some abnormalities on the development of the fetus.

Of course, the effect on rat embryo and human embryo may not be exactly the same. However, this study shows that ginseng has an active ingredient known as ginsenoside named Rb1. Ginseng contains more than 20 ginsenosides each of which causes dissimilar effects.

There are some encountered complexities when researching on active components of herbal medicines because the herbal extract as a whole may not have the same total effect compared to a single component. The main explanation for this is that the active ingredients simultaneously work with and against each other. This is also one of the reasons why the procedure was not tested on women and thus will not have a definitive conclusion on the real effect of ginseng on the development of a human embryo. Just for safety precaution ginseng should be avoided during the first three months of pregnancy or as the proponents of the study recommends, at best for the entire period of pregnancy. We are not saying that ginseng is a hazardous substance as the findings were very based only on initial studies and more research and studies has to be conducted to get a solid conclusion.

Ginkgo Biloba. This is another supplement that is recommended not to be taken by pregnant women. Studies done at Wayne State University in Detroit discovered that one of the components of ginkgo biloba which is an alkaloid called colchicines in the placenta of a woman who has been taking the supplement. While Colchicines has medical value as an anti-inflammatory, taken in large doses can cause death. Still other studies found out that colchicines can negatively affect fetal development. The complication that can happen when taking ginkgo biloba is that colchicines is not expelled out of the body but rather stays and builds up in the womb just like taking in coffee excessively. The researchers made it clear that the study did not solidly established that ginkgo causes problems in the pregnancy; rather, they only observed the concentration of colchicines in the womb.

To improve your chances of getting pregnant, there are certain things to do during sex to help enhance pregnancy. It is advisable to have sex right before ovulation rather than after so as not to miss 'the moment'. In order for you to know when you'll be ovulating, a calendar must be kept to monitor your schedule. You can also buy an ovulation predictor kit if you think keeping records is a bother.

Aside from timing your sexual act, there are also other things to do during sex to help enhance pregnancy. It is only prudent to have sex three times a week when expecting your ovulation. The first sex for the week should be three days before your ovulation. Next, rape him again, preferably the day before ovulation, and the third is just a window to cover your bases better.

Now that we're done with that, it's time to name the sex positions that favor pregnancy. Missionary is recommended by many experts. You can also add a pillow under your hip to provide gravitational push for the sperm. Doggy style is also beneficial, since the sperm is prevented from spilling out of the vagina. It is important that the semen is given entry to the cervix to enable fertilization. Position the hip too high then the semen is deposited at the back of the cervix in the fornix of the vagina.

After ejaculation of your partner, stay on your back if you did a missionary or knee-chest position if you did a doggy, and stay that way for about half an hour. This way, you'll be giving the sperm an ample amount of time to travel into the cervix. Standing position is a no-no. Sitting position is also not good. Woman on top should also be avoided when your partner is about to come. And so should be the other positions that put you in a vertical position.

The last among the things to do during sex to help enhance pregnancy is to make sure you orgasm. Reaching the big "O" makes your uterus contract enabling the sperm to be drawn up into the reproductive tract.

Why do insurance policies pay for men to buy Viagra but won't pay for birth control for women?

This is a very common question that touches on what seems to be  sexual discrimination on the part of health insurance companies.

It helps to understand that not all policies follow the same rules. Mostly, it's a matter of the kind of coverage you have.

Group health insurance plans, the kind a business buys as a benefit for employees, are likely to pay for the birth control. Individual plans, that people buy directly from the insurance company, are not.

Group plans will cover maternity, so preventing pregnancy is helpful in keeping costs down.

Individual plans only offer maternity coverage if you choose the maternity rider and pay extra. If you don't pay the extra premium, the delivery costs won't be paid by the insurance company anyway, so they don't save money by paying for birth control.

In addition, individual plans are medically underwritten, meaning that not all applicants are accepted and the pricing for those who are accepted varies from one person to the next.

Rates for underwritten policies are affected by an applicant's status regarding factors such as age, weight and whether the applicant takes medication. The insurance company charges more for people who take medications because the costs of paying for that person's medical expenses will obviously be higher than for someone who does not take medication.

So, even if the individual plan did cover birth control pills, the policyholder would probably end up paying more than the birth control pills are worth.

It is also true that insurance companies commonly will only pay for services that are "medically necessary". While some may argue about whether Viagra or Cialis are medically necessary, erectile dysfunction is, by definition, a condition where a normal biological function is not working properly. Ovulation, on the other hand, is totally natural. Not a dysfunction at all.

So, while gender discrimination is still all too common in the world, it is not the real the reason for this  apparent unfairness in health insurance.

Pregnant women often have trouble sleeping in the later stages of pregnancy because of the physical realities of pregnancy. You might get leg cramps or Restless Leg Syndrome or you might have trouble sleeping on your back or moving from side to side.

One way that you can deal with sleeplessness caused by physical problems related to pregnancy is to use a body pillow.

Body pillows are great for pregnant women because they support your body and give you the extra firmness that you need to be more comfortable. Plus, since body pillows are nice and long, you can wrap your arms and legs around the body pillow or use it between your knees to help stop leg cramps.

Body pillows also provide extra back support which is critically important when you are pregnant. The bigger the baby and you get the harder your back needs to work to compensate. Back pain in both the lower and upper back is one of the most common complaints among pregnant women.

As a mother of two, I can absolutely vouch for this fact.

Getting enough sleep can be a big problem during pregnancy because you need a lot more sleep so that your body can deal with the changes that pregnancy causes. Women that do not get enough sleep during pregnancy might have unnecessary complications during the birth. Not getting enough rest during pregnancy can also cause problems later on for both the mother and baby.

Body pillows come in hundreds of styles and sizes. Some are made specifically for pregnant women and have more support than traditional body pillows. Body pillows that are made specifically for pregnancy can also be used after pregnancy to help you position yourself and the baby properly for bottle or breast feeding.

Doctors often recommend body pillows that are made for pregnant women because they are so flexible and can be used in so many ways. Every woman will experience different types of discomfort during pregnancy but a high quality body pillow can help soothe almost any type of ache, strain, or discomfort so that you can sleep more soundly.

If you are looking for help getting pregnant then I must say that you are on right place as this article is going to be an immense help for you. We will specifically discuss here the top 10 tips and the things you should avoid in your life, in order to get pregnant fast. After reading this article, you will become more knowledgeable about getting pregnant easily.

But, why you actually need any tips to become pregnant?

It's a hard reality that almost 50 percent couples are suffering through some or other sort of infertility issues. For them, it is really important to know the dos and don'ts of getting pregnant fast. They may feel that certain things in their life are normal but don't know that they are contributing to their infertility problem.

So, here are the top 10 tips and things you should care about:

1. Be Happy in Your Life - Yes, this is the number one tip to become pregnant fast. You can do daily meditations which will eventually increases your chances to be happy by having more control over yourself.

2. Avoid Stress - We all know that stress is now become an integral part of our day to day life. However, we can reduce it up to some extent by doing fitness exercises as well as by doing yoga.

3. Know your most fertile period - You should always be aware about your most fertile period which mostly comes in the middle of your end of last period and start date of your period.

4. Enhance your diet - you should take care of your diet to increase the chances of getting pregnant fast. Many doctors actually suggest taking folic acid to make you ready for pregnancy.

5. Enjoyment during love - Researchers have proved that if you enjoy your lovemaking experience then your chances are more to become pregnant easily. So, make your partner comfortable and discuss about your pleasure points.

6. Avoid unnatural treatments - At first, you should avoid any unnatural means of getting pregnant. This may damage your body in the longer term as well as can harm your baby in case of pregnancy.

7. Discuss with your doctor - It is a possibility that there is a biological problem either in you or in your spouse. You should always examine yourself by a professional doctor.

8. Use supplements - You should also take some supplements to fulfill the demand of iron, protein and vitamins of your body. In many cases, it has been seen that a healthy body have better chance to become pregnant fast.

9. Avoid cigarette - You should also avoid taking coffee as well as smoking. Researchers have also found that these things have resulted in reduction of the sperm count as well as the chances of being pregnant.

10. Be realistic - If you have tried and not successful till now, then you should not feel frustrated just after few efforts. You should be realistic and understand this fact that this is not an overnight process.

I am quite confident that these tips and list of things which you should avoid will help you in getting pregnant fast. Feel free to share these tips to your friends and relatives to help them.

The bond between a mother and her baby starts at the moment of conception. This is the stage where they begin to respond to each other. What a mother feels has a direct effect on her baby. Her actions and reactions at this point can affect the development of her unborn baby. It is advised that during pregnancy, the mother must constantly feel happy and content so that the baby will feel the same way. This is where the role of a father starts. While women are responsible for the overall development of the unborn child, men must ensure the emotional stability of their partner. It is primarily their responsibility to love, to care, to secure and to understand their partner.

There are several ways to ensure your baby's good health and happiness even at the stage of pregnancy.

1. Think Happy Thoughts. Keeping a positive attitude on things while conceiving is important. A mother and her baby do share the same emotions. This is because of the hormones that are connecting the mother and her baby. The hormonal imbalances due to emotions and a mother's feelings will be shared to her baby as well.

2. Watch the tone of your voice. A baby would not be able to decipher what an action means but would depend on facial expression. In the same way, an unborn child responds to voice tone rather than speech. A baby can feel the love and care when talking in a loving tone. Studies show that instrumental and lullabies can even help relax an unborn child.

3. Take good care of yourself. The health and development of the baby is dependent on the mother. By taking good care of yourself, you are also taking care of your little one.

The big question that goes out to all the couples would be, "Are you ready to take care of your delicate little baby?" Having all the help you can get is important at this stage. There are pregnancy books that will share tips and techniques in caring for yourself and your baby - Not only while conceiving but also after you give birth. A highly recommended sample of a book under this category would be "Pregnancy Miracle". It provides a step by step procedure of everything you need to know from ways to conceive naturally to having a healthy and happy baby.

Everyone's looking for natural cures for depression and why wouldn't you be? They offer hope of providing relief without the side-effects of anti-depressant medications, and they may even be able to treat the depression's underlying cause.

Let's take a look at 5 natural cures for depression:

1) Omega 3 Supplements: Omega 3 is a fatty acid that we have to get from our diets because our bodies can't make it. Many people living in the western society suffer from a deficiency of this fatty acid because of our poor diets and the way our food is produced. An omega 3 deficiency can be involved in depression, autism, Alzheimer's disease, violent behavior, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and postnatal depression. Omega 3 fish oil supplements can treat this deficiency.

2) L- Tryptophan or 5HTP: L-tryptophan and 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) are amino acids which help make serotonin in the body. It is believed that depression is caused in many cases by a serotonin deficiency. L-Tryptophan or 5HTP supplements may help raise your body's natural level of serotonin and therefore improve your mood.

3) Adrenal herbs: Adrenal herbs such as ginseng can also be used to treat depression. These types of herbs are most effective in those people that are suffering from depression because their adrenal glands are overworked, worn out or stressed out. If stress was or is a contributing factor in the onset of your depression you may need to get your adrenal gland's function tested and treated. Adrenal herbs are one way in which the adrenal glands can be supported.

4) SAMe: SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) is a molecule that is involved in a key process in the body known as methylation. Methylation is known to help balance neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. When the methylation cycle in the body is over or under active it can lead to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, addictions and suicidal tendencies. SAMe can help some people with depression that are 'undermethylators', but the problem is that it can have negative affects on those that have an overactive methylation cycle.

5) Remove foods from your diet that your are allergic or sensitive to: One often overlooked cause of depression is food allergies and sensitivities. By diagnosing those foods that you react to, and then removing these from your diet, it can alleviate or even cure your depression. Consider doing an elimination diet to find out what foods are affecting you. Alternatively, have a food allergy or sensitivity test performed.

So there's just a sample of the natural cures for depression that are available. I know it can be overwhelming choosing which natural supplement or strategy to take, not to mention time consuming, frustrating and expensive. Another problem with supplements is that if you don't take them at the right dose (even if they are the right supplement for you) they still might not work. So would you like some advice?

The fastest way to find effective treatments or cures for depression is finding out whether your depression has a physical or biochemical cause. Biochemical causes of depression are so often overlooked and doctors unfortunately don't spend the time ruling them all out. The great thing however is that once a physical cause of your depression has been discovered it can be treated specifically. For example, if you are found to have an omega 3 deficiency then an omega 3 supplement would be the best treatment to start with to help resolve your depression. For those that have a hormonal deficiency that is contributing to your depression, if you define what hormone is out of balance (thyroid, estrogen, testosterone etc.) you can then find the right herb or hormone medication to treat it.

Natural cures for depression can work. The biggest challenge however is finding out which one is right for you.

If you have been trying to conceive without any success, it may be time that considered the various fertility treatments for pregnancy. There are various fertility treatments available for women who are trying to have a baby, with some having a greater success rate than others. Some are also riskier than others. Here is how to go about it when trying to get pregnant.

The first step that you should take when trying to conceive through fertility treatments is to talk to your partner. This is important for various reasons. The first reason is that most of these treatments can be very expensive. As a result, it is important that you and your partner be on the same page as far as the financial repercussions are concerned. You will also be in need of the moral and mental support through the period when you are trying to conceive since some of the treatments may cause a lot of stress. There is also the added strain of demanding treatments that call for commitment. Having your partner on your side will make the process of becoming pregnant manageable.

Speaking with a medical professional whom you trust is advisable before visiting the fertility clinic. When trying to conceive, most women usually make the mistake of going to the fertility clinic without consulting with a medical professional. This is a mistake since fertility clinics have a vested interest in the various fertility treatments that they offer. They are usually motivated to promote the fertility treatments and thus may end up not giving you a clear picture of the risks involved and the success rates of the treatments for pregnancy. A medical professional whom you trust will give you a clear picture of the treatments and he or she may even suggest better alternatives. When trying to conceive, a physician can also give you recommendations of good specialists or clinics in the field.

Before visiting a fertility clinic or specialist, develop a list of questions that you may wish to ask. This will help you to make sure that you have all your worries, concerns and expectations addressed during the real visit. On visiting the clinic, you should also tell them your history so far as trying to conceive is concerned. Talk to the specialist about everything concerning your heath and efforts of getting pregnant. You should also ask about the various treatments for fertility that the clinic or specialist offers. Do not forget to ask about the prices, insurance requirements, side effects of the treatments and the visits required. This will be important to remember. You should however not be obligated to commit to any particular treatment before you are ready. Trying to conceive may be a challenge, but fertility treatment and clinics may be the solution to your problems.