Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase of a woman's life wherein she feels proud of the fact that she is nurturing a life inside her. Many women take this fact quite seriously and start eating for two adults; this results in excessive weight gain. Experts believe that to provide nourishment to the growing foetus, women need just about 300 calories extra during pregnancy. This can easily be sufficed through extra nutritional food. You don't need to eat for two adults. While little indulgence on chocolates and ice creams can be fine occasionally, excessive calories should be avoided.

Extra weight gain during pregnancy can be risky for both mother and her child. Obese pregnant women are at a risk of developing complications like child birth defects, miscarriage and other life threatening complications like pre-eclampsia. Obesity during pregnancy also increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. Women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labour and delivery. They are also at higher risk of Cesarean deliveries.

Tips to prevent obesity during pregnancy

Discussed below are a few tips to help prevent obesity during pregnancy.

• Eat a well balanced diet, rich in nutrients and vitamins


• Satisfy your urge for snacks with dry fruits and a bowl of fresh fruits instead of going for junk food


• Don't take pregnancy as an excuse to turn into a couch potato; being physically active is important to avoid obesity during pregnancy


• Go for daily walks


• Many experts recommend yoga for pregnant women as it helps them stay fit and also experience a deep sense of calm and relaxation


• If you enjoy swimming, go jump in the pool; it will help to strengthen muscles in your upper and lower body and keep your weight in check


• Before doing any exercise consult your doctor and instructor. Avoid exercises that involve twisting or inversions. Also avoid lying on your back for long periods of time


• While some exercise is important, don't strain yourself to lose weight. Some weight gain is inevitable and necessary during pregnancy

How to prevent obesity after pregnancy

Soon after delivery, don't expect to get yourself into the pre-pregnancy stage instantly. It will take about 6 months to get back into shape. Many women often feel anxious when they see themselves in the mirror and feel that they still look a few months pregnant. Experts believe that there is no reason to fret. It takes about four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size. During this period, you lose about 8 to 20 pounds as the body gets rid of all that extra fluid. Mentioned below are a few steps that you should take to prevent obesity after pregnancy and help yourself get back to your normal weight and shape.

• Go for breast-feeding. Contrary to what many women feel, breast feeding does help you lose weight and get back in shape. It consumes 500 calories from you a day, helping you to reduce some of the fat you gained during pregnancy. In addition to being the most comprehensive nutrition for your baby, breast-feeding also accelerates your metabolism, consumes redundant fat, reduces fat accumulation under the skin and prevents obesity after delivery.


• Even while you are breast feeding you can exercise. Consult your doctor and instructor before starting with any exercise routine. Suitable exercises after delivery will help boost your metabolism and avoid caloric accumulation.


• Take appropriate balanced diet avoiding high-fat and sugar laden diets. While you are breast-feeding, ensure that you include dairy products, vitamins, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.


• Ask your doctor if you can use the belly belt. It will help you lose several inches, eliminate gestation lines as well as prevent bowel droop and loosening of the skin.


• Do not take slimming pills while you are breast feeding.

Any woman that has ever experienced difficulty getting pregnant knows how frustrating and soul crushing it can be. They often take the advice of friends, family and even doctors but to no avail. Nothing they do seems to work and this makes matters only worse. Something so natural shouldn't have to be so difficult. If you are in this situation then don't give up. The reason some women find getting pregnant so difficult is because what works for you may not work for someone else. This is why the advice others have given you may not work for you. Falling pregnant is possible and you can do it. Here are a few tips to help you fall pregnant that you can try today. They are so simple that it doesn't matter where you live in the world as anyone can do them.

A common mistake some women make is that of overdoing it. They assume that by knowing when their cycle is and doing it every day they will fall pregnant. It sounds logical that you should baby make as much as possible to increase your chances but the truth is that for some women it has the complete opposite effect. Doing it every day can have the adverse affect of making the sperm in your partner "tired". They haven't been given enough time to recuperate and as such you have reduced your chances of falling pregnant. Something you may want to try is doing it every other day instead of every day. This will give your partner's sperm ample time to rejuvenate and be ready for the next time you try.

Something else you can try is to stop exercising. Exercising too much can actually stop you from ovulating. There is no common consensus on how much exercise is safe for women trying to get pregnant, because some doctors believe that a little exercise is OK while others believe that you should not do any at all. You may want to consider taking a break from your exercise routine while trying to fall pregnant. It is recommended that women trying to get pregnant should take a break of three months from any kind of exercise that increases their heart rate to more than 110 beats per minute.

A final little simple trick you can try is that of not getting up after you have finished sex. It is believed that you should lay down for at least 10 minutes after having sex, as this will allow the sperm enough time to attempt to make its way to where it has to go. If you get up immediately afterwards you are actually making it more difficult for the sperm to find its way. Laying down gives the sperm enough time to do what it has to do.

Supplements, which are vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutrients you take, can help you get pregnant with a boy. The number of recommendations and options out there is truly overwhelming. I've written up this brief overview of some of the best supplements for you to consider. Remember to take care and do your own research whenever you decide to use a dietary supplement.

Supplements can influence your mineral levels and body pH. They can also provide a lot of nutrition.

The first supplement to consider is a multivitamin. Everyone trying for a boy should take a multivitamin/multimineral combo. A prenatal vitamin is ideal.

Take folate, which is the precursor for folic acid. That's what folic acid is supposed to turn into. Some people have trouble making that transition inside their bodies. Take folate rather than folic acid because folic acid might not turn into the folate in your body. Every woman trying to conceive should take folate (take folic acid if you absolutely cannot get folate).

Another vitamin that all women trying to conceive should probably want to take is B6. B6 can help increase the absorption of folate (which is actually another B vitamin). Folate and B6 can work together. B6 can also help with morning sickness.

As an aside, morning sickness really doesn't give you any indication on if you're having a boy or a girl. People pregnant with girls have morning sickness. People pregnant with boys have morning sickness. And people have boys have no morning sickness. People pregnant with girls have no morning sickness. It seems to depend on you more than the gender of your baby. This means it's just proactive to take folate and B6. The B6 helps the folate, both of those things help the baby, and it can also help the morning sickness in the 1st trimester.

It was traditionally thought that B vitamins would increase your chances of getting a girl, so moms wanting boys avoided B-vitamins with the exception of folate and B6. Research now indicates that higher levels of any nutrients seem to increase the chances of getting a boy. Some moms still don't feel comfortable with more B-vitamins than in the prenatal and B6/folate, and that's okay. If you've struggled with prenatal or postpartum depression in the past, though, you may want to take a B-complex.

Fish oil, such as a high quality salmon oil, gives you lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. This boosts your overall nutrition greatly because it helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Cod liver oil is also a good choice. A lot of women are scared of cod liver oil because it's been villainized, but scientific studies actually show that cod liver oil and vitamin A (which is what was villainized in cod liver oil), is actually very healthy for your baby preconception, during pregnancy, while you're breastfeeding. It's really healthy and the vitamin A is very important for sex hormone production.

Fish oil, cod liver oil -- those are things to help you get the essential fatty acids that you need and absorb your nutrients more.

Blessed thistle is an herb to consider. It's really high in potassium and sodium. Those two minerals are strongly associated with boy conceptions, so blessed thistle is a good one to consider in your tea. Red raspberry leaf tea is a fertility and pregnancy tonic. Consider a tea with both of these herbs.

Royal jelly or bee pollen is thought to be an overall fertility enhancer and boost chances of a boy. You should not take it if you have bee allergies.

Maca is another promising supplement. It's actually a food. It's a food, but you take it in a supplement powdered form. It boosts fertility, and can increase chances of a boy.

Finally, consider adding gelatin into your diet. You can add it to soups, sauces, stews, etc. Gelatin boosts testosterone production and has a lot of protein, both things that favor a boy.

If you and your partner decide it is time to have a baby what can you as a husband do in order to help speed up the process?

Husbands can sometimes feel left out of the pregnancy process once their wife is pregnant but they do not have to feel left out during the process of actually becoming pregnant. If a couple has difficulty getting pregnant then most people assume that there is probably something wrong with the woman's reproductive organs but that is not necessarily the case. A man can be at fault just the same.

There are many things that a man can do to help increase the chances of his wife becoming pregnant.  

• If the husband is a smoker have him stop smoking or using other tobacco products. This is very difficult to do but it is well worth having a healthy pregnancy and not to mention a healthy non-smoking husband.


• Decrease the alcohol intake.


• Take a multi-vitamin to ensure the recommended allowances of vitamins and minerals.


• Have intercourse every 36-48 hours for the best and most viable sperm.


• Use foreplay or vegetable oil rather than other vaginal lubricants like KY or Astroglide.


• Wear loose fitting boxers rather than snug briefs.


• Limit hot showers and baths.


• Reduce the level of stress in your life.


• Make sure to eat a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest each night.

Doing any or all of these things will help the husband increase his fertility which can help achieve the ultimate goal...getting pregnant.

This is a common question for female golfers who end up pregnant. This is a question I asked myself. I am now 28 weeks pregnant and still golf regularly, as I did before. My OB says that since I was a golfer before, there is no reason I cannot continue, provided I make a few adjustments and that I follow proper safety precautions.

Pregnancy.org's fitness expert, Alex says to a husband asking if his pregnant wife can play golf, "Yes, she can play golf, but with a few conditions."

One of those conditions is that you first talk to your doctor, just like I did. No one else can tell you for certain if golfing during pregnancy is safe for you because no one else will know your personal medical history or potential risks or complications with your current pregnancy. So first you need to talk with your OB and make sure they approve of you golfing during pregnancy.

If the doctor says you are good, here are some additional tips to help you:

Stay hydrated- Proper hydration is essential in golf anyway but when you're pregnant, you are more susceptible to heat-related illness. You will probably need more fluids than you did before. Drink plenty of water before, during and after golfing. If you have any symptoms of dehydration, stop golfing and tend to yourself immediately.

Grab a cart- Even if you were a walking golfer before, you want to opt for the cart now. You will probably find the farther along you get in your pregnancy that you no longer have the stamina to walk 18 holes. You might not even have the stamina to walk nine. Even if you think you can do it, you don't want to get stuck out on the middle of the course and start feeling tired and sick, or worse, have an emergency and cannot get back to the clubhouse. If you're going to golf in pregnancy, especially past your first trimester, go ahead and opt for the cart.

Recognize fatigue-Finally, it's also important to recognize the signs of fatigue and not push yourself if you start feeling tired. You can pull a muscle or cause other complications when you try to push on after your body becomes fatigued. Remember that you are already in the midst of the full-time job of growing a new human life. If you're feeling fatigue, it's OK to say "when".

Relaxin loosens you up- Relaxin is a hormone produced by pregnant women that causes the joints to relax. The purpose of it is to relax the joints in the pelvis and allow for childbirth, however, it also has an effect on other joints in the body. It can come on stronger and earlier with each subsequent pregnancy, too so. While Relaxin is a good thing for the pregnant body, it can also make it easier for you to overstretch or pull something in your swing. Be aware that you are more "loose" than usual and be careful.

When golfing while pregnant, you will notice that as your belly grows bigger, it will be harder to bend over to pick up your ball and it may also affect your swing. You can use a ball-fetcher to help you get your ball easier and avoid bending over a lot. You should be careful of over-correcting your swing for your newly changing body and consult? a golf coach if possible. Sometimes pregnant women try to compensate for their changing body and end up with a stance or swing that contributed to back problems.

Getting pregnant isn't always as easy of a task as you would like it to be. It often seems that when you're ready to try getting pregnant, it's harder than getting pregnant by accident. So, there are some practical tips that you can try in order to help yourself get pregnant easier.

1. Relax. Studies have shown that women and men who are relaxed and who are enjoying sex are going to be much more likely to get pregnant. Stressing about which days are perfect and which positions are best are ways to reduce your chances of getting pregnant. Try to be stress free and enjoy having sex with your partner. You'll have a better chance of getting pregnant.

2. Make sure you are healthy. It is also harder to get pregnant if you've got a medical condition - and its not safe to even try with some conditions. So, go to your doctor and have a check up, just to make sure that everything is alright with you. Have your partner go too, just to be sure that he's healthy. You'll find this will also help you have more fun and be less stressed out.

3. Eat well. There are lots of foods that are good for conception, and some foods that aren't. For instance, you can increase your chances of getting pregnant just by switching from regular cooking oil to olive oil. Do a little bit of research on what a healthy pregnancy diet should be, and then get onto it as soon as you can.

4. Exercise. This will help you get in shape for being pregnant, and will also help make sure that you are healthy enough to get pregnant.

Getting pregnant through IUI might seem like a very difficult task, but if things work out properly, it's almost like getting pregnant naturally. If you're shooting for an IUI pregnancy within the next few months, there are a few things that you can do to prepare your body to undergo the treatment better and to increase your chances of success with IUI. These five tips are pretty easy and natural, so get started on them as soon as you can.

1. Acupuncture Therapy to Help You Conceive with IUI
This might not be the first option your mind jumps to when you think of enhancing your IUI success, but it has been shown to help in many studies and anecdotal cases. Basically, this ancient Chinese medicine regulates the hormones in a way that scientists haven't quite pinned down yet. Women who undergo acupuncture end up with less stress and even with more and higher quality eggs, which makes IUI more likely to be successful.

2. Visualization Techniques of IUI Conception
Many infertility clinics are actually using this type of therapy for their clients now. Basically, when you are going through IUI, you simply visualize what is going to happen with the sperm and the egg in your body. As with acupuncture, scientists haven't pinned down the way that visualization works, but there is evidence to show that the mind has great power over the body.

3. Watch Your Food and Drink for Pregnancy Success
One of the main ways to prepare your body for conception is to eat a healthy diet. This holds true no matter whether you're trying to conceive naturally, through IUI, or through any other ART techniques. The documentation of the link between diet and fertility just keeps building up. You don't have to obsess over every single thing you put in your mouth, but here are a few tips that will keep your body in good shape before IUI:

* Focus on getting enough whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
* Get one or two servings a day of full-fat dairy products through milk, yogurt, or cheese, since this has been linked to increased fertility.
* Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and toxin-free.
* Get a lot of protein from vegetable sources and nuts, but don't be afraid to work lean proteins from meat into your diet, either.
* Take a daily multivitamin that contains folic acid.
* Avoid alcohol, which can reduce overall fertility and increase your risk of miscarriage.

4. De-stress However You Can to Optimize Fertility
There is a lot of evidence that extreme stress - like the kind that comes from trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant - can reduce your chances of getting pregnant and increase your chances of miscarriage. Besides this, the stress that comes with IUI can make your life a nightmare. Instead of simply living with it, find ways to reduce stress before, during, and after IUI. Taking long walks, doing yoga regularly, and joining a support group are all good options.

5. Take an Expectorant to Help You Get Pregnant with IUI
Cough syrup for IUI? That's right. This is a good step to take, especially if you're taking Clomid during an IUI cycle. Clomid - and some natural conditions - can cause cervical mucus to become thick and too hostile to allow sperm to survive. Cough syrup like Robitussin doesn't just thin out mucus in the lungs, but it can also thin out cervical mucus.

The dosage that you should take varies, but you will want to take a little bit of cough syrup with the active ingredient guaifenesin for a couple of days before your insemination is going to occur. Many women with hostile cervical mucus have had excellent luck with this simple fertility-enhancing step.

Folate is an important nutrition all of us should have. It is a water soluble vitamin b complex family. It can be taken only from external sources and our body cannot synthesise on its own. It has many health benefits but its importance in pregnancy should be known to all child bearing women. They should know foods with folic acid for a happy pregnancy and child birth.

Folic acid acid is important for cell maintenance and formation. It is very vital whenever there is rapid pace of cell division to ensure formation and maintenance. The fetus in the mother undergoes this transformation and thus during pregnancy this nutrition should be adequately available to her. Not only during pregnancy but also during periphery pregnancy period the woman should take proper dosage of this nutrition. This is because during the first 28 days of conception of the fetus the foundation for spine and the brain is laid. Folate is required else neural defective baby may be the result. This is a disaster.

All men and women should have minimum 400 to 500 mcg of this nutrition. In the case of pregnant woman she should have 600 mcg per day.

What are the foods with folic acid? All citrus fruits have sufficient folate. You can eat orange, pineapple, strawberry etc. In the case of green and leafy vegetables like broccoli, spinach and green turnip sufficient folate is available. Pig liver has a rich source of folate. These are natural foods. When we eat them our body will synthesise folate into folic acid. You can also consume many foods fortified with folic acid like bread and breakfast cereals.

Apart from the above benefits folate deficiency leads to anemia. This nutrition is required for production of red blood cells. Sometimes deficiency leads to heart palpitation, diarrhea, frequent tiredness etc.

While it is better to take only natural foods as mentioned above many times it is advised to take natural nutrition supplement during pregnancy. The challenge is to find the best quality supplement. I know for sure a fantastic natural supplement that has folic acid and all other nutrition. This provides not only synergy but also a holistic nutrition offer. Visit my website to know more about foods with folic acid.

As with any medical condition proper treatment can't start until you know the cause of the problem. Not being able to get pregnant is only one symptom of a condition that must first be diagnosed before treatment can begin.

Both men and women for various reasons can have problems causing infertility. In women, diseases such as endometriosis, ovarian or ovulation disorders and low levels of progesterone can cause infertility. In men, low sperm count and motility, sperm blockage, aging, sexually transmitted diseases are common causes. Sometimes the cause is unknown.  

Is Acupuncture Treatment for Pregnancy Effective?

In some situations alternative techniques such as acupuncture for pregnancy is being applied successfully. Ear acupuncture can be effective in cases of infertility caused by problems with the ovary. Acupuncture along with certain herbs has the potential to improve ovarian and follicular function if this is the problem. While this method may work for some it doesn't work for tubal adhesions, endometriosis or other conditions.

The most effective fertility treatment combines acupuncture, herbal and traditional medicine.  For the purpose of increasing fertility Acupuncture patients receive treatment for several months before an attempt to inseminate either by natural, in vitro or by egg transfer.

Acupuncture has a long history of being used for treatment in infertility; however, it does have its limits. The key is to discover the underlying cause of infertility then you will know if acupuncture is a realistic option. In some cases where the cause is unknown acupuncture may be beneficial because it can increase blood flow to the endometrium. When blood flow increases it helps to promote a thick, rich lining that is conducive to fertility.

Is Acupuncture Safe?

Acupuncture has minimal risks when used for infertility however miscarriage can occur if incorrect acupuncture points are used. Anyone undergoing acupuncture treatment for pregnancy should seek an acupuncturist who specializes in fertility disorders in order to limit risk.

Although the nine months of pregnancy is a period that most women hope to experience, there are a myriad of reasons why when the time actually comes, it can be very stressful. Here are some tips to help you refocus away from the aches and the worries, and to transfer some of your pregnancy energy into something positive and beneficial.

o Exercise - While exercise is good for our bodies, the most amazing by- product of it is all those wonderful endorphins that are released in the brain as a result of just a minor workout. These endorphins stimulate happiness and positive feelings and give us further strength and motivation.

o Join a class - any class! Now's the time for you to follow your pursuits - heaven knows you won't have time to follow them later. So if its basket weaving, mosaic frame making or learning a foreign language take the time now to invest in yourself and enjoy every minute!

o Make time for meditation - you don't need to be a Buddha to meditate! Often we get so caught up in our daily routine that one day seems to follow the next without reason or meaning. Try starting your day by closing your eyes and focusing on the blessings that you have in your life. While you are at it, go ahead and ask God, your Higher Power, or Who Ever to continue to bless you with health, wealth, all things good, an easy labor, and a beautiful healthy baby.

o Think about the spiritual aspect of bringing a new person into the world - when you're most caught up in your physical complaints, when you're starting to dread the actual birth, give yourself time to think about the fact that you and your partner have created a new soul, and you are the channel through which it will be coming to this would. If this moves you, or if there is another similar thought that uplifts you then try focus on whenever your mind wanders. Visualize it, and think about using the imagery to help you keep calm while you are in labor.

o Share with a friend - if you have worries about the health of your baby, your parenting abilities, or if you are plagued by horrible dreams (common during pregnancy) know that you are not alone. Don't keep your dark thoughts to yourself - sharing them will help to ease the burden and often just verbalizing your fears helps to melt them down.

o Avoid people who like to tell bad news - if you have friends or family members who like to talk about bad pregnancies and disastrous labors - you do NOT need to listen to them. You can protect yourself from these bearers of bad news. Either avoid them or tell them in a diplomatic but firm way that you are focusing on nice, happy stories during this pregnancy!

o Be kind to yourself - Know your limitations, and give yourself a break when you need it. If it means taking 20 minutes of downtime during your work hours, or telling your husband that you are not up to entertaining this Friday night, or phoning your mother and asking her to look after the kids this afternoon because you need a break - JUST DO IT! There is no need to push yourself beyond your limitations, and you will only reach breakpoint if you do!

o Cranial Sacral Therapy - this is a remarkable treatment which is great for the body, as well as the soul. Find a good Cranial Sacral Therapist who has a healing touch, a listening ear and a caring heart. For more information on the benefits of cranial sacral therapy in pregnancy see http://www.cranio-sacral.co.il/pregnancy.html

o Keep a journal - pregnancy is a trip that you won't experience too many times in life. During this period your interaction both with the world and with the growing life inside you is enhanced. Commit your thoughts, feelings and emotions to writing; one day it will be interesting to come re-visit this special time.

o Enjoy your body - think about the baby that is growing inside your body, look at yourself in the mirror and enjoy watching your bump grow and develop. Don't be shy to place your hands on your tummy when he/she squirms - even in public - as it is most people are admiring your feminine shape!

Pregnancy is a beautiful yet challenging time in a woman's life. For every joyful discovery there is a disappointing development, like skin outbreaks or the shedding of hair.

The modern mother-to-be is lucky however, as manufacturers have begun to acknowledge the special needs of the pregnant body. Indeed, today there are literally hundreds of products on the market that address some of the more common discomforts pregnant women face during their nine month long evolution.

Skincare is one area that manufactures often target, a wise move, since taking care of our body's largest organ is one of the primary concerns of many women who are on the precipice of becoming a mother.

With so many options available, it can be a rather daunting task to locate what will work best for you. Just how does a pregnant lady locate the skincare products that are both safe and effective?

Think Organic

Once upon a time people thought of organic products as something vegetarians and neo-hippies purchased due to paranoid concerns about contaminants. Nowadays, we realize that the neo-hippies were on to something, as the FDA and several health watch organizations have begun to prove that health and beauty items, like lotions and creams, were chock full of toxic substances.

Indeed, a mainstream lotion can contain several carcinogenic chemicals that could potentially damage reproductive health. Using such substances when pregnant could end up being extremely dangerous to both mother and baby.

On the other hand, true organic health and beauty items are free of the things that can cause harm to you and your precious little one.

Below are a few products that a resourceful mother who is interested in organic skin care can investigate to get started on her beauty regimen.

o Stretch mark cream - every mother, whether she is having her first child or her fifth, worries about getting stretch marks. The good news is that manufacturers of organic lotions and creams understand this and have created belly butters and moisturizers filled with pure botanical ingredients that will help your skin glow.

o Body toning oil -- pregnant women are also concerned about sagging skin after childbirth, but the use of toning oils can help prevent this from happening if used faithfully. Producers of organic products make all natural body toning oils with tried and true substances like avocado, pomegranate and jojoba oils which boost collagen production and help the skin retain it elasticity.

o Body cleansing - purchasing organic shampoos, body washes and soaps are another great way to keep your skin baby smooth and free of harsh drying chemicals.

To find organic products you can visit a holistic food store in your neighborhood or look online for organic distributors. Always check the ingredients list as well, since some companies can legally use very little chemical free substances in their formulas and still get an organic rating. To be sure, look for the "certified organic" label. This often means it is 100 percent organic and 100 percent all natural.

You and your baby deserve the best start possible when it comes to the mother child relationship. Taking good care of yourself during your pregnancy with rest and proper skin care is one step in the right direction.

Many owners are not ready to handle their pet rabbit's pregnancy. Considering the high mortality rate of newborn bunnies, it is no surprise that many are confused as to what they should do. There are plenty of useful tips that owners can adopt and this starts by gathering the right information from reliable sources.

It is not encouraged to allow your bunny to get pregnant. There is already an overgrown of rabbit population in the world, and if you wanted another one, then you should consider getting them from an animal shelter. Bunnies may be cute but they grow up very fast and in many cases, they are abandoned when they are no longer cute.

However, if your rabbit is pregnant, there are good tips you can follow to care for them and raise the survival chances of its babies. A doe hide her pregnancy quite well. Even experienced vet sometimes made mistakes in their assessment when checking if there is pregnancy.

As a matter of fact, you can hardly notice any change of behaviour in the doe. The easiest way to tell if your female pet rabbit is pregnant is to see if she rejects the advancement of the buck. About two weeks after conceiving, you may be able to feel the foetus inside her womb. It feels marble-like.

The gestation period is between 28 to 31 days. During this time, just provide her with adequate food and water. She may begin her nesting process about one week before delivery. Some pet rabbits only started building her nest as little as three days or one day before delivery.

The doe build its nest by gathering hay and shredding newspaper. She will also pull fur from her own chest. Each rabbit's pregnancy may result in 7 to 13 kits (baby rabbits are called kits). It is not surprising to see the doe immediately leaving its kits after birthing. This may be inherited from their wild cousins to prevent attracting the attention of predator animals.

This may be the right time to check on the bunnies. Unlike other smaller animals, rabbits do not mind human touching their offspring. Check if the babies are warm. If they are not, then you can wrap warm water bottle with towel and place in the nest to help them stay warm.

As the mother rabbit nurse their young ones only twice a day and each nursing takes less than 5 minutes, you may need to play the role of surrogate parents. Suitable formulated milk powder and feeding bottle may be bought from pet store or from a vet.

Calculating your pregnancy due date is basically a piece of simple arithmetic based on the date of the first day of your last period and the average length of your menstrual cycle.

On the assumption that you've got this information handy, all that's then required is to add 40 weeks to the first day and, hey presto, you've got your pregnancy due date - well near enough to be within a few days either side in most cases.

Incidentally, a baby born only 3 weeks earlier than the official pregnancy due date is classified as being premature although babies born as little as 24 weeks after conception are still considered to be viable given the full resources of modern medical care available in Western societies.

However, in practice 92% of babies very obligingly arrive within a two to three week window around their predicted pregnancy due date.

So, on the face of it everything seems to be hunky-dory - you've got your pregnancy due date either by calculating it yourself (NOT recommended except for initial guidance) or, much better, by being informed of it by your Doctor after other relevant factors are taken into account.

There are also numerous websites where you can just enter your dates (first day of your last period is the most important) and get an instant calculation of your pregnancy due date.

Then all you have to do (in theory!) is to wait for your baby to politely keep the appointment set for him or her.

The only problem is that not everyone may be well enough organised to know the date when her last period started or the average length of her menstrual cycle.

But not to worry if your dates are a couple of weeks adrift. The prediction of your pregnancy due date may well be wrong when you are first given it but as your pregnancy progresses other signs and symptoms will start to indicate that a different date is more likely.

So pretty soon you will be able to be quite certain that, provided your baby is one of the 92% who arrive more or less on time, you will be giving birth somewhere around the date given.

But these calculations also potentially have a hidden benefit if you are still at the stage of planning your family because you can use simple arithmetic again to predict when during your menstrual cycle you are most likely to conceive.

The same information used to predict the pregnancy due date is also used for this prediction as it is based on the first day of your period together with the average length of your cycle with the well established assumption that you are most likely to ovulate within a time frame of 2 to 3 days either side of the middle of this period of time.

So if your cycle is 28 days and your first day was the first of the month, the best time to have sex would be between the 12th and 16th of the month although there's no need to unnecessarily restrict yourself to just this window of opportunity!

And if you and your partner are both fortunate enough to be in your twenties, you have a 20-25% chance of getting pregnant during each month that you're trying, so 4 or 5 months could easily do the trick!

If you're really confident, you could even draw up a little chart of likely pregnancy due dates, although that may be tempting Providence a bit too far!

Obviously, as people get older, the likelihood of such spectacular early success starts to diminish, but statistics show that eventually 95% of all couples who try to start a family finally succeed even if it seems to take for ever for that all important pregnancy due date to be finally announced!

In fact, on average, one couple in five has failed to conceive after 12 months of trying so don't be too worried if things don't seem to be working out quite as quickly as you may have hoped.

If you want to check your potential pregnancy due date online, it is very simple to do so via a Google search for instance, but please be advised that there is no substitute for proper medical advice. Many of these sites will also allow you to calculate when you are likely to ovulate during your monthly cycle.

If you are one of the over 5 million couples struggling with infertility, you have likely often worn yourself out trying to consider all of your options. Medical treatments and procedures are difficult and costly to go through, but it may start to seem as though that is the only thing that will work. This is simply not true however, and there are many ways you can improve your chances of getting pregnant naturally. Starting with fertility vitamins, you can likely find a balance in food and fertility, and you may discover that consuming the right vitamins for fertility will improve your chances exponentially. There are fertility blends for women and fertility blends for men that can help, but most of these contain the following supplements for fertility that can be found in foods that can easily be consumed daily.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is a fertility vitamin that is important for both men and women to get appropriate quantities of. For men, 1000mg/day will improve sperm mobility by keeping the sperm from being too sticky and clumping together. For women, 750mg/day is ideal in order to improve fertility. Be careful to not go much higher than this dosage however, as high quantities of Vitamin C have been linked to hostile cervical mucus. Vitamin C is readily found in most citrus fruits, as well as broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Vitamin E - Vitamin E is another vitamin likely found in many fertility supplements. Couples taking Vitamin E during IVF procedures have a 10% higher success rate. Reduced levels of vitamin E actually thwart the formation of sperm, so having healthy levels is crucial to sperm production. Vitamin E can be readily found in almonds and sunflower seeds.

Folic Acid - Folic Acid is a component in many fertility blends for women due to its benefits on both fertility as well as preventing birth defects. Men, and fertility blends for men, can benefit from Folic Acid as well however, as it has been shown to aid in sperm quality and production. Folic Acid can be found in leafy green vegetables like spinach and broccoli.

Vitamin B - Taking a Vitamin B complex with 50mg/day of B6 and 50mcg/day of B12 will improve sperm count in men and assist in improving fertility for women.

Getting the daily recommended amount of those four vitamins for fertility will improve your chances of conception greatly. Don't forget that your food and fertility are closely linked, and maintaining a healthy diet complete with these fertility vitamins will go a long way in helping you to achieve your pregnancy dreams.

Having a baby is one of the greatest experiences in your life but like all good things it comes with a catch. This is because it is generally seen that during pregnancy, your health and fitness tends to suffer. One of most important issues that you can face is that of weight gain during the final months of pregnancy. So you may want to know how to lose weight after having a baby.

Which is why I'm going to share with you some tips on how to lose belly fat after pregnancy.

It is best not to try and emulate celebrities who seem to be in perfect shape just a day after delivery! Instead you can try these tips if you want to know some safe ways of how to lose weight after having a baby.

1. Drink plenty of water every day instead of sodas, colas and high sugar juices.

2. Snack on healthy items such as raisins, wheat crackers etc. Try to eat at least 5 to 7 small meals every day.

3. Nourish yourself with lean meats and whole grains. This will also help you to gain strength.

4. Breastfeeding is a great way for you to lose weight. This is because it helps you burn a lot of calories. So in addition to providing your baby with nourishment, you can look to lose those extra pounds!

5. Start doing light exercises such as regular walks, when you feel up to it. When you feel stronger and more energetic, you can consider doing weight training and taking a fitness class.

Most people talk about things you should be doing to increase your fertility. What about the things you should be avoiding?

Such as stress. Most health professionals will agree that  there is deep mind body connection within every human being. If you are always under a lot of stress then this may be lowering your chances of becoming pregnant.Dealing with the struggle of infertility is stressful enough. Add on the worry and work of everyday life and you could be an emotional wreck.

You need to be doing all that you can to avoid it or at least find a release. Something as simple as sitting quietly on a chair and practicing deep breathing can a have a tremendous effect helping you to relax.

Enrolling in a yoga class at your local community center may also be helpful. Everyone is different. Whatever relaxes you, do it!

Alcohol has also been shown to have an effect. In a Harvard study published in 1994 by The Journal of Public Health states that if a person has at least one alcoholic per day, they decrease their fertility by 50 percent. If you are having difficulty conceiving, you may want to lay off the alcohol for awhile.

Prescription medicines are another way that a couple can reduce their fertility and not realize it. Let your physician know that you are trying to conceive a child. They can make sure your medicines aren't an issue. As well as make any necessary changes.

Street drugs we all know are never good under any circumstances. Marijuana has been shown to disrupt the reproductive cycle. While cocaine has been shown to raise blood pressure which can cause several health problems.

You and your partner should make it a point to avoid all of these things. Hopefully increasing your fertility.

Would you like to know how to get pregnant quickly with twins? Having twins as your children is sort of a miracle because the probability of having a twin is very difficult. If you want to have twins in your children and pregnancy you would have to consider the following. First and foremost having twins is a genetic predisposition. The tendency and likelihood of getting a twin is considered to rely heavily on the presence of genes in your blood.

Your family has more or less a history of twins and most likely you will also have a twin as your kid. This is a natural phenomenon and the greater the number of persons that has twins in your family tree, the greater the chance of getting twins as your children. Ok, here are more tips to help you have a twin set of babies. Take note that having twins means that you have to change two sets of diapers.

1. You have to find a suitable that is most likely a twin. As I have said before, it runs in the family and having a twin as your spouse would most likely increase this chance of having a twin.

2. Gain more weight. A person with increased weight of about 30 BMI would have more chances of getting twins.

3. Having a baby when you are 35 years old and above. A recent study showed that getting pregnant at a later age increases the likelihood of getting twins.

4. Setup and meet up with a fertility expert. That expert can prescribe medications to help you achieve a set of twins.

5. Eat yams. Eating yam has recently been found out to increase the chances of having twins.

So that's it. You now have a great chance to have a set of twins.

If you are having problems getting pregnant or you have an infertility problem, you may want to check this website out because this has really helped me a lot. I really cried when I found out I was pregnant after years of waiting. I highly recommend that you check this site out

Apparently, there is a lot of discussion and arguments going on about prenatal vitamins and its ability to get you pregnant. Some people say it helps you achieve pregnancy and some say it is only for the folic acid that it provides to you and your baby. I've decided to reveal some facts about these vitamins and how you could use them to achieve best results.

In this article you will learn the truth about how prenatal vitamins can help your pregnancy. You will also learn how to make the best use of it and get the best results.

Will prenatal vitamins help me get pregnant?

Each woman is different. For some women the vitamins work and for some it might not work as effectively. Thus to make the best use of these vitamins:

- Always ensure you keep your hips elevated when your partner ejaculates. This will make the sperm move faster and the vitamins will take care of the rest.

- Drink a lot of water. Along with the vitamins you will require sufficient amount of water to make things effective. Always make sure your urine is white in color.

- It is important that the vitamins help your body. Consult with your doctor and get his permission to use them. If you are already using these vitamins then the next tip is your best choice.

- Try some natural methods along with the vitamins. Natural techniques have proven to be more effective, especially some popular Chinese natural methods.

Though the argument about prenatal vitamins is confusing to many women, giving it a try with natural methods is recommended.

After 9 months of pregnancy, most mums-to-be can't wait to finally give birth, but not all babies arrive on time! Having an overdue pregnancy can be both tiring and frustrating but there are some things you could try that may help to bring on labour.

Below are 5 of the most popular techniques for overdue pregnancies. If you are considering trying to bring on labour, make sure you talk to your midwife first. Also, it's worth remembering that different things work for different people, so some or even all of these techniques may not work for you.

1. Move around - this is thought to encourage your baby to move into position. Try activities with a repetitive movement, such as walking, or perhaps rocking side to side on a birthing ball.


2. Food and drink - although there is no proven link, certain foods like fresh pineapple and hot curries are commonly thought to get labour going.


3. Gentle sex - the act of having sex and achieving an orgasm is thought to trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which can stimulate contractions. Semen also contains prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance which helps to prepare the cervix for delivery.


4. Simple medical procedures - your midwife or doctor may suggest carrying out a 'membrane sweep' to stimulate contractions.


5. Being induced - if you go past your pregnancy due date, your doctor or midwife may recommend an induction.

Although it may feel like it, your pregnancy won't last forever! Your baby will arrive when they're ready, so use the extra time you have to try and relax as much as possible before the birth.

There are many term of words that are used when searching for maternity panty hose, maternity panties hose, maternity panty and maternity panties. For a women expecting a baby, will be needing one of the following of maternity support hosiery, maternity support stocking, maternity support pantyhose, maternity support panty hose or maternity support hose. An expert on hosiery products, carries a large selection of maternity hosiery products. Read on to get expert advice on maternity hosiery!

Wearing maternity support pantyhose is an important way of taking care of your body during pregnancy. Wearing strong maternity support hose and maternity body shapers will aid circulation problems in the legs, reduce swelling and potentially aid in preventing future varicose veins and other ailments. Varicose veins are swollen veins that may bulge near the surface of the skin. These sometimes squiggly, blue or purple veins are most likely to show up in your legs although sometimes they do appear in other places. Many women first develop varicose veins or find that they get worse during pregnancy. As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on the large vein on the right side of your body (the inferior vena cava), which in turn increases pressure in the leg veins. Veins are the blood vessels that return blood from your extremities to your heart, so the blood in your leg veins is already working against gravity. By wearing maternity support hosiery, with doctor's guidance, it will help prevent varicose vein swelling.

The changes in your body and extra weight by the growing infant's body may cause you to have leg problems including edema, varicose veins, circulation issues, and leg pain. Wearing maternity support hosiery during pregnancy will prevent or ease varicose veins, a common effect of pregnancy and edema. Depending on pre-existing conditions, maternity support pantyhose comes in different compression strengths.

Leg cramps during pregnancy can be caused by calcium deficiency and/or poor circulation. The pressure of the baby on blood vessels and nerves that lead to your legs may also be a factor in leg cramps. Wearing support stockings, maternity support hose, resting with your legs elevated and exercising moderately will help decrease your leg cramps.

Pregnancy also increases the risk of vein inflammation with formation of blood clots (thrombophlebitis). This can destroy valves (leading to varicose veins). It would be a good idea to ask your doctor to prescribe a maternity support pantyhose or maternity support hosiery to assist with your leg blood circulation.

Most leg problems are due to poor circulation since your blood and veins need to work against gravity to get the blood back up to your heart. During pregnancy, though, your expanding belly, coupled with the extra pressure your baby puts on your body causes your veins to dilate and work much less efficiently. As your pregnancy progresses, you've probably learned to accept that your feet and ankles will always be swollen by the end of the day, your nightly leg cramps will routinely wake you up and those varicose veins may just be unavoidable. While all of these discomforts of pregnancy are normal, imagine if you could stop or even prevent them just by wearing maternity support pantyhose.

Maternity support hosiery, known as graduated-compression stockings, work best and are available from maternity stores, or online. These maternity stockings are twice as thick as normal pantyhose. Tight at the ankle, they get looser as they go up the leg, making it easier for blood to flow back up toward your heart. As a result, they help prevent swelling and may keep your varicose veins from getting worse. Put on maternity pantyhose before getting out of bed in the morning, while you're still lying down, to prevent blood from pooling in your legs, and keep them on all day. Wearing graduated compression stockings has been clinically proven to effectively prevent varicose veins and blood clots. It even relieves many uncomfortable symptoms, which occur in your legs during pregnancy. Maternity support hose may also avoid fatigue and heaviness.

Maternity compression stockings are not your typical pair of nylon stockings. A medically accepted way to treat a host of leg discomforts, medical compression hosiery is a great alternative to surgery when it comes to relieving minor to major leg issues like leg cramps, varicose veins and swelling. Regular support hose don't help the efficiency of the calf muscle pump. Non-graduated compression may actually cause more harm than good by creating a tourniquet effect. Maternity support hosiery provides a safe and effective pregnancy support.

Made of soft, breathable fabric, comfortable compression stockings will help keep your legs healthy all through your pregnancy. Maternity support hose work by promoting circulation and the return of blood back up to your heart through the venous system. They apply gradual amounts of pressure to your leg, with the most compression occurring at your ankle and lessening the further up the leg you go. While maternity compression hose may sound similar to a tensor bandage, it is not the same thing. In fact, using a tensor bandage to relieve swelling or leg pain may actually make the problem worse by cutting off your circulation completely.

If you have a family history of varicose veins or if you develop them during pregnancy, the best course of action would be wearing maternity support stockings. It would not be possible to depend on the over the counter maternity support tights or maternity support hosiery.

If you need a maternity support stockings personally fitted, then you will need to see a vein specialist.

Maternity support stockings and maternity support hosiery are recognized as a medically accepted device. Therefore, many insurance companies will cover the cost of the stockings as long as you have a doctor's prescription. Although support hose are a much cheaper and more convenient form of treatment compared to surgery for varicose veins, they are typically much more expensive than regular pantyhose.

Feel free to browse around in our maternity support hosiery product page by visiting LegLuxe and you will also find maternity compression hosiery in that group as well.