Prenatal Vitamin Supplements: You And Your Baby's Health

Prenatal vitamin supplements are vitamin supplements that a woman can take on a daily basis to ensure that she is obtaining appropriate quantities of essential nutrients during pregnancy. It is important for a woman to discuss with her medical practitioner which prenatal supplements, if any, she should take and which she should avoid. It is essential that all prenatal vitamin supplements are only taken under the advisement of a medical professional. There are some prenatal vitamin supplements that can prove dangerous for a pregnant woman to take and she has to be especially cautious.

The most important point to consider when deciding which prenatal vitamin supplements to take is which one contains certain nutrients that are beneficial to the woman and her developing baby. The majority of adults do not need additional vitamins as they receive sufficient from a balanced diet but a pregnant woman often needs prenatal vitamin supplements, especially for folic acid and iron. However, it is essential that she ensures that the prenatal vitamin supplements that she takes to provide one particular nutrient do not contain potentially harmful amounts of another.

One of the most toxic types of prenatal vitamin that a pregnant woman has to be extremely cautious of is vitamin A. For this reason the most suitable prenatal vitamins for pregnant women who require extra vitamin A are those which contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a nutrient that is found in fruits and vegetables and is converted into vitamin A in the body. Prenatal vitamin supplements that contain vitamin A from animal products can cause birth defects when taken in high doses during pregnancy but beta-carotene is a much safer prenatal vitamin as it is not toxic in high doses.

It is essential that a woman discusses prenatal vitamin supplements with her health practitioner at her first prenatal check-up. They can examine her current dietary requirements and assess whether prenatal vitamin supplements are necessary to increase the amount of nutrients that she has available for her baby. Often a doctor will recommend that a pregnant woman takes a course of a folic acid vitamin supplement during the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Folic acid is the most commonly prescribed prenatal supplement for the months prior to becoming pregnant as well and it is essential for the health and growth of the baby, especially the brain functions. Iron is another prenatal vitamin supplement that is recommended to prevent the mother suffering from anaemia due to the demands that the baby puts on her iron consumption.

Baby Care - Options for Prenatal Care

Prenatal classes are helpful and supportive for you both.
What classes do
They will help explain a lot of the choices available before, during, and after the birth and will tell you about labor, birth, and baby care. You'll also meet other expectant parents with due dates near yours.

Where to find classes
If you're planning a hospital delivery, hospital based classes can be useful, they'll help familiarize you with procedures and will include a tour of the labor ward. Child birth educators generally offer classes in hospitals as well as birthing centers, but some communities offer other local venues as well. Ask friends who have young babies to recommend a good class that's easy to get to. Most child birth classes include guidance on preparing your self for an active birth, in which your partner or birth coach is also involved.

There's now a huge choice in maternity care, although how wide the choice is will depend on what's available in your area. Look into your prenatal options also means looking at your birth options.

Who Can Deliver Care?
Once you know you're pregnant, your first call will probably be to your family doctor or gynecologist. He or she may confirm the pregnancy with another test, take your blood pressure, and ask when your last period was to work out the due date. Your doctor will tell you the different options for prenatal care available in your area, and you can also talk through where the baby will be born, since these are often linked. Don't feel you have to make your mind up on any of these issues immediately go away and think about the possibilities before finalizing details.

Hospital care
You'll be cared for by hospital based doctors, your obstetrician and or midwife. The prenatal care may lack the informality of other options, but if you have any complications, have an existing medical condition, or are having twins, it's probably the wisest choice to have your pregnancy monitored by professionals in this setting.

Midwives
In many places, prenatal care is given almost entirely by midwives who are based either in a free standing site dedicated to prenatal care labor and delivery or in a hospital. The comfortable, home like feeling of midwife centers is a comfort to many women who would like to have a natural birth out side of a hospital setting. Many women benefit from building a relationship with the midwives who will also deliver their babies.

Your doctor or obstetrician's office
You'll have consultations, checkups, and tests through out your pregnancy to make sure you and your baby are doing fine. Most pregnancies are perfectly normal, but its vital to have these check up to make sure all is well and to spot possible problems early, before any harm is done. Here, too, you will have many opportunities to get to know and bond with the professional who will be on hand to deliver your baby when the time comes.

Prenatal Massage

Experienced masseurs pick ways that are safe and effective and provide special pampering and comfort. Prenatal massage offers encompasses a broad range of benefits such as:

• Increases circulation
• Improves digestion
• Reduces fatigue
• Reduces swelling in hands and lower legs, fewer calf cramps
• Eases backaches, headaches, shoulder and neck aches caused due to muscular tension and postures to accommodate the increasing weight.
• Lessens pain in the pelvic/hip area
• Alleviates stress on weight bearing joints such as knees, ankle and lower back
• Promotes relaxation and deep breathing
• Reduces stress hormones
• Decreased insomnia
• Helps in maintaining proper posture

Prenatal massage during pregnancy is beneficial emotionally as it allows soon to be moms to unwind, feel calm, healthy and comforted during the period of physical and emotional stress.

Prenatal massage can be done in different ways. Expectant moms mostly lie on their sides. A newly designed pillow especially for expecting mothers is available. This pillow has deep center cutout enabling the moms to lie flat on their bellies making them relaxed and comfortable. Lying flat on back reduces circulation of blood to the mother and child; pillows are used to keep the mother's body in elevated position. Body pillows are used for side lying positions too.

After delivery, new moms are under all kind of emotional and physical stress, especially sleep deprivation. Post partum massage is therapeutic, helping the body to return to its normal state by adjusting to the physical and emotional demands of their little one.

Massage is usually safe for most mothers, though it is advisable to check with your doctor prior to getting one. If you have high BP or diabetes, prenatal massage is not recommended. It is ideal that you tell your therapist if you any problems or complications with your pregnancy. Duration of the massage can be anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour. It depends on how much discomfort you are experiencing and how much time you have on hand. Massage once a week during 2nd trimester and twice a week or more during 3rd trimester are ideal.

Pregnancy Week By Week – Keep Track Of Life Growing Within You

Pregnancy week by week tracking tools or calendars are great tools for keeping track of your baby’s growth during pregnancy. Also, you can acquire knowledge of different early pregnancy symptoms or signs of pregnancy.

Most of the pregnancy calendars or guides chart baby’s growth during pregnancy week by week. Though the baby continues to grow with every passing day, but changes and development of baby usually becomes manifest over a week’s time. Therefore, the complete pregnancy period has been divided into three trimesters comprising 40 weeks. By following the baby’s growth in pregnancy week-by-week information and or pregnancy calendars, you can have an idea as to what your baby looks like at a particular point in time. Moreover, if you find something lacking, you can get medical advice promptly. Let’s take a glance at some salient developments of your little one’s growth during the forty weeks.

The First Trimester
The first trimester of pregnancy week by week covers week 1 to week 14. First 2 weeks of this trimester denote the period from your last menses till conception or till that time when the sperm fertilizes the egg. By the end of week 3, the fertilized egg is metamorphosed into an embryo. During week 4 you begin to feel the early pregnancy symptom of nausea. Week 5 marks the beginning of formation of all major organs of the baby’s body. In fact this is the week, when the embryo’s metamorphosis into a baby begins. Come week 6 and your baby’s heart beats for the first time. Your baby doubles in size during week 7. By week 9, baby’s sex can be determined and your embryo becomes a small baby by week 10. Week 14 will make manifest another sign of pregnancy – enlarging and darkening of the area around your nipples.

The Second Trimester
The second trimester comprises week 15 to week 26. In the beginning of this trimester i.e. week 15, the baby begins movement of head, lips, and feet. Due to upward movement of uterus, the pregnancy symptom of frequent urination would abate by week 16. Baby begins blinking, sucking, and swallowing in week 17. Due to myelinization of nerves, nerve cell transmission registers a significant increase making body reflexes quicker. During week 20, baby begins to sleep and wake on regular basis. By week 24, baby’s heart beat becomes so distinct that it can be heard by placing an ear on stomach. And before the second trimester ends, brain wave activity commences for ears and eyes.

The Third Trimester
The third trimester as per pregnancy week by week commences with week 27 and ends with the birth of baby i.e. approximately week 40. Week 27 heralds increased movements of the baby. Senses of sound, smell, and taste develop by week 29. During week 34, baby’s own immune system begins to develop. Most of the babies are born around this period. By this week, look out for any signs of labor. In any case, your baby is born by the end of week 40. Sometimes, this period may extend by two more weeks.

By keeping yourself updated with the help of pregnancy week by week information, you can keep watch over various signs of pregnancy and your baby’s growth. If you feel your baby’s growth is not in consonance with the week by week chart, you can immediately get medical advice.

Do I Really Need To Take Prenatal Vitamins?

For most pregnant women, they will need to take some prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement. In our society, we have been eating a lot of junk food and fatty stuffs. Although they may taste delicious, the nutritional values in them are often very little.

Unless you eat a wide variety of foods like meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes… The typical diet of most people, not to mention pregnant ladies, will not be enough to provide all the nutrients both the mother and baby.

Most prenatal supplements have several vitamins and minerals. It is the folic acid, iron, and calcium content that is especially important to pregnant women. What does folic acid, iron and calcium do? Folic acid can reduce the risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord. During pregnancy, the mother loses her bone density very quickly as the baby absorb the mineral for bone growth. Calcium can help to prevent that. Iron helps to carry the mother and baby's blood oxygen supply.

Some recent studies have shown that women who take prenatal vitamins early in pregnancy can reduce the risk of their child developing some types of brain tumors. Another possible protective effect for the vitamins is that babies whose mothers took prenatal vitamins close to the time of conception seemed less likely to suffer medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the brain.

Given this studies, women need to take prenatal vitamins. However, for some women with certain health issues, dietary restrictions or pregnancy complications, they are required to take prenatal vitamins. So are vegans, lactose intolerant women, smokers and women who abuse other substances, women who are having more than one baby and women with certain blood disorders and certain chronic diseases will have more reasons to take prenatal vitamins.

Pregnancy Symptom - The Classic Symptoms

The first reaction to early sign of pregnancy is disbelief, joy followed by a feeling of uncertainty. A visit to the doctor and a blood test is the only way to confirm your pregnancy. Early pregnancy tests are very reliable and even show the accurate results of a 2-week-old embryo. Before the visit to a doctor for the confirmation of pregnancy, it is very important to watch out for pregnancy symptoms. The precautions taken during early sign of pregnancy is very important for embryo's health and well being. Some of the most recognizable signs of pregnancy are as follows.

Classic pregnancy symptoms
These pregnancy symptoms appear soon after fertilization, within 8-10 days after conception. Some of the pregnancy symptoms stay with you for the entire period of gestation, while some pregnancy symptoms disappear as the pregnancy advances. They stop troubling you as your body starts getting used to change in hormones and settles to the imminent body changes. A few temporary early signs of pregnancy are:

Missed periods or less bleeding at the onset of periods. The absence of periods during the duration of pregnancy is because now the uterine lining need not be shed but used for implantation of the embryo.

Lower abdominal cramps, which begin soon after the implantation of embryo, disappear within a week or two. Headaches caused by rising levels of hormones in the first few days of pregnancy too disappear once the body accepts the change in hormonal levels.

The pregnancy symptoms that last the entire period of pregnancy are:
Nausea and vomiting are the early signs of pregnancy starting in the second week itself. The degree in which you feel sick varies from full fledged to none as the pregnancy advances. It is fairly controlled during the third trimester, making you feel more relaxed and happy.

Prenatal Plus

Tender and swollen breasts appear soon after conception and stays with you till the entire period. It is the nature's way to make the breast ready for baby's breastfeeding. In the last trimester the breasts secrete a liquid called colostrums, which provides immunity to the baby.

Enlarging and darkening of areola is the first sign of pregnancy, and lasts throughout.
Frequent urination and constipation is early sign of pregnancy and increases with the advancing pregnancy due to the pressure of the growing embryo on the surrounding body organs.

Exhaustion and tiredness occurs from initial stages of pregnancy and stay the entire duration of the gestation.
Food cravings for a particular type of food are still an unsolved mystery. Some doctors feel this is the way the body acquires the adequate minerals required by the growing embryo. This pregnancy symptom is an early sign of pregnancy and stays on till the end.
Increased sense of smell and taste too varies in all stages of pregnancy.

If you experience these pregnancy symptoms then take care of your health. Avoid harmful products; start taking balanced diet and some extra folic acid for happy and healthy pregnancy.

Eating Well Even After Your Pregnancy

Congratulations and welcome to parenthood. Your body has gone through a lot these past nine months and it still has a while to go before it is back to normal. The next few months are going to give you and your body a whole new set of challenges especially if you are a first time parent. Recovering from childbirth is exhausting and when you throw a new baby who has no concept of time into the mix and you might find your head spinning. Eating well during this time is almost as important as eating well during your pregnancy.

Your body has just been through a traumatic ordeal. If you gave birth vaginally, you mind find yourself recovering from tears and what not. If you gave birth via c-section, you are recovering from major surgery. The first thing most hospitals and doctors like to make sure is that your plumbing and waste systems are working.

Eating high fiber food and drinking lots of water after your delivery will help make that first bowel movement a lot less painful. This can be a little hard for women who delivery via c-section because they are usually on a liquid diet for the first 24 hours. You may find you need a little help from either stool softeners or prune juice to make that first trip a little easier.

Once you are home from the hospital, you are going to need your energy to take care of the baby. Gone are the nights where you were able to get a full 8 hours of sleep. You might not see that again for at least three months, though ask any parent and they will tell you that getting 8 hours of sleep a night will not happen until your kids are grown and married. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on you and it is important that you eat healthy to maintain a decent amount of energy.