Medical Blog by Dr. Hujimy

You Can Do Exercise During Pregnancy, But Don’t Overdo It

2009-06-29T09:18:00.000+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

Don’t get so lazy during your pregnancy. Move your body if you want to delivery your baby easily, do some exercise! Some studies show that women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to have easy labor and deliveries and faster recoveries.

This is exactly you must do for the benefit of you and your child, but you must not overdo it and consult your healthcare on the best exercise you can do.

The benefit of exercise during pregnancy not only will make your baby delivery easy, but also can combat fatigue, minimize back pain because your back muscles will be stronger, stress relief, reducing fat, and recover more quickly after delivery. Exercise can help you strengthen your muscles, which makes labor easier. Further, exercise helps you get your stamina and energy levels up—which will be necessary once baby arrives.

There are some forms of activity that are better than others during pregnancy. Certain exercises can help promote physical fitness and are less likely to result in injury. Among the best exercises for pregnant moms include: walking, swimming, stretching, yoga, dancing, stationary cycling, and low impact prenatal aerobics.

Walking is great exercise that will not cause you to over exert yourself. You can take a brisk walk through a scenic park or even around a shopping mall. Of course, you should also drink plenty of water and stay well-hydrated, especially if you are walking outdoors or in humid areas. And never go into woods or desolate areas alone.

Swimming is also one of the favorite exercises for pregnant women. You might also enroll in a water aerobics class, which is relaxing and can also prepare you for labor. Just don’t get into any hot tubs—that’s not good for you or the baby.

It is essential, however, that you do not indulge in any contact sports or activities that could pose a risk to your or your baby. For example, if you belong to a soccer team, you may need to suspend your play until after the baby is born. You do not want to risk falling down or having someone else land on you by accident. The risks, in this case, are greater than the benefits.

Additionally, if you are used to exercising, it will make it all the easier to lose your baby weight after the birth of your child. You should not concern yourself with following a rigorous exercise plan or a strict diet during your pregnancy. Regular, mild exercise is sufficient. Plus, you need plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, red meats and poultry in your daily diet during the pregnancy.

Still, there are plenty of fun, safe activities that will allow you to get some needed physical activity without all the risks. So, get moving!

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Check this out and

Yoga For Pregnant Women

2009-06-29T09:08:00.000+08:00

by: Amie Porter

Master your mind!
Gain control over your body!
Be relieved of your stress through the practice of gentle art of Yoga!

Pregnancy is a physical as well as mental experience. Women often becomes hyper aware of all the changes their bodies are going through. Yoga allows pregnant women to adapt to these changes more gracefully and to feel proud and a sense of appreciation for their bodies. Yoga exercises can increase flexibility, strength, circulation and balance. Many pregnant women find that regular yoga exercises help to reduce swelling, back and leg pain, and insomnia.

However, Yoga must be practised very carefully among pregnant women, as improper exercises will bring negative effect on both moms and babies. Here are some tips for pre-natal pregnancy Yoga practise:

1. The general yoga exercises are recommended for the first 2 months. You must consult your doctor and find very experienced Yoga teachers. With proper guidance, you can practice some yoga right into labor. If you new to yoga then you should start slowly.

2. Breathing exercises are beneficial if done twice a day. The breathing exercises provide more oxygen and energy both to the mother and the child.

3. Some yoga poses that can help a pregnant women dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth. Pregnant women should pay attention not to overstretch the body - the ligaments around the joints become loose and soft during pregnancy. The abdomen should stay relaxed at all times. Difficult and poses that put pressure on the abdomen and other should NOT be done during advance stages of Pregnancy. No any kind of pain or nausea should be felt during and/or after yoga. If this happens, you should stop yoga practise and contact your GP.

4. When carrying out standing poses with your heels to the wall or use a chair for support to avoid losing your balance and risking injury to both you and your baby.

5. Deep relaxation is crucial to give rest to body and mind, and you will benefit more from a good sleep. Deep relaxation helps the nerve system change from sympathetic to parasympathetic activity. Parasympathetic activity is associated with the restorative processes of the body, which is needed both by the pregnant woman and the child.

We also strongly recommend regular morning and evening walks. Yoga is very individual. For more great Yoga advice, and other pregnant women support services, e.g. domestic cleaning services, babysitter services, personal trainer, chef and many more great services just visit us at http://www.londonrate.com

About the author:
LondonRate.com is endeavouring to build an online emporium of staff service providers with online comparisons, bookings and ratings. Everything is designed to provide you with the best service, tailored exactly to your needs. visit

What Would I Do Without my Doula?

2009-06-22T17:39:00.000+08:00

by: Suzanne Doyle-Ingram

By the time my husband and I finally got pregnant the first time, I had done a lot of reading about birth options and we had already decided to have a midwife instead of a doctor. We believe that pregnancy is a healthy state of being, and unless something came up, a midwife was the best way to go for us. Besides, where we live, a midwife can deliver babies at hospitals, so I felt that was the safest way to go. (Although, now, I feel I could have had my babies at home... but that is a whole other article!).

When I was a few weeks pregnant I came across an article on doulas, but I had never heard of a doula so I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. A doula is a woman who supports women through childbirth. "Doula" is an ancient Greek word meaning "servant to women". A doula provides a woman with continuous emotional support, aides in her physical comfort, and encourages the laboring woman. She also provides praise, reassurance, and explains what is going on during the labor. While some husbands and partners may feel that it’s their job to offer support to the laboring woman, and therefore initially feel that they would not want a doula, after the birth they are very pleased and relieved that they had one. A doula can help husbands and partners by suggesting ways they can help the laboring woman, and doulas actually assist the husband to feel like he is contributing.

Studies have shown that women supported by a doula during labor have:

50% reduction of cesarean rate
25% shorter labor
60% reduction in epidural requests
30% reduction in analgesia use
40% reduction in forceps delivery
From Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus (Perseus Press, 1993)

When I was about halfway through my pregnancy, we decided to interview some doulas and see if it would be right for us. We met with three doulas. The first one was Jan, who we ultimately picked. We liked her right away and I wanted to hire her on the spot, but my husband insisted that we meet the other doulas too because we might find someone we like even more. (How could that be possible?, I wondered.) Well, it turned out that the other two doulas were wonderful too, but our instincts told us to go with Jan. So we hired her.

We had to give her a deposit of $100 to confirm our commitment, and sign an agreement as well. How do I describe this fabulous woman? She is very tall and has a great presence. She is quiet, knowledgeable and thoughtful; she doesn’t speak a lot, but when she does it is carefully thought out. In other words, she is not “chatty” but not shy either. She has an engaging smile, she is discrete, and she is strong. I felt like she could sweep me up in her arms and take care of me!

Jan came over several weeks before my due date to do some one-on-one prenatal training with both James and I. She is a lactation consultant as well so she helped by answering my questions about breastfeeding in addition to my questions about what to expect during labor.

I went into labor three days before my due date, on August 13, 2001. It was about midnight and I was just getting into bed when I felt (or heard?) a loud POP! And then another one. And warm liquid dribbling down my legs. My water had broken. Yay! This was finally happening.

The contractions started immediately and James rubbed my thigh while I rested on the bed. The contractions got closer and closer together and James called Jan at about 5:00am when they were about 5 minutes apart. They got really intense after that and by the time Jan arrived, I was vomiting in a bucket on my bed.

Jan threw down the birth ball she was carrying, flew across the bed, grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eye with her face close to mine and said, “I want you to breathe like this.” In an instant, she had me calmed down and breathing effectively. She was amazing. I went from being in a total panic to feeling like everything was going to be ok.

When my midwife arrived at 7:00am, she told me I was about 3 centimetres dilated. I was so disappointed! But Jan was my cheerleader, telling me that I was working so hard, and managing so well, and that my body was only going to give me what I could handle. She helped James help me by suggesting things he could do for me, and he felt taken care of by Jan as well.

It was only about an hour later that Jan noticed my breathing had changed and she called out to our midwife who was in another room doing paperwork. Our midwife didn’t think that I could have progressed that quickly but Jan stood her ground and said, “It really sounds like she is trying to push.” So the midwife checked me again (doulas do not perform medical tasks) and I was about 7 cm dilated! This was going fast. Suddenly everybody sprung into action and started gathering up all the bags and things we needed for the hospital. If it wasn’t for Jan, I really don’t think we would have made it on time. [Note: In British Columbia, Canada, midwives are allowed to deliver in hospitals, and that was our choice.]

While James drove, Jan sat with me in the backseat holding my hand, talking to me, encouraging me and calming me. She was so amazing! After we got to the hospital, she never left my side. James had to go fill out the paperwork and park the car, but Jan was there beside me constantly.

I felt such complete trust in Jan that I had to hold her right hand a particular way through each contraction. It was quite funny! A contraction would start and I’d yell, “Hand! Hand!” and Jan would come running and grab my hand. I don’t know why, but it was only Jan’s hand that comforted me. It had to be Jan’s hand.

She also helped by taking me to the bathroom and getting me water to drink, a cold cloth for my forehead (without being asked), and waving tissues with aromatherapy oil on them around the room. I found that I couldn’t communicate what I wanted or needed, but Jan always seemed to know, thank goodness. She suggested different laboring positions and she helped during the delivery by suggesting positions for pushing, too. I only pushed one hour and then our beautiful Hana was born. (Hana means "flower" in Japanese). Jan stayed with me while I delivered the placenta (James was on the other side of the room with Hana) and helped me attempt to breastfeed right away. She stayed for about 4 hours after Hana was born and helped me
take a shower and gave me lots of help with breastfeeding.

What more can I say about having a doula? She made my birth experience fantastic. I am one of those people who can honestly say that I enjoyed labor (twice!) and I want to do it again! When we found out we were pregnant for the second time, I could not imagine doing it without Jan. It was a much easier labor and birth, but I am still so grateful that Jan was there – she made it a great experience again. It is true that continuous support during labor has many, many benefits, and I am one of the "lucky" (or is it "well prepared" because I hired a doula?) women who was able to fully experience birth without drugs, or intervention. I had a healthy birth and a healthy baby. And a doula to help us through it all.

For more information, or to find a doula in your city, visit http://www.dona.org, the Doulas of North America website.

I wish you all the best during your labor and birth!

About the author:
Suzanne Doyle-Ingram is the mother of two daughters, Hana and Alexa, and married to her best friend James, who is a stay-at-home dad and educational game developer (and he makes a mean grilled chicken!).
Suzanne is also the creator of an informative site for pregnant women and new moms, which provides information on pregnancy, labor, and how to take care of your new baby.

What is Morning Sickness? Does it mean there's a problem?

2009-06-22T17:32:00.000+08:00

by: Marc Hofkens

Whether you’re extremely sick or not sick at all is not a predictor of a pregnancy’s success or failure.

Morning sickness has become synonymous with pregnancy in our culture. But certainly not every pregnant woman experiences it. (A medical term used to refer to extreme forms is hyperemesis gravidarum.) Only a little more than half of pregnant women are afflicted with nausea.

Many people believe that pregnancy sickness is the body’s natural defense system at work, protecting your baby from harmful toxins. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion, then, that if you’re not sick, your body must not be protecting your child from harmful toxins. But it doesn’t work that way. The bottom line is that no conclusive evidence exists that not being sick is a bad sign.

Nausea is caused by a number of factors. The most popular theory about morning sickness is that it’s due to elevated hormones, primarily human chorionic gonadotropin and estrogen. Researchers believe nausea may have to do with the amount of hormones circulating and perhaps the structure of certain hormones or your particular sensitivity to them. Also, if you have a pre-pregnancy tendency toward motion sickness, it may mean the area of your brain that controls nausea and vomiting is more sensitive.

Environment can also play a role. Smells such as perfume, dog food, or coffee, as well as motion and the sight of certain foods (a friend of mine would almost instantly become nauseous at the sight of a can of tuna) can all trigger nausea. Also, stress, fatigue, and operating on an empty stomach can make you more prone to gastrointestinal upsets.

The bottom line is, nobody really knows why some women get sick and others don’t. What is important to know is that whether or not you experience morning sickness has nothing to do with how successful your pregnancy will be.

About the author:
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Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Choosing The Right Foods

2009-06-22T13:21:00.001+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

So you need to gain weight but don’t want to gain too much weight during your pregnancy right?

There are many things that you can do to improve your diet and ensure that you gain a minimal but healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.

Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy.

So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after:

Tip 1
Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think wild rice, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. Whole foods don’t include waffles and pancakes!

Tip 2
Add calories during the second trimester. Eating for two doesn’t literally mean eating for two. In fact during your first trimester your baby is about the size of a small bean! Most women don’t actually need to start adding 300 calories a day to their diet until the second and third trimesters.

Tip 3
Be sure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal. It will help you if you break your meals into six mini meals per day. This will help rev up your metabolism. Next be sure that you eat some protein, carbohydrate and fat at each mini meal session. This will help nourish your body more completely and help prevent cravings later in the day.

Tip 4
Choose foods high in fiber. High fiber foods will help fill you up when you are ravenous during pregnancy, and they will also help relieve constipation and help you feel great! A high fiber diet is good for anyone, whether or not they are pregnant.

Tip 5
Drink extra water. You’ll be thirstier than normal anyway during pregnancy. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your system and helps prevent excessive edema. Believe it or not you can actually fight weight gain associated with edema if you drink more water!

Remember that pregnancy is a short period of time in the long journey that is your life. You should enjoy every moment of it. By following the tips above, you can gain the right amount of weight and feel great throughout your pregnancy.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight gain

Very Early Symptoms Of Pregnancy - Do You Know These Very Early Pregnancy Signs?

2009-06-20T17:52:00.000+08:00

by: Olinda Rola

Very early symptoms of pregnancy - what are they? If asked, most women remember their very early pregnancy signs if they have been pregnant before. Some women can detect the moment they begin ovulating, while many women cannot tell when or if they have ovulated. Often, women can detect when the fertile days of their cycle has ended. Some can detect the moment they have become pregnant. And for others, one of the more accurate inexpensive home pregnancy tests is a reliable way to know that the very early symptoms of pregnancy you are having mean you really are pregnant.

Here are the earliest of the very early pregnancy signs:

• Missed Period - missing a menstrual period is an obvious very early pregnancy symptom. However, many women have missed periods for other reasons and conditions. These reasons include illness, stress, hormone imbalance, adverse reactions to foods and ingestion of substances that result in some level of adverse reaction. For a missed period to be one of the very early symptoms of pregnancy, it should be confirmed by other means.

• Morning Sickness - a feeling of nausea in the mornings can be another of the very early symptoms of pregnancy. But this very early pregnancy sign needs to be experienced for several days to be considered reliable. And nausea can have other causes that are not pregnancy related.

• Tender and Enlarged Breasts - very early in pregnancy, the body begins making a series of changes in the normal hormone levels. However, the body is unprepared for these changes when they first occur. There are several changes that will happen in the body in reaction to new hormone levels. One of the most noticable changes occur in the shape of and feelings of tenderness in the breasts. The good news is that these feelings of tenderness go away fairly quickly as the body becomes accustomed to the new hormone chemistry.

• Frequent Trips to the Bathroom - having to urinate more often is one of the very early pregnancy signs. Many women experience more frequent urination even before a missed period. The reason, as with tender and enlarged breasts, is a change in hormone levels produced by implantation of the embryo. A hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced, which has the side effect of causing more frequent urination. This is another of the very early symptoms of pregnancy which can be mistaken for some other condition, or as a reaction to the consumption of various foods or other substances. Pregnancy needs to be confirmed by the results of a pregnancy test.

• Fatigue - the lack of energy as one of the very early pregnancy signs is sometimes hard to distinguish from other kinds of exhaustion. Again, health professionals attribute this fatigue to the change in hormones in the body, which usually disappears as the body adjusts to the new hormone levels.

These are the most common very early pregnancy signs that most women agree on. Some women will experience only one of these signs, and some will have several or all of these very early symptoms of pregnancy. Once the very early pregnancy signs are experienced, confirm pregnancy by using one of the better home pregnancy tests (there are major differences in the reliability of the home tests for pregnancy). And the health of the baby begins with the mothers health and habits before conception as well as during pregnancy. Becoming pregnant and enjoying a successful pregnancy is a complex but wonderful experience. Learn as much as you can about fertility, pregnancy and your health so the brand new person will have the very best beginning to life that is possible.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

About the author:
Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of - visit the website for more information on pregnancy, ovulation and fertility, progesterone levels during pregnancy, prenatal vitamins and the reliability of early home pregnancy tests.

Very Early Signs Of Pregnancy - Do You Know The 10 Pregnancy Signs?

2009-06-20T17:47:00.000+08:00

by: Olinda Rola

Very early signs of pregnancy - are there 10 pregnancy signs? Yes, there are signs that indicate very early that you are pregnant. Some women will experience one or two of them, others will have several of the very early signs of pregnancy.

Once you have conceived, it will take about a week for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. As implantation happens, it is now possible to experience one or more of the 10 pregnancy signs and begin to know you are pregnant. Around this time, hormone levels begin to change, and the body reacts to these new hormone levels.

Here are 10 pregnancy signs:

1. Light Spotting - if you have conceived, spotting can happen when implantation occurs before your menstrual period should begin. Pregnancy bleeding from implantation is pinkish or brownish and not heavy. A normal menstrual flow should begin light, become heavy, then taper off again before ending.

2. More Frequent Urination - urinating more often is one of the very early signs of pregnancy. Many women experience more frequent urination even before a missed period, usually from about 7-12 days after the temperature rise at ovulation. The changes in hormone levels produced by implantation of the embryo, especially the hormone "human chorionic gonadotropin" (hCG), cause more frequent urination.

3. Elevated Body Temperature - it is normal to have an increase in body temperature at ovulation. Your basal body temperature staying elevated after ovulation is completed and remaining elevated through when your period should begin can be one of the very early signs of pregnancy.

4. Missing a Menstrual Period - a missed period is one of the obvious 10 pregnancy signs. However, you can miss a period for other reasons including illness, stress, hormone imbalance and reactions to foods or medications. If your menstrual cycle normally occurs very regularly, missing a period can be a sign.

5. Fatigue - lack of energy as one of the very early signs of pregnancy may be hard to distinguish from other kinds of exhaustion. Feeling tired is related to the change in hormones in the body, which usually disappears as the body adjusts to the new hormone levels.

6. Cramping - the uterus can contract often and regularly. Moving around, exercise and orgasm all can trigger uterine cramping in early pregnancy.

7. Nausea - morning sickness is the name given to feeling nauseated when pregnant. Of the 10 pregnancy signs, only about half of pregnant women experience nasea, and feeling nauseated can happen any time of the day or night.

8. Tender Nipples and Breasts - one of the very early signs of pregnancy is a feeling of tenderness in the breasts and nipples. The good news is that these feelings of tenderness go away as the body becomes accustomed to the new hormone levels.

9. Darker Areolas - the area around the nipples becomes darker as early as one week after conception. The bumps on the areolas may look more prominent.

10. Constipation - you may notice a change in your bowels in early pregnancy. The intestines may relax and function less due to changing hormones and be one of the 10 pregnancy signs.

Once the very early signs of pregnancy are experienced, confirm pregnancy by using one of the better home pregnancy tests. There are major differences in the reliability of the home tests for pregnancy. A blood pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 8 to 10 days after conception, and a urine pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 10 to 14 days following conception. Pregnancy tests are not 100 accurate. If you feel you are pregnant but your pregnancy test result is negative, do the test again in a week or so and see your physician.

Remember to take good care of yourself and your body even before you become pregnant. Give up smoking and alcohol, eat healthy and begin exercising. Those first few weeks and your health are vitally important to help support healthy development of your new baby. Becoming pregnant and enjoying a successful pregnancy is a complex but wonderful experience. Besides knowing the 10 pregnancy signs, learn as much as you can about fertility, pregnancy and your health so your new baby will have the very best beginning to life that is possible.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

About the author:
Read more on the most accurate pregnancy test at and finding it. Olinda Rola is President of Info Search Publishing and webmaster of visit for more on ovulation, fertility, prenatal vitamins, pregnancy and caring for yourself.

Vacation Is One Way To Run Away From Stress During Pregnancy

2009-06-20T17:46:00.000+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

What should you do to have a happy pregnancy? Many things you could do, but what most pregnant women rarely do is having a vacation. Get a life and try to relax a little bit. Or take an extended weekend just to refresh and recharge your batteries.

Downtime is very important, and in a world where nearly all of us are tied to cell phones and lap tops, even away from the office, it is good to get away from it all from time to time. Having time to walk along the beach or play golf or even to stay inside and read a great book without interruptions can help us recharge our batteries.

When the baby comes, your number one job is to be Mom. So, you will not have much time for yourself, at least not in the beginning when the baby depends on you for everything. Capitalize on those spare moments of highly valued free time now.

When you are refreshed, you are more effective and productive anyway. You will also be easier to get along with, and it will be easier for you to deal with others (even the difficult ones!).

You are not a slacker for needing time off. Enjoy spending time with your spouse, too, in these nine months, since the second the baby arrives, it will become the number one priority for both of you. Even so, do not let your relationship with your spouse become a low priority. Otherwise, you may look up five or ten years from now and realize you no longer know the man who fathered your baby.

Keep romance alive. Go on regular, standing dates, even it they are on Tuesday nights. Leave the baby with a sitter and enjoy some adult time away from Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer. It is important to realize that as much as you are a mother, you are also a wife. And you need to build a life for yourself so that when baby grows up, you still have meaningful things and people around you.

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression. Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy at and

Useful Tips for Sleep and Pregnancy

2009-06-19T11:40:00.000+08:00

by: Marian Thompson

It is not uncommon to grapple with sleep restlessness during pregnancy. There could be many reasons for these sleep distur- bances. Along with heightened anticipation for your newborn baby,physical and hormonal changes may occur, which could be contribut- ing to your sleeplessness. As you progress into your pregnancy, comfortable sleep positions may become more difficult. You may also find that you will need to empty your bladder more frequently.

However, be encouraged. Help has arrived! Read these useful tips for improved sleep during pregnancy and for the important rest your body needs at this time in your life.

1. Mood Preparation- Set the proper mood through the use of soft lighting, a warm non-caffeinated beverage, warm bath or good book. Experiment to see what helps you relax.

2. Massage- A massage by your partner or friend is a good way to unwind and prepare for sleep. If you have older children, maybe they can get into the fun of a massage.

3. Surround Yourself In Water- Dr. Michael Foley, M.D.- Medical Director Phoenix Perinatal Associates, refers to this as sub- total immersion therapy. Here's what Dr. Foley has to say; "Being immersed into water up to your neck and just sitting there or performing exercise provides many physiologic advantages to a pregnant mom. The water acts to push fluid underneath the skin back into the intravascular space thereby reducing swelling and edema. This is a perfect way to help reduce the swollen feet and legs that often accompany late pregnancy! The aches and pains of the musculoskeletal system in late pregnancy often contribute to poor sleeping."

4. Nap During The Day- Gain some additional rest and relaxation by taking a nap.

5. Reduce Anxiety- Stress can be one of the biggest issues for obtaining a good night's sleep. If you have issues in your life that are causing you to worry, seek out a friend or a professional for help. Less stress will certainly bring more comfortable sleep nights.

6. Use Comfort Aids- Gentle Air has a port- able patented maternity air bed that is made just for expectant moms who are losing sleep or cannot get enough rest. This unique portable air bed allows a pregnant women to sleep either on her stomach or her side. It has an adjustable middle pillow section if you are a stomach sleeper. If you are having hip or lower back pains, you can sleep in a semi-seated posi- tion with or without an extra pillow between your legs or under your knee. There are also special pregnancy body pillows and maternity belts on the market that you can try to help support your body for extra comfort.

7. Seek Help-Visit your doctor for assistance if continued sleep problems occur. It is especially important during this time to get as much sleep or rest as possible.

8. Exercise- Always get your physician's approval first, but exercise will certainly help with improved circulation. This also helps to reduce night leg cramps, thus improving sleep. Exercise done earlier in the day is best so that you are not kept awake at night. Check out your local yoga studios. Many now offer pre-natal yoga classes.

About the author:

Marian Thompson-Owner of Be Here Soon- http://www.beheresoon.com/index1.html and a mother. No re-reprint permission granted without permission.Inquires should be directed tomarian@beheresoon.com. Special Thanks to Dr. Michael Foley for Interview.

Things You Should Avoid During Pregnancy

2009-06-18T19:21:00.000+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

Pregnancy is a time where you have to be careful with yourself. Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child. Whether you like it or not there some activities you should avoid for the sake of your healthy baby. There are pregnancy risks that you have to aware of.

To help you knowing what they are, here is some checklist you might want to consider:

• Don’t drink alcohol! You going to jeopardise your baby’s development. If you don’t want to have low birth weight baby, and having medical problems, better stop drinking once you know that you are pregnant.

• Don’t smoke! Chemical inhaled while smoking may cause premature birth, miscarriage, bleeding, etc. Also it reduced the amount of oxygen that baby receives. What ever you are, don’t smoke and avoid second hand smoke.

• Don’t drink coffee. Caffeine in the coffee has been shown to affect fetal heart rates. Caffeine can also increase risk of stretch marks. If you can’t stop immediately, try to stop gradually.

• Don’t do too much exercise! No doubt if moderate exercise is helpful for mother's mental state and can increase oxygen flow to the fetus. However, too much exercise can be dangerous. Better you do activities like walking, swimming, and yoga.

• Don’t get near to chemicals substance! Be careful with unnatural chemicals, such as pesticides. If you consume vegetables or fruits, don’t forget to wash them. Or remove the outer surface of vegetables or fruit so pesticides which rest on the outside of the vegetable or fruit will be thrown away.

• Don’t consume drugs or herbal remedies that are not prescribed by doctors. What you consume might affect your unborn baby.

• Don’t forget to eat nutritious foods. Good nutrition is crucial to a developing child. At least you consume 400-1000 micrograms of B vitamin (folic acid) which can be taken from leafy vegetables, orange juice, and beans.

• Don’t have multiple sex partners which may lead to birth and pregnancy complications cause by STD's risk. Once you infected by STD, you may have premature baby or low birth baby.

Preventing is better than curing. If you can prevent yourself by not doing those kinds of activities, hopefully you going to have a healthy and normal baby. Try to acknowledge this on your first month of pregnant.

About the author:

Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Check this out http://www.stage-of-pregnancy.infoand http://www.earlysign-of-pregnancy.info

The Importance Of Prenatal Vitamins

2009-06-18T19:17:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

One of the most important things you can do if you are thinking about becoming pregnant is start taking a prenatal vitamin with at least 400mg of folic acid. Folic acid is an essential nutrient that can help prevent birth defects in newborns. If you start taking a prenatal supplement before you even try to become pregnant, you will have the best chance of ensuring a happy and healthy journey once you become pregnant.

Prenatal vitamins are packed full of nutrients that will help support and nourish your growing child and your body during pregnancy. Most women assume that they need a prescription to acquire prenatal vitamins. There are actually however many high quality prenatal vitamin supplements you can purchase over the counter. If you are not certain what your best choice is, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider who can point you in the right direction.

If you aren’t engaging in regular exercise prior to pregnancy, you’ll find it is more difficult though not impossible to start exercising during pregnancy when you are already feeling bulky and tired. Therefore one of the best things you can do to prepare for pregnancy is start exercising regularly. You don’t have to join the Boston Marathon, but even walking around the block a few times per week will help tone and condition your body and help you prepare for the journey ahead.

Women who regularly engage in some form of exercise before and during pregnancy are more likely to experience quicker and less problematic labors. That is a good enough reason in and of itself to start exercising as soon as you can.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on prenatal vitamins

The Case for Self Care

2009-06-18T19:08:00.000+08:00

by: Jennifer Snyder

Self care has emerged as a hot topic for today’s women striving to balance the responsibilities of work and family. I define self-care as combinations of fulfilling activities or quiet moments that allow individuals to rejuvenate their energies and regain their joy for life.

Unfortunately, self-care is not generally supported by our culture, and some people equate self-care with abandoning responsibilities or being self-centered. Women often receive rave reviews for taking better care of others than they do themselves. For example, we might hear someone say, “Isn’t Sarah remarkable; she puts everyone’s needs above her own.” Or “That, Lisa, I don’t know how she operates on just five hours of sleep a night; isn’t she extraordinary?” As a result, many women are suffering near epidemic levels of physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue.

I believe that taking time for yourself allows you to be a better wife, mother, friend, and businesswoman. Consider the following:

Self care is empowering. When you implement any healthy practice into your routine, you are taking charge of your life. You are the expert on your needs, and if you don’t acknowledge their importance who will?

We are not benefiting our families when we don’t take time for ourselves. Because we are emotionally depleted, loved ones recognize that we are worn out and frustrated. While we do our best to respond to their needs, they often feel guilty for needing us.

When we are overwhelmed, we lack the energy and focus to make the same clear decisions that we normally would. We are unable to problem solve in a purposeful manner. By practicing self-care regularly, we are better able to handle life’s challenges.

We serve as role models for our children. When we take care of ourselves, we show them an example of positive esteem and healthy behaviors.

I recently moved to a new area and have met several of my neighbors. Kerri lives near me and, like many of us, she and her husband are balancing career and family. As we introduced ourselves, I told Kerri that I am a life coach and workshop leader for women, immediately launching into the importance of self-care. Kerri already understood my philosophy and said, “I compare self care to a cup in the sink. As the cup sits there, little by little, it gathers droplets of water. No appreciable stream of water is ever needed to keep it full; there are just enough drops over time to fill it up. That’s the way it is with self care; if I take care of myself little by little, I can then give from my reserves and never become empty.” What a great analogy I learned from my new friend!

If we do just a few things regularly, to renew our energy and revitalize our spirit, we can continue providing for others from a place of abundance. We have, within us, additional resources to share with our family and friends.

I challenge you to try some activities (either calming and reflective, or exhilarating) for the next month. Arrange some time in your schedule for self-care, and notice how much better you feel. You and your loved ones are worth every precious moment you use to nurture yourself.

About the author:
Jennifer Snyder is the author of a self-discovery workbook, The Time of Your Life: A Creative Sourcebook for Women. The Sourcebook can be ordered at

The Best Postpartum Exercise

2009-06-18T19:03:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Would you like to know the best exercises are after your delivery? When it comes to post pregnancy weight loss, no two exercises are alike!

In the time frame immediately after pregnancy, you will probably want to stick with light activities such as walking or flexibility training. Stretching will help keep your body limber and help the blood circulate through your body, causing you to feel more refreshed as the day goes by.

A few weeks after pregnancy and delivery however, you can engage in some more vigorous activities. Here are our top suggestions:

- Yoga/Tai Chi

- Aerobic Exercise

- Running/Jogging

- Swimming

- Walking

- Elliptical/Stair Climbing

- Hiking

- Strength training

Basically anything you do to keep your body moving will help you burn those pesky calories and thus lose your pregnancy weight. There are even some exercises that you can do with your baby. Get out the stroller for example and go for a walk with your newborn. You will appreciate the fresh air and the physical activity.

There are also many classes that are now available for moms with new babies. Check your local recreation center or gym for more details. You can also play running and jumping games with your baby as you grow together.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on postpartum exercise

Ten Questions About Pregnancy You Might Not Want To Ask Your Doctor

2009-06-16T18:31:00.000+08:00

Q1. Can I get pregnant following oral sex or heavy petting?

No. You can only get pregnant from full sexual intercourse.

Q2. How will I know if I am pregnant?

If you have had sexual intercourse since your last period and you are late for your current period, you may be pregnant. Following implantation of the fertilised egg menstruation should not occur, hence for women who have been sexually active and who have previously menstruated regularly, the absence of a period should be put down to pregnancy.

The most common way to confirm a pregnancy is to purchase and undertake a home test. These are relatively cheap and can be done in the privacy of your home. The manufacturers claim they are over 95% accurate.

If the home test has a positive result, you should make an appointment to see your doctor.

Q3. Is it safe to have sex during pregnancy?

For most couples it is normal for them to enjoy an active sex life throughout the pregnancy. Sexual intercourse will not harm the development of your baby as it is cushioned by a bag of fluid in your uterus.

Sex during your pregnancy may also help you both unwind and should help you maintain a strong bond with your partner, ready for the months ahead.

Q4. Does vaginal discharge increases during this time?

Yes, unfortunately it does. Vaginal discharge may well increase during all stages of your pregnancy and should be similar to the discharge you have previously had before a period. It is only if the discharge becomes very thick, smelly or blood stained that you need to seek medical assistance. If the cause is an infection, it can be easily treated with creams or tablets.

Q5. Will I get piles/haemorrhoids?

You may. Although people laugh and joke about piles, they are no laughing matter.

During pregnancy the walls and veins in your anus swell and blood flow becomes sluggish, causing the affected veins to throb and become painful.

There are precautions you can take to help reduce the chances of developing piles, such as:

„Ï Eat a high fibre diet and drink lots of fluid to avoid constipation.

„Ï Try to relax on the toilet and not strain.

„Ï Undertake regular exercise and pelvic floor exercises to help blood flow around your anus.

If you do get piles, your doctor, midwife or pharmacist will be able to suggest a suitable cream to ease the pain.

Q6. What is the best contraception to use after birth?

This will depend on how soon you wish to have another baby. If you want another baby soon (within one year), then short-term measures such as the cap or condom, ideally with the use of a spermicide, are probably the best contraception.

Long term, methods such as contraceptive injection, hormone implant and ¡¥the pill¡¦ may be your best options.

Q7. How soon can I have sex after birth?

It is advisable to wait a few weeks after a normal delivery, and up to three months after a caesarean, as healing may take this length of time. It is important however that both you and your partner agree: neither should feel pressured into it.

Be aware that you may feel dry; though by using water-based lubricants there is no reason why sex should not be as enjoyable as before.

Q8. How will the midwife measure cervical dilation?

The midwife will measure how dilated (or open) the cervix is by gently inserting two fingers into the vagina. She assesses how open the cervix is by opening her fingers and feeling around its perimeter. She will also be feeling the position of the cervix and how soft it is.

She will always try to be gentle but sometimes the process can be slightly uncomfortable. Try to stay as relaxed as possible: the tenser you are, the more uncomfortable the procedure will be. Hold your partner¡¦s hand while the midwife examines you and ask him to try and distract you.

Q9. How will the hospital staff break my waters if they need to?

The midwife will discuss with you why you might need your waters breaking. Remember though, if you are not comfortable with this you can decline. If you fully understand the need to have your waters broken, and are happy to go ahead, the midwife or doctor will perform a normal vaginal examination then insert a long thin plastic hook that is a little bit like a crochet hook. The hook will be brushed over the bag of waters, which will usually be enough pressure to break it. The cervix does, however, have to be sufficiently open for this to be carried out.

Q10. If I have an episiotomy or perineal tear, how will it be repaired?

It is not always the case that your perineum (the area between the vaginal entrance and the rectum) will tear or need to be cut. Moreover, if it is, there is no way of knowing if you will require stitches. Some studies have shown that perineal massage can help prevent trauma. Your midwife will be able to advise you on this. Sometimes if a small tear has been sustained, it will be left to heal naturally.

If the area does require stitches, the midwife who has been looking after you will usually do it. You will be given local anaesthetic to numb the area before the midwife starts and she will check that you are unable to feel any pain before commencing. These days, stitches are almost always dissolvable and will not need to be removed.

Want to know more?

If you do want to know more about pregnancy, from conception to labour, you should take a look at ¡¥Pregnancy for Beginners¡¦ ¡V a comprehensive guide for the new mother-to-Be. Written by a State Registered Midwife, it is a simple, easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive, book you can download to your computer in minutes. See www.pregnancyfacts.org for full details of this invaluable guide for the newly pregnant woman.

About the author:
Written by a practising midwife, this article gives a taster for her comprehensive, yet easy-to-read ebook, ¡¥Pregnancy for Beginners ¡V The Complete Guide for the First-Time Mother-to-Be¡¦, a unique source of advice for newly pregnant women. See

Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy

2009-06-16T18:20:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.

Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery. This weight may be attributed primarily to the loss of excess fluid in the body, the baby's weight, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Some women might lose a little bit less, and others might lose a little bit more.

As the uterus shrinks back down to its normal size and your hormone levels continue to fall, you will lose weight. Most women gain at least 7 pounds of fat during pregnancy. This fat is meant to help women store energy while breastfeeding. How fast this weight comes off will depend on a number of factors including: genetics, your overall health, diet and exercise.

You should expect that it will take a little bit of time to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. It did after all take you nine months to put that weight on! Many women have successfully lost weight however, in just a few short months after a delivery.

Some women will hang on to the last few pounds they have to lose until they stop breastfeeding. Your body may want to cling to a few extra pounds to ensure you have enough energy to provide adequate milk for the baby. Every woman's experience is unique with respect to this.

The good news is that with a solid nutritional program and with moderate exercise, you can expect to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy within a reasonable time frame.

Most women will be back to their pre pregnancy weight within nine months of delivering IF they follow a regular exercise program and eat healthily after delivery. That said some women will lose their pregnancy weight in as little as six to twelve weeks!

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on weight loss after pregnancy

Stretch Marks: Prevention And Treatment During Pregnancy

2009-06-16T16:47:00.000+08:00

by: James Brann, MD

More than half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks during their pregnancy. Otherwise known as striae gravidarum, stretch marks look like streaks on the surface of the skin, and may be vary in color depending on your natural skin color. Most lighter skinned women develop pinkish stretch marks, whereas darker skinned women tend to have stretch marks that are lighter than the surrounding skin.

Most women develop stretch marks on their abdomen during pregnancy, however it is also common to get stretch marks on the buttocks, hips, breasts and thighs. In some cases up to 90 percent of women have stretch marks on some part of their body as a result of pregnancy.

What Causes Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks form when your skin is stretched rapidly as happens during pregnancy. Most women develop stretch marks during the later trimesters of pregnancy though some women start to develop them as soon as their bellies start growing.

Stretch marks are actually small tears that form in the tissue that supports the skin and helps it stretch. Stretch marks represent the tearing or separation of collagen from the skin when tearing occurs. Stretch marks are not harmful or painful and usually fade over time.

Who Gets Stretch Marks
Many women believe that using lotions and creams help prevent stretch marks. Realistically speaking however, the number of stretch marks you get depends on how elastic your skin is. The elasticity of your skin usually relates to your genetic make up. The best thing you can do is find out if your mother got bad stretch marks during pregnancy. If she did, you are probably more prone to stretch marks than other women.

Keep in mind the more weight you gain during pregnancy the more likely you are to have stretch marks. Normally the skin is elastic and capable of stretching quite a bit, however for some women the changes that occur during pregnancy are very drastic. These rapid fluctuations of weight and skin stretching can result in stretch marks.

Women with multiples are more likely to get stretch marks because their bellies usually grow much larger than women with single pregnancies. Other women likely to develop stretch marks include women who gain a lot of weight quickly during their pregnancy and women who carry big babies.

Here are some other factors that may contribute to your susceptibility to stretch marks:

* If you developed stretch marks before (like on your breasts during puberty) you are more likely to get stretch marks while pregnant.

* If you had stretch marks during another pregnancy you will usually get them again.

* If you are overweight or gain more weight than recommended you are more likely to get stretch marks.

* The better hydrated and well nourished you are the less likely you are to develop serious stretch marks.

Stretch Mark Prevention
Most women believe that they can prevent stretch marks by using creams and lotions. There are many formulations on the market today that claim to help prevent stretch marks. Some of these may help moisturize your skin and reduce itching. They may help reduce some stretch marks however there are no scientific studies that support this.

You probably know at least one parent however that swears by cocoa butter or some other formulation to prevent stretch marks. If nothing else rubbing these creams into your belly provides your unborn baby with a light and comforting massage. They may also give you peace of mind knowing you did everything possible to prevent stretch marks.

The best thing you can do to minimize stretch marks aside from using any creams or moisturizers you select is gaining the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. Doctors recommend most women gain between 25 and 34 pounds. Gaining much more than this can cause you to develop more stretch marks.

Removing Stretch Marks
Most women worry about stretch marks after they have their baby. Fortunately most stretch marks do fade with time. Usually after 12 moths postpartum most stretch marks are light and less noticeable. Their texture may remain different from the surrounding skin however. Many women notice their stretch marks fading into whitish lines that are minimally noticeable.

Some women have very severe stretch marks that impact their self esteem after pregnancy. There are many treatments available for women that want to improve the appearance of their stretch marks.

If your stretch marks are particularly bad, you may consult with your doctor or a dermatologist. Some topical treatments such as tretinoin cream can help reduce stretch marks. These creams must be used after pregnancy however, because they can cause defects in your unborn baby.

Most of the topical treatments available should be used shortly after delivery, before they start to fade. The more time that passes between the delivery and use of cream, the less likely they are to be effective.

If you are breastfeeding it is important you consult with your doctor before using any stretch mark treatments. Some treatments may impact your milk supply or pass through the breast milk to your baby.

Most of the creams available to reduce stretch marks do not help relieve the sagging skin that also accompanies childbirth. There are some newer treatments including laser treatments however that may improve the skins elasticity and help reduce stretch marks. Some women also consider plastic surgery after they are done having children. A tummy tuck can help hide some stretch marks and reduce sagging skin.

Most women are able to joyfully overlook stretch marks when they consider the miracle of life they bring into the world. For the most the small annoyance even the worst stretch marks bring are well worth the joys of bringing a newborn baby into the world. Do what you can during pregnancy to maintain an appropriate weight and try not to worry too much about stretch marks. Many women wear them with pride, a ‘war wound’ or “badge of honor” related to their pregnancy. Why not wear them with pride?

About the author:
Dr. James Brann is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is also Editor of Women's Healthcare Topics. At Women's Healthcare Topics website you will find valuable and up-to-date information on numerous topics related to women's health including Signs of Pregnancy, Chlamydia, Hysterectomy, Early Pregnancy Symptoms and more.

Stress And Pregnancy

2009-06-16T07:41:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Stress Relief During Pregnancy If you truly want to ensure a great pregnancy, you should work on keeping a healthy and positive physical, mental and spiritual state. There is substantial evidence which suggests that a mother’s physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only the outcome of their pregnancy but the well being of their child later in life. You relationship with your baby begins at the moment of conception.

There are many things aside from physical factors that can impact your pregnancy. Stress is one of the more common problems many pregnant mothers face at some point during their pregnancy. While stress in and of itself isn’t always bad, prolonged stress can be damaging to a pregnancy. Most people associate stress that is harmful during pregnancy with physical labor. However, emotional stress may be just as damaging. Stress actually causes certain hormones in the body to be produced, and some scientists have suggested that these hormones can promote miscarriage or even bring on pre-term labor.

The best thin you can to do to ensure the well being of your baby is to minimize both physical and emotional stress as much as possible. Here are some stress reducing tips you can engage in during your pregnancy to promote a happy and healthy outcome:

Accept the fact that you are pregnant. Some women stress because they thrive on working a very demanding schedule, and attempt to continue to do so throughout their pregnancy. At some point or another however your pregnancy will catch up with you, and you will need to slow down a little bit. Rather than see this is as a burden, consider this a great time to prepare yourself for the life you are about to bring into the world. Take some time to pamper yourself a bit and give yourself more time for rest and relaxation during the week. This can be time that you spend just with yourself and your baby, without having to share with the world around you.

Give up some control. Having a baby changes everything. If you are the type of person that likes to be in control, keep in mind that there are many things related to pregnancy and child raising that will be out of your control. You won’t for example be able to sail through pregnancy without any aches and pains (unless you are extraordinarily lucky) but you can work to minimize them. You may have other symptoms such as fatigue and nausea that don’t go away. Some women have to go on bed rest during pregnancy. Simply recognizing however that some things are not under your control will help you get a better grip on your pregnancy and arm you to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Expect the unexpected. You just never know what will happen when you are pregnant. Your baby for example, might decide to come a few weeks early. You may find that midway through your pregnancy your physician recommends bed rest. If you prepare for the unexpected ahead of time however, when it happens it won’t seem like such a challenge and you will be better prepared to handle it.

Maintain close ties with friends, family and loved ones. Pregnancy is an emotional time. The more people you have around you to lean on, the less likely you will be to feel stressed.

Accept help. Let people know when you can use a hand. You don’t have to manage everything alone during pregnancy. If people offer to help you out and relieve some of the burden you are facing, be glad that there are people around you that love you enough to help out.

Another important thing to consider during pregnancy is communication. It is particularly important that you keep the lines of communication open with your partner during pregnancy. Remember that pregnancy is a very emotional time, and many women act in ways they would not ordinarily during their pregnancy. Don’t assume that your partner is a mind reader. This assumption has negatively impacted many relationships. If you have concerns, anxiety, feel sad or are even angry, be sure you share your feelings with your loved ones. Let people know what you are experiencing physically and emotionally and how it is affecting you. This will help them understand where you are coming from, and will help them learn the best way to help you during your pregnancy.

If you haven’t considered a prenatal massage already, you should during your pregnancy. Prenatal massage can be particularly helpful during the third trimester when your body is feeling burdened by the heavy load it is carrying. There are many qualified practitioners that offer prenatal massage in medical offices, chiropractic offices and even in traditional spa settings.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on stress and pregnancy

So You Think You’re Pregnant? A Brief Discussion Of Common Pregnancy Symptoms

2009-06-16T07:31:00.000+08:00

by: Charlene J. Nuble

A baby begins life even before he is born – from conception until the uterus finally pushes him out of his mother’s body. This is the phenomenon we call pregnancy. It starts when the male sperm unites with the female egg and develops into an embryo. While several women say they can already detect pregnancy from the moment of conception, some see the pregnancy symptoms much later.

As the woman’s body prepares itself for child-bearing, she will notice several changes. The telltale signs of pregnancy include the following:

Absence of menstruation

This is usually the first sign of pregnancy. Take note, though, that it should not always be linked with pregnancy symptoms, as missing your monthly period can also mean some other kind of hormonal imbalance or condition.

Morning sickness

It would be prudent to note that the pregnancy symptom called “morning sickness” does not happen only in the mornings. This feeling of dizziness can happen at any time of the day. The hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy generally trigger bouts of nausea and vomiting. Another related symptom would be constant tiredness, which a possibly pregnant woman experiences even if no physical activity had been performed (but, then, again, it could also be due to improper nutrition).

Strong craving for certain foods

The cause of this pregnancy symptom is still undetermined. But pregnant women have been infamous for requesting/demanding different kinds of food, owing to uncontrollable appetite urges. On some cases, “strong craving” is an understatement.

Mood swings and headaches

A woman’s emotions sometimes become slave to the hormonal changes linked with pregnancy. Quite common are bouts of depression, vagueness, listlessness and irritability.

Sleepiness

This symptom is not due to fatigue. Women who are pregnant usually long for sleep early in the evening. Again, blame the hormones.

Frequent urination

As the womb expands to make room for the growing fetus, it bears down on the urinary bladder, causing constant urges to pass urine. Some women have also been observed to develop white, creamy vaginal discharge during pregnancy, while the breasts tend to swell and grow tender (as the mammary glands brace themselves for breastfeeding).

Not all signs of pregnancy are obvious. But when the above mentioned symptoms present themselves to you, and you have enough reason to suspect that you are pregnant, you must consult your doctor at once, preferably an obstetrician. (An obstetrician specializes in caring for women while they are pregnant and even after pregnancy.) The doctor will then run tests to find out whether you ARE pregnant and in which pregnancy level you are already in. If your doctor bears good news, that, indeed, a miracle has formed in your womb, congratulations! You will soon be holding in your arms the greatest gift you will ever receive.

About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about pregnancy, please go to: or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to:

Smoking During Pregnancy

2009-06-15T23:57:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

If you have been drinking up until the point when you become pregnant or smoking it is also vital that you stop doing so immediately. Many women worry that they consumed a few alcoholic drinks prior to learning they were pregnant. If you are concerned you should talk with your healthcare provider. Chances are that everything will be just fine as long as you stop immediately. At this time there are no recommended safe limits of alcohol to consume during pregnancy, thus it is best that you avoid alcohol all together.

Smoking is equally as harmful for a mother during pregnancy. Smoking can also affect your unborn fetus, potentially contributing to birth defects or respiratory problems later in life. Did you know that when you smoke your baby is receiving less oxygen than they normally would? This can cause your baby to grow less rapidly than they might normally, and may also contribute to preterm labor, which can be potentially life threatening for your infant.

If you are a smoker when you find out you are pregnant, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider immediately about your condition. Your healthcare provider can work with you to develop a plan for quitting that is manageable and something you can learn to live with during your pregnancy. There are also numerous support groups available for mothers who are trying to quit during and even after pregnancy. Remember that the sooner you quit smoking, the sooner you start providing your unborn child with the best possible outcome for a healthy and safe delivery and later life.

Here are some avenues of support if you are trying to quite smoking during pregnancy:

National Partnership to Help Pregnant Smokers Quit
http://www.helppregnantsmokersquit.org/

The American Legacy Foundation
http://www.americanlegacy.org/americanlegacy/skins/alf/home.aspx

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on smoking during pregnancy

Sex During Pregnancy

2009-06-15T23:56:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

It is important that you nourish your relationship as much as your nourish your unborn child during pregnancy. Most women find that their bodies grow large and unwieldy during pregnancy. Many women are surprised to find that their sex drive actually increases during pregnancy, particularly during the second trimester. This is due to the increased amount of blood that is coursing through your pelvis and vagina.

Is Sex Safe During Pregnancy?

Sex is safe during pregnancy provided you have a low risk pregnancy with few complications. Your doctor will let you know if you should avoid sex for any reason at all. Most women can enjoy a healthy and fulfilling intimate relationship throughout their pregnancy, right up until their delivery date.

Will I Enjoy Sex During Pregnancy?

Surprisingly, many women find that they are more sexually aroused during their second trimester than they were prior to pregnancy. The increased blood flow to the vaginal and a woman’s growing bosom often results in a heightened sense of self and sexual arousal.

Most women will shy away from sexual relations during their first trimester when morning sickness and fatigue often get in the way of love making. During the third trimester, some women find themselves uncomfortably large and prefer not to be intimate, whereas others continue having intercourse right up until they go into labor.

Will Sex Hurt the Baby?

One of the most common concerns of fathers to be is that sex will hurt the baby. Some men are afraid that they will bump into the baby when they have sex. By and large however this concern is unfounded. If your husband is overly concerned about having sex during pregnancy, have him join you at your prenatal visits. A little reassurance from your physician that he will not hurt or bump into the baby may be all your husband needs.

Partners often react very individually when it comes to sex and pregnancy. While some men find the site of their wife’s blossoming body a true turn on, others are ambivalent or even a little turned off by pregnancy. It is important that you are open, honest and communicative with your partner about your needs during pregnancy, and try not to take any emotions your partner may be feeling personally.

Remember that pregnancy is often an emotional roller coaster, and your husband or partner may be more concerned that you might react differently, or may be scared of the idea of having a family in general. Some men have a difficult time being intimate with their wives even when they recognize that they will not harm the baby, because they feel another presence is in the room.

That said, many men and women have remarkable sexual relationships throughout their pregnancy. Even if you do not engage in intercourse with your husband, it is important that the two of you work on nurturing your relationship throughout your pregnancy. Foot rubs, kissing, back rubs and holding hands are all excellent ways to share some intimacy without actually engaging in intercourse.

The best way you can ensure that you and your partner remain close during your pregnancy is to check in with your partner on occasion. Inform them of your needs, let them know where you are coming from and what you need or want from them.

Positioning

If you and your partner are interested in maintaining a healthy sexual relationship during pregnancy, then undoubtedly you must be wondering what positions will work best for you as your belly grows and expands. The best thing you can do during your pregnancy is keep an open mind and be creative. Most women will find that it is uncomfortable to enjoy sex in a missionary position after about the first or mid second trimester. Try flipping over, woman on top and even lying next to one another during your pregnancy.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on sex during pregnancy

Rawsome Beauty: Luck of the Draw or Within Reach of All?

2009-06-15T23:36:00.000+08:00

by: Tonya Zavasta

Excerpted from the book “Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You” by Tonya Zavasta. The book is available at: http://www.beautifulonraw.com

All of my life, I wanted to be beautiful. In today’s society, it is more acceptable to insist that you are “beautiful on the inside”, unfortunately, those of us on the outside are not seeing your insides. Wanting to be beautiful is now criticized as being shallow. I’m sorry but I would rather be perceived as shallow than hypocritical because I find it impossible to believe than any women is content to be less than she can be.

Personal initiative is a powerful force in achieving goals and attaining wealth. What about beauty? Are we desperately helpless here, or is there a way to bring it under personal control? I believe we have as much leverage in becoming beautiful as we have in accomplishing anything else we set our minds to. But we have not been looking in the right places for beauty.

The most inspiring books about becoming wealthy are written by people who have made it from rags to riches. However, advice on becoming beautiful often comes from those blessed with exceptional beauty to begin with. For a woman born beautiful to teach others how to become beautiful is like a sweepstakes winner teaching people how to earn a fortune through hard work. Is there a means for achieving beauty for those of us who are not big winners in the gene lottery?

Good news! It is biologically possible to look beautiful at any age. If you do not see yourself as beautiful, it is because your beauty is unclaimed. Your body has never been given a chance to reveal how it can look when provided with the best possible nourishment and care.

Some of our physical characteristics we cannot change—they are determined by our lineage, food choices our mothers made during pregnancy, and our environment. Oriental diagnosis has noted that small eyes are caused by consumption of cooked vegetables and animal products during pregnancy and early childhood. Large eyes, on the other hand, are caused by intake of raw vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices. Long eyelashes in a child indicate the intake of substantial amounts of liquids, raw vegetables, and fruits by the pregnant mother.

These things we cannot change. We can change much, however, by the consumption of a raw plant diet as an adult. This diet will make a difference in weight, complexion, and the texture of skin, hair, and nails. All of these traits and more are determined by our daily choices, with food being one of the most important—and one we have full control of.

Our bodies’ natural ability to renew cells means that your body is capable of improving your looks. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells are replaced by new ones. The raw food diet makes the most of that rejuvenating ability. Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside; it is cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. The body responds with alacrity to an improved diet. As the body strengthens and heals your insides, you will see your beauty starting to surface on your face and re-structuring your body.

The artistic ability of your body will surprise you. It will seem as though a sculptor is chiseling your face and body. Fat deposits will disappear from the right spots. Everything bumpy or lumpy will be smoothed or straightened. Everything dull will be illuminated. The features will be refined until a lovely face surfaces, and the skin will be polished until it glows. By revealing and intensifying what is good, the raw food lifestyle will make the best of whatever goodness you have and will open every avenue for more. This lifestyle bestows upon you an identity of your own and makes you beautiful.

Only the body sustained on raw food demonstrates natural beauty or, shall we say, “rawsome beauty.” The landscape of the body will change. Fat that has accumulated in pockets under the eyes and at the jaw will melt away. The lumpy potato look of one‘s face will give way to sleek, smooth contours. Pockets of fat and retained water will disappear. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth yet firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. Sallow, yellowish skin will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of the eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge.

The body becomes transformed and will unfold from the inside out. While your non-raw-eating peers discover new blemishes, blotches, and moles on a nearly daily basis, you will see your own skin irregularities gradually fade or disappear. Feeding your body raw food will make your eyes, once sunken in bulbous flesh, look larger and rounder by eliminating the surrounding puffiness and by firming the eyelids. Eyebrows that were beginning to form an awning over the eyes will regain their youthful arch. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed, as in hollow cheeks. It will not just patch your face, but it will improve every one of your 3,000 square inches of skin.

Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face. This diet will give the impression of high cheekbones. In fact, it will give the effect of a cheek implant, by providing a subtle contour to the cheek area. The blurred chin-to-neck curve will become sharper and more pronounced. Broad jaws and square jowls will slowly give way to a more desirable oval shape. Sagging cheeks will gradually become tauter and tighter. Incidentally, an oval-shaped face, high cheekbones, thin jaws, and large eyes are universally considered to be the major characteristics of a beautiful face.

As the cleansing is completed, you will see how you were meant to look. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesn’t demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.

People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have an emerging radiance. The glow is hard to fake because it is basically internal. It comes from an abundance of clear pink, almost transparent, cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw diet will give you a translucent radiance.

There are beautiful people who are not on the diet, but even they have never been as beautiful as they could be because they have not been cleansed of all toxins. Our frustration with our looks is a subconscious reaction to our innate knowledge that we have not achieved our best look. The Rawsome Diet gives us confidence that we look the way we were meant to look when we are at our most beautiful.

The best proof that raw plant eating is optimal for the body is that it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration—these subtle changes will convince you that the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.

I like to study each woman’s face. I see not just how she does look, but how much better she could look. What I now see is just how far her looks fall short of her potential. I see her beauty as it would be if her body had been cleansed from all toxins and excesses. On the Rawsome Diet, you will be stunned by how the Master Artist makes the most of your individual features and brings balance to the face. Texture, hues, and shape will be re-arranged into a harmonious whole. Perfection and imperfection will be joined into a unique personal beauty.

But our imagination is limited. The perfect face is an invention of our culture. It shows human preference in particular time and place, and it is severely limited in its variety. While eye bags, puffiness, and sallow skin make faces look similarly unattractive, the variety of beauty versions, supplied by God Himself, is endless.

When your peer group is going through a stage where they think: “I am losing my looks,” you will be finding yours. At 47, I enjoy looking in the mirror, while in my youth and young adult life I detested my reflection. People who have not seen me for years often tell me that they hardly recognize me. Even my mother recently said I looked like a different person.

Adopting the raw food diet actually brings the beauty equation full circle. Finally, beauty is for everyone! We can drop the pretence. Ugly Ducklings of the world, this is your chance! It is forgivable to be born ugly, but there is no more excuse for staying ugly. Healthy foods create healthy organs. Strive to become beautiful on the inside—you will be beautiful on the outside.

About the author:
Tonya Zavasta is the raw food lifestyle expert, the author of the books Beautiful On Raw: UnCooked Creations and Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You, named a 2004 Health Book of the Year Award finalist by ForeWord Magazine. In these books Tonya makes a stand as an ambassador for plain looking women in their quest for physical beauty. Firmly believing that the roots of under-performing and under-achieving lie in feeling and looking less than your personal best, she is on a mission: she wants every woman to look and feel beautiful. To learn more about how you can reveal your Rawsome beauty, visit: or call 866-STAY-RAW

Purseonality

2009-06-15T12:12:00.003+08:00

by: Mary Helen Sanders

Most people do not notice what a purse says about one’s personality. If you start to analyze the different aspects of the purse, you would find that it tells much about that person. So you can check one’s personality by looking at their purseonality. Some examples to illustrate my point are what you would find inside the purse as well as the purse itself. You might look inside for different hints to one’s organization or items of importance to the individual. The style, shape, and color also reflect much about a person.

If you look inside someone’s purse, you could tell if that person is organized or not. You could also tell if they are conscious about looks or more about other things. Think about what you have in your purse. Do you have only the essentials such as identification, money, and keys? Most likely you have some personal items that identify you. You might have pictures of your family, you might have makeup, you might have candy or toys for small children—you might even have all of these and more. Whatever you carry in your purse defines which things that are important to you to have with you at all times. You may not have given it much thought—but think about the things you move from one purse to another and you will understand my point. There are always things that you feel you must have in your purse. You also look for purses that allow you to carry the things that you need or want with you.

There are many purses on the market and new ones are designed daily. Why would their need to be so many different purses just to carry basic essentials? Most women carry them for more reasons than just to carry their things.

Another reason for buying a particular purse is to match their own personal taste. This allows people to express their personality by color, style and perhaps even designer. In a survey performed on college students, it was found that 86 percent of the students felt that one purse was not enough. In fact, 62 percent have five or more purses. The reason for different purses was generally for different occasions. Some change purses as often as they change outfits. However, there were some students that felt that one purse was sufficient for their needs.

When talking to one student, she said that when she looks for a purse, she looks for something small with a lot of compartments to hold money. "Without a purse, change would get lost at the bottom of my backpack and you just need somewhere to put your change," she said. "I bought my purse because it's small, like a wallet on a string."

We talked to another student that told us that she only carried specific designer purses such as Dooney & Bourke, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. She said, “I just feel more glamours when I have one of my designer purses with me.”

Several students expressed that color was the most important aspect of the purse. They wanted purses to match their favorite color or their outfit. Some chose colors because it reminded them of other things. One student said "I have a bright green one that says I am fun and outgoing.” Another said, “I have a blue purse because I love the ocean.” Yet another said, “I change purses daily depending on my mood.”

Whether you have basic tastes in purses and carry only your essential belongings or if you prefer to make extravagant statements with your purse and carry everything possible, purses will always be a fun and easy way to express yourself.

About the author:
Ernie and Mary Helen Sanders are current retailers of purses for the last 3 years. They spend numerous hours researching trends and styles for women. You can find the perfect purse for you at their website:

Problems Associated With Teen Pregnancy

2009-06-15T12:12:00.001+08:00

by: Charlene J. Nuble

Pregnancy is one of the pivotal moments of a woman's life but not when you’re young with a bright future ahead. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences any young woman can go through. The stress of pregnancy, revelation of pregnancy to parents, and moving on despite the shame and worry can be nerve-racking. Indeed pregnancy especially during teenhood will never be easy.

According to studies, teenage pregnancies in the United States have decreased steadily over the years. In 1991, there were 60 out of 1000 young women who gave birth and in 1998, 51 out of 1000 gave birth. This decrease may be due to the effective use of birth control and decreased sexual activity among teens.

Yet teen pregnancy rates remain high. According to Women’s Health Channel, in the United States alone, approximately 1 million teenage girls experience pregnancy every year. At least 5f young girls give birth and in 1997, at least 13f the births in the US are of teenage girls. ??
Health risks to the baby and children out of teen pregnancy are more likely to experience health, social, and emotional problems. An increased risk for complications such as premature labor in teen pregnancy and socioeconomic consequences are present.

But there are more serious problems for the teenage mothers-to-be than the statistics and how the world views them either negatively or positively. Both the baby and the mother are at risk in major areas of life such as school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness.

Pregnant teenagers may not seek proper medical care that may lead to a bigger risk of medical complications. In their pregnancy, they need understanding, medical care, and education – particularly in nutrition and complications of pregnancy.

Pregnancy to teenagers brings all sorts of emotions. Some do not want their babies while others feel that its creation is an achievement. Some feel guilty and anxious while others feel that they need to baby to love but not aware of the special care it would need. Also, depression is common during pregnancy in teenagers. And when worse comes to worst, a pregnant teenager may even require the help of a mental health professional.

Teen pregnancy can be risky to unborn babies. Teen pregnancy results to underweight babies, poor eating habits of the teenager, and smoking and drinking tendencies of the pregnant girl. Lastly, pregnant teens are less likely to seek prenatal care.

Unwanted pregnancy can be prevented through open communication and providing guidance regarding sexuality, contraception, and risks and responsibilities of possible pregnancy. Sexual education and family life in schools can also prevent unwanted pregnancies. Finally, support of family and love will greatly help pregnant teens.

About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about pregnancy, please go to: or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to:

Pregnant Women Don’t Just Stay At Home; Go Shopping!

2009-06-15T12:09:00.001+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

Most women like to go shopping. However, sometimes pregnant women reluctant to go out because they are afraid could harm them. That’s not true! Go and have fun. You don’t have to spend any money; just get out and window shop. Try on shoes; check out the new fall purses or sample a new cookie at the corner stand. Shopping is very therapeutic for women, and it gives you a chance to clear your mind.

If you are feeling ambitious, though, or cannot justify taking an afternoon off to shop, give yourself a chore, like deciding on nursery room colors or selecting a crib. Then, you will feel like you are accomplishing something as you go.

Do not get stressed out, however, if you do not find what you want right away. Remember, you are just looking now. There is no hurry to immediately find and/or buy everything, especially since friends and family will want to help by bringing gifts to your baby shower.

If you would rather shop for clothes, purses or makeup, though, that’s also fine. Sometimes, it is good to step away from the “mommy” world and remember that you are also a woman who has her own needs and wants. Don’t feel guilty if you need some “you” time or if you need a little something to perk up your spirits. A new maternity outfit or a sweet scented lotion may be all you need to feel de-stressed and reinvigorated. You might also feel good just trying out new perfumes and seeing what those strappy sandals look like on (even if you know they would kill your feet!).

Just remember that while you are out shopping, you need to be relaxing. Treat yourself to an ice cream cone or catch a new movie if the mall has a theatre. Any of these activities will help you let go of your stress and refresh your spirits. Then, you will be fully ready to be Mommy again!

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Check this out and

Pregnancy Weight Gain - The Mystery Solved

2009-06-15T12:08:00.002+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

It is important that you remember that weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy. You have to gain weight in order to provide a healthy and comfortable home for the child that you will be nurturing for the next nine months.

Most women want to know what the ideal weight is during pregnancy. Honestly, there is no one answer. Weight gain will vary from woman to woman. There is no one ‘ideal’ weight during pregnancy, just like there is no one ‘ideal’ weight that is just right for al women.

That said there are certain guidelines that you can follow to ensure that the weight you gain during pregnancy is healthy.

Most physicians will recommend the following weight gain:

If you are normal weight before getting pregnant you should expect to gain between 25 and 35 pounds throughout your pregnancy.

If you are underweight prior to pregnancy you will need to gain more weight, typically between 28 and 40 pounds during your pregnancy. Your healthcare provider will be able to provide you with more specific guidelines.

If you are overweight when you become pregnant you will only need to gain between 15 and 25 pounds during your pregnancy.

Keep in mind that if you are carrying multiples (twins or more) you will typically be asked to gain even more weight, 45 pounds or more, depending on how many babies you are carrying.

When you become pregnant it is important that you avoid dieting. So, for purposes of this book we want to emphasize that it is vital that you eat healthily during your pregnancy, not diet. A healthy diet that is composed of food from each of the four food groups will help ensure that you gain the right amount of weight during your pregnancy, making it easier to shed pounds after you give birth.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight gain

Pregnancy Massage Therapy

2009-06-15T12:08:00.001+08:00

by: Caroline Colby

The modern mum-to-be is a stressed out individual, having to cater to increasing pressures of a fast paced society and work place. Yet at the same time, she knows that her wellness is crucial especially during her pregnancy if she wants a smooth delivery process and the birth of a healthy happy baby.

This increased awareness has led to the search for alternative approaches in addition to traditional health services. Pregnancy massage therapy is one such alternative approach. It has much therapeutic value as it enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves blood circulation and relieves mental and physical fatigue.

Pregnancy Massage can be prenatal, postnatal or during the labour process, although many refer pregnancy massage to just prenatal and post-natal massage to mean massage that takes place a few days after delivery.

In a prenatal massage, the massage is focused on reducing pregnancy discomforts and aims to enhance the physiological and emotional well-being of both mother and foetus. A relaxed mother also helps in the development of a brainy and healthy foetus. Also, the massage helps to strengthen and prepares the muscles that are useful for a natural delivery process.

Many women fear a long delivery process. Yet, many desire one that is as natural as possible and without the use of epidural or any other drugs. During labour, massage techniques exist to help shorten the delivery process while easing pain and anxiety.

Post-natal massage focuses on toning the new mother’s body, reduce fluid retention and and helps the body be brought back to balance and shape. It also helps to rejuvenate and re-energize the new mother and thus enhance her ability to bond with her baby.

The pregnant female should always first consult her doctors if she is suitable for massage or for any other alternative therapies that they wish to try. Her overall objective is to achieve a good mental state and physical health and to have a wonderful birthing experience.

About the author:
Caroline Colby is a publisher of information on Massage Therapy. She highly promotes Massage Therapy as a safe, holistic and effective alternative health therapy. Her site includes information on massage techniques, massage chairs, massage oils, etc. For tips and news updates, please visit her site at

Pregnancy Exercise And Diet Tips - Sensible Advice For Expectant Mothers

2009-06-15T11:53:00.000+08:00

by: Tina Titas

Mothers-to-be have many questions about pregnancy nutrition and exercise. The tips and advice below will help you get started on a healthy pregnancy.

A diet containing the essential nutrients and vitamins are vital to the development of both mother and child. Vitamins are imperative to the health of a developing baby and the well being of the mother. Choosing foods that are rich in vitamins and other nutrients are a critical part of a healthy pregnancy nutrition plan and supplemental vitamins are necessary as well.

Follow a well-planned pregnancy diet to help avoid complications such as morning sickness, fatigue, anemia, and constipation. Your healthy diet must continue after pregnancy if you plan to breastfeed your baby.

Pregnancy food recommendations

* Your pregnancy diet should include plenty of complex and unrefined carbohydrates as they contain important B vitamins, trace minerals, and fiber that are essential to a fit, healthy pregnancy.

* Appropriate quantities of yellow and green leafy vegetables are vital for the growth of the baby and the health of the mother.

* Dairy products contain calcium that will assist in the developing baby's teeth and bones. If your diet is lacking calcium your body will draw calcium from your bones to meet it's increased need.

* Avoid excessive amounts of fat must be avoided during pregnancy, as it will only serve to add excess pounds, which will be hard to lose after the birth of your baby.

* Vitamin C in generous amounts is crucial to a healthy pregnancy, bone growth, and various metabolic processes. Including berries, citrus fruits, raw broccoli and cabbage can help provide you with the Vitamin C that you need.

Ideally, your pregnancy diet should include 3-4 servings of protein and meat, 2-4 servings of fruit, 6-11 servings of grains, 4-6 servings of dairy products, and 6-8 glasses of water, milk, and juice. A pregnant mother must follow a healthy diet that will benefit the developing baby but that will also maintain her general health as well.

Exercise recommendations during pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy will promote strength, muscle tone, and endurance. Regular activity during your pregnancy will help alleviate swelling, fatigue, and backache. If you expect to remain fit during your pregnancy you will need to work your heart and major muscle groups. The type of exercise you do during your pregnancy will depend on your fitness level prior to pregnancy. Walking, pregnancy yoga videos, and swimming are excellent pregnancy exercises combined with stretching and other low-impact activities.

Exercises that involve a risk of falling or injury should be avoided such as bicycling, racket sports, horseback riding, and skiing. You will need to alter your exercise routine from trimester to trimester to accommodate your growing body. Avoiding over-exertion is necessary to avoid complications such as faintness, dizziness, vaginal bleeding, and premature contractions. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercising to reduce the risk of dehydration, which can raise your body temperature and cause harm to yourself and/or your baby.

A regular exercise program is beneficial to both mother and child, but check with your health care provider to make sure you have no conditions or risks that will prevent you from participating in a regular exercise routine or could cause potential harm to yourself or your child.

About the author:
Tina Titas is a columnist for where you'll find the latest pregnancy exercise videos at a great price.

Pregnancy Exercise

2009-06-15T11:43:00.001+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

One of the best things you can do to prepare for pregnancy is start exercising regularly. You don’t have to join the Boston Marathon, but even walking around the block a few times per week will help tone and condition your body and help you prepare for the journey ahead.

Women who regularly engage in some form of exercise before and during pregnancy are more likely to experience quicker and less problematic labors. That is a good enough reason in and of itself to start exercising as soon as you can.

The other important thing you need to do during your pregnancy is make an appointment to see your healthcare provider. Good prenatal care throughout your pregnancy is essential for maintaining a happy and healthy pregnancy. If you are not yet pregnant but thinking about becoming pregnant, many practitioners recommend scheduling a visit so they can review your health history for you and help overcome any potential barriers to your fertility.

Your healthcare provider can also set you up on a regimen of prenatal vitamins, and help you understand your cycle better so you know the times of the month you are most likely to get pregnant.

Most practitioners will schedule your first visit between 8-11 weeks if you are having a normal, low risk pregnancy. If you aren’t sure when you became pregnant, you should consider scheduling an appointment with your provider right away to ensure that everything is going along as it should and that you have no risk factors for possible complications.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy exercise

Post Natal Massage Therapy

2009-06-15T11:42:00.001+08:00

by: Caroline Colby

Some pregnant mums have it easy. Yet others have to go through many hours of labour.

But one thing’s for sure. After the delivery process, many are just plain tired. In addition, having to breastfeed and nurse a newborn several times a night can be exhausting.

The new mum today does not have much time to rest and relax during her confinement period at home. She needs to get back to work pretty quickly and that means, facing added pressure to lose weight so that she can fit back to her office wear.

Post-natal massage may just be the solution to her needs. Here are 6 top benefits of Post-natal massage therapy:

1. Relaxation
2. Stress Relief
3. Relieves aches on shoulders or neck
4. Hasten the reduction of fluid retention.
5. Help uterus to shrink to original size
6. Reduce cellulite and help to tone up the body.

In many parts of Asia, many women before delivery would in fact, prebook sessions with an Indonesian massage therapist for post-natal massage. The treatment is a traditional one which has been handed down several generations and even practiced today. This treatment involves the use of a massage oil applied to the stomach and a tummy wrap (bengkung), essentially a cotton cloth of several metres. The bengkung is used to wrap the body so as to push up the uterus, clear water retention, wind, spasm, shrinks the tummy and helps to reduce weight. Post-natal massage is usually done in the privacy of one’s own home.

For a mother that has delivered her baby naturally, it is generally pretty safe to go for a post-natal massage. For those that delivered by caesarian, be sure to consult your professional massage therapist or your doctor first. Most in fact, would recommend that you wait a few more weeks before proceeding with a post-natal massage.

Post-natal massage provides a sense of continuing comfort for the new mother. The aim of this massage is to give nurturing and emotional support as well as alleviate the muscle strain of labor and childbirth. Some post natal massage therapies also come with a detoxification ritual that rids the midriff of post birth bagginess.

In some instances, post-natal massage can also bring about a much shapelier silhouette, compared to the one just before pregnancy!

About the author:
Caroline Colby is a publisher of information on Massage Therapy. She highly promotes Massage Therapy as a safe, holistic and effective alternative health therapy. Her site includes information on massage techniques, massage chairs, massage oils, etc. For tips and news updates, please visit her site at

Natural Mineral Makuep Give the gift of Mineral Makeup to Fight Acne

2009-06-15T11:38:00.001+08:00

by: Jennifer Parker

The holiday season is fast approaching, and perhaps you've got a special someone who suffers from acne. The dilemma is how to present them with a gift this holiday season that helps them to fight acne without seeming overly rude or insulting in the process.

Believe me, some people do get offended at the idea of you trying to help them with "practical" gifts to help them with their condition. Even if it was kindly meant. Most people want some that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also has both use and meaning in their world.

For the acne sufferer, they may wish to buy a bottle of Proactiv for themselves, but receiveing it as a gift is another story altogher. Giving something that is astheitally pleasing and helps them to fight and prevent acne really can be a challenge.

There is an option however; mineral makeup is a solution that is not only pleasing to the eyes, but is also recommended by dermatologists the world over to help fight acne and soothe the skin. Because Mineral Makeup is oil free and ground into such a fine powder that it does not clog pores it is ideal for preventing further breakouts.

Mineral makeup is made of all natural minerals extracted from the earth and ground into a fine powder. Different combinations of the minerals produce different colors for a wide range of colors so there is no need for dies or chemicals.

Mineral makeup is not soluable in water and sheilds the skin from moisture getting into the pores when worn. If moisture to get into the pores the bacteria that feeds acne dies. The primary ingredients within mineral makeup are Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. You may recognise these minerals from the ingredients list on the back of any sunscreen bottle. This is because these minerals are natural sunblocks. Zinc Oxide is also known for it's skin soothing properties.

Mineral makeup is very pleasing to the eye because the powders blend together onto the skin seamlessly and need such a small amount to cover the skin that they look very natural. Both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide also reflact light and give the face a beautiful glow without looking shiny.

Be sure you check the labels, however for Bismouth Oxychloride, a mineral added to some top name brands to give the makeup a shiny look. Bismouth Oxychloride can irritate acne.

Giving the gift of all natural healthy beauty this season does not have to be impossible with mineral makeup.

About the author:
Give the Gift of natural mineral makeup this season with our complete 9 piece starter kit at:

Morning Sickness Survival Tips

2009-06-15T11:36:00.000+08:00

by: Carrie Lauth

"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".

I don't know about you, but as someone who suffered with prolonged, severe morning sickness (which I affectionately call morning noon and night sickness), when I hear someone say this, I just want to slug them!

If you're suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, you're not alone. Most women experience it to some degree during their first trimester. If you're one of the unfortunate few whose symptoms last longer than the typical 6-12 weeks, I empathize. I've had the same experience with all 4 of my pregnancies. I have learned a few things that helped however, and I hope you can get some relief with these tips.

1) Getting your blood sugar regulated is priority #1.

One theory about why morning sickness is worse in the morning (and for some women only occurs then) is because when you wake up from sleep, you have low blood sugar. For some pregnant woman, going 8 hours without food is just a bad idea.

You might find it helpful to eat a high protein snack before bed, and even to eat a bite each time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom. (Which in the beginning may be quite frequent!)

Personally, I found that what I did first thing in the morning was of paramount importance. I had to eat a few bites of food *while still lying down*. So I either put some food on a plate beside my bed or asked my husband bring me a snack first thing in the morning.

Don't jump out of bed. Eat your snack slowly and lie still for a few minutes afterwards. Then slowly get up and immediately go to the kitchen and eat another bite. Again, emphasize protein.

2) Avoid foods that cause rapid blood sugar shifts.

Fruit juice, sugary snacks, processed cereal (the kind that comes in a box), anything made with white flour, etc...these types of foods cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise then come crashing down, triggering nausea and vomiting. Eat protein foods and whole foods.

Meat, cheese, yogurt (be careful here- try plain yogurt with frozen berries mixed in. Most yogurt has way too much sugar in it.), eggs, nuts, nut butters, veggies, and whole grains should be your staples.

Even if eating doesn't appeal to you, coaxing yourself to eat a little bit of a protein food every 2 hours will help prevent vomiting. Don't leave the house without carrying a snack with you.

3) If drinking water makes you sicker, try these alternatives.

It's very important that you stay hydrated. You're going to need extra fluids to support the pregnancy, but many women find that drinking water makes them more nauseated. Some things to try:

Smoothies made with fruit, ice and plain yogurt or kefir. The tangy flavor of these two dairy products really hit the spot for me. They also sneak in some extra protein.

Water served VERY cold with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Carbonated water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor.

Weakly brewed iced or hot tea with lemon. The small bit of caffeine won't harm your baby. Something about the bitter tannins in tea may help ease nausea.

Citrus fruits and melons.

4) Avoid nausea triggers as much as possible.

Your nose is on hyperdrive during early pregnancy!

Stinky smells like poopy diapers, kitchen trash, even morning breath may be impossible to totally avoid, but try your best to avoid smelly situations.

Have someone else take out the trash. Have hubby change your toddler when he's home. It's the least he can do!

And don't be shy about telling someone who has bad breath, noxious perfume or cigarette smells on them that you're in a delicate condition and need some fresh air. During my pregnancies, my husband had to switch to unscented deodorant and soap, otherwise I couldn't hug him!

If cooking smells make you ill, take a break from your usual garlic and onion specialties. Don't be a martyr. Hubby will understand that you can't make his favorite sausage and peppers for a while.

Prepare meals that won't stink up the kitchen. Green main dish salads with cold, cut up chicken, steak or hard boiled eggs. Sandwiches are good too.

5) Try Aromatherapy

Put a couple of drops of lavender, mint or lemon essential oil (these oils are generally regarded as safe to use during pregnancy) on cotton balls and keep these in various locations... the kitchen, bathroom, your purse and in the car. Take a whiff when you feel sick. Put a few drops on your pillow.

6) Take it easy- but don't forget exercise

I know, I know... exercise is the last thing you want to do when you can hardly get your face out of the toilet! But if you force yourself to take even a ten minute walk outside every day, it WILL help.

But do try to take it easy, avoid stress as much as possible, and rest as much as you can. You're doing the very important job of growing a baby. Explain to your other children why you're feeling poorly and that it won't last forever. Call in favors and ask friends to come over to play with your 2 year old for an hour so you can sleep, or ask them to cook extra when they make dinner tonight and bring you a dish.

When you feel a bout of nausea coming on, try to lay down for a few minutes in a dark room with your eyes closed. Sometimes if you do this the episode will pass.

7) Focus on the positive

Sometimes when you're so miserable it's easy to forget what's making you so sick! Remember that statistically, women who experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy are more likely to carry the pregnancy to term.

One of my midwives told me that she always worries when a Mom comes in for her first prenatal feeling wonderful...the chances of her miscarrying are higher.

So rejoice in your strong hormones! Read pregnancy magazines, birth stories on the Internet, look through maternity clothing catalogs, do whatever you need to do to cheer yourself up and get yourself in the mood for a new baby.

8) More Misc. Tips

Try eating candied ginger or sipping ginger tea. I found ginger in capsules to be too harsh and they hurt terribly if they did come back up.

Brewer's yeast capsules work for some Moms.

Try sucking on lemon slices when you're feeling a wave of nausea.

Sip mint tea or chew mint gum to help dry up excessive salivating that may trigger nausea.

If you have trouble brushing your teeth due to an overactive gag reflex, switch to using baking soda for awhile. The foaming of regular toothpaste may be too much. And brush your teeth in shifts if you need to... first the top teeth, then a few minutes later the bottom teeth, then your tongue, etc.

Avoid getting overheated or chilled. Extremes in temperature can trigger vomiting.

Try Sea-Bands, available at large drug stores. They're designed for motion sickness but helps some pregnant women.

Go with your cravings, within reason. For some reason, pizza and Taco Bell always hit the spot during my pregnancies.

Clean the toilet daily, even if it's the only household chore you can do right now. Better yet, have someone else do it. And wear your hair up for awhile. If you're going to be throwing up, at least you will have your hair out of the way and a clean bowl to hug!

About the author:
Carrie Lauth, mom of 4, publishes a free newsletter for Moms doing things the natural way. Get your copy plus free subscriber goodies at:

Morning Sickness - All Day Sickness!

2009-06-15T11:34:00.001+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Morning sickness should be referred to as all day sickness. While some women will sail through pregnancy with nary a symptom of nausea, others will find themselves severely ill for weeks on end.

Morning sickness is actually a misnomer. It can strike at any time any day for several days at a time. Most women will experience morning sickens during their first trimester, when hormone levels are rapidly rising to prepare the body to carry your baby to term.

Morning sickness can be worse in the morning, usually because you have an empty stomach. However it is not uncommon for it to strike midday or even in the evening. For an unfortunate few, the feelings of nauseousness that accompany pregnancy sometimes last well into the third trimester.

The good news is that there are a number of easy things you can do to help minimize the symptoms of morning sickness:

Eat several small meals per day. This will prevent sickness that is associated with an empty stomach.

Avoid high fat and greasy foods. These foods often contribute to increased feelings of nausea and vomiting.

Sip on some carbonated water. The fizziness of the water often helps relieve morning sickness. Better yet, squeeze some fresh lemon into the water. This is very helpful for alleviating morning sickness.

Chew on some ginger. Ginger is a natural remedy long used to help combat nausea.

Have some crackers by the bed. Many women feel nausea is worse in the morning because their stomach is empty. Try chewing a few crackers and sipping some water before you get up out of bed in the morning.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on morning sickness

Maternity Clothes Trends

2009-06-15T11:33:00.001+08:00

by: Kathryn Whittaker

For most women, the most stylish maternity clothes solution is to wear stretch classic jeans and a man’s white oxford shirt. However, the day comes when they face the inevitable: the visit to a maternity clothes store, either for a special occasion outfit, or to browse the plus size maternity clothes section in search for the most flattering solution to their style dilemmas. So what exactly should an expecting mom look for in maternity clothes, either regular or plus-size ones?

For the first few months most women can get along with the wardrobe they already have. Slightly bigger breasts and increased waistline will make them sexier, not bigger. But when regular clothes do not work anymore, most women prefer to forget about fashion trends and cocoon themselves into shapeless dresses or high-waist slacks paired with voluptuous sweaters.

First of all, don’t try to hide your condition. It’s chic to be pregnant today, and young Hollywood stars happily get pregnant whenever they want – and remain fashionable and glowing till the delivery. Today it’s much more flattering to show off your belly than to hide it under layers of clothes. The most current maternity outfits are sleek numbers that let your curvy silhouette show.

Happy Hippie. You will be perfectly stylish in free-flowing ethnic skirts, kaftans and yoke dresses that accommodate a growing belly. Airy tunics and patterned blousons look equally great with oversize cardigans, perhaps with a wide belt under the belly, or on their own, with a tiny capelet for warmth. This trend also embraces the wide empire-waisted and baby-doll dresses that can be worn over the maternity pants and jeans. Best designers working in this style: Alberta Ferretti, Anna Sui.

Bold Accessories. Keep the visual details on top. A scarf, a capelet, a bolero jacket in contrasting colors, virtually anything that accentuates the shoulders and bust line are very flattering. Layering with ponchos and shawls will complete the look, if you go for a loose bohemian style. Halter-type necklines are also very flattering, because in most women their neck and arms look the same even if the rest of the body grows at enormous speed.

Skip Underwires. When your bust is growing, a thick shelf bra is healthier than a bra with metallic wiring underneath. The sports bra will also do the trick. It will allow more room and support while you grow.

Wear Jeans. Today denim designers offer maternity versions of their most popular models. Citizen of Humanity, Seven For Mankind and Earl Jeans have maternity lines, as well as Juicy, in a variety of denim washes. Wear your maternity jeans low-slung, embroidered and slimming with contrasting washes.

Multifunctional Suits. With modern maternity suits you can easily switch from day to night, as they do double duty. You can dress them down with a t-shirt for a day or add a silk blouse or tunic for the night. The most charming maternity suits are made of wool and cotton, with blouses made of charmeuse and chiffon. Menswear plaids and pinstripes also look charming on pregnant women. Choose the size wisely: if you can stick two fingers between the waistline and the fabric of your new skirt or pants, it’s too big and will stay so, even when you grow.

Don’t Bare Too Much Skin. Revealing the growing belly may do the trick for Britney Spears, but not many women can do that with flare. Pregnancy is the beautiful period of life, but wearing too skimpy clothes will just look tacky.

About the author:
Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Maternity Clothes please visit and for additional Maternity Clothes articles please visit the following article page

Managing Stress without the Use of Drugs

2009-06-15T11:32:00.004+08:00

by: James Brann, MD

In today's fast paced environment, many people are under a lot of stress. Women are even more susceptible to the strains of everyday life. Some are single mothers that work full time jobs and then come home and care for their baby. They are over worked, underpaid and under extreme stress.

Many women go to their family doctors complaining about headaches, lack of sleep and mood swings. The doctor will calmly explain to them that they have stress problems, and to take a few days off, and then prescribe them a drug to alleviate the symptoms.

While the drugs may work in the short term, it doesn't treat the root problems. When you stop taking the drug, the stress will still be present. And who has the time to put their feet up and relax, especially if you have a toddler causing mayhem at home?

So what are the alternatives?

Well there are many and we will explore a few of them in this article, but the first thing you have to do is figure out the cause of your stress. Stress can be caused by many things. What is stressful to one person can be joyful for the next. For instance, speaking in public can cause some people a lot of anxiety, but to some it is a joy.

Once you have located the reasons for your stress try to think of ways to alleviate it. Here are some more helpful tricks and tips for managing stress levels without the use of drugs.

Take a Deep Breath: The reason why stress causes headaches in a lot of cases is because when a person is under significant stress they will tend to breath shallowly, or hold their breath without even realizing it. Your muscles then get a lack of oxygen and you cramp up in such places like your neck and abdomen and you get a headache. Sometimes it just makes you feel uptight.

If you feel a headache coming on, or you feel uptight, stop and check your breathing. Take a few minutes to rest and take deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth.

Talk to People: Being lonely is a terrible thing, and this can cause stress all by itself. Try joining a club or something you enjoy that will connect you to other people. Sometimes just talking and having fun can do wonders for your stress problems.

Regular Exercise: It has been scientifically proven that exercise helps relieve stress. Try joining a gym, or just going for a walk each night. You will boost your energy level making it easier to cope with the stress of daily life.

Managing Time: Nothing causes stress like being late for an appointment. Avoid this unnecessary stress by planning your day. Insure that you have enough time to get to all of your appointments. Maybe invest in a day planner.

Body Break: Your mind and body are one. Make sure that you eat proper nutritious meals, and sleep well at night. Avoid excess sugar and caffeine. These foods will give you a temporary high, but will cause you to crash later. A body that is properly maintained will be better able to cope with stress.

Avoid The Use of Illegal Drugs: Many people turn to alcohol and drugs to relieve their stress. While it may seem that these things are helping with your stress they are really harming you. Not only are they wrecking your body, but they are only a temporary fix. When you wake up in the morning, the problem that you were trying to escape will still be there.

Change Your Surroundings: Make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. If your chair at work is causing your back to hurt, change it. If your bed is causing backache and lack of sleep, change it. Why put your mind and body under stress that can be easily avoided.

Go to Your Happy Place: Try daydreaming for a minute if you feel stressed out. Imagine a sunny beach, or a quiet cottage. Imagine the tastes and sounds. A few minutes of imagined vacation can do wonders for your mental outlook, and relieve stress.

These are just a few techniques that will help you cope with your stress levels. Try concentrating on the positive aspects of your life, and not the negative. Without some stress life would be boring, but too much of anything can kill you.

About the author:
Dr. James Brann is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is also Editor of Women's Healthcare Topics.

At Women's Healthcare Topics website you will find valuable and up-to-date information on numerous topics related to women's health including
Signs of Pregnancy, Chlamydia, Hysterectomy, Early Pregnancy Symptoms and more.

Laser Hair Removal - Chicago

2009-06-15T11:32:00.003+08:00

by: Kathlene Capelle

Chicago, land of the brisk breeze and whipping wind, is also home to folks who love laser hair removal. Chicago residents are busy folks and quick to recognize the many positive aspects of laser hair removal: quick, efficient and permanent.

Laser hair removal can, for Chicago residents, rid them of unwanted facial, back, leg, and armpit or bikini line hair. The only hair that cannot be removed from a Chicago head by laser hair removal is peach fuzz.

Within six months of laser hair removal by a licensed cosmetic specialist, one should be rid of 60 to 95 percent of that unwanted hair.

For information on reputable, reliable physicians in Chicago that perform laser hair removal, the best place to start - as with any business or medical recommendation - would be to get suggestions from relatives and friends. There's nothing better than a recommendation from a friend, family member or colleague whose opinion you hold in esteem.

Your next resource may be your family physician. If these ideas fail, you can always get online and check out the various Internet Yellow Pages resources. In Chicago, the primary Yellow Page carrier would be Verizon, whose online yellow page listings are found at SuperPages.com. In fact, the results of the search did net a few good Chicago laser hair removal specialists.

Note also that laser hair removal specialists are not all physicians. Training specific to laser hair removal is offered not only for Chicago specialists but also for others in every corner of the globe.

Laser hair removal treatment training for Chicago area professionals includes the biology and growth cycles of the human hair, laser physics, safety concerns of the treatment and the best way to market the business of laser hair removal treatment.

One thing’s for sure in Chicago: laser hair removal is gaining much popularity. If you have unwanted hair that you wish to remove permanently, then you may wish to pursue laser hair removal as a viable option. Alternatively, if you are thinking of getting into a beauty business that is on an upward trend, laser hair removal is an idea to check out!

About the author:
Kathlene Capelle is a writer for beauty tips and advice. She believes in harnessing one’s inner and outer beauty for self confidence and achievement to the fullest potential. For more articles, tips and resources, please visit her site at

Kegal Exercises During Pregnancy

2009-06-15T11:32:00.001+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

You probably became familiar with Kegel exercises during your pregnancy. Kegel exercises are equally important after pregnancy to help restore the tone and strength of your vaginal wall.

Kegel exercises help strengthen your pelvic muscles, which weaken during childbirth. Why would you want to strengthen these muscles? If they are weak, you could have bladder control problems. You may also find that intercourse is more fulfilling when you have control of your kegel muscles.

Not sure how to do your Kegel’s? Pretend that you are trying to stop the flow of urine the next time you are sitting on the toilet (or anywhere for that matter). Those are the very muscles you need to contract in order to do your Kegels. You can also insert a finger into your vagina and try squeezing just like you are trying to stop the flow of urine. If you feel tightness around your finger, you are performing the exercise correctly.

Be sure when you are doing your Kegel’s that you concentrate on the pelvic floor muscles specifically; try not to do any other exercises. You should squeeze for about 15 seconds several times per day.

It is important that you don’t overdo your Kegel’s particularly in the early weeks after birth, or you may become very sore. Consider working up to doing three sets of ten repetitions over the course of the day.

About the author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on kegal exercises

It’s Not A Sin For Pregnant Women To Have A Massage

2009-06-15T11:31:00.001+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

Getting pregnant is really a moment of joy. Don’t get carried away with your morning sickness, or your hormone changing, keep your life going and treat yourself to a happy living. Relax and spoil yourself with a prenatal massage or deluxe pedicure at one of your area’s finer spas.

Don’t feel that you cannot have a good time as you start to get bigger, and your breasts become tender and your ankles are swollen, nothing will sound better to you than a long massage. Just make sure you let your masseuse know you are pregnant, especially if you are not showing, since he/she will need to know in order to serve you best.

While at the spa, it is important that you do not get into any hot tubs or go into any steam rooms, which can unnecessarily elevate your body temperature. Other services, however, are fine. Pedicures will especially be a welcome treat to your tired feet!

Massages will generally run around $80-$100 plus tips and pedicures generally cost around $35-$65. Although it can be expensive, it is still worth it to indulge in a spa treat from time to time. If you cannot afford to spare the time or extra money, however, ask your spouse to give you a nice massage and foot rub. He might even paint your toe nails if you ask nicely!

You can also indulge in a long, relaxing bath soak with some sweet smelling bubble bath, which you can find at any bath specialty or discount store. Lavender is a relaxing scent, and citrus scents have an energizing affect. If you just want to feel girly, though, go for a rose or freesia scent.

What a good idea to relax. You can also avoid pregnancy blahs with above activities. Most pregnant woman experiences the pregnancy blahs; a condition where women feel so big and unattractive during their pregnancy. And they secretly wish for the pregnancy to be over so that they could have their body back and fit into their normal clothes. It’s sad to say, really, because pregnancy is such a beautiful experience and the fact that you created this little human being that is developing in your body should make you feel wonderful through every step of the way.

Don’t let pregnancy blahs bother your day to day activities. That’s why, it is absolutely necessary to take time to pamper yourself, since you will be busy, busy, busy after your bundle of joy arrives. And, you need to feel good about yourself—it is easy to get down in the dumps when pants get too tight or when breakouts occur, so make sure you do things to help you feel like the hot mama you are!

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Check this out and

Is Your Bra Hazardous To Your Health?

2009-06-15T11:30:00.000+08:00

by: Georgia Donovan

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer found in women, and this year alone 192,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. It eventually strikes one out of every eight American women. Breast cancer also causes more deaths than any other form of cancer in women under age 55.

As women, we all fear breast cancer. It is the one disease that sends chills down our spines and puts a knot in our stomachs. I am not about to go over all the reasons why women get breast cancer or who is or isn't a high risk factor. I will leave that subject to those who are far more qualified than I, however, there is one factor that affects your breast health and that is the fit of your bra.

Right now, as you read this, 80% of all the women in America are wearing the wrong size bra. Most of them are uncomfortable and most of them are too small. Your breast is all about circulation and the flow of lymph. If you want healthy breasts, follow a regular care program, including a monthly self exam, routine visits with your doctor, and a mammogram when recommended for your age and family history, Most importantly, wear a bra that fits you.

A tight, binding, constricting, and ill fitting bra is bad for you and can cause major discomfort as well as retarding the circulation in and around your breast. So what can you do to change that? Find a bra that fits you perfectly.

This process is very simple but requires the help of an "expert". When I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York, my mother use to call them the "brassier ladies”. They were mostly European born and had worked in corset shops in Europe as fitters or seamstresses. This noble group of women worked in neighborhood lingerie shops. You never bought a bra without their expertise.

They had such a trained eye that the minute any woman walked in the door they knew what size she was. They would take one look and say, "34C". It was like radar, they just knew from afar, and when they measured you, they were almost always right.

Today there is a more modern version of these women called lingerie fitters. They are in local shops (if your town is lucky to have one), or work in major department stores in the lingerie department. So your first step to finding the right bra is to go see one of these gals. They will take your measurements, first under your rib cage and all around your back and then across your breast. One tells what your bra size is (34, 36, 38 etc.) and the other tells your cup size (A, B, C, D etc.) Now that you know this they will usually recommend a style for your body type based on your needs. During your session, tell this person all about your basic wardrobe. Are you looking for a bra to wear under a tee shirt or a knit, one for sports or the gym, or a special occasion look? Or do you need to establish a basic bra wardrobe?

Believe me, one hour spent with one of these experts will not only save you money in the long run (by avoiding having a drawer full of ill-fitting bras you can no longer wear), but you will be saved the daily agonies of wearing bras that hurt, are too tight, dig into your shoulders or are just plain torture!

Once you have established your size and needs, then follow these simple suggestions for a long and comfy relationship with your bras.

HOW TO PUT ON A BRA

Bend forward, put the bra on, and fasten.

Look at the fit and make sure that the cup holds all of your breast. If you are spilling out, it is too small. If you have "overhang" it is too small.

Next, take your right hand and smooth the skin of the left breast into the cup. Do the same on the other side.

Stand up straight and see how the straps fit and feel. They should be comfortable without feeling like a vice. Adjust as needed until perfect.

Now, look straight ahead into a mirror and make certain that each nipple is in the CENTER of each cup.

Adjust the back of the bra so it lies smoothly between your shoulder blades.

Take a deep breathe, how does it feel?

A word about brand names. Not every manufacturer cuts the same way, that is true of bras as well as clothes. You might be a size 34C in one brand but a 34D in another. And there may be some brands you can't wear at all.

BRA DO's & DON'TS –

Do get measured again every time you lose or gain weight, after a pregnancy, or if you are on hormone replacement therapy.

Don't ever buy a bar without trying it on and stay away from the sale rack.
Unless there is a brand and style there that you wear, pulling one off the rack because it is marked down is no bargain. Chances are it will have a long and happy life in your lingerie drawer.

Do buy an under wire style if you are full breasted and need firmer support.

Do buy a minimizer if you want to have a large breast appear smaller.

Do try one of the new soft cup bras that offer construction for a smaller breast. (Soft cup means sans under wire.)

Do throw away any and all bras that hurt you or are uncomfortable, no matter how much you paid for them.

Important points to remember
Ask a salesperson to measure you but let your eye and your body be the ultimate test. A bra shouldn't ride up, dig into your back, or slip off your shoulders.

When trying on a bra in a store, take several, in various sizes, into the fitting room. The difference between a 34 and 36 might be one hook.

For the best fit, your bra should be fastened with the middle hook.

Reevaluate your bra wardrobe at the beginning of every season.

If you find a bra that you love, by all means buy more than one.

Never put a bra in the dryer.

About the author:
Georgia Donovan, The Clothes Doctor, is a fashion stylist and image consultant, whose mission is to help women reach their fashion potential and raise their fashion consciousness. To subscribe to her free newsletter for mature women, visit or

Infertility and Pregnancy

2009-06-15T11:29:00.000+08:00

by: Jackie G. Maxwell

When a couple is unable to conceive a child, it is the couple's problem, and not the “fault” of one partner or the other. Female issues are the most common reasons cited, but some studies suggest that up to 40% of infertility is caused by one or more reasons originating with the male partner.

For men, the problem can only be from one source- the sperm. However, that can involve a variety of difficulties from low sperm count, to poor motility, or abnormal shape/structure of the sperm. In many instances the cause of the sperm difficulties are idiopathic, with no known reason. Some issues may be a result of a past illness, current drug therapy, personal habits such as drinking and smoking, or varicocele veins. Recommendations for improving things like sperm count, include looser clothing around the genitals, eliminating hot baths or hot tubs, giving up alcohol and smoking, and stress reduction.

For women, the difficulties are more varied, and cover a range of functions and issues within her reproductive system. She may have ovulation problems that are due to problems with the thyroid gland, hormone imbalance, and physical or emotional stress. The cervix can also be a cause for concern, either through narrowing, acidic mucous, or a literal “sperm allergy”. Her uterus may be harboring cysts, fibroids, and polyps, or she may have endometriosis, a condition where tissue from inside the womb, has attached itself somewhere in the abdomen, possibly blocking or restricting normal function of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Even when a couple has taken all the recommended tests, some 10% remain infertile, for no known reasons. For them, hormonal fertility treatment or in vitro fertilization, may be viable options for having a family.

About the author:
Visit and sign up for free weekly tips that will
take the mystery and fear out of pregnancy.

How Would You Like To Look Sexy During Pregnancy On Your Photos

2009-06-15T00:57:00.001+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

What is the most unforgettable moment of your life? Is pregnancy one of the things you could not forget? Most people feel so, and to keep it memorized they made some kind of scrapping book photos of pregnancy. They just don’t want to spend their nine months pregnancy time without taking photos.

Memorize everything through pictures or photos during pregnancy time are really a wonderful moment. Once you deliver your baby, your body will be going back to its normal size, and you will miss your big belly. Therefore, make picture of yourself during pregnancy is so exciting. You will be surprised that you have so wonderful body when pregnant.

The easiest way is to start right from the beginning. Prepare your camera, either manual or digital. Currently digital camera is popular due of it practical used and really quick to develop. Taking picture using digital camera will probably the easiest way for you. Make sure your digital camera is not broken and can be retrieved to the computer. That way you will have everything complete in your computer.

Your pregnancy photos from the first trimester until you deliver your baby will be kept organize in a scrapbook photos of your pregnancy. You can put your picture chronological order thus you can organize your photos perfectly. Put dates down. The date may not seem urgent for you to write out because you may think that you will easily remember what "month" your pregnancy was at in the pictures. But the truth is you may not remember all, so better to put dates down.

When you took picture, wear your chick maternity apparel. Not just wearing baggy clothing and plus sized dresses. Women today have a wide range of choices they can pick from when they want to look and feel their best about their body and self-image.

Photo taken wearing maternity apparel will make you look gorgeous. Maternity apparel is made to keep you comfortable and sexy at the same time. That’s why you can wear that during your photo session.

Maternity apparel has a wide range of styles and selections you can choose from to feel great and looks beautiful. There are maternity pants or maternity skirts, or you are headed to the beach in maternity swim wear there is something for every need you can think of. You will even find maternity lingerie for keeping things spicy in your bedroom. Not only for photo session, maternity apparel also used to the office, and other formal place.

So, you are ready now for your photo session with your beautiful maternity apparel. If your pregnant reach four of five months old, it can be hard to determine which month they're in on the picture. That’s why you need to write the date. Or you could get on the computer and type all the details out onto labels and put that on the back of each picture. Also make a label for each negative too. Good luck!

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy in her Website

How to Plan a Wedding in 10 Days...and Keep a Modest Budget

2009-06-15T00:55:00.000+08:00

by: Michele Neisler

How long have you and your fiance been engaged? Are you tired of waiting for the big wedding day? You just can't wait to be Mr. and Mrs. "fill in name of couple." Well, wait no more! Here are seven tips on how to plan your wedding in just 10 short days. They are in no means in any particular order -- just use your own common sense.

1. Borrow your wedding dress

Are you the same dress size as another female family member or friend? Ask if you can wear their wedding dress in your wedding! Not only will you look fabulous, but you'll already have your "something borrowed" for the tradition. Plus, if you borrow the dress from a family member, that will make the dress all the more special. Buy your garter and shoes at a wedding shop or even a craft supply store. You will have your "something new" and if you get a garter with a blue bow, there is your "something blue." As for "something old," borrow an item from a family member that has sentimental value. Take good care of it and give it right back after the wedding!

2. Make the invitations

Obviously you will not have time to order invitations, so make them yourself! You can purchase wedding invitation paper at your local office supply store, most of them come with a template that you can load onto your hard drive. Then, you design the invitation on your computer using the actual facsimile of the invitation on your screen. The package will even include some regular paper to test your designs on before you print them. Buy mailing labels that you can print from the computer also. This will save a lot of time and probably prevent you from developing carpal tunnel syndrome in the meantime!

3. Talk to someone at the wedding venue

Wherever you choose to have the wedding ceremony -- a church, temple, non-denominational justice of the peace chambers -- make sure you book the date and time you want/need for the wedding. If you need any special equipment, like a chupah (ceremonial canopy) for a Jewish wedding, make certain that it will be available. Ask about prices and see if you can cut a deal considering the short notice.

4. Book a house

Finding it difficult to book a reception in so little time? Have it at a relative's house. Chances are that you are getting married in one of your hometowns (if you don't share the same one) or current place of residence. What better way to save money on a banquet hall than by having the reception at the home of someone you know? Just make sure that it is large enough to accommodate all of your guests, food, cake, music, and gifts. If you prefer, you can even have the wedding ceremony at the house, as well.

5. Find a wholesale florist

Search for a local wholesale florist. Not only do they generally have many people working for them (meaning they can get large orders filled in little time), but since they get their supplies wholesale you will get a better price. Are you allergic to real flowers? Have them make fake bouquets. They can make them look just as beautiful and can even make them look real by adding effects (i.e., clear glue droplets made to look like water).

6. Plan the menu and do it yourself

Not meaning cook everything yourself, but you can order deli, veggie and fruit trays and have someone pick them up and arrange them at the reception house during the ceremony. Buy bottles of soda on sale and big bags of ice. Use paper plates and cups and use plastic utensils and buy a fancy-looking vinyl tablecloth. This will also make the clean-up a lot easier for whoever ends up cleaning. They'll thank you for it later.

7. Friends, friends, friends!

Still need music, pictures, and a cake? Ask your friends! Even if none of your friends is a DJ/KJ, photographer, or baker, chances are they know some people who can cut you a deal. If you can't afford a photographer, you probably have a friend who takes awesome pictures. Have them make the memories of your wedding. If there are family photos and such that you want, make sure you let them know. Get someone whom you know is famous for their goodies to make the cake. It may not be the five-tier cake that you dreamed about when you were ten, but it will be special just the same. If you are lucky, you have a friend who specializes in cake decorating who can build your five-tier dream. Use a small boom box for music at the ceremony and just have someone push the buttons. Make CD mixes of the songs you want in the order you want them. Supply the person with a list of what to play when and leave it to them. Have the same person bring the boom box to the reception house so that you can have your wedding party intros, first dance, etc.

So there you have it. It takes some time, but think of all the hassles you will avoid by marrying so quickly. There will be no time to change your mind about anything, much less change it several times. Taking these seven tips to heart will allow you to have a hassle-free, moderate-budget wedding of your dreams!

About the author:
After struggling with her own wedding, Michele Neisler created Wedding-Wisdom.com to educate future brides.
No matter what your wedding related needs, Wedding-Wisdom.com

How To Pick The Perfect Wedding Dress

2009-06-15T00:51:00.000+08:00

by: Ron swerfiger

Perhaps the biggest worry of a bride-to-be, is picking out the perfect wedding gown. There are many questions you need to ask yourself before you ever step foot inside a bridal shop. Below are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before making this big decision.

How much are you willing to spend?

The truth of the matter is, your wedding dress is only a fraction of the total cost of a wedding. Before you go picking out a dress, you first need to decide how much out of your “whole” budge you are willing to spend on the dress. There are many great looking gowns out there for a very reasonable cost, as well as beautiful gowns which can cost as much as most peoples entire wedding. Depending on the designer and material the cost can vary greatly. You need to know your limit, and shop within it.

What will you be wearing with the gown?

The dress is only part of your total appearance on your wedding day. You need to decide what else you will be wearing. Accessories such as, vale, shoes, jewelry etc, are all contributing factors when choosing your perfect dress. Your gown and accessories should all flow together in a beautiful piece.

Style

There are many amazing styles out there right now. Some brides choose to go with classic looks that have stood the tests of time, while others want a more contempory style. Your gown should fit within the theme of your wedding. If you are going for a very traditional theme, you gown should be very conservative and fit within that theme. For some great ideas on picking the style that’s right for you check out.

http://weddingdayjitters.com/

Once these key questions are answered you are ready to take the plunge into the extremely beautiful world of shopping for wedding dresses. One of the biggest mistakes new brides make is letting their mother-in-law, big brother, or sales clerk choose their dress for them. The bottom line is, “you” have to decide whether-or-not a particular dress is right for you. Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the greatest days of your life. Everything is supposed to be just perfect, so don’t settle for just any dress. Choose one that is right for you in every way. Don't forget you need to get the right lingerie, shoes and jewelry, to go with your beautiful wedding dress, but that is for another time.

About the author:
The Wedding Forum is the perfect place to talk with other brides, share tips and get some ideas or advice reguarding your big day. Or check out Ron's website promotion services. Ideal for new websites, forums and blogs.

How to Make Your Own Printable Invitations for Any Occasion

2009-06-15T00:49:00.000+08:00

by: Criss White

Even with modern technology like email and cell phones, printed invitations have remained the most common way to let people know about your upcoming party and will continue to remain popular due to the timeless rules of party etiquette. Invitations can be a major cost, especially for large parties, like weddings and some baby showers. However, with a little creativity and time, you can make your own printable invitations, even if you have no artistic skills.

1. The first step is designing your card. You can use a simple word processor like Microsoft Word and if you want, you can go to the Adobe's website at http://createpdf.adobe.com to convert your file into a pdf file. Select the proper dimensions and print out a sample on some plain white paper just to make sure it is the right size.

2. Next, you will want to find the proper card stock to print out your invitations on. Your local office supply store will have these and you can purchase them inexpensively there.

3. Use the word processor to insert text boxes with the words you want on your invitation. Play around with the fonts and text color.

4. There are many sites that offer free clip art and pictures that you can use for your invitations. Just do a search for "free clip art" on the search engines and you will find many sites that provide these services for free. Browse through and download the pictures you want and then insert them into your card at the desired location.

5. If you use a background image, make sure it does not obscure the text on the card. Ideally, background images should be watermarked. Most word processors will allow you to select background images and make them watermarks. Another alternative is to click on all the text boxes and give them solid colored backgrounds.

6. Need a catchy poem or verse? Once again, you can search the internet for related verses. For example, if I am making baby shower invitations, then I can search for "baby shower poem" or "baby verse" and any other related phrases.

7. Save the master copy of the finished card and print out a sample copy on plain paper to see what it will look like. If it looks good, then you can start personalizing each card and printing it out on card stock.

8. If you do not have a color printer, then create a personalized copy for each guest and save it as a separate file on a disk. Take the disk to your local print shop and have them print out a invitation for each guest. Some print shops may even print out the invitations for you if you give them the guest list and template. A print shop will cost more than printing them out yourself, but probably less than buying invitations from somewhere else. Plus the product should look very professional and they may even have the right card stock available. Additionally, print shops can do engraved invitations as well, which are good for upscale occasions like weddings.

Some other guidelines include try to stick to a central theme, don't try to use too many pictures and colors, and compare your card to others at card stores to get a feel for what a good invitation should look like. Remember that most invitations are simple and have just a few graphics and maybe one verse. As you can see, there are infinite possibilities when creating your own party invitations and not only is it a fun project, but will also save you money.

About the author:Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower supplies, information, and more baby related articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors ( ).

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

How To Lose The Baby Weight Without Starving Yourself

2009-06-15T00:43:00.000+08:00

by: Carrie Lauth

Are you currently pregnant and discouraged about getting back into shape after having your baby? Or maybe you're a new Mom who is exhausted and getting to the gym is the last thing on your mind! Either way, I hope the following tips help you lose that baby weight.

I don't have any fancy initials behind my name, I'm just a Mom of 4 kids. I've been able to get into my favorite Gap jeans fairly quickly after my babies, and I've observed that women who do the same have a few things in common. Here are my tips for losing the weight postpartum:

1) Don't use pregnancy as an excuse to binge.
Pregnancy is the time to get strict about nutrition. Eating junk food will produce a small baby and a big Momma. Make your pregnancy a time to turn over a new leaf if you are a junk food junkie. You'll be developing habits that will serve you well as you teach your children about nutrition.

At the same time, don't obsess about weight gain. I gained between 35-50 pounds for each of my pregnancies, and still didn't have trouble getting back into my old clothes within a few months postpartum. Focus on good nutrition, stay as active as you can, and you won't go wrong.

2) Breastfeed your baby.
Breastfeeding burns around 500-700 calories a day. Wow- that's not bad for sitting around relaxing on the couch! Your body puts on 9 pounds during your pregnancy specifically for the purpose of lactation. The extra weight is laid down on your thighs to make sure you will have enough fat to burn to make milk for baby. Call it "famine insurance" if you will. If you don't breastfeed, guess what? That 9 pounds stays.

Several studies show that nursing Moms return to their prepregnancy weight more quickly. Nursing also helps your uterus contract back to its prepregnancy size faster. Plus you'll have a nicer decolletage to boot!

3) Talk a walk every day
Walking is probably the perfect exercise for new Moms. It's not stressful on your joints (which are still loosey-goosey from the pregnancy hormones for a while after you give birth). It's free and doesn't require a babysitter or any special equipment. It gets you out in the sun, which helps regulates your sleep/wake cycle, causing you and baby to sleep better at night and possibly helping prevent postpartum depression. And you can do it with a friend. If you're sleep deprived and can't bear the thoughts of exercise, call up a buddy and make a date with her to walk several mornings a week. Then you can treat yourselves to Starbucks and gossip afterwards.

4) "Wear" your baby
In addition to the many other benefits, using a baby sling or other soft cloth carrier and wearing your baby will burn lots of calories during the day as you do your household chores or care for other children. It also makes it easier for you to be active. You'll be less tempted to sit around. Throwing on a sling and sitting baby inside it is much easier than lugging out and setting up a heavy stroller.

5) Curb those cravings
Postpartum Moms have cravings for several reasons. One is because serotonin levels are dropping, leading to cravings for sugar. Substitute snacking with another, health producing activity, like getting together with your buddy and going for a walk.

Another cause of cravings may be low blood sugar due to inadequate nutrition (eating too infrequently or eating too much refined sugar). Keep your blood sugar in control by eating frequent small meals that are balanced in nutrients. Keep snacks handy that you can grab quickly before you feed the baby. You need fats, protein and complex carbohydrates. Things like dried fruit and nuts, granola, full fat yogurt (buy the plain kind and mix in all-fruit jelly. Most yogurt has way too much sugar otherwise), kefir, vegetables sliced ahead of time and served with dips, hummus, whole grain pita bread, fruit smoothies, etc will keep your blood sugar constant and provide good nutrition. And keep taking your prenatal multivitamin to help prevent deficiencies that may cause cravings.

6) Avoid excessive caffeine
Drinking too much caffeine leads to insulin surges which cause your blood sugar to drop. When this happens most people head straight for the refined carbs to quicky bring their blood sugar back up. That's no good.

7) Get enough rest
Easier said than done for a new Mom, to be sure! But if at all possible, nap with your baby. When you are terribly sleep deprived, you tend to gain weight. Consider bringing baby to bed with you if you are nursing. You will sleep better, baby will sleep better, and Daddy will sleep better (making it more likely that he will take baby for a walk and let you nap some afternoons!). Women all over the world have been doing it for thousands of years. As long as you are not morbidly obese, using sleeping pills or inebriated, cosleeping is safe.

8) Focus on good nutrition
This is also a challenge for a new, stressed out Mom. Check out books like "The One Armed Cook" for ideas on how to prepare healthy meals with a baby in arms. Visit a La Leche League meeting and ask other Moms how they manage to eat well with kids in the kitchen. Some Moms who were former junk food junkies have done well with the following technique. Before feeding themselves a particular food, they ask: "Would I feed this to my baby?" If the answer is no, they don't eat it.

9) And lastly, give it time
Be realistic- don't expect yourself to be back into your favorite jeans within a few weeks of delivery. In the meantime, appreciate your new, womanly curves (especially the cleavage that breastfeeding gives you!). I noticed that my clothing style changes somewhat after I have a baby. My normal tailored, classic look gives way to a soft, feminine style that flatters my postpartum body more.

Rejoice in your body that can do such awesome things as give birth and nourish a new life! Likely, your partner is much more forgiving of your changing body than you are. Most of all, enjoy your new baby!

For more articles for Moms who want to take care of themselves, visit www.natural-moms.com/pregnancy_and_postpartum.html

About the author:
Are you a Mom who likes doing things the natural way? Come visit for articles, resources, a free newsletter, and products that complement your natural mothering style.

How to Give the Perfect Massage!

2009-06-15T00:39:00.001+08:00

by: Alli Ross

Let's face it, sometimes we could all use a good back rub. Massages have been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep, relieve certain types of muscle pain, improve posture , and relieve soreness (especially from sports and other related fitness activities). A massage also improves circulation and flexibility. Increased circulation of the blood helps you to eliminate toxins, feel great, and promote healthy bodily functions. Massage therapy has also been known to provide a more comfortable pregnancy. What a great gift for the mom-to-be.

Here are some massaging tips that hit the spot.

* Start with the shoulders and work your way down. The trick is to knead and roll rather than pinch or lightly stroke. Be careful not to rub directly on the spine, because the skin is thinner there.

* Use rhythmic movements and try to keep them consistent. It's best not to rub longer in one spot than in another unless asked.

* When massaging the neck, place your thumbs on the sides of the neck, curving your fingers over the top of the shoulders. This area is more sensitive for some than others. It's best to ask the person.

* Using the palm of your hand or a flattened fist, apply pressure gently to the spine, working your way up the back of the neck. Once you reach the top of the body, lightly stroke the back from top to bottom in one large motion.

* Using lotion can help relieve dry or irritated skin, as well as leave the person feeling totally relaxed.

About the author:
GranMamma is the webmaster at the Baby Names Box - Where you can explore over 6,000 baby names and their meanings. Read articles on parenting, family, recipes, home and gardening. Be sure to say hi to GranMamma!

How To Eat A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

2009-06-14T23:59:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Perhaps the number one complaint of women trying to watch their weight during pregnancy is that they are hungry all the time. True, pregnancy does result in an increased metabolic demand on the body, which can cause you to be hungry. Many women also experience a number of cravings during pregnancy, which can make healthy eating challenging.

The first thing to remember is that the idea that you should eat for two is wrong. You only need an additional 300 calories per day, and generally you don’t need these calories until you are well on your way to the second and third trimesters.

So what can you do to help manage your weight and stick to a healthy diet?

Remember that during pregnancy it is vital that you do not cut back on your caloric intake. This has the potential to rob your baby of essential nutrients that are necessary for his/her growth and development. Here are some tips to help you stick to a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy:

Avoid skipping meals. If you have a habit of skipping breakfast, you’ll find that you are not only more fatigued but ravenous during your pregnancy, which will result in overeating. Be sure that you eat each meal every day.

Try eating several mini meals throughout the ay. This will not only help you feel fuller longer, it will help minimize the nausea often experienced during the first trimester.

Satisfy your cravings with nutritious snacks. Have a variety of healthy things to snack on readily available so you avoid overindulging in foods that are too decadent. If you are craving something sweet, consider having some mini chocolates near by or opt for a cup of hot chocolate. Both are far better for you than an entire candy bar or piece of cake.

Exercise during your pregnancy. The act of exercising in and of itself will be plenty to motivate you to stick to a healthy diet. You’ll feel better about yourself and find that you have more energy throughout the day.

Avoid high calorie beverages. Soda pop (which isn’t good for you anyway, particularly during pregnancy), juices and other flavored drinks often contain a good 100-300 calories per serving. Stick to water or flavored water during your pregnancy.

Drink lots of water. You may think you are hungry when in fact you are actually thirsty at many points during your pregnancy. In fact, the brains hunger and thirst centers often get mixed up, so people often feel hungry when they are in fact dehydrated. The better hydrated you are, the les likely you are to overeat.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy diet

How To Buy Antique Engagement Rings

2009-06-14T23:55:00.000+08:00

by: Christopher Bowne

There are as many good reasons to consider purchasing an antique engagement ring as there are reasons for deciding when to pop the question. While modern day jewelers struggle to offer customers something unique and contemporary, the bride-to-be may be more inclined to appreciate the style and inherent charm of an antique. Another perfectly acceptable reason for purchasing antique engagement rings is they often offer buyers a better quality diamond at a lower price than purchasing a new ring.

Before beginning your search for the perfect wedding ring, it is best to ask yourself a few questions.

Do you know about the four C's?

The four C's are the criteria professionals use to determine the value of a diamond.

"Clarity takes into account the number, character, and visibility of flaws within the stone. These are often referred to as inclusions. The fewer inclusions, the better the quality of the stone."

Carat is the size or weight of the diamond. The larger the stone, the higher the cost. An advantage to buying antique engagement rings is that in the 1930s and 1940s jewelers often compensated for a smaller sized diamond by setting it in an intricately designed white gold, square-shaped box. These made the stone appear larger.

"Color is a matter of taste. Modern-day standards put a higher value on a clear diamonds, as a rule. In the past, buyers wanted their diamonds to reflect a rainbow of colors, soft pinks, yellow, or green tints. While colored diamonds are still available today, they were considered more valuable in the past. It is also important to note that many of the modern colored diamonds are artificially altered to enhance the color."

Cut is also a matter of taste and another reason antique engagement rings may be the best answer. Over the years, the preference of cut has changed. Additionally, a laser now cuts most diamonds; whereas older stones were normally cut by hand, giving them a more customized, romantic look.

What is the difference between an antique ring and an estate ring?

Antique rings normally refer to rings that are over 50 years old. Rings less than 50 years old and purchased used are considered as estate rings.

What are the styles of different eras?

Victorian Era (1835-1900) - Victorian era antique engagement rings featured diamonds or pearls set in yellow or rose gold. The ring styles varied from simple elegance to intricate detail. Many settings featured rows of diamonds that were cut with an extra facet in the bottom of the stone. This was known as a mine cut.

Edwardian Era (1900-1920) - With the invention of the oxyacetylene torch, platinum became the preferred metal for the period. The wedding bands were often crafted with lacy and pierced shapes, milgraining, filigree detail, and scrollwork. Rose-cut diamonds and sapphires were the preferred stones.

Art Deco Era (1920-1930) - Art Deco antique engagement rings feature a streamlined geometric look. They also reflect Egyptian, Asian, and Native American cultures. These rings were often made of platinum featured colorful, contrasting gemstones as well as diamonds.

Where can antique engagement rings be purchased?

Antique engagement rings can be purchased in a number of places: antique stores, estate sales, pawn shops, auctions, and there select vendors online and larger cities who specialize in the purchase and resale of antique jewelry. No matter where you purchase your engagement rings, remember to get a full description of your purchase in writing and look to vendors who offer a written returns policy. You may also ask if the jewelry comes with a certified gemologists report, which provides optimal proof that the jewelry is as described.

Conclusion

When purchasing an engagement ring, it is important to consider all your options, including antique engagement rings.

About the author:
Christopher Bowne is writer for an online guide. Chris is also publishing on topics from antique rings to celtic jewelry

How To Avoid Swelling When Pregnant

2009-06-14T23:49:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Edema, otherwise known as swelling, will affect almost all women at some point during their pregnancy. Swelling or Edema is most often the result of excessive levels of hormones coursing through your body.

Really, the best thing you can do to combat swelling is to drink far more fluid. It may seem counter intuitive, but the more juice and water you drink the less water your body will hold onto and the less puffy you will be. You should be working to drink at least 10 eight ounce glasses of water per day. Also try to avoid diuretic beverages such as tea and coffee, which contain caffeine. These are more likely to dehydrate you than invigorate you during your pregnancy.

You might also consider wearing some support stockings during your pregnancy. These will not only help combat swelling, but may help prevent or minimize the effects of varicose veins later in pregnancy. Most medical care suppliers carry support hosiery that works well for women during pregnancy.

You should look for support hose with a medium grading minimum, meaning they provide firm support. Compression hose can often be purchased online. You can also ask your healthcare provider where you might purchase a pair or two.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy swelling

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

2009-06-14T23:48:00.000+08:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins

If you're pregnant, you're very likely concerned about the amount of weight you're gaining, the effect it has on your body, even how difficult it will be to take off after your pregnancy. Your OB/GYN or midwife is your best source of advice about healthy weight gain during pregnancy, but there are general guidelines.

Depending on your weight at the start of your pregnancy, your doctor may tell you that a healthy weight gain for you is anywhere between 15 and 40 pounds. If you're underweight to start (a BMI of less than 18.5), 25 to 40 pounds is a reasonable weight gain during pregnancy. If you're overweight, he or she may suggest you stick closer to 15 to 25 pounds. Of that weight, 6 to 8 pounds of it is the baby. The rest is amniotic fluid, extra tissue and blood to nourish the baby (including the placenta), and the increased size of your breasts and placenta. You'll lose as much as 15 pounds of it WITH the birth (amniotic fluid, placenta and baby).

Any doctor will tell you that pregnancy is NOT the time to go on a diet. Your body AND your baby need the nutrients of an adequate, balanced diet to keep you both healthy. This doesn't mean that you should throw all your restraint to the winds and 'eat for two', though. Your body needs approximately an extra 300 calories a day to build a healthy baby. Those 300 calories should come from the same healthy variety of foods that your normal diet gives you. (You were eating a healthy, balanced diet, weren't you? If not, pregnancy is a great time to start.)

You can expect to gain weight along a fairly predictable pattern. In the first three months, you'll gain 2-4 pounds altogether. During the second trimester, you can expect to gain between 3-4 pounds a month (about a pound per week). During the last three months, you'll gain an additional 8-10 pounds. Your doctor or midwife will weigh you regularly, and may express concern over a deviation from this pattern. A sudden sharp weight gain, for instance, can indicate pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes.

If your doctor advises you to try to limit your weight gain during your pregnancy, be sure to choose a healthy diet that provides all the necessary daily requirements for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Remember that a 'diet' during pregnancy isn't meant to help you LOSE weight, but rather to limit the amount of weight gained.

Regular exercise is also good for both you and your baby. You can maintain most of your daily activities, and if regular workouts were a part of your daily routine, then by all means keep them up. You'll feel better, and your body will be less likely to protest the extra weight with aches and pains. Do keep in mind that exercise during pregnancy shouldn't be overly strenuous, and that you should avoid activities with a risk of falling or injury. Also remember that your center of balance is different - it may feel awkward to do the things you usually do while you're carrying your little bundle of joy.

For specifics with regard to your own situation, speak with your doctor or midwife. If you're concerned about gaining weight, or feel that you're gaining too much, you can ask for a consultation with a nutritionist to help you design a healthy eating plan that will make sure the baby is well-nourished, and your concerns about your weight are met.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.

History of the Mediterranean Diet

2009-06-14T23:25:00.000+08:00

by: Roy Barker

Eating Well for Good Health

Introduction

In recent years, a growing number of men and women in different countries around the world have become increasingly concerned about their health. Because of the fact that many people have become more concerned about their overall health, these men and women have paid closer attention to what they eat on a regular basis. In the final analysis, these men and women are making dietary decisions designed to improve their general health and wellbeing.

As people have become more conscious of their health and diet, a considerable number of these same men and women have become interested in the Mediterranean diet regimen. If you are, in fact, a person who appreciates the interrelationship between diet and health, you may have a definite interest in the history of the Mediterranean diet regimen.

Before you can appropriately understand what the Mediterranean diet is all about, you need to appreciate that it is more of a concept than a specific dining routine. In reality, there is no such thing as a Mediterranean diet common to all of the countries in the Mediterranean region of the world. Rather, the “Mediterranean diet” consists of those food items that people who live in the various nations in the region consume in common.

The Origins of the Mediterranean Diet

The concept of the Mediterranean diet is derived from the eating habits and patterns of the people who populate the countries of Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Tunisia, Lebanon and Morocco. As a result, the Mediterranean diet actually includes a tremendous array of delectable food. In point of fact, if a person elects to adopt the concept of the Mediterranean dining scheme, or if a person elects to follow a Mediterranean diet regimen, he or she will have the ability to enjoy a remarkable assortment of scrumptious fare.

The diet of the peoples that have populated the regions around the Mediterranean Sea actually have remained nearly completely unchanged for well over one thousand years. The history of the region is replete with examples of men and women living longer than similarly situated people who consumed alternate diets. Through the centuries, the people of the Mediterranean Sea region have enjoyed longer lives that people in other parts of the world at the same historical epoch.

At the heart of the Mediterranean diet are foods and beverages that are indigenous to the geographic landmass surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In short, the development of the Mediterranean dieting and dining pattern initially developed by providence. The people of the region naturally and understandably ate those foods and drank those beverages that readily were available in and around their homes.

The Historical Elements of the Mediterranean Diet Scheme

As mentioned previously, over the centuries, the diet of the peoples of the Mediterranean Sea region has remained essentially unchanged. The Mediterranean diet consists of the bountiful consumption of a number of healthy food items including:

Fresh fruit

Fresh vegetables

Low fat nuts

Whole grains

Monounsaturated fat

In a similar vein, the Mediterranean diet utilized by people for generation after generation excludes or limits certain food items that have been deemed harmful in recent scientific studies. These less than desirable food items include:

Saturated fats

Red and fatty meat

Rich dairy products

Fatty fish

The Historical Effects of the Mediterranean Diet Scheme

As has been alluded to earlier in this article on the history of the Mediterranean diet regimen, the people who inhabit the region have a demonstrably lower rate of heart disease and related ailments that oftentimes have a direct dietary connection. With the advent of scientific studies that have correlated the incidence of health problems with a poor diet, the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet have become self evident.

Research over the course of the past two decades has conclusively demonstrated that the men and women who populate the Mediterranean region are afflicted with heart disease and similar ailments far less often than people in other regions of the world. The experts who have conducted these studies have concluded that there is a strong likelihood that the diet scheme that is common in the Mediterranean region is responsible for maintaining the good health of the people who live in that corner of the globe throughout the past one thousand years.

Conclusion: The Expansive Use of the Historical Mediterranean Diet Scheme

During the past twenty years, a significant number of people in different countries around the world have turned their attention towards finding healthy diet regimens that are low in saturated fat and that include bountiful servings of fresh fruits and vegetable. Consequently, the Mediterranean diet has caught the eye of innumerable people who want to include healthy eating into their overall course of prudent living. In short, the Mediterranean diet encompasses foods and beverages that, when consumed in moderation, can work to lessen the threat of some serious diseases and can aid in creating the necessary foundation for a long, hearty lifetime.

About the author:
Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken You can gain much more detail from Ray's sites along with other relevant information at or

Hair Style Magazines? Dont Waste Money, These Are The Best

2009-06-14T23:16:00.000+08:00

by: Michael Barrows

It's no secret that there is a lot of misleading beauty advice out there. So, where should you turn for the latest styles, trends and advice? A good place to start is with a leading, reputable hair style magazine or black hair magazine.

When you choose one of the leading hair style magazines or black hair magazines over other publications, you gain access to the latest trends and insider secrets in the beauty industry. No longer will you have to wait until a trend becomes popular and dozens of people are wearing it before you catch on. By subscribing to a hair style magazine, you can keep your eye on the upcoming styles and get them before anyone else.

So, which style magazine should you buy? Here are reviews of five of the leading hair style magazines to aid you in your decision (and details of how you can get them at discounted prices):

" American Salon. American Salon is the leading hair style magazine among professionals. Inside the pages of this magazine are insider trade secrets, trends and techniques that have just been introduced by top-of-the-line beauty professionals. Here you can learn about the latest innovative products and beauty treatments, the newest cutting and color trends, and other tidbits of knowledge at the same time that the professionals do. While this magazine is great to keep informed of all that is going on in the beauty industry, it is not ideal for choosing your next hair cut. Filled with industry jargon and how-to articles, most of the information contained in this hair style magazine would not be fully appreciated by a non-professional.

" Celebrity Hairstyles. If you're looking for all of the hot styles worn in Hollywood, Celebrity Hairstyles could be just the hair style magazine to bring it all together for you. Ever wonder how Hilary Duff and Faith Hill got those softly tousled locks? Wonder no more. Not only is this hair style magazine full of color photos of the latest celebrity styles, it also has technical how-to information that you can take along with you to the salon.

" Hype Hair. When it comes to finding a leading black hair magazine, there is none better than Hype Hair. Called the "the style handbook for today's black woman," Hype Hair features up-to-date innovative hairstyles, interviews, contests and funky fresh hair styles. From the sleek and sedate to the funky and corn rowed, there is a style for everyone in this black hair magazine.

" Modern Salon. This hair style magazine is similar to American Salon in that it caters to professionals only. Featuring the latest trends and interviews with top professionals, Modern Salon takes a fresh and modern look at the beauty industry in its entirety including nails, make-up, hair, color, skin care.

" Short Hair Styles. This is perhaps the hair style magazine and black hair magazine that I have seen brought into the salon most often by clients. The pages of Short Hair Styles are filled with color photos of the latest color and cutting styles. In here, you can find a cut for any texture of hair and ethnicity. From the textured spike to the soft curled, there is really a short style for everyone in this magazine.

In addition to these hair style magazines, there are several women's magazines that offer great hair care advice. Vogue, Glamour and First are just a sampling of the many magazines that feature in-depth hair care articles and advice from top hair care professionals. For many, these magazines are the best way to keep up with current trends and style ideas.

These are just a few of the many hair style magazines and black hair magazines available, but they are top of the line. Whether you're a professional or someone just looking for a cool new style, you cannot go wrong with hair style magazines. And finally, the best news is that you can get most of them at heavily discounted prices. For further details check my website at http://www.great-hairstyles.com/magazine.html

About the author:
Michael Barrows' website gives great advice for good hair. Get your free ebook packed with hair style and hair care tips and advice, visit

Hospitals around the country are now banning vaginal birth after cesarean delivery

2009-06-14T22:41:00.001+08:00

by: James Brann, MD

Are you hoping to experience a vaginal birth after having had a cesarean delivery? You may find your hopes are squelched by modern practitioners.

Hospitals around the country are now banning vaginal birth after cesarean delivery and insisting women undergo repeat cesarean delivery. Hospitals say they cannot comply with the guidelines issued in 1999 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The guidelines call for a doctor to be available "immediately" throughout active labor when a woman is attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, in order to perform an emergency cesarean section if needed. Previous guidelines had called for a physician to be "readily" available. In order for a hospital to comply with the new recommended guidelines, a whole operating crew, an anesthesiologist and obstetrician would have to be in the hospital around the clock. Only major medical centers, with in house physicians, will be able to continue to offer vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. Smaller hospitals may now have to abandon the practice.

Why the controversy? Women attempting vaginal birth after cesarean delivery are at a greater risk for uterine rupture than what was once believed. Uterine rupture can be life threatening for both the mother and her baby. Some patients with uterine rupture may require a hysterectomy and some infants may die. The controversy that arises with the risks associated with vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is that many women are willing to take the risk, but their freedom of choice over who controls childbirth is being steamrolled by physicians and hospitals. Women are not being allowed to have a choice in their mode of delivery. Doctors say their position is based on concern for the patient's safety.

Doctors now have a new worry that women trying to avoid repeat cesarean delivery may give birth at home or in birthing centers that are not equipped to perform emergency cesarean surgeries if necessary. Also of concern is the possibility that laboring patients may wait to the last moment to go to the hospital to avoid repeat cesarean section.

The controversy surrounding vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is not only a health care issue, it is becoming a women's civil rights issue. A woman should have the right to choose her mode of delivery. Currently the right of a woman to be involved in her birth plan is being crushed under the weight of new laws and strict healthcare limitations that should be a cause for concern for all women across the nation.

If you are considering a vaginal birth after cesarean, be certain to discuss your options completely with your healthcare provider.

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/pregnancy_week_36.htm

About the author:
Dr. James Brann is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is also the Editor of Women's Healthcare Topics.
At Women's Healthcare Topics website you will find valuable and up-to-date information on numerous topics related to women's health including Signs of Pregnancy, Chlamydia, Hysterectomy, Early Pregnancy Symptoms and more.

Here is the best assistance concerning pregnancy signs.

2009-06-14T22:39:00.000+08:00

by: Tom

When you are after top information about pregnancy signs, it will be easier said than done extracting the best information from ill-equiped pregnancy signs submissions and support so it is important to recognize ways of moderating the information presented to you.

Find pregnancy signs
Your relevant result is a click away!

Here are several tips which we think you should use when you're searching for information about pregnancy signs. It is important to remember that the wisdom we're offering you is only appropriate to internet info about pregnancy signs. We cannot offer any guidance or advice when you are also conducting research offline.

Look for pregnancy signs
Find pregnancy signs at one of the best sites the Internet has to offer!

A good hint to track when offered help or advice concerning a pregnancy signs page is to find out who owns the site. This may reveal the operators pregnancy signs credibility The easiest way to work out who is at the back of the pregnancy signs website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.

All decent sites providing information on pregnancy signs, will almost certainly provide an 'about' or 'contact' page that will list the owner's details. The details should let you know some specifications regarding the owner's proficency and credentials. You can then make a judgement about the webmaster's familiarity and qualifications, to offer help regarding pregnancy signs.

About the author:
Kevin Temp is the webmaster for

Horology - Back in Time

2009-06-14T22:35:00.000+08:00

by: Martin Smith

You should be familiar with some terminology before you learn about watches. Horology is the art of making clocks, watches and other devices for telling time and it is also the study/science of measuring time. An effort has been made to measure time since man appeared on earth.

Using candles marked at intervals, tracking the sun in the sky, oil lamps with marked reservoirs, and hour/sandglasses are some of the ways in which time was measured. Cords with knots were use as well as small metal or stone mazes filled with incense that burned at a certain rate. Water clocks did not rely upon the watching of the sky or of the sun.

Around 1500 B.C. the earliest water clock was found in Amenhotep's tomb. They were called Clepsydras by the Greeks and were stone containers with sloped sides that allowed water to drip through a small whole in the bottom at a continuous rate. Cylindrically and bowl shaped containers that allow water to slowly fill up with water at a steady pace are also Clepsydras.

Hours were indicated by the markings on the inside of the bowl. This was used predominantly at night but it is believed they were used in the day hours as well. A bowl made of metal with a hole in the bottom was inside a larger bowl filled with water. It would fill up and it would then sink in a certain amount of time. Water flow was unpredictable and difficult to control accurately so timepieces that depended on water were very inaccurate.

People were desirous of developing more accurate ways of measuring and telling time. Creating a frequency was dependent upon the size, shape and temperature of the crystal in the development of quartz crystal clocks and time pieces. Still popular today are quartz crystal clocks and watches.

Most people can afford them and although they tend to be slightly off of the correct time, they work well for the price. No minute hand was on the first watches but they did have natural movement.

Every twelve hours they required winding. Originally watches were worn for adornment rather than functionality. Weights in portable timepieces were not practical. From the beginning man's goal has been to measure time and a time line will show you how watches have to gottten to be what they are today There are new functions on watches.

They have stop watches, times across time zones, the date and the time. Some kind of an alarm is put in most watches. I can really see the Dick Tracy kind of watch being real, the possibilities are endless. Although some of the years might not be in chronological order but they are as close as possible. Learning how watches have developed is very interesting.

It is incredible when I think of how smart and technical the minds of the people who had their hand in inventing watches. The driving power of timepieces prior to 1600, were balanced weights and it was a huge problem. This created difficulty in carrying them around. Henlien was paid fifteen Florins in 1524 for a gilt-musk apple with a watch. This, in fact, is earliest date known of watch production.

Watches that were probably French or German appeared in 1548. Swiss and English products began to show up in 1575. The was the time when the most advancements and innovation. The first watch movements were made of steel and then later of brass. These straight verge watches had no balance and were awfully inaccurate. The was the introduction of the use of spiral-leaf main springs.

The power of movement without hanging weights was allowed. These timepieces were not continually accurate. 1600 through 1675 was called the age of decoration. Rather than being practical watches developed into decorative pieces of jewelry.

Tambour cylinder cases were changed to a circular case with hinged, domed covers on the front and back. Two types of case Champleve Enamel and relieved cases filled with colored enamel appeared. Glass crystals were fitted to the cases as an alternate choice to metal opaque covers in 1620. The owner was able to see the time without removing the cover because the glass is clear. The cover needed to be removed in order to see the time and/or set the watch.

Plain watches came out of the Puritan movie in 1625. Fancy shapes and adornments were seen mostly on ladies' watches after 1660. The first uses of spiral balance springs in watches occurred in 1675. The accuracy of a time piece was now being measured in fractions of minutes not fractions of hours. A dial was created by watchmakers that had a minute hand and was divided by minutes because of the increased accuracy.

Charles II in 1675 introduced waistcoats with pockets. Men now carried their watches not on a pendant but in their pockets. 1704 was the year Dullier and Debeaigre developed the method of using jewels as bearings. Sully determined in 1715 that creating a small sink around each hole would retain the oil because of the surface tension.

Finding a large diamond endstone in the cock was common in 1725. 1750 saw the beginning of putting watchmaker's names on the dials, it had never been done. A clock made by John Harrison in 1761, that was so accurate they used it during sea voyages to measure longitude. In 1775 Champleve is now rare.

Self-winding watches began to be produced by Purrelet. These watches made by Rareguel, were produced in 1780. The pocket chronometer in 1800 was readily available and an extremely accurate watch. The first one who in 1814 used a push or pump with a rack that operated by pushing the pendant that turned on a ratchet basic or going bowl was Massey.

The first to use mass production was the United States in 1850 and got mixed results. Advances were made in metallurgy in1900. The introduction of the balance spring on the first verge watch was made at this time. Watches powered by batteries became available in 1952. Since 1970 electronic watches have been very successful. Watches today use quartz crystals, and even atomic power.

Advances in the field of Horology are being made all the time and time tracking has never been more accurate.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Watches and and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

Getting Pregnant

2009-06-14T17:42:00.000+08:00

by: Heather Barnard

As the weeks turn into months you may begin to realize the cold truth that getting pregnant isn't as easy as you had imagined. If it's your first time you may even have spent most of your life trying to 'avoid' getting pregnant and even fearing it.. well now the time has come you may be starting to realise that it isn't as straight forward as you thought.
There are several factors which may be impeding your getting pregnant.

Why is it so difficult?

Well, logistically, the timing is very important.
A healthy woman ovulates only once every cycle normally releasing an egg which needs to be fertilised within a period of 6 to 12 hours in order to become pregnant.
This is the main factor which stops the majority of healthy couples from becoming pregnant.

The male sperm can survive inside the woman for between 2 and 3 days and the ideal situation for fertilisation is to have the sperm recently deposited inside the woman and waiting for the egg to appear - most fertilisation actually takes place at the mouth of the fallopian tubes.

The quality of the male sperm can vary greatly. Heat around the testicles, the wearing of tight underwear and excessive ejaculation are all factors which can greatly decrease the amount of active fertile sperm reducing the possibility of fertilisation.

So if a couple had intercourse twice a day every day for the whole month it would not necessarily be as effective as to have intercourse only once at the right time... just hours before ovulation occurs.

An effective method used by many couples (which will be addressed in a future article) is the charting method or BBT (Basal Body Temperature) method. This basically involves charting the daily vaginal temperature. Just at the point of ovulation there is a significant rise in temperature. This, combined with other symptoms such as density of vaginal mucus and possible abdominal sensations will show the when ovulation is occurring. After a few months of using this highly accurate method, the couple can predict with high certainty exactly when ovulation will occur and can have intercourse just hours before this is due to occur to ensure fertilisation.

Major health matters that impede fertilization include smoking and drinking in both the woman and the man. Un-healthy eating.. the woman should make sure that she has a good supply of vitamin B12 (found in meat, fish, eggs and milk) also the taking of folic acid can greatly help matters.
Drug taking (including some prescription drugs) is also very harmful for the conception process (and for the unborn baby if continued into pregnancy). The smoking of cannabis / marijuana reduces the amount of active sperm produced by the man by well over 50% and the effects of this last for over 6 months.

All these points show how difficult it can be to get pregnant and you might begin to see that the creation of another human life really is a miracle when you see how improbable the chances of fertilisation really are.

About the author:
Heather Barnard:
Read more about how to get pregnant at
© Copyright Pregnant Aid - 2005

Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

2009-06-14T17:40:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Many women have questions about the types of food that are safe to eat during pregnancy. It is actually easier to discuss the types of foods you should avoid during pregnancy than it is do discuss the foods that are safe to eat.

There's a lot of food to avoid during pregnancy because they may be harmful to you or your developing baby.

Food To Avoid During Pregnancy

Deli and Processed Sandwich Meats – these meats might be contaminated with Listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria that can result in miscarriage or even a stillbirth. While listeria is relatively harmless to most ordinary people, it can be life threatening for your unborn baby. Pregnant women are more susceptible to listeria because of their lowered immune system. If you want to eat deli meats, be sure that you cook them until they are steaming hot, which will help kill any bacteria that might be present.

Raw meats – much lie deli meats, raw meats should be avoided because they can carry bacteria that are harmful for both mother and baby.

Certain types of fish – while most fish is healthy, there are certain kinds of fish that contain high levels of mercury, which is harmful for your unborn baby’s brain. Consuming too much mercury during pregnancy can result in developmental problems and even brain damage. The types of fish that contain the highest levels of mercury include: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tuna, sea bass and tilefish.

Raw eggs – like raw meat, raw eggs have the potential to carry bacteria, particularly salmonella. Believe it or not raw eggs are in a number of various products including some forms of Caesar dressing, mayonnaise and even ice cream. If you are uncertain about whether or not something you are eating contains raw eggs, avoid it unless you can find out for certain whether or not it is harmful.

Unpasteurized soft cheeses – some chesses that are imported also have the potential to carry life threatening Listeria if they are not pasteurized. The most common types of cheese that carry this risk include certain forms of Brie, Camembert, feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican cheeses like queso. If these cheeses are pasteurized however they should be safe to consume.

Unpasteurized milk or juices – remember that any type of milk product or juice that has not been pasteurized has the potential to carry Listeria and other bacteria that may be harmful for you and your baby during pregnancy.

You should also avoid alcohol during your pregnancy. There is no known safe amount of alcohol that can be recommended during pregnancy. There are numerous fetal abnormalities and birth defects as well as developmental problems that have been associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Alcohol should also be minimized or avoided during breastfeeding, because it can pass through the breast milk.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Five Powerful Tips to Ease Morning Sickness in Pregnancy

2009-06-14T17:39:00.002+08:00

by: Rebecca Smith

Some pregnant women suffer not only morning sickness, it's often more morning, noon, and night sickness. They feel sick all the time, and want to crawl back into bed. Pregnant women will learn in this article five powerful tips that will ease morning sickness.

1. Control your blood sugar level
Allevate morning sickness pregnancy by keeping your blood sugar level stable. Obviously, sleeping is a major problem when you are trying to regulate your blood sugar. Try to eat without getting out of bed. Your partner will be happy to bring food to you every morning. Take only small bites. Try to eat a little bit, then wait to stand up. Give your body time to get the food into your system.

2. Watch out what you eat!
Morning sickness pregnancy is also triggered by certain foods. Avoid foods that will spike your blood sugar level. Foods such as processed sugars and white flour can cause morning sickness pregnancy. Whole grain foods and protein are a good alternative as they are less likely to cause nausea.

3. Be careful with drinking too much water
Although Doctors will tell you repeatedly to drink plenty of water, it can make morning sickness pregnancy worse. They are trying to ensure that dehydration doesn’t become a problem. Try some alternatives to water. Try drinking smoothies with a little plain yogurt with fruit mixed in. Mix the water with a little lime or lemon. You can even try tea – cold or hot tea very watered down. Fruits such as melons can help with morning sickness pregnancy. Regardless of your preference, it is extremely important to stay hydrated. If water is exacerbating morning sickness pregnancy, you do need alternatives.

4. Smells can trigger morning sickness pregnancy
Another issue that can cause morning sickness pregnancy is odors. There are steps you can take to alleviate morning sickness pregnancy due to smells. One hint is to let your husband change diapers if you have other children. Cook odor-neutral foods – no garlic, onions, or oily fish. Stay away from people that have odor problems. They can make your morning sickness pregnancy worse.

5. Positive Thinking
You can ease morning sickness pregnancy by focusing on positive things. Remember, while your face is in the toilet, you are growing another person inside you. This is one of the most wonderful times in your life, and the morning sickness pregnancy will not last forever. In a few months, a beautiful baby will come out and your life will be more fulfilled than you could ever imagine. Read baby name books, look at pregnancy clothes, and try to get yourself excited that you are about to have one of life’s greatest little gifts.

About the author:
About The Author - Rebecca Smith is the owner of Pregnany Health Information Center, the free Resource for Pregnancy Information and Health Tips.

Female Hair Loss: Finding A Hair Loss Solution

2009-06-14T17:39:00.001+08:00

by: Kathlene Capelle

As a female, if you are facing thinning and losing hair, you are probably pretty stressed by it. However, you will not be worrying and causing more hair to drop once you understand some facts about female hair loss.
You see, in many cases, female hair loss is just a temporary occurance and hence, finding a hair loss solution to it is relatively easy.

Androgenetic alopecia is the hereditary form of baldness that affects 50 percent of men, and some women after 40. Female hair loss usually starts after menopause although it can begin earlier. The main reason for this is that estrogen levels decline. Hormonal changes cause hair to thin.

It is comforting to note that other than androgenetic alopecia, the most common cause of hair loss in women, is a result of metabolic and hormonal changes. Thus, the hair loss is usually temporary. Also, unlike men, women rarely become totally bald. However, what females generally experience is the thinning of their hair.

For example, in the case of pregnancy, hair loss is temporary and should stop about 6 months after birth. When a woman is pregnant, a large amount of oestrogen is produced causing the hair follicles to go into their growth phase. Once the baby is born, the woman’s hormonal balance is restored. The reverse now happens with the hair follicles going into a hair loss phase.

While nothing much can be done to prevent hair loss during this period, applying hair tonic to hasten hair re-growth can be a helpful solution.

Crash diets leading to rapid weight loss over a short period of time prompts excessive hair loss.

Physical and emotional stress can cause hair loss but this usually only occurs after a prolonged period of time and in extreme cases. Once stress levels are restored to normal levels, hair loss should stop. Thus, a good hair loss solution is to find ways to reduce stress!

Certain drugs can also cause hair to shed. The most common medical treatment that causes hair loss is chemotherapy. The drug medication attacks the hair cells, causing hair loss from the scalp. Certain prescription drugs (for thyroid hormone deficiency, diabetes and lupus) and dieting supplements are also causes of hair loss. Once these drug medications are stopped, the hair loss problem should disappear.

Other stresses to the hair may include frequent dyeing and chemicals eg. perming solutions applied to the hair. Generally, healthy hair can undergo these treatments without showing signs of stress, if they are not done too often. But if hair is not allowed a chance to recover from the constant application of hair chemicals, then it becomes brittle and starts to break off. Hair loss treatment products to help strengthen the follicles should help when applied to the scalp.

Once you understand what is happening to your hair, then seek out the right hair loss solution. In most cases, if the cause is temporary, then you can be assured that your problem will pass with the right remedy actions. However, for the more serious cases, do seek the professional help of a licensed dermatologist for a complete diagnosis and treatment plan.

About the author:
Kathlene Capelle is a writer for beauty tips and advice. She believes in helping people regain their confidence through a beautiful crop of hair. For more articles,

Exercise During Pregnancy

2009-06-14T17:37:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your unborn child during pregnancy is exercise. There are numerous studies that show that women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to have easy labor and deliveries and faster recoveries.

Before you start any exercise program during pregnancy it is essential that you consult with your healthcare provider. For some women it may be more dangerous than beneficial to exercise during pregnancy.

Once you get the go ahead from your doctor, you can embark on an exercise program that is suitable to your stage in pregnancy.

Here are just a few of the benefits associated with exercise during pregnancy:

- Exercise helps combat fatigue.

- Exercise helps minimize back pain because it helps strengthen back muscles.

- Exercise can help promote a smaller amount of fat gain during pregnancy.

- Exercise provides an exceptional form of stress relief.

- Women who exercising during pregnancy are less likely to experience difficult labors.

- Women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster and recover more quickly after delivery.

There are some forms of activity that are better than others during pregnancy. Certain exercises can help promote physical fitness and are less likely to result in injury. Among the best exercises for pregnant moms include:

- Walking

- Swimming

- Stretching

- Yoga

- Pilates

- Dancing

- Stationary Cycling

- Low Impact Prenatal Aerobics

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Exercise After Pregnancy

2009-06-14T17:36:00.001+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Generally most women can begin a formal exercise program within 6 weeks of giving birth, though this time frame might be slightly longer for some women, including those recovering from a C-section. Most women recovering from a C-section will be able to exercise after there incision has healed and their doctor has cleared them for exercise.

Just how soon you begin an exercise program will depend in part on how you feel. If you had an easy delivery with no tearing and few interventions and regularly exercised prior to birth, you may feel up to some light exercise within 2 weeks of giving birth.

If this is the case, your doctor will probably allow you to engage in some light activities, including walking. Strenuous activity should generally be avoided however until several weeks after birth.

For some women however, even light exercise in the weeks following delivery is not possible. If you had an episiotomy or tore severely while delivering for example, your body may not physically be ready for a formal exercise program for at least 4-6 weeks after birth (note… this is also how long most physicians recommend that women abstain from intercourse!).

How soon you begin exercising thus depends on your body and your unique situation. Be sure you consult with your physician before embarking on a new exercise program regardless of your activity level before and during pregnancy.

Let’s say that one more time because it is important… YOU MUST CONSULT WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF YOU WANT TO EMBARK ON AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. Your body goes through a lot of physical trauma when you deliver a baby. Starting an exercise program too soon will delay your recovery and could potentially injure your body permanently. It may also take you longer than six weeks to heal fully if you start exercising too soon.

Now, if you feel better and capable of working out before you hit the six week mark, don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider. Most will encourage light exercise including walking, and some may encourage other types of activity particularly if you were active before you got pregnant.

Each and every individual is unique and different, thus their ability to return to a regular exercise routine will vary after delivery. It is important that you listen to your body.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Early Menopause Symptoms - Are You Suffering From First Symptoms Of Menopause?

2009-06-14T12:03:00.000+08:00

by: Olinda Rola

Early menopause symptoms - every woman at some point in her thirties or forties will wonder if what she is experiencing is really the first symptoms of menopause. Menopause is defined as the cessation of menses or the end of menstrual cycles for a period of 12 months or more. Menopause is a natural process for a woman, not an illness. It is quite common for a womans hormone balance to begin shifting in her early thirties to forties, resulting in early menopause symptoms. Why? There are several reasons why.

Women often demand much of their bodies. Stress exists in many forms for an active, involved woman today. Women have demanding and stressful careers. Women have family responsibilities. The relationship with the spouse or partner may not be the best. Aging parents can add to the burden. These and other responsibilities add up in the toll they take on the body, health and well-being of a woman.

And at the same time, the womans body may not be getting the support it needs to function as it was designed. Obesity, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, excess caffeine and alcohol add to the problem instead of helping the body cope with what is demanded of it. This stressful lifestyle, coinciding with inadequate support given to the body, contributes to experiencing many of the early menopause symptoms.

Common first symptoms of menopause for women are:

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Light or heavy menstrual flow
• Lumpy or tender breasts
• Fibroid tumors
• Endometriosis
• Mood swings
• Water retention and bloating
• Sleep problems
• "Foggy, fuzzy" thinking and memory lapses
• Anxiety and depression
• Inability to handle stress
• PMS
• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Weight gain

Then there are the hormones, the menstrual cycle and hormone production in the body. In the normal menstrual cycle and a healthy woman, estrogen is the dominant hormone that is produced for the first 10-12 days following the previous menstrual flow. Ovulation then signals the female body to produce progesterone, which happens for the next 12 days or so. If there is no pregnancy, progesterone and estrogen levels will drop at around day 28, allowing menstruation to begin.

However, if there is no ovulation, progesterone will not be produced by the body that month. This event, called an annovulatory cycle, is a typical occurance today for women in their thirties and forties - no ovulation, no progesterone. This leaves the woman with an excess of estrogen and a deficiency of the hormone progesterone.

Many women in their thirties and forties are actually having fewer ovulations which creates hormone imbalance, resulting in many of the early menopause symptoms. And once ovulation ceases at menopause, progesterone levels fall to virtually zero. At the same time, estrogen is still being produced, again leading to hormone imbalance and the resulting first symptoms of menopause. If a hysterectomy has happened, surgical menopause means the woman no longer produces progesterone.

Besides the problems created by missed ovulations or hysterectomy, excess estrogen is regularly obtained from other sources. Birth control pills, household chemicals and pesticides, certain foods that have been sprayed or given chemicals and many construction materials used in homes are all sources of estrogen which leads to excess in the body.

Doctors call this hormone imbalance condition of excess estrogen in the body "estrogen dominance". What are the symptoms of estrogen dominance? The symptoms include low sex drive, bloating and weight gain, headaches before the menstrual period, mood swings, irregular periods and excessive menstrual bleeding. If the amount of unbalanced estrogen in the female adult increases beyond what is desirable and healthy, you will definitely experience early menopause symptoms. On the other hand, when your hormones are balanced, you feel more alert, energetic and ready to take on the challenges of life.

How can a woman tell if the first symptoms of menopause being experienced are because of hormone imbalance? An easy and effective way is to take the online test provided by a leading womens health clinic for early menopause symptoms. It takes just a few minutes and the test is free. Find out more about your health, premenopause and menopause symptoms, what the symptoms are telling you and what to do about it based on your answers to important questions. Read more about hormone imbalance, estrogen dominance symptoms, side effects of a hysterectomy and physician-recommended natural treatments for eliminating the early menopause symptoms.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

About the author:
Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of - a website of physician-recommended natural treatments for health problems. Visit the website and learn more about early menopause symptoms and ways for improving your health.

Do You Want A Sexy Perky Butt?

2009-06-13T16:26:00.000+08:00

by: Chris Chew

How to build sexy perky butts and buns?

Do you know that whether you are a guy or a gal, one of your anatomies that are constantly being scrutinized is your butt? Many do say that a perky butt is one of the most attractive part of a human body. And don't you think it is? Certainly so!

Take a look at your own buns right now. Is it tight perky and strong or is it saggy and lumpy? Worse, is it without any tone and just hangs there like a piece of flesh just out from the butcher store? If you really want a tight and sexy butt that make heads turn when you are in a pair of tight jeans or in your bikini, read on.

Your butt consist of three muscles, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are the muscles on the sides of the hip that are used for the internal rotation of the thigh. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three muscles and is used for hip extension, outward rotation, leg adduction and leg abduction. These muscles are collectively called the "Glutes".

Strong glutes helps us in our daily activities like climbing stairs or squating to pick sonething besides looking good and sexy. These muscles are essential in sports activities. Strong glutes will power your participation in any sport, like cycling and especially in jumping sports such as football, volleyball, soccer, basketball and net ball.

If your glute is hanging and lump then there is a layer of fats covering the muscles. If that is the case, its simple. Just lose the fats by a combination of cardio, weight resistance exercises and a clorie restriction diet.

To have great looking strong glutes, weight resistant exercises must be included in your workout routines. For some people, exercises such as running up slopes, stair-master or step climbing will have good effect in shaping the buns. But to have that perky sexy butt, you will have to incorporate Squats, Dead lifts and Lunges which are fantastic butt shapers. All these exercises are described and picture illustrated in my ebooks "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast".

So in a nutshell, you need to lose fats and build a well muscled glute in order to own a sexy perky butt that make heads turn and eyes glued to your bottom posterity. That isn't difficult. All you need is some commitment and determination on your part and you are already half way there.

About the author:
Chris Chew is a personal trainer based in Singapore. His clients are mostly from the entertainment and glamour industries like actors, models and pageant winners. He is the author of "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast" at and runs a fitness school at He has made many TV and media appearances.

Dietary Precautions During Pregnancy

2009-06-13T16:23:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

When you are pregnant, you should be sure to wash all raw vegetables prior to consumption. Raw vegetables have the potential to carry toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that is typically carried in the feces of cats. It can sometimes get into the soil and contaminate fruits or vegetables.

Many women are interested in trying natural alternatives to medications during pregnancy. Some turn to herbal remedies. It is important that you consult with your healthcare provider during pregnancy to ensure that an herb is safe before you take it. Some herbs can be harmful to you or your unborn fetus, and result in premature labor, miscarriage or even birth defects. Some of the more commonly known herbs to avoid during pregnancy include:

- Goldenseal

- Mugwort

- Penny Royal

- Aloe Vera

- Black Cohosh

- Blue Cohosh

- Buchers Broom

- False Unicorn

- Feverfew

- Juniper

- Lady’s Mantle

- Wormwood

Most of these herbs are known for their ability to stimulate the uterus, which might lead to premature contractions or miscarriage. That said, midwives have used some herbs in the last trimester to help restart a stalled labor or initiate an overdue labor. It is essential that you not try to use any of these herbs however without first consulting a qualified healthcare provider. The consequences could be devastating.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Dealing With Common Pregnancy Complaints

2009-06-13T16:20:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Pregnancy is not without its side effects. During pregnancy your body will undergo many hormonal changes. These hormone fluctuations can result in a variety of unpleasant symptoms including: nausea, fatigue, bloating and fluid retention and mood swings.

What’s a pregnant woman to do? Believe it or not, there are many changes you can make to your diet that will help minimize many of the common pregnancy complaints you are having.

Nausea/Morning Sickness – This is one of the more common complaints pregnant women have, particularly during their first trimester. Many women find that sipping on some

fizzy soda water with fresh squeezed lemon often helps reduce nausea. Ginger tea is also another well known remedy for nausea and morning sickness. If you are still not feeling better, an extra 10 to 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 is often just enough to help ease nausea. You can take a supplement or try foods rich in B6 such as lean meats, fish and avocados.

Edema – Most women swell a little during pregnancy. The best thing you can do to ease swelling is drink more water. You may think you are already drinking too much, but in all reality you probably aren’t. Some women find that wearing compression hosiery can also help reduce fluid retention. Some women also find that a little extra calcium/magnesium can help combat fluid retention and bloating.

Fatigue – Exercise is often the best way to get rid of pregnancy induced fatigue. Even if you think you are too tired to work out, you’ll find you feel much better after exercising. Eating six small meals per day will also help energize you. Be sure you also consume foods rich in iron to prevent anemia, a common cause of fatigue in pregnant women.

Mood Swings – Mood changes are almost inevitable during pregnancy due to rampant hormonal fluctuations. Be sure you get plenty of rest to help combat fatigue that can contribute to mood swings. You might also consider supplementing with essential fatty acids, which may be beneficial for reducing anxiety and depression.

Don’t forget above all else that most of the symptoms of pregnancy are just temporary, and before you know it you will be back to your jubilant, pre pregnancy self!

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Concerns About Sex During Pregnancy

2009-06-13T15:16:00.000+08:00

by: Susan Tanner

Sex is among the top most enjoyable activities practiced by couples. Why should this be any different during the nine months of pregnancy?

Many expecting parents have concerns about having sex during pregnancy. Anyone considering it will undoubtedly have many questions. Hopefully these answers can help to put you and your partner at ease.

Is it safe for the baby? In a normal, low-risk pregnancy, sex during pregnancy will not harm the baby. The fetus is protected by the amniotic sac (a thin-walled bag that holds the fetus and surrounding fluid) and by the strong muscles around the uterus. There is also a thick mucus plug that seals the cervix and helps guard against infection.

When is it not safe? It is unsafe in high-risk pregnancies. Some cases where you should not have sex during pregnancy are:

* If you have a history or threat of miscarriage
* If you have a history or signs indicating the risk of pre-term labor
* More than one fetus (twins, triplets, etc.)
* Unexplained vaginal bleeding, discharge, or cramping
* Placenta previa (a condition where the placenta is situated so low that it covers the cervix)
* Leakage of amniotic fluid
* ncompetent cervix (a condition in which the cervix is weakened and dilates prematurely raising the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery)

If any of these cases apply to you, or if you are at all unsure, consult your physician before engaging in sex during pregnancy.

Can the baby feel it? Some parents may have concerns about disturbing the unborn baby by having sex during pregnancy. Rest assured, the cervix is protected by a thick mucus plug; the penis will not come into contact with the fetus. The baby may thrash around a bit after orgasm, but this is simply because of the mother's pounding heart, and not because the baby is feeling discomfort or even knows what's happening.

Can sex during pregnancy or orgasm cause miscarriage or premature birth? It should not lead to miscarriage or premature birth in normal low-risk pregnancies. The contractions felt during orgasm are completely different from the contractions associated with labor. Some doctors recommend, though, that all mothers discontinue sex during the final weeks of pregnancy. There is a chemical in semen that is believed to stimulate contractions.

Is it normal for my desire for sex during pregnancy to fluctuate? It is perfectly normal for sex drive to increase and decrease during pregnancy. Symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, and the increased need to urinate can make sex during pregnancy bothersome, especially during the first trimester. Some of these symptoms subside during the second trimester, which may result in a heightened sex drive. Increased blood flow to the pelvic area can cause engorgement of the genitals and heighten sensation. This same engorgement, though, can leave some mothers with an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after sex. The amount of vaginal discharge or moistness may increase, which can either make sex during pregnancy more pleasurable, or cause irritation. In the case of a sudden change in the amount of discharge, or a foul or unusual odor, consult your physician.

Many couples find that intercourse is more fulfilling with the added freedom from worries about contraception and a unique new feeling of closeness.

Which positions are most favorable? You will discover that as the mother's belly swells, finding comfortable positions for sex during pregnancy will require more interesting maneuvers. Mom may find that lying on her back will become less and less comfortable as the pregnancy progresses, and the weight of the baby can restrict circulation.

* Lie sideways. Having the man on top will become more and more difficult as the baby grows.
* Use the edge of the bed. The mother can lay on her back with her feet and rear on the edge of the bed, and the man kneeling or standing in front.
* Lie side-by-side in the spoon position. This will allow for only shallow penetration. Deep thrust can become uncomfortable as the months pass.
* Have the woman on top. This allows her to control the depth of penetration and will put no added weight on her abdomen. Oral sex during pregnancy can be an excellent alternative in situations where intercourse is not recommended. It is safe, as long as you are in a monogamous relationship, where both partners have been tested and are HIV-negative.

The most important thing is that you communicate with your partner. Experiment with different methods, enjoy yourselves and try to keep a sense of humor.

Sex during pregnancy can still be one of your favorite activities.

About the author:
Susan Tanner is a wife and mother of three. She is also the editor of pregnancy-guide.net. Pregnancy-Guide is an online community for mothers to find support and valuable information. Please visit Pregnancy-Guide at

Common Sense Approach To Pregnancy Weight Loss

2009-06-13T15:08:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

Ok so everyone gains weight while they are pregnant. This is perfectly normal. It is also perfectly normal for a woman to want to lose that weight after pregnancy. We have established this much at this point in time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to get yourself back into shape right after your pregnancy, in fact I certainly encourage it!

It is important however that you take a common sense approach when you are attempting to lose weight after your pregnancy. Remember, the weight will not come off overnight, but it will come off if you go about it in the right way.

It is very important that you don’t try to fit back into your pre-pregnancy clothes right after birth. For one you will still be bloated and swollen from the delivery. You will also still be carrying around most of the fat you gained to help keep your baby safe and sound during pregnancy.

Usually the majority of women can safely lose between one and two pounds a week after the birth of their baby. This rate will help ensure a safe, healthy and steady weight loss without compromising mom’s health or the health of the new baby.

About the author:

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit for more on pregnancy weight loss

Common Pregnancy Problems

2009-06-13T14:49:00.000+08:00

by: Susan Tanner

All pregnant women will agree that the first few months of pregnancy are unpleasant, to say the least. You may experience morning sickness, swelling in the legs and ankles, abdominal pains and cramps, heartburn, constipation, fatigue, bladder problems, and a myriad of problems in between. The goal of this article is to help you deal with these issues and feel better.

Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is probably the most common of the pregnancy symptoms. Don't be fooled; morning sickness nausea will come at any time of the day, not just in the morning. To help prevent nausea in the morning, wake up slowly. Try eating some plain crackers or dry cereal before getting out of bed. Avoid warm places; heat can increase nauseas feelings. Keep fresh air flowing by opening windows, or turning on exhaust fans. Cooking things in the microwave will emit fewer odors than cooking in the oven or stovetop. Eat something salty before meals, avoid greasy or spicy foods, and try not to drink fluids with your meals. Spread your meals out throughout the day, into about 6 smaller meals. Try taking your prenatals later in the day, and ask your doctor about vitamin B6 and ginger supplements. Sipping on fizzy water with lemon in it, or non-caffeinated teas like peppermint and ginger can help calm nausea.

Abdominal Pain or Cramps
There are many changes going on in your body. A lot of stress is being put on your abdominal muscles, which can cause sharp pains and cramps. To relieve these pains, try using a warm heating pad. To prevent these pains, try strengthening your abdominal muscles. Talk to your doctor to find out which kinds of exercises are best for you.

Swelling
Throughout your pregnancy, you may experience some swelling. Wearing support hose can help to control your weight gain in your legs and ankles. Avoid standing for long periods of time. Wear well-fitting shoes, or buy inserts designed especially for pregnant women. Avoid diuretics, as these will lead to increased swelling. Stay off your feet as much as possible, and elevate your legs when sitting. Lying down is even better than sitting.

Constipation
To combat constipation, you should exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, and eat lots of fibrous foods such as fruits and vegetables, and whole grain cereals and breads.

Fatigue
Fatigue can come from sleepless nights due to aches and pains or vivid dreams, or simply from too much stress. The most effective method for dealing with fatigue is to get plenty of rest. Take several naps during the day. Eat a well balanced diet, including about an extra 300 calories per day. Iron deficiency is a leading cause of fatigue, so be sure to get enough. Although it may seem counter-productive, fatigue can often be relieved by exercising. Exercise will be refreshing and will leave you feeling energized.

Heartburn
Many of the remedies associated with nausea will also help you deal with heartburn. In addition, chew fennel or papaya enzymes, and avoid wearing tight clothing.

Bladder Problems
Bladder problems can be among the most bothersome of pregnancy related issues. First and foremost, drink plenty of water. Avoid junk food, refined starches, coffee, sugar, tea, and foods high in acidic content. Avoid using soap on your genitals. Be sure to empty your bladder and wash with water after intercourse. Wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. Try to include cabbage, leeks, and garlic in your diet, drink 3 glasses of cranberry juice every day, and take a vitamin C supplement.

Some women get more problems than others, but they generally get a little easier during the second trimester. In general, just make sure to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, get some exercise regularly, eat a well balanced diet, and try to keep an optimistic mindset.

About the author:
Susan Tanner is a wife and mother of three. She is also the editor of pregnancy-guide.net. Pregnancy-Guide is an online community for mothers to find support and valuable information. Please visit Pregnancy-Guide at

Buying the Perfect Engagement Ring

2009-06-13T13:34:00.000+08:00

by: Dakota Caudilla

When it comes to , we know that it’s as important as the marriage proposal, and it’s also as important as the wedding reception itself. Since this engagement ring is going to be something that reminds you of something sweet, a cherished moment in your life, the engagement ring should be absolutely nothing short of perfect.

It’s not hard to find an engagement ring of your choice. You can find fabulous engagement rings on the Internet or by visiting a local jewelry store near you, but this is a fact – when it comes to buying engagement rings, it’s not WHAT you know about engagement rings, diamonds and the quality of gold that matters, it’s WHO the engagement seller is and his reputation in the engagement ring sector.

Regardless of how successful the engagement ring seller is, a dishonest engagement ring seller will always try his or her best to fool you about the quality and price of the engagement rings he or she sells. This is to ensure highest possible profit. Even the most experienced and established engagement dishonest ring retailer will try to do this.

However, there’s a handful of honest engagement ring sellers who will give you a fabulous deal even if you know NOTHING about engagement rings. Their focus is not to fool you once-off. But the most important trait that an honest engagement ring seller has is that he or she is trying to give you value for money and build trust and a long-term relationship with you. They want you to take the engagement ring home, show it off to your friends and relatives, and then give good reviews about where you got the engagement ring and what a great deal you got for the engagement ring. It’s in their interest that you buy one engagement ring, and come back for the wedding ring. It’s to their benefit that you trust and have confidence in them that you recommend the engagement ring store to your sister, cousin, aunts and uncles so that they will buy their engagement rings, wedding rings, and jewelry from them.

All jewelers and engagement ring retailers have access to the same pool of diamond and gold resources in the country. The difference is in the seller and how much profit they want to make from you for the sale of the engagement ring.

Finally, be sure to shop around a little bit more before you buy the engagement ring. Most jewelry shops carry the same or similar (if not better) design of engagement rings and you can find different pricing for them somewhere else. And have fun shopping around too!

About the author:
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Breast Enlargement

2009-06-13T13:28:00.000+08:00

by: David Chandler

is an operation to increase the size of the breasts. This is usually achieved by placing an artificial implant under the skin or muscle of the chest. Breast enlargement surgery is a procedure that has become increasingly common amongst many women, and people have this surgery for a number of reasons. Many opt for breast enlargement surgery simply as a matter of personal taste. They may feel uncomfortable because they feel that their bust is too small, and in a society where a big bust line seems to be the in thing they are prepared to go the extra mile to compete. Some women opt for breast enlargement surgery because they want to go into a particular profession, such as modeling, exotic dancing, etc. and they feel that a larger bust will help. Others have breast enlargement surgery for less superficial reasons, perhaps due to differently sized breasts or to correct the breast volume after pregnancy.

Reasons for breast enlargement

Aesthetic or cosmetic reasons for breast enlargement include:
Feeling that the breasts are simply too small or out of proportion
Loss of breast volume after pregnancy
Difference in size between the two breasts
Breast size that has reduced after losing weight

Breast enlargement is usually done under general anesthetic and may be performed as a day case, without the need for an overnight stay in hospital.

It is important to remember that breast enlargement does involve surgery, and any surgery involves an element of risk. Although this procedure is performed every day and usually without problems, there are no guarantees with any type of surgery. There are risks regarding the results of the surgery for instance, the result may not be all you expected, even after paying out a large sum of money. In addition, there are more serious risks, such as infections, hardening, swelling, and scarring.

About the author:

For more information, visit:

http://www.BreastEnlargementInfoCenter.com

Breast Enhancement - The Natural Way to Do It

2009-06-13T13:05:00.000+08:00

by: Rachelle Arlin Credo

Having a well-filled breast is almost every woman's dream. In a society like ours where having big breasts is adored and given such emphasis, it is not surprising that every flat-chested woman desires to be well-endowed. Various breast enhancement products have come to the forefront that promise to give fuller breasts. But there's no proof that they really work. "If these estrogens were powerful enough to be effective, the creams wouldn't be available over the counters," notes Seth Matarasso, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. "No pill can safely increase your breast size," says Kelly Shanahan, ob/gyn and author of "Your Over-35 Week-by-Week Pregnancy Guide". While nothing short of surgery will make your boobs look like that of Pamela Anderson's, there are less invasive options that can make a difference. Here's the ultimate guide to beautiful breasts at any age.

1. Exercise

Okay, so exercise won't add inches to your breasts. Breasts are largely fatty tissue and there's no exercise to grow fat. But exercise can make your breasts sit higher and more even on your chest because it builds up pectoral muscles directly below the breasts. This pushes the breasts outward giving them the appearance of being a bit larger. If you strengthen your back muscles, you can also improve your posture and make your chest look a hundred times better. Try to do the following exercise everyday to increase your breast size naturally and to firm them up:

a. The Push-ups:
This will help keep your chest muscles firm and toned. To do this, put your hands and knees on the floor with your back flat. Align your hands with your bust. Bend your arms and lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor. Then push yourself back up to the starting position. Hold this pose for a few seconds and then bend your arms again bringing your torso down a few inches to the floor. Repeat this ten times. On the second week, perform two full sets of ten repetitions. And on the third week thereafter, do three full sets every other day.

b. Modified Push-ups
This is akin to the push-ups mentioned earlier. The only difference is that instead of the hands and knees on the floor, the lower arms, the elbows and toes are placed against the floor. The torso is raised up but your lower arms and elbows and toes are kept on the floor.

c. The back extension
Back extensions strengthen your upper and lower back muscles, thus improving posture. To do this, after each set of push-ups, lie facedown on the floor, lift one arm and the opposing leg a few inches straight in the air simultaneously, and hold on for a count of ten. Do the move twice on each side.

d. Bench Press:
This is the best exercise for shaping and firming your bust line because aside from shaping and firming the bust line, it also sculpts the shoulders and tightens the triceps. To perform this exercise, lie flat on a bench, with one foot on each side of the bench touching the floor. Firmly press your head, shoulders, back and butt on the bench while sticking up your chest. Keep the dumbbells about 18-20 inches apart and parallel to the floor with your palms facing upwards. Slowly push the dumbbells straight up, away from your chest. Fully extend your arms but don't lock your elbows when arms are fully extended. The dumbbells should now be approximately a few feet above your chest. Pause slightly at the top of the movement then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Inhale and hold your breath as you lower the dumbbells. When they reach the chest, begin to move the weight upward again. Exhale as you pass the point of greatest resistance. Repeat this 8 to 12 times to complete one set. You can perform about 1 to 3 sets at a session and about 3 sessions per week with a day's rest between sessions.

e. Breast Press
Using two three-to-five pound dumbbells, sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight, arms at your sides. Lean forward slightly at your hips, and bend your elbows to 90 degrees, keeping the palms down. Raise your arms from the shoulders so your elbows reach shoulder level, your hands in front and to each side. Hold this position for a count of four, and then return to your start position. Repeat this ten times.

f. Arm Swings
While standing erect, swing your right arm clockwise for eight counts while the left arm rests at your side. Then let your right arm rest at your side and swing your left arm clockwise also for eight counts. Repeat this exercise on both arms only this time the movement is counterclockwise.

g. Stand-up Push-ups
Stand facing a wall at arm's length. Place palms on the wall. Push against the wall as if you were pushing it away, without bending arms at the elbow. Hold for eight counts and relax arms for eight counts. Repeat this eight to twenty times a day.

h. Apply Pressure
Massage the upper and outer area of your bust in circular motions applying gentle pressure. This helps stimulate circulation on the muscles and help tone the fatty tissue of the breasts.

2. The Perfect Boosting Bra

If your boobs appear sacked out on your rib cage or distinctively lopsided, maybe the problem is your bra. You'll get the sexiest support if you look for the following features:

a. Supportive cups
"If your breasts are saggy, they'll sit in the bottom of the sheer cup," says Stacey Ellis, a bra-fit specialist for Nordstrom. Look for a bra with lined cups that are slightly firm to touch.

b. A firm, solid back
Flimsy cotton and lace may not be strong enough to pull your breasts up. A bra with a wide, tightly woven back will help hoist you up in front.

c. Underwire
Underwire bras give a good lift to your busts because they provide good support underneath. Just make sure the wire surrounds the breast tissue and is a perfect fit to your breasts otherwise you'd be uncomfortable to wear them.

d. Padded bra
Padded bras don't just make your breasts appear bigger but they also provide added protection to your breasts from accidental nudges in public and crowded places.

3. Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the factors that influence the growth of breasts.
How you look reflects the things that you put in your body. If you want your breasts to look good, I recommend you exercise healthy food choices. Include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Women with poor diets tend to have smaller breasts while women who are overweight tend to have larger breasts. Also add Til or sesame seeds in your intake. They are known to be effective in firming the breasts of women because they contain calcium, protein, iron and phosphorous. The oil also can be applied on the breast to make it look less droopy.

Although having well-filled breasts makes a woman feel more confident about herself, the lack of breast tissue does not make her less than a woman. Beauty is not gauged on breast size alone. The truth is, most women look pretty in their own ways. But one of the biggest things that makes a person attractive is a positive attitude towards oneself and other people. People are easily drawn to women who exude such compelling influence, no matter what size of breasts they have. So, if you wanna attract more people, don't just focus on having bigger breasts and wanting what you don't have, instead work your way up with your self-esteem. At any rate, you will realize that you will be happier with a bigger self-esteem than a bigger boobs.

About the author:
Rachelle Arlin Credo is an entrepreneur and relationship coach. She also works as an image consultant and part-time writer. Her stories, articles, essays and poetry have been published in various magazines and online publications. For more info, mailto: raeshylle@yahoo.com

Black Hair Basics

2009-06-13T12:25:00.000+08:00

by: David Riewe

The typical hair and hair follicles of those of African descent are tightly curled, thus producing hair that spirals. Black hair also typically has a larger diameter than Caucasian hair and retains less water, thus its relative “kinkiness.” The many styling methods utilized on Black hair cause concern with hair loss. Black hair is very strong, fortunately so because Black hair styles cause a great deal of stress on the hair and scalp.

For example, using a hair pick to pick the hair up to a bushy style is a very damaging process due to the constant pulling causing stress on the hair shaft as well as the follicle. In fact, combing Black hair in general can create high stress on Black hair and cause breakage, which perpetuates dryness. Conrowing and braiding are methods of hairstyling that pull the hair tight, and this can cause a great deal of stress on the hair and scalp resulting in hair loss. Braiding that results in the hair being pulled very tight can cause traumatic alopecia, a hair loss that is caused by trauma to the hair and scalp. Traumatic alopecia is usually reversible with proper hair care.

Hot combs and relaxers used to straighten hair can cause a great deal of heat and chemical damage to hair and scalp, which can also cause traumatic alopecia, and over time can cause permanent hair loss. This becomes especially true when the heat or chemically processed hair is pulled tight by rollers or a hot curling iron.

Hot oil conditioners are excellent for Black hair, as hot oil treatments contain proteins and polymers vital to repairing the hair cuticles. Hot oil treatments involve heating the oil and putting it into the hair and scalp, then covering the hair with a plastic cap to allow the oil to soak in. Follow the recommendations on the treatment you are using for the amount of time you should leave the treatment on the hair. This process can heal breakages and shinier stronger hair will be the result.

Consider that hair relaxers commonly used on Black hair contain lye or similar chemicals that break down the hair shaft. Left on beyond the recommended time, these chemicals would eat right through the hair and cause it to fall out in clumps. This is why these same products are used in products like Drano® to clean clogged drains which often are clogged by hair. No-lye relaxers are very popular today, mainly because it leads people to believe that the product is not caustic. This is far from the truth. The combination of calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate are combined to form guanidine hydroxide, which could just as easily clean a sink. Repeated use of such products can cause some degree of hair loss, and if scarring occurs while using these chemicals, the hair loss can be permanent in that area of the scalp. One must ask themselves is it wise to place such caustic chemicals in the hair on a regular basis for the sake of desired appearance? The question must be answered by each individual, however the facts should be known.

There is little that can be done to alleviate this syndrome without changing the typical hairstyles of African Americans. There is a catch-22 concerning relaxing Black hair, since combing natural Black hair causes so much stress and breakage of hair, while chemicals cause so much harm to the hair and scalp as well. There are a few hair-relaxing products on the market that use chemicals and are somewhat less harsh than sodium hydroxide (lye) or its popular equivalent in “no-lye” relaxers: calcium hydroxide (quicklime) mixed with guanidine carbonate. One such product is called Natural-Laxer® and Sahara Clay® by Baka ProductsTM that has been on the market since 1990. This product is all natural and because it does not contain many of the harsh chemicals of commercial relaxers and actually contains only a finely ground plant called Daphne Gnidium and clay from Africa it is figured to be relatively safe. Of course this product does not straighten hair in most instances the same way as commercial relaxers, however it does tend to make Black hair more manageable. There is yet another product on the market that is reported to be 92-96% natural which is called Naturalaxer Kit In A Jar™ that does not require the applicant to comb through the hair during the application, which results in a lot less damage.

Of course the bottom line is once again, if you can leave your hair in its natural state then you will experience less stress and damage to the hair and thus prevent at least one cause of hair loss. There is a growing segment of the Black population that is becoming comfortable with wearing their hair in natural styles. One such style is dreadlocks. There are many rumors and myths concerning dreadlocks, as there is little proper information available concerning this style, and as with anything that is misunderstood many myths arise around it. Dreadlocks can and must be washed; otherwise they will smell badly like any other dirty hair. The best process to use to wash dreadlocks is to use a residue-free shampoo. Most commercially made shampoos leave residue and can cause hair not to lock, lending fuel to the rumor that hair had to be dirty to form dreadlocks. Clean hair actually locks much better than dirty hair, as dirt is a residue in itself that will inhibit hair from locking. For best results one should use a fragrance free, conditioner free shampoo. Dreadlocks do not react well to oily and greasy substances, yet there are many good substances that are on the market today that will assist you in forming dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks are formed through a process, not simply by not combing or brushing the hair. Generally, one should start with hair about two inches in length, and the hair should be separated into even squares of hair and twisted gently together using a bonding or gel substance. Many use natural beeswax containing no petroleum, while others use loc and twist gels specifically formulated for locks. Once the hair is separated and twisted into small locks, it is important that they are left alone and allowed to bond naturally. The length of time it will take to lock will depend on the coarseness of your hair, but one can normally expect to wait several months before locks begin to form. While the hair is locking, it will need to be washed. Here is where washing should be extended for a while if possible, so that the hair can be allowed to lock for two weeks to about a month without manipulation. When you do wash your hair, use a stocking cap or “do-rag”, and low-pressure water to make sure that the newly forming locks do not come loose. It will be necessary to rinse for a much longer time than you normally do, because of the lower pressure of the water and the lack of direct manipulation of your hair with your hands. The water is good for your hair and locking process, so this is not a problem. It is also imperative as indicated before that you use a shampoo that does not contain a conditioner and leaves as little residue as possible. A little research on your part will be necessary here; your health food store should contain a variety of natural shampoos. Have a skilled professional or a friend re-twist the hair gently, reapplying the twist gel or beeswax that you used previously. Repeat this process every two weeks to a month, the longer you are able to wait the better, and within a few months your hair will begin to lock. Again, if you have a fine grade of hair rather than a kinky grade of hair, a beautician skilled at forming locks (“locktitian”) or a friend who is very familiar with the hairstyle should be consulted. Even though dreadlocks are mainly a hairstyle for Blacks, there are other races that have people that enjoy the hairstyle. In general, it tends to be a style of hair that in the long run will give the hair and scalp needed rest from the rigors of chemical and heat treatments and rigorous combing and brushing, and therefore can contribute to longer life for your hair.

About the author:
Warning: This report may be helpful to your hair!

Being Pregnant Is Not A Hurdle To Enjoy A Little Romance

2009-06-13T11:23:00.000+08:00

by: Sara Jameson

Most of the time pregnant women are afraid to have a little romance. Probably they are afraid something could happen to their baby. Well, that’s wrong. It is important that you do not ignore your own needs or those of your spouse’s during pregnancy. Unless your doctor has warned you otherwise, it is generally safe to have intercourse while pregnant. You will not hurt the baby, nor will your hubby crush it by lying atop you.

You probably have a big belly, and difficult to move your body, but being loved is something that will not go away from you. You still want to taste the love from your husband. You can still initiate a sexy cuddle or some fooling around with your spouse/partner. Remember, after the baby comes, you will both be exhausted from 3 a.m. feedings and long days, filled with diaper changes.

Why do you need to continue having a little romance although you’re pregnant? You may not feel like being sexual, but it is at least important to cuddle or fool around with your husband, so that he still knows he matters to you. You probably will not have sex as much; over time, this can lead to the relationship deteriorating. You do not want this to happen, especially when you can prevent it by remaining attentive to your hubby. Relationships always take work, but a baby does complicate things, so make sure you do not quit just because the going gets tough.

Make the effort now to buy a sexy gown or to do something romantic for your spouse, and make sure that even after the baby comes, you make time to remind your hubby that you still love him and find him attractive. Whether or not you lose the baby weight right away, still cuddle with your spouse and make love when you both feel like it. Your husband will not care if you are a little heavy because he will just be glad you two are fooling around.

It is also good for your self-esteem to be sexual. And it releases stress! So, make time for romance, no matter how tired or fat you feel. Rest assured, your husband still thinks you are beautiful and sexy.

Never feel ashamed to ask your hubby or partner for little romance when you need it. Enjoy it while you can!

About the author:
Sara Jameson writes her experiences in “The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression.” Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy in and

Backache? Headache? Your BRA Could Be The Cause!

2009-06-02T10:35:00.000+08:00

by: Mark Falco

Studies have shown that up to, and perhaps even more than, 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. Some women have never been properly measured, others have been buying the same size bra for many years (and many dress sizes!) after their last measurement.

The size which suits you now is unlikely to be the size which suits you forever. It's no secret that a woman's bust size changes over time due to natural variations such as weight gain/loss, pregnancy, menstrual cycle etc. In addition, even the most expensive bras do not remain the same size and are to be expected to stretch by as much as 4 inches after a few washes and with wear.

In addition, the right size for you from one manufacturer may not be the same for all brands. You may be a 34D from brand A and a 32C from brand B...and somewhere inbetween for brand C!

Sounds complicated huh? Well, now you know why around 70% of women are getting it wrong right about now. Are you one of them? Let's find out...

Symptoms Of A Poorly Fitting Bra
--------------------------------

If any of the following symptoms sounds familiar then you just might just be wearing the wrong size bra.

1) Back, Neck and/or Shoulder Pain

Lack of support from a bra which is either too big or otherwise doesn't offer enough support can cause pain and muscle tension in the upper body area particularly amongst larger chested ladies. Badly fitting bras have even been attributed to being a cause of headache amongst women as well.

2) Chaffing and Scratching

A bra should fit snugly and not slip or ride up at the back. A bra which is too large can rub and cause chaffing and irritation to the skin.

3) Red Marks and 'Digging In'

The symptom of a bra which is too small are the ugly red marks and signs of digging in it leaves behind after you remove it.

4) Bumps and Bulges

If you are bulging out over the top, bottom or side of your bra than you probably need a larger cup size as this is a tell tale sign your bra is too small.

5) Prominent Center Panel

The section between the cups at the front of the bra should lay flat against your body. It it does not, then you've got the wrong size.

If the above sounds familiar then you should seriously consider being re-measured to ensure you buy the right size bras in future. You can get this done professionally at most lingerie stores, or you do it yourself from home if you have a tape measure and know where to measure (there are plenty of pictoral measuring guides online).

Either way, get a correctly fitted bra and you'll see the benefits immediately, not just in terms of comfort but in terms of your health and wellbeing too.

About the author:
Mark Falco is the webmaster and owner of the UK lingerie website Luv Lingerie found at.

Alcohol And Pregnancy

2009-06-02T10:32:00.000+08:00

by: Beverley Brooke

If you have been drinking up until the point when you become pregnant or smoking it is also vital that you stop doing so immediately. Many women worry that they consumed a few alcoholic drinks prior to learning they were pregnant. If you are concerned you should talk with your healthcare provider. Chances are that everything will be just fine as long as you stop immediately. At this time there are no recommended safe limits of alcohol to consume during pregnancy, thus it is best that you avoid alcohol all together.

Smoking is equally as harmful for a mother during pregnancy. Smoking can also affect your unborn fetus, potentially contributing to birth defects or respiratory problems later in life. Did you know that when you smoke your baby is receiving less oxygen than they normally would? This can cause your baby to grow less rapidly than they might normally, and may also contribute to preterm labor, which can be potentially life threatening for your infant.

If you are a smoker when you find out you are pregnant, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider immediately about your condition. Your healthcare provider can work with you to develop a plan for quitting that is manageable and something you can learn to live with during your pregnancy. There are also numerous support groups available for mothers who are trying to quit during and even after pregnancy. Remember that the sooner you quit smoking, the sooner you start providing your unborn child with the best possible outcome for a healthy and safe delivery and later life.

About the author:

visit for more pregnancy health articles by Beverley Brooke

34 Menopause Symptoms - Are You Suffering From One Or More Of These?

2009-06-01T22:31:00.000+08:00

by: Olinda Rola

34 menopause symptoms? Really? It is a logical question to ask. After all, millions of women are experiencing one or more of the 34 menopause symptoms right now! What is going on? We all remember a grandmother or older aunt, how they made the transition into menopause. The so-called change will happen, but something tells us that experiencing many of the symptoms of menopause as early as ages thirties or forties is not normal.

First, here is a list of the most common 34 menopause symptoms. Take a moment to consider each one, as some are subtle and at first glance may appear to have no relation to being menopause symptoms:

1 - Aching joints and muscles

2 - Allergy symptoms

3 - Breast tenderness

4 - Chronic fatigue and morning sluggishness

5 - Cold or tingling hands or feet

6 - Craving sweets, caffeine, carbohydrates and unstable blood sugar levels

7 - Depression, anxiety and mood swings

8 - Dizziness, lightheadedness

9 - Dry, thin or wrinkly skin

10 - Endometriosis

11 - Facial hair growth

12 - Fibrocystic breasts

13 - Hair loss, thinning hair

14 - Headaches, migraines

15 - Heart palpitations

16 - Heavy or light periods

17 - Hot flashes

18 - Incontinence

19 - Irregular periods

20 - Irritatibility, inability to handle stress

21 - Lack of concentration, foggy fuzzy thinking, memory lapses

22 - Leg cramps

23 - Low metabolism

24 - Lower sex drive, loss of sex drive

25 - PMS and menstrual cramping

26 - Night sweats

27 - Osteoporosis

28 - Ringing or buzzing in ears (tinnitus)

29 - Sleep disturbances, insomnia

30 - Spotting, light bleeding

31 - Symptoms of hypothyroidism with normal T3 and T4 levels

32 - Uninary tract and yeast infections

33 - Uterine fibroids

34 - Water retention and unexplained weight gain, especially in hips, waist and stomach

Menopause is a natural process for a woman, not an illness. As a woman ages, there will be an expected slowing and ultimately shutdown in the reproductive cycle and system. This is normal. However, most of the 34 menopause symptoms are indications of underlying hormonal imbalance or damage to the body from poor eating habits, stress, obesity and other factors. Millions of women in the industrialized countries experience one or more of these 34 menopause symptoms many years before the normal age of menopause, which is about 51 years of age.

Why? There are several reasons. Women often put tremendous demands on their bodies, much more stress than it was designed to handle, and then do not give it the support it needs. Women have demanding and stressful careers. There are family responsibilities. The relationship with the spouse or partner may not be the best. Aging parents can add to the burden. All of these and other responsibilities are cumulative in the toll they take on the body and health of a woman.

And at the same time, the womans body may not be receiving the support it needs to function as it was designed to do. Poor eating habits, lack of exercise, obesity, excess caffeine and alcohol add to the problem instead of helping the body cope with the demands placed on it. This lack of balance between the demands made versus support given contributes to many of the 34 menopause symptoms.

Then there is the issue of the menstrual cycle and hormone production in the body. In the normal menstrual cycle and a healthy woman, estrogen is the dominant hormone that is produced for the first 10-12 days following the previous menstrual flow. If ovulation occurs, ovulation then signals the female body to produce progesterone, which happens for the next 12 days or so. If pregnancy does not occur during ovulation, progesterone and estrogen levels will drop at around day 28, allowing menstruation to begin. However, if you do not ovulate, you will not produce progesterone that month. This event, called an annovulatory cycle, is a typical occurance today for women even 10 to 20 years before the normal age of menopause. This leaves the woman with an excess of estrogen and a deficiency of the vital hormone progesterone which can only be produced if ovulation occurs.

Many women in their thirties or forties are actually having fewer ovulations, creating hormone imbalance, resulting in many of the 34 menopause symptoms. And once ovulation ceases at menopause, progesterone levels fall to virtually zero. At the same time, estrogen is still being produced, again leading to hormone imbalance and the resulting symptoms. If a hysterectomy has happened, surgical menopause means the woman no longer produces progesterone.

Besides the problems created by missed ovulations or hysterectomy, excess estrogen is regularly obtained from other sources. Birth control pills, household chemicals and pesticides, certain foods that have been sprayed or given chemicals and many construction materials used in homes are all sources of unhealthy estrogen. Doctors call this hormone imbalance condition where excess estrogen exists - estrogen dominance. What are the symptoms of estrogen dominance? The symptoms are nearly the same as the 34 menopause symptoms!

When your estrogen and progesterone hormones are balanced, you feel more alert and energetic. And balancing family, career, stress and your own needs becomes much easier to do, like it was when you were younger.

How can a woman tell if the symptoms being experienced are because of hormone imbalance? One easy and effective way is to take an online test for early signs of menopause and the 34 menopause symptoms. Used daily in their practice by a leading womens health clinic, the health test takes just a few minutes online and the test is free. By taking the clinic health test, you can find out more about your health, symptoms you have, what the symptoms are telling you and what to do about it. Take the online hormone health test and read more about hormone imbalance, estrogen dominance symptoms, hysterectomy side effects and physician-recommended treatments for premenopause symptoms and the 34 menopause symptoms.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

About the author:
Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of where you will find physician-recommended natural treatments for premenopause and menopause symptoms. Visit the website and learn more about ways that really work for improving health.

10 Risk Factors that Every Pregnant Woman Should be Aware of

2009-06-01T22:16:00.000+08:00

by: Criss White

Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child, some which are beyond your control and others that are within your control. Here are ten of the most common pregnancy risk factors that can be controlled or influenced:

1. Smoking - Smoking is not only bad for you, but bad for your baby as well. Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of oxygen that the baby receives and increases the risk of miscarriage, bleeding, and morning sickness. Chemicals inhaled while smoking may lead to other health problems with the baby. Reduced birth weight, premature birth, increased risk of SIDS, and stillbirth are other possible consequences. Pregnant women should also avoid second hand smoke.

2. Alcohol - Drinking can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, including symptoms like low birth weight, medical problems, and behavior abnormalities. As soon as you know you are pregnant, stop drinking. For more detailed information on problems that can be caused by alcohol, visit http://www.nofas.org.

3. Caffeine - There are many conflicting studies about caffeine and pregnancy and some believe that caffeine is not as harmful as it was once thought to be. Nevertheless, the FDA warns against caffeine consumption during pregnancy and suggests quitting or reducing consumption at the very least. Caffeine has been shown to affect fetal heart rates and awake time (fetuses grow when sleeping). Decaffeinated coffee can also be harmful since producers often add additional chemicals to remove the caffeine. Caffeine can also increase risk of stretch marks. Suddenly quitting coffee intake can cause headaches; so most experts recommend gradually reducing the amount consumed.

4. Drugs and Herbal Remedies - Always be careful about drugs or herbal remedies that are not prescribed by a doctor. These substances may affect the development of your unborn child.

5. Nutrition - Good nutrition is crucial to a developing child, particularly getting enough folic acid. Lack of folic acid can cause birth defects. At least 400-1000 micrograms of this B vitamin is suggested (about ten times more if you've already had a child with neural tube birth defects) starting one month before pregnant and throughout the entire pregnancy. Leafy vegetables, orange juice, and beans are some natural sources of folic acid. Many stores sell vitamins with folic acid.

6. Exercise - Moderate exercise is helpful as it improves the mother's mental state and can increase oxygen flow to the fetus. However, over-exertion can be dangerous. Most experts recommend reducing your exercise intensity during pregnancy. Activities like walking, swimming, and yoga are popular for pregnant women.

7. Prenatal Care - Regular doctor visits are important to your baby's development. The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Some side effects may be completely normal, whereas other may not. Regular monitoring by a professional will help ensure that your baby will be born healthy.

8. Multiple sex partners - Multiple sex partners can increase risk of STD's, which in turn may lead to birth and pregnancy complications, like low birth weight or premature birth.

9. Exposure to chemicals - During pregnancy, reduce exposure to unnatural chemicals, particularly pesticides in food. Many people now eat organic produce, which is grown without chemicals. The simplest precaution to take before consuming vegetables or fruits is to wash them thoroughly. Also, removing the outer surface of vegetables can be helpful since most pesticides will rest on the outside of the vegetable or fruit.

10. Other factors - Many other factors can affect fetal development, including heart disease, the mother's age (before 15 years and after 35 years is riskier), asthma, excessive stress or depression, diseases, and bleeding. Consult your physician if you are affected by any of these conditions.

About the author:

Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors () and Babies and Showers ().

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

7 Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy

2009-06-01T22:09:00.000+08:00

by: Jane Thurnell-Read

It is always important to take whatever steps you can to be healthy, but while you are pregnant it is even more important: not only do you need to take good care of yourself, you are also profoundly affecting the life of another person – your baby. Here's 7 tips to help you along the way.

1.If you smoke, one of the most important things you can do is to stop smoking: babies born to mothers who smoke have a lower average birth weight, are more likely to be born prematurely, and are at greater risk of death from sudden infant death syndrome than babies of non-smokers. Sometimes mothers feel having a low birth weight baby could be an advantage as it will make the baby easy to deliver. This is not necessarily the case, as it may lead to an emergency delivery, which can result in all sorts of complications. Even if you are already pregnant, stopping smoking will benefit the baby for the rest of your pregnancy. It is not only the baby who benefits. You are likely to suffer from less morning sickness, experience fewer complications and have a more contented baby after the birth.

2. It is also important to pay attention to your diet. Many women feel they should ‘eat for two’, but research has shown that women only need an extra 200-300 calories a day while pregnant, and you may be eating those extra calories anyway. What is important is to ensure that you get the protein, vitamins and minerals necessary to build another human being. Those extra 200-300 calories should not be squandered on chocolate or crisps, but should be eaten as fruit, vegetables, etc. It is also important to increase your water intake, which will help avoid constipation.

3. It is generally a good idea to take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement too. There are now ones specially formulated for pregnant women. Ideally these should be started before you become pregnant, so that you are in the best shape possible for the pregnancy, and then continued throughout your pregnancy. An adequate supply of vitamins and minerals is important right from conception. For example, a deficiency of one of the B vitamins, folic acid, in the first month of pregnancy may lead to the baby being born with a cleft lip, congenital heart disease or spina bifida. Omega-3 fatty acids (obtained by eating oily fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, spinach and spirulina, or taken as a supplement) are important for the development of the baby’s eyes and brain. Omega-3 also reduces the risk of premature birth and post-natal depression.

4. Nobody knows how much alcohol it is safe to consume during pregnancy, so many health experts feel it is better to avoid alcohol entirely for the sake of the baby. This can seem hard on the pregnant woman when everyone else is drinking, but it is important to remember that alcohol is a poison for the growing baby, and no caring mother willingly gives her baby poison.

5. Pregnancy is not a time to sit still. Although adequate rest is vitally important, most experts believe that healthy pregnant women should be taking 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.

6. It is also important to minimise exposure to toxic chemicals while pregnant, so spending a lot of time painting the house and laying new carpets is not a good idea, especially in the early stages of pregnancy when the baby is particularly vulnerable.

7. Many women find pregnancy stressful, and this can be a particularly good time to turn to safe, non-invasive options such as Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, kinesiology and other therapies.

Making a new life is something miraculous. Doing the best you can for that new life starts long before you have the baby in your arms for the first time.

About the author:
Jane Thurnell-Read is an author and researcher on health, allergies and stress. She has written two books for the general public: "Allergy A to Z" and "Health Kinesiology". She also maintains a web site with tips, inspiration and information for everyone who wants to live a happier, healthier life.

6 Reasons to Exercise during Pregnancy

2009-06-01T22:05:00.000+08:00

by: Criss White

Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising during pregnancy can have additional benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women that exercise regularly should tone down their workouts during pregnancy.

Walking, swimming, and yoga are two popular exercise activities suitable for pregnant women. Other forms of exercise like weight lifting are okay too as long as it is not too strenuous. Most experts recommend exercising 3-4 times a week, unless a medical condition prevents it. If in doubt, always consult a physician first. Listed below are some of the top reasons for exercising during pregnancy.

1. Exercise can reduce the length of labor and reduce recovery times. The right exercise routines will increase stamina needed for delivery.

2. Improve emotional health - exercise lowers stress and improves emotional health and can make it easier for the new mother to get through the experience of pregnancy.

3. Exercise can help with weight management after the child is born. A common concern with most mothers is losing weight after pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy can make postpartum weight loss easier.

4. Exercise is good for your unborn baby. By keeping your body healthy, you are also helping out your baby.

5. Reduced pregnancy side effects - Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, swelling, and constipation are common in pregnant women. Exercising has been shown to reduce the occurence of these symptoms.

6. Decrease risk of premature birth - exercise has been shown in studies to decrease the risk of premature birth by about 50%.

Make sure to drink plenty of fluids before exercising, have a nutritious diet, and avoid over exertion. Also, listen to your body - if you start feeling sick or nauseous, then you should stop and rest.

About the author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors () and Babies and Showers ().

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

5 Heart Healthy Exercises You Can Do During Pregnancy

2009-06-01T22:01:00.000+08:00

by: Tia Rodriguez

Pregnancy is a time of celebration, love, and unwanted but necessary weight gain. However, being pregnant doesn’t mean that your health and figure has to suffer permanent damage. You can gain weight in a healthy fashion while doing some very easy and safe heart healthy pregnancy exercise routines.

One of the simplest and most effective pregnancy exercises you can do is walking. Not only is walking one of the best cardiovascular exercises, it is also one of the safest pregnancy exercises you can engage in. Walking is one of the few pregnancy exercises that you can do for the complete duration of your pregnancy.

Another extremely beneficial heart healthy pregnancy exercise is swimming. Countless doctors and pregnant women have attested to the wonderful benefits of swimming during pregnancy. A weekly pregnancy exercise routine of swimming gives both the arms and legs a great workout while promoting cardiovascular health. Because of the nature of being subdued in water, swimming will also remind expectant mothers what it felt like before the pounds were added on. This is definitely a welcome change every now and then.

The third pregnancy exercise routine you can start doing to keep your body healthy is enrolling in an aerobics class. Many fitness centers and community centers offer low impact aerobics classes for pregnant women. One of the nicer benefits of this pregnancy exercise is that it is done in the company of other pregnant women under the watchful eye of a professional aerobics instructor. This means you are going to get a safe workout catered to the special needs of pregnancy.

Weight training is also a very beneficial pregnancy routine to keep your body healthy. Although you must only use very light weights when engaging in this pregnancy exercise, weight training is an excellent way of toning your body and increasing muscular strength.

The last heart healthy pregnancy exercise you can do to stay fit is Pilates/yoga. Both of these body conditioning exercises promote stretching and flexibility within the muscles. Yoga is also a nice accompaniment to walking. By doing a combination of these pregnancy exercises, you can have a healthy balanced cardiovascular routine.

Being pregnant doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice exercise and health. By walking, swimming, doing aerobics, weight training, and engaging in a Pilates/yoga routine, you can have a healthy and fit pregnancy.

About the author:
Tia Rodriguez is a health and wellness coordinator for an upscale sports management agency. To learn more about how a pregnancy exercise routine can benefit you during your pregnancy, check out the resources at

Wrongful Death Lawyers Online

2009-06-01T21:41:00.002+08:00

by: Mart Gil Abareta

Wrongful death law refers to the law that aims to protect victims who are harmed by the action or inaction of another entity or person. A claim can be filed for injury acquired by an individual either physically or mentally. Wrongful death lawyers seek to win compensation for their clients. If you feel you are a victim and are uncertain what your legal options are, the best thing to do is to speak with wrongful death lawyers who will guide you through the process.

Basically, there are three reasons why you must hire wrongful death lawyers. First, you will need professional help to win against an individual or a large corporation. Second, you must not have to worry about your violated personal injury rights. Lastly, you must concentrate on getting better and not have to spend your time at the court house or with wrongful death lawyers. You must contact a wrongful death lawyer even if you only have a small concern. Whether big or small, you need to file your personal claim immediately and see what your legal rights are.

With the unmatched function of the Internet as the number 1 source of information for whatever purposes that it may be, even law firms have decided to advertise their firms and their services in the web. So, when you know someone who has been involved in a wrongful death accident, you’ll definitely need a wrongful death lawyer to represent the families of victims who have died wrongfully. Most states allow a relative or the spouse of the victim to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party.

When you search for wrongful death lawyers online, you’ll get lots of them in the search result finds. More specifically, you can search for the attorneys in your area, too. The Internet really has all of the information that you may need about wrongful death lawyers to form a better case. Since it can be difficult to understand the complexity of the legal system, it will be wise to find a lawyer to protect your rights through the web.

Truly, the Internet has made finding wrongful death lawyers and everything about the law simpler. There are several websites available that can provide you with the legal help that you are seeking. Knowing your legal rights does not have to be difficult, especially now that the Internet continues to expand its role in bringing everything to its users.

About the author:
Looking for tips and suggestions about legal matters, visit

Wrongful Death Lawyers

2009-06-01T21:41:00.001+08:00

by: Maricon Williams

Wrongful death refers to a lawsuit which alleges that the victim was killed as a consequence of negligence or misdeed of another. Usually, wrongful death occurs as a result of personal injury accidents, medical malpractice, auto accidents, workplace accidents, dangerous or defective products, mesothelioma and other accidents. When the proximate cause of the wrongful death of the decedent roots from reckless, careless or negligent acts of another, his actions are often subject to personal injury and/or wrongful death suits.

The loss of a family member causes great pain, turmoil, as well as inconceivable loss of the family. In the stage of grieving, it is hard or impossible to function in everyday life and carry on, let alone think about making a wrongful death claim. This stage leaves the decedent’s family feeling powerless with so many questions unanswered. When you are ready to receive settlement or filing a wrongful death suit, an experienced wrongful death lawyer can be of great help. Though a wrongful death claim cannot replace your loss but it is as close to justice.

If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a person or a company, you may have the right to receive compensation from an insurance company or from the person or company responsible for said death. Surviving family members are strongly encouraged to immediately consult with a wrongful death lawyer to safeguard the critical evidence of the fatal accident and to avoid being estopped to institute a claim.

The immediate aftermath of a wrongful death is to hire the services of the right lawyer. Hiring an experienced wrongful death lawyer is a critical decision that may significantly affect the lives of the decedent’s family. Wrongful death lawyers appreciate the complexity in legal issues as well as the powerful emotional trauma absorbed in a wrongful death claim. Experienced wrongful death lawyers will vigilantly represent the rights of the victim while assisting the family members in a dependable and considerate manner by providing information regarding the practical and legal aspects of personal injury law and wrongful death claims including survivor actions, Social Security Disability and Windows Benefits.

To be able to show evidences that a wrongful death happened, an investigation in connection with the death shall be conducted. It is necessary that the wrongful death lawyer have the necessary resources to acquire records and reports as well as thorough information for successful case results. Clients should feel confident about their legal action. With the help of a diligent wrongful death lawyer, the process in recovering the reasonable compensation will be smoother.

About the author:
Looking for tips and suggestions about legal matters, visit

Work Injury Claim - Easy If You Make It!

2009-06-01T21:40:00.000+08:00

by: Mohammad Latif

Vicitims of workplace accidents are generally scared to claim against the company they work for. However, by speaking to a personal injury specialist in work accidents can eliminate the fear & confusion to proceed.

If you had an accident at work, its consequences can get very complicated. A work injury claim can help if it disables and makes you less useful as an employee to the company. The recovery takes time and your co-workers can react in different ways when they have more work to do because of your health problems.

They may be unhappy with you slowing their work or they may think that you're practically being lazy and your injury is just an excuse so you needn't work harder.

So your situation at work gets worse, even though it's not your fault that you're suffering from an accident. Accidents do occur and you shouldn't be punished for it. The injury may result in smaller earnings, you can be demoted, transferred to other tasks or lose a future chance of promotion.

Not to mention that one day you may hear from your boss, the time has come for you depart from the company and suddenly you are left with nothing.

Are You Going To Get Sacked?

On the other hand, you realise you can make a work injury claim. But you also think about it not being fair on the company and could jeopardise your relationship within. However a work accident claim can solve many issues brought to hand. Such as stating the obvious financial, the reason why we go to work. To get paid!

The injury assessment and medical report, once obtained from a medical specialist will determine the worth of your compensation claim. It could also bring to light areas at work that are dangerous to work and will help the company to improve and prevent further accident injuries.

It may also prove that your injury is more serious than your co-workers and bosses think. If the accident was not your fault, your company should bear all the consequences, as they haven't obeyed the Health & Safety Regulations.

A workplace accident claim can also compensate for many personal problems following your injury at work - because we can't forget that your life doesn't end at work as it affects your everyday life, both personal and social.

I Had An Accident At Work - What Should I Do?

There are certain procedures and things you should do if you want to make a compensation claim for a workplace injury. At the very beginning, your injury should be recorded in the company's accident book. If your firm has more than 10 employees, the presence of such book is required by law.

If for some reason the accident book is not available, you should advise your boss with a description of the accident and any injuries sustained. If there were any witnesses to the accident, they should add their knowledge of detail to the record.

You should also be asked to write down a detailed version of the entire situation - it's good to prepare it as soon as possible, so you won't forget anything and you will have it ready for any further proceedings. If you can, take photos of the workplace area plus any machines that were involved.

Then you should visit your doctor, so he or she could make a medical entry concerning your injury. If the injury is serious enough to make you unable to work, you should organise your statutory sick pay with your employer. It could also be useful for your accident injury claim to at least recover your earnings.

Of course, if you want to claim your compensation, the best you can do is to contact an accident solicitor, who will advise and guide you through the process of making a claim. Quality accident solicitor's services are free, based on a 'No Win No Fee' policy, which means that regardless of the claim's final result, you don't pay anything.

On the other hand if you win, you get 100% of your workplace injury compensation. If you have any questions or doubts about proceeding you should contact one today! But can you see any reason why you shouldn't use a professional and a 100% free based service that can bring you compensation for your accident at work?

About the author:
It's easy to make a work injury claim, if you know how. Learn the 12 revolutions of the new accident claim culture at and get a free assessment.

Where to Get Legal Representation for Your Injury Claim

2009-06-01T21:39:00.002+08:00

by: Granny's Mettle

Nowadays, getting legal assistance and representation are so costly that many are finding other ways to look for cheap and sometimes "free" legal advice. The Internet is filled with online sources and legal websites that offer supposedly free legal counsel.

Quite a few sites actually, offer detailed analysis of situations most often for free, or sometimes for a minimal fee. Many of them entertain legal queries. However, the legal advice that you may get from these sites are not reliable, and most of the sites even have a disclaimer on the advice provided.

Nothing beats advice coming from a reputable and knowledgeable lawyer. Here are some ways to help you find a good, experienced personal injury lawyer, whom you feel you can trust:

Innie Minnie Miny Moe… Who do you refer?

Getting referrals on experienced lawyers is easy. However, you need to meet with each of them to discuss your claim before you decide to hire someone. And be prepared to get rejected. Remember that lawyers are practicing their profession for their own gains. Many do not take cases if they fall below a certain potential recovery amount. In addition, there are also those who reject claims that are not crystal clear. So make sure you have everything in place and all the information when you meet with the potential lawyers.

You can get referrals from (1) friends and acquaintances, (2) other lawyers, and (3) referral services. Talk with friends or acquaintances who have been represented by a lawyer in their own cases. If they have nothing but good things to say about a lawyer, put him/her on the list. Discuss your case with that lawyer and decide if you feel that you will be comfortable working with him or her.

Other lawyers you know would also be able to make referrals of other lawyers. They usually confer cases with one another so most of them may know someone who can handle your case.

On the other hand, most bar associations have referral services where names of lawyers and their specialties are available.

Let's discuss the problem…
As with all referrals, discussing your case with each of the lawyers will help you determine the best representation that could handle your personal injury claim. Bring all pertinent documents from the police report, to medical bills and correspondences with the insurance company. Most lawyers do not charge at the initial consultation. Nevertheless, there still those who already want to charge for discussing whether or not he or she will take the case. When this happens, it's time for you to go look somewhere else.

His/Her General Experience…
You need to know a few basic things about your potential lawyer. These include: (1) How long has the lawyer been in practice; (2) What percentage of the practice involve personal injury claims; (3) Does the lawyer practice as a plaintiffs' or defendants' representative; and (4) Would he or she personally handle your case. If not, then find out who would be dealing with you directly, and ask to meet that lawyer. It's not uncommon for more than one lawyer in a firm to handle the same case. Often, less experienced attorneys handle routine tasks.

How much is it worth?...
After discussing the facts on your case, it's time to move on to how much he or she thinks your case is worth. In addition, ask your potential lawyer how difficult he or she thinks it may be to get the insurance company to pay the amount. This is the time to let your lawyer know what it is you want him or her to do for you.

In the end, getting your lawyer to represent you depends on your needs and wants. So don't confuse the information you get from the Internet with true legal advice. Obtaining advice and representation from a licensed, practicing lawyer is still the most reliable means when you're facing a particularly serious or complicated injury claim. As in any other regular hiring process, just remember to interview first before you decide. If you feel confident with a lawyer's experience and his ability to handle your case, chances are you found the best lawyer for you.

About the author:
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