Pregnancy "Without The Pounds And Be Healthy"

Is it possbile? I think most people start off wanting to be healthy, but pregnancy is hard. First, it's the morning sickness. This is a time where your just lucky to be able to eat anything, so you eat whatever sounds good. If you are like me, that is most likely not something healthy. It is different for everyone and is usually different with every pregnancy. With one baby, I could eat anything with lemon in it (lemon heads, lemon merangue pie, lemon pudding, lemon custard, lemonade, etc. With another it was spagetti sauce, salsa, enchilada sauce.etc. Both of these cause heart burn by the way. Not Good! It is too hard to excersise when you feel like you will be sick at any moment. And maybe you just need a nap, because you are so exhausted you could fall asleep standing. My point is, it's easy to say, "When I get through this part, I'll be good and healthy."

Once you get through the sickness, you feel great, but some how you can still find enough excuses to not eat right and exercise. Your a little deppressed about your changing and expanding body, but all your friends are telling you, "It's just baby weight."

By the third trimester, you are as big as a house and feel like nothing would help at this point so you will worry about it after the baby comes. You don't have the strength or the energy to walk let alone excersise. As far as eating goes, it makes you happy and is one of the few luxuries you have left at this point.

Discover the secrets that most pregnant women will never know about pregnancy.

• How to avoid unwanted excess pounds (for a healthy pregnancy and baby!).
• Exactly which pregnancy exercises get you fit and toned.
• How to have an easy labor and quick recovery.
• Exactly what you need to do now to lose weight quickly after delivery.
• Secrets to minimize stretch marks and cellulite.
Click Here!

Is It Labor "8 Signs of Labor"

It's amazing that even with my 5th baby, I still got anxiety when thinking about labor. When will I go into labor? How do I know it's the real thing? What if my water breaks in a public place? Having more than one baby doesn't make you an expert. It's almost as if you forget between pregnancies. I find myself asking the doctors things I should already know. So here are 8 signs of labor for people like me who need to have something on paper to refresh their memory and for those first time moms.

1. "Wow, you have dropped." As you near the end of your pregnancy, you might notice that your baby has moved down lower in your abdomen. First time mom will usually drop within two weeks to delivery, but it could be as much as four weeks out. On your second pregnancy, usually babies do not drop until labor begins. When the baby's head settles into the pelvis, it is called lightening. You may notice that the baby seems lighter. People will most likely comment about how low you look at this point, because it is a noticeable difference. You should be able to breathe a little easier, because the baby won't be in your ribs as much anymore.

2. "I live in the bathroom." Make sure you stay close to a bathroom. Because your baby's head lies closer to your bladder, you will need to go to the bathroom more often.

3. "My back is killing me." When your baby drops lower, you will have some aches and pains in your lower back and pelvis. You have pelvic ligaments that get stretched at this point. Some people explain it feeling like they are sitting on their baby.

4. "Are these contractions false labor?" Your contractions start to get a little stronger than the usual Braxton-Hicks. Some people explain them as feeling like menstrual cramps. These may not be as strong as full labor contractions, but they will start to thin your cervix. These contractions will get stronger just prior to labor. Keep in mind these could go on for weeks before you actually are in labor. Drink water and change positions to see if they go away. If they do, it's probably false labor.

5. "Am I getting sick?" It is common to have abdominal cramps and loose, frequent bowel movements. It is natures way of emptying your intestines to make room for your baby to be born. These same hormones can make you nauseated.

6. "Should I be concerned?" Generally you will have an increase of vaginal discharge. It is pink tinged in color. This is not the same as "bloody show."

7. "What is that?" Contractions and the baby's head dropping down can cause you to lose your mucus plug. The mucus plug seals the cervix to protect anything from entering the vagina. It is usually thick and gooey. Some women will lose it all at once and some will lose a little bit at a time. It is normal for there to be some blood, but if you have more blood than mucus (equal to a menstrual period or a lot of bright red blood) call your doctor. Once you lose your mucus plug, you are likely to start labor within 3 days.

8. "My water just broke." In every "Hollywood" movie, the pregnant ladies water breaks before any signs of labor. You can feel pretty safe that this will not happen to you while you are standing in line at the grocery store. Most mothers do not have their water break until they are well into labor. If your water does break before labor has started, your labor will start with pretty intense contractions within the next few minutes or hours. It is definitely time to call your doctor.

It is hard to say what is normal when it comes to pregnancy, labor and delivery, because everyone is different. This is just a guideline of the most common signs. If you are ever concerned or not sure about something, consult with your doctor, that's why they get paid the big bucks!

For help with starting naturally and safely and to learn how to get through labor without pain medication:Click Here!

Overdue And Frustrated "A Sure Way To Sart Labor Naturally"

Being overdue when your pregnant can be so frustrating and upsetting. Your excited for this baby and when your doctor say this is when your due, you kind of count on that. Besides the fact that you are so done with having heartburn, swollen feet, itching stomach, aching ribs, etc. Not to mention being so exhausted you just can't take another step and feeling as big as a house. Everyone thinks they are being sympathetic when they ask, "Haven't you had that baby yet?" You just want to say, "Well I did, but then I accidentally swallowed a turkey."

I remember being overdue with my first baby. I was willing to try almost anything. Maybe do some running or try some caster oil. WARNING: Don't try this at home! Trust me! But there is something you can do to help you start labor that is safe and natural. It's called maternity acupressure. This is great for naturally starting labor. It will make your labor easier and shorter. For those of you who have had the experience of pitocin, this is a natural and so much less painful alternative. And for those of you who have not tried it, I hope you never do!

Not only is there acupressure that can start labor, but it can ease your labor pains to make them bare able. This is excellent for those who want to have their baby naturally without any pain medication, but it is also great to use for the labor pains you have before you receive your epidural.

Most women do not want to have a cesarean. Did you know that statistics show, women who are induced have a higher chance of having a cesarean. When using maternity acupressure, it naturally starts labor and helps to open your cervix, so your chances are no higher than if you went into labor on your own and.

Some times the babies head is not turned in the correct position. This is a very painful and difficult delivery. There are simple acupressure techniques that help a baby in a posterior position turn into an optimal anterior position for easier delivery. My sister delivered all her babies posterior. She could have benefited by using maternity acupressure if she had known about it.

Transition is the time, during labor, when the babies head moves down. It is the most difficult part of labor and delivery. It can last anywhere from 2 hours to 5 minutes depending on the person. Acupressure can help get you through it and also shorten the time it takes to get through transition.

Maternity acupressure is a terrific way for the soon to be dad to be involved and know how to help you with your labor. They just want to make you more comfortable, but heaven knows they need some help sometimes.

So whether your looking for help to start labor or just to help you through it once it's started, maternity acupressure may just be for you. To learn more about maternity acupressure:
Click Here!

Pregnancy First Four Weeks "Baby's Just Begun"

Your pregnancy has just begun, but do you know all the amazing things that are going on in there. Pregnancy is exhausting! Creating a whole other little body is a tough job. It's no wonder you need so much sleep, eventhough your baby is only microscopic.

WEEK ONE
At the moment the egg meets the sperm, fertilization occurs. The egg is usually still up in the fallopian tubes at this point. The moment it is fertilized, the baby's gender is already determined. That is because the sperm is the determining factor in your baby's sex. The sperm is either a male sperm or a female sperm. From the beginning, the fertilized embryo contains a full set of genetic codes: twenty-three chromosomes from mom, and twenty-three from dad. Occasionally, women release more than one egg. If more than one egg is fertilized by more than one sperm then this will result in fraternal twins or even possibly triplets.

It isn't very common, but sometimes one egg is fertilized by one sperm and then divides in to two. Identical twins are a result of this.

WEEK TWO
On or before the seventh day, the embryo looks like a microscopic raspberry. It attaches to the lining of your uterus. It is common to have some spotting as the baby is implanting into the blood rich lining of your uterus. It starts to organize into groups of hundreds of cells. Some of these cells attach to the uterine lining while others are arranging themselves in clusters,each with a destiny of a different human body part. Your uterus will respond to the embryo by forming a placenta for the embryo to get nutrients from. The placenta also facilitates disposal of the baby's waste. The placenta develops HCG, which is a hormone that keeps your lining in place and stimulates growth by monitoring your levels of estrogen and progesterone to keep them high. The level of HCG releases into the mother's bloodstream and increases as the placenta develops. At the end of the second week, a pregnancy test will detect HCB in the mother's urine.

WEEK THREE
Your menstrual cycle is considered late by three weeks and you might suspect that you are pregnant. Rising hormone levels are likely to cause you to begin feeling pregnant, but some women have signs before now. It is the pregnancy hormones that notify the ovaries to stop ovulating. Your ovaries notify your pituitary gland in your brain, to not allow your body to menstruate.
By three weeks, your embryo has grown to millions of cells that now begin to separate into three types of cells. One type will be the nervous system, skin, and hair. Another type will those that will make up the gastrointestinal tract. The last type will be the circulatory, genitals ad urinary and skeletal system. At the end of the third week, you would be able to see the heart beat and their blood has started to circulate. You have just begun to feel pregnant, but already your baby is developing quickly.

WEEK FOUR
Your baby by week four will grow to the size of a piece of rice. There is now an umbilical cord with three distinct blood vessels. There is blocks of tissue stacked up to form the backbone along the outer rim of your baby's little body. Little buds start to form on the body that will eventually become arms and legs. Their little heart that is the shape of a little ball will divide into chambers. There is some specialized equipment that would allow you to hear your baby's heart. At this point there are tiny pits in the baby's head that mark the place where eyes and ears will develop.Your baby's brain and spinal cord are developing now. You would be amazed to know that by the time you attend your first visit to the doctor, that most of your baby's major organs are already developed.

It is important to remember that even though your baby is tiny, they are developing their most vital parts at this time. You must do your best to be healthy, so your baby will be healthy.

GROWTH FROM FIVE TO NINE WEEKS

Even though you don't look any bigger, your baby is rapidly growing. Check out the ten growth milestones:

1. By the end of the fifth week, baby is the size of a green pea (or about 0.4 inches).
   
2. Pits that become the eyes, ears, nose and mouth begin to show.
   
3. More than one million new cells are added to baby's growing body each minute.
   
4. By six weeks, baby is ½ inch long, and ultrasound can show a fluttering heartbeat of about 140 to 150 beats per minute (twice as fast as yours).
   
5. At seven weeks, baby is around an inch long or the size of a small olive.
   
6. Elbow, wrist and knee joints are obvious.
   
7. Researchers estimate that by seven weeks, one hundred thousand new nerve cells are created every minute.
   
8. At eight weeks, baby is around the size of a large olive at 1½ inches long and ½ ounce in weight.
   
9. All the internal organs that will be present in the fully-grown infant have been formed by eight weeks.
   
10. Developing baby is now called a "fetus" and is beginning to look like a miniature human being.

GROWTH FROM TEN TO TWELVE WEEKS

During this month, baby more than doubles his length and weight, going from 1 1/2 inches at the end of the second month to 4 to 5 inches long by the end of the third; he will weigh from one-half to one ounce. Let's look at 10 growth milestones:

1. All of baby's organs are formed, and they will continue to grow and develop during the rest of the time in the womb.
2. Baby's liver, spleen, and bone marrow start making blood cells this month.
3. Baby's teeth begin to form; by the end of this month baby will have twenty little tooth buds beneath his gums.
4. Fingernails, toenails, and rudimentary hair appear.
5. Baby's intestines, previously part of the umbilical cord, now move into the abdominal cavity and become covered with skin.
6. The tongue and vocal cords form this month.
7. The circulatory system is operating, and heart valves are now developing, meaning a heartbeat can be detected by Doppler ultrasound.
8. The external genitalia differentiate clearly into male and female so that by the end of the month ultrasound pictures can often reveal whether baby is a boy or a girl.
9. By twelve weeks the head is around a third of the size of the body.
10. Baby's tiny feet can now kick, but you are unlikely to be able to feel it yet.

GROWTH FROM THIRTEEN TO SIXTEEN WEEKS

By the end of the 16th week, you can easily feel your grapefruit-sized uterus midway between your pubic bone and your navel. Let's look at 10 growth milestones during this month:

1. Your little "peach" is about the size of a peach! Baby doubles her length and nearly quadruples her weight.
2. She is around five inches long and weighs around four ounces at the end of the 16th week. Her arms lengthen this month and she can flex her arms, clasp her hands, and suck her thumb.
3. Her legs lengthen, and kicking intensifies (you probably don't feel it yet).
4. Her bones (arms, hands, and legs) form and are visible on x-ray or ultrasound.
5. Baby "breathes" amniotic fluid in and out through the developing air passages and tiny sacs in her lungs.
6. Her external ear folds are becoming more developed, as is her hearing, enabling her to react to sounds.
7. She develops her own unique fingerprints.
8. Blood vessels proliferate at a rapid rate and show through baby's thin, still transparent skin.
9. The placenta becomes the prime producer of pregnancy hormones you will continually need to nourish your baby and yourself, and your baby now free floats in her own bubble of amniotic fluid, contained in an amniotic sac.
10. By the 16th week, there is enough amniotic fluid for doctors to safely enter the fluid- filled sac by a procedure called amniocentesis.

GROWTH FROM SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY WEEKS

By the end of this month you can feel your cantaloupe-sized uterus at the level of your navel. Other growth milestones include:

1. Your baby weighs around three-quarters of a pound, and measures between 8-10 inches long.
2. This is about half the length baby will be at birth.
3. Baby's legs, now around the size of your little finger, continue growing, become more muscular, and make their presence felt as tiny flutter kicks.
4. He waves his growing, but still tiny, arms.
5. On ultrasound, you may see him sucking his thumb and making a fist. Baby hair is beginning to appear on his upper lid, eyebrows, and head.
6. His skin, previously thin and transparent, now begins to accumulate fat deposits.
7. Baby's oil glands start to secrete a waxy substance that mixes with his dead skin cells to form a cheesy coating, called the Vernix caseosa, which acts like a sort of wetsuit protecting the little swimmer's skin from chapping.
8. Fine, temporary hair—called lanugo (meaning "wool")—covers most of his body and helps to hold the vernix on the skin.
9. Baby's digestive system functions better now, and he regularly swallows amniotic fluid and urinates into it.
10. By this month, baby's middle ear structures have formed, enabling baby to hear sound. Still, baby cannot yet survive outside the womb at this stage because his lungs are still undeveloped.

GROWTH FROM TWENTY-ONE TO TWENTY-FIVE WEEKS

Check out the 10 growth milestones for baby:

1. By the end of this month baby weighs around 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds.
2. Baby is around a foot long.
3. Increasing fat deposits beneath the skin cause her to take on a more plump, though still wrinkly, appearance.
4. Fingernails and eyelashes develop. S
5. calp hair increases.
6. She now has a more recognizable baby face.
7. The vernix caseosa now covers the skin completely, like a layer of thin, whitish paste.
8. By 24th weeks, baby's nostrils open.
9. Her lungs begin to develop air sacs, called alveoli, though not enough of them to sustain breathing outside the womb.
10. Baby still needs the nourishment of her mother's womb! If she were born now her breathing would have to be assisted.

GROWTH FROM TWENTY SIX TO TWENTY NINE WEEKS

How does baby grow this month? Check out the following growth milestones:

1. By the end of this month baby weighs around 2 to 2-1/2 pounds and measures around fourteen inches long.
2. During this month baby has a growth spurt, gaining around a pound.
3. Fat deposits smooth out some of the previous wrinkles, giving baby a more filled out appearance, but he is still much skinnier than he will be at birth.
4. Baby is getting stronger! His limbs are longer, stronger, and these delightful little kicks make more of an impression in your abdomen.
5. Baby's eyelids open. Baby can now see, hear, smell, and taste.
6. Baby's bone marrow now takes over from the spleen as the major site of red blood cell production.
7. At this stage, baby moves vigorously and responds to touch and sound.
8. Baby gets smarter as major changes occur throughout her nervous system. Nerve fibers are clothed in a fatty layer called myelin that allows nerve impulses to travel faster.
9. Cells lining the rapidly budding alveoli (air sacs in baby's lungs) begin to secrete a soapy substance called surfactant that keeps these air sacs from collapsing—similar to the substance that keeps the soap bubble expanded. Depending on how well developed are the alveoli and surfactant secretion, if baby were born now, she may be able to sustain air breathing and life outside the womb.
10. Before the seventh month, most babies choose to lie in the breech position because it's easier for them to rest comfortably in the pear-shaped uterus, but most will flip to the head-down position by 34 weeks.

GROWTH FROM THIRTY TO THIRTY-FOUR WEEKS

Let's look at the ten growth milestones baby is now making:

1. By the end of this month baby weighs from 3-4 pounds and is 16-18 inches long.
2. Fat deposits double, giving baby a more filled-out appearance.
3. Her skin begins to shed the silky, lanugo hair that covered the skin.
4. The hair on her eyelids and eyebrows grows longer.
5. Some babies sprout a full head of hair. S
6. he can blink her eyes in reaction to outside light.
7. Baby has rapid brain growth and experiences definite REM and non-REM sleep stages.
8. Hiccups, which a mother may experience as sudden jerks, are common now.
9. Baby becomes more aware of her outside world and can react to its stimuli.
10. If she is born now, your baby may be able to breathe outside the womb on her own without medical assistance

GROWTH FROM THIRTY FIVE TO THIRTY EIGHT WEEKS

Wow! It's almost time, to greet baby into her new world. What is happening now?

1. Baby weighs from 6 to 7 ½ pounds.
2. She measures 18 to 20 inches.
3. This is her "finishing" stage, and baby gains a tremendous amount of subcutaneous fat, filling him out for birth.
4. The lanugo hair has disappeared.
5. Some of the vernix caseosa has disappeared, and it seems that just enough of this cheesy substance remains to lubricate him for a smoother passage during birth.
6. By this time baby has pretty much run out of room and is tucked up like a little ball.
7. During the final weeks inside the womb, baby sucks, swallows, breathes, and blinks.
8. He steps, turns his head, and sucks his thumb.
9. He grasps and clasps his hands, practicing all the movements he will need after he makes his appearance in the world.
10. The air sacs of his lungs are now lined with a substance called surfactant, that keep the lungs expanded after each breath, enabling nearly all babies born at this stage (even early in this stage) to breathe air outside the womb.