Women Pregnancy

Those who have twin offspring within the family lines will usually give birth to twins as well. But other than genetic history, twin pregnancies can also occur in women who use fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, those who have frequent childbirth, those who have just stopped taking birth control pills, and those who undergo IVF fertilization method in order to have a child.

Twin or multiple pregnancy can be easily detected through USG at the eighth weeks of pregnancy, where you could hear two or more heart rates inside your womb. Within the second trimester, the physical appearance of the fetuses should even be more obvious as you view them on the USG monitor.

Other than USG, you can actually detect whether you are bearing twins or not as your belly should look bigger than the normal pregnancy sizes, especially within the second trimester. Try to compare the size with other pregnant moms or with Read more!

Although the last couple weeks prior to delivery can be some of the most uncomfortable moments for pregnant moms, a study said that if moms can stick it out until the baby is 39-40 weeks, the infants will get benefits in their health. They will be less likely to have hearing, vision, feeding or birth-weight problems and even have their lungs, eyes, and brain fully developed for the final weeks give them enough time for those.

While it was thought that an infant’s mortality risk was similar for babies who born between 37 and 41 weeks, recent study shows that the risks increase when they are born between 37 and 39 weeks of gestation period. It was also said that this risk decreases with each additional week of pregnancy, so full-term pregnancies is highly recommended.

According to researcher, Uma M.Reddy, MD, MPH of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development in Bethesda, Maryland, moms should wait until at least 39 weeks to have a truly elective delivery. Read more!

Wrong baby skin care may cause fungal and bacterial infections at the area covered by the diapers. The infections in the area will later cause skin rash which is also known as diaper rash. If this condition last longer, you need to consult it to a doctor immediately.

Diaper rash is a condition where the skin within the diaper area turns red as the cause of fungal or bacterial infection. If normal skin rash occurs temporarily or less than three days, diaper rash may last for more than three days that it needs proper treatment to cure.

The early action might worth to take when your baby has reddish irritation marks at the diaper area, is to soak the area in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. You can do this during the baby bath time and see the result in three days. If the condition doesn’t improve, then the skin is infected by fungus and bacteria or in other words, the baby has diaper Read more!

Being in a pregnancy situation means you need to shop for maternity dress that allows you to stay comfortable during the period. Although you are happy and excited about being a mom soon, choosing a maternity wear can be a bit upsetting especially since you are going to wear them for only less than a year. So here are some tips for you regarding maternity dress collection. These will give you ideas on how to shop, choose and wear those dresses, including what to do to your collection once you no longer use them.

1. Shop little by little
Start with a few apparels first and do not over-shop. Remember, your belly won’t stay the same size for the next 9 months so you better shop a few as a start, then add one or two more pieces every month during your pregnancy period. This will help you to stay update to the latest style, and stay comfy with the growing belly size.
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According to experts in Australia and the US, women with poorly-managed asthma have a higher chance of giving premature births; they will be giving birth early or having a small baby.

Another complication regarding asthma and pregnancy was also found, that is pre-eclampsia or a medical condition in which hypertension arises.

Therefore, the experts suggest that women with asthma should be monitored monthly during their pregnancy, and to eat a balanced diet as well as to avoid smoking.

When looking at the asthma studies published between 1975 and 2009, which involved more than a million pregnant women, researchers found that women with asthma gave birth to babies with the average weight of 93 grams (0.2 lbs) Read more!

Items like teddy bears, blanket and bumper pads may look cute and colorful around your baby’s bed, but regarding the risk of asphyxia, you should get those things out of the bed.

According to Jessica Saunders, a member of Montgomery County’s Child Fatality Review Board’s Safe Sleep Committee, babies can asphyxiate on items put near their bed since they can’t lift their heads up yet.

The statement Saunders made was actually regarding to two high-profile cases which highlight the dangers of unsafe infant sleep practices. In those cases, both a 4-month-old baby girl and a 3-month-old baby boy were killed due to possible asphyxia caused by the thing and the person they have around them while sleeping. The cases later raise the controversial issue of how a baby should sleep and with whom.
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As your tummy grows bigger due to the baby inside, your movement will slightly be restricted. You will have difficulty either to stand, sit, even to lie down or in other words you will be less comfortable than ever. So how to stay comfy during your big-belly moments? Here are some tips for such condition.

Kegel Exercise
The exercise meant here is by training the muscle at your vaginal area by holding the sense to urinate. This will help you staying comfortable because you will be free from the hassle of going to the toilet a couple of times in an hour; especially when you enter the last trimester of pregnancy, where you will feel like urinating many times. You will also need this exercise later after giving birth because it will help toning the muscle down there, which would likely get loose after delivery.

Rest more, but sit less Read more!

Regarding the increasing number or cesareans in the US, Lamaze International, as the institution that promotes natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, gives these tips to avoid cesarean.

1. Choose the right maternity care provider
The right maternity care provider is those which maintain low cesarean rates. Since there is no federal mandate which provides such information, you need to directly communicate the desire of having natural birth with the maternity care provider. This will allow the provider to create a birth plan designed to reduce the risk of the need of having cesarean. If possible, they can also ask the provider about the statistics of natural birth in the institution so you can determine whether they maintain low cesarean rates or not.

2. Be skeptical of justifications for a caesarean
The justifications for caesarean are not based on research alone, it is actually the last option advised to women who have certain Read more!

Babies’ skin, especially the newborns, is known to be three times thinner than the adults’ skin. Therefore, a proper care is needed for the health of their skin. Products with high chemical extracts, perfumes, and coloring essences and detergent contained in body wash can cause skin rashes, dryness, cracks and irritation to the babies’ skin.

The babies’ skin tends to wrinkle, and has vernix (a thin skin layer) which will gradually peel-off. You don’t need to make any effort in ‘peeling’ the vernix as it will peel-off naturally within the first week of the babies’ age.

However, to maintain the health of the newborns’ skin, the doctors suggested to not bathe them often as the exposure of chemicals contained in soaps can cause allergy later on in their future. Besides, bathing them often will also make their skin lose its natural oil which protects the skin. If this condition occurs, the babies’ skin will be very prone to skin problems like eczema.
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During pregnancy, there are different types of supplements recommended for the health of fetus in mom’s womb. One of the most well-known supplements is fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You may often hear that taking fish oil supplements diligently and regularly will improve the baby’s vision once he/she is born. This belief, however, was denied by recent research from Australia.

According to the result of study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the consumption of DHA by infants who were born at normal age, either before and after birth, does not give a significant impact on their visual capabilities. One of the reasons of this statement, as presented by the researchers, is that the babies had gotten what they need while they are still inside of the womb.

According to Dr Maria Makrides, the head researcher of the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute in North Adelaide, Australia, as long as the mothers are in pretty good nutrition and always consume nutritious food, a DHA supplement during Read more!