Showing posts with label pregnant weight gain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnant weight gain. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Understanding Pregnancy Labor Stages

There are four Pregnancy labor stages in the childbirth process depending upon the changes in the uterus and cervix.

Stage 1

Starts with the beginning of labor, till the time when the cervix is 100 percent effaced and dilated to 10 centimeters.
Time period for first time mothers ranges from 10-14 hours.

Stage 2

Starts when the cervix is fully effaced and ends with the birth of the baby.
Time period for first time mothers ranges from 1-2 hours.

Stage 3

Starts with the birth of the baby till the placenta is delivered.
Time period for all vaginal deliveries range from 5-15 minutes.

Stage 4

Starts with the delivery of the placenta till 1-2 hours after delivery.
Prodomal Labor or Early Labor Pains- A Part Of The Pregnancy Labor Stages
These early pains can last from a few hours to several days. During this stage the cervix softens and the baby settles in the cervix. You may have false pains, which are irregular, strong or mild at times. This is just a way for the body to prepare itself for the childbirth process. So don't worry, relax, eat well and get all the rest you can get. Be confident of your body, it knows what it's doing.

What Happens In The Pregnancy Labor Stages?

The baby moves through the pelvis and the birth canal, which can take from 15 minutes to several hours.

The urge to push gets stronger as the baby moves further in the birth canal.
You may feel a stretching, burning, stinging feeling near the vaginal opening just before the baby is born. This is a sure shot sign- you are there.
When the baby's head emerges out, it turns to one side to accommodate the shoulders and the rest of the body slips out.

What Can Be Done To Help?

Just go with the flow and do what feels right. Taking deep breaths help through the contractions.
Make sounds according to what you feel helps.

It is important for the partner or family to be encouraging, quiet and supportive. Shouting will only make things worse.

Changing positions such as squatting, side pushing help if the progress is slow.
Warm compresses on your abdomen may help. It helps in relieving tension in the perineum.
It is very natural to have labor pains in pregnancy. They guide you through the labor. It always better to be equipped with knowledge so reading, researching a bit on the pregnancy labor stages will definitely help.

The childbirth process includes four pregnancy labor stages. It is very natural to have labor pains in pregnancy. There can also be false labor pains or early labor pains sometimes. Going with the flow of your body helps during the labor stage pains.For more information visit pregnancy.

First Month Pregnancy Symptoms - Will You Survive Them?

Although it's best to know that you are pregnant at the earliest possible time, particularly because you'll be able to nourish the baby better during this critical stage, not knowing that you are pregnant until after eight or so weeks could strangely be a boon as you would have gotten over the first month pregnancy symptoms without even knowing what they are.

As they say, what you don't know won't hurt you - and this applies to women who become so traumatized with first month pregnancy symptoms. Actually, they can be tolerable if you know which things to avoid and if you learn how to condition yourself to ignore them.

How to get through the first month pregnancy symptoms

Pregnancy doesn't have to be a frightening experience. Once you know what the nature of the first month pregnancy symptoms are and how long they would last, you will be able to better cope with them and welcome the newcomer in your womb more warmly.

One of the first month pregnancy symptoms is nausea or intermittent dizziness. A majority of pregnant women experience the so-called "morning sickness" which is characterized by a queasy feeling in the stomach often accompanied by vomiting. Although it most often occurs as soon as you wake up in the morning, nausea can be experienced any time of the day.

This first month pregnancy symptom can be neutralized by sucking sour candy or sniffing smelling salts or ammonia. Nausea can be triggered by various smells which are unpleasant for the pregnant woman. Mild headaches can be relieved by drinking cold water. Although there are safe paracetamol medications, you should always consult your doctor before taking any medication while you are pregnant.

Morning sickness last until around your third month of pregnancy until it disappears completely. Most first month pregnancy symptoms are brought about by the hormonal changes that simultaneously happen due to your delicate condition.

Having tender breasts, or experiencing soreness and heaviness, is another first month pregnancy symptom, as is experiencing pain in the lower part of your abdomen. These symptoms, though, are also present during PMS, so many pregnant women confuse them as signs of an upcoming menstrual period.

Mood swings are also common first month pregnancy symptoms. You easily get irritated and the little things that you used to brush off now become magnified. Again, these are brought on by the secretion of pregnancy-related hormones in your body.

In terms of weight, not all women experience an increase in girth around the midsection. A few, in fact, even lose weight - probably because another first month pregnancy symptom is loss of appetite. After a few months, however, your appetite will return and you will undoubtedly be eating much more than your regular intake in order to nourish the developing baby.
You can also find more info on pregnancy and birth and pregnancy clothes.

Pregnancyhelpblog.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about pregnancy.

Pregnancy Issues - 3 Unmistakable Signs And Symptoms

A long while before pregnancy is confirmed through medical pregnancy test(s), the body of most women show major signs of pregnancy like missing periods, sensitive skin, continuous nausea, vomiting or a bigger appetite. These are just a few of the many symptoms of early pregnancy, however these signs differ from woman to woman. Outlined below are 3 unmistakable early signs of pregnancy.

1. General fatigue: Some of the early signs of pregnancy may not be immediately noticed in some women because of the similar changes that take place in a woman during her monthly cycles. Body weakness or fatigue, a great loss of energy and a lack of desire to do anything that demands too much effort. These signs of pregnancy are caused by the change of body chemistry and hormones in the body as it prepares to welcome a new life. A number of women who do notice these signs early enough take the necessary precautions prescribed by their doctor.


2. Tenderness of breasts: Nature has its own way of preparing a woman for nurturing her baby and for motherhood by causing a change in the breasts. These changes could also be found with the PMS syndrome but the difference is that this tenderness in the breasts last till the baby's delivery. Swelling and soreness in the breasts is caused by the uncontrollable hormonal changes taking place in the body which are also early signs of pregnancy.

3. Slight spotting before periods: When the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine wall, there is a slight bleeding or a pinkish discharge from the vagina. This is a rare but important sign of pregnancy and it happens before the due period date.

This is known as spotting.

Well, there you have it. Just remember though: Once the pregnancy is confirmed maintain a weekly pregnancy calendar to record the growth and progress of the embryo to babyhood. This also helps in keeping track of your due date, baby's development and mother's health starting from the day you discover the first sign of pregnancy.

When the early signs of pregnancy has been discovered, it is advisable to start keeping a weekly pregnancy calendar that will have information about the changes in your body and how close you are to your due date and ultimately what is happening to your baby.

To your successful delivery!

Visit our website today for extra resources and Information on Pregnancy Signs And Symptoms. Here are just a few of the many important things you 'll learn when you visit: Discover the signs of ovulation and the most fertile time in your cycle; Find out what to do when you want to get pregnant; Learn the very best ways to test at home to see if you're pregnant; Learn how to date your pregnancy And a whole lot more!

How To Lose Weight After Having A Baby

If you're a new mother, then you'll know that the weight gain after pregnancy is something that all new mothers are concerned about. It's all right stacking on the weight when you're pregnant and for some, pregnancy is a great excuse to gorge however once the baby's out and breastfeeding is either established or finished, then the question of how to lose weight after having it moves to the forefront of a mother's mind.
Most women need the same amount of time to lose the weight gained as it took to gain the weight. In other words, around 9-10 months, provided their weight gain was within the 5-10kgs doctors recommend. So, the key to how to lose weight after a baby's born is to take it slowly, aiming for a gradual weight loss rather than a rapid one.
It's important to remember that during the first few months after the birth of a baby, so many changes and new things are happening that the thought of how to lose weight shouldn't be the priority. Eating nutritiously, getting enough sleep, and taking care of the new infant should be where first efforts are focused. Once these are in place, then working on how to lose weight can begin in earnest.
It's also essential to realise that you cannot choose which area on your body you want to loseweight from. Weight loss will only result once you burn the fat stores on your body, so increasing your metabolism is what you should be aiming for. That, in turn, will reduce your fat stores, resulting in an overall weight loss.
To do this, it's necessary to combine good diet/nutrition with regular aerobic exercise such as cycling or running. Eating smaller meals more often during the day will help your body too as it will increase your metabolic rate, and in turn, your weightloss.
A common mistake made amongst many, is that doing more area-specific exercises such as crunches or sit-ups for the abdominal region, will help you lose more weight in that area. These exercises are effective, but not for losing weight. They are there to tone, which is what you will need to do after you have lost the desired amount of weight.
If you want to know how to lose weight after having a baby, there is no special way or secret method. It's much more straightforward. You need a certain amount of determination to succeed, willpower to stick your routine, a well-balanced diet that is lower in fat, and a realistic exercise regime that you know you can stick to.
There is no point trying to follow an exercise programme that is way beyond your capabilities since you are more likely to abandon it and feel a failure in the process. More often than not, women following unrealistic goals tend to gain, rather than lose that extra weight.
If you normally don't do any exercise, start with walking, jogging, or cycling a small distance until you build up your stamina. If you normally eat loads of chocolate or foods high in fat, then try to reduce them gradually so that the strain on you is not so great. Let's face it: fewer calories consumed mean fewer calories required to remove.
Once you have learned how to lose weight after you have a baby, you can put the theory into practise and just one year later, can be the same, if not better, than you were prior to giving birth!
Get in touch with the industry experts at http://www.weightlossfatburnersecrets.com for more help. Steve Magill has written several articles with regard to the weightloss business. As a Fellow in the (FBAE) he is considered an expert consultant when it comes to helping people to lose weight.

Maternity Bras

There are many certain questions to consider when you are trying to decide what kind of maternity bra will be best for you. If you are an expecting mother you may not exactly be looking forward finding a good selection of maternity clothes for you. But, believe it or not, many new lines of maternity clothes (including maternity bras) are stylish, classy, and even sexy maternity clothing items. When I went shopping with my sister before my nephew was born, I was surprised at all of the cute maternity outfits I saw for great prices. I should not have been taken back . . . the clothing industry has developed some amazing new stuff. Maternity bras are a very important piece of maternity clothing when you are choosing your new, temporary wardrobe.
When you do not have the right maternity bra it can be extremely uncomfortable for your breasts. Nonetheless, many women have certain questions about what kinds of maternity bras she should purchase. Some women wonder if it is bad to wear an underwire bra, or to wear a bra to bed while they are pregnant. Maternity bras have been designed for specific purposes. Therefore, if you have the right maternity bra, the choice is up to you. But you must also be aware of the dangers that wearing certain bras and over-restraining your breasts can cause. Despite the popularity of them, the truth is that wearing an underwire bra is not recommended while a woman is pregnant or lactating, despite the incredibly widely popular design.
You will want to get different kinds of bras to wear during your pregnancy as well as while you are breastfeeding. It is always good to follow your doctor’s advice, especially when it concerns the only source of your baby’s sustenance for the first six months of his or her life. A bra with an underwire can cut – off the circulation of fluid nutrients in the breasts. They can put pressure on certain parts of your breasts as they begin to swell and cause potential problems.
If you prefer an underwire bra, but you refrain from wearing one because you know you shouldn’t while pregnant, there is another option. These are similar to an underwire bra, but they have been developed especially for pregnant women to best suit their needs for support. When a woman wears an underwire bra during pregnancy, because of its design, an underwire bra can put extra pressure on the breasts when they become fuller. When this happens, it can result in blocked milk ducts or cause mastitis, which is basically an inflammation of the breast. The wires under the bra are not flexible enough to adjust to your bleeds.
There are now maternity and breastfeeding bras that will be perfect for you available on the market today. These bras are made with a flexible kind of plastic for extra support, they are similar to an underwire bra. Most women have found such maternity and / or breastfeeding bras to be a great solution. These bras will provide support while not impeding the growth and development of your breasts. A plastic based maternity of breastfeeding bra flexes, shrinks and changes position as your breasts reshape.
The bras you purchase to wear during your pregnancy can be either the same bras that you wear as you are breastfeeding. Because the bras that women wear during pregnancy are often still worn by them when they are breastfeeding their infants, there are bras that are suitable and comfortable for both. If you want to use the same bras for breastfeeding that you do when you are pregnant, there are, of course, specific things to look for when you do your shopping.
A bra designed for breastfeeding is almost always virtually the same as a bra designed for expecting mothers. As a matter of fact, “nursing bras” and “maternity bras” are usually sold without distinction. They are sold in the same section, under the same name (usually one or the other), and that is the “maternity bra” or “nursing bra” section of the clothing store.
Just like when a woman has to decide what kind of bra to wear, (when and if she does) a woman has a choice regarding her personal preference as to whether or not she wants to wear a bra. Sometimes, a pregnant woman may experience soreness in her breasts no matter what kind of bra she wears. There are many women who feel much more comfortable wearing no bra at all. The decision as to whether you wear a bra or not depends completely on what your personal preference is. There will be no negative impact on your breasts and / or their growth or swelling.
The same applies when you consider sleeping in a maternity bra or nursing bra. There is no damage to your breasts or to your milk. It all depends on what makes you more comfortable. If you are a “bra person,” make sure that you have more than one bra, two or three for sure. Choose the very best bra to suit your needs for comfort and support, there are certain things to look for. Most of the bras will have some way to open for feeding without removing the bra altogether.
There are almost always a wide variety of options. Virtually every maternity or nursing bra also has a way or mechanism for holding the nursing pads in place. You can choose most commonly from three different types of bras. Center clasps are common, as are front clasps and shoulder clasps.
Almost all maternity or nursing bras (and especially nursing pads) need to be hand washed. It is recommended that you do this often, that you do not wring or twist the material, and remember it takes awhile for maternity or nursing bras to dry. This is one of the reasons why you will need multiple maternity bras. And because of the inevitable, (i.e. leaking) you really should own a couple of maternity or nursing bras, even if you prefer going braless. If you take good care of your bras you can keep them and wear them throughout your pregnancy and during your baby’s infancy until you are done nursing.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles for new mothers, please visit breastisbest.com, supplier of high quality Breastfeeding pumps and Breastfeeding Bras.

Pregnancy Weight Gain - How Much Should You Really Gain?

Pregnancy weight gain is essential during pregnancy. It is critical to the health of your baby that you gain the appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy. Different people need to gain different amount. I am going to break it down as best as I can so that you don't have to guess when it comes to pregnancy weight gain.
Weight gain really differs from person to person. If you start out at a healthy weight when you get pregnant, you should look at gaining anywhere from 20-30 pounds throughout your entire pregnancy. If you are under weight, you should look at gaining a little more, usually in the 35 pounds range. And, if you are overweight when you get pregnant, your goal should be around 10-15 pounds gained throughout your pregnancy.
Pregnancy is not an excuse to eat anything that you want and gain weight just because you are pregnant. It is really important that you eat healthy and gain weight in the right areas of the body. This will involve exercise and healthy eating throughout each trimester. If you do not watch your weight, you can expect to gain double the amount that is recommended making labor harder and losing weight after labor really hard.
You should gain around 5 pounds during your first trimester, and around 1 pound per week during your second and third trimester. If you are underweight, you should try to gain around 8 pounds during the first trimester, and a little over a pound per week for the second and third trimesters. If you are overweight, you should gain around 3 pounds the first trimester and around 1 pound every other week during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.
A lot of women like to use the excuse that just because they are pregnant, they can eat what they want. This is very bad and can cause problems down the road and after labor. If you eat healthy and exercise during pregnancy, you can expect to have an easier labor and be able to lose your pregnancy weight faster after delivery. You will be down to your normal weight before you know it.
Some things to keep an eye on are either gaining too much weight too fast, or not gaining enough weight. If you find that you have gained over 5 pounds in one week and you are eating right, you need to get checked by the doctor. This could be a sign of preeclampsia, which is a very serious disease.
On the other side of the table, if you are not gaining any weight at all, make sure that you get checked out by a doctor. Weight gain is essential during pregnancy. It could be normal, however, to not gain any weight one week, but gain 2 pounds the next. This is still normal, but you will want to keep your doctor informed of what is going on.
Did you know that it is really easy to stay within your ideal birth weight? Get a copy of the Pregnancy Weight Guide. It is full of great info, and best of all, it is free. Good luck and congrats on the pregnancy.