Posts Tagged birth defects
Being pregnant Because of Date Calculator – A Valuable Resource for Pregnant Women?
Posted by in Pregnancy on February 20th, 2010
If you’re a mother to become, are preparing on getting a newborn or know somebody who’s planning to use a newborn, a pregnancy due day calculator is definitely something you have to seem into. You can find all types of several points that 1 can inform you, and they’re just as enjoyment as they are informative. It is possible to find a lot of them on the internet for totally free, or you possibly can go for a neighborhood bookstore and select 1 up. The kind of information you are able to get from a having a baby due day calculator varies by which one you use, but when you plug inside first day of the final interval numerous will tell you some fundamental stuff.
For example, much more than you pregnancy because of date calculator will tell you your conception date. It’s something simple, but you will need that later on as you start taking gender quizzes and partaking in other mom to be entertainment. Also, you’ll learn the time when your baby is in the best threat for birth defects. This really is normally from the array of 5-10 months. Other useful tidbits will include when your baby’s fetal organs have begun to type, when your baby’s key organs have formed and the date at which the chance for miscarriage decreases.
A good being pregnant due date calculator will also inform you at point at which a prematurely born child is most most likely to survive. Ultimately, it’ll tell you when your real due day is.!!.ideally at close to 40 months. You’ll be able to also start off to toy with items like the ancient Chinese lunar calendar, which individuals within the good old days utilized to inform if the infant was going to be a boy or perhaps a girl. You can find also various good old wives tales that you can have entertaining with. Is your belly sticking straight out, or is it large and broad? That could be the difference among whether you ought to paint your nursery pink or blue, based on some.
my name is nianandra, i am a midwife and internet marketer and i like story pregnancy. Nia nandra owns and operates Are-You-Pregnant? http://www.depression-during-pregnancy.com. Find resources and FAQ for expectant parents on our pregnancy web site,
early signs of pregnancy, conception calculator, early pregnancy symptoms, fertility calendar, week by wee
Article Source: Being pregnant Because of Date Calculator – A Valuable Resource for Pregnant Women?
Pregnancy Week 18: Is My Baby a Girl or a Boy?
Posted by in Pregnancy on February 7th, 2010
One of the most awaited weeks of pregnancy is pregnancy week 18. During this week, you would be able to know the sex of your baby with the help of an ultrasound. Other than the sex, through an ultrasound, you can also check the development of your baby, the placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, gestational age of your baby, estimated, due date, and possible birth defects.
The developments during this week include the development of your baby’s sense of smell, taste, sight, and hearing. Your baby’s ears have already reached its final position and he or she can now hear sounds inside your body such as your heartbeat. Your baby may even be startled from outside noises that are loud. His or her eyes are now facing forward and he or she can detect light in case you hold a flashlight against your abdomen.
Ossification or the hardening of bones will also begin this week. The first bones to harden include the clavicle and the legs. Your baby’s nerves are developing and making more complex connections. Myelin, which is a substance that makes the nerve connection travel faster, is now coating your baby’s nerves.
His or her heart is building up muscle cells and is now pumping blood of about 25 to 30 quarts a day.
Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long.
This week, your uterus is now as big as a small melon. It is now just below your bellybutton.
Aside from knowing whether your baby is a boy or a girl, another milestone this week is you may begin to feel a flutter in your belly which doctors call “quickening”. Within the next few weeks, these movements will become more obvious and stronger. You may experience gas pains. You may think that you are having indigestion when actually, it is just your baby moving around your tummy.
Pregnancy week 18 is truly a week to look out for during pregnancy because of the many milestones that occur during the week. The first movement of the baby that you can actually feel, meeting your baby through the ultrasound screen and getting to know whether your baby is a she are concrete proof that he or she really exists. These moments are one of the best moments during pregnancy. Look forward to it, enjoy it, and treasure it.
Want to know more about what happens during each week of pregnancy? Visit http://www.pregnancycheatsheets.com for an intensive week by week pregnancy account.
Article Source: Pregnancy Week 18: Is My Baby a Girl or a Boy?
Pregnancy week 18: Is it a girl or is it a boy?
Posted by in Pregnancy on February 6th, 2010
One of the most awaited weeks of pregnancy is pregnancy week 18. During this week, you would be able to know the sex of your baby with the help of an ultrasound. Other than the sex, through an ultrasound, you can also check the development of your baby, the placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, gestational age of your baby, estimated, due date, and possible birth defects.
This week, your baby’s senses of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. His or her ears have now reached their final position and he or she can already hear sounds such as your heartbeat. He or she may even be startled by loud noises. The eyes are now facing forward and he or she would be able to detect the light of a flashlight if you hold one to your abdomen.
Ossification or the hardening of bones will also begin this week. The first bones to harden include the clavicle and the legs. Your baby’s nerves are developing and making more complex connections. Myelin, which is a substance that makes the nerve connection travel faster, is now coating your baby’s nerves.
His or her heart is building up muscle cells and is now pumping blood of about 25 to 30 quarts a day.
Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long.
This week, your uterus is now as big as a small melon. It is now just below your bellybutton.
Aside from knowing whether your baby is a boy or a girl, another milestone this week is you may begin to feel a flutter in your belly which doctors call “quickening”. Within the next few weeks, these movements will become more obvious and stronger. You may experience gas pains. You may think that you are having indigestion when actually, it is just your baby moving around your tummy.
Pregnancy week 18 is truly a week to look out for during pregnancy because of the many milestones that occur during the week. The first movement of the baby that you can actually feel, meeting your baby through the ultrasound screen and getting to know whether your baby is a she are concrete proof that he or she really exists. These moments are one of the best moments during pregnancy. Look forward to it, enjoy it, and treasure it.
Want to know more about what happens during each week of pregnancy? Visit http://www.pregnancycheatsheets.com for an intensive week by week pregnancy account.
Article Source: Pregnancy week 18: Is it a girl or is it a boy?
10 Effective Tips To Prevent Birth Defects!
Posted by in Pregnancy on January 11th, 2010
Every year approximately 150,000 babies born in the United States are with one or more common birth defects.
While the cause of more than 60% birth defects is still not known, there are various things which you can do as a mother about the wellbeing of your growing baby.
Proper education and awareness are the main keys to prevent the birth defects in your baby. After that, taking proper action can reduce some of the birth defects.
You can follow various tips to enhance the probability of having a healthy pregnancy and also a healthy growing baby.
Some things are more challenging for you because they need breakage of your habits.
Here are some effective tips which you can follow to prevent the birth defects:
1. The first and the most important tip is to maintain good pre conception health by eating well balanced and nutritional meals.
2. If you are sexually active and have great chances for pregnancy, then ensure that you take a daily dosage of multivitamin that consists of recommended dosage of 400 mcg of folic acid and other essential B vitamins. Consuming enough folic acid supplement prevents your baby from birth defects of spine and brain.
These birth defects are called as neural tube defects or NTDs. So, it is essential to take folic acid during pregnancy.
3. Don’t perform any activities that can lead to birth defects such as alcohol consumption, smoking, drug usage and caffeine consumption.
4. If you are suffering from any of the conditions like obesity, diabetes or epilepsy, then it is essential to talk to your health care provider before planning for pregnancy. He/she will suggest you the precautionary measures or prescribe some medications to treat the condition in pregnancy.
You need to avoid smoking as it can increase the risk of oral clefts and other birth defects like Down syndrome, heart and limb defects. Also, avoid the consumption of alcohol and exposure to drugs and chemicals.
5. Ensure that you get an annual wellness and gynecological exams.
6. Make sure that you get genetic counseling and screening for birth defects, mainly if you are having any history of birth defects in your family or if you become pregnant above the age of 35 or older.
7. Stay away from infectious agents that cause serious problems during pregnancy. Avoid harmful germs and parasites by using good hygiene. For example, the parasite that cause toxoplasmosis can be found in raw meat and cat feces and this can lead to severe brain damage in the fetus.
8. You should talk with your doctor before taking any dietary supplements during your pregnancy.
9. Avoid exposure to anything that is toxic for you and your baby like fumes from strong household chemicals like paints, pesticides, gasoline and paint thinner, lead found in some paints and contaminated water sources.
10. Consult your doctor and get necessary vaccinations to prevent chronic illnesses from occurring before planning for pregnancy.
Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for ThePregnancyZone.com. This blog covers various pregnancy issues, prenatal care, preparing for pregnancy, tests & procedures, pregnancy tools and pregnancy stages. Visit The Pregnancy Blog
Article Source: 10 Effective Tips To Prevent Birth Defects!
Is It Too Late To Have Your First Baby?
Posted by in Pregnancy on January 7th, 2010
A growing number of women are choosing to have their first baby after the age of thirty. The decision to wait is often for personal, career, or financial reasons. The closer a woman gets to the age of forty the more concerned she becomes about waiting too long.
A woman’s biological clock is often associated with the psychological need to become a mother, but the much used cliche is actually based on the degradation of the reproductive system. There is a very real biological countdown that limits the opportunity to give birth to a healthy child.
The most notable decline in the reproductive system involves the eggs needed to conceive. A female is born with all the eggs she’ll ever have available for reproduction, which means there are no new eggs introduced as she gets older.
As a woman ages, particularly past the age of 35, the quality of her eggs will begin to decline. Although low quality eggs are still capable of producing a child, the low egg quality significantly increases the possibility of birth defects.
Once past the age of forty, the eggs needed for reproduction are often very low in quality which can present complications for both the mother and the child. Men experience a decline in reproductive efficiency as they age, but their ability to create new reproductive cells allows them to produce children at advanced ages compared to women.
If you’re over the age of thirty but not sure if it’s the best time to have your first child, you still want to adopt behavior that creates a positive environment for having a baby. Behavior like excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, or taking drugs can significantly impact your ability to become pregnant at all ages. If you wait too long to address issues that further limit your ability to have a child past the age of thirty, you may realize that you do not have enough time to correct your mistakes when you are ready to become a first time mother.
The tips above are a small sample from the advice found in the pregnancy miracle. It gives detailed explanations of common causes of infertility and other pregnancy complications.
Article Source: Is It Too Late To Have Your First Baby?
What If You Get Swine Flu While Pregnant?
Posted by in Pregnancy on December 17th, 2009
Pregnant ladies are always rightly thinking about the health of their growing babies, thus it is necessary to learn regarding the current H1N1 Swine Flu regarding pregnancy issues.
Although data concerning the present H1N1 Swine Flu and pregnancy is limited, observations with normal seasonal flu and from previous pandemics suggest that pregnant women are at higher risk for additional severe complications of influenza than ladies who aren’t pregnant. Pregnant females with different medical conditions like asthma or cardiovascular disease are thought to be at particularly high risk for flu related complications. Furthermore, the viral infection and ensuing high fever commonly related to influenza place developing babies at risk for complications like preterm birth and birth defects.
For these reasons, American College of Obstetricians and Gyneologists still as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have suggested vaccination against influenza. As of this date, there have been no definitive links with issues in pregnant females because of flu shots, whereas there are many reports of additional severe issues with pregnant ladies after they get the flu. For these reasons, CDC recommends that pregnant women get both the 2009-2010 seasonal vaccine and also the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine. After all if any issues arise from the vaccines with pregnant ladies, these recommendations would change in an exceedingly minute. But, there’s much data over several years with women getting flu vaccines showing no harmful effects to either mother or baby. The present vaccine is being made in the same approach as the vaccines over the past years, thus there is no reason for CDC to expect any problems.
Several words are written on the internet concerning causal links between thimerosal preservative (used as a preservative in some flu vaccines) and autism within the babies later born to ladies who received flu shots when pregnant. Thimerosal is a mercury containing preservative, and mercury is a very toxic heavy metal. Flu shots are produced in 2 forms: single doses without preservative and multi-dose vials containing preservative. Even though there’s no proven link between thimerosal and autism, I assume it makes sense to choose the single dose vial without thimerosal if possible, especially if a female is pregnant. “CDC advises pregnant females to obtain flu shots either with or containing no thimerosal.†CDC also states that pregnant females can get the flu shots at any time throughout pregnancy and that they may get both the seasonal flu shot along with H1N1 Swine Flu shot at the identical time. It’s not recommended that pregnant females get the live nasal flu vaccine.
If a pregnant female does in fact get the flu, she ought to consult her physician immediately. Tamiflu is approved for use during pregnancy, but in fact this will and should only be used when in the care of a physician. It’s considerably better to avoid contacting the flu in the first place than making an attempt to treat it after the fact.
Do you have additional questions concerning flu and pregnancy, along with other advice on avoiding and surviving the flu? You’ll get the answers at Flu Facts for You.
Article Source: What If You Get Swine Flu While Pregnant?
Natural Tips on How to Get Pregnant Fast-Increase Your Chances Of Conception
Posted by in Pregnancy on November 28th, 2009
There is indisputable evidence to show that fertility levels have generally declined over the last few years. Sperm counts are lower and couples are taking longer and longer to conceive. Many believe that the change in our lifestyles is partly to blame, with stress becoming more common and obesity on the increase. In addition, more alcohol is consumed and there is an increase in environmental toxins and additives which many experts feel could be contributory factors.
Sometimes, when couples have undergone conventional testing and there is no “medical” explanation for their infertility, lifestyle is to blame and natural tips on how to get pregnant fast can be all that are needed to help them achieve a pregnancy.
Firstly, look at the obvious. We all know that smoking and drinking and bad for us. If you are trying to become pregnant, did you realize that both cigarettes and alcohol are not only bad for a developing fetus, but can seriously inhibit the chances of conception. Smokers have lowered sperm counts and higher levels of damaged sperm. Additionally, nicotine can cause the eggs to become resistant to fertilization. Alcohol can also be bad for both parties and any worthwhile natural tips on how to get pregnant fast will advise that you should at the very least cut down any alcohol intake to a minimum but preferably to cut it out altogether. Alcohol can damage the liver, which disrupts the normal hormonal balance, increasing the amount of estrogen produced by men. In women, alcohol can disrupt ovulation and the menstrual cycle and can contribute to miscarriage and birth defects.
Even a daily cup of coffee and a couple of cups of tea can increase the time taken to become pregnant, and so consider swapping to decaffeinated varieties of your favorite drinks.
If you are taking prescription drugs, it is worth checking with your doctor if they can have any effect on your ability to conceive. In addition, recreational drugs are thought to have a detrimental impact on fertility and although the exact impact is not known, research has shown that cannabis can reduce semen volume, sperm count and motility and can damage the ovaries.
Despite researching and putting into practice tips on how to become pregnant quickly, naturally, some couples still do not conceive after several months. Rather than leaving matters completely to chance, it makes sense to implement a tried and tested method which is guaranteed to work.
Other natural tips on how to get pregnant fast include eating a healthy diet. By eating your recommended daily intake of essential nutrients and cutting out artificial additives, this can quickly help restore your body’s natural processes and help you achieve a pregnancy.
If you would like to see details of a holistic system which will eliminate infertility and give you the baby you so want, please visit Natural Tips On How To Get Pregnant Fast.
Article Source: Natural Tips on How to Get Pregnant Fast-Increase Your Chances Of Conception
Is it Safe to Consume Alcohol when Pregnant?
Posted by in Pregnancy on November 22nd, 2009
While it has been well-known for some time that alcohol consumption can be dangerous in pregnant women, it is still not known just how much alcohol must be consumed before there is danger to the fetus. It’s considered conventional wisdom that pregnancy and alcohol do not mix, but there are a number of health-care practitioners who believe that a small to moderate amount of alcohol consumption when pregnant is not detrimental to mother or baby. So, is it safe to consume alcohol when pregnant? Or should even moderate consumption be avoided, just to be on the safe side?
Pregnancy and alcohol are a controversial topic, mainly because the effects of too much alcohol on fetal development are well-documented and severe. Women who consume alcohol when pregnant need to realize that everything they take in goes directly to the baby as well. The first three months of a baby’s development are particularly critical. If however, you had a few drinks during your early pregnancy, while you were still unaware that you were pregnant, there’s nothing to worry about. It is excessive, chronic drinking that creates the problems.
At this point, those who have researched pregnancy and alcohol have been unable to determine just how much alcohol consumption is dangerous. If you consume alcohol when pregnant, it is safe to assume that the risks of birth defects, miscarriage, mental disorders and growth retardation increase the more a mother drinks. Frequency of drinking is also a factor. Even though moderate drinking is probably safe, not drinking at all is definitely the safest. In any case, any pregnant woman thinking about consuming alcohol during the pregnancy should consult her doctor.
It is well-known that heavy drinking can seriously affect the fetus. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is much more likely to occur when a woman drinks heavily and often. FAS is also more likely to occur when the woman drinks frequently, not just excessively. Some of the symptoms of FAS include skeletal abnormalities, including an abnormally small head or skull, a malformed heart, retarded growth, and mental disorders.
If you are unable to stop drinking heavily, are considering pregnancy, or think you might be pregnant, it would be wise to consult your doctor immediately to find out what type of support you can receive so you can cut back on alcohol and protect your baby. The risk of FAS is reduced considerably if you drink moderately, as in one to two glasses of wine on occasion. Alcohol isn’t the only factor to consider in your baby’s health. Tobacco and drug use, your diet, your overall health and a number of other factors are all very important in determining the ultimate health of your baby.
Pregnancy and alcohol are generally not a good mix, but if you exercise common sense and moderation, it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s not completely unsafe to consume alcohol while pregnant, but it’s probably best to consult your doctor and figure out how to best adjust your entire lifestyle to make sure your pregnancy is a healthy one.
You can find helpful information about pregnancy and alcohol and everything you need to know about consume alcohol when pregnant at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: Is it Safe to Consume Alcohol when Pregnant?

