Posts Tagged pregnancy hormones
Heartburn and Pregnancy – Why Heartburn Appear and How You Can Minimize Its Discomfort
Posted by in Pregnancy on January 19th, 2010
For many women heartburn and pregnancy go head to head. Many of the pregnant women will feel at some moment of their pregnancy a burning sensation in the throat and in the chest. A sour taste in their mouths will become a familiar sensation for many of them.
Why heartburn and pregnancy go head to head? This may occur for various reasons. Your ligaments that keep the lower esophageal sphincter closed may become soften because of the increased levels of hormones in your body.
Another reason for heartburn and pregnancy going head to head is that pregnancy hormones make the valve at the top of your stomach slack. This means that acid from your stomach can escape into your gullet where it causes a burning sensation. Some women find heartburn the worst aspect of their pregnancy but it does stop when the baby is born.
For feeling less discomfort try to:
- have a small, frequent meals
- eat ginger biscuits but avoid spicy foods or those with a high fat content such as cheese, butter, cream, fatty meat and oily fish
- drink peppermint tea, milk, ginger ale, sips of boiled water
- avoid coffee and drinks containing caffeine (such as cola)
- sleep propped up on a big pile of pillows, (”V” shaped pillows are excellent for preventing you from slipping down the bed while pregnant and are good for support later when you are feeding you baby.)
- avoid bending over, especially after a meal; squat down to pick things up from the floor. Gardening may be best delayed until after your baby is born;
- your doctor can prescribe antacids which many women find helpful.
Although you will not be able to completely eliminate heartburn during pregnancy, you may be able to minimize the discomfort.
Shirley M. Duran is a mother of two and an author of a variety of related lifestyle issues and topics with which has helped hundreds of mothers become pregnant. For more information on related issues, it is recommended to visit: http://protectyourbaby.info/
Article Source: Heartburn and Pregnancy – Why Heartburn Appear and How You Can Minimize Its Discomfort
Middle Back Discomfort during Pregnancy
Posted by in Pregnancy on September 5th, 2009
While lower back pain can be the most common type of back pain for pregnant women, many also find themselves with middle back discomfort. Back discomfort during pregnancy in general has several causes. Pregnancy hormones are among the main culprits in causing back problems. Pregnancy hormones can cause water retention in joints and ligaments, creating tightening around the joints. The hormone relaxin actually loosens the pelvis in preparation for childbirth. This loosening can cause pain and instability in the pelvic region, extending all across the back. Sometimes an abdominal muscle can split, causing even further instability.
Just as with lower back pain, middle back discomfort can be greatly alleviated through correct posture. The most important thing is to try to avoid arching the back. This is very tempting when your stomach seems to be pulling you forward, but do your best to resist, because a lot of back discomfort during pregnancy can be traced to the muscle fatigue caused by incorrect posture.
Most middle back discomfort is due to muscle strain and fatigue. This is only made worse by any motions that involve bending and lifting. Sitting or standing for long periods of time can cause pain as well. If core muscles are weak, discomfort will be even further increased.
The best way to deal with back discomfort during pregnancy is to ideally, start back and abdomen-strengthening exercises before becoming pregnant. If you start to feel pain, lie down in a reclining position for a while. In the third trimester, you may want to lie on your side. Continue to do strengthening and stretching exercises for your core muscles at least every few days throughout the pregnancy. Be sure to wear comfortable, flat, and cushioned shoes if you are going to be doing a lot of standing and walking. If possible, participate in swimming or water aerobics to take pressure off your spine.
Another way to avoid middle back discomfort is to sleep on your left side. This is the best position to get blood flow to the baby, and you are unlikely to strain anything further in that position.
If the back discomfort during pregnancy is ongoing and severe, it might be a sign of fetal distress. If fever, bleeding or severe cramping accompanies any sort of back pain, contact your doctor immediately.
Besides muscle pains, there are some other things that could contribute to middle back discomfort. Constipation, heart and lung problems, or urinary tract infections could all be potential causes of back pain. If you do your exercises and get plenty of rest, and the pain still doesn’t subside, there is a possibility that it is due to one of these things, and you should contact your doctor in any case.
Back pain can be considered a normal part of pregnancy, but there are things you can do to alleviate it. Ideally, you should start strengthening before you become pregnant, then continue to do exercises until close to the birth. Try not to stand or lift, and get plenty of rest if you’re sore. All the pain will be gone after baby is born.
You can find helpful information about middle back discomfort and everything you need to know about back discomfort during pregnancy at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: Middle Back Discomfort during Pregnancy
Pregnancy Test Results: Ensuring Accuracy
Posted by in Pregnancy on August 12th, 2009
Once a woman misses her period, she starts to have the “feeling pregnant” blues. Some start to “feel” dizzy. They begin craving for certain food. If you are indeed pregnant, then you are simply experiencing the early signs of pregnancy. If you are not pregnant, this may be a result of too much excitement or paranoia. Whether or not you’re expecting a baby, this stage can bring emotional dilemma to you and even to your partner. The only way to confirm your pregnancy is by taking a pregnancy test. But how do you ensure that you only get accurate pregnancy results? Are home pregnancy kits reliable enough? What is an online pregnancy test?
Home pregnancy tests work by detecting pregnancy hormones, also known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. Such hormone is secreted by the placenta after a fertilized egg is implanted in the lining of your uterus. And so, once the hormone is found in your urine, your pregnancy test results will indicate a “positive.”
But how soon can you conduct a pregnancy test? Most doctors and HPT manufacturers recommend that you take a home pregnancy test on the first day of your missed period which falls around the second week after conception. There are; however, some kits which were especially designed to be more sensitive than the others and can be taken earlier. Just keep in mind to read the instructions very carefully and interpret the results correctly. Pregnancy test results administered at home are said to be 97% accurate. If you want a more accurate result, you can undergo through a blood test administered by your physician. This test is said to be more sensitive than HPTs and can even detect pregnancy on the second week of conception.
Apart from home pregnancy kits, an online pregnancy test may also being considered by some women. An online pregnancy test does not necessarily tell you whether you’re pregnant or not. They simply compute the odds by asking a variety of questions about your menstrual cycle, how active your sexual life is, your last intercourse and a few other factors. You answer quizzes with these themes and then an automatic online computation which measures the odds and your chance of getting pregnant will give you the result. Online pregnancy tests should never be taken seriously. While, yes they help in determining your chances of getting pregnant, online calculations are never accurate.
The best way and the most accurate pregnancy results are those which are administered by your physician. As mentioned above, blood pregnancy tests are said to be more accurate than home pregnancy tests. However, if you can’t wait, you can opt for an HPT once you start feeling the early signs of pregnancy just to give you a temporary confirmation. But then again to avoid false hopes, always check with your doctor and have another pregnancy test, this time using blood test, administered.
There are many ways to take pregnancy tests. So stop wallowing in your dilemma now and get a confirmation as soon as you can.
You can find more information about pregnancy test results at Aha Baby. You can also learn everything you need to know about pregnancy including online pregnancy test at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: Pregnancy Test Results: Ensuring Accuracy
How To Ensure An Accurate Pregnancy Test
Posted by in Pregnancy on August 12th, 2009
Expectant and non-expectant moms get very anxious – usually either caused by too much excitement or paranoia – once they start to experience some of the early pregnancy signs. And so they would rush in taking home pregnancy tests to get a confirmation. But is an early pregnancy test really accurate?
First, let’s talk about the accuracy level of home pregnancy tests (HPTs). HPTs measure the presence of pregnancy hormones also known as hCG in a woman’s urine. HCG is a hormone which is secreted by the placenta after fertilization has occurred. Most home pregnancy kit manufacturers and doctors recommend that you wait until the first day of your missed period before taking an HPT. However, there are a few pregnancy tests which were especially designed to be more sensitive and can help you detect pregnancy even during its early stage.
The EPT pregnancy test, for instance, is said to be an error-proof kit. They come in two types – the Certainty Digital Home Pregnancy Test and the EPT +/- Home Pregnancy Test Kit. The Certainty EPT pregnancy test is said to offer unmistakable results. It uses a digital readout. It is very simple and easy to use. Unlike other HPTs, the Certainty kit can be taken on any time of the day and is guaranteed to offer 99% accuracy when taken on the first day of your missed period.
To use the EPT pregnancy test, you need to do a four-step easy process. First, remove the cap. Insert your test strip into the holder. Second, place the absorbent tip under your urine stream or in a cup filled with fresh urine for about five to seven seconds. Wait for three minutes until your digital results are displayed.
The other type of EPT pregnancy kit is the EPT +/- HPT. To conduct a test, all you need to do is remove the cap. Second, place the absorbent tip in a cup of urine for about five to seven seconds then wait for two minutes until the results are displayed. This form of EPT test is also said to be 99% accurate and should be taken on the first day of your missed period.
If your EPT pregnancy test indicates that you are pregnant, be sure to see your physician as soon as you can. As mentioned, EPTs offer accurate pregnancy test so a “positive” is more likely to remain positive while a negative is more likely to remain negative as well. Most doctors still run another pregnancy test using your blood as specimen, to get a second confirmation. This is because, despite the effectiveness of the pregnancy kits that you use, other factors such as medication and fertility treatments can lead to false HPT results. Seeing your doctor is also important in order to get the proper prenatal care that your body and baby needs. Your doctor can give you advice as to what to do, which vitamins to take, what food to eat, etc.
So if you’re planning on taking a home pregnancy test at home – whether through the use of typical home pregnancy kits or through EPT kits – a visit to your doctor will always be the most accurate pregnancy test. Always check with your doctor to receive the most accurate results.
You can find more information about accurate pregnancy test at Aha Baby. You can also learn everything you need to know about pregnancy including ept pregnancy tests at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: How To Ensure An Accurate Pregnancy Test
