The Health Blog

If you are a yoga student and just recently found out that you are pregnant you may till be able to do these exercises. Contrary to what many people think, Yoga is good for both you and your unborn child. You will not hurt the baby, but you will be able to create a healthy environment for the baby if you learn to do the yoga poses correctly. You can also begin to do yoga when you are pregnant. There are some poses that you will want to avoid, but if you learn to avoid the harmful poses and master the poses that are suggested as prenatal yoga. You will want to learn about these poses before you begin to do yoga. You will want to ask your pediatrician about whom you will be able to contact. Be sure that you know what you are doing, because you don’t want to hurt yourself or the baby.

Yoga is beneficial because it is a mental exercise as well as a physical one. Those who try to learn and use yoga as a meditation tool, they are able to relax and control their breathing. This will help you during labor, especially if you are opting to give birth without the use of drugs. You will learn how to stay calm in your later stages of your pregnancy, since many new mothers can easily frustrated.

You will want to learn the rules that you will need to follow when practicing yoga when you are pregnant. First, stay hydrated, stopping often for water breaks. If you get too overheated, your core body temperature rises even more, which can harm the baby. For this reason, “hot” yoga is dangerous and should be avoided while you are pregnant.  You will also want to eat some extra calories since you are eating for two, however, you will want to exercise to burn the extra calories from yourself and the baby.

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Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding your child. Long ago doctors believed it actually took nutrients away from the baby inside you, however that is not the case. Even today we have people that believe this and they will argue with you the entire time.  Only you can decide if you should stop breastfeeding your toddler or not. Don’t let someone else make that decision for you.

Reasons to Stop
A few reasons you might want to stop breastfeeding may be if you are feeling constantly drained of energy. Or maybe your child has started to bite. Sometimes your milk will just dry up, this is your body’s way of telling you that it has had enough and to take a break.  Mastitis could play a big role in making you stop immediately as well. Mastitis is an infection in the breast when it isn’t expressed enough and gets engorged.

Stopping or Weaning
If you do plan on stopping because you are pregnant, make sure it is for the right reasons. If your child has reached a certain age, it might be best. But never just yank it away from them.  Your child could wonder why it is being taken away. Wonder if they had done something or become discouraged about the new baby coming. Some children decide to wean themselves, which is a big help to you and you won’t feel so guilty about it. You can choose to do it cold turkey, or slowly wean him/her off. Cold turkey can have some bad results.  Try limiting his/her feeding times to certain hours and gradually as time passes take away more. Your child will quickly stop on his/her own and it won’t be a traumatic event.

A new study finds out. This study was a follow up on previous researchers on the effects of coffee, caffeine particularly, on expectant mothers. Previous studies suggest that drinking just a couple cups of coffee a day doesn’t pose much of a threat. However, the latest research proves this these findings wrong.

The study founds out that women who said they drank more than two cups of coffee per day had nearly double the risk of miscarriage compared with women who consumed no caffeine.

Depression that follows the birth of a baby is common, as new moms are overwhelmed by the changes in their bodies and routines.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers this list of reasons for why postpartum depression affects some new mothers:

* New moms can suffer from lack of sleep after the baby’s birth, which can lead to fatigue, stress and depression.
* New moms can feel overwhelmed by all of the new things to do, and by other changes in their lives. They may even feel unsure of their parenting skills.
* New moms may set unrealistic expectations for themselves.
* New moms have less time for themselves, with their partners, and less time to do what they want.

Although, it feels miserable to experience it, nausea and vomiting are usually part of a healthy pregnancy. These presumptive symptoms of pregnancy usually appears in early pregnancy and typically disappears during the middle third of second trimester.

Reduce the symptoms by trying these home remedies:

1. Diet Modification:
- Eat small amounts of food frequently.
- Avoid spicy and fatty foods, and foods with odors that bother you.
- Try eating simple carbohydrates, such as saltine crackers, unbuttered toast, plain baked potatoes, white rice, gelatin desserts, broth, pretzels, popsicles, herbal or decaffeinated tea with sugar, or non–diet ginger ale.
- Combine these simple carbohydrates with a serving of protein, especially right before bed to minimize swings in blood sugar that may contribute to nausea.
- Drink liquids between meals and not during meals to minimize nausea and vomiting.
- Keep crackers at the bedside table to help with nausea in the morning.

After delivering the baby, the perineum must be kept clean. Lochia may drain for up to four weeks, so pads should be changed frequently.

• Do not use tampons after delivery. Tampons may cause an infection.
• Take a bath or a shower once or twice daily. A sitz bath should be used after every bowel movement. A sitz bath involves sitting in shallow water, only deep enough to cover the hips and buttocks.
• Urinating can be painful after delivery. Squirting warm water over the perineum during urination may ease the pain. When finished urinating, gently pat the perineum dry.
• Cold sitz baths help reduce swelling and discomfort after delivery. Sit in a lukewarm or room temperature bath, and then gradually add ice cubes to the water. This prevents the uncomfortable, sudden sensation of ice water on the skin. Soak for 20 minutes at a time, up to three to four times a day. After the first two to three days, warm sitz baths will improve blood flow to the perineum. Check with your physician before adding medications such as epsom salts to the bath.

Product Details
Book Publisher: Collins (13 April, 2004)
ISBN: 0060746378
Book author: Mayo Clinic
Amazon Rating: 5.0

Book Description:

This new Mayo Clinic book on pregnancy provides you with practical information and reassurance on pregnancy and childbirth. Compiled by Mayo Clinic experts in obstetrics, it offers a clear, thorough and reliable reference for this exciting and sometimes unpredictable journey. This comprehensive book includes:

• A month-by-month look at mom and baby
• In-depth “Decision Guides” to help you make informed decisions on topics such as how to select a health care provider, prenatal testing options, pain relief for childbirth, and many others
• An easy-to-use reference guide that covers topics such as morning sickness, heartburn, back pain, headaches and yeast infections, among others
• Information on pregnancy health concerns, including preterm labor, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, along with an overview on being pregnant when you have pre-existing health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or hyperthyroidism

The FDA has recently approved Lybrel, the first low-dose contraceptive pill that gives women an option to stop their menstrual cycle for an indefinite period of time.

About Lybrel:
It is the newest form of birth control approved by the FDA. The drug is developed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which contains 90 micrograms of levonorgestrel and 20 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol, a combination similar to that found in other low-dose oral contraceptives.

It differs, however, with other contraceptive pills because it replaces the four- to seven-day placebo pill with continuous daily dosing for nonstop birth control with no menstrual periods.

So you have just given birth and are currently nursing your newborn child when suddenly an old familiar feeling starts to creep in. It might start as a fleeting, barely noticeable craving that slowly or suddenly turns into a gnawing desire. Before you know it, your sex drive is in high gear once again. You might feel that your body is not up to it yet, but your libido surely is. So what does one hot mama do when she starts to long for some loving?

Mothers need to let their body heal after giving birth before engaging in sex whether they have given birth normally or by C-section. Medical experts suggest that new moms wait for six weeks from giving birth before having sexual intercourse again. Ultimately though, it is up to the woman to decide whether she is already ready to sex or not. If you have just given birth but feel ready to get into some bedroom action, there are smart and safe ways to have sex again.

(HealthDay News) — While some women feel great throughout pregnancy, others have a variety of unpleasant symptoms.

Here are suggestions on how to feel better throughout pregnancy, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* To ease morning sickness and also prevent heartburn, eat small, frequent meals.
* Beat fatigue with plenty of rest each night and naps during the day when possible.
* Stretch your calf muscles to prevent leg cramps.
* Eat plenty of fiber-rich foods and drink lots of water to prevent constipation.
* If you’re retaining a lot of fluid, rest with your legs up, and on your left side.
* Use lotion to keep your skin moist, which will help reduce itchy stretch marks.

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