Discovering that you are pregnant opens a whole new world before you. Suddenly, your focus shifts as your one and only job becomes just nine months long; to attend to the health of you and your baby. If you are not a person who visits the doctor often then the transition to monthly – and soon weekly – doctor visits can feel strange. But these visits are just one of the things you will be doing to ensure the health of your fetus. As you will soon discover, pregnancy diet is another.

As we all know, eating a proper diet can save us a lifetime of health problems and even early death. Even with this knowledge it can still seem a battle to maintain a healthy diet. But with pregnancy, suddenly it is no longer just about us. And when the results of a healthy pregnancy diet can mean a healthy pregnancy, a full-term, problem-free delivery, and a healthy baby – then it doesn’t seem like much of a battle anymore.

Following a proper pregnancy diet ultimately means following the instructions of your doctor. Depending on your pre-pregnancy health and weight, your doctor will indicate how much/little weight it is advised that you gain. Be sure to monitor you weight gain accordingly as excessive weight gain can result in problems such as hypertension and gestational diabetes. Your doctor will advise you as to the number of daily calories that are healthy for your particular body.

Aside from caloric considerations, a pregnancy diet means focusing on healthy foods. Try to avoid foods high in salt, fat, and preservatives. Also minimize fried and greasy foods. Instead, focus on natural, whole foods such as fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, and complex whole grains. Also be sure to introduce lean meats such as chicken and fish as great sources of protein.

As part of your pregnancy diet, you will also more than likely be advised by your doctor to increase your calcium intake through yogurt, milk, soy, and cheese.

As a supplement to your pregnancy diet you will more than likely be given a pre-natal vitamin to round out your nutritional needs. This vitamin also includes a higher dose of iron which is essential to a healthy pregnancy.

In addition to eating what you are advised to eat, it is just as important to avoid those things that you are advised against. Be sure to follow the instructions of your doctor in eliminating those foods that are not a part of a healthy pregnancy diet.

Pregnancy can be a wonderful journey; and certainly a healthy one if you stay committed to following the advice of your doctor and a healthy, well-rounded pregnancy diet.

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Listening to Life : Hey, California, is legalizing marijuana really the answer?
Got pot? Maybe not yet, but that might change in a couple months on the Pacific Coast because the California secretary of state (this past March) certified a November vote on a ballot measure that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana. The West Coast impetus? Like ours with Jackson Laboratories: Cold hard cash.

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Coming Events
An RAOB GLE Buffaloes group has formed locally and is looking for new and old members. Contact Jeff at 604-946-4794 for more information.

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Community Calendar, September 2010
COMMUNITY CALENDAREditor’s Note: Meetings listed are as current as possible at the time of publication. Please contact the groups to verify their plans.POTPOURRI OF EVENTS/SEPTEMBER 2010SEPT. 1-7, 2010GREATER MUSKEGON WOMAN’S CLUB, September general club luncheon/Membership Tea, 1 p.m. Sept….

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Dear governor: Our kids need a safety net
No one should be surprised that Gov. Tim Pawlenty nixed an $850,000 federal teen pregnancy prevention grant while approving $500,000 in abstinence-only money. Hugely disappointed? Sure. Surprised? No.

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5 Postpartum Tips from Dr. Machelle Seibel, Founder of HealthRock and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
BOSTON—-After your baby’s birth , the body begins the restoration process and starts to regain strength and return back to its pre-pregnancy shape.

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Life exchange: Mehlville teacher involved in nation’s largest ever kidney swap
Shannon Weber’s life seemed storybook ideal: She was young, healthy, happily married and the mother of two small children.

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Great video about Pregnancy Tips check it out:

Dealing with morning sickness involves avoiding strong smells and eating stomach settling foods, like lemons, ginger and watermelon. Deal with morning sickness with tips from a gynecologist and obstetrician in this free video on pregnancy. Expert: Dr. Jill Hechtman MD OB/GYN Contact: www.ob-gyn.com Bio: Dr. Jill Hechtman, MD is an Ob/Gyn and vice president of Tampa Obstetrics. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

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I just had my second miscarriage. Has anyone gone through this and then had a healthy pregnancy? If so, were there any steps the next time around you needed to take to ensure it? Comments would be much appreciated.

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New mothers or women post delivery often live in post pregnancy blues. They are worried about the way they look and develop a wrong psyche that they will be rejected by their husbands because of the way they look. Flab, sagging breasts and fat thighs are often prevalent in women post pregnancy. They will look forward to a well toned body and would want to get rid of those extra kilos. They slowly lose their self confidence due to their appearance.

Consult your doctor, she will be able to help you with some exercise to lose weight. Yoga and other forms of meditation will help you lose weight gradually. Do not look out for ways to lose weight immediately. You need to be realistic and try out exercise to shed off your weight slowly. Pelvic floor exercise, butterfly exercise, static abs, elevator are some of the exercises that you can try at home. You can remain tension free with the help of yoga and other breathing exercise. No, gymming is required till you have completed 6 months of post pregnancy period. You can try out simple ones like the butterfly and pelvic exercises at home. Your gynecologist will be able to tell you what you need to do. Jogging is recommendable and swift walking too, but not gymming until it is six months. Eat good balanced meals that include fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish or poultry, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.

Avoid consumption of sugar, oil and butter as it will add on to your fatty deposit. You must follow a proper diet regimen and carry out light exercise at home itself. Try them in your free time! One important tip is to ‘not stop breast feeding’. Breast feeding helps you lose weight. Your body will lose weight producing quality milk for your baby. Therefore, you must continue feeding your baby which is good for you as well as the baby. If you are breast feeding, you need adequate calories, so the most important things are water and regular exercise.

Start of with a morning walk. If you delay, you will find excuses not to go, and the walk is a great way to start your day. You can also invest in a baby backpack or a pram. You will also find that water aerobics is great for weight loss and toning. Keep exercising, have a well balanced diet and continue breast feeding till your baby is one year old.

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Healthy pregnancy nutrition is very important. Safe and healthy eating habits maintain good health and provide nutrition for the growing fetus. Thus it is a must to maintain a balanced nutrition before and during pregnancy. A well nourished mother gives birth to a healthy baby and can nourish her child well after birth too.

Although, at times during the initial period of pregnancy, it is difficult to maintain any diet because of nausea and morning sickness, but after this phase passes, with the growth of baby in the fetus, the nutrition needs also increase. Thus, a nutritious diet, rich in fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals is advisable for the healthy development of the growing baby.

Nutritional Supplements

Before you decide on taking pregnancy supplements, it is important to point out that such supplements must be taken under medical guidance of the doctor, as their incorrect dosage may affect the developing baby. For example some of the vitamins and minerals, e.g. folic acid and iron, if taken during the initial three months of conception, prove to be very effective during pregnancy. Such supplements are prescribed as a little higher dose, keeping in mind the pregnant woman requirements. A doctor should always be consulted in case of any doubt about the dose or its suitability during pregnancy. Further, it is also prudent to purchase the vitamins from a reputed retail chemist shop that can be trusted for quality.

Fish oil given for pregnancy nutrition helps form a healthy brain and body of the developing baby, since it is contains high levels of omega3 fatty acids. However, different types of fish oil are available in the market, some even with a high level of mercury content. Hence ask your doctor what to do; he knows what best for you.

Herbal supplements as pregnancy nutrition are also in demand. Some herbs are not nutritious at all. Instead they are toxic and may cause harm, if consumed during pregnancy. Some herbs and herbal supplements if taken in tea or as food flavors are safe, but their concentrated doses or pills should be avoided during pregnancy.

A Healthy Diet And Lifestyle

Always remember, healthy people have a healthy pregnancy. Thus, both the parents must eat the nutritious diet before planning to have a baby. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc. should be avoided and the medical tests, as recommended by the doctor, must be taken. Useful and healthy pregnancy nutrition guidelines explaining height, weight, diet, etc., during pregnancy should be clearly understood. It is also advisable to maintain the habit of drinking at least eight glasses of water every day during pregnancy week by week. Apart from this keep relaxed, cheerful, and have a happy spirit of mind with a smiling attitude. Avoid anger, bitterness, and pessimistic nature to keep your pregnancy healthy. Listening to music, going for a walk, reading healthy pregnancy books are some of the activities that relaxes the mind and body during pregnancy.

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Most of us know how to properly choose OB gynecologist but very few of us are aware of the many factors to consider in choosing a midwife. Worse, not all of us, give high importance to hiring a midwife during pregnancy. In this article, we will not only give you tips on how to choose a midwife, we will also give you reasons on why having a midwife is very important.

If you see child birth as something natural, healthy and normal experience, then having a midwife may be a good option for you. There are a few important factors to consider before making your hiring one.

How to choose a midwife?

Keep in mind that there are several types of midwives. Certified nurse midwives are those who are trained as registered nurses aside from their midwifery training. If you think you want someone with a more advanced medical background, then a nurse midwife may be the perfect choice for you. Lay midwives, also called as direct-entry midwives, are those who have been extensively trained in midwifery but does not have a nursing degree. Their whole training relies on a thorough apprenticeship giving them a lot of hands-on experience in dealing with birth deliveries. The American Midwifery Certification Board certifies some direct-entry midwives. Those who get such certification are called Certified Professional Midwives or Certified Midwives.

Why choose a midwife? To date, midwifery remains a resurging field. The number of women opting for midwifery care increases generously almost every year. Below are some of the most common reasons why some women choose to have a midwife.

You’re healthy and at low risks. In general, midwives take care of low risk women. Midwives guide you in all your choices towards healthy options which give you the chance to stay healthy and with low risks throughout your pregnancy.  A midwife serves like a lifeguard. She constantly keeps a eye on you to ensure that you are always within healthy paramaters.

You want to deliver your baby normally. Midwifery care has been proven to have lower intervention rates like induction of labor and c-section. This keeps all women at peace especially those who want to avoid all unneeded interventions. Midwives can offer you several options to help you cope with labor and pregnancy without involving medications which are not necessarily needed. Aside from this, midwives can stay with you all throughout your labor keeping you stay calm and focused all the time.

You love and do not mind longer prenatal care visits. You are given time to check with your midwife every time you pay a prenatal visit. This is a good thing since you are given the chance to get to know her in person. You can also ask questions both on practice and personal notes which can help you assess her competence and personality.

You have more options as to where to give birth. Some midwives do their jobs in hospital settings but you can also find some who perform home births and those who work in birth centers. This gives you more options as to where to have your baby.

A midwife can yield good results just like obstetricians. If you plan on opting for midwifery care, keep the above tips in mind.

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Vaginal infections are caused by bacteria, fungi or parasites. Common bacteria include gardinella, while fungi and parasitic infections can be due to yeast and Tchirchomonas respectively.

There are several consequences of untreated vaginal infections ranging from Itches and irritations, discharge formations, bad odor, to pregnancy complications. Vaginal infections affect your sex and love life negatively, they may affect your child bearing ability.

A healthy pregnancy, delivery and a healthy baby can strictly be dependent on the health of your vagina. Untreated or frequent infections disrupts the normal environment of the vagina. This opens doors for other complications or infectious agents to colonize the vagina.

Women with vaginal infections are more vulnerable to HIV infection than a healthy vagina. These infections compromises the integrity of the vagina making the vagina less resistant to pressure and hence easily becomes ruptured leading to blood exchange. HIV puts the life of a pregnant woman at risk, the entire pregnancy process is put at risk and more importantly the life of the baby is at risk. Most babes become infected during the birth process whereby the mother’s blood comes in contact the babies blood due to injuries as the baby forces its way out.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease whose prevalence can be attributed to poor vaginal hygiene and irresponsible sex. Increase vulnerability to gonorrhea can be due to other infections too. Gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria Gonorrhoea. It has been shown to lead to still births or to children with compromised abilities to function well. Some children are born with conjunctivitis or blindness due to these infections which could be prevented by taking the simple measures available for treating common vaginal.

Syphilis is also another form of sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria called Treponama Pallidum. If untreated, it can also affect the baby causing heart, eye or brain infections. Vulnerability to syphilis can be influenced by other vaginal infections.

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Like to know how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy? Let me share with you my personal experience with stretch marks and what I have learned to ovecome of having severe stretch marks from various sources during my pregnancy days.

90% of all pregnant women will develop pink or reddish color lines on their abdomen, buttocks, hips and/or breasts. Yes, it is true that these stretch marks can be irritably itchy at times. If you would to scratch them, it will aggravate your stretch marks. Leaving unsighlty shallow grooves. 

Some pregnant women who have great skin tone either because of heredity or because they have maintained years of healthy nutrition, regular skin treatment  and exercise habits may have no problems of having bad stretch marks.

Here are some tips on how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy:

Firstly is having a proper diet. Eat healthy is a must. Your diet must have adequate sources of the nutrients needed for healthy skin. Be sure to consume plenty of zinc-rich foods such as fish and nuts. Foods like carrots, milk and citrus fruits are high in vitamins C, D, and A. So is sufficient protein.

Next is drink enough water and avoid caffeine drinks, like tea or coffee if you can.

Apply cream, lotion or oil, to keep you skin supple and moist. But remember this treatment will not completely prevent you from having stretch marks. They may reduce the appearance of lines to be less visible. Personally I have tried applying cocoa butter cream. It helps to a certain extent only.  Always buy a good quality of skin moisturizer which helps you keep your skin hydrated at all time.

This is what a female friend who was a gym instructor advised me to so. Exercise regularly. It can be a simple stretching exercise or go for brisk walking. Sweat it out as it is also good for your health. 

Another great and common advice on how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy is massaging: Regular massage on areas like hips, buttocks, tummy and breasts area with mosturizer or oil.

These are  the few ways how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, I learned from others and I have tried them all. There is no harm trying trying out these simple tips. Hope they work for as they have for me to a great extent.

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