When to start pregnancy exercise?

The query when to start exercising in pregnancy? is like asking muhurt to help someone, it is always a good time to help someone and in pregnancy you can help your baby by taking care of  yourself and keeping fit your mind and body.

Regular exercise is a good thing, it should be started at the time when you were planning for the pregnancy but no worries for couch potatoes (most of us ) too, you can start exercising at any time during your pregnancy. Reports confirm that during pregnancy exercise can improve health of baby and of course momma too, it reduces the risk of excess weight gain and back pain, and it may make delivery easier. So what are you waiting for?

You should start an exercise program in your pregnancy as soon as possible, yes but be sure to review your plan with your doctor and keep in touch with your exercise results etc.
And do keep in mind too that pregnancy is not the time to try to lose weight (patli kamar pe nahi ho nazar ), nor is it a good idea to begin a high intensive exercise . If you are not in any high-risk categories, you can start an exercise program that's appropriate for your fitness level.

Tips for getting started-
1. Slow and steady wins the race
For first couple of weeks do exercise only for just 10 to 15 minutes in a day and when you feel ready to do more, add 5 to 10 minutes and after getting used to this level keep adding 5 to 10 minutes to reach up to 30-45 minutes a day.

2. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
Do not go for the burn, and don't exercise to exhaustion try to understand your body and its limit, don't push yourself beyond your limits.

3.  Fuel to fire
Eat well because you need more energy to perform exercises. The quality and quantity of your diet is tremendously important.

4. Being cool is wise otherwise a fool.
You should avoid working out in hot, or in humid weather because overheating of your body surely going to impact your pregnancy badly.

5. Cheers but only with water
Don’t forget to drink water before, during, and after your workout. Dehydration may contribute to overheating or even trigger contractions.

6. Tanning can be paining
If you will exercise under the sun you may have blotchy areas of darkened skin all over the body because pregnancy can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. If you exercise outside in open places like parks etc always try to exercise in early morning or after the sunset.

Best pregnancy exercises for beginners can be walking, moderate aerobics, swimming, prenatal yoga & stretching and dancing etc but don’t forget to discuss to your doctor first.
Best of luck!

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Pregnancy vitamins without iron

Pregnancy vitamins are meant to fill the nutritional gaps in diet, containing ingredient like folic acid that is not only helpful for normal development of fetus but also reduces the possibility of birth defects.

Though it is believed that prenatal supplements have great effects for any expecting mother but the fact of the matter is that iron may not work for you. Too much of iron is known to cause nausea or constipation, so if you have these two common issues, your doctor may prescribe iron-free supplements because you may also be taking other iron supplements, so if you will use iron free pregnancy supplements you don’t get too much. Instead of taking so much prenatal vitamins you should try to get more nutrition from your food sources. But keep in mind it too that nutritional requirement during pregnancy is higher and for that you need prenatal supplements too.

Some doctors say that iron specifically may not cause gastrointestinal problems but the size of the pill and supplement that causes issues.

Other than iron, folic acid, vitamin A and D are some nutrients you should consider before using an iron-free supplement. Your doctor is the best adviser because as per your reports and symptoms she or he can suggest you the right pregnancy supplements without Iron. Do not use prenatal supplements those are bought over the counter.

Pregnancy is the most important time for a woman and being an expectant mother you try everything that can help your baby to develop properly but that doesn’t mean you should suffer through constipation and nausea though! Remember you can easily give your baby all the nutrients they need by taking non iron prenatal vitamins so that the rest of your pregnancy goes by smoothly.
Good Luck!!

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Pregnancy with type 1 diabetes

Let me congratulate you for your pregnancy first.
And I know that having type-1 diabetes and becoming pregnant is a challenging road with lot of caution boards, but the good news is that surely you can do a lot to healthy your chances of a healthy pregnancy and getting a healthy baby. Here are eight tips for your enlightenment:

1. Maintain your HbA1c level at the target level that you and your doctor agreed upon before conception.

2. In order to come anywhere close to the human blood glucose targets of pregnancy (70-99 mg/dl fasting, a peak of 100-130 mg/dl after meals, an average daily blood glucose of 120mg/dl, and an A1c of less than 6, you need to be testing your blood glucose a lot. probably more than a six times a day.

3. Insulin requirements increase dramatically during pregnancy, and the only way to stay on top of what those requirements are is to keep a log of what you’re eating, how much insulin you are taking at what time and , and what your fasting pp and random blood sugar levels are.

4. Having type-1 diabetes automatically define you as high risk pregnancy, as per my opinion you must consult to your doctor for genetic test to determine your fetus’s risk of chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome etc.

5. Morning sickness sucks for everyone, but for women with pre-existing diabetes, it can be dangerous: if you haven’t eaten proper food and taken insulin you may have a serious low blood sugar. It is advisable that you should carry a source of fast-acting carbs at all times (glucose tablets, juice box, etc) to fight such hypoglycemia.

6. Pregnancy is not a time to suddenly decide you want to run a marathon or start a career as a power lifter, but physical activity is extremely beneficial during pregnancy, for your blood sugars and your baby too.

7. Keep in mind that feeling apprehensive about having a baby is normal for all women, even if they don’t have diabetes, and even if they were convinced before pregnancy that having a baby was their number1 goal in the entire world. If you’re feeling less than psyched, or more than a little nervous, don’t beat yourself up, there is nothing wrong with you.

 8. Remember: pregnancy with diabetes is hard, but you will get as is always true with diabetes, you can only do your best. Good Luck!

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Which pregnancy category is considered the riskiest?

A pregnancy is called high-risk pregnancy if there are such complications that could affect the health of a pregnant woman, her baby, or both.

High-Risk Pregnancy Categories:
A single potential complication can turn a healthy pregnancy into a high-risk pregnancy, read below to know major types of high-risk pregnancy:

1. Late pregnancy: Because genetic defects generally start increasing after the age of 40 in a woman, so pregnancies of women in their late thirties or after 40 is considered a high-risk pregnancy.

2. Pregnancy with medical history of mother:  if mother-to-be has such medical conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure or low blood pressure, anemia, heart problem, or/and problems in their kidney(s) or/and lungs or any chronic infections like HIV etc  it would be considered a high-risk pregnancy.

3. Medical problems occurring pregnancy:
Sometimes a healthy pregnant woman develop some medical problems during pregnancy like Preeclampsia(a syndrome that includes high blood pressure, protein in urine and swelling in body) and Gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy). Pregnancies with these medical conditions are referred high-risk pregnancies. 

High-risk pregnancies require special care and well management by a specialist doctor or expert of the field to help ensure the best outcome for the mother and baby.

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Relationship factors impact young adults' decisions related to contraceptive use

The dynamics of a couple’s relationship, including the exclusivity of the partnership, the level of commitment to the partnership and participation in sexual decision-making with their partner, impact young adults’ decisions related to contraceptive use, new research from Oregon State University shows.

Young adults who reported greater exclusivity with a partner and great relationship commitment were more likely to use hormonal or long-acting methods of birth control or a less effective or no birth control, rather than condoms, the study found.

Individuals who indicated they had played a strong role in sexual decision-making in their relationships were more likely to use condoms alone or both condoms and a hormonal or long-acting method of birth control.

The findings indicate that the qualities and dynamics of a specific relationship are significant predictors of contraceptive use, said the study’s lead author, S. Marie Harvey, associate dean and distinguished professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU.

“Decisions regarding whether to use any contraceptive method, as well as the use of specific methods, are influenced by an individual’s perceived risk of pregnancy and risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection,” Harvey said. “These perceptions likely differ depending on how individuals feel about a particular partner.”

The findings were published recently in The Journal of Sex Research; the study was supported by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.

Unprotected sex can lead to both unintended pregnancy as well as transmission and acquisition of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. Young adults are at the greatest risk for contracting STIs and young women have the highest rates of unintended pregnancy.

Condoms are unique in their ability to both protect against unintended pregnancy and STIs. Long-acting contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) or hormonal implants or pills are highly effective methods of preventing pregnancy. Dual use of both condoms and a long-acting contraceptive method provides the best defense against both unintended pregnancy and STIs.

Researchers examined data from a longitudinal study of at-risk young adults whose relationships were tracked over a year through a series of structured interviews every four months. In all 1,280 interviews from 470 young adults were conducted.

The participants answered questions about their sexual activity, partners, contraceptive use, and relationship factors such as duration of sexual relationship, frequency of sex and perceived exclusivity with a partner. Relationship commitment levels and sexual-decision making – an individual’s perceived role in the couple’s decisions around use of contraceptives – were also measured.

Over the course of the study, 41 percent of participants reported using only condoms; nearly 25 percent used only a hormonal/long-acting form a birth control, and 13 percent reported using dual methods. The remainder used either no method or a less effective method of birth control.

Participants’ choices were influenced by their perceived vulnerability to pregnancy and perceived vulnerability to STIs, as well as the qualities and dynamics of a specific relationship, such as commitment and sexual decision-making.

“It has to do with how much you trust your partner and how committed you feel in that relationship,” Harvey said. “As relationships become more trusting and committed, individuals may be less likely to protect themselves from disease transmission and condom use will decline. As commitment develops between sexual partners, trust in one’s partner may become a substitute for safer sex behavior for both disease and pregnancy prevention.”

Understanding how young adults make decisions about birth control use can assist healthcare providers with tailoring their conversations about birth control choices and risks to meet the needs for each individual, said Lisa Oakley, a co-author of the paper and a post-doctoral researcher at OSU.

The findings indicate that public health educators and medical clinicians may benefit from understanding their patient’s relationship status, because an individual’s behavior and decisions may be affected by those of his or her partner(s), their role in decision-making and their perceived levels of commitment, Harvey said.

“If it is a committed relationship and the couple is sharing in decision-making about birth control, it may be wise to involve the partner in those discussions,” she said. “If it’s not a committed relationship, then it’s really important to talk to the patient about being proactive in protecting themselves from unintended pregnancy or STIs.”

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Can pregnancy cause cervical cancer?

Like western countries doctors in India should include a cervical cancer diagnosis before providing consultations for pregnancy, thus lowering the risk of cervical cancer and ensuring a hassle-free pregnancy.


What is Cervical Cancer?

In general terms cervical cancer is referred as cancer of the uterus. It starts when the cells in the cervix start multiplying unhindered. They grow and can reach a pre-cancerous stage, from where they start multiplying rapidly and thus this is diagnosed as cervical cancer.


How common is Cervical Cancer during Pregnancy?

Chances of developing cervical cancer in pregnancy are 3 out of 100, i.e. 3% of pregnant women find that they are having cervical cancer during pregnancies after a diagnostic test.
There is no direct impact of pregnancy recorded to cause cervical cancer but reports tell that women who have had three or more full-term pregnancies, or who had their first full-term pregnancies before the age seventeen, are twice as likely to get cervical cancer.
Causes of cervical cancer during pregnancy in India:

As per doctors and reports suggests too that Infection of the cervix with human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer. But it is also true that not all women with an HPV infection will develop cervical cancer.

1.  Women with a sister or mother who had cervical cancer are two to three times more likely to develop cervical cancer.

2. Sex before 17 and sex with multiple partners or sex with someone who has had multiple partners can lead chances of cervical cancer

3. Women who smoke doubles her risk of cervical cancer.

4. Women who take oral contraceptives for more than five years have an increased risk of cervical cancer, but this risk returns to normal within a few years after the pills are stopped.

5. People with HIV or other health conditions or who take medications that limit the body’s ability to fight off infection have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

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Will pregnancy test be positive at 4 weeks?

‘Pregnancy test in week 4 pregnancy’ is the most asked term in the beginning of a pregnancy because during this stage every pregnant (to-be pregnant) woman suspects about her pregnancy and wants to be sure about it.

There are two types of pregnancy tests can be done to know the pregnancy, one is urine test and another one is blood test. Urine tests can be done in home and in a few seconds u get to know about your pregnancy. On the other hand blood tests are performed in a lab and have some more time than home pregnancy tests.

Both types of tests are designed to tell pregnancy through your urine or blood contains a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). In woman body hormone HCG is made right after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of uterus. Generally it happens about 6 days after fertilization but not in all pregnancies. In healthy pregnancies levels of HCG continue to rise rapidly, doubling every 2 to 3 days. It can be detected at the week 4 pregnancy (depends how you calculating your fourth week of pregnancy).
Some home pregnancy tests are effective after the first missed menstrual period. You can take a pregnancy test this early, but some tests may not be accurate until week 5. If you do take a home pregnancy test, wait until till the end of the week to take it. These tests are also more accurate if you take them first thing in the morning, since that is when your urine is most concentrated. If you get a negative result but still suspect that you are pregnant, wait another week and then take another test

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6 Things that should not be worn during Pregnancy

For a woman, attaining motherhood is one of the most beautiful feelings of her life. The feeling of carrying a life and feeling it grow within you that too every moment is an experience that simply cannot be described in words. As an expectant mother, your heart might be filled with joy and enthusiasm, but at the same time, the physical changes in your body might bring you discomfort and uneasiness. Right from the widening of your waists to the enlargement of your breasts, your body undergoes several physical changes. Gradually, you find difficult to slip into your regular clothes and thus lookout for clothes that will make you feel relaxed and comfortable.

In fact, anything that causes you discomfort be it clothes, footwear or even make-up items should be avoided during pregnancy. Listed below are a few things that should not be worn during pregnancy.

• Tight Clothes: Leggings, jeggings, jeans or any such tight-fitting attire that causes you discomfort should be avoided. Clothes that are tight around your waist or tummy should be avoided as they create more pressure on your tummy that might already be unsettled due to nausea or swelling.
• Synthetic fabrics: During pregnancy, your body undergoes several hormonal changes. Consequently, you might feel hot, sweaty and fatigued. Wearing clothes made up of synthetic fabrics such as polyester will trap body heat and thus cause irritation and discomfort. You should, therefore, opt for natural fabrics such as soft cotton that will allow your skin to breathe by keeping heat and moisture away from your skin.
• Wrong Undergarments: Whilst being pregnant, your breasts tend to become tender and heavy. Thus, it becomes important to update your bras from the regular ones to the maternity ones. You should choose a correct sized cotton bra that is designed to provide optimum support. You should also avoid synthetic lingerie’s to avoid any sort of rash or bacterial infection in your vaginal area.
• Heavy Jewellery or Accessories: You tend to get easily fatigued and stressed out during pregnancy. You should thus avoid wearing accessories such as heavy neckpieces, earrings, bangles etc. that might cause discomfort to you. You might also be allergic to certain metals. So, you must avoid wearing any such jewelry that might cause you an allergic reaction.
• Heavy Make-up: It’s in you, as well as your baby’s interest to keep your hairdo simple and your make-up light even if you got to attend a function or get together. It is believed that cosmetic products contain certain ingredients such as salicylic acid and retinoid that might be harmful to the baby growing in your womb. Though no substantial evidence has been discovered, it is always better to be on the safer side.
• Footwear with High-heels: You should bid goodbye to your high-heel footwear such as shoes with wedges, stilettos etc. during those nine months of your pregnancy. This is because wearing heels beside causing imbalance can also cause backaches, muscle cramps and swelling in your feet. It is advisable to wear flat heel footwears that are far more safe and comfortable.

The aforementioned list of things that should not be worn during pregnancy will certainly help you during your shopping for maternity wear. The whole idea of writing this article is to make your pregnancy journey safe, comfortable and relaxed.

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What Is The Post-Pregnancy Diet Plan To Get Your Body Back?

Do not hurry

Your body has gone through a lot and thus it needs time to recover. Wait at least for six weeks before you start a post-pregnancy diet. It is advised that if you breastfeed your baby then wait for at least two months before you start dieting.

Watch your calorie intake

The best way to eat healthily and to cut weight is to watch the calorie and fat intake in your diet. Avoid having chips and soda and fad diets. Instead, include lots of proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Low dairy products are also necessary for your diet.

Healthy snack

The best way to lose weight is to decrease food size and increase the number of meals. Snack throughout the day but make sure to keep a check on what you eat. Avoid processed food and food that holds lots of sodium and sugar. Instead, eat healthy food options like low-fat yogurt, healthy bar, and fruits.

Take your time and eat

It can get hard to eat with the baby. But avoid skipping meals because that does not help to reduce weight. It will only make you feel more tired. Make it a point to never skip your breakfast because breakfast lets you be more active. Skipping your breakfast also hinders weight loss.

Also, get into the habit of taking time and eating. Chew your food well and when you eat slowly, you will feel more full.

Choose what you eat and drink

Be very choosy about what you eat. Make a list of what not to eat after giving birth and do not have them. Include low-fat milk and low-fat dairy products and include whole grain food in your diet. Your diet should also contain high fiber food and lots of healthy snacks.

Trim the excess of fat in your diet which is the best and the easiest way to cut on the calorie intake. Your diet should include good fats and not bad fats. Look to buy products that are fat-free or low in fat.

You should also drink lots of water. But stay away from sodas, fruit juices and caffeine because that does not let you lose weight.

Conclusion

It is important that you calm with your weight loss. If you lose weight slowly then you will be able to sustain it for your life. Choose what you eat, keep yourself hydrated and be active to cut weight. Breastfeeding also helps to burn calories.

The key is to be patient and go slow and you will soon see that by being disciplined in your food and lifestyle choices you end up getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight.

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Tips for taking care of yourself (About to be Mother)

We know that it is very difficult to find time for yourself when you are expecting. But believe us by taking care of yourself can you give your baby the best possible care.

1. Try to schedule few minutes in your daily routine for caring for yourself. It will help you be less easily frustrated, irritable, and self-critical; you may even protect yourself from postpartum depression too.

2. Besides keeping your weight right, do take care of yourself physically. Try to rest between your meals, eat right and do some light exercise or yoga regularlyas per the advice of your doctor.

3. Every time when you visit your doctor try to develop a support system with the parents-to-be like you. By sharing your experiences with each other you can know new things and learn a lot.

4. And this is important one, always try to express your feelings with your husband, feel free to talk, do not hesitate to say what you want to say to your family members/friends, try to accept your negative feelings and focus on your positive feelings  only, it will give you so much mental peace and will prepare you to be a better mom.

5. Take breaks by yourself, with your partner, or with another adult. Schedule little intervals between your daily works, do remember that in pregnancy working nonstop can affect your stamina for lifetime.

6. Be realistic, don’t dream a film actress’s life, every life is unique be yourself and Keep your expectations realistic. No one can have all good things in one life not even film stars or big hotshots’ wives.

7. Work toward reasonable, achievable short goals, whether dealing with feelings, doing housework or losing your pre-baby weight. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

8. It is said that laughter is the best medicine. Develop your sense of humor. Learn to laugh on small things, whether at yourself, your situation, or something outside of all this.

9. Schedule your day with flexible plans. Avoid getting panic on small adverse things.

10. You are going to be a mother soon and that is the biggest change you are going to have, postpone other major life changes like new home new job or anything that could affect your health wealth and mental peace. 

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