Here are some suggested dietary guidelines like lean meats, vegetables, fruits, whole grain breads and low fat dairy products. During pregnancy you need to have supplements like calcium, a pregnant woman should increase calcium consumption to prevent from calcium loss because the growing baby’s calcium demand is high. Another one is Iron, you need 27-30 g/day ferrous supplement while 60-100 g element iron/day for patient with large built, twin fetuses, late in pregnancy and with low hemoglobin.

Plus folic acid which you need at least 400ug/day through the periconceptional period to decrease the incidence of neural tube defect.  15 mg/day of zinc is required, 175 mg/day of iodine and 320 mg/day of magnesium. It is also important to drink a lot of water during pregnancy in order to prevent from dehydration and constipation. I hope this helps you in your quest for a good diet for a healthy mum-to-be.

What Are 3-D Ultrasound Scans?

This is use to see the sole purpose of the mother which is to see her unborn baby, what the baby looks like or to know if the baby will be a boy or a girl. How often can a pregnant woman have an ultrasound? It is generally discouraged to have a 3-D ultrasound frequently than once a month. Can it harm the fetus? There is no evidence of mental defect or medical harms. However a false positivity can be detected such artifacts.

When is the perfect timing that the fetus can be seen through ultrasound? It is also important to note that sex determination as far as medical textbook states that it can be detected through ultrasound as early as 12 weeks. However some medical experts do not attempt to detect the sex of the fetus until the 20th week. In visualizing the fetus it is best done on the 24-32 weeks but ideally it is between 26 and 30 weeks. There are really some more questions rather than asking “What are 3-D ultrasound scans” are?

Tummy Cramps

Tummy cramps during early pregnancy has nothing to worry but if you are having other symptoms, a symptoms like pain and bleeding that will mean an early miscarriage that may occur anytime up to 12 weeks of pregnancy and another condition is ectopic pregnancy that usually happens during 4th and 10th week age of gestation. What about a tummy cramps in second trimester? Tummy cramps in second trimester is definitely nothing to worry about unless it is associated with bleeding that may signal a late miscarriage if that so, consult a doctor immediately. The main worry about tummy cramps during third trimester is premature labour. Early labour cramp is less severe than contraction during the active labour.

Low Birth Weight in Pregnancy

First, what is a low birth weight actually? A low birth weight is defined as having a weight of less than 2,5oo grams. It is also described as small for gestational age and intrauterine growth restriction. One of the causes of low birth weight are placental problem like pre-eclampsia which reduces blood flow to the baby, so, if there is less blood distribution to the baby then the baby is getting less nutrients and oxygen which then lead to growth restriction.

Having a twin or multiple fetuses may also cause low birth weight because they don’t have as much larger room to grow. Some other causes are pertains to medical and emotional problems such as infection, low caloric intake, chronic illness such as diabetes, heart, kidney and lung problem, stressful life including financial problem, taking illegal drugs, drinking alcohol and smoking all these contribute in slowing down the growth of a baby.

Pregnancy and Back Pain

Prevention is always better than cure, prevention is the best way to free yourself from back pain, here are some tips like practice a good posture, wear low heeled shoes and wear maternity pants, lift properly don’t bend at your back or lift with your waist, sleep on your side not on your back and try heat, cold or massage at your back it might help you as well. You can make your back strong by doing your regular physical activities of course it is also nice to know your limit. Maybe you can try acupuncture, yes they say it’s safe during pregnancy and it can help relieve back pain. That is all you need to know about pregnancy and back pain.

4-D Ultrasound Scans

This is also helpful in detecting early congenital defect or problem of the baby while still in the utero. The best time to have a 4-D ultrasound scan is just like the 3-D scan which is between 26 and 30th week of pregnancy because in this time the baby has a very little fat under her skin in which it can help visualize other parts of the body clearly like, you will be able to see the shape of the mouth and lips, nose and you might even capture your baby yawning and most of all you can get an idea of whether whom he looks like, does he looks like mom or dad.

Now, you might ask who are qualified to do a 4-D scan. They are done by internationally qualified sonographers wherein you can ask and discuss about the progress and development of the baby inside the mother’s womb.

Amniocentesis (Amnio)

This is usually performed in second trimester from 15 weeks of pregnancy. The procedure done is letting the mother take analgesic first to relieve the pain or let her feel less discomfort when a needle is inserted in her abdominal wall then passing through the uterus then to amnion and this done also with the aid of ultrasound guidance and extracting at least 20 ml of amniotic fluid. The following patients who are required to have amniocentesis are those with family history of genetic abnormalities, if an ultrasound showed congenital problem in the fetus and if the mother is more than 35 years old.

What are the common chromosomal abnormalities that can be detected in amniocentesis? These are Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 16, Fragile X, neural tube defects and later it can also detect infection, Rh incompatibility and prediction of maturity of the lungs. The earlier the detection of abnormalities the better because there will be an early medical management. So if you are pregnant try and seek amniocentesis (amnio) test.

In medical factors pregnant woman have a greater chance of miscarriage if she gets pregnant when she’s more than 35 years old, having a known recurrent miscarriage cause like septate uterus, certain bacterial and viral infections during the period of pregnancy especially in early pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, a known chronic medical illness, pregnant women who are obese and malnourished, and conceiving after infertility.

Risk Factors for Miscarriage

Moreover, lifestyle of a pregnant woman is also considered a great risk like using substance abuse, drinking alcohol, smoking, taking some herbs and drugs which are also known to be teratogenic and occupational exposures to chemicals.

Here are some other factors that possibly can contribute to cause of miscarriage such as high caffeine intake, chronic stress and anxiety and exposure to radiations. It’s been a wrong misconception of everybody if sexual intercourse can also cause miscarriage, well medical experts says that it cannot. All of these risk factors for miscarriage will be lessen if you go hand in hand, you help yourself by avoiding those avoidable factors that can cause miscarriage and of course have a regular prenatal check up to your obstetrician and follow that they say.

Travelling While Pregnant

Actually travelling while pregnant is okay if there are no complications in your pregnancy you just have to ask your doctor. But there are some pregnant women prefer not to travel during the first trimester because as they say this is the sensitive period of pregnancy this is the time they feel more discomfort like nausea and vomiting. Furthermore some airlines will not allow a near term pregnant to travel with them because they may experience premature labour.

The safe time to travel is on 14-28 weeks of pregnancy because of a lesser chances of miscarriage and after 28 week is the risk of early labour. If you travel it is important to bring your prenatal records and consult your obstetrician first before travelling. You have to put in your mind that anything you do, anything you take might harm your baby.

So, you have to have an extra careful in choosing what and where to eat because you have to be aware of food and water borne diseases. Check everything that you take is safe. Another important thing is do not travel when you are alone. I hope I did give extra information about travelling while pregnant. So, to all pregnant women out there just sit back, relax, enjoy and have a safe travel.

Hospital Bag Checklist

You have to prepare things for yourself, your partner and of course for your baby. For you, you have to prepare your birth plan and maternity notes, toothbrush together with toothpaste, pillows, dressing gown, socks because , your feet feels cold during labour, you also include slippers, lip balm, massage oils, toiletries and towels, hairbrush, nursing bra, watch with a second hand, to time of contractions, digital camera or camcorder, address book or a list of phone numbers, snacks and drinks not only for you but also for your partner so that he will not leave you anymore just to buy food to eat when he gets hungry.

Then, the things to prepare for your baby are one outfit for the trip home Two or three sleep suits and vests while you are staying in hospital, baby blanket, nappies, a pair of socks or booties, hat jacket or snowsuit for winter babies and a muslin squares. Since your done preparing packing all the things you need in your hospital bag, now you have to prepare yourself to the challenge in child delivery.