Tag: pregnant

Introduction: Being pregnant and the ability to bear children is a biological process which is both time dependent and requires actions on the part of the woman and the man. Yet, the blessing of having no child is a major problem in most societies affecting about 10-15 per cent of couples as well as childlessness resulting in major family unhappiness. Natural: Steps: 1. The woman needs a man for this step. Your children will reflect the mother and the father. The idea of this step, is to get the sperm of the man to meet the egg inside the woman through natural sexual exercise.

2. Determine the time for ovulation. This is the time that the woman’s eggs are released in readiness for fertilisation and pregnancy. The rule is that, ovulation occurs 14 days before the woman’s menstruation (monthly period). In a 28-day cycle, this is 14 days before the woman’s menstrual period. Ovulation may occur, though, between 13-17 days before the menstrual bleeding. The woman’s egg will only survive for 24 hours after ovulation. Therefore, time is of the very essence. There are signs to tell a woman when ovulation has occurred. These signs include a rise of about 0.5Celcius in body temperature if ovulation has occurred. There may be a clear gel-like vaginal discharge. Sometimes, there could be abdominal pain called ovulation pain. To get these signs, the woman should have been monitoring her body temperature and putting the figures in her diary for about three months. This record will help predict the ovulation time.
3. The released sperms from the man during sex are still active for three days after the sperm is released into the woman though they may become weakened as time goes on. The more the number of quality, motile sperms—in their millions—that are available for fertilisation, the better the chances of pregnancy occurring.
4. If pregnancy does not happen, on first attempt, try again every time on these occasions that I have advised above (ovulation time) or you can try randomly if you have no time to monitor your ovulation. Most pregnancies occur on random basis anyway. Artificial Methods To Get Pregnant. There are various methods that can be used to achieve pregnancy these days away from the natural methods. Types: • Artificial Insemination • IVF (In-vitro-fertilisation) and its many variants are available options otherwise called “test tube” babies. How to Know You Are Pregnant To some women, knowing that they are pregnant is a matter of experience. That is to say, they have been through it before and can tell by the slightest sign, that they are pregnant. Yet to the “new-comers”, the experience and knowledge of being pregnant can sometimes be shocking and often end up in joyful disbelief. In spite of the said statement, to some experienced women, it may sometimes be difficult for them to know that they are pregnant especially if they are not expecting to be pregnant. In such occasion, the knowledge of pregnancy may at first be denied.

In the first 12 weeks: In general: 1. The first sign of pregnancy in almost all women is a missing menstrual period. In some women, the monthly bleeding may continue even in the presence of pregnancy. In women who are not having regular periods or in women who are on the contraceptive pill or other medications, this sign/symptom of absence of period may not be reliable.

2. Feeling different, being tired, feeling of nausea, vomiting are earliest signs and symptoms. Appetite may increase: You eat more than usual.
3. The definitive confirmation of pregnancy is to: a) Have a pregnancy test. A positive test is a good indicator. Be mindful of false positive tests which may occur for many reasons. It takes a minute or two to carry out this test and most will pick up ongoing pregnancy of even two to four weeks old. b) Have an ultrasound scan as soon as possible via your doctor or in ante-natal Clinic. This is perhaps the ultimate evidence apart from the more complex investigations that could be carried out by doctors.

Beyond 12 weeks:

1. Woman’s weight increase as the baby gain weight and the woman eats more.
2. The tummy’s (abdomen) increasing size becomes more obvious. In some women, this may not be so obvious. I have seen women who were nine-month pregnant without being aware of it. They thought their personal weight had merely increased even though the baby was kicking! Yet, there are reports of women who were in full term labour before they realised that they were pregnant!
3. Swelling of legs and possibly hands can happen.
4. Between 18 and 20 weeks and beyond, the woman can begin to feel the kicking of the baby inside her. It’s important that the expectant mother should register for antenatal care as soon as possible.

IODINE deficiency during pregnancy may have a negative effect on babies’ mental development, according to new research published in The Lancet.

Iodine is ingested mainly through dairy products and seafood and is crucial for obtaining hormones secreted by the thyroid gland – which have a direct effect on fetal brain development.

Negative effects of iodine on brain development have long been known, however, few studies analysed the effect of moderate or mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy on the mental development of the baby.

A team of investigators from Surrey and Bristol universities, both in England, used data and samples from Bristol-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), commonly called “Children of the 90s.”

The ALSPAC is a long-term health research project in which over 14,000 mothers participated during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992 – the health and development of their offspring have been tracked closely ever since.

The researchers calculated the iodine concentration in urine samples taken in the first trimester from 1,040 pregnant women.

After reviewing guidelines from the World Health Organisation on recommended amounts of iodine during pregnancy, they categorised women who had an iodine-to-creatinine ratio of under 150 μg/g as being iodine deficient, and those with a ratio of 150 μg/g or more as iodine sufficient.

More than two-thirds of the women (67%) were categorised at less than 150 μg/g. Cognitive development of the women’s babies was examined by measuring child IQ at age 8, and reading skills at age 9.

After adjusting the findings for external factors such as parental education and breast-feeding, the researchers found that the offspring of women in the iodine deficient category were much more likely to have low scores of verbal IQ, reading comprehension, and reading accuracy.

Additionally, the lower the mother’s concentration of iodine, the lower the average scores for reading ability and IQ were in the kids.

Dr Sarah Bath, a co-author and registered dietician, says: “Pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should ensure adequate iodine intake; good dietary sources are milk, dairy products and fish. Women who avoid these foods and are seeking alternative iodine sources can consult the iodine fact sheet that we have developed, which is available on the web-sites of the University of Surrey and the British Dietetic Association. Kelp supplements should be avoided as they may have excessive levels of iodine.”

The current study also adjusted for the mothers’ intake of omega-3 fatty acids as a possible confounder on the effects on mental development – suggesting that these effects could have had more to do with iodine concentrations than previously thought.

Alex Stagnaro-Green of George Washington University, Washington DC, USA, in a linked comment regarding the findings said:

Absence of a public health policy in the face of clear documentation of moderate iodine deficiency and strong evidence of its deleterious effect on the neurodevelopment of children is ill advised. Nor should unmonitored and adventitious dietary iodine sources continue to be relied on. Until measures are taken to ensure that iodine needs can be met by usual dietary sources, pregnant and breastfeeding women should insist that the prenatal vitamins they are prescribed contain iodine.”

A similar study also done this month and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) suggested that mild iodine deficiency can harm the baby’s neurological development. Children who did not receive adequate amounts of iodine while in the womb had lower scores on literacy tests when they were nine years old.