The “DHA During Pregnancy - Should You Take It?” plus 4 more

DHA During Pregnancy - Should You Take It?
What is Infertility and What Causes It?
Pregnant Or Not? Early Signs of Pregnancy
Pregnancy T Shirts
Early Pregnancy Testing - 6 Rules to Follow

DHA During Pregnancy - Should You Take It?

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:52 AM PST

If there is one time in your life when you're hyper-aware of everything you're putting into your body, it's during pregnancy. You've likely stopped eating all sorts of favorite foods and stopped drinking favorite beverages. You're also likely taking a prenatal supplement. But most prenatal supplements don't contain any omega 3, and science now shows that taking DHA during pregnancy can give your baby a huge boost.

The Research
Scientists noticed that in populations around the world that live near the coast or otherwise eat oily fish several times a week, mothers and babies had fewer harmful effects during pregnancy. Mothers were less likely to suffer postpartum depression; babies were less likely to develop atopic conditions or ADD / ADHD.

Research conducted on a group of over 11,000 women in Britain confirmed their theory: the group that had the least amount of omega 3 in their diet had children with behavior problems, underdeveloped motor skills, and socialization issues such as ADD or ADHD. Even more startling, their children had lower IQs than those of mothers who got 12 ounces or more of oily fish a week.

The Benefits
Benefits from taking DHA during pregnancy are not insignificant. They include:

lower risk of early labor
longer gestation period, which means baby's organs are better-formed and baby's birth weight is higher
reduced incidence of postpartum depression

With so much to gain from taking omega 3 or eating oily fish during pregnancy, are there any side effects to be aware of?

Well, yes. You need to be especially cautious at this critical time that you are not ingesting any toxins or pollutants. If you are eating oily fish from heavily-trafficked oceans such as the Atlantic, then you may be getting the mercury and PCBs that pollute that water.

Additionally, if you are taking a fish oil supplement that isn't molecularly distilled and stringently tested for contaminants, you are also putting yourself and your baby at risk of these bad toxins.

I recommend you look for a supplement that has a guaranteed dosage and very strict testing protocols, so that you are getting all of the benefits and none of the risks that could happen when you are taking DHA during pregnancy.

If you'd like to find out more information about selecting a supplement or the effects of omega 3 on pregnancy, visit my website.

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What is Infertility and What Causes It?

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:37 AM PST

What is infertility? Infertility is a condition of the reproductive system that impairs the conception of children. It is a condition that affects approximately 6.1 million individuals throughout the United States. Infertility is usually diagnosed when a couple has been trying to conceive for at least a year without any success. About one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to men, another third to females, and the remaining third to both members of a couple. About 10 to 20 infertility cases go unexplained.

Now that the question "What is infertility?" has been answered, what causes infertility in men and women? Conception and pregnancy is a very complicated process that depends on a variety of factors such as the production of healthy sperm by the man, the production of healthy eggs by the woman, unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg, the sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet, the ability of the fertilized egg to implant in the woman's uterus, and sufficient embryo quality. When just one of these vital factors is impaired infertility can result.

The most common infertility factors in men include that either no sperm cells are produced or few sperm cells are produced. Sometimes the sperm cells are mis-formed or even die before reaching the egg. In rare cases, genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis or a chromosomal abnormality can cause infertility. When it comes to infertility in women, the most common cause of infertility is an ovulation factor. Other causes include a blocked fallopian tube or a birth defect that affects the structure and build of the uterus. Age is also a very important factor to consider when it comes to female infertility. The ovaries ability to produce eggs decreases in females over the age of 35.

After the questions "What is infertility?" and "What causes infertility?" have been answered, what should a couple do if they suspect infertility? Couples can request that a health care provider conduct an exam to make sure everything is healthy and working correctly. There are also many over the counter products that evaluate key elements of fertility in men and women through testing kits that can be used in the comfort of the couples own home. It is recommended that women under the age of 35 should beginning testing after trying to conceive unsuccessfully for one year and women over the age of 35 should begin testing after six months of no success.

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Pregnant Or Not? Early Signs of Pregnancy

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:32 AM PST

Do you wonder if you might be pregnant? The most obvious proof of pregnancy is a positive on a pregnancy test. But even if it's too early to test, you may still be experiencing some of the early signs of pregnancy. Some people experience one or several of these symptoms, but others won't experience any sign of pregnancy until later on. These signs aren't absolute indicators of whether you are pregnant or not, but they can give you a clue!

What are the early pregnancy signs?

Some of the early signs of pregnancy are very similar to the things that happen to your body during your menstrual cycle, so it can often be hard to tell whether the symptoms indicate pregnancy or just your normal cycle. One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is tender, swollen breasts. If your breasts feel heavy or tender to the touch, this could be a sign of pregnancy.

Some women experience slight spotting or bleeding after becoming pregnant. This is known as implantation bleeding because it happens when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine lining. Implantation bleeding happens about ten to fourteen days after conception, is generally lighter in color and doesn't last as long as a normal period. However, at first it can be difficult to tell the difference.

Some women experience fatigue early on in their pregnancy, which is caused by the increased production of progesterone. You may feel tiredness or fatigue as one of the early symptoms of pregnancy. There are also women who get nausea (otherwise known as morning sickness) early in pregnancy. You may feel this as nausea or an aversion to certain foods or smells. This symptom is probably caused in part by the extra estrogen produced in early pregnancy. Not all women face nausea during early pregnancy (and some lucky few don't experience it at all), but for some, nausea can begin as early as two weeks after conception.

Several other symptoms include headaches, mood swings, constipation, and dizziness. Any of these symptoms can be caused by the flood of hormones being produced by the pregnant woman's body. If you experience any or all of these, you could be in the early stages of pregnancy.

Another indicator of pregnancy is a missed period. Is your period past due? You may be pregnant. But then again, you may not be. Once you get to the point of a missed period, you may be able to test using an over-the-counter pregnancy test. Some of these tests are sensitive enough to give accurate results at the time of a missed period.

Am I pregnant?

So is it pregnancy or something else? Any of the above signs could be an indication that you are pregnant. But remember that your menstrual cycle or an oncoming sickness can cause some of the same symptoms, so these signs alone cannot tell you for sure whether you are pregnant or not. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you may wish to take a home pregnancy test to find out for sure. Keep in mind that if you test too early, you may get a false negative result. If your test result is positive, you should make an appointment with a doctor to confirm the results and begin prenatal care.

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Pregnancy T Shirts

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:32 AM PST

When you are pregnant, you will undergo lots of changes that are brought about by the pregnancy. You will gain weight and look big especially at the abdominal area. You may become more self conscious when you are pregnant. Also a lot of difficulties occur when you are pregnant. One of which is that you will find it hard to wear clothes that you usually wear.

Some clothes have zippers on the back and some just have buttons which are very difficult for pregnant women to reach. You will also have difficulty lacing your shoes or sneakers. Well for that, there is a simple solution. Just wear a pair of slippers.

But your main concern is your belly. That should be thought of more carefully because it is where your baby is being housed. Your abdominal area should be given enough space for you to breathe easily and prevent dizziness. The baby in your womb on the other hand should be able to move as easily as when you have no clothes on which means that ideally, you should be wearing maternity clothes.

However, many pregnant women don't want to wear these clothes. They are also not used to wearing maternity blouses because they are used to wearing tight blouses when they were not pregnant. So they would just settle for Pregnancy t shirts.

The good thing about it is that these shirts come in different colors which are pleasing to the eyes. They have nice prints that even the non-energetic mothers (which is understandable if you are pregnant) would look forward to getting their hands on.

These pregnancy t-shirts are well liked because of the comfort they bring to those who are wearing them. These fun maternity shirts have evolved from the usual shirts with big letters to new designs that will make the figure conscious pregnant woman happy as they allow others to just stare at the shirts rather than on the fast growing belly that they have.

On the contrary maternity blouses make your figure more easily noticed because of the cut they have, that is, very big at the belly part or sometimes having big overlaps in the middle.

These pregnancy t shirts come in different types of fabric. There are shirts made of cotton. They help you to feel cool on the inside. They are good because pregnant women usually feel hot throughout the day because the baby inside causes their body temperatures to be higher than women who are not pregnant. If you have asthma you might want to choose shirts made of nylon or other non-cotton fabric which don't give out particles that may subject you to an attack.

They come in different sizes to fit you at different stages of your pregnancy. If you like shirts with sweet colors and designs you will be able to find them. Whatever you like, you'll surely have your choice with the wide variety of pregnancy t shirts available and you will enjoy every one of them.

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Early Pregnancy Testing - 6 Rules to Follow

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:26 AM PST

When it comes to pregnancy testing many women want to take a test as early as possible. At the same time, they don't want to waste money on a test just to find out they are not pregnant. Waiting for your period to start can be nerve wracking, but staring at a big white blank space on a pregnancy test can be just as upsetting.

Pregnancy tests have come a long way. You used to have to wait for your period to be late before you could get an accurate result on a pregnancy test but the new tests they have now are pretty darn sensitive. In fact, some of them are even more sensitive than the urine test you would take at your doctor's office. If you are like me and want to take a pregnancy test early - before your period is late - here are some rules you should follow.

Early Pregnancy Testing Rules to Follow:

Rule number 1: Know when you have ovulated. If you want to test early you really have to know when you ovulated. The best way to determine when you have ovulated is to keep a bbt chart but you can also use an ovulation prediction test to give you a good idea of when ovulation took place. The reason this is important to know your ovulation date is because if you ovulate later, your period will also be later. A late ovulation would push back the date of when you would be able to get a positive test as well.

Rule number 2: Use a sensitive name brand test like First Response Early Results or Clear Blue Easy. There are several over the counter brand pregnancy tests designed for testing early. When you purchase your pregnancy tests look carefully at the package and make sure that it says you can use it up to five days before your period is due.

Rule number 3: Don't start testing earlier than 10 days past ovulation (or at the very earliest 5 days before your period is due). Even though you want to test early, taking a test too close to ovulation will just lead to frustration. Before you can get a positive test, implantation needs to occur. Implantation generally takes place around 7 to 10 days after ovulation. Once the egg has implanted, your body will begin producing hCG. This is the hormone that pregnancy tests are looking for. Generally after implantation, it takes about 2 or 3 days before you start making enough hCG to show up on a home pregnancy test.

Rule number 4: Use first morning urine. Most of the newer pregnancy tests do not require you to use first morning urine. However, when you are testing early, first morning urine may be helpful. First morning urine is usually more concentrated and is best for early pregnancy testing.

Rule number 5: Don't read the results of a pregnancy test after the time limit. Read the manufacturer's instructions on when to read the test results. It is possible to see a faint colorless line, or an evaporation line, if you read a test after the time limit. There are two places for dye to cling to on a home pregnancy test - one is for the control line and the other is for the test line. Sometimes urine can leave a stain where the test line would have developed. This stain can sometimes be confused as a positive result.

Rule number 6: Don't get discouraged if your test comes back negative. Being an anxious and early tester may give you an early start on knowing if you are pregnant, but you are also more likely to get a negative result if you test really early. If you test negative and your period isn't late, don't worry. You may have miscalculated when your period was due, ovulated later than usual, implanted late, or your urine just might not have been concentrated enough. Wait a couple days if you get a negative test and try again.

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