The “Getting Pregnant - Your Must-Have Foods and Drinks” plus 4 more

Getting Pregnant - Your Must-Have Foods and Drinks
Adoption - A Gift For Yourself
How to Get Pregnant After 45 - 3 Quick Tips to Get You on the Right Track
Finding the Best Boys Names
Artificial Insemination and Combating Infertility

Getting Pregnant - Your Must-Have Foods and Drinks

Posted: 23 Dec 2009 09:55 AM PST

You want to get pregnant, but in spite of all your best efforts, it just isn't happening for you. A much overlooked solution by couples trying to conceive is the importance of a healthy diet.

Life-giving Water

Possibly the most simple and most important thing you can do is drink more water. Get into the habit of drinking at least eight cups of water a day. It can increase your fertility levels and have huge, all-round health benefits.

Drinking at least two cups of herbal tea a day can DOUBLE your odds of conceiving. Try green tea and orange pekoe tea. They contain antioxidants which contribute to a healthy immune system.

Generally, eat foods low in fat but high in fiber helps you achieve a hormonal balance which can have a huge impact on increasing your fertility.

Put Color in Your Diet

Eat brightly colored, nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, red peppers, and kale. They contain folic acid and vitamin B - essential ingredients for healthy ovaries and sperm.

Fruit and vegetables also have iron and vitamin C that enhance the quality of sperm. Vitamin C also boosts the immune system, so eat citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.

Become a vegetarian! A recent University of British Columbia study revealed vegetarian women ovulated normally more than 95 percent of the time. That's a tremendous strike rate could help up your chances of getting pregnant.

Whole grains - such as pasta, brown rice, whole wheat bread, cereal and oats - are nutrient-rich. They give you energy and are full of vitamins B and E - essential vitamins for cellular reproduction, production of healthy eggs and sperm, and hormone balance.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you should eat about 6 ounces of whole grains a day. That's the equivalent of a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a couple of slices of whole wheat sandwich bread at lunch, and a serving of whole wheat pasta for dinner.

Go Nuts!

Nuts, legumes, seeds and tofu offer natural plant protein - healthy fats relatively low in calories. They can help you shape up and lose a few pounds to improve your Body Mass Index (BMI). Vitamin B6 and folic acid are also present in nuts and whole grains. Healthy legumes include chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans and baked beans.

Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds are both high in zinc which, together with selenium, greatly enhance testosterone levels and sperm production. Selenium also helps reduce the chances of miscarriage in women and can also be found in garlic.

Omega-3 - most commonly found in fish oil - helps fertility as it linked to healthy hormone function. For vegetarians, an omega-3-rich alternative is avocado.

Seafood, meat and poultry are good sources of both and selenium. Just be wary of mercury levels in fish. Women trying to conceive can safely eat up to 12 ounces a week of low-mercury fish, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and catfish. Avoid canned white tuna, and fresh or frozen swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, tuna steaks, shark, Spanish mackerel, marlin, and grouper. This fish have the highest mercury levels.

A Balanced Diet is Key

Aim for a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes five servings of fruit and vegetables, two to three servings of dairy and protein products, plus five to six servings of grains. This will ensure you take in all the vitamins and minerals you need everyday.

Experiment with how much and how often you eat. It may be beneficial to break up large meals. Three full meals a day can be heavy on the stomach and lead to constipation, bloating and all manner of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)-related troubles. So try eating six small meals a day rather than three large ones.

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Adoption - A Gift For Yourself

Posted: 23 Dec 2009 09:49 AM PST

A smiling face of a young child can fill any heart with joy and hope. Some people try to capture this joy and happiness forever by adopting a child. Adopting is no more a compromise in today's world. It is now a matter of preference and a choice for many couples. Even singles are increasingly going for adoption because they want a pair of innocent eyes around them to bless their life. These singles do not wish to get married and choose in favour of adopting a child to lead a family life.

The decision whether to adopt a child or not is not easy. It is not an easy decision because it cannot be impulsive. Adopting a child comes with a lot of responsibilities. One must be prepared for all the legal, social and emotional implications of adoption before going ahead with it. Adoption is not simply rearing a child. It is about taking responsibility that translates into holistic development of the child. You would have to undergo legal processes, which will have legal implications later on.

You can adopt a child from any age group. The child to be adopted can be a new born or a teenager. These children are involuntarily left alone by their parents and need a home. Each one of these children desires the warm touch and love of permanent families. However, the urge to adopt must be equal to the urge in the children to be adopted. In other words, you must admit that you need the child as much as he or she needs you.

To give yourself the gift of an adopted child, visit http://www.cyf.vic.gov.au. The site belongs to the state government of Victoria, Australia, which is a reliable authority for adopting a child.

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How to Get Pregnant After 45 - 3 Quick Tips to Get You on the Right Track

Posted: 23 Dec 2009 09:38 AM PST

How to get pregnant after 45? With today's advanced natural fertility treatments more women in their late 40's are overcoming menopause than ever before. The sad reality is that many women are not aware of this and quickly give up on their dream of having a child as they fall into a depression. Infertility can be defeated, its matter of learning how and applying a proven system that works step by step. Before getting into that here are some very important tips to get you started out on the right track.

Watching Your Plastics
Recent studies have been made about plastic containers and how they can affect fertility. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used to make cans, polycarbonate containers and cups. BPA impacts the division of Uterine Cells and can prevent the embryo from ever attaching to the Uterus making it very hard to conceive. It may be difficult but its best recommended to avoid microwaving plastic containers altogether.

Don't Take a Chance
How disappointing would it be to finally breakthrough infertility and become pregnant only to have a miscarriage? A deficiency in Selenium is one of the biggest causes of birth defects and miscarriages. Studies have shown that Selenium contains antioxidants that help combat free radicals responsible for cell tissue damage and birth defects. It can also help increase sperm formation and can be found in oatmeal, walnuts, cheddar cheese and other foods as well.

Stress Build Up
Struggling to become pregnant will often result in anxiety and a built up of stress. In many cases, we may try to hold it all in at first but that only leads to more stress and frustration. A great remedy for stress is to phone a really close friend and share your concerns with them. You might not think it works but don't ever underestimate the amount of relief you can get from a 15 minute conversation.

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Finding the Best Boys Names

Posted: 23 Dec 2009 09:31 AM PST

Are you planning on having a baby in the near future? If so, you have a lot of planning to do I'm sure. Everything from setting up the nursery to choosing the perfect baby boy name can leave you exhausted and a little overwhelmed.

Although, if you're having a hard time choosing the best baby boy name (which a lot of people find this difficult), you may want to consider a few of these helpful tips to get you on the right path.

Origin - One of the most important things to figure out is which origin you want your baby's name to be. There are several different ones out there, what is your nationality?

Partner - Now, it's a good idea to discuss with your partner what names you both like. It can sometimes be hard to agree on a name you both like, but it is important that you do this together, settle on a name you both love, and hear both each other's impact.

Friends and family - Friends and family sometimes take the name of our little one to come. Whether those people mean so much to you that you want to name them after them, or you just really like the name, this is also something to consider!

Books - Now, if you are still having a hard time choosing the perfect baby boy name, you should really look into getting a baby name book. Baby name books are there to help you! So, look up which names they have, what the meanings of the names are, and use the book to even help you figure out that tough middle name. I recommend that you start from the beginning and highlight each name you like.

As you can see, choosing a baby name takes more time than you probably figured. This is something to start planning once you find out the gender of your baby. Since it can be so difficult, you want to allow yourself enough time to go through the books, and to find a name you and your partner are both happy with.

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Artificial Insemination and Combating Infertility

Posted: 23 Dec 2009 09:10 AM PST

Artificial insemination is also referred to as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and involves the injection of specially prepared sperm into the woman's uterus. This occurs a day after the woman's egg is released by one of her ovaries.

The injected sperm are expected to swim into the fallopian tubes where fertilization is expected to occur, which results in pregnancy. Women typically have about a 10% chance of success with this procedure, but that may be increased if fertility drugs are used. Women over 35 years of age often have a lower chance of success.

The cost of artificial insemination may vary from one clinic to another, so speaking directly with a fertility clinic in the area is the best way to determine the cost of this procedure. Most insurance plans will cover this procedure, but this should be discussed with one's carrier and their physician. In most cases, the price of intrauterine insemination for patients is anywhere from $300 to $800.

Women concerned with the risks of this procedure should discuss their concerns with a fertility specialist at a reputable fertility clinic in their area. While risks are typically low with IUI, they are worth discussing with a physician. Possible risks include infection from the procedure itself, cramping following the procedure, nausea resulting from fertility drugs and multiple pregnancies-although this is more common in cases where fertility drugs are used to promote ovulation. Risks associated with multiple pregnancies may include early labor and low birth weight and this should be discussed with a doctor.

Couples suffering from infertility may be considered candidates for artificial insemination. The best way to determine one's own candidacy for this procedure is by speaking directly with a fertility specialist. In an initial consultation, patients may determine if they are candidates for this procedure and may be provided with a more detailed and thorough explanation of how this procedure is performed.

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