The “You're Infertile” plus 4 more

You're Infertile
There is Help For Pregnancy Nausea
Dealing With Pregnancy Nausea During the Third Trimester
First Trimester Pregnancy Experiences
Have You Got Your Pregnancy Calendar?

Posted: 04 Jan 2010 10:07 AM PST

For those who have never experienced it, the heartbreak of infertility is difficult to put into words. Of course, you know you'll be good parents. But yet you look around your house and there are no children to call your own.

You go outside. You see happy children, happy couples and happy families. Why aren't you one of them?

Is it fair?

Of course not. But that's the bad news. You're infertile. There is a silver lining -- at least that's what you keep telling yourself. And that's the fact that the time period in which you live is blessed with the most modern technology, making even the seemingly impossible act for you -- getting pregnant -- a possibility.

And as long as you haven't exhausted all your possibilities, you're going to keep hoping and praying that one day -- very soon -- you will be pregnant.

And that's not false hope. If you would have lived a hundred years ago, your infertility would have been a foregone conclusion. Today a wide variety of options are at your disposal that may very well help you turn the corner from childless to loving parent.

And while I'm talking right now specifically about modern conventional -- in some cases high tech -- treatments. Those aren't the only options available to you.

Don't dismiss out of hand the seemingly simple, common sense ideas that may come your way as well. These very many times come in the form of a more natural approach.

You Are Not Alone

I'm sure this doesn't make you feel any better, but you're not alone in what must surely seem to you at times as a desperate attempt to conceive and give birth.

Consider the following statistics if you will. There are approximately 7.3 million women between the ages of 15 to 44 -- those peak childbearing ages who experience some problems with getting pregnant. These individuals are not infertile, but they are, nonetheless, experiencing problems conceiving.

Another 2 million women or roughly 7 ½ percent of the population in the 15 to 44 demographic are, indeed, infertile.

It's for these women and their partners that this book is written. No one can imagine the individual heartbreak each couple is experiencing. And no one for sure really knows how many unions have been broken due to infertility problems.

The scope of the problem, the many facets of the subject -- by sheer volume alone -- prevents any in depth presentation of the problems and its possible solutions.

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There is Help For Pregnancy Nausea

Posted: 04 Jan 2010 09:52 AM PST

The majority of women have to deal with pregnancy related nausea, usually in their first trimester. Though many pregnant women cannot escape this terrible nauseous feeling, many face the suffering bravely and just grin and bear it.

If you are suffering from nausea related to your pregnancy all is not lost, you can easily learn some natural and inexpensive remedies.

All remedies are not guaranteed to solve the problem for all women, but trying some of the different options and finding out what works for you will not harm you. For a start, you should try and stay away from foods or odors that set off your reflex gag. You should also choose to eat bland food over hot foods because they have fewer odors compared to the latter.

You can also try some of the more traditional housewife cures handed down over time, like eating crackers for instance. A large number of women like to consume carbohydrates or eat something they like when they feel nauseated. Try Placing some crackers next to your bed and have a few bites before getting up in the morning.

Eating small frequent meals and sipping liquids regularly for the entire day prevents your stomach from becoming empty and helps prevent the sickness feeling.

You must always take care to drink enough liquids during your day. Drink a quart and a half of fluids a day, but be careful not to make your stomach become less hungry for food. When vomiting persists, drink sports drinks that have glucose, salt, and potassium in them to restore the lost electrolytes.

Some Eastern and Western medical practitioners suggest acupressure to relieve nausea. This procedure is done by stimulating the pressure point located two inches above the crease on the inner part of the wrist. As a substitute to acupressure, you can buy bands that are available in pharmacies and marine stores, even without doctor's prescription. The bands have a button that pushes the vomiting-sensitive pressure point on one or both wrists.

Other health care providers recommend a device that uses mild electric current to stimulate your inner wrist. Ginger is also a great option to make your stomach feel calm. You can drink commercial ginger ale or make your own ginger tea by grating fresh ginger into hot water. Before you take powdered ginger root supplements, consult your health care provider first.

Pregnancy nausea can be minimized by staying relaxed and stress-free. Spend some of your time taking naps and watching television shows or movies. Take your vitamins after having a full meal or before going to bed. Ask your health-care provider for vitamins with less iron content because iron sometimes affects your digestive system.

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Dealing With Pregnancy Nausea During the Third Trimester

Posted: 04 Jan 2010 09:51 AM PST

Normally, people tend to link morning sickness with the early signs of pregnancy. The truth is nausea and vomiting may not only occur during the first trimester of pregnancy but may very well, in certain cases, be experienced in the last trimester of the pregnancy.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, nausea is often caused by the increase in the levels of hormones within the body. But for some women, the hormone levels continue to rise up to the third trimester. In addition, the size of the baby is much larger during this trimester and the uterus may possibly press against the stomach. Nausea may also occur with heartburn, so women are advised to eat smaller frequent meals to avoid it.

If you are having nausea during your last trimester, take note of the following reminders:

Stay healthy and consult your doctor immediately when you feel severe stomachache or vomiting.
Observe if nausea or vomiting is affecting your ability to eat, or your appetite. Your baby needs essential nutrients and he or she acquires it through your food intake.
Sip water continually to avoid dehydration.

Unluckily, some women have hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a condition that causes women to suffer from severe morning sickness until their babies are born or even after the birth. HG refers to the nonstop and excessive vomiting that may cause the following:

Weight loss
Dehydration
Sense of taste alterations
Hallucinations
Difficulty in daily activities
Occurrence of diabetes, heart disease or neurobehaviorial issues in the baby

Due to the risk of dehydration and to pregnancy complications, women who have HG must be treated as a medical emergency with antiemetic medications, intravenous re-hydration or nutritional support that may be required.

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First Trimester Pregnancy Experiences

Posted: 04 Jan 2010 09:49 AM PST

Your first trimester pregnancy months are the time when you need to accept and absorb all the changes you and your body are about to go through. When you first suspect that you are pregnant, a lot of different feelings go coursing through your body and mind. You may be thrilled at the prospect of becoming a parent, and at the same time you may be terrified of the very idea that you'll be responsible for the life of another human being.

During the first trimester pregnancy months you'll have many things to think about. One of these is your choice of doctor to guide you through your pregnancy. Although many women visit their general practitioner throughout their pregnancy, it's advised that you seek out the care of an obstetrician during the first trimester pregnancy weeks.

This type of doctor has extensive training and experience in dealing specifically with pregnancy and delivery. It's a good idea to visit an obstetrician during your first trimester pregnancy weeks to find out your exact due date and also to learn more about nutrition. He will also prescribe a pre-natal vitamin for you during your initial visit.

One body change you are likely to notice during the first trimester pregnancy weeks is how easily you become tired. As your hormones change, so does your need for rest. Don't be surprised if you find yourself having to catch a quick nap in the middle of the afternoon or when you return home from work. Your body is telling you to rest and you need to listen and obey it.

One effect you may also experience during the first few weeks of your pregnancy is morning sickness. Although this doesn't happen to all women, a good majority suffer from at least some symptoms of morning sickness. The name itself is a bit misleading as morning sickness can occur anytime during the day or evening. If you happen to experience this first trimester pregnancy symptom, keep in mind that it will pass. Morning sickness rarely lasts for the duration of the pregnancy, it's almost always restricted to the first trimester.

Things can go wrong during a pregnancy and in most cases, if that does happen, it will be during the first trimester pregnancy period. Miscarriages are unfortunately a fact of life, and quite often are nature's way of protecting a fetus that has some sort of birth defect. Should you suffer from a miscarriage, take comfort in the fact that most women who lose a pregnancy go on to give birth to one or more healthy children. It's very rare for a miscarriage to happen beyond the first trimester, so if you are into your second trimester, take comfort in that.

It is for this reason that many people wait beyond the first trimester pregnancy weeks before informing others of the impending birth. You usually won't be showing until your fourth or fifth month of pregnancy so it is relatively easy to keep the secret until you are far enough along to know that the baby is healthy and secure.

Make sure that you take time during the first few months of your pregnancy to do some research into caring for a new baby. Many people, particularly first time parents, don't have the experience or knowledge they would like to have when the baby arrives. Read as much as you can about both child birth and caring for a newborn so you can feel confident in your parenting skills once the baby arrives.

Babies are a joy and you should cherish each and every day, right from your first trimester pregnancy weeks through to the day you give birth. These are memories that will last forever, so be certain you take some time to thoroughly enjoy all the changes you are experiencing.

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Have You Got Your Pregnancy Calendar?

Posted: 04 Jan 2010 09:48 AM PST

Have you come across a pregnancy calendar?

A pregnancy calendar is simply a record of all the changes you and your baby will go through during the 40 weeks of pregnancy, which enables you and your partner to plan ahead. Many expectant parents spend countless hours studying the pregnancy calendar so they can monitor what is going on inside the mother's body at any given moment. While the changes the mother is going through are very evident by the changes in her body outwardly, the changes the baby is going through inside the mother's womb are not so evident.

That is why you will find a pregnancy calendar so useful. Expectant parents can look at a pregnancy calendar to know what stage of development their unborn baby is in at any given week. Here is a general rundown on what you will find on a pregnancy calendar.

Week 1-4: Conception occurs and the egg is fertilized.

Week 5-8: Your baby's heart has begun to beat by the 6th week. Your baby has arms. Legs have started to develop by week 8.

Week 9-12: By the 10th week your baby will be moving around inside of your womb. You probably do not feel it, but he or she is moving.

Week 13-16: During the 13-14th week a doctor may be able to determine the sex of your baby through an ultrasound. Your baby's heartbeat can also be heard during this time. Your baby's bones begin to harden and you may begin to notice it when he or she moves around in your womb. Babies at this age can suck their thumb.

Week 17-20: Your baby's organs are developing and the sex of your baby can positively be identified. Your baby's body starts to be covered with fine hair.

Week 21-24: Your baby will start to deposit fat on his or her body so that they deal with changes in temperature during and after birth.

Week 24-28: Your baby is able to hear sounds and can sense darkness and lightness. This is the time when the baby's movements start to lessen because the uterus is becoming crowded.

Week 29-32: Your baby's eyes begin to move. The size of your baby's head is starting to catch up with the size of their body. Your baby's brain is growing very fast. All major organs are developed by the 32nd week, except the lungs.

Week 33-36: Your baby starts to open and close his or her eyes during this stage. Your baby's fingernails start to grow long.

Week 37-40: Your baby's lungs start to get ready for birth. You can go into labor at anytime during this stage.

These are just the highlights of what you would see on a pregnancy calendar. If you are pregnant, you are encouraged to get a pregnancy calendar of your own to chart your baby's development. These calendars can be as simple or as detailed as you would like them to be. You can even find pregnancy calendars that have room for you to write important details down for each week. This is the perfect way for you to monitor yourself and your baby.

Pregnancy calendars make a great keepsake that you can give to your child when he or she is grown, along with their baby book.

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