Pregnancy Article - "Stay fit during pregnancy"

"Baby on board: Stay fit during pregnancy

Consult your doctor, watch for warning signs

Pete Estabrooks, For CanWest News Service

Published: Monday, August 28, 2006

Exercise during pregnancy, once considered off limits, is now a valid choice. Mostly, it will appeal to women who relish the idea that they have a say in their physical destiny, pregnant or not.

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

Women who are already exercising regularly will be pleasantly surprised how much they can safely continue to do, and they will reap all the same rewards of pre-pregnancy fitness and then some.

If you hated exercise prior to becoming pregnant, though, chances are good that having an extra body on board is not exactly going to warm you up to the process.

Conversely, if you are a fitness junkie with a habit for going at it hard, you may hate the fact modification is warranted.

MODIFICATIONS ARE A MUST

Ligaments and joints become more lax and mobile during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, so aggressive stretching, high kicks and hot yoga should be avoided. In the second trimester, lying on your back should be limited or avoided.

PROCEED WITH SOME CAUTION

During the third trimester, alterations in a woman's centre of gravity and balance can compromise moves once done with the strength of a boxer and the grace of a ballerina. It is not something to hate, but something to be aware of as you plan your exercise agenda.

Building a baby is serious work and may call for more of your physical capacity than you might initially assume. For that reason, your physician should be aware of your exercise habits, and her/his approval is required prior to beginning or maintaining a fitness program during pregnancy.

The risks for mom include low blood sugar, fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries, while the baby's risk lies in overheating and mom's decreased uterine blood flow.

It stands to reason all mothers and their respective partners should know that some symptoms call for an immediate cessation of exercise and a doctor's attention. These symptoms include vaginal bleeding, muscle weakness, dizziness, chest pain, amniotic fluid leakage and inability to catch one's breath.

Don't mess around --there are two lives depending on you.

CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL

You need a plan. Remember, this is the baby's room for nine months. How far to push yourself is usually intuitive but if you don't exercise already, it may be a hard concept to grasp.

Your doctor and a professional fitness trainer or physiotherapist can be avenues to figuring out how much exercise is appropriate.

You do need to move on a regular basis.If you are hard core, you need to realize pregnancy is a time to maintain your fitness while sparing the energy necessary to play the creationist role. Everything from breathing to peeing seems to take more out of you, so pace yourself.

Pregnancy has often been compared with a snowflake --every one is different. So tailor your fitness approach to your own goals and lifestyle, just as you would if you were not pregnant.

IT'S WORTH THE EFFORT

The costs associated with inactivity during pregnancy include increased risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension and preterm delivery.

The exercise payoffs are feelings of well-being, stress relief and improved co-ordination. Exercise has been proven to strengthen the body, facilitating an easier labour. And for many active women, exercise lessens some of the discomforts of pregnancy.

In most cases, the costs of doing nothing are far greater than the risks associated with doing something. © The Vancouver Province 2006"

Article- "Pregnancy alert over aspirin"

By JENNY HOPE

www.dailymail.co.uk

"Taking painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen in the first three months of pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, researchers say.

They discovered that women who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were more likely to have babies with congenital problems including heart defects.

Although the extra risk was small, the Canadian researchers are calling for more studies, because the over-the-counter drugs are widely used.

In Britain, women who know they are pregnant are advised to avoid these painkillers, because paracetamol is an effective alternative.

Previous research found women taking painkillers of this type are more likely to miscarry, particularly if they took them at the time of conception.

The latest study, published yesterday in the medical journal Birth Defects Research Part B, looked at the effects of the drugs during the first 12 weeks after conception.

A team from St Justine Hospital, Montreal, found the proportion of babies with multiple defects among mothers taking the drugs early in pregnancy was 16 per cent, compared with 14 per cent of those who did not.

Claire Friars, of the baby charity Tommy's, said: "Women should always discuss any current or future medication, including over-the-counter products, with their GP."

Article- "Common relaxation technique touches many aspects of pregnancy"

Story by Jessica Lovell (Contact)


"When Beatrice Gilbert’s first daughter was born, she arrived early. Now pregnant again, Beatrice is hoping to prevent that.

She’s part of a study at the University of Miami’s touch research institutes to see if massage can reach out and touch before a child is born.

"We have found in two studies now that we've published that we can basically reduce the premature rate to zero by having women massaged during pregnancy," said Tiffany Field, Director of Touch Research Institutes.

"It not only helps me with you know my pregnancy, it helps me with life, with having to go to work, having to you know have time for my daughter and you know with the father of my children. It helped me in more ways than i ever could have imagined," said Gilbert.

Other new discoveries: massage can boost the natural killer cells that can help women fight breast cancer. It’s also proven to be helpful in overcoming eating disorders.

"It has very strong affects on the immune system, so that people who get a good dose of touch are going to be healthier. They’re also going to be less stressed, they're also going to be less depressed because of all the chemical and physiological reactions that occur," said Field.

Another surprise, studies show the massage giver may benefit just as much as the receiver.

"I think the power of touch is definitely underestimated," said Field.

Which makes getting the word out about massage all the more rewarding.

For more infomation on the study, visit the Touch Research Institutes's website."

Article- "Pregnancy Depression Often Overlooked"

Pregnancy Depression Often Overlooked
Ivanhoe Newswire

-- Depression during pregnancy can contribute to prematurity and low birth weight in infants. A new study reveals that, while two in 10 pregnant women are depressed, most of those women will not be treated.

Severe depression during pregnancy can interfere with a woman's ability to eat properly, get enough rest, or receive pre-natal care -- all of which can negatively impact the baby's and the mother's health.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Depression Center in Ann Arbor report some women do not seek treatment for depression because they believe the feelings are normal during pregnancy. Even the women who do seek treatment, report the researchers, are not getting the full psychological and medical intervention they need.

Researchers surveyed pregnant women to assess their levels of depression. Of the 1,837 women, 276 were found to have serious depression. Only one in three of these women were being treated for their depression.

Study investigators report no significant differences among women of different races, ethnicities, employment situations, education levels, marital status, or parental situation.

The following signs may indicate symptoms of depression:

• Two or more weeks of a depressed mood
• Decreased interest in activities
• Change in appetite
• Change in sleep patterns
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Excessive feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Thoughts of suicide
• Extreme irritability

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: General Hospital Psychiatry, 2006;28:289-296"

Study: Anti-depressants Have Negative Effect On Babies

Now here is another article I thought you might like to read.

Cheers,
Sally Aubrey

www.amazingpregnancysecrets.com


Study: Anti-depressants Have Negative Effect On Babies

August 27, 2006 12:00 p.m. EST

Megan Shannon - All Headline News Staff Writer

(AHN) - It may no longer be a good idea to take anti-depressants when pregnant, said a new Canadian study.

Researchers found that babies born to mothers taking a new kind of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRI are more likely to have a lower birth weight and experience respiratory distress. This contradicts the belief that treating depressed mothers-to-be lessens the negative neonatal consequences of mental depression.

Researchers studied the population data of 120,000 births between 1998 and 2001 and found that 14 percent of the mothers were diagnosed with depression. They then compared the data of those mothers treated with SSRI to those who were not.

More than 13 percent of the 1,451 mothers treated with the drug had babies who stayed in the hospital longer after birth compared to only 7.8 percent of those who were not treated with the drug. The babies exposed to SSRI also had significantly lower birth weights and gestational ages than those who were not.

Lead investigator Dr. Tim F. Oberlander told Reuters, "While our study may add another cautionary note to the use of SSRI medications during pregnancy, the use of antidepressants must be weighed against the risks of untreated or under treated disease ... and thus the decision should be made by an informed patient with her physician on a case-by-case basis."

Copyright © All Headline News

"Vitamins may reduce pregnancy health risk

By Jia-Rui Chong

Los Angeles Times

Taking multivitamins around the time of conception dramatically reduces a woman's risk of preeclampsia, a complication during pregnancy that can be lethal to a woman and her baby, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh report.

Women who took multivitamins at least once a week three months before the start of pregnancy and three months after were 45 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia compared with women who did not take the supplements, the study found.

Previous preeclampsia studies have largely focused on vitamin use after the first trimester of pregnancy and have found little benefit.

The new study, which is scheduled to be published in the September issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, underscores the oft-repeated message from doctors that women thinking of getting pregnant should be vigilant about their health.

"While we don't know what causes preeclampsia, we do know that maintaining ideal body weight, regular exercise and good nutritional habits are going to at least stack the deck in your favor," said Dr. John T. Repke, chairman of Pennsylvania State University's department of obstetrics and gynecology who was not involved in the research.

Preeclampsia is a condition in which blood vessels in the womb constrict, cutting off blood and oxygen to the fetus. It occurs in late pregnancy and causes increased blood pressure in the mother.

It kills about 76,000 women and fetuses a year worldwide. In the United States, it occurs in about 8 percent of pregnancies and accounts for 15 percent of premature births.

Currently, the only effective treatment for preeclampsia is to induce labor, said lead author Lisa Bodnar, a nutritionist and epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bodnar and colleagues theorized that improving the mother's nutrition early on could improve the development of the placenta and the network of blood vessels connecting the mother to the fetus.

The group monitored 1,835 women from 1997 to 2001. Overall, 4 percent of the women developed preeclampsia.

Slightly less than half of the women reported taking multivitamins, which included vitamins A, C, D and E, folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium and copper.

Women who took the multivitamins and maintained a normal body weight saw the biggest reduction — about 72 percent — in their risk of developing preeclampsia.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company"

I thought you might like this article, I thought it was quite useful.

Best wishes,
Sally Aubrey

www.amazingpregnancysecrets.com

Food, Weight & Pregnancy

I found these fanatstic articles from Susanne Myers and I thought you might like them.
Enjoy!

-Sally Aubrey

"Managing Morning sickness

You are 2 months pregnant and your morning sickness is raging at full force. You know you need to be taking your prenatal vitamins to keep your developing baby healthy and give your own body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy during this pregnancy. At the same time, simply the thought of having to swallow the vitamin pill is enough to turn your face green.

Why Do Prenatal Vitamins Make You Sick?

Prenatal Vitamins contain fairly large amounts of iron and folic acid, both of which tend to make you sick to your stomach.

During your pregnancy, you body’s blood volume increases by about one third. Your body needs the extra iron in the blood production. Without it you would feel even more tired and lethargic than you already are.

The extra folic acid is included in the prenatal vitamin to protect your unborn baby. Folic acid has shown to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.

Making The Vitamins Easier On Your Stomach.

Now that you know why your prenatal vitamins are making you sick and also realized that they are important for the health and wellbeing of both yourself and you unborn baby, let’s take a look at what you can do to make the vitamins a little easier on your stomach.

Always take your prenatal vitamins with some food. Take them with a large meal or eat at least a small snack that includes some form of protein with them. Drinking a glass of water in addition to the food helps as well. Whatever you do, never take them on an empty stomach, especially not first thing in the morning when you are most prone to morning sickness.

If you are having a hard time keeping your vitamins down in the morning, consider taking them right before bedtime instead. Eat a small snack like a bowl of cereal or some crackers with cheese and take your prenatal vitamins right before you go to sleep. The food will help keep you from getting sick and with a little luck you will be asleep before you start getting nauseous.

Weight Gain During Pregnancy Is Essential

No woman should ever severely restrict food during her pregnancy, no matter how much she weighs when she gets pregnant. All obstetricians recommend that a woman gain at least 20 pounds during her pregnancy, even if she weighs 300 pounds. Several studies have shown that babies that are small because they are deprived of food in the uterus are the ones most likely to die in infancy or to suffer heart attacks later in life.

Starvation in the uterus shunts blood to the baby's brain and away from the other organs, causing it to be born with small liver, pancreas, kidneys and other organs. When they eat normal amounts of food as adults, they have higher than normal levels of hormones. Their small livers cannot remove insulin after meals, causing high insulin levels that constrict arteries and cause heart attacks. Their small kidneys release chemicals into the bloodstream that constrict arteries to cause high blood pressure and strokes. The studies were done on people born during famines; they show that no woman should intentionally restrict calories while she is pregnant.

The foods you choose are even more important than your amount of weight gain. Be sure to eat plenty of whole grains, beans, nuts and other seeds, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Cut back on refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice or milled corn, all added sugars); restrict added fats, and avoid partially hydrogenated oils."