How to Lose Weight Healthily After Giving Birth

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss

When your baby is born, you have a lot of concerns on your mind and while the main focus is caring for your newborn most moms also want to lose the baby weight. The good news is that if you were a healthy weight before pregnancy and gained the recommended weight (of 25 to 35 pounds) during pregnancy, you should be able to drop the pounds in just a few months through diet and exercise. If you were overweight before pregnancy, however, it may take up to a year.

Despite the need to drop the pounds, the most important thing to remember is to do it slowly and stay healthy while losing weight. Below are tips for healthy weight loss after giving birth.

How to Lose Weight Healthily After Giving Birth

General Guideline

The best way to speed up the recovery process after giving birth and post pregnancy weight loss is to eat healthy and be sure to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. This will also increase your energy so you can keep up with your baby. Eating a healthy diet is crucial whether or not you are breastfeeding and you should try following these tips:

• Always eat breakfast
• Have five portions or more of fruits and vegetables each day
• Eat foods rich in fiber like seeds, grains, lentils, beans and oats
• Eat starchy foods with each meal including pasta, rice and bread
• Limit eating sugary and fatty foods such as soda, cakes and fast food
• Keep an eye on portion sizes both at meals and during snacks

When you combine your healthy eating with exercise, this will help you lose fat (not lean tissue) and improve your overall fitness.

1. Don’t Diet Too Soon

Labor and delivery can be very hard on your body so you need to wait at least six weeks until you start to take active steps towards losing weight. Experts suggest waiting a full two months if you are breastfeeding.

If you start dieting too soon after you give birth, it may slow down the recovery process and even make you more tired. Dieting can also affect your breast milk supply which is why you should always wait if breastfeeding.

2. Eat Super Foods

You should aim to select foods high in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Fish is an excellent option with DHA (one of the essential omega-3 fatty acids that help with newborn development). Try to focus on cold-water fish like canned light tuna, sardines and salmon.

Yogurt and milk are another great choice because of their calcium content. You should also aim to get protein and fiber from beans, chicken and lean meat.

3. Breastfeed

Experts continue to disagree on whether it is easier to lose weight while breastfeeding due to conflicting studies but everyone agrees it won’t hurt your weight loss and is excellent for your baby. It can improve his immunity and will even let you eat about 300 calories more each day if you only breastfeed.

4. Drink Plenty of Water

Water not only prevents you from becoming dehydrated, but it can also fill you up so you aren’t as hungry and even increase your metabolism. The best way to judge your ideal water intake is to check your urine; it should be clear and you want to be going to the restroom every three or four hours.

5. Workout

Although diet is crucial to post pregnancy weight loss, it is only one factor. Be sure to include strength training and aerobic exercises so you can burn fat and maintain strong bones and muscles. Exercising can even help you relieve stress. The ideal is about 150 minutes each week but this can involve something as simple as going on a walk with your baby in his stroller. Don’t forget strength training and you can even use soup cans as weights. Always talk to your doctor before exercising after giving birth.

6. Try to Get Enough Sleep

Although it is hard for new moms to get eight hours of sleep a night, it is important to try as hard as you can. If you are sleep deprived, you will probably find it a lot harder to lose the weight because your body will release cortisol as well as other stress hormones which promote weight gain. The best way to get enough sleep is to nap when your baby does and try to go to sleep early when possible.

7. Set Realistic Weight-loss Goals

Most women will lose over 10 pounds during labor because of the baby weight, amniotic fluid and placenta. During the next week you’ll shed retained fluids and lose additional weight. Despite this, the fat that you stored during pregnancy isn’t as easy to lose.

A reasonable goal with diet and exercise is to lose a pound a week and you should remember that it may take six months or more to lose all of your baby weight. It is also possible that your weight won’t be distributed in the same way so you need to stay realistic. Remember to accept any changes in your body as they are natural.

8. Team Up

You will need support to lose your baby weight so try to get your partner involved. Try making the commitment together to eat healthy and getting rid of unhealthy items in your home. Consider going out for walks at night instead of sitting at home and watching TV. If you and your partner watch out for each other, you should find it much easier to lose the weight.

What Are the Side Effects of Pitocin?

What Should You Ask Before Receiving Pitocin?

Pitocin is not advised for expecting mothers that may have an allergic reaction upon taking oxytocin (pitocin).

Discuss with the doctor if you have any of the following conditions, to determine whether oxytocin (pitocin) is safe for you to use:

• Genital herpes
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• A heart rhythm disorder
• Cervical cancer in the family
• Uterus infections in the past or in your family
• Labour problems associated with small pelvis
• Previous C-sections or any surgeries of the cervix or uterus
• The term of your pregnancy is less than 37 weeks
• You have had more than five pregnancies

What Are the Benefits of Pitocin?

The most commonly used names for the hormone oxytocin are pitocin and syntocinon. This hormone is usually secreted by the pituitary gland to initiate labor or continue labor pains as well as control bleeding once the delivery occurs. When the drug is given to the mother, it also helps to remove the placenta after birth, in case of miscarriage, it helps to shrink the uterus back to original size and also to trigger the flow of milk from the breast for breastfeeding.

The reason why pitocin is often favoured for induction of labor is the ease with which the medicine can be controlled according to the patient requirement at the time of delivery. Other methods of induction which can be used include cervical softening gels; however, they are rather difficult to monitor as compared to the use of pitocin. An obstetrician in Louisiana Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo claims that he often uses the drug to start the labor and once the body starts the normal contractions, he slowly removes the effect of pitocin. Another doctor in Los Angeles, Dr. Tracy Kritz, is also of the same opinion that if used properly when necessary, it is the best possible drug to induce labor.

• For those women that tend to have a slow, painful labor, pitocin can help to reduce the labor period and save them from a lot of agony.
• Infections have been greatly cut down when oxytocin is used to induce labor in cases when the water breaks.

What Are the Side Effects of Pitocin?

• There are chances of rupture of the uterine walls when pitocin is used especially in cases when a vaginal birth is tried after a previous case of cesarean.
• The fetal may undergo a stress when synthetic oxytocin is used as it can occasionally cause strong contractions. Under such a situation, the health care provider will terminate the drug and examine the fetal state. The baby is put on a monitor to keep an eye out for fetal stress while undergoing synthetic oxytocin for inducing labor.
• Since pitocin is a comparatively new drug, its long term impacts have not been determined as yet. Some doctors say that synthetic oxytocin can cause problems such as autism and asperger's syndrome.

How Is Pitocin Given During Labor?

• A complete physical exam. It is performed before augmentation of labour is performed. The contraction pattern along with the dilation of the cervix is observed to check how far the baby is down the birth canal. The response of the baby’s heart in relation to the contractions is observed to analyse whether the baby can handle the stronger contractions.
• Make a decision. Once the examination is complete, the doctor will decide whether it is feasible to augment the labour using oxytocin. This synthetic form of the hormone, pitocin, if naturally produced by the body, can cause the body to undergo spontaneous labour. However, if it is not produced in the sufficient amount by the body, synthetic forms are used for induction. The level of the drug pitocin is controlled by a pump attached to the IV line which is injected into the mother.
• Give pitocin. Initially, the dosage is rather small and is gradually increased till the uterus starts responding to the hormone. Depending on how apart the contractions are, the dilation of the cervix, and the term of pregnancy, the dosage of the drug is adjusted. The contractions should be around three to five after every ten minutes.
• Trigger contractions. The main purpose of oxytocin is to trigger the contractions to the extent that the cervix dilates at the right time so that the baby can be moved down the birth canal and not to the extent that the contractions put stress on the baby which can happen if the contractions are too frequent or too long. Contractions which often last longer than two minutes or five contractions over a thirty minute period is considered to be too long.
• Monitor contractions. While augmentation occurs, the doctors monitor the contractions and baby on the fetal monitor to make sure that everything goes smoothly
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What Is Pitocin?and Who Needs Pitocin?

What Is Pitocin?

A hormone commonly used to induce or continue labor pains or even control the bleeding after labor is known as pitocin. Occasionally it is also used to trigger the milk secretion for breast feeding. It may also be used for other health conditions based on the advice of the doctor.

Inducing labor through pitocin is not advised unless there is some specific medical reason behind it. It is essential to thoroughly discuss with the doctor before taking pitocin. Pitocin is only available to patients with a doctor’s prescription.

Dosage

Through the use of intravenous injections with a dosage of 0.5 to 1 milliunit/minute, labor pains can be induced. The dosage is then gradually increased by a unit of 1 to 2 milliunits/minute after every 15 to 60 minutes till a pattern of normal contractions is observed.

Who Needs Pitocin?

The three general occasions when induction of labor may be necessary for an expecting mother are mentioned below:

• The induction may be necessary if the delivery does not occur when the 42 weeks are almost over.
• In a situation when augmentation is required because the membrane is broken, but contractions do not start.
 

Do NOT use Pitocin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Pitocin
• your birth canal is too small compared with the fetus's head
• the fetus is in a difficult position within the womb or is in distress and delivery is not progressing
• you have other complications that require medical intervention for birth
• you have bacteria in the blood
• you cannot have a child through vaginal delivery because of certain conditions (eg, genital herpes, cervical cancer)

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Pitocin:

Some medical conditions may interact with Pitocin. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you are having a cesarean section or have a history of difficult labor or uterine surgery
• if you are having labor complications, traumatic delivery, severe vaginal bleeding, or placenta previa (abnormal placement of the placenta in the uterus)

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Pitocin. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Droxidopa because its actions and side effects may be increased by Pitocin, possibly resulting in high blood pressure

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Pitocin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

Possible side effects of Pitocin:

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Nausea; vomiting; more intense or abrupt contractions of the uterus.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blood clotting problems; changes in heart rate; heavy or continued bleeding after childbirth; irregular heartbeat; pooling of blood in the pelvis; ruptured uterus.

Fetus: Bleeding in the eye; irregular heartbeat; seizures; slow heartbeat.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider

 

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Critical Conditions During Pregnancy

Even if you've read lots about pregnancy and spoken to other mums about your pregnancy symptoms, there will still be times when you wonder if what you're feeling is normal or not.

The following pregnancy symptoms should set off a few alarm bells. If you experience them you should call your midwife, doctor, or your maternity unit straight away.

 

 

Low Amniotic Fluid

The low amniotic fluid protects and supports the developing baby.It happens very rare. In some casesthat the flluid lessens which is called Oligohydroamnios in medical terms.This usually happen when you are in the eighth or ninth month.If this conditiion aries your gynaecologist keeps a close check on the fluid count.This can be included if needed

I have a pain in my middle

Severe or sharp pain in your middle or upper tummy, with or without nausea or vomiting, could mean one of several things. You could have severe indigestion, heartburn, a stomach bug, or it could be food poisoning.

If you're in the second half of your pregnancy this pain could indicate pre-eclampsia, a serious condition that requires immediate attention.

I have a pain in my lower belly

Severe pain on either side or both sides of your lower belly needs investigating to be sure it's nothing serious. You could have pulled or stretched a ligament, which is common in pregnancy.

Less commonly, it may be a sign of:

• an ectopic pregnancy
• miscarriage
• premature labour
• a fibroid breaking down and bleeding into itself
• placental abruption, when the placenta separates from the lining of your womb (uterus)

I have a fever

If you have a fever and your temperature is above 37.5 degrees C, but with no flu or cold symptoms, call your doctor the same day.

If your temperature is more than 39 degrees C, call your doctor straight away. You probably have an infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics and rest. If your temperature rises higher than 39 degrees C for a long time it may be harmful to your baby.

My vision is blurred and I see flashing spots

Call your doctor or midwife if, in the second half of your pregnancy, your eyesight is affected by:

• double vision
• blurring
• dimming
• flashing spots or lights before your eyes

These visual disturbances may be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

My hands and feet are swollen

Swelling or puffiness (oedema) in your hands, face and eyes is common in late pregnancy. In most cases it’s not a cause for concern. But if your swelling is severe or comes on suddenly, along with a headache or problems with your vision, you may have pre-eclampsia. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your doctor or midwife straight away.

I have a severe headache that won't go away

If a bad headache lasts for more than two hours or three hours, and you have visual disturbances and severe swelling in your body, you may have pre-eclampsia. If pre-eclampsia occurs, it is usually in the second half of your pregnancy or soon after your baby is delivered.

I have vaginal bleeding

Spotting or very light bleeding without pain is common in early pregnancy. It may be breakthrough bleeding, which happens when the hormones that drive your menstrual cycle continue strongly enough to cause light bleeding. Try not to worry if this happens, as it usually resolves itself and is unlikely to harm your baby.

Even so, call your doctor or midwife if you bleed at any stage during your pregnancy. It may indicate a serious complication if it is:

• Bleeding that's different from your normal period, so lighter in flow or darker in colour than usual. This, with severe, persistent, one-sided pain in your tummy, may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.
• Heavy bleeding, combined with persistent back pain or abdominal pain. This may be a sign of miscarriage.
• Sudden, painless bleeding. This may happen if you have a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia), which will have been seen at your 20-week scan.
• Fresh or dark bleeding with or without clots in later pregnancy could mean you have placental abruption. This is when the placenta starts to separate from the wall of your womb. Depending on the position and extent of the separation, it can cause either a small amount of bleeding or a gush, as well as pain and tenderness.
• Heavy bleeding may mean you're going into premature labour, if you’re less than 37 weeks pregnant.

In the later stages of pregnancy heavy bleeding is uncommon.

I'm leaking fluid from my vagina

If you are leaking fluid from your vagina before 37 weeks it may mean that your waters have broken early. Contact your maternity unit so that a doctor or midwife can check on your baby's health. You may need treatment if there are signs of an infection.

Once your waters have broken, your baby has less protection against infection. Or you could already have an infection that has made your waters break. You may need to prepare for a premature birth. You'll have a specialist team on hand in the hospital to make sure you and your baby get the right care.

When your waters break after 37 weeks, you’re likely to go into labour within the next day or so. Call your midwife or maternity unit to tell them what's happened. You'll probably be asked to go to hospital to be checked over, and to discuss what's best to do if your labour doesn't start within 24 hours.

I'm suddenly really thirsty

If you're suddenly thirsty, and your wee is dark yellow, it could be a sign of dehydration. You need to drink more fluid when you're pregnant. If you're thirsty and weeing a lot more than usual it could be a sign of gestational diabetes, although this often doesn't cause symptoms.

Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of complications for you and your baby, so tell your doctor or midwife.

I feel a burning sensation when I wee

You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI) if you:

• feel a painful or burning sensation when weeing
• have a frequent urge to wee, even if you've only just been, and may be wetting yourself when you get the urge
• pass cloudy, bloody or smelly wee
• have nausea, tiredness and cold sweats
• have a pain in your lower abdomen, or feel achy all over

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor, as she can give you antibiotics to treat your UTI.

I'm constantly vomiting

Vomiting more than a couple of times a day could dehydrate and weaken you, although it's unlikely to hurt your baby. You need to speak to your midwife or GP about severe and persistent vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum), especially if you cannot tolerate any food or drink. You may need treatment, possibly in hospital.

If you're vomiting during the second half of your pregnancy, you may also have severe pain just below the ribs, and sudden severe swelling in your face, hands or feet. These symptoms may be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Vomiting accompanied by diarrhoea could be a sign of food poisoning or a tummy bug. If you're vomiting, feverish and have pain in your side, lower back or around your genitals, it could mean you have a kidney infection. If you have these symptoms you should contact your doctor.

I feel faint and dizzy

Fainting or feeling light-headed may be a sign that you haven't eaten enough that day. But it could also mean that you have low blood pressure, which is common in early pregnancy. That's because the pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes the walls of your blood vessels.

Many women feel dizzy during pregnancy. But if you faint, see your doctor afterwards to make sure all is well.

My baby's movements have slowed down

If your baby's movements stop or slow down after 24 weeks it may mean he's in distress. If you have noticed that your baby is moving about less than usual, contact your midwife or hospital, and if you're over 28 weeks do this immediately. Read more about your baby's movements, including when to seek help.

I itch all over

If you have severe itching all over, particularly at night, you may have obstetric cholestasis (OC). OC is a condition of the liver. You may develop jaundice with OC, which can make your wee dark and your poo paler than usual.

If you have mild itching try not to worry too much. Some itching is normal as your skin stretches to accommodate your growing baby. However, it's best to have intense itching checked out. This is especially the case if the itching is worse at night and centres on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands.

I fell and hit my belly

Falls or blows aren't always dangerous, but call your doctor or midwife on the same day and explain what happened. If you slipped on the stairs and bruised your tailbone, you probably don't need to worry. Your baby is well cushioned by your womb and amniotic fluid. However, blows to your abdomen are more likely to result in complications, as are injuries to your bones, tendons or ligaments.

If you notice contractions, leaking fluid, or any bleeding, call your doctor or midwife right away, or go to your nearest accident and emergency department (A&E).

I just don't feel right

If you're not sure about a symptom, don't feel like yourself, or simply feel uneasy, trust your instincts and call your doctor or midwife. If there's a problem, you'll get help right away. If nothing's wrong, you'll go home reassured.  

Your doctor or midwife expects to get calls like these, and will be happy to give you advice. Your body is changing so rapidly that it's sometimes difficult to know if what you're experiencing is normal, or if it's something to worry about.

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Healthy Pregnancy Tips

Pregnancy is an ideal time to start taking really good care of yourself both physically and emotionally. If you follow the few simple guidelines below, you should give yourself the best chance of having a problem-free pregnancy and a healthy baby.

 

 

1. See your doctor or midwife as soon as possible

As soon as you find out you're pregnant, get in touch with your GP or a midwife to organise your antenatal care. Organising your care early means you'll get good advice for a healthy pregnancy right from the start. You'll also have plenty of time to organise any ultrasound scans and tests that you may need.

2. Eat well

Aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet whenever you can. Try to have:

• At least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
• Plenty of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and rice, as the basis of your meals. Choose wholegrain carbohydrates rather than white, so you get plenty of fibre.
• Daily servings of protein, such as fish, lean meat, eggs, nuts or pulses, and some milk and dairy foods.
• Two portions of fish a week, at least one of which should be oily. Fish is packed with protein, vitamin D, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for the development of your baby's nervous system.
  
  

You don't need to eat for two when you're pregnant. You don't need extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy. In the last three months you'll need about an extra 200 calories a day. You can keep up your energy levels with healthy snacks.

See our pregnancy meal planners for each trimester.

3. Take a supplement

Pregnancy vitamin supplements aren't a substitute for a balanced diet. But they can help if you're worried you're not eating well, or you're too sick to eat much.

Make sure your supplement contains 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. You need this while you're trying for a baby and for the first three months of pregnancy. Taking folic acid reduces the risk of your baby developing a neural tube defect such as spina bifida.

Also, check that your supplement contains 10mcg of vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for your baby's future bone health.

Talk to your GP or a pharmacist before taking an antenatal supplement. If you don't take a multivitamin for pregnant women, you can buy folic acid and vitamin D supplements separately.

If you're on a low income, you might be able to get pregnancy vitamin supplements free of charge under the government's healthy start scheme. Go to www.healthystart.nhs.uk for more information.

If you don't eat fish, fish oil supplements may be helpful. Choose a supplement made from the body of the fish, not the liver. This is because fish liver oils (such as cod liver oil) may contain the retinol form of vitamin A, which isn't recommended in pregnancy.

4. Be careful about food hygiene

There are some foods it's safest not to eat in pregnancy. This is because they can carry a health risk for your baby.

Listeriosis is an infection caused by listeria bacteria. It's rare and doesn't usually pose a threat to your health. However, it can cause pregnancy or birth complications. Listeriosis can even lead to miscarriage.

The following foods may harbour listeria and so are best avoided:

• pate of any type
• unpasteurised milk
• undercooked ready meals
• soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as brie
• blue-veined cheeses, such as roquefort
  
  

As listeria bacteria are destroyed by heat, make sure you heat ready meals thoroughly.

Salmonella can cause food poisoning. You can catch it from eating:

• undercooked poultry
• Is it safe to eat soft-boiled or raw eggs during pregnancy?
  

Cook eggs until the white and yolk are solid. Thoroughly wash utensils, boards and your hands after handling raw poultry. Food hygiene is especially important now you're pregnant. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite. It's also rare, but it can affect your unborn baby. You can cut down your risk of catching it by:

• cooking meat and ready meals thoroughly
• washing fruit and vegetables well to remove soil or dirt
• wearing gloves when handling cat litter and garden soil

5. Exercise regularly

Regular exercise has many benefits for mums-to-be. It can:

• Build your strength and endurance. This may help you to cope better with the extra weight of pregnancy and the hard work of labour.
• Make it easier for you to get back into shape after your baby is born.
• Boost your spirits and even help to ward off depression.

Good exercise choices for pregnancy include:

• brisk walking
• swimming
• aquanatal classes
• yoga
• pilates
  
  

If you play sport, you can continue as long as it feels comfortable for you. However, if your particular sport carries a risk of falls or knocks, or extra stress on your joints, it's best to stop. Talk to your GP if you're unsure.

6. Begin doing pelvic floor exercises

Your pelvic floor comprises a hammock of muscles at the base of your pelvis. These muscles support your bladder, vagina and back passage. They can feel weaker than usual in pregnancy because of the extra pressure upon them. Pregnancy hormones can also cause your pelvic floor to slacken slightly.

Weak pelvic floor muscles put you at risk of developing stress incontinence. This is when small amounts of urine leak out when you sneeze, laugh or exercise.

Strengthening your muscles by doing pelvic floor exercises regularly throughout your pregnancy can help. Having a toned pelvic floor may help your baby's birth go more smoothly too. You'll feel the benefit if do eight pelvic floor squeezes, three times a day.

7. Cut down on or cut out alcohol

Any alcohol you drink rapidly reaches your baby via your blood stream and placenta.

No one knows for sure how much alcohol it's safe to drink while you're pregnant. That's why many experts advise you to cut out alcohol completely throughout pregnancy, or at least for the first three months.

If you do decide to drink, stick to no more than one or two units of alcohol, no more than once or twice a week, and never get drunk.

Drinking heavily or binge drinking during pregnancy is dangerous for your baby. Mums-to-be who drink heavily on a regular basis are more likely to give birth to a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These are problems ranging from learning difficulties to more serious birth defects.

8. Cut back on caffeine

Coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks are mild stimulants. There are concerns that too much caffeine may increase your risk of miscarriage. It's also thought possible that too much caffeine may contribute to your risk of having a low-birth-weight baby.

Current guidelines state that up to 200mg of caffeine a day won't hurt your baby. That's the equivalent of two mugs of instant coffee.

As with alcohol, you may prefer to cut out caffeine altogether, particularly in the first trimester. Decaffeinated tea and coffee, fruit teas and fruit juices are all safe alternatives.

9. Stop smoking

Smoking during pregnancy can cause serious health problems, for you and your baby. These risks include an increased risk of:

• miscarriage
• premature birth
• low birth weight
• cot death (SIDS)

Smoking may even be associated with the loss of a baby at birth.

Smoking makes the following pregnancy complications more likely:

• Nausea and vomiting (morning sickness).
• Ectopic pregnancy.
• Placental abruption, where the placenta comes away from the uterus wall before your baby is born.

If you smoke, it's best to stop, for your own health and that of your baby. The sooner you stop smoking, the better, but it's never too late. Even stopping in the last few weeks of your pregnancy can benefit you both. Watch a video about how smoke reaches your unborn baby.

10. Get some rest

The fatigue you feel in the first few months is due to high levels of pregnancy hormones circulating in your body. Later on, it's your body's way of telling you to slow down.

If you can't sleep at night, try to take a quick nap in the middle of the day to catch up. If that's impossible, at least put your feet up and try to relax for 30 minutes.

If backache is disturbing your sleep, try lying on your left-hand side with your knees bent. Placing a wedge-shaped pillow under your bump may help ease the strain on your back.

Exercise may also give you some relief from backache. It can help with sleep problems, too, as long as you don't exercise too close to bedtime.

To wind down ready for bed, try relaxation techniques, which are safe in pregnancy, such as:

• yoga
• stretching
• deep breathing
• visualisation
• massage

Always let your exercise teacher know that you're pregnant or, ideally, choose classes tailored to pregnant women.

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Predicting ovulation

What is ovulation?

When you ovulate (or release an egg from your ovary), that egg has a chance of getting fertilized. When that egg gets fertilized, you're pregnant!
You're most fertile from two to three days before you ovulate through the day of ovulation. If you know when you'll ovulate, you can time sex accordingly and boost your chances of getting pregnant (or of preventing pregnancy, if that's what you're trying to do). Here are three ways to pin down when it's happening, from the simplest to the most accurate.

 

 

Use the calendar method

The easiest way to estimate when you'll ovulate is to count back. First, figure out what day your next period will probably start. (If your period is very irregular, this method won't work for you.)
From that day, count back 12 days and then another four. You're most likely to ovulate during this five-day range. If you're one of the many women who have a 28-day cycle, there's a good chance you’ll ovulate on day 14. (Day 1 is the first day of your period; day 28 is the last day before day 1 of your next period.)
Get help counting the days
Want BabyCenter to do the math for you? Try our Ovulation Calculator. It tells you when you're likely to ovulate next and what your due date will be if you conceive.

Chart your basal body temperature and cervical mucus

A more accurate way to figure out when you ovulate is to track the patterns in your body temperature and your vaginal discharge for a cycle or two. It's natural and free, but it takes time and effort.
If you pay attention to these cues and jot them down each day, you may start to see a pattern that can help you predict when you'll ovulate next.
Body temperatureYou won't feel the change, but a few days after you ovulate, your basal body temperature rises. (Your basal body temperature, or BBT, is your lowest body temperature in a 24-hour period.) This tiny uptick is only 0.4 to 1.0 degree Fahrenheit. You can detect it by taking your BBT every morning with a special thermometer.
Vaginal dischargeThe discharge you'll be tracking is cervical mucus, which changes substantially during your cycle. For most of the month, you may have very little of it and feel dry. But as you approach ovulation, you'll notice much more cervical mucus. It'll be clear, slippery, and stretchy – kind of like raw egg whites.
Mild cramping
Some women report that they feel mild cramps or twinges of pain in the abdomen or a one-sided backache around the time of ovulation. This sensation is known as mittelschmerz.
Get help charting your body's signals
First, learn how BBT and cervical mucus can help you predict ovulation. Then follow the steps to charting your BBT and cervical mucus.

Use an ovulation predictor kit

The most accurate method for predicting ovulation is testing your hormone levels with an ovulation predictor kit (OPK).
These pee-on-a-stick tests give you a positive result a day or two before you ovulate, giving you time to plan ahead for baby-making sex. They work by telling you when your level of luteinizing hormone (LH) has gone up, which means one of your ovaries will soon release an egg.


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Why some Womens faces Irregular Peroids ? Causes andTreatment !!

Menstruation is the time of month when the womb (uterus) sheds its lining and vaginal bleeding occurs. This is known as a menstrual period.

Periods vary widely from woman to woman. Some periods are punctual, some are unpredictable. On average, a woman gets her period every 21 to 35 days. A period usually lasts about three to five days. Irregular periods may require treatment.

 

 

 

What Are Irregular Periods?

• The time between each period starts to change.
• You are losing more or less blood during a period than usual.
• The number of days that your period lasts varies.

There are different names for different types of irregular periods:

• Oligomenorrhea refers to infrequent periods. The time between periods is typically 35 days or more. Women with oligomenorrhea have fewer than six to eight periods a year.
• Metrorrhagia refers to irregular but frequent periods.
• Menometrorrhagia refers to longer or heavier periods that are irregular but frequent.
• Amenorrhea refers to an absence of periods for three to six months or longer
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  Do Irregular Periods Need Treatment?

  Treatment of irregular periods depends on the cause and your desire to have children in the future. Irregular periods can be caused by many different things. Changes in your body's level of the hormones estrogen and progesterone can disrupt the normal pattern of your period. That's why young girls going through puberty and women approaching menopause commonly have irregular periods.
  Other common causes of irregular periods include:
• Having an intrauterine device (IUD)
• Changing birth control pills or using certain medications
• Excessive exercise
• Polycystic ovary disease (PCOS)
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Severe scarring (adhesions) of the lining of the uterus, a condition known as Asherman syndrome
• Stress
• Overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism
• Thickening of or polyps on the uterine lining
• Uterine fibroids

How Are Irregular Periods Treated?

Usually, no treatment is needed for irregular periods caused by puberty and menopause unless they are excessive or bothersome. It is also normal for your period to stop when you are pregnant.

Treatments for irregular periods due to other causes may include:

• Correcting or treating underlying disease
• Changing your type of birth control
• Lifestyle changes, including weight loss
• Hormone therapy
• Surgery

 

Menstrual irregularities can be caused by a variety of conditions, including pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, infections, malignancies, diseases, trauma, and certain medications.
Common causes of anovulatory bleeding (absent, infrequent periods, and irregular periods) include:

• Adolescence
• Uncontrolled diabetes 
• Eating disorders
• Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
• Hyperprolactinemia (an abnormally high concentration in the blood of prolactin, a protein hormone)
• Medications, such as antiepileptics or antipsychotics
• Perimenopause
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Pregnancy

Common causes of ovulatory bleeding (heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding) include:

• Structural problems, such as uterine fibroids or polyps
• Bleeding disorders, such as leukemia, platelet disorders, the various factor deficiencies, or von Willebrand disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Advanced liver disease

Common causes of dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain) include:

• Heavy menstrual flow
• Smoking
• Depression
• Never having given birth
• Endometriosis
• Chronic uterine infectio

Additional causes of menstrual irregularity include¹:

• Endometriosis 
• Endocrine gland-related causes
  • Poorly controlled diabetes
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • Thyroid dysfunction 
  • Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)
  • Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Acquired conditions
  • Stress-related hypothalamic dysfunction
  • Medications
  • Exercise-induced amenorrhea
  • Eating disorders (both anorexia and bulimia)
• Tumors
  • Ovarian
  • Adrenal
  • Prolactinomas