Category: Pregnancy

How to Deal Naturally With Ugly Stretch Marks

If you are a woman who has given birth, or even a woman who has dieted and lost a significant number of pounds, you might be suffering now from stretch marks. If you are like most women (and not a few men) who have ended up with stretch marks due to weight loss or related factors, you are probably looking for something that can help reduce the unsightly appearance of your stretch marks.

If you are a woman who is pregnant, you can try to prevent stretch marks by massaging your belly every day with olive oil. Other areas to pay attention to because of baby weight gain or swelling as the pregnancy advances are the thighs, buttocks and the backs and sides of your knees.

If you have developed stretch marks as the result of weight loss, especially rapid weight loss, it can take some time to treat them. The first step will be to apply olive oil and massage it into the affected area for a few minutes each day.

The second solution will be to try to spot-trim that area with appropriate exercise. For example, if you have stretch marks on the backs of your upper arms, you can do tricep kick backs to firm up the muscle tone in that area to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and those unsightly ‘wings’ that particularly women can get, especially as they get older.

Many people have found regular massages with olive oil in the affected areas can improve the appearance of stretch marks in a very short period of time. Then the key will be to keep it up and watch what you eat and drink in order to maintain good skin and muscle tone.

Massaging every day or at least three days a week can help diminish the appearance of stretch marks, particularly the ones that look like deep purple grooves.

There are some commercial products on the market that claim to offer miracle cures for stretch marks, but in most cases, they are using only similar moisturizing ingredients and often a good deal of chemicals, and charging a far higher price for their remedy. Save your money and use the olive oil you have right in your own home to help get the better-looking skin you are looking for.

FURTHER READING:


The Smart Woman’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Greener Home

Going Green For New Moms: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Your Baby in an Eco-friendly Way

The New Green Family Guide: A Beginner’s Guide to Going Green As a Family

Share
By General, Pregnancy , Leave a Comment

Health Concerns During Pregnancy Part 2

Part 2 of 2 parts.

Gush of liquid

This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke. However, if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

 

Dehydration

While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink your 8 glasses of water per day that are recommended. If you find yourself pale, with a dry mouth, or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

 

Painful urination

This could be caused by a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice.

A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about. It is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters, the tubes from your bladder, and makes it harder for urine to flow through. Incomplete emptying of the bladder can lead to a persistent feeling of having to go. Imcomplete emptying can cause infection. If you have a foul odor when you urinate, or have a stinging or persistent sensation of having to go, you most like have a UTI.

Pregnancy can be worrying enough, without adding to your fears by being reluctant to talk to your doctor because you think you are being a nuisance. By all means read up and stay well-informed, but also stay in touch with your doctor.

Don’t stress over every little change in your body, but you know your own body well enough to be able to tell the difference between something that has become typical because you are pregnant, and something very unusual which need to be looked into further for a safe, healthy pregnancy.

Share
By Health, Pregnancy, Women's , Leave a Comment

Health Concerns During Pregnancy Part 1

Part 1 of 2 parts.

 

There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth.

There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy, but it is easier to cope with them when you know what they are and what to expect.  Here is a discussion of the most common ones to watch out for.

 

Stomach pain or cramping

During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a baby-related pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort, the best thing to do is rest.

After a few minutes, if it still hasn’t subsided, call your doctor and describe the pain to him.

Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas, or were having Braxton hicks contractions. At least you know everything is okay with pregnancy. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

 

Vaginal bleeding

This may also known as spotting. But there is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting.

Spotting is a light kind of bleeding, kind of like the early part or tail end of your period. The blood can be red, pink or even brown.

If you are bleeding actively like during your full period, or bleeding with any pain, call your doctor. If you can’t get a hold of your doctor, go immediately to the emergency room.

Bleeding can be caused by a number of things,  ranging from ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

 

Continues in Health Concerns During Pregnancy Part 2

Share
By Health, Pregnancy , Leave a Comment

Morning Sickness During Pregnancy Part 2

Part 2 of 2 Parts.

Different smells tend to be another reason for morning sickness. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you smell is something greasy like bacon or sausage. This can easily set it off.

Bad smells and even certain tastes can often trigger morning sickness. It will take a bit of time for your body to adjust, and for you to discover just what triggers your nausea. Knowing how to avoid it can make a world of difference to how frequently you get sick during your pregnancy.

A few reasons you should go to your doctor would be if you begin losing weight because you are constantly sick. If you become dehydrated, faint, look pale, feel mentally confused, or throw up more than four times in a day, your doctor may be able to prescribe something that will stop it.

In addition to eating small meals and avoiding bad smells, you might also try slowing down a bit. Sometimes your body is just exhausted from all the chores you are doing, and it is trying to give you a break.

Listen to your body, take a nap, relax and watch a television show. Take some time off. Far too many woman try to work a full schedule despite their pregnancy, and work right through to the very end of it.

If you are looking for remedies for your morning sickness, you may try buying some pregnancy pops. Or if you’d prefer to stay away from the sweets you can wear a bracelet designed to stop morning sickness. They are just like the motion sickness bracelets.  They don’t work for everyone but they could work for you.  Acupressure also seems to help some women, but check with your doctor first before trying any alternative remedies.

Once you are pregnant, you will be bombarded with well-meaning advice, but just remember, your body and circumstances are unique. So listen to your body, and do you best to cope with your morning sickness in your own way, for a happy, healthy pregnancy.

Share
By Family Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy , , Leave a Comment

Morning Sickness During Pregnancy Part 1

Part 1 of 2 Parts.

Morning sickness can be one or the first signs that you’re pregnant.  Unfortunately, despite the name, this doesn’t always mean that you’ll get sick only in the morning. It can happen, morning, noon or night.

It will normally occur in the first trimester of your pregnancy, and end by the second. This isn’t the case in all pregnancies, though. Some women will continue with it until the very end of term.

Nausea can happen immediately, or you may get lucky and have no morning sickness at all. No one is certain what causes morning sickness. It is no doubt just one of the many changes in the body that happens during pregnancy.

Many women seem to get sick after taking the pre-natal vitamin, so try taking it later in the day. Your doctor may even advise you to take some other form of vitamin instead of the usual pre-natal ones. Always check first with your doctor before taking anything new or taking yourself off medication, even pre-natal vitamin.

There are a few ways to minimize the sickness, but they don’t work for everyone. Try keeping crackers on hand, most people prefer saltines. Try drinking some ginger ale to calm the stomach, especially flat ginger ale.

Dry cereal is another good thing to eat. Your stomach may just be a little bit hungry and trying to tell you, but you mistake it for nausea.

Remember to eat only small portions, that way you will not make the nausea and any vomiting worse than it has to be.

Resting and sleeping is another good way to avoid it; however, it can wake you up. Keep yourself hydrated. Not only can this make your sickness settle down a bit, but it can help you avoid becoming dehydrated, which would  require a trip to the emergency room to get intravenous fluids and antinausea medication.

 

Continued in Part 2.

Share
By Family Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Women's , , Leave a Comment