2006 » March » Pregnancy, Childbirth And Motherhood.

I am not normally one to buy internet help books, but after a few hours at the book shop yesterday and emerging with nothing! I decided to search the internet.

I was looking for something that would teach me good exercise, diet and tips that I can use pre-pregnancy and lso during and after. Guess what?? I found one! CLICK HERE

After spending all day today reading it, I am so impressed! It has everything I wanted and cost so much less then anything I saw in the bookshop! It seems like you add the word pregnancy to a book and they can charge you double! this book is fantastic, it has so many exercises that are easy to do, also has a section to help with diet to make sure you remain healthy during pregnancy.

My favourite part …. How to make sure you gain your baby weight in the right places. I love nothing more then seeing a beautiful pregnant women with a big round belly who looks healthy and in proportion. I really want that to be me! I don’t want to just look overweight, I want a big proud, round belly! This book shows you how!

It is such a sensible book and teachs you proper tecniques to cope with labour. Exercise and health advice and even gives you tips on how to avoid stretch marks!

This book is a must have for every mother to be! I am going to start doing the exercises tonight and I know this will help me with my goal of being fit and healthy before I conceive.

Jen xx

Pregnancy Health and Exercise Help Book Available Here!

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Here is some information on the importnant vitamins needed during pregnancy. This also includes daily needs and where they are found.

Vitamin A – 1 mg

For growth, healthy eyes, healthy skin and to fight infection.

Found: Carrots, peppers, melon, liver, fish liver oil, watercress, apricots, dairy produce, green leafy vegetables.

Thiamin (Vitamin H) – 1 mg

For metabolising carbohydrates, alcohol and some proteins.

Found: Yeast extracts, pulses, nuts, rice, bran, flour, whole wheat, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, meat.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) – 1.5 mg

For metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate. For healthy tissues.

Found: Liver, kidney, milk, yoghurt, cheese, yeast extract, eggs, wheat, mushrooms.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) – 15-20 mg

For energy production. For healthy skin.

Found: Liver, kidney, meat, fish, yeast, peanuts, bran, pulses, whole wheat, coffee.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – 5 mg

For Production of energy. Formation of antibodies. For a healthy nervous system.

Found: Widely distributed in all foods.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) – 3 mg

For protein metabolism. Production of red blood cells.

Found: Liver, wholegrain, meat, fish, nuts, bananas, avocados, potatoes, beans

Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) – 3 mcg

For Cell division. Red blood cell production. For healthy nervous system.

Found: Liver, kidney, eggs, cheese, milk, yeast extract, yoghurt, fish, meat.

Folic Acid – 200 mcg

For protein synthesis. Formation of blood. Metabolism of DNA and transmission of genetic code.

Found: Liver, kidney, dark green leafy vegetables, yeast, nuts, bran, oranges, eggs and some fish.

Vitamin C – 30-60 mcg

For healthy skin, teeth, bones and tissues. Aids iron absorption. For fighting disease and for a healthy immune system.

Found: Citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, potatoes, blackcurrants, strawberries, rosehip syrup.

Vitamin D – 3 mcg

For absorption of calcium and phosphate.

Found: Fish liver oil, oily fish, eggs, milk, margarine, liver.

Vitamin E – 10 mg

As an antioxidant to protect substances in the body from breaking down.

Found: vegetable oils, eggs, wheat germ, nuts, wholemeal cereals, broccoli, avocados.

Vitamin K – 100 mcg

For healthy clotting of blood

Found: Liver, dark leafy green vegetables.

Please note: It is important to avoid liver and liver products during pre-pregnancy care and pregnancy. Please consult a doctor for more advice.

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What are the pelvic floor muscles?
Pelvic floor muscles are part of a broad sling that goes between your legs from your pubic bone in the front all the way to the base of your spine at the back. Pelvic floor muscles help to hold your bladder, womb and bowel in place and help to control the muscles that close the anus, vagina and urethra. When your pelvic floor muscles are damaged or weakened, through childbirth, they cannot do this effectively. This can result in stress incontinence and decreased satisfaction during intercourse. Stress incontinence means that you may leak a small amount of urine while sneezing, coughing, exercising or laughing. It is reported up to 25 per cent of new mothers suffer from stress incontinance.

How do pelvic floor exercises help me?
Pelvic floor exercises will help to strengthen these muscles. This will help the muscles to function effectively again. The more you use your pelvic floor muscles, the stronger they will be.

If you have strong pelvic floor muscles, they can help support the extra weight of pregnancy, be helpful in the second stage of labour and can assist in healing the perineum between the anus and vagina after birth. When pelvic floor muscles are done regularly, they can help to prevent stress incontinence later life. A benefit of pelvic floor exercises is that women with strengthened pelvic floor muscles are more likely to have a more satisfying sex life!

How do I find my pelvic floor muscles?
The best way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to Imagine that you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind and trying to stop your flow of urine mid-stream, at the same time. The feeling should be described as one of “squeeze and lift”, closing and drawing up the front and back passages. When you have been practicing this exercise for a while, you can also do this during love-making, ask your partner whether he can feel the effect.

That sounds easy right? But there is a catch that you have to squeeze and lift without:

• pulling in your tummy

• squeezing your legs together

• tightening your buttocks

• holding your breath

Only your pelvic floor muscles should be working.

It does get easier with practice. You might find it easier to place your hand on your abdomen while you are practising, this will make sure it stays relaxed.

When can I do these exercises?
You can do your pelvic floor muscle exercises standing up, lying down or sitting, or while you are carrying out your daily activities such as working, boiling a kettle, watching television or talking on the telephone. Here’s how:

• Hold the muscles of your back passage in and those around your vagina as if trying not to go to the loo.

• Tighten these muscles once, twice, three times.

• Hold, but keep on breathing all the time!

• Let go.

• When you return to your normal position, push the muscles out. With this last move it may help you in pushing your baby out and avoiding a tear. Then tighten up the pelvic floor again.

• Repeat this several times a day while doing everyday tasks.

Now try to do slow pull-ups and fast pull-ups. First: lie, stand or sit with your knees slightly apart. Then follow these instructions:

• Slow pull ups: Slowly tighten and pull up your pelvic floor muscles as hard as you can. Hold for as long as possible, then relax slowly.

• Fast pull ups: Pull up the muscles and relax immediately.

Repeat both of these exercises five times or until you are tired.

When your muscles get stronger, you can hold the contraction and more pull-ups can be achieved. After a few weeks of doing your pelvic floor exercises, improvements should be very noticeable. It is ideal that you exercise these muscles regularly for 6-8 months before they will gain their full strength.

How often do I need to exercise my pelvic floor muscles?
Depending on how weak the muscles are to begin with aim for 50 a day and then increase this over a few weeks to 120 a day.

To check and see how strong your pelvic floor muscles are becoming, try holding the flow of urine in mid-stream.

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Tips To Conceive a Girl!

* After menstration, participate in frequent intercourse until 24 hours before you ovulate. After this avoid intercourse until 1 week after ovulation.

* The women should try to avoid having an orgasim as this will increase the alkalinity of the vagina.

* Wash the vagina with a mildly acidic solution just before intercourse. Disolve 5mls of white vinegar in a glass of sterile, distilled water.

* When the man ejaculates try and do it towards the opening of the vagina rather then higher up. The closer to the opening the more acidic.

Tips To Conceive a Boy!

* Wash the vagina with an alkaline solution before intercourse. Disolve 5mls of Sodium Bicarbonate in a glass of sterile, distilled water.

* The women should try and orgasim during intercourse.

* Ejaculate deep inside the vagina

* Avoid intercourse 4 days before ovulation. Plan to have sex during or just after ovulation.

Good Luck!

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OK so u have guessed it, well you would have if u read the title.

I had to ring in my blood sugar levels today and got a phone call asking me to come in and see the Dr ASAP! I went straight down to see him and was told that i would need to take insulin throughout my pregnancy.

At the moment I’m on one injection a day, which I have to take before i eat dinner. A little daunting at first but when i had my practice shot I found out the needle doesnt even hurt, i couldnt even tell it had gone in.

I have been advised to follow the same diet, to still check my blood sugar levels 4 times a day and just to add in the injection before dinner.

I did my first injection today and after it felt a lil wierd, not sure if that was me or if it was the insulin. It was like my head was racing and when i spoke to someone to me it sounded like the words were coming out really quickly! WIERD!! I have to ring back my Dr on wednesday (2 days) to give him the results of my blood sugar levels.

So far today, the levels have remained the same, even after the injection. At the moment im not sure if this is because i have only had one injection or if its because its not enough mls of insulin that i have injected. I have started on 4, but Dr expects this to increase to around 16 towards the end of the pregnancy.. will see what happens

So there it is, gestational diabetes problem solved, now it just has to be managed with the injections

Rach xx

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When i went to the Dr he gave me this sheet of information which included five key pointers for controlling gestational diabetes with a diet so here they are:

1. Eat small meals, frequently. This means six meals a day. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and then supper. This allows your body to break down the meals easier then if you were to eat 3 large meals.

2. Steer clear of foods that are high in sugar, such as soft drinks, fruit juices, lollies, chocolate. THis is because its a lot harder for your body to break down the sugar in these foods. Diet soft drinks are fine and if you really want to have fruit juice dillute it, half water, half juice.

3. Exercise, this doesnt mean that you should join a gym and start pumping iron. A walk a day is a fine, exercise is recommended after your meals to help to break down the food and use the extra energy. Walking, yoga are great activities for those who are pregnant and also help you to maintain fitness for labour.

4. Eat only three pieces of fruit a day. Fruit is high in sugar and even though it is natural sugar it still isnt great for those who cannot handle too much insulin.

5. Breads and rices etc are best if they are wholegrain. White breads are not good for you if you have gestational diabetes. WHolegrain or wholemeal are best. These are lower GI (glycemic index) which means it takes less for your body to break it down!

SO there you have it, five key pointers straight from my endocrinologist!

Hope it helps

Rachael

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Hi everyone! Just an update on how I am going with the pregnancy help book I recommended a while back.

Well it is FANTASTIC!!! It really is!!! I have been doing the exercises and following their pre-pregnancy tips and eating requirements and I feel so much healthier and stronger! I can only imagine how I will feel when I need it the most, during pregnancy and labour! It is truely amazing.

I have passed this pregnancy book onto a friend of mine who is trying to concieve her first baby at the moment and she can’t beleive how much informtion is in it.

The best part for me is everything is so easy and you don’t need a lot of time to follow their steps. Some exercises I even do at work at my desk or on my lunch break.

I have also been on the pregnancy forums which they offer with the book and have had so much great pregnancy advice from other mothers and mothers to be. It’s amazing how much support is there.

I will keep you updated on how I go.

Here is the link again to the pregnancy book if you’re interested.

Pregnancy Help Book Here!

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So here are the updates on the Gestational Diabetes “dilemma” that i was having.. hehe..

1. it isnt really that bad.
2. MY FINGERS ARE ALL NUMB FROM PRICKING!!
3. my goodness im whinging now, IMAGINE the labour..

Had my appointment with the endocrinologist on Tuesday which was 3 days ago. He has given me a diet sheet, told me to go and get a blood sugar level test thingo.. (accucheck machine) and to keep track of my blood sugar after each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as when i wake up (fasting blood sugar). I was really stressed about the appointment as Im sure those of u whe read the previous posts will know.. the dr was lovely and if you are looking for an endocrinologist in Campbelltown/ Liverpool area I highly recommend Dr Mark Borkman. I have been to quite a few considering that PCOS also involves seeing a an endocrinologist for blood sugar level updates as well and some of them are just plain NASTY!!

As i was saying, for the next week i have to monitor my blood sugar levels and i go back and see him on Monday, he is then going to be
prescribing me insulin. He seemed to think that one injection would be fine and at this stage i think i can handle that.. haha who am i kidding? I have to work myself up to prick my finger

I also have a diet to follow, for those of you who are interested I have posted it on our other website which i will give u the address for at the bottom of the post, its basically a low gi kinda diet but not even really that restrictive. I have to cut out fruit juices, unless i make them half juice half water and i also have to limit sugary foods (lollies, chocolate etc etc) as well as soft drinks.

So i have come to the conclusion that although the finger pricking can be a hassle at times when you are out and about, its managable and gestational diabetes really is going to be ok, the baby is fine.. im fine.. thats all that matters.

Cheers
Rachael

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Here is a list of possible pregnancy signs and symptoms. We have gathered a lot of information from pregnant ladies and have listed the most common pregnancy signs and symptons.

Pregnancy signs and symptons: 

* Feeling Nauseous
* Headache
* Slight Cramping but no sign of menstration
* Sore Breasts
* Food smells making you feel ill or nauseous
* Exhaustion/feeling tired very easily
* Weight gain
* Urinating more then normal

These are only a few pregnancy symptoms or signs and pregnancies should always be confirmed with your doctor. Some people may experience no pregnancy symptons or signs while others may experience all of the pregnancy symptoms.

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Here are a list of frequently asked questions during pregnancy. I have reasearched the most common questions after talking to many of my pregnant friends and clients and then researched the answer!

Can I drink coffee during pregnancy?

No evidence has been found to suggest less then 3 cups of coffee per day during pregnancy is harmful to your baby. However to be safe it is advised that you avoid coffee and caffine beverages example: Coffee, tea and cola. If you cannot cut out caffine beverages completely during pregnancy then it is suggested you drink no more then 300mls of cola or more then 3 cups of coffee or tea per day.

Is yoghurt and cheeses safe during pregnancy?

Yoghurts and cheeses made from pasteurised cows milk are very safe during pregnancy. However avoid dairy products made from goats or sheeps milk and avoid anything unpasteurised. It is also highly advised that you avoid all soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and Blue Vein. Cream cheese and cottage cheese are safe during pregnancy.

Is eating eggs dangerous during pregnancy?

Eggs are perfectly safe during pregnancy, however you should make sure the egg is fully cooked through and have no runny yolk. Also be careful of homemade mayonnaise during pregnancy as this is often made with raw egg. Manufactured mayonnaise is fine. It is also good to avoid eating the yolk part of the egg during pregnancy as this part is high in cholesterol and have little nutritional value.

Is it safe to eat raw or undercooked meat during pregnancy?

It is very important during pregnancy that you ensure all of your meat is cooked through to the centre. If you are at a resturant during your pregnancy always ask them to cook your meat well done, especially with poultry (chicken). It is also importnant when you are pregnant to make sure you use a seperate cutting board for meat and vegetables and wipe your preparation area well after cutting meat products.

Is it safe to eat shellfish during pregnancy?

It is best to avoid all shellfish during pregnancy as there is a high risk of salmonella poisoning. Shellfish can also contain tropical diseases and high metal content.

If you have any questions you would like me to research drop me a line!

Jen xx

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