Pregnancy and Birth

Directing the elusive stork Infertility is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the inability of a couple to conceive after unprotected sex for two years . Interestingly, the clinical definition limits the exposure period to only 12 months . In fact, if a woman is above 35 years old, most specialists will advise her to undergo infertility evaluation after only 6 months of unprotected intercourse. Generally, one in ten couples experience primary or secondary infertility. Primary infertility refers to couples who have never conceived while secondary infertility refers t ...

The second biggest question you will ask yourself as a new mom is, “Will I be able to get back into shape after I give birth?” (The first, of course, is, “Will I be a good mother?”) The truth is, yes, you can get back into pre-pregnancy shape and, if you desire, you can get yourself into even better shape than you were in before your pregnancy. One of the biggest myths you must get past is the classic, “The doctor said I have to wait six weeks before I do any kind of exercise.” Under certain circumstances this is a valid rule. For ins ...

Pregnancy is a beautiful time. And it is also a time for out-of-control hormones which can get a little stressful and chaotic.There is good news for women who are planning to become or already are pregnant. A variety of wonderful hormone-balancing treatments are available today. You don't even need a prescription to obtain such pregnancy hormone medication. If you're uncertain as to what treatments are effective and safe, it is always advisable to speak to your doctor. As a secondary option you can also refer to the internet as there ...

I could nearly fund my children’s future education if I received money every time I've heard a woman say, "I wish I could afford to stay at home full time." Sometimes you can recognize a few working women making this statement to avoid judgment from the stay-at-home parenting world (and they shouldn’t feel this way). However, a majority of these women truly prefer to be at home, and are spending days trapped in a work “cell” and feeling committed for life. First and foremost, I would like to stress that I am not going to join the pros or ...

Pregnancy is one of the pivotal moments of a woman's life but not when you’re young with a bright future ahead. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences any young woman can go through. The stress of pregnancy, revelation of pregnancy to parents, and moving on despite the shame and worry can be nerve-racking. Indeed pregnancy especially during teenhood will never be easy. According to studies, teenage pregnancies in the United States have decreased steadily over the years. In 1991, there were 60 out of 1000 young women who gave birth and in 1998, 51 out of 1000 gave birth. T ...

Some people say that the moment you feel labor pains, you should make your way to the hospital. No doubt, there have been cases where from the onset of labor pains, the baby was delivered within 2 hours. But what's actually more common is for baby to be delivered about 12 to 18 hours after the onset of the first signs of labor. Look out for these signs: 1. your waterbag breaks 2. contractions (they should be regular contractions, at 10 minute intervals) 3. bleeding 4. thick discharge When any of these happens, you should make your way to the hospital. In my case, I wasn't prepar ...

Many have said that delivery is one of the most painful experiences that they've ever gone through in their entire life. All you mothers-to-be especially would be terrified of the thought of having to push a 3kg baby through their cervix. Not too long ago, I was one of you. My baby is now 7 weeks old - a beautiful bundle of joy. I must admit, I was terrified - absolutely terrified of the delivery process. The thought of needles being injected into my spine during the epidureal process was scary enough - not to mention the episotomy ...

For those of you moms who've never done a C-section, or soon-to-be moms who may need to undergo one, here's what usually happens: 1. your pubic hair will be shaved 2. a drip will be inserted into your arm 3. a tube inserted into your bladder 4. anaesthetic is administered 5. a horizontal cut is made and the amniotic fluid will be drained away. This is done by your gyny. The cut is usually made just above the pubic hairline 6. the baby is lifted out of the womb, sometimes with the help of forceps The total length of time taken for the process from the start of surgery unt ...

Having tried a number of different diaper brands, I've found the following to be the most effective: 1. Drypers pros - super absorbent, 5 wettings cons - paper a little rough
2. Huggies pros - better quality paper, as absorbent as Drypers cons - a little more expensive 3. Pampers pros - very breathable cons - expensive and takes up to about 2 -3 wettings For overnighters, I find Drypers or Huggies to be the best. I use Pampers in the day. By the way, Pampers costs twice as much as the rest! (If anyone kno ...