My Pregnancy Diary: 11th week

I'm on my 11th week now.  I'm  starting to feel some headache and dizziness at times which I've never experience before.   I'm still not gaining weight which I read is normal for some pregnant woman on their first trimester , but I really want to gain weight for my baby.  I'm still not showing but I already have a little bump that seems to get bigger after every meal which I find a little weird .   I always feel bad whenever people ask me if I'm really pregnant because I still haven't shown yet even people in the subway don't give me a seat since I don't look like pregnant  and end up standing all the way to my destination.   But I don't worry that much because I know that my bump will show after a few weeks.  I also wear dresses now instead of my usual office slacks and jeans because they don't fit me that well anymore, I think I need to go shopping for a new non-maternity clothes but still comfortable enough for my bump to wear.   I still feel nauseted sometimes especially when I smell something I don't like.  I'm going to hve my Check up next week and I'm so excited and I'm going to prepare some questions  to my GP.   

I'm Already 10 weeks Pregnant

I'm on my 10th week now. So far so good. I'm gaining appetite again which I can say is a good news because I used to hate eating in my first few weeks of being pregnant. I even lose weight form 100lbs to 103lbs to 98lbs. I hope I could gain more weight for my baby. I often feel some pain in my lower back which according to most people is normal because of my expanding uterus. I'm now starting to crave for food, like the other day I was craving for an Almond jelly and Panacotta I'm just so blessed because my hubby is always there to support me and he's really very patient of me now that I'm having some mood swing. They said that 10th week is the start of a crazy emotional changes, I'm not yet sure about.... but I'm starting to feel wasted and lazy maybe it's because of my high body temperature that make me feel irritated easily. And of course the never ending peeing, I sometimes cry myself because I could sleep continuously because I have to pee. I'm still nauseated at times but unlike before I only feel like vomiting when I smell something I don't like.
I still haven't shown yet, only people close to me notice the small bump I have, there are also times that I don't feel like I'm pregnant. Just like the other day, on our way to my office, I told my hubby that I don't feel like I'm pregnant that day but after a few minutes I felt something in my tummy that make me want to puke, it funny it's like my baby was trying to tell me that he is somewhere inside me and I don't have to worry about him of her.

Pregnant women with Diabetes should Monitor their Weight

It is important for pregnant women with diabetes to monitor their weight.
I just got a message from a diabetic friend that she's pregnant, so i did my research and send her this:

You should monitor your weight and food intake.

Drastic increase in weight approximately 6.5 pounds per month contributes to insulin resistance' while weight gain of only half a pound per week (or less than 2 pounds per month ) is a sign that you and your baby are not receiving sufficient nourishment.

you should receive a total of40% to 50% of your daily caloric count from carbohydrates make sure these are spread throughout the day. Low carb intake may result in hypoglycemia, while too much carb intake will elevate your blood sugar levels. Time and plan your day's first and last meals no more than 10 hours apart to avoid low blood sugar.

Choose food rich in complex carbs such as high-fiber breads, oatmeal, whole wheat and brown rice. Avoid refined sugars and sweets as well as instant noodles and processed breakfast cereals.

Protein should compromise 20% to 25% of your daily diet, limiting fat too only 30% (monounsaturated and Omega-3) Limit your sodium intake to less than 1/10 tsp per meal.
Evey pregnant women should watch what they eat, because they are eating for two. But Diabetic women should be more concern about their weight and food consumption.

Simple ways to Beat Stress during Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a time of added stress for both you and your partner. Although it is a special time in your life, it also is a time of physical, social and emotional changes. Some of these changes are due to the hormone increases that occur during a normal pregnancy. These can cause mood swings that interfere with your usual stress management skills, making those little problems seems bigger than they actually are. Because how you cope with stress affects your mental and physical health, keeping stress under control can help you stay healthy during your pregnancy.

Try one or more of the following strategies to help you manage stress in a positive way during your pregnancy:

• Eat a balanced diet = Not eating the right foods or enough food can make your irritable and tired, which may make you more prone to react negatively to the stress in your life. Avoid caffeine and cigarettes.
  
• Exercise regularly = Try to get some physical activity almost everyday, unless your Doctor tells you otherwise. Go for a walk.
  
• Make sure to get plenty of rest = Don't let the demands of everyday life overwhelmed you. Make time to rest, even if you have to schedule it.
  
• Find out what helps you relax = And then do it! Some things that might help you "wind down" could include taking a nap, resting your hand on your belly and feeling your baby move, taking a long warm shower or talking to your baby.
  
• Tune up = Playing classic or other music that you enjoy can help you relax and concentrate. There are also a number of relaxation tapes that combine nature sounds or soothing music with instructions that either ask you to visualized a specific scene or to teach you to relax specific muscle groups.
• Take some quiet time = Spend some time alone, meditate, read a book or keep a journal. Imagine your stress away = When you are feeling tense find a space where you can sit quietly for 10- 15 minutes.
• Hold that thought= When you have a stressful or negative thought, try these techniques : Stop the thought in mind stream. Actually say to your self "Stop" take a deep breathe and exhale slowly. Mentally take a step back, look at the situation objectively. Ask your self "Is my reaction overblown?" Remember that hormones swings during pregnancy may make things worst than they are. Then ask your self "What's a more constructive way to approach this problem ".
• Control your breathing to relax = Most meditation exercises use breathing techniques to help relax the body and mind. Try these simple relaxation techniques : Find a private spot where you can be quiet for 10-15 minutes. Sit erect , with your hands in your lap or relax at your sides. Close your eyes. Inhale deeply, hold your breathe for 5 seconds and exhale slowly. Sit quietly, concentrate on your breathing. Breathe through you lungs. On every exhale say the word "Calm". With every breathe, feel your mind becoming more still. Don't fight other thoughts or distraction, let them come, let them go. Just concentrate on your breathing. After 10 - 15 minutes, Open your eyes. Remain seated for 2-3 minutes. Resume your normal activity
• Tense, then relax = Progressive relaxation is a popular relaxation techniques that has been used for years. The idea is first to tense, then to relax specific muscle groups in a specific order. Try these techniques, when you begin to feel tense, if possible, find a quiet private place. Sit comfortably in a armchair or lie on the floor. (Do not lie flat on your back during the second half of your pregnancy, as this could decrease the blood supply to your abdomen and the baby) . Loosen any tight clothing. Remove your shoes, close your eyes and breathe normally, For each muscle groups tense the muscle for 6 seconds, then relax period. Repeat 3 times before going to the next group of muscle. These are sequence: Feet, calves, thighs , buttock, shoulders, hands, forehead and jaw (make a face, stick out your tongue) Reverse the sequence.
  
• Don't do it alone = Let others to help you. (husband, family, friends, neighbor) they can support you physically and emotionally before an d after the baby comes. They care about you and your baby's well being, but may not always know how to help you. Don't be afraid to tell them what you want and need.
  
• Dads get stressed too= Although they do not go through the same changes during pregnancy as mothers to be do, Dads get stressed too. They maybe worried about family finances, changing relationship and many other things. Take time to talk about what's going on. Give each other a hug, Dads also can help in a special way. Your partner can help you stay calm and relax by being aware of the changes you are going through and offering to rub your back or help with the housework, or just making an extra effort to keep the lines of communication often when things get tense.
  

Pregnancy and Hypertension

Image via Wikipedia

Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) is the most common problem likely to happen during your pregnancy. In fact two to three percent pregnant women have Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension).

I have a relative who had Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) during her fourth pregnancy. first name found out on her third prenatal visit.

As she found out, first pregnancy, age older than 35 years, a new sexual partner, a history of pre-eclampsia, and time since your last pregnancy of less than 2 years or more than 10 years make it more likely to have Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension).

Other things that increase the risk of Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) are chronic hypertension, thrombophilia, preexisting diabetes, type 2 and obesity.

Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) might not cause any symptoms. However, it can cause visual disturbances like scintillations (flashes of light) and stomata (blind spots) - probably from spasm of cerebral arteries, rapidly increasing swelling of the legs and rapid weight gain. Upper abdominal pain might suddenly occur and is usually constant and fairly severe. Headaches are often in the front, throbbing and similar to migraine headaches.

The problem with Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) is that it can cause thrombosis (blood clots), hemorrhage (bleeding) and even death of the mother. In fact, from 1991 to 1999 over 15% of the deaths of women during pregnancy were caused by Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension).

There are three types of Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension): Chronic Hypertension, Preeclampsia and Transient hypertension.

Chronic Hypertension

The majority of the time chronic hypertension has no other cause. However, it can be caused by kidney disease like poly cystic kidneys, glomerular or interstitial disease, too much parathyroid hormone or even using oral contraceptives.

Pre-eclampsia

Nobody knows for sure what causes pre-eclampsia. One thing that we know is that it is caused by a problem with the inside lining of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to spasm. When the arteries get smaller, the blood pressure increases. The damage also causes the blood vessels to leak causing swelling. It can cause problems with the brain, lungs and kidneys. These changes also can cause lower blood flow to the growing baby.

Transient hypertension

The elevated blood pressure called transient hypertension just happens late in pregnancy. Then after delivery, the blood pressure goes back to normal. But, it probably increases your chances of getting high blood pressure later in life.

Pre-Eclampsia (Pregnancy induced hypertension) is one of the major reasons that you should keep your regular appointments with your family doctor.

Want to get Pregnant Naturally?

One of the biggest news today is the birth of the octuplet,'s, from a mom named Nadya Suleman from California. Many wonder how they do it? It's unbelievable. Many couples can make a baby like almost every year but others couples can't. Here are tips to get pregnant naturally. maybe this tips can help couples who want's to have a baby even if its just one baby.

• Make love often during your fertile period (the five days loading up to ovulation). Keep in mind that baby making is a numbers game. Even if you do everything right you still have only 20 t0 30 percent chance of conceiving in any given cycle. If you got the stamina to make love at least every 48 hours, you will ensure that there's are fresh shipment of sperm waiting in the falopian tube at any given time.

• Don't hop up and run to the bathroom right after you make love lying down for at least five minutes after intercourse increases the odds that the sperm will be able to meet up awaiting egg to the all important event of fertilization.

• If you haven't stopped smoking do it now. Studies have shown that smoking just 10 cigarettes a day reduces woman's chances of conceiving by 50 percent.

• Ease up on coffee switch to decaf or give it up (sorry Starbucks) altogether. Caffeine is thought to restrict the growth of a developing baby by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the uterus. Another studies shown that excessive consumption of caffeine ( means more than 3 cups per day) mat contribute to fertility problems.

• Does your partner like to spend hours on the exercise bike at the gym? Tell him to do the treadmill instead. Some studies revealed that men who cycle more than 100 km per week put their fertility at risk. The repeated banging of the groin against the bicycle seat can damage critical arteries and nerves.

• Don't go on a crash diet, or starvation diets cause it can also affect your ovulation and fertility.

If you have tried all these but still having difficulties conceiving, don't be despair. Consult with your doctor and remember that you still have a lot of options to be consider.

Brain food for your unborn babies

Parenting starts at the womb. The first trimester of pregnancy is a critical period in the development of the unborn child's brain. Expectant moms should be extra cautious during this period because this is when the brain starts to develop. Yet many would- be moms are often clueless on what to eat to help ensure that their babies would not develop any brain defects. Studies show that most pregnant women are not aware of the importance of folate or folic acid in their daily diet. The B-vitamin, commonly found in green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, and asparagus, among other sources, was found to reduce baby's risk of developing defects of the neural tube, an embryonic structure that gives rise to the brain and spinal cord.

Folate deficiency puts the unborn baby at risk of developing the common types of neural tube defects such as spina bifida that usually results in physical disability, or anencephaly, wherein the brain cavity fails to form properly and could prove fatal to the child. Moderate to severe deficiencies of folate may result in enlarged red blood cells, which could lead to low birth weight of the baby. Around 400 to 600 micrograms a day of folate are needed to reduce the risk of neural tube defects up to 80%. To get such amount, pregnant women should eat about 1 cup of cabbage or a lot of kidney beans or tofu everyday. The best alternative, milk formula for pregnant women. It's a good source of folate, and a convenient one.