My Touch Of Heaven

Nobody enjoys back pains…
Back pains for expecting women are to be expected through some stages of pregnancy. An estimated two of every three pregnant women will experience pelvic and back pains by the 36th week. As the baby grows and becomes heavier, more pressure is put on the back to support the mothers growing abdomen. The babys position in the womb can also contribute to back pain. There are even more factors that may bring on back pain in expecting mothers. Stress and over exertion can also be major factors, besides being unhealthy for the baby. While most back pain resolves itself several months after delivery, some back pain can be prevented altogether.

Take it Easy

Enjoy breaks and get plenty of rest. This doesn’t mean that you have to become a couch potato, but you should take more time to rest and relax. Put your feet up, grab a cup of your favorite decaffeinated soothing drink and take it easy. Try to lie down once in a while and, if at all possible, try to minimize activities that put stress on your back. While at work, do not sit for extended periods of time and when you are sitting, a great idea is to place a pillow behind the small of your back.

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Are you suffering the affects of morning sickness. It seems so unfair that at a time of great joy and excitement women are plagued with nausea, vomiting and food aversions. Don’t lose hope though, there are lots of practical things you can do with you diet that have a track record of helping women who are suffering from morning sickness

• Odour plays a major role in morning sickness. Cold food tends to smell less so you might find cold foods easier to tolerate than hot food.

• Research has proven that blood sugar has an impact on morning sickness. By keeping your blood sugar stable you are less likely to suffer from nausea and vomiting. Having a good sized portion of protein at each meal will help to maintain your blood sugar levels. Having a protein snack before you go to bed and if you wake during the night will alleviate sickness on waking

• Foods that make your blood sugar rise and fall quickly are most likely to trigger nausea and vomiting. Foods that are high in sugar will have the biggest effect, so try and limit fruit juice, sugary snacks and highly refined foods such as cereals and any food that contains white flour.

• Eat small meals frequently with lots of protein

• It might seem that your meals are not very balanced. If you are able to keep it down, then don’t worry too much. You can go back to a more balanced diet once the sickness disappears.

• 2o minutes before getting up have a snack that you put next to the bed the night before (this might be tricky if you need the loo on waking!)

• It is harder to digest fatty food and it will help to avoid these foods. Other trigger foods include, rich, spicy, acidic and fried foods

• Don’t let yourself become dehydrated. Try to drink little and often. Large amounts of fluids gushing into your stomach will only increase your feelings of nausea. Soups, cool drinks or herbal tea will all help you do not have to limit yourself to water. If you are going to be sick it is much better to have some fluid in your stomach. If you are vomiting frequently try to sip an isotonic sports drink as it will restore your blood sugar, glucose and electrolyte balance ( if it is excessive do contact your health care provider)

• If you are taking prenatal vitamin, your system will handle it much better later in the day and even at bed time than it will in the earlier part of the day. It is also worth using one, just for a few weeks with less iron, which can be particularly harsh on your digestive system. Please do not reduce your iron supplementation if you suspect or have been confirmed to be anaemic.

• Ginger can be really helpful to ease morning sickness. It can be chewed or used in tea. Some women find other products such as candied ginger, ginger beer and stem ginger biscuits. • Morning sickness can be eased by ginger. It comes in many varieties so it is worth trying a few. The most common forms are ginger tea, candied ginger, ginger beer and stem ginger biscuits.

• As obvious at it might seem avoid any food (or situation) that you find triggers your nausea

• Brewer’s yeast has be known to help pregnant ladies with morning sickness

• Research suggests that vitamin B6 helps to reduce morning sickness. You will find vitamin B6 in grains, cereals, legumes, eggs, fish, nuts and avocados.

• Suck or sniff a lemon when you hit a wave of nausea

• Mint based products have a calming effect on the digestive system. Try sipping some mint tea. If you have excess saliva then you will find chewing mint gum very helpful.
Finally listen to your instincts. They are there to serve you. Morning sickness is not fully understood but it probably as a protective function. If a certain food or smell makes you feel sick then avoid it. If you are driven to eat a particular food then go for it. Try to be as balanced as possible but do not get hung up about it. You will soon feel better and then you can restore the balance in your diet. If you vomit everything you consume you need to speak to your healthcare provider.

There is nothing like a new haircut or hair color, or pedicure and manicure to make you feel like a new woman. Especially when a pregnancy can leave you feeling tired and changing hormones can make you feel not quite yourself. But are these treatments safe for your developing baby? Exposure to certain environmental agents called teratogens during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Experts are divided on how much exposure is too much but at this time there are no proven risks for most salon visits and there are many things you can do to help minimize any potential problems.

Nails

Reducing your exposure to fumes is the most important thing you can do when getting a manicure. Ask your manicurist to do your nails in a well ventilated area and ask her to tightly cap all solvent bottles. Your nail polish should be formaldehyde and toluene free if possible. There is a small risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV or hepatitis being transferred by non-sterile equipment through nicks in the cuticle. When getting acrylic nails, make sure your nail technician is careful about minimizing the skin contact with the liquids used. Be most careful when in the first trimester.
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Pregnancy can be a very difficult time for some women. The side effects of pregnancy do not affect every woman the same way. Some may suffer severe morning sickness, and others many not experience at all. Some women enjoy every moment of their pregnancy, while others can’t wait to be done. Pregnancy is different for every woman. One person may even have a different experience each time they are pregnant.

Another area that causes women problems while being pregnant is acne. Acne can become a problem during pregnancy due to the hormone levels in your body. You may have never had problems with acne before, but you may now. It doesn’t matter when or if you ever had acne before, it can become a problem now. You may only suffer from acne for part of your pregnancy, or you may suffer from it the whole pregnancy. It all depends on each individual how long you suffer, or if you suffer at all. Just because you have problems with acne during your first pregnancy doesn’t mean you will with your next and vise versa.

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