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QUIT SMOKING TODAY!!

There is no evidence that any smoking you have done before you became pregnant will harm the development of a fetus. However smoking while you are pregnant can be extremely hazardous especially after the third month. Smoking during a pregnancy has been associated with over 115,000 miscarriages and approximately 5, 500 infant deaths each year. It may also increase your risks for many different complications during your pregnancy. Some of these complications from pregnant smoking include vaginal bleeding, ectopic pregnancy, abnormal placental implantation, premature placental detachment, premature rupture of the membranes, and premature delivery. Some direct effects of smoking on your baby could be low birth weight, shorter length, smaller head circumference, and a cleft palate or cleft lip. Babies of smoking mothers are especially prone to various respiratory diseases, ear infections, colic, food allergies, asthma, short stature, and behavioral problems including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Some of these problems will stay with the baby throughout their whole lives, and many may end up having a shorter life span due to these problems.

It is estimated that around thirteen percent of pregnant women are engaging in pregnant smoking and putting their health at risk as well as the baby that is developing inside of her womb. There are many people that feel if all pregnant women quit pregnant smoking the infancy mortality rate would increase by around ten percent. Being pregnant also brings a lot of stress so it is hard for a mother who is a smoker quitting when she becomes pregnant, and this is a reason to seek help to rid yourself of the addiction to help protect your health and the health of your baby. Nothing should be more important than having a healthy baby and giving your baby a chance to grow up without having to deal with the problems that your addiction may cause if you cannot give it up. Pregnancy and smoking should never mix and this is something that your doctor will stress to you as well, so talk to the doctor if you are having a hard time quitting and he will be able to get you some assistance and help with quitting during a stressful period of your life.

A pregnant mom has it much harder than a woman being pregnant for the first time since she has to manage her pregnancy as well as her other children she may have. This becomes increasingly more difficult as the pregnancy goes on for the pregnant mom since fatigue sets in and she cannot be as active as she gets bigger. The younger the child or children you already have can be a factor as well, obviously the younger the child is the more difficult it can be at times, if your current children are a little older they can actually be a great help to any pregnant mom. This is especially nice if you are a mom that already has a child that is in their pre teen or teen years since they can greatly help out with household chores and other things that will become difficult for you to do on your own, especially with a working husband.

Another great asset for any pregnant mom is having a supportive husband that understands what she is going through and can help her with things that she needs and also does not mind running out sometimes to help you satisfy some of the strange cravings that many pregnant women have. You can never underestimate how important a understanding and supportive husband can be to a pregnant mom and he will also have to make sure that he helps to entertain your current children so they do not bother mom all the time and she can get some rest when dad arrives home every day from work. The husband and dad does need to help with all of this and being an understanding and caring husband this will not be an issue, even though he may be tired from a long day at work. Pregnancy will take an even bigger toll on you than your husband so there will be sacrifices on everyone’s parts for nine months.

When you become pregnant, you know that you will most likely gain weight, although hopefully most of it will only be temporary. On the other hand, as your pregnant belly grows, the skin is stretching out rather far, and often unsightly stretch marks can ensue. These marks are a result of the skin tearing, producing reddish or purple colored lines. In time, the lines may turn a white hue or a silvery tone, but in most cases stretch marks are permanent. The best way to avoid them is to apply a lotion or cream rich in vitamins E and A to your pregnant belly as soon as your tummy begins to grow. Supplying the skin with moisture can help to prevent it from tearing.

It’s best to moisturize your pregnant belly once in the morning, once during the afternoon, and then before bed time so you ensure that your skin is staying moisturized.

While you may not be able to prevent your pregnant belly from getting stretch marks 100%, at least you can try to ward them off as much as possible. Once you get these annoying stretch marks, it can be nearly impossible to remove them completely. There are several products on the market that claim to make them less visible, but none are effective at actually removing them.

Dermatologists have come up with some modern laser treatments that can help to remove the marks or at least make them a lot less noticeable. There are also more drastic procedures like a tummy tuck as well. Stretch marks can also form on other areas of the body during pregnancy such as the breasts, upper arms, or thighs, but the stomach tends to be the most prevalent area since this is where the skin is really stretched to its limit.

When you think of new mothers, one of the first things that usually comes to mind is an image of their pregnant bellies. This has long been a symbol of life, love, and fertility. In fact, pregnant bellies have become so well loved that there are a great deal of websites devoted to various photographs of them where mothers can contribute pictures of their own. Some women have even taken to advertising for various companies right on their pregnant bellies, and others have found new ways of expressing themselves by getting their bellies painted. No longer is the image of pregnant bellies taboo, but instead it has become proof that life is precious and that a mothers’ love is eternal. There are other ways that companies have started to market pregnant bellies. One is by taking a cast of the mother’s pregnant belly so she will have a keepsake to remember always before the baby is born.

We all know that babies can weight a lot, and many times those pregnant bellies are not so comfortable. Many companies have now designed realistic life-like “sympathy suits” for father to wear while the mother is pregnant. These are designed to look just like their pregnant bellies, and make the father understand just how uncomfortable it can be! This is actually a rather successful way to help make the dad of the house realize that mom is a little uncomfortable during this time. Many women are self conscious about their pregnant bellies, so good maternity clothing can help them conceal it and make them feel a little more self confident. It is important that all new mothers realize that their pregnant bellies are important and beautiful, and that they are carrying their new little ones for nine months so they should be proud of them.

Once you find out you are pregnant, everything changes. You no longer feel like it is ok to binge on junk food, and even that occasional alcoholic drink is suddenly a thing of the past. While there are a lot of things you will need to eliminate from your diet when you’re pregnant, there are also a lot of things you’ll want to add when it comes to food and nutrition. First and foremost, a good prenatal vitamin is essential to a healthy pregnancy. You can find these vitamins at just about any drugstore over the counter. They usually have a higher concentration of folic acid in them. This is because folic acid has been known to help prevent certain birth defects in babies. Increasing your folic acid is always a good idea while pregnant. A diet rich in vitamins will not only help keep your energy levels up, it will also help to nourish the unborn baby. Diets rich in fruits and veggies are essential.

Of course, other essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and iron are also important when you are pregnant. It’s best to get all of these nutrients directly from food. One prenatal vitamin per day should be enough in the way of supplements. Everything else should come from the natural source. Foods like milk, red meat, and whole grains are a great way to get the things you need. Be wary of certain types of fish since some can contain high levels of mercury.

You may want to ask your doctor about which fish to avoid before eating a large amount of it at any given time. Making lists of the foods you need is another great way to ensure you will get all of the things you need for your baby while you are pregnant. These eating habits should carry over for both of you and last a lifetime.

With the technology available to us today there are many great specialty pregnancy websites that can help a women learn and understand all of the changes that she will experience during pregnancy. A majority of the good pregnancy websites will be similar to a good book on pregnancy but can usually offer much more information because there are no limitations on the amount of info that can be on a site, as compared to a book that can only be so long. These pregnancy websites can give you valuable info and many have some very nice little tools such as checklists for the hospital and baby preparation advice.

There is also a lot of other important things that can help you on a good site, such as detailed pictures of changes that will affect your body and what to expect with each week and month as you go along.

Another plus about some of the better pregnancy websites is the fact that most have a good frequently asked questions section that may be able to help find answers for things that may be less frequent in pregnant women. This can be some of the more rare problems that some women have during pregnancy or even questions and answers relating to the baby. All the good pregnancy websites will also have very detailed photos of what the baby looks like as it grows inside your womb, and they will have these listed in order by weeks and months. This is nice so you can see what is going on inside you and they will also help you understand how the whole process of pregnancy works. There are some sites that can even help you make sure you are eating a proper diet along with recipes and other ideas, and they can also provide answers to anything else you are unsure of.

Just like with drawing “X’s” on a calendar, pregnancy tickers are decorative online elements which countdown your pregnancy days until your due date. With many people online, it stands to reason that there are quite a few expectant mommas who are proud to announce their impending bundles of joy. The best way to let friends know is through pregnancy tickers on the Internet.

If you have your own website, blog, or signature line for your favorite websites and chat forums, you can insert pregnancy tickers. These are a great way for your online friends far and wide to keep track of where you are in your pregnancy. It keeps people in touch during this busy time in your life and creates a sense of excitement about the baby too.

There are a number of websites where you can create your own pregnancy tickers. Pregnancy and baby-related websites are the best place to find templates to create your own. Be prepared to enable “cookies” on these websites; otherwise copying the code for your pregnancy tickers to paste them into signature lines or websites will not work properly.

These pregnancy tickers can be found in a variety of templates and designs so you can easily create one that fits your personality. Of course, you will need to decide where it is and is not appropriate to display them. For instance, you do not want to display any pregnancy tickers on official emails to business clients or other professional venues. This information is best suited for personal emails to family and friends as well as blog posts and posts to message boards that do not have to do with professional or business issues.

Before inserting the pregnancy tickers into your signature lines at various forums, check the rules and make sure that you are allowed to do so. Overall, though, pregnancy tickers are a fun way to keep everyone in your life in the loop and share in your happiness about your bundle of joy.

Today it’s easy to learn if you’re pregnant by taking an at-home pregnancy test. These pregnancy tests can be purchased online or in your local pharmacy or drug store. An at-home test is not only easy to use but is found to be 99% accurate, which is the same rate found in urine tests performed in a doctor’s office. A prescription is not necessary to purchase a pregnancy test, making these tests available to everyone. Many women prefer using an at-home pregnancy test because of the privacy it offers.

Pregnancy tests will require you to place a few drops of urine or a stream of urine onto a chemically treated strip. This chemical will determine whether the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) pregnancy hormone is detected. If hCG is detected the strip will react by changing color or revealing a symbol or words informing you that you are pregnant. Following the directions on this test is essential for accuracy. Taking the test earlier than 10 days following conception may lead to a false negative. Some home tests get accurate results earlier than others. The more sensitive, the earlier it can detect a pregnancy. To ensure accurate testing results, a woman should wait between 5 and 10 days after their period is late before taking the pregnancy test.

If you feel the test did not give you accurate results, be sure to see your physician. Pregnancy tests are often performed in the doctor’s office either with a urine test or under special circumstances, a blood test. A blood test was the usual way to determine pregnancy a few years back but now with cost to consider, urine tests are the wiser way to go. With urine at-home tests you can have your results almost immediately and with the same accuracy you’d find in your doctor’s office.

If you think you’re pregnant, most likely you will go to the local drug store and get an over the counter pregnancy test. These tests are designed to give you fast results and help you find out if you are pregnant or not. When conception occurs, an egg is fertilized. This egg produces a hormone called HCG. The hormone can be found in your urine about 6-10 days after ovulation. Today’s modern pregnancy test has something called monoclonal antibodies, which are designed to be able to detect the presence of HCG in urine. When you urinate on the special strip included in the pregnancy test, it activates the antibodies which cause the strip to change colors. Usually the process takes about two to five minutes to be complete. Those few minutes can be grueling, but well worth the wait to get a determination of pregnancy.

When you buy a pregnancy test, be sure to read all of the included instructions thoroughly, as all tests are not alike. It is important to pay special attention to the testing time as well, since this can be the difference between an accurate and an inaccurate reading. The first morning urine is usually the best to use because the urine is concentrated. This typically provides the most accurate results. If you decide to take a pregnancy test during the day or in the evening, try not to drink too much close before it, or else you may dilute your urine and get results that are not as clear or accurate. A home pregnancy test is a good way to find out if you are pregnant or not, but a follow up test from your doctors is really the best way to find out whether or not you are in fact 100% certain you are pregnant.

If you are pregnant, you know that your body is going through a tremendous change as you prepare to bring a new life into the world. With this excitement also comes a large list of pregnancy symptoms that you might experience. While not all women feel or get all symptoms, all women will at least have to deal with a few of them during their pregnancy. Most of the hardest hitting pregnancy symptoms occur during the first trimester. Breast tenderness and swelling is very common, as well as morning sickness and even a heightened sense of smell. Mood swings usually occur and you may experience crying spells or even feel depressed, but in most cases this is fairly short lived. Headaches and fatigue are pregnancy symptoms that you will most likely feel throughout the entire pregnancy. Back pain usually does not come until later on, closer to the third trimester, when the baby is growing and getting heavier, although some women do have back pain early on.

Some other common pregnancy symptoms include increased urination and higher blood sugar. Constipation and dizziness are also some of the other symptoms. While there are more serious symptoms that can happen during pregnancy, these are the most common and most can be treated by getting plenty of rest, drinking plenty of water, and trying to stay as comfortable as possible. It can be a difficult time in a woman’s life when she is pregnant, but once the baby arrives it is all worth the while. In the meantime, it’s imperative that you take proper care of yourself and visit your doctor regularly. Be sure to tell him or her of any problems you encounter or anything unusual during your pregnancy. Over all, pregnancy symptoms are just part of the miracle of having a child and most will subside once the baby is born.