Pre Pregnancy Planning or Pre Conception Care

If you are planning to have a baby then it is recommended to be well informed and prepared to provide the best care for your baby and yourself. Scientific evidence and commonsense tell us that a healthy body is the best suitable environment for the fetus conceiving and carrying it to term. In this article you will find out what a woman should plan before the pregnancy and what she should avoid.

Nutritional Diet

It is important to have a well balanced nutritional diet. A woman should eat right food to achieve the ideal weight before the conception. Always eat freshly prepared or freshly cooked food. The food must be high in fiber, and low in fat. This determines the good health of a woman. During pregnancy the metabolism of intestinal tract slows down due to the hormones, which results in the constipation. Eating fiber enrich foods will eliminate such problems.

The example of fiber enrich foods are leeks, Brown rice, garden peas, apple and raspberries. If you love to eat pasta then semolina pasta with the whole wheat pasta could be appropriate. You can use white bread as the substitute for the whole wheat. Also, you can sprinkle bran on the yogurt.

You must avoid following things

• ·         Unpasteurized milk or juice.
• ·         Soft cheese like Brie and feta.
• ·         Unheated hotdogs and deli meats.
• ·         Smoked, refrigerated seafood.
• ·         Undercooked seafood, meat or poultry.

Folic Acid

It’s a water soluble B-complex vitamin, which is very important for the women who are trying to conceive. Folic acid prevents the chances of any abnormalities in an unborn baby. According to the FDA, 400 mcg of the daily value of folic acid must contain in your diet. The women who have family history of anti-epileptic medication or diabetes must take 5mg folic acid supplement daily for at least one month before the pregnancy.

Corn, peas, winter squash, cabbage, raw celery, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, romaine lettuce, spinach, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, grapefruit, papaya, strawberries, black berries, raspberries, and orange have folic acid. Other sources of folic acid include peanut butter, peanuts, tofu, lentils, and kidney beans.

Exercise

Regular, sensible and non-contact exercise is recommended to achieve the right BMI for the pre-pregnancy preparation.

·         Aqua aerobics or swimming

·         Walking

·         Cycling

·         Yoga, stretching or Pilates

·         Light strength training

These are some of the recommended exercise for the women who are planning for pregnancy. Also, it is advocated to stay well hydrated before, during and after the exercise regime.

Avoid stressful and high-level exercise, which leads to overheated body 

Smoking, Alcohol and Other Drugs

Say NO to all these things. Quit drinking and smoking three months before conception. Moreover, avoid exposure to the passive smoking. Also, consult your doctors for the over-the-counter drugs and stop recreational drugs.  For instance, some drug contains the caffeine, which is harmful for the conception and fetus development. Your doctor will advise counter drugs for such medications.

You must reduce the caffeine intake, or you can completely avoid it. Caffeine can reduce the amount of required fluid in the body. This may lead to the dehydration in a woman. Avoid or limit the intake of tea, chocolate, cocoa, energy drinks and soft drinks.

Genetic Counseling and Blood Group

To avoid any chance of genetic disorder, a couple must present past obstetric history and a family history to the doctor to conclude the risks. Thalassaemia, Tay-Sachs disorder, hemophilia and cystic fibrosis are some of the genetic disorders.

 Also, blood groups of a couple must be known to avoid Rhesus factor. If any of the sex partners have a negative blood group and other one has a positive blood group then they require careful attention before and during the pregnancy. 

Infertility in Men and Women

Infertility is the inability to conceive after a period of 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. Generally, infertility is categorized into sub-fertility and sterility.  Sub-fertility is considered to be the situation in which the couples face problems of achieving conception. Whereas, sterility is the extreme case in which conception can never occur. About 1 in 10 couples suffer from infertility problems. This incidence increases with the age. If a couple is unable to attain pregnancy after the 12 months of unprotected sex then they must consult a doctor.

In this article, you will find the common reasons that induce infertility and the test that is done to identify the reason of infertility. There are three basic features that are necessary to attain pregnancy.

1. The right and healthy number of sperm must be place at the right time.
2. The woman must be ovulating healthy eggs (ova).
3. The fallopian tubes of woman must be patent. Furthermore, the pelvis of a woman should be healthy to allow fertilization and implantation after the fusion of egg and sperm.

Causes of Infertility

• Structural problem or blockage of the tract such as, blockage in fallopian tubes of female. This structural or blockage problem could be acquired due to the infections or congenital.
• Faulty sperm or egg. This is possible in both male and female due to the past infection or usage of anabolic drugs. The drugs used for cancer treatment also causes infertility problems.
• Stress, anxiety or any other psychological factors may induce this problem.
• Timing of intercourse and problem during intercourse is one of the reasons that lead to the infertility.

The first thing your doctor will advise you to try unprotected sexual intercourse for few months during the ovulation. Understanding of the menstrual cycle and ovulation time helps to conclude the maximum chance of pregnancy. You can get the detail information of menstrual cycle and ovulation in my other article about understanding your menstrual cycle to avoid or attain pregnancy. Even after the above recommendation, the problem of infertility persists then your doctor will run sperm test on male and ovulation tests on female.

The Sperm Test

The male will be asked to provide the sperm sample. This must be done by the masturbation after 3 days of abstinence from sex.  This fluid is placed in a clean bottle, and kept warm. It is examined under the microscope to determine, if the problem of infertility is due to the sperm.

Normal values of a sperm concentration in more than 3mL of sperm are 20 million per milliliter. Also, sperm must be in 60% normal forms and motility.

Ovulation Tests

In this test your doctor may require the history of any past infection and complete report of menstrual cycle. On 21^th day of menstrual cycle, a test will be run to test the level of hormones to determine if the ovulation is occurring or not. Sometimes, the ovum or ova is also tested to determine whether they are healthy enough to fuse with sperm or not. Also, the female body is checked for her cervical mucus and the temperature of the body.

Other Special Tests

If above tests results are positive and normal then the x-ray, MRI or Sonography is done on the fallopian tube and uterus of the female to determine any other causes of infertility.

These tests help to determine the real reason of infertility. The chances of eliminating infertility problems in a couple having sub fertility are 60%. Development in the field of medical science is ensuring more chances and opportunity to become a parent.

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle To Avoid or Attain Pregnancy

Often, teenage girls have a doubt regarding the menstrual cycle. Proper knowledge of menstrual cycle is required to avoid unexpected pregnancy risks. Also, it is rightful act to have a proper understanding of a body function to avoid any health risks or confusion.

When the topic of menstrual cycle arises, the very first thing that comes in mind of many people is ‘periods’. This period is a part of the menstruation cycle. It is regulated by the hormones of the body. The menstrual cycle begins during the teenage years (14-15 years) and continues until the menopause. The purpose of this cycle is to prepare the female body for the reproduction.

Normal Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle can vary from woman to woman, for some woman the normal menstrual cycle lasts for 21 days and for others it may take 35 days to complete. The average menstrual cycle takes around 28 days. The ‘period’, a part of menstrual cycle lasts from 1 to 8 days, with the average of around 4-5 days for all women.  It means that the time of ovulation varies, but the average day of ovulation is considered to be on the 14^th day of the cycle.

A picture attached with the article will help to understand to get the insight of complete time period of menstrual cycle and ovulation day.

Causes of Irregularity of the periods

As, the menstrual cycle vary in a woman from time to time. This could result in the delay, or irregularity of the periods. The main causes of the irregularity of periods are illness, emotional stress, travel, change in body weight and use of medicines.

Sometimes irregularity of the menstrual periods induces the vaginal infection. Also, this could become the cause of infertility in women. It is recommended that, if a woman is facing irregularities than she must consult a doctor to understand the causes.

Problems Associated with the Menstrual Cycle

Many women experience period pain, premenstrual tension with the heavy periods (more bleeding than usual). These problems arise due to many reasons. If some problems persist than one must consult a doctor.

Pregnancy and Ovulation

A woman is most likely to get pregnant during the 8^th and 18^th day, which depends on when the ovulation occurs, and how long the male sperm stays active in uterus. According to the experts, the change in the vaginal mucus from jelly to watery fluid represents the ovulations. Intercourse during these days (Approx 2-3 days after this change) is considered to be the most likely days to cause pregnancy.  

If a couple is experiencing infertility problem than the first thing they must do is to conclude the ovulation day, for more chances of pregnancy. Those who want to avoid pregnancy, they should never try intercourse during this time.

Home Remedies To Cure Acne

How to Cure Acne With Home Remedies?

Acne is one of the most common skin diseases among the teenagers. Acne is the general term used for pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, etc. Acne occurs due to some hormonal changes in the body. Mostly, acne can form on the face, neck, back and shoulders. Acne is not a life threatening disease but can cause adverse psychological impact on teenagers.

From the decades lots of home remedies, Homeopathic and allopathic medicines are used to cure it but still human race once or twice gets encounter with acne problems. Peoples with the oily skin are more often to get this skin problem.

Many of us have heard of home remedies for simple acne, here are some.

Toothpaste: 

This is the most common and popular method to treat acne in overnight. Still, many people don’t know the exact procedure to use the toothpaste to treat acne.

Procedure:

a)      Wash your face gently and pat it dry with a soft towel.

b)      Take a coin size of toothpaste on your finger and apply it on the acne.

c)       Let it stay on the acne overnight.

d)      Next morning, washit off with lukewarm water.

Applied acne will absorb excess of oil from the acne. A result of this procedure varies from a person to a person, you cannot expect that your acne will disappear overnight but this procedure will definitely reduce its size. For the people who have dry skin, they should wash out the applied toothpaste right after it gets dry.

Honey and Cinnamon:

Honey and cinnamon have antibacterial properties in itself. It can help you to reduce acne quickly.

Procedure:

a)      Take a table spoon of the raw honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Mix it and apply it on the acne, or you can use the mixture as a face mask.

b)      Leave it on the acne for about an hour and wash off.

Paste of honey and cinnamon can be very effective for acne scar removal. You will see that the redness of the acne will go down instantly.

Sandalwood Powder:

Sandalwood has natural antiseptic, anti-disinfectant and anti-inflammatory properties it can heal the acne and also prevents from acne scars.

Procedure:

a)      Make a thick paste of sandalwood powder, gram powder and some rosewater.

b)      Apply this paste as a face mask on your face and leave it overnight.

c)        Wash it off on the next morning with lukewarm water.

In the next morning, you will see the size of acne has gone down. You can use this paste for your better skin too.

How to prevent acne problems?

Prevention is always better than cure. So to stay away from acne one   should do following things.

• Keep your skin clean
• Try to avoid sun and pollution
• Keep your diet healthy
• Rinse your face whenever you get chance.

Contraceptive Methods to Avoid Unexpected Pregnancy and Diseases

An unwanted pregnancy can create many problems. Contraceptive method is really important for women who are sexually active, as well as those who have a steady monogamous relationship. Contraceptive methods have been practiced for several of years. Today, a number of effective birth control methods are available that works in different ways and have different type of pros and cons. To understand what contraceptive method is best for you, first you should understand how it works and what are the pros and cons of each.

Contraceptive methods

There are different types of contraceptive method such as:

• Oral contraceptive pills or birth controlling pills

The birth control pills are most commonly used contraceptive method among women’s. Most oral contraceptive pills consist of two types of synthetic hormones- progestin and estrogen, these hormones prevents ovulation from ovaries. This contraceptive method is more effective if a woman takes a pill daily at the same time each day for 21 days of cycle.

Possible Side effects:

Nausea, Headaches, Breast tenderness, depression, weight gain, bloating, acne and increased blood pressure.

• Barrier contraceptive method- Condoms

This contraceptive method is also the most popular and commonly used method. It stops the sperms from entering into the uterus and prevents pregnancy. This contraceptive method can be 99% effective if it is used with vaginal spermicide.

Male condom is a flexible and thin tube made up of latex rubber or polyurethane. Male condom is rolled over the erect penis before the intercourse. It is risk free contraceptive method, which reduces chances of pregnancy and STDs, including HIV/AIDS.

Female condom is a soft tube made up of polyurethane. It has O-rings on both the ends. It is worn inside the vagina.

Possible Side effects

Some women’s are allergic to latex.

• Emergency Contraceptive method- Morning after pill

Is there is an unprotected sex or a failure in a contraceptive method during sexual intercourse, then morning after pill or emergency contraceptive method is must used to avoid unwanted pregnancy. It inhibits fertilization or implantation and stops pregnancy. These pills can be taken up to 72-120 hours after the unprotected sexual intercourse.

Possible Side effects

-Bloating, Discomfort, Breast tenderness and Lower back pain.

• Depo-Provera Hormonal Contraceptive Injection.

Hormonal Injection works in similar way like birth control pills. In this contraceptive method a Synthetic Progesterone hormone is injected in the female body, which stops ovulation from ovaries. It prevents pregnancy for three months, or for 13 weeks.

Possible Side-effect:

-Irregular menstrual periods, weight gain, headaches, depression and possible bone mineral loss.

• Hormone contraceptive patch (Ortho-Evra)

The patch of hormones called estrogen and progestin are worn on the skin. These hormones are absorbed through the skin to the bloodstream and prevent ovulation. This contraceptive method is 99% effective, if it is used correctly. It is important that first you consult a doctor if patch is right for you or not.

Possible side-effects

-Blood clots, irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, nausea, skin irritation and cramps.

• Sterilization contraceptive method

It is a permanent birth control method for both male and female. Sterilization for male is called vasectomy and for female it’s called tubal ligation. This is a surgical procedure in which vas deferens (the tube that carries sperm from scrotum to penis) of male and the fallopian tubes (the tube leading from ovaries to uterus) in female are cut, clamped and tied. This sterilization contraceptive method is most effective and reliable for all those couple who don’t wish to have a child anymore.

• Intrauterine device(IUDs)

These devices are inserted into the uterus by a medical practitioner and can be left for a week. IUD is a T shaped plastic or copper and plastic devices which contains leveonorgestrel hormone, it stops sperm and egg to fertilize.

Possible side effects:

-Abnormal bleeding, abdominal pain, pain during sexual intercourse, chills and fever.

• Diaphragm

Diaphragm is dome-shaped device with flexible rim. It is made up of rubber and silicon and can be reused. It is use with spermicide. It prevents sperm to enter into uterus. It is less effective than other contraceptive methods.

With the right type of contraceptive method, you are planning your own future to have a child according to the desire. In additional, some of contraceptive methods can protect you from sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS.