It?s a common fear among many couples that fertility problems are going to wreak havoc on their marriage and even lead to divorce.  Women in particular seem to harbor the fear that their husbands feel as if they are failing them, and will trade them in for a working model.?  However, it has been proven that many couples are able to address and even overcome their fertility problems to not only keep their marriage together, but to make it even stronger as well.  So how can a couple do this?  How can they be sure that their marriage one of those that not only survives, but that thrives, even through the terribly difficult issue of fertility problems?  Let?s discuss a few pointers here.

 

Communication is Key

 

One of the worse mistakes any couple can make when dealing with fertility problems is to keep their thoughts and feelings bottled up inside.  This can only cause tension and further stress, not only for themselves, but on their marriage as well.  It?s important to keep up with regular communication between the two of you.  And remember, communication means listening as well as talking, so it?s important to listen as much as it is to talk.  Are you really hearing what your spouse is telling you about his or her feelings and expectations?  Are you willing to step up and be there for him or her in the way they really need?

 

Avoid Blame and Anger

 

Remember, your fertility problems are probably not your partner?s fault, and even if it is, there is no reason for blame or anger.  Remember that things happen that are often out of one?s control, and there?s no reason to allow resentment to build.  Additionally, avoiding blame for fertility problems means not putting unnecessary blame on yourself either.  Even if you are the one who has physical limitations that are causing issues with conception, again, there is no need for unnecessary anger or resentment.  Many people are born with physical issues they need to have addressed and that perhaps interfere with their marriage; this is part of the world we live in today.

 

Appreciate the Good

 

Your fertility problems do not need to define you or your marriage.  Chances are there are many, many positive things in your life and your relationship overall that you can still appreciate and enjoy individually and as a couple.  Make time for activities that you can do together, and be sure that you don?t talk about your fertility issues during this time.  Remember that there are probably many things in your life that you can still enjoy while working on addressing your fertility problems. 

 

If you do all these things, you?re sure to find that your marriage will be one that survives even the roughest patches.  However, don?t assume that these things will just take care of themselves.  Make a point to apply these principles, and speak to your spouse about them as well.

UNIFEM Report Calls For Increased Accountability To Improve Maternal Health, Curb Discrimination Worldwide
A report released Thursday by the U.N. Development Fund for Women said that increased measures to ensure government accountability are necessary in order to meet the existing commitments to end widespread discrimination against women, the AP/Boston Globe reports.

ORLive Presents: Prenatal Heart Diagnosis Case Discussions Of Options And Treatments
At the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, pregnancy involves caring for two patients — mother and baby. In high-risk cases where the baby has a birth defect, the mother may need specialized adult care while the fetus requires a pediatric focus.

‘Redesigned Hammer’ That Forged Evolution Of Pregnancy In Mammals Discovered By Scientists
Yale researchers have shown that the origin and evolution of the placenta and uterus in mammals is associated with evolutionary changes in a single regulatory protein, according to a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Many past studies have shown that genes are regulated and altered by changes within their own structures.

Exercise During Pregnancy

For some women the thought of exercise during pregnancy is as appealing as a root canal without novacane. In their minds they have a nine month pass to keeping up with their gym routine. The first three months they are battling morning sickness and exhaustion. The next three months they are beginning to show. The last three months are so uncomfortable that walking ten feet to the bathroom is pure torture, so there is no way they will be able to walk on a treadmill for ten minutes.

On the other side of the coin, there are some women who do not let something as little as creating a life stand in their way of exercise. These are the women we might see actually teaching a class at the gym, or speed walking throughout our neighborhood with their protruding bellies.

Most of us however fall somewhere in the middle and that is just how their doctors like it. Exercise comes highly recommended when pregnant. Not only does it help control weight gain, but some women swear it helps with delivery also. There are some things to keep in mind in order to protect yourself and your growing little one.

For starters you need to keep an eye on your heart rate as you are working out. Letting your heart rate rise to high could be dangerous to your little one especially in your first trimester. You want to maintain a steady heart rate and should do the talk test throughout your workout to make sure you are at a safe level. The talk test is when you talk during your workout. If you are having a hard time talking and wind up huffy and puffing more than getting out actual words, then you are working too hard and need to take it down. Most doctors recommend that you work at a pace where talking is challenging but still doable.

Pregnancy is not the time to try out new exercise routines. This means that you should not try the new spinning class that your gym offers. Stick with the routine you have already been doing and that your body is use to. You may find that you have to make some modifications to some of your exercises as your pregnancy progresses. If you are a runner, a modified low impact jog through out your first trimester is fine but once you enter your second trimester and begin to show, your jog has to be brought down to a walk. For those of you who love sit ups, crunches and floor pushups, you can continue to do these up until you hit about 14 weeks or so. After that time period no floor exercises are recommending.

If you do not have any sort of exercise routine in place before you get pregnant, this still does not give you a free pass. Almost every doctor will tell you that walking is a great exercise for any pregnant women who are not high risk. Walking at least thirty minutes, three times a week is a safe way for a pregnant woman to stay active.

Walking is something you can do through out all three trimesters though you might find yourself moving at a slower pace by your third trimester. Another great plus to walking, especially as you approach your due date, is that walking can actually bring on labor. Many doctors will advise their patients to walk, walk and walk some more in the weeks leading up to their due dates to get things rolling. Some women who have walked throughout their entire pregnancy have an easier delivery and recovery period.

The days of pregnant women kicking their feet up and not moving from the couch for nine months are days of the past. While strenuous exercise is a no no pregnancy is no longer a good excuse to stop moving.

Women’s Preferences For Management Options For First Trimester Miscarriage
In the absence of clear evidence of clinical superiority from randomised controlled trials, the decision about which management option to offer women with a diagnosed first trimester miscarriage should be informed by evidence on cost-effectiveness and women’s preferences. To elicit women’s preferences for attributes of alternative management options for first trimester miscarriage. A recent study led by Dr.

ORLive Presents: Prenatal Heart Diagnosis Case Discussions Of Options And Treatments
At the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, pregnancy involves caring for two patients — mother and baby. In high-risk cases where the baby has a birth defect, the mother may need specialized adult care while the fetus requires a pediatric focus.

Recurrent Miscarriage Risk Higher For Obese Women
UK scientists studying women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage found that the risk of a further miscarriage for obese women was significantly higher than that of normal weight women. They recommended counselling should be given to pregnant women who are obese to help them understand the benefit that weight loss may have on pregnancy outcome, but other experts urge caution because there are also risks associated with losing weight during pregnancy.

Eating Well While Dealing With Morning Sickness

There are a few women out there in this world who sail through their pregnancy without so much of glimpse of queasiness. The rest of us have no such luck. Chances are you are the type of women who the mere smell of what use to be your favorite food sends you running to the nearest toilet. The mere sight of steak can send you heaving and just thinking about eating that salad turns you greener than the romaine lettuce it contains. You probably curse the silly fool who named it “morning sickness” when all pregnant women know it is more like all day sickness.

There are different degrees of morning sickness. Each woman and each pregnancy is different. I spent the first three months of my first pregnancy over a toilet and unable to look at any sort of vegetable or meat. However I made it through my second pregnancy with only a few spurts to the bathroom and hardly any aversions. The good news is though, this is usually only temporary. Most women start feeling better between their 12th and 14th week of pregnancy. Even better news is that your baby is handling this much better than you are. As hard as it is to eat healthy during this period there are some things you can do to help ease your discomfort.

For starters, eat often. It has been shown that an empty stomach tends to make your morning sickness even worse. This is why so many of us feel so bad when we first wake up. We’ve had nothing in our system which means our stomach acids are going crazy since nothing is there to soak them up. The trick to this is to eat often. Try eating six mini meals a days and make sure you have plenty of snacks. Make sure you eat often in bed. Before you go to bed for the night have a snack that is high in protein and in carbs such as nuts and raisins, yogurt and bread stick or a cheese and crackers. Keep a stash of crackers or ginger cookies by your bed and make sure you have one before you even think about getting out of bed in the morning.

You will always want to eat mainly carbs and protein. Stick with crackers or fruit to give you some comfort during those first few months. Other good snacks are pretzels, saltines and whole grain toast. For fruits stick with melons and bananas. For your protein add a little cheese or some nuts to your snacks or any time you are feeling a little green. Yogurt is also an excellent choice when fighting morning sickness also.

Make sure you drink your water. If you are vomiting it is essential that you stay hydrated. Making sure you stay hydrated is probably more important that making sure you eat those first few months. Becoming dehydrated can cause a problem for you and your little one so make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water or juice through out the day. You can also suck on ice chips or fruit juice popsicles if you are having problems keeping liquids down.

The most important thing to keep in mind those first three months is not to beat yourself up if you can not eat as healthy as you would like to. You will still have plenty of time to make up for it after you get through this storm. Just make smart choices when it comes to what you eat and snack on and that will pave the way for when you can eat as a normal person.

English Healthcare System Failing To Encourage Breast Feeding
The English healthcare system is failing to encourage breast feeding and a national strategy to promote breast feeding is urgently needed, say experts on bmj.com today.

A Child Dies Every 3 Seconds, A Mother Every Minute
In a Comment published early Online (Thursday September 25) and later this week in the print edition of The Lancet, the Prime Ministers of Norway and The Netherlands, and the Presidents Tanzania and The World Bank, discuss the finance issues that surround the attempts to attain the Millennium Development Goals on Maternal and Child Mortality. The publication coincides with a meeting on MDG progression at the UN General Assembly.

Study Links Obesity To Recurrent Miscarriage
New research released at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 7th International Scientific Meeting in Montreal, has found that obesity significantly increases the risk of a subsequent pregnancy loss in women with recurrent miscarriages.

Eating Well For Your Baby

Congratulations, you are pregnant! The next nine months are going to be an exciting time, not just for you but for your growing baby! Think of all the things a baby has to accomplish in only nine (ten) short months. They start as a single cell and then divide at an enormous rate. Their organs develop, the heart forms and starts beating and all five senses form.

Basically your baby goes from a little blob that can’t be seen with the human eye into a seven, eight, nine or even ten pound adorable newborn baby. In order for your baby to develop as healthy as possible, your diet should play a big part. This is because your diet is how your baby is going to receive all the vitamins, minerals, protein and fluids that he or she needs to grow and develop. The best thing you and any other pregnant mother can do for your growing baby is to eat as healthy as you possibly can. Let us look at all the benefits eating well can do for your baby.

First, eating right is going to help your baby’s organ development. Your baby only has a short time to develop vital organs such as their heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Eating a diet that lacks vitamin D or calcium can interfere with your baby’s bone and tooth growth.

Next eating too lightly through out pregnancy might stop your baby from growing as it should in your uterus. You might find yourself measuring behind for where you should be in your pregnancy. Small babies are at a greater risk for healthy problems once they are born. On the other hand, eating to much can cause your baby to grow too big to fast. Babies who are measuring ahead are at a greater risk for delivery complications. Babies who are too big usually can not be delivered vaginally without the assistance of instruments such as forceps or a vacuum. Some women are forced to have a cesarean section because they can not deliver their baby vaginally.

Some research has been done that shows what you eat during pregnancy can affect your baby’s eating habits down the line. Babies can taste and get use to the flavors from food that makes its way into the amniotic fluid. It is quiet possible that your baby will have a preference for certain foods before they even take that first spoonful of solids. By making sure your diet contains a lot of vegetables and fruit can help ensure that your baby will enjoy eating that went he time comes.

Also, as hard to believe as it is, some studies have shown that what you are eating can contribute to your baby’s personality. Research has shown that babies born to mothers who were under-nourished tend to smile less and are drowsier compared to those who at healthy. Also, studies have shown that moms who consumed enough omega-3 acids during their final trimester have babies who showed healthier sleep patterns than other babies.

Lastly, your baby’s brain needs you to eat healthy especially during the last trimester. Unlike the rest of your baby’s organs, the brain has its greatest growth spurt during the third trimester. This is the best time to eat protein, calories and omega-3 fatty acids. These ensure optimum brain development.

There has never been a more important time to eat healthy than pregnancy. Eating healthy while pregnant is the best gift you can give your child to be.

Catholic Hospitals Announce Support For New Federal Rules Offering Conscience Protections For Hospitals And Health Care Providers
Citing the need to be free from religious discrimination, the Alliance of Catholic Health Care today announced its support for proposed federal regulations that would protect hospitals and health care providers from being forced to provide abortions or any other medical services contrary to their ethical or religious beliefs.

Women’s Preferences For Management Options For First Trimester Miscarriage
In the absence of clear evidence of clinical superiority from randomised controlled trials, the decision about which management option to offer women with a diagnosed first trimester miscarriage should be informed by evidence on cost-effectiveness and women’s preferences. To elicit women’s preferences for attributes of alternative management options for first trimester miscarriage. A recent study led by Dr.

Quitting During Pregnancy Aided By Exercise
Exercise could be a useful tool in helping pregnant women to give up smoking, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health. Despite the warnings, 17% of women in the UK and 20% of women in the US still admit to smoking during pregnancy. This often leads to lower birth weight, higher infant mortality, and is linked to learning difficulties, problem behaviour and asthma in childhood. Most attempts to give up smoking unaided end in failure.

Eating Well For You During Your Pregnancy

Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy is the greatest gift you could give your unborn baby, but there are also a lot of rewards in it for you to. It’s common for many moms to be to forget that they also benefit in eating healthy through out their pregnancy. What you eat has a direct effect as to how well your body copes and recovers from all the physical changes it goes through. It also helps with the physical and emotional challenge of carrying and delivering a baby.

The truth is, most pregnant women rarely walk around all nine months with that rosy glow everyone talks about. The first three months some of us walk around a nasty shade of green and in a hazy fog thanks to the tiredness we feel those first three months. The second three months are a little better, and we are no longer green but we deal with other issues such as varicose veins and leg cramps.

The third trimester, we are back to the hazy fog again and have other issues such as swelling and heartburn just to name a few. Some of these can be avoided with a good diet. Eating foods that have some complex carbs can help reduce your tiredness and staying away from fatty foods will help with the heartburn.

Research has shown that pregnant women who eat healthy throughout their pregnancy usually have a safe and uncomplicated pregnancy. Studies have shown that some pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia or high blood pressure can be directly related to deficiencies in a pregnant woman’s diet. High amounts of sugar and polyunsaturated fats increase this risk as well as having a low intake of vitamin c, e and magnesium.

Perhaps for some women one of the biggest benefits of eating healthy during their pregnancy is that it could help you during labor and delivery. A well balanced pregnancy diet has been said to help prevent preterm labor, which is labor before 37 weeks. A good diet can also help you cope with labor and delivery better. Any woman who has given birth knows how much energy it takes to endure hours of contractions and sometimes hours of pushing. Eating healthy will ensure that you have the energy and the stamina to get through your little one’s delivery.

Once you have delivered your little one, it is still important to continue your good habit of healthy eating especially in the postpartum period. Your body needs a lot of resources to recover from all the stretching, blood loss and not mention sleep deprivation and still take care of a newborn. It is just as important in the months following your delivery to continue to eat well. As my doctor put it, it is essential to eat as though you were pregnant for at least three months after delivery.

A final added bonus to eating healthy throughout your pregnancy is that you may never stop eating healthy. This is setting up the groundwork for a lifetime of eating healthy for not only you but for your children. If you continue to eat healthy you are setting a prime example for your children.

GE Healthcare Maternal-Infant Care Services Earns Top MD Buyline Marks For 3rd Straight Quarter
GE Healthcare Maternal-Infant Care is at the top for the third consecutive quarter and is increasing its lead over its competitors in this equipment category, according to the MD Buyline survey for the 2nd quarter of 2008. MD Buyline maintains the largest online database on medical capital and informatics purchasing, discounting, user feedback, and vendor information.

Sequenom Announces Additional, Positive Results For Down Syndrome Test At Analyst Briefing
Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNM), a leading provider of genetic-analysis and molecular diagnostic solutions, announced additional, positive results from screening studies using the Company’s noninvasive circulating cell-free fetal (ccff) nucleic acid SEQureDx? Technology, which enables the detection of fetal aneuploidy, including Down syndrome from maternal blood, at its Analyst Briefing in New York City.

What Impact Does “Fertility Tourism” Have On The NHS?
New research presented at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 7th International Scientific Meeting in Montreal has looked at the impact of higher order multiple pregnancies (triplets or above) within the NHS and the link with fertility treatment received overseas. In the United Kingdom it is recommended that, where possible, only one embryo is transferred per IVF cycle to reduce the incidence of multiple pregnancy.

Eating Well Even After Your Pregnancy

Congratulations and welcome to parenthood. Your body has gone through a lot these past nine months and it still has a while to go before it is back to normal. The next few months are going to give you and your body a whole new set of challenges especially if you are a first time parent. Recovering from childbirth is exhausting and when you throw a new baby who has no concept of time into the mix and you might find your head spinning. Eating well during this time is almost as important as eating well during your pregnancy.

Your body has just been through a traumatic ordeal. If you gave birth vaginally, you mind find yourself recovering from tears and what not. If you gave birth via c-section, you are recovering from major surgery. The first thing most hospitals and doctors like to make sure is that your plumbing and waste systems are working.

Eating high fiber food and drinking lots of water after your delivery will help make that first bowel movement a lot less painful. This can be a little hard for women who delivery via c-section because they are usually on a liquid diet for the first 24 hours. You may find you need a little help from either stool softeners or prune juice to make that first trip a little easier.

Once you are home from the hospital, you are going to need your energy to take care of the baby. Gone are the nights where you were able to get a full 8 hours of sleep. You might not see that again for at least three months, though ask any parent and they will tell you that getting 8 hours of sleep a night will not happen until your kids are grown and married. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on you and it is important that you eat healthy to maintain a decent amount of energy.

The postpartum period is usually where most women find themselves downing countless amounts of coffee or sugary foods to give them a quick fix. This is not healthy because once you come down from that high, you are going to be even more exhausted than you were before hand. Make sure all of your meals are balanced meals and stock up on quick and healthy snacks such as celery sticks, baby carrots and lots of fruit to get you through the day.

Eating healthy can also help you fight the baby blues those first few weeks. Nearly 80% of all women suffer from baby blues. These usually kick in between the 4th and 5th day after delivery and can last for 10 days to 2 weeks. You may find yourself emotional for no reason and you may start to cry for no reason.

Some women report a feeling of sadness that they are no longer pregnant and others report a feeling of helplessness when it comes to dealing with their new baby. The baby blues are caused by your hormone levels going back to normal. By maintaining your healthy habits that you practiced during your pregnancy could help you handle your changing emotions a little better.

Pregnancy is tough and the post partum period is just as tough. Make sure you take the best care of yourself as possible during this time. Eat right and continue to take your prenatal vitamin to make sure your baby is going to get the best care you are capable of.

Senate Passes Bill On Doctors Providing Information On Down Syndrome Tests
Late on Tuesday, the Senate by voice vote passed a bill (S 1810) that would require physicians to provide information and support services to patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions, the

Sequenom Announces Additional, Positive Results For Down Syndrome Test At Analyst Briefing
Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNM), a leading provider of genetic-analysis and molecular diagnostic solutions, announced additional, positive results from screening studies using the Company’s noninvasive circulating cell-free fetal (ccff) nucleic acid SEQureDx? Technology, which enables the detection of fetal aneuploidy, including Down syndrome from maternal blood, at its Analyst Briefing in New York City.

Pregnant Illinois Women Increasingly Choosing Induced Labor
A growing number of pregnant women are opting to have induced labor, according to a 12-year study of women in Illinois. “Almost 25 or 30 percent of women are choosing to have their labor timed and started as opposed to starting spontaneously,” said lead study author Karna Murthy, M.D. He added, however, that “the consequences are not clear.

Eating to Prevent Heartburn

Heartburn does not just affect those who are high stressed or love their spicy foods. Pregnant women suffer from heartburn too. You will find as your pregnancy progresses that antacids tend to become your best friend. Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart.

It is when the acid from your stomach leaks up into the esophagus. Heartburn is very common during pregnancy. In fact one in four women experience heartburn during their pregnancy usually during the third trimester. The reason is that your baby has grown a tremendous amount and your uterus has moved up and is now putting pressure on your stomach. This crowds the digestive tract and allows acids to travel back up the esophagus. There is an old wives tale that if you have bad heartburn, your baby will have a lot of hair. Of course there is no proof in this but it is a fun thing to believe in.

There are ways you can help prevent heartburn during pregnancy. You can start by taking your time while you eat. Not only will you enjoy your food better but your stomach will not have to work as hard to digest your food. You also want to try eating early and eat at least two hours before you go to bed that night so your body has plenty of time to digest your food.

Keep your meals small. Stick with eating six small meals through out the day. Large meals tend to stuff up your stomach which is already extra squashed thanks to your uterus. A stuffed stomach makes it that more likely that some of the food along with stomach acid will make its way back up the esophagus.

Also, make sure you keep your fluids and solids separate. Too much fluid mixed with too much food can distend the stomach which can aggravate heartburn. You also want to eat sitting up. Don’t eat while lying down, and if you are having a bed time snack make sure you are propped up by pillows.

Your weight plays a part in how much heartburn you may experience. The heavier you are, the more pressure you are placing on your esophageal sphincter. This is another reason why you should not gain to much more than the recommended amount.

Find out what foods cause your heartburn. Once you figure out what foods cause heartburn, you can cut them out of your diet. Some foods you might want to steer clear of are highly seasoned spicy foods, soda, tomatoes sauce, chocolate, and some citrus. Greasy foods are also a big contributor to heartburn. Cutting out greasy, fried food is going to help with your heartburn prevention.

When all else fails, take something for your heartburn. Tums and Rolaids are perfectly safe to take during pregnancy. If you are not comfortable taking any over the counter medicines try some natural ways such as eating a handful of almonds. Almonds are a stomach settler and might help with your heartburn. Another natural remedy is a tablespoon of honey mixed with milk is a favorite for preventing heartburn.

Like with some pregnancy discomforts, heartburn is one that can be avoided as long as you take the steps and eat properly. Even without suffering from a lot of heartburn, your baby still could be born with a full head of hair.

Joint Statement On Maternal And Newborn Health
As world leaders gather for the High-Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we jointly pledge to intensify our support to countries to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 To Improve Maternal Health - the MDG showing the least progress. During the next five years, we will enhance support to the countries with the highest maternal mortality.

ORLive Presents: Prenatal Heart Diagnosis Case Discussions Of Options And Treatments
At the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, pregnancy involves caring for two patients — mother and baby. In high-risk cases where the baby has a birth defect, the mother may need specialized adult care while the fetus requires a pediatric focus.

News From Biology Of Reproduction, October 2008
The role of the Dicer. MicroRNAs are emerging as major transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. DICER, an RNaseIII enzyme, plays a role in the biogenesis of microRNAs; recently there has been a flurry of activity to determine the developmental role of DICER by whole-organism and conditional gene disruptions. In a paper on p. 696 of this issue, Maatouk et al.

Eating to Conceive

Almost every woman knows that it is important to eat well while you are pregnant. The benefit it provides you and your baby is invaluable. But, do you also know how important it is to eat well even before you get pregnant? If you are actively trying to get pregnant you have to make sure your body is prepared to accept the challenge. The first thing you should do before even beginning to try is to talk to your doctor to see how you measure up health wise. Does he think you need to lose a few pounds before getting pregnant or does he feel you need to gain a few? Your doctor may recommend that you change your eating habits and start exercising.

As soon as you decide you want a baby, you should begin to get in the habit of eating healthier. Slowly begin to cut out caffeine. If you smoke, now is a good time to quit rather than waiting until you have that positive test. Smoking can decrease your fertility and increase your risk of a miscarriage if you are still smoking when you are pregnant.

Another thing you can do is to start taking prenatals or at least a multivitamin supplement that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. You can also begin to add food into your diet that is rich in folic acid such as spinach and other green vegetables, peanuts, and orange juice. You can also start by taking a prenatal vitamin also. These vitamins contain iron, folic acid, and calcium along with vitamin C, D, B and vitamins B6 and B12 also.

Reevaluated your diet. Start to eat foods that have plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Lay off the fat and excess sugar. You want to eat foods that have a high nutrient density. Eat at least five portions a day of fruits and vegetables along with protein and iron rich foods like dried fruit, and green vegetables. Try to steer clear of raw fish like sushi, and steer clear of undercook shellfish, meat or chicken. You also want to try to avoid fish that has high mercury content like swordfish, shark, or king mackerel. Cut out any food that has unpasteurized milk in it including cheeses such as brie, camembert, and some Mexican cheese. Also cut out foods that have raw egg in it including homemade cookie dough.

Make sure you up your water intake. Water should always be your first beverage choice before, after and during your pregnancy. Water helps to flush your system of toxins. Once you’ve gotten your eight glasses in, you can drink fruit and vegetable juices also.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do before you get pregnant is to cut out all alcohol. The American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists have stated that women who drink might have a harder time getting pregnant than women who do not drink. Another reason why you should give up alcohol is that most birth defects that are caused by alcohol exposure usually occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, usually before you even know you are pregnant.

Getting your body prepared for pregnancy is one of the best decisions you could make. Your body will be more prepared for the challenge of growing a baby and the experience will be a little easier on your body.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring In Diabetic Pregnant Women Lowers Risk Of Complications
Continuous glucose monitoring as part of antenatal care for women with diabetes improves maternal blood glucose control and lowers birth weight and risk of macrosomia* (excessive birth weight in babies), according to a study published on www.bmj.com today. During pregnancy it is important that women with diabetes keep their blood glucose under control.

ORLive Presents: Prenatal Heart Diagnosis Case Discussions Of Options And Treatments
At the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, pregnancy involves caring for two patients — mother and baby. In high-risk cases where the baby has a birth defect, the mother may need specialized adult care while the fetus requires a pediatric focus.

News From Biology Of Reproduction, October 2008
The role of the Dicer. MicroRNAs are emerging as major transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. DICER, an RNaseIII enzyme, plays a role in the biogenesis of microRNAs; recently there has been a flurry of activity to determine the developmental role of DICER by whole-organism and conditional gene disruptions. In a paper on p. 696 of this issue, Maatouk et al.

Eating to Beat Pregnancy Fatigue

Ask any pregnant woman who is in her first or third trimester how they are feeling and the answer will almost always be “tired”. One of the first clues that many women have that they may be expecting a visit from the stork is the fact that they find themselves droopy eyed in the middle of the day for no reason.

You may find that doing a simply task as walking around the block leaves your desperate for an afternoon nap. The energy you use to have is now faced with the challenge of growing a baby and your body is hard at work. You are also producing more blood, using more water and nutrients and have a higher heart rate and metabolism when you are pregnant. While the best defensive against the tiredness you will face is to get more sleep. There are also some healthy foods choices you can make that will help you get through your day if you do not have the opportunities to take naps.

First, adjust the size of your meals. Anyone who eats a large meal is going to feel tired afterwards regardless of if they are pregnant or not. Being pregnant is going to make the effect of a big meal that much worse. Most of your energy is going to be used towards digesting the meal so of course you will feel sluggish and drained. Eat smaller meals and eat more often. Eating six small meals a day will help you combat fatigue.

Eating a good breakfast is the best way to start your day. You are refueling your body after a long foodless night with a good breakfast. A good breakfast is not a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. You want to stick to complex carbs and protein. Whole grain cereal and a banana for example. These foods will stay with you and keep your blood sugar and energy level up for quiet a while.

Do not skip lunch. There are many people who skip lunch thinking they will make up for it by having a big dinner. This is bad when you are not pregnant but it’s even worse when you are pregnant. You need that midday meal to help refuel your body. As with your breakfast, you should keep it filled with whole grains and protein. Have a whole grain pita and stuff it with chicken salad and add a side of grapes or an apple.

Plan to eat most of your calories during the day. A pregnant woman needs an extra 300 calories a day throughout their second and third trimester. The first trimester those are not needed yet. You should eat these extra calories through out the day in the form of healthy snacks such as nuts, cheese, veggies and dip. Do not save your biggest meal until the end of the day. Your body needs these calories to help you get through your day. Steer clear of the quick sugar fixes like candy and soda. In the end these will only make you more tired.

Lastly, make sure you are getting enough iron. Eat iron fortified food such as spinach and lean red meat to keep your energy up. There are times when extreme fatigue could be the symptom of an iron deficiency and you might need an iron supplement also.

Besides eating well, make sure you get plenty of rest even if this means pushing your bedtime up and giving up those late night TV talk shows. As any parents of newborns will tell you, get your rest while you still can.

Women Spending Less Time In NHS Hospitals After Giving Birth By Caesarean Section, UK
Women are spending less time in NHS hospitals after giving birth by Caesarean section compared to previous years, a report by The NHS Information Centre shows today (September 25 2008). Just over a quarter (27,407) spent four days or more recovering in hospital in 2006-07, compared to just under a third (31,393) in 2005-06.

‘Redesigned Hammer’ That Forged Evolution Of Pregnancy In Mammals Discovered By Scientists
Yale researchers have shown that the origin and evolution of the placenta and uterus in mammals is associated with evolutionary changes in a single regulatory protein, according to a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Many past studies have shown that genes are regulated and altered by changes within their own structures.

Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Sept. 18, 2008
Maternal diet can increase development and severity of asthma in offspring John Hollingsworth and colleagues, at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, have generated evidence in mice that a maternal diet rich in methyl donors, of which one source is the prenatal supplement folate, increases the chance that the developing fetus will suffer from asthma after birth.

Once the excitement of being pregnant subsides, lots of questions come up.Eating the right foods is more important than ever now that you are pregnant.Eating the right foods will help you avoid pregnancy complications.  Learning what to eat during pregnancy has never been easier than it is now.  

First, remember that once you hit the second trimester, good nutrition during pregnancy requires that you eat about 300 more calories a day.  Calories provide you with the extra energy that  your body needs to grow your baby.You need extra calories, but that doesn’t mean hijacking the donut truck.This is only 300 calories.There are about 100 calories in a glass of milk or one banana, and about 200 calories in a slice of whole wheat bread, and ounce of cheese and a half cup of grapes.If you eat this way, you will find that the amount of food you eat is actually more than if you just gave in and had that donut with sprinkles you have your eye on. 

At least 3 servings of protein daily are required to give your baby what she needs to grow strong.Protein will supply important building blocks for your baby.  Protein is very easy to come by and your options are endless.Try something like 3 glasses of milk, 2 cups of yogurt and 3 ounces of cheese.

In addition, you will need at least four servings of calcium daily.Not only will the calcium help your baby’s bones to grow, it will also protect your own.  Milk is the best way to get your fill of calcium, but you can also get your fill of calcium from cheeses,  yogurt and even ice cream. 

Aim for at least three servings of vitamin C.  Your body does not store vitamin C so you need a fresh supply of it every day.There are lots of fruits and vegetables that contain vitamin C.  You also want to make sure you get three to four servings of green leafy and  yellow vegetables and fruits.An added benefit is that these fruits and most vegetables will give you vitamin C. 

Try to eat at least one or two servings of other fruits and vegetable too, as they will supply you with other nutrients and much needed fiber.You might consider bananas, apples and onions for foods in this category.   Eat six or more servings of whole grains and legumes.These foods not only give you lots of important vitamins, like E and B, they also help you avoid constipation, a common complaint among pregnant women.   Try eating brown rice, whole wheat breads and even air popped corn to get  your servings of whole grains and legumes in. 

No doubt, one of the most important nutrients you need when you are pregnant is iron.  Your body’s demand for iron will never be greater than it is while you are pregnant.It is important not to ignore this.Not enough iron can cause anemia, so be sure you are getting enough.Your doctor can prescribe an iron supplement if you feel you are not getting enough in your diet. 

A fit pregnancy gives your baby the best chance for healthy development.  And while it is always a good idea to eat well every day, when you are pregnant it is essential that you eat well every day.