Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and challenging phases in the life of a woman. The prenatal period is a crucial phase. The mother has to take a lot of care for the baby’s health, and her overall well-being. There are different kinds of therapies and treatments that are usually recommended by doctors. But prenatal massage is extremely beneficial as it is a kind of therapeutic bodywork that enhances the muscles and joints of your body and also improves the blood circulation . A session of prenatal massage can be highly effective in relieving physical fatigue and mental stress. It is a nurturing support that approaches non-invasively and eases the discomfort of a mother-to-be, who is gradually preparing herself for labor. Recommended Read:  Prenatal Vitamins Benefits of prenatal massage Prenatal massage has a lot of underlying importance apart from promising temporary comfort. Here are some of the primary benefits of prenatal massage: A prenatal massage stabilizes your hormones, and thus, reduces anxiety and negative feelings to a significant extent. A prenatal massage relaxes and soothes your nervous system by releasing endorphins into your body. Your muscles become flexible and as a result of this, you can adjust well to the changing alignment due to the baby’s increasing weight.

Being pregnant is a beautiful feeling especially if you have been trying for a while now.  If you are in this phase or know someone who is going through stages of confusion, excitement, and frustration, there are six points you should definitely know about this two-week waiting period between ovulation and your pregnancy test. Recommended Read:  The Common Changes Your Body Might Go Through During Pregnancy Understand the basics Usually, your fertile window falls in between your period cycle. This is the time when there are higher chances your eggs are released into the fallopian tube. Normally, for a woman with a 28-day menstrual cycle, the fertile window lasts from day 9 to day 14.   After the egg is released, it lives for 24 hours and becomes fertilized. This process is called ovulation, and you should be sexually active all through your fertile window. These are some signs and symptoms of ovulation that will help you identify your exact period cycle. It should be noted that it can vary depending on each woman’s body type. Your cervical mucus changes to an egg white consistency Your breasts feel tender Very slight spotting or discharge Heightened sexual drive Change in basal body temperature What is the 2-week wait period?

After diet and nutrition, the next big concern for every pregnant woman is what she must wear during pregnancy? Although you can sail through the first trimester (first three months of pregnancy) without much worry, as soon as you are in the second trimester, your body grows and you can no longer fit into your regular clothes. Recommended Read:  What You Need to Know About the 2-Week ‘Wait Period’ Here are a few tips that will help you buy maternity clothes: Remember To Invest in a Few Trendy Clothes and then Mix n’ Match Invest in a few good clothes such as a pair of jeans, an elastic skirt, leggings and a few tummy enveloping tops. Keep reinventing your style by throwing in a scarf or some statement jewelry for a new look. Also, invest in a Bella Band, which will be useful during your pregnancy, as the elastic band can widen the waist width. Recommended Read:  Creative Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy Buy Maternity Wear that Can Accommodate Your Growing Belly In the initial 3-4 months of pregnancy, you might just feel that your clothes have become tight. But gradually, you begin to gain weight . Purchase pants and skirts that have flexible elastics, or go for special pregnancy tights.

Stretch marks are small, depressed streaks in the skin that appear most often on the abdomen in the later stages of pregnancy . Some women and men also get stretch marks on their body due to sudden weight gain or weight loss. There are various natural products that can help reduce stretch marks and lighten them if not make them disappear completely. However, it requires a regular skin care programme and strict discipline. Recommended Read:  Rosehip Oil and Its Uses for Healthy Skin Here are a few effective home remedies to reduce stretch marks  Coconut oil Coconut oil is a magical ingredient that works as a wonderful treatment for stretch marks. Not only does it moisturize your body extensively but it will surely lighten your stretch marks. So, every day before you go to sleep, ensure that you use pure coconut oil on your stretch marks. Aloe Vera Aloe Vera has healing properties and can be used in several forms such as gels, powders, creams, and juices. If you have an aloe plant, then you can use the gel below the top layer. The more natural the product, the better are the results. Take a generous amount of Aloe Vera gel and rub over the affected areas and massage for a minute or two.

With the advancement of medicine and technology, there are multiple new methods of contraception. The new contraceptive method is Subdermal Contraceptive Implant or Etonogestrel birth control implant. Recommended Read:  Hormonal Contraceptives or Barrier Methods What are Subdermal Contraceptive Implants? A subdermal implant is basically a hormonal implant, which provides a long-term contraception. It comes in the shape of a toothpick and can be easily inserted into the skin of the arm. The effect of this contraceptive varies as it is linked to the woman’s body weight and contains progestin.   This thin rod-like implant is placed under the skin of the arm and it slowly releases a hormone that hampers the normal functioning of the ovaries which then produces cervical mucus that helps in preventing the sperm from fertilizing the egg.  Although it is considered to be 99% effective as a contraceptive method, you must keep knowing that it does not provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Cost of subdermal implant A contraceptive implant cost usually ranges around $800, while its removal costs around $300. How are subdermal implants inserted? This method is quite fast, as these contraceptive rods are inserted under local anesthesia during the first few days of the menstrual cycle.