Nutrition During Pregnancy Most of us know that we should be eating a far more nutritious diet than we currently do. But when you’re pregnant, healthy eating takes on a whole new level of importance . No longer are you eating just for yourself, you are now your baby’s number one source of nutrition. Good nutrition during pregnancy is important because it can help reduce the risk of things like birth defects or pre-term labor. With that in mind, here are some tips on good nutrition during each trimester. First Trimester Pregnancy Nutrition: Folic acid For women who have just found out they are pregnant or for those trying to conceive, folic acid (or folate) is one of the most important nutrients to include in your diet. Folic acid reduces the risk of babies developing spinal and neurological defects. Prenatal vitamins are the best way to get your daily recommended dose of folic acid. Iron If folate is the most important nutrient in early pregnancy then Iron runs a close second. Iron is used to help transport oxygen-rich blood around the body. Without enough of it in our diet, we feel tired, fatigued and lethargic. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States and it can sometimes worsen during pregnancy.

If you are pregnant , you have probably been given a zillion instructions. Everyone you know suddenly becomes an expert on what to eat, how to sit, how to walk, etc. You yourself may be reading up as much as possible to know more about what to do and what to avoid. While you may pay attention to your dietary and sleep habits, you may miss out an important aspect—what to listen? Do you know that by 23-27 weeks, your baby starts hearing sounds from outside the womb? It is believed that unborn babies can hear sounds from outside the womb and the sounds are loud, similar to a train running through a subway. So, it is important to monitor what you say aloud and hear since it may have some effect on the baby. In particular, much has been written about the effect of music on the development of fetuses. Benefits of Music in Pregnancy Music is known to help relieve anxiety in pregnant women. In addition, music has been shown to positively influence bodily characteristics such as heart rate, breathing, learning and brain development of fetuses. These effects of music are brought about by changes in the hormone and enzyme activity of the mother.

Family planning is the method that gives couples and individuals the ability to plan childbirth, and space and time pregnancies. The primary purpose of family planning is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies and arrive at the optimum number of children for any family through contraception and treatment of involuntary infertility. Apart from this, it also helps to abate the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and diseases, including HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). The importance of family planning in society is also evident from the fact that it reduces the infertility rates, thereby contributing to the overall social and preventive health of individuals and the wider community. Annually, around nine million women in the United States benefit from family planning practices protecting their health. Family planning also helps save about $10 billion of taxpayers’ money. Read on to get a thorough understanding of the importance of family planning, and the many benefits and advantages of the practice – to better appreciate its significance in the ever-changing landscape of maternal health. Prevents unplanned pregnancies The primary purpose of family planning is to ensure adequate maternal and child health. One-third of the maternal deaths can be reduced through the adoption of family planning methods, which also lower the rate of deaths of children under the age of 5.

If there were ever two lines that made people happy by just appearing, they are those that appear on a positive pregnancy test. Now that you know that you are pregnant and have celebrated the good news with your partner, you may proceed to announce the pregnancy by making personal phone calls, surprise visits, or even by directly posting about it on social media. However, before deciding on “how” to make the announcement, isn’t it more important to consider “when” the secret should be revealed? Is it wise to make public the good news as soon as you know that you are pregnant? While communicating the good news to all near and dear ones may bring forth a horde of wishes and support from various quarters, there is also the possibility of unnecessary heartbreak and disappointment. Sharing the news too early and receiving the shock of a loss thereafter may be emotionally damaging. While communicating the good news to all near and dear ones may bring forth a horde of wishes and support from various quarters, there is also the possibility of unnecessary heartbreak and disappointment. Sharing the news too early and receiving the shock of a loss thereafter may be emotionally damaging.

Contraception has been in practice since ancient times. It birthed out of the necessity to avoid unintended and/or unplanned pregnancy. Though newer technologies have changed the way birth control methods are practiced, yet the underlying principles have remained the same. The need for contraception has also remained consistent- to enjoy sex without getting pregnant. Contraception can be planned or can be taken as an emergency measure. It can be reversible or irreversible, long-term or short term. The widely used barrier method of contraception acts by preventing the sperms from meeting the egg. There also are hormonal preparations that act on the female reproductive system hindering the release of the ovum from the ovaries. Intrauterine Devices (IUD) prevent fertilization while the long-term irreversible solution is offered by sterilization. But what method to use depends on various factors like age, marital status, education of the beneficiaries, socioeconomic status, hormonal status, etc. Having a number of options to choose from, it is more of a cafeteria approach where you are given the options to choose from a menu card. In this article, we shall see what the various methods of contraception are and what would be the most suitable profile to use them.