the9months

Your environment

Just as you take care to eat and drink only those things that will not harm your growing fetus, be aware of what you breathe and touch as well. In general, you can continue most of the activities you did before you were pregnant, with some precautions. If you can choose whether to expose yourself to chemicals, keep in mind that researchers are just beginning to understand the potential hazards many substances pose to fetuses. It is wise to avoid exposing yourself and your baby to all manufactured chemicals, including those in many cosmetics and personal care products. (more…)

Women often do not take folic acid until they are already pregnant. Experts urge women of childbearing age to take folic acid supplements even if they are not planning a family yet. A majority of women do know about the ability of folic acid to possibly prevent spina bifida – they wait until they’ve missed a period before they start taking folic acid supplements. Children born with spina bifida can be paralysed from the waist down and can suffer lifelong spinal cord, bowel and bladder problems, while some may even suffer from brain damage. (more…)

You should be eating well in your pregnancy, especially as it advances into the second trimester. Pregnancy often brings with it a sudden like or dislike of certain types of foods. Perhaps you always liked eating chicken, and now you can’t go near it. (more…)

• Research shows that 1 out of every 5 pregnancies (i.e. 20% of all pregnancies) ends in a miscarriage during the first 12 weeks. That is why it is wise to not to raise your expectations during the initial few weeks.
• Do not tell your family. In case something goes wrong with the pregnancy, you would have to hear a lot of unwanted things from your family along with coping the loss yourself. Miscarriages can happen even if you took and followed all the advice that your mother and aunts can give. (more…)

I believe most of us are extremely paranoid and anxious on our fist visit to the doctor. We wonder about all the possible good or bad news that may be awaiting us. My friend remembers having a fight with her husband on her way to see the gynaecologist. One always feels for the men in such cases. And a few moments after the fight, she was sitting with her gynaecologist who was looking at the couple that just walked in through her rectangular glasses. She was every bit the professor at a well-known medical college that she expected her to be – spectacles with a chain hanging by, a thin frame, and skepticism written all over her face. (more…)