Thursday, July 31, 2008

Bleeding and Pregnancy

Bleeding and Pregnancy
Bleeding is the flow of blood through the v at the time of pregnancy. It is also considered as most common early signs of pregnancy. Bleeding is not a very critical problem especially if it occurs consistently during the first trimester of pregnancy. It should be noted that a bleeding during the first trimester in majority of pregnant women and it does not poses any serious risk. However, if the bleeding does not stop during the second and third trimester then it is a sign of major complications in the pregnancy. It is advisable that any amount of blood bleeding accompanied by pain, fever, cramping, chills, etc should be at first reported to the doctor otherwise it could lead to some serious complications.
Causes of Bleeding
There are various causes of bleeding, let us examine the following one by one:
· Implantation: Implantation is a very negligible amount of bleeding during the time of early pregnancy. This usually occurs ten to fourteen days after the fertilization. This happens due to the implantation of embryo into the wall of the uterine. It is generally a very light bleeding and lasts for one or two days.
· Miscarriage: According to a finding in a research conducted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, pregnancy miscarriages occur in up to fifteen to twenty per cent of the pregnant women. A bleeding necessarily does not means that a miscarriage is certain, but it can occur. There are many cases in which most of the pregnant women's suffering from bleeding have gone on to deliver healthy babies.
· Cervical bleeding: A cervical bleeding is the heavy bleeding of blood flow into the cervix of a pregnant women. The blood flow or bleeding occurs when anything touches the cervix such as sex, exercise, physical work, etc.
· Molar Pregnancy: Molar pregnancy is one of the very rare causes of bleeding. It is also known by the name Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD). It is formation of an abnormal tissue instead of a baby inside the uterus after the fertilization.
· Ectopic Pregnancy: Ectopic pregnancy is also another problem that may cause bleeding at the time of pregnancy. It is the formation of embryo in the fallopian tube that is just outside the uterus of the pregnant women. If it is not treated properly then it may cause risks to the lives of both the pregnant women and her unborn baby.
It is advisable that the pregnant women's must contact the doctor if they experience any amount of small to heavy bleeding.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Asthma and Pregnancy

Asthma is one of the common health problems that a pregnant women can experience at the time of pregnancy. It can also affect those women's also who had never experienced it before. Asthma reduces the supply of adequate oxygen to the foetus of the pregnant women. The common asthma symptoms generally includes wheezing, difficulty in breathing, etc. A majority of pregnant women are more concerned about the effects of asthma on their baby. Asthma if it is treated effectively can lead to healthy delivery. However, if the asthma is not cured properly then it can have a negative effect on the foetus of the pregnant women as well as on her baby. Also, it can give rise to some of the following problems:
  • It can have a severe effect on the kidneys, lungs, brain, liver, etc.
  • It can lead to complications during the time of pregnancy.

Besides these problems, asthma also presents some of the problems to the foetus of the pregnant women. Some of them are as follows:
  1. It can lead to immediate death of the women after the delivery.
  2. It leads to low birth weight.
  3. It can also lead to a premature delivery.
A pregnant women diagnosed with asthma must immediately take the treatment; otherwise it can become fatal for her. The austerity of asthma varies from one women to other women. Asthma can attack the pregnant women during the seventeen to twenty four weeks of the pregnancy. A pregnant women must try out the following things in order to avoid asthma:
  • She must immediately stop the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.
  • She must reduce the intake of caffeine.
  • She must go for the blood test of various other diseases such as chicken pox, HIV, hepatitis B, etc.
  • She must continue taking the medications prescribed by the doctor.
Asthma Medications and Pregnancy
A women diagnosed with the asthma must immediately take the medications from the doctor; otherwise this problem can worsen in the long run. The various researches' undertaken does not provide a very clear picture that any of drug used to cure asthma can lead to any problems during the time of pregnancy. One thing that can be done is that the pregnant women should be provided with the proper knowledge about the maintenance of asthma, proper use of inhalers, asthma prevention, etc. There are many medicines or drugs that are considered safe for the women's infected with asthma such as budesonide, Corticosteroid tablets, formoterol, theophylline, etc. Besides, there are several other medicines that should be avoided by the pregnant women's such as tetracycline, aspirin, iodides, etc.

Note: It is advisable that the pregnant women must take the asthma medicines only after the prescribed guidance of the doctor.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Cold and cough during the period of pregnancy - FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions


Question 1: Is it normal to get cold and cough during pregnancy?

Solution: Yes, it is normal to get cold and cough during the period of pregnancy. Generally, the pregnant women's are lot warmer because of rise in their body temperature. Sometimes,the pregnant women develop hypothyroidism due to which they feel cold. The problem usually disappears within a few weeks. However, if the problem persists then they must check their doctor.

Question 2: Can a cold and cough during the period of pregnancy harm the baby?

Solution: The cold and coughdoes not have any kind of negative impact on the development of the baby.However, it is advisable that the pregnant women must not cough too hard as it may destroy her uterus. If the problem is unbearable then they consult their doctor.


Question 3: What should pregnant women do if she gets infected with cold and cough?

Solution: If a pregnant women is infected with cold and cough then she may try out certain things in order to get rid of the problem. First of all she must take an adequate amount of rest.
She must take a balanced diet and plenty of fluids. She may also rub Vicks Vaporub as it is considered safe for the pregnant women.

Question 4: What are the various safest cold and cough medicines for the pregnant women's?

Solution: First of all the pregnant women must try avoid taking medicines as it may have a negative impact on the development of the child. Although, there are certain medicines, which
are considered safe for the pregnant women such as chlorpheniramine,doxylamine, triprolidine, brompheniramine, loratadine, etc. which must be only taken with advice from a doctor.

Question 5: Is cold and cough a symptom of pregnancy?
Solution: sometimes, the cold and cough are the most common symptoms of pregnancy. A women gets infected with the cold and cough after first two weeks of the contraception. It usually does not harms the women and gradually disappears after a certain point of time. It is
advisable that the pregnant must take the help of the doctor if the problem becomes unbearable.

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs

Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs

A vast majority of pregnant women experience a variety of pregnancy symptoms or signs. A tremendous amount of hormonal changes takes place during the period of pregnancy. However, it is very important to remember that some of the women may experience all the pregnancy symptoms while some others may experience a few not all the problems. Some of the most common pregnancy symptoms are as follows:
· Missed Period: Missed period is one of the most common and most often the first sign of pregnancy. However, the irregular periods can also be caused by the other reasons such as stress, low body weight, hormonal imbalances, excessive exercise, etc. One of the most important point of consideration is that the pregnant women can also experience menstrual periods. But the bleeding could be lighter other than what they used have in their regular periods.
· Morning Sickness: A morning sickness can occur at anytime of the day to the pregnant women. The signs of morning sickness includes, vomiting, nausea, etc. A morning sickness is generally felt between second to eighth weeks of pregnancy. Nowadays, a morning sickness is considered to be as a good thing as it reduces the chances of a miscarriage to a great extent.
· Breast Tenderness: During the time of pregnancy, the breasts tend to become swollen and tender. This pregnancy symptom usually occurs a few days after the conception. One of the common sign of breast tenderness is that the skin around the nipple begins to darken up across the both breasts.
· Fatigue and Tiredness: Fatigue and tenderness is one of the most common signs of pregnancy. It usually occurs because of rising levels of hormones progestone in the body. These symptoms usually occur during the first weeks of the contraception.
· Frequent Urination: Frequent urination is also another sign of pregnancy. Pregnant women can experience this symptom as early as on two weeks of contraception. This symptom usually occurs because of the pressure that is exerted by the growing uterus on the bladder.
· Mood Swings: Some of the women's who are newly pregnant usually experience this type of symptom. This problem occurs due to the rapid changes in the hormone levels that stimulate the brain chemicals, which ultimately leads to mood swings and changes.
· Food Craving: Food craving is one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. In this, the pregnant women begin to enjoy one particular type of food most such as pickles, ice-cream, etc. They also develop some of the disliking for some of the food items that they used enjoy earlier.
However, it is advisable to consult your doctor if you presume to be a pregnant and proper pregnancy advice from him or her.

Testing for Pregnancy
There are some of the pregnancy kits available from which a pregnant women uses to conduct pregnancy tests in order to confirm whether she is pregnant or not. These pregnancy kits can be purchased from a doctor, family planning clinic or from a local pharmist. A pregnant women can conduct the pregnancy test on her home itself. These pregnancy kits provide complete and reliable information only if they are performed according to the instructions given by the manufacturer. These pregnacy kits usually consist of a paper that is highly sensitive to the presence of pregnancy hormone known as Human Chronic Gonadotrophin (HCG) in the urine. If the test conducted by the pregnant women is positive then she must immediately consult the doctor.

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Pregnancy During Cold

Cold, Cough and Pregnancy
A majority of the pregnant women are more susceptible tend to cough and cold as compared to the other normal human beings. These are one of the common infections that most of the pregnant women can catch. One of the general reasons for this problem is the weakening of the immune system during the period of pregnancy. Thus, the pregnant women's are more susceptible to these common diseases or infections.

Generally, cold and cough does have any kind of negative effect on the pregnant women. Most of the pregnant women do not have a pleasant experience when infected with cold and cough. But it usually does not present any kind of risk to the baby. The symptoms of the cold and cough are stuffy nose, nausea, sore throat, runny nose, watery eyes, headache, etc. If the problem of cough is really serious then the pregnant must insure that her foetus is protected. If the pregnant women coughs hardly then there are chances of miscarriage. However, if the problem persists for longer period of time then it is advisable that you must see a doctor.
Pregnant women diagnosed with cough and cold must not the medicines on her own without checking the doctor. Instead of taking medicine, she can try out some of the following non-medical treatments in order to get rid of cough and cold:

· She should drink plenty of fluids such as water, juice, etc.
· Take a plenty amount of rest.
· She must take a balanced amount of food comprising of plenty of fruits and vegetables.
· She can also take Tylenol for pains, aches, temperatures, etc with consultation with a doctor
· Take hot water with honey or lemon.
· She can also rub a mentholated product namely Vicks Vaporub on her chest.
· She should avoid sitting among the sick people.
· Take a warm shower as it helps greatly in clearly the nasal stuffiness and mucus.

Medicines and Pregnancy
No medicine is considered to be hundred per cent safe for the pregnant women's as it may have a negative effect on the health of the unborn child. Women's pregnant for the first time must strictly avoid taking any kind of medicines as the developing baby is most susceptible to any kind of medicines. However, if the problem becomes unbearable then she should take the medicines after consulting the doctor.
There are many cough and cold medicines that are considered safe for the expecting mothers such as chlorpheniramine, doxylamine, triprolidine, brompheniramine, loratadine, etc. But these medicines can make the pregnant women feel sleepy. Most of the women are in a habit of taking Aspirin whenever they get cold and cough. Pregnant women must strictly avoid taking it as may result into bleeding and can also affect the development of the baby.
It is advisable that these medicines should not be taken by the pregnant women unless instructed by the doctor.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Common Diseases in Pregnancy

Common Diseases in Pregnancy
A pregnancy is a very exciting time in the life of women. A pregnancy is where the embryo and the foetus are carried on in the uterus of women for the period of nine months from conception to delivery. A women experiences many problems during the period of pregnancy. Sometimes the problems are too minor ones but if they are not cured effectively then it could develop into a very major problem. These problems can affect the fetus as well as the mother to be.

A women during the period of pregnancy experiences many complications such as morning sickness, constipation, vomiting, etc. Some of the following common diseases that affect the women at the time of pregnancy are:
· Bleeding: bleeding is one of the most serious pregnancy problems. It is basically a periodic flow of blood that discharges from the uterus of the women. It may occur due to the miscarriage, v-infection, etc.
· High Blood Pressure: The problem of high blood pressure also surfaces at the time of pregnancy. This problem surfaces due to the protein in the urine. Due to this a majority of the women experience headaches, eyesight problems, swelling in ankle and wrists, etc.
· Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a short-term problem that affects women. This problem occurs due to the production of insulin in the body that ultimately leads to increase in number of blood sugar levels. Due to this a women can suffer fever, painful urination, severe vomiting, etc.
· Itchy skin: Itchy skin is one of the most common problems that majority of the pregnant women suffer. This problem largely surfaces because of increase in supply of blood to the skin. A women must consult a doctor if the itching becomes severe and painful.
· Weight gain: A large number of women gain weight during the period of pregnancy. This problem occurs because of increase in blood circulation in the body.
· Backache: Backache is also one of the common problems that the women have to suffer at the time of pregnancy. During the time of pregnancy the ligaments of a women becomes softer and this ultimately puts a lot of strain in the lower back and pelvis.
· Swelling: The pregnant women experience swelling in their ankles, feet's and hands at the time of pregnancy. This happens because the body absorbs more fluid at the time of pregnancy.
· Cough and Cold: A large majority of pregnant women's experience cough and cold at the time of pregnancy. Cough and cold are usually caused by the viruses. It usually does not have any sort of bearing on the pregnant women's health and it diminishes automatically after a certain period of time.
· Fever: A fever is largely a common problem that most of the pregnant women suffer. A fever must be treated immediately because it is very unhealthy for the foetus. If is not treated efficiently then it could result in certain birth defects such as incomplete brain and spine development.

If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned problems then it will beneficial for you to consult the doctor otherwise it can have a very negative on you or on your child.

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