The most common “pain pills” prescribed are opiates which effectively eliminate or reduce pain but have a great tendency to be abused. Opioids are natural and synthetic type drugs that have the characteristics of morphine. It can only be obtained with a prescription and unfortunately physicians contribute to the problem of dependency and abuse through their lack of scrutiny regarding patient requests. My present home state of Florida has the unsavory distinction of being known as the country’s largest pill mill and it was reported that 80 percent of opiates were not dispensed by pharmacists but by physicians who dispense them from their offices. Consequently, the Florida legislators now prohibit physicians from dispensing opiates in their offices with rare exceptions.

Why are opiates or pain killers dangerous for pregnant women? Because they can cross the placenta and affect the fetus not to mention creating havoc for the mother through physical dependency. Opiates can cause breathing to diminish or stop altogether. It can also cause significant withdrawal of a newborn, including seizures if it has been exposed to large doses through its mother. There is also the risk of an overdose of both mother and newborn. 2.6% of pregnant mothers who used opioids during pregnancy will have babies with significant birth defects as opposed to 2% of babies who were not exposed to opioids. Behavioral problems and lack of intelligence has also been cited as potential side effects for children whose mother’s abused opioids. A woman taking opioids one month before and three months after conception increases the risk of having a baby with a heart defect.

Should pregnant women take painkillers? Only on a short term basis and opioids should be avoided at all costs. If a pregnant woman is addicted to pain pills, please consider enrolling in a methadone program where both mother and unborn child can be treated and monitored appropriately.

source: Dr. Anupam

While pregnant with baby number three, I had a hard time feeling relaxed. I couldn’t find a comfortable sleeping position, and my growing baby’s favorite activity involved doing gymnastics with my bladder as her springboard. But pregnancy shouldn’t be uncomfortable all the time, here are a few simple tips to help you enjoy your pregnancy.

The Five-Minute Rule

I’ll admit I complained any chance I got to my husband about being pregnant. Before long it seemed he stopped listening, which of course frustrated me and made me complain more. Then we came up with the five-minute rule: before we went to bed, I had five minutes to tell him about everything that hurt, and he would listen to every ill. I never made the full five minutes, but having the time helped me not to complain—or think about the discomfort—for the rest of the day. (Plus, I slept better.)

Give Yourself a Facial

You don’t have to go to the spa to get a good facial—just to your kitchen. Sonia raj, the spa director at Sona  Spa( Mumbai), knows how to pamper clients. At home, she recommends using plain yogurt as a facial cleanser, a paste of baking soda and water as an exfoliant, and plain yogurt mixed with cornmeal as a body scrub. For dry skin, sonia suggests mixing one avocado and two teaspoons extra virgin olive oil until smooth and applying to your face. After 10 minutes, rinse the mask off with warm water.

Go for a Pedicure

You may not be able to see your feet, but a foot massage and pretty toenails might be just the de-stresser you need. Sonia reminds you to go after your first trimester and to tell your nail technician that you’re pregnant, since certain deep massage techniques and essential oils are not appropriate for pregnancy. If you choose to include fragrant, essential oils as part of your treatment, Sonia recommends soothing oils such as lavender, rose, or chamomile.

Three Deep Breaths

Meditation can help you positively focus your thoughts. If you’ve never meditated before, Thomas Crum, author of several books, including Three Deep Breaths: Finding Power and Purpose in a Stressed-Out World, gives a simple technique that you can integrate into your day. Practice breathing deeply: inhale by filling the belly first then the chest, exhale first out of the belly, then the chest. Once you feel comfortable, use the three-deep-breath strategy. For the first breath, what Crum calls, the Centering Breath, reenergize by doing one deep, calming breath. For the second breath, or the Possibility Breath, think of what you want to be, for instance a good mother, more organized, more confident. Finally, with the last breath, or the Discovery Breath, think about all of the possibilities in your life, what your new little one will be like, whether she’ll have your eyes, whether he’ll have your taste in music.

As a father, Bob understands that we often get caught up during the day and can’t find time to meditate, so he suggests triggers, or anchors, to help us remember. For instance, don’t just say that you’re going to meditate before you shower, have the shower handle as a trigger and do your three deep breaths before you get in. The steering wheel might be another anchor—every time you get into the car and touch the wheel, that’s your reminder to breathe in deeply three times.

Crum compares the cumulative effect of these short meditation sessions to an aerobic workout. “Just like we know that you can have three, 10-minute aerobic sessions throughout the day that add up to a good physical workout, with this meditation process you can align yourself and relax in multiple, short sessions during the day without ever closing your eyes.”

Learn to Say No

“One of the greatest challenges to mothers today is prioritizing and saying no to lesser priorities,” explains Bria Simpson, a parenting coach, mother of three, and the author of The Balanced Mom: Raising Your Kids Without Losing Your Self.

“Whenever someone asks something of you, tell them you’ll think about it and get back to them,” says Simpson. “In the next 24 hours, ask yourself—’Is this request a top priority? And does it help me maintain a healthy balance?’ If the answer is no, say no. Become a master mom at saying no, now, and your journey into motherhood will be much more enjoyable!”

Surround Yourself with Beauty

Surround yourself with things that make you feel peaceful, such as your favorite clothing, pictures on the wall, perfumes, or incense, recommends Belov. I have a bowl of my favorite potpourri on a table next to my front door. When I walk in, I smell whiffs of the Mediterranean Sea, which help me de-stress.

Keep your Dates Alive

You may not feel too sexy at 36-weeks pregnant, but Simpson advises you continue going on dates with your spouse. “Every week, spend time just the two of you—go to dinner, catch a movie, or take a walk,” she says. “It will be much easier for your couple relationship to thrive post-baby if you’ve maintained a close relationship during your pregnancy.”

Take Time for Yourself

All of the experts, including Belov and Crum, suggest that pregnancy is the perfect time to indulge. Record the simple moments and your reflections about motherhood in a journal. Create some memories—and relax—by taking a day off from work to meet a friend, go see a movie, or take a walk in the park. “You will be all-consumed in care giving shortly,” relates Simpson. “Build up some good reserves by pampering yourself now!”

Create your Own Relaxation Technique

Whether it’s pregnancy yoga, a trip to your favorite hairstylist, or curling up with a good book, create your own relaxation strategy. Just like every woman’s experience in pregnancy is unique, so too will your method to relax. Try one tip each week to see if you find something that works for you. Not only will you be helping yourself by learning how to relax, your pregnancy might go by faster, too.

Source: Dr Anupama Srini (Gynae)

The most important thing is that you make sure that you consume plenty of B12, as if you aren’t consuming enough B12, then neither is your baby. A deficient baby may experience vomiting, lethargy, anemia, hypotonia, developmental delay or regression, and an overall failure to thrive.

You also want to make sure that you’re consuming plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and zinc.

Maintain a very varied diet so that you can maintain your health and pass on good health to your baby.

Maintain a Vegetarian Diet While Nursing an Infant

If you are a vegetarian and you’re trying to get pregnant, do not fear. You can actually maintain your diet while carrying a healthy fetus.

What you will want to keep in mind is that you’re going to need to up your proteins, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.

Depending on how long you’ve been a vegetarian, you’ll know which foods to increase in your diet. Otherwise, you will want to talk with your doctor to decide the best dietary plan that you’ll want to maintain while pregnant.

In most cases, you’ll want to make sure to find a good multi-vitamin, if you’re not already taking one.

Continue a Vegetarian Diet While Pregnant

Do not let anyone try to convince you that you have to eat meat during your pregnancy. You can maintain better health being a vegetarian while not pregnant, than any meat-eater can, and you can still maintain your health while pregnant.

A: During the first six months of nursing — if your infant feeds round the clock and you’re still not menstruating — it is very unlikely (a less than two percent chance) you will get pregnant. Furthermore, because breastfeeding affects hormones, some women may have slightly more difficulty. There is research suggesting that continuing to nurse at night may also reduce the chance of getting pregnant. However, as your son is two and not nursing nearly as often as an infant, the likelihood of becoming pregnant is much higher. Also, if your periods have returned, your chances remain high.

If you become pregnant, you’ll have to decide if you want to continue breastfeeding both your toddler and your infant. This is entirely possible and the choice is yours. If you decide you don’t want to nurse two children, you might wean your toddler prior to the new baby’s arrival and continue developing all the wonderful things you can do with a toddler to build strong emotional/physical bonds.

Source: Dr. Hoor

1. Eat a balanced diet of bread, cereals, fruit and vegetables, milk, dairy foods, meat, oily fish, eggs and pulses (peas, beans and lentils).

2. Stop smoking from the moment you start planning your pregnancy, and straight away if you discover you are pregnant unexpectedly. Smoking can harm your unborn baby and trigger premature birth.

3. Up to the 12th week of pregnancy take plenty of folic acid to reduce the risk of spina bifida, either through a daily 400mg supplement, foods with added folic acid such as certain breads and breakfast cereals, and foods naturally rich in folic acid such as leafy vegetables.

4. Avoid soft, unpasteurised cheese, undercooked meat, pate and raw eggs because they may contain listeria and salmonella.

5. Don’t drink more than two units of alcohol a week (two glasses of wine or a pint of beer). Too much alcohol can cause brain damage to your baby.

6. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these: vaginal bleeding, swollen limbs, disturbed vision, abdominal pain or headaches and waters breaking.

7. Avoid drugs of all kinds. Never take medication without your GP’s permission.

8. Relax. Long periods of exhausting work can trigger premature labour, so rest during the day. Meditation, yoga and massage are also good for you and your baby.

9. Wear gloves for gardening or handling cat litter to avoid toxoplasmosis, an infection found in cat’s mess.

10. Go to all your antenatal appointments to detect problems as early as possible.

Source: Dr Sona, Gynae

If you used to swim, there is a line of maternity-swim-wear that will give you clothing that will still fit you. This is hugely important, especially when you consider how much your body will change externally during the pregnancy.

Moderate exercise during a pregnancy is even a good idea since it will help keep both the mother and the baby safe and healthy. The reason for this is that the water provides buoyancy, which makes it easier for her to stay up and perform the exercises that she would like to do.

Maternity swimwear is designed to stretch to accommodate the extra space that the baby is taking up. You can choose between one and two-piece styles and even some styles that look more like traditional maternity shorts and tops. In the end it’s all up to you and how comfortable you feel.

The one-piece styles do nothing to hide your tummy, but you can choose sliming colors and cuts to offset your appearance. Of course, a two piece with a traditional bra top is going to let your tummy hang out for all the world to see, but if that doesn’t bother you, go for it.

If you feel more comfortable somewhere in-between, choose a two piece that includes a maternity smock top with a built in bra. This “tankini” look gives you the freedom of movement that a two-piece affords and still keeps your stomach away from prying eyes.

By. Ms. Priya

If you are worried about how to avoid excessive weight during pregnancy, then following some simple suggestions will help you keep off those extra pounds and continue to look just the way you did before getting a baby, always.

Many people associate weight gain with eating, and therefore tend to cut down on food. This could cause a number of health problems, especially if you are pregnant. Avoid the tendency to cut down on food, but rather eat a balanced diet. Ensure, especially that you do not skip breakfast.

Skipping breakfast will impact your unborn child and deprive it of the nutrition that it requires. Apart from that, skipping breakfast will slow down your metabolism and lead to increased weight gain. This is the first step to staying in shape while you are pregnant.

While at home, choose to boil or steam your food as far as possible. Cooked oils and fast foods tend to cause weight gain, and in some people, even add to the build-up of cholesterol in the blood stream.

• you’re 35 years old or younger and you’ve been unable to get pregnant after unprotected intercourse for at least one year.
• you’re over 35 years of age, and you have not been able to get pregnant after six months (because the chances for successful treatment rapidly decline after 35).
• or, if you’ve been able to get pregnant, but have had two or more consecutive miscarriages.

If you have any symptoms of infertility earlier on, though, you don’t need to wait before speaking to your doctor.

Despite these recommendations, many couples do not seek a fertility evaluation. One informal survey, conducted by Conceive Magazine and Fertility LifeLines, found that 38% of couples tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant for more than a year and still had not sought help.

I understand why you may hesitate seeking help. To ask for help is to admit that something may be wrong, and it’s likely to intensify your anxiety that you and your partner are fertility-challenged. Also, if you’re unsure whether or not you will want fertility treatments, you may think getting help isn’t worth the trouble.

While I understand this, I also know that waiting too long can backfire. There are some causes of infertility that worsen with age. Also, some causes of infertility can be resolved without fertility drugs, so even if you’re sure you don’t want Clomid or IVF, your doctor may be able to treat your problem in another way.

And besides all this, infertility can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious health problem, which needs to be resolved whether or not you decide in the end to seek fertility treatments.

For all these reasons, it’s better to get tested now than to keep trying on your own.

Source: Dr Bhawana (Gynae Expert)