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As parent or parent-to-be, there exist a multitude of gifts you’ll be able to give your child to ensure that he or she grows up to be the fine young people you wish them to be. Yes, we’re talking about patience, kindness as well as the occasional toy. But, there exists yet another gift you can give that will ensure that the best parts of your child’s life remain immortalized.

Photographs help us appreciate our young lives, especially when we’re older. They remind us of the good moments, the bad and also where we come from.

Below we’ll acquaint you with a couple of essential photography tips and techniques that will help you, as proud parent, to capture all these moments that will, one day, help your child realize just how much you love him or her.

What To Expect

If you’re about to pick up your camera, just hold on, mom, dad. Take some time to think about photography in general: what is it that makes a good picture? Is it great technical ability? Perhaps the intuition needed to recognize a great shot when it presents itself. Or, maybe both?

In our opinion, photography is about a combination of technical skill and composition. You’ll have to learn to use your camera to its fullest extent while, at the same time, know which elements present in the frame will and won’t work.

We’ll give you a bit of advice on both to best prepare you for your photographic journey to come.

Technical Skills

Remember mom, dad: photography is all about light. And if you learn to manipulate the light entering though your camera’s lens, then you’ll be able to weave photographic magic! So let’s look at a couple of basic concepts.

A Little More About Light…

To best understand the motivation behind the fact that some types of light are good, in terms of photography, while others are less so, we have to understand what is meant by the ‘dynamic range’ of a camera.

The dynamic range refers to the differences in light or tone that can be accommodated before some aspects of the image in front of us loses detail. Our eyes have a dynamic range of about 2000:1, while the average camera only has a dynamic range of about 8:1. What this means in terms of lighting is that, when ‘wrong’ types of light are used to illuminate the subject of our photography, it will cast deep shadows that will appear black on film, even though we can make out the detail with the naked eye.

In practical terms, this means that, if you are planning on a bit of outdoor photography, you’ll do well to take your pictures either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cloudy days are also suitable and will provide you with the necessary soft light to bring out your child’s beautiful skin tone.

The Exposure Triangle

Your camera will provide you with a host of settings that will allow you to manipulate light as it enters through the lens. The most prominent among these represent the elements of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ and include ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Let’s take a brief look at each of these separately.

ISO

At this stage we’d like to encourage parents of all very young babies to switch off the flash. Not only will the sudden bright bursts of light startle your child, but it can also be potentially damaging to his or her developing vision.

However, that doesn’t mean you should put your camera down. On the contrary, learn to use the ISO setting of your camera efficiently.

ISO is a term that is used rather loosely and refers to the film speed standard for color-negative film as maintained by the International Standards Organization. Those parents who would like a bit more information can search for ISO 5000:1987 (though be warned: you’ll be greeted with a lot of technical information).

Now while most cameras nowadays don’t use film any more, the standards still apply and is more commonly referred to as the camera’s sensitivity to light.

If you are intent on taking a picture of your baby in a low-light environment, then you’ll want to ensure that you are using a high ISO number, like 800. In a bright environment, the reverse is true: a low ISO number will suffice. Acquaint yourself with this feature of your camera by experimenting.

Aperture

The aperture of your camera is defined as the amount of light that gets admitted onto the sensor and works very much like the pupil of the human eye. We measure the diameter of the aperture in f-stop and indicate it as follows: Fn, F:n or F-n, where n is the aperture size. The higher the f-stop the smaller the aperture.

Shutter Speed

The last element of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ refers to shutter speed, which is measured in fractions of a second and seconds. As the name implies, this function determines how fast the shutter opens and closes.

Shutter speeds between 1/60 (a sixtieth of a second) and 1/000 (a thousandth of a second) and faster will allow you to hold the camera in your hand. Shutter speeds of 1/30 (one thirtieth of a second) and slower will require the use of a tripod to avoid camera shake. However, take note: certain shutter speeds can last second, minutes or even longer and will capture more light as well as movement (that’s the cool trailing effect visible on photographs of highways).

Composition

In terms of composition, there are a lot of things that can be said and a lot of rules to be expelled. But in the end, good photographic composition is a skill mastered only by practice, practice and then some more, practice.

All we’ll be able to do is to give you a couple of pointers of things to look out for that will help you recognize certain elements that will help you on the journey to photographic excellence.

Texture & Lines

Take a look around you. What do you see? All physical objects have a texture, and they have lines, too.

The edges of said objects, if not the patterns on them, will fill each photograph you take with a variety of shapes. To excel in your photographic journey, you’ll have to train yourself to pay attention to these lines, shapes and textures. Have a look at your child (if he or she has already been born) and carefully study them for the aforementioned characteristics.

When its time for another photography spell, try to employ the following guidelines:

• - Converging lines will supply your picture with a sense of depth and distance
• - Curved lines or swirls will convey a sense of calm
• - Slanting lines, on the other hand, can imply direction or action

That being said, we’d also like you to pay attention to the various colors that fill the frame of your camera. Photography 101 states that colors that belong to the same tonal range will make for a better photograph than those that seem out of odds with one another.

An Interesting Angle

Last but not least in our mini parent photography course is something present in all brilliant photographs: a good angle. Whether you take a picture over your baby’s shoulder to show what he or she was looking at the time, or whether you find it fitting to show them in a special type of light or way, it’s often the unique angle that draws us to a picture.

Remember: all photographs should tell a story that’s what sets them apart from mere pictures.

About The Author: Betty A. Muscott is an accomplished child photographer who provides tips on how to photograph children outdoors to create beautiful images and some personalized photo gift hints. She provides a review of a great Canon starter digital camera, ideas on how to create amazing babies photos onto canvas and personalized photo gift ideas..

Tags: aperture, beginnner's guide, composition, digital camera, digital photography, Exposure, exposure traingle, ISO, lighting, Photography, setting, Shutter speed, texture
Posted in: Photography
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It is strange how medical practices vary when it comes to childbirth. Many developed countries favor hospital delivery but in a few countries like the Netherlands for example delivery at home attended by a registered midwife or nurse has been the norm for quite a while. In Germany, the idea of home birth is catching on although other alternatives such as “maternity houses” are also becoming popular. A friend of mine had a hospital birth with her first born but opted for a home birth the second time round. Her first born made up her mind for her when the little girl asked with the unerring logic of a 4-year old. “Why do you have to go to the hospital, Mommy? You and the baby aren’t sick, are you?”

Indeed, we associate hospitals with illness and even death so that many people would rather celebrate the joy of childbirth outside the hospital walls. But there are still questions

Is Home Birth Safe?

The debate about the safety of home birth vs hospital birth has been going on for decades and is not likely to be settled anytime soon.

A recent study by Canadian researchers compared the outcomes of home birth vs. hospital birth in British Columbia. The study consisted of:

• 2889 home births attended by certified midwives
• 4752 planned hospital births attended by the same midwives
• 5331 hospital births attended by doctors

The researchers reported that women who planned a home birth had less maternity-related interventions but also less adverse outcomes. The interventions associated with hospital childbirth are induction of, electronic fetal monitoring, epidural anesthesia, assisted vaginal delivery, and cesarean section. The adverse outcomes reported were infection and hemorrhage. The risk of newborn mortality was similar for both home and hospital births.

So why are there fewer complications in home birth than in hospital birth? The researchers think it might have something to do with self-selection.

Caveat: this is just one study in one country. More data are needed to confirm these findings.

When is Home Birth Not Safe?

I delivered my twins in Frankfurt, Germany. I loved the idea of a home birth but I knew almost right from the beginning that it might not an option for me, mainly due to my advanced maternal age and multiple pregnancies. Even my choice of a hospital was rather limited. Whereas other moms had fun looking around which hospital or clinic they could go to, I had no choice but to opt for the only one in town with a neonatal clinic.

There are many reasons why a home birth may not be ideal for you, and your family, friends, even your midwife may have something to say about this. But are these reasons valid? Let us look at some of these reasons:

• First Delivery. The first time is said to be always difficult and slow. Truth or myth? We don’t know. At any rate, there’s no scientific evidence that supports any objection to home births for first-time moms.

• Maternal Age. People would say “you’re too young” or “you’re too old” for home birth. But what is the right age for home birth? No one can say. I think it’s something to do more with health status rather than age.

• Previous Delivery Complications. Those who had previous complications have a good reason to be wary of giving birth away from the hospital. However, not all complications would necessarily occur the next time around. Assisted delivery (e.g. forceps delivery) and episiotomy (tear) are less common in home births, according to Homebirth UK. There are life threatening complications, however, like preeclampsia and postpartum bleeding that may warrant more medical monitoring than what a home birth can provide.

• Underlying Medical Conditions. Women with underlying condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity are usually advised against home birth.

• Breech delivery. Breech births are very tricky. Unless your midwife is highly experienced in breech delivery, a hospital birth might be the best option for you and your baby.

• Multiple Pregnancy. Having multiples is one very good reason to play it safe and opt for a hospital birth. I did. This doesn’t mean it’s not possible. It is simply too risky.

• Premature Labor. Premature delivery is usually unplanned but does not preclude home delivery if pregnancy has reached the 37^th week. Very premature delivery, however, requires immediate medical attention and being close to a neonatal intensive care unit is advisable. This was foreseen in my case and I was glad of my decision to deliver in a hospital.

• Overdue Delivery. Many women who are overdue are referred to a hospital to induce labor. Health officials are divided when induction becomes a “must” and can range from 6 days to 2 weeks after the due date. Midwives, however, can also induce labor at home.

• Baby Problems. If it is known beforehand that the baby might have some health or genetic problems, a hospital birth is usually recommended.

But Who Makes the Decision? Please take note that the items in the abovementioned list are only my opinion. According to Homebirth UK, the decision between a home birth and a hospital birth lies on the woman alone. Her doctor or her midwife can only give recommendations. Nobody can force her to deliver in a specific location against her will unless nature takes the decision out of her hands. It is best, though, that she discusses the issue with her partner and together they make an informed decision.

Author: Science-mom

Tags: delivery choices, home birth, hospital birth, safe delivery
Posted in: Pregnancy
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Abortions are nothing new and have been practiced for centuries. In recent times there has been a belief that if properly done, an abortion will not negatively impact subsequent pregnancies. This belief is being reconsidered by recent research.

The Risks Caused by Abortion

The research which was done to investigate the causes of low birth weight babies came up with some surprising results. It was discovered that women who aborted a pregnancy had a greater chance of having babies that were below the normal birth weight. The review of past studies on abortions was conducted by Dr. Prakesh Shah of Canada’s Paediatrics Department at the Mount Sinai Hospital. The results of the research were published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in September.

Low Birth Weight

There was a 35 percent risk of having a low birth weight baby if an abortion was done in the first or second trimester of a previous pregnancy. In fact, having more than one abortion increased the risk of having a low birth weight baby even more. Women who fall into this category had a 72% chance of giving birth to a baby that was below average weight.

A low birth weight baby is generally viewed as an infant weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth regardless of what gestational period the birth occurs. Most low birth weight babies are also premature and tend to be at an increased risk for certain health problems throughout their lives. Fortunately most infants go on to live healthy lives given today’s technology.

Premature Birth

According to Dr. Shah, having an abortion in the first or second trimester increased the risk of premature birth by 36%. Premature birth refers to deliveries that occur by the 37th week of pregnancy. Dr. Shah’s findings are not the first to suggest this link. In 2007, a research team suggested that abortion can result in extreme pre-term birth and cerebral palsy in subsequent pregnancies.

Dr. Shah made his findings on the abortion link between premature birth and low birth weight after reviewing 37 studies published between 1965 and 2001. He concludes that the increased risk of premature birth and low birth weight may be due in part to damage to the cervix during the abortion. This damage Dr. Shah contends was more likely from older methods of performing the abortions. He recommends that women considering ahving an abortion be told about the possible risk to future pregnancies.

Written by: Jessdel27

Tags: abortion, abortion and future pregnancies, low birth weight, premature labor
Posted in: Health, Pregnancy
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Sometimes, due to health or other concerns, labor must be induced, or artificially started. Labor inducement can be a long process and induced labor is slightly different than “regular” labor.

Labor can be induced using a variety of methods. Check with your provider to determine which method they prefer to use. Some practitioners prefer to begin the process in the evening, with the hopes that you can sleep through most of the night. Other practitioners prefer to begin in the morning with labor inducements.

How to Induce Labor

The process can take anywhere from 1-3 days depending upon a variety of factors including your health and the overall well being of the baby. Because of the risks, most women who are induced will need to be regularly monitored. This may mean that you are confined to bed for the majority of the process. For some women, this can be bothersome.

I’ve found that contractions are different during inducements. During naturally occurring labor, I found that I was able to work with the contractions. During my inducements, I felt that the contractions were much more powerful and intense. They were also very close together which made me feel very overwhelmed. I ended up asking for pain medication for some of the inducements; with others I was able to get through the process without pain medication. During one of my inducements, it went so quickly that there simply wasn’t time for pain medicine.

Get Support

Getting support during the process is important. It’s also important that your labor support person is aware that this is an inducement and that he or she is aware of the possible complications which could occur during the process. During my most recent inducement, my husband became so discouraged when I “stalled out” at 3 cm for 6 hours. I found myself encouraging him instead of concentrating on the labor!

Be prepared to be flexible. After 18 hours of labor, it appeared that I would need a c-section to complete the delivery because I just wasn’t progressing in my labor stages. I have to say, I was slightly discouraged. By the time the midwife left to make some final arrangements and came back a short time later to discuss options with my husband and I, I had fully dilated. Our son was delivered shortly thereafter.

My grandmother gave me some sage grandparenting advice 16 years ago before the birth of my first child. When I asked her how she handled the demands of childbirth, she simply replied: I kept my eyes on the prize. I find that “keeping my eyes on the prize” is essential to handling an inducement. Hopefully this advice will help you too!

Tags: c-section, delivery, inducement, labor, medication, midwife
Posted in: Labor & Birth
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My son and his best friend have been bugging us for months, their moms, to arrange a sleep over. The boys are keen, the moms aren’t. “Why not, mom?”, asked the two 6-year olds. “Because you guys are not yet ready for a sleep over.” The thing is, my son is ready but his friend is not. He has what I call “the hidden childhood problem.”

Moms are always ready to share tips with other moms on putting the baby to sleep, getting the baby to eat, even on potty training. As our babies grow older, we are also open to advice on asthma, food allergies, even social behavior. But there is a childhood problem that we tend to keep to ourselves, something that we feel should be kept private. In doctor speak, it’s called nocturnal enuresis. In layman terms, it’s called bedwetting. So why are we so reluctant to talk about bedwetting?

It’s embarrassing. The issue of bedwetting can feel like an embarrassment for both mommy and child. For mommy, some feel it’s an indication of failure as a mother. The question often asked is “what did I do wrong?” For the child, it has a strong social impact – think about sleepovers, slumber parties, and camp.

What causes bedwetting?

Bedwetting is not about laziness to get up and go to the bathroom. It is really about night time bladder control and may be due to a lot of reasons.

• Biological -There are medical explanations for bedwetting and these include dysfunction of the urinary bladder due to delayed maturation, infections, hormonal imbalance. It could also be due to constipation, diabetes, and yes, even genetics. However, biological factors explain only 3% of bedwetting cases.

• Psychological – The large majority of cases of bedwetting are due to psychological stress. Now, parents, before you start being defensive, psychological stress does not necessarily mean (though it includes) major issues like negligence, abuse, personal loss or disruption of family life. It could also be the little issues like a new bedroom, new residence, new school, new teacher, or loss of a security item. Psychological stress big and small can lead to sleep disorders and loss of bladder control.

It’s more common than you think.

If it is any comfort to you, bedwetting is more common than you think. Here’s some statistics from a WebMD article:

• 5 to 7 million children who are potty-trained still wet their beds at night.
• Bedwetting seems to be twice as common among boys as girls.
• 15% of kids aged 5 still wet their beds from time to time.
• 12% of children aged 6 still have this problem.
• 95% of children aged 10 are dry at night.

What can you do about it?

• Check your family history. According to pediatrician Dr. Howard Bennett, author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting, 3 out of 4 kids with bedwetting issues have a first-degree relative who had the same problem as a child. Scientists have even mapped the specific genes involved!

• Do not blame anybody. Unless there are really major family issues involved, bedwetting is nobody’s fault. It is important to communicate to your child that it is not his/her fault. Make sure that your child is aware he or she is not alone in this. It is hard not to be disapproving when you have to change and wash sheets every morning but putting pressure on your child that adds to the stress. And you shouldn’t blame yourself either.

• Be patient. I had a sibling who had this problem and my mom’s attitude was “she’ll outgrow it” and eventually she did.

• Minimize the damage. There are, however, things that you can do to minimize the risks and the damage. Here are some tips on bedwetting “damage control”:
  • Put on disposable diapers on preschoolers at night.
  • Make sure your child goes to the bathroom right before sleeping.
  • Restrict the amount of fluid intake close to bedtime.
  • Use bedwetting alarms that wake up the child.
  • Cover the mattress with a plastic mat.

• Check with a health professional. Dr. Bennet believes that if bedwetting causes anxiety and social problems, then it is best that a health professional be consulted. A doctor can try to pinpoint the possible cause of the problem. There are certain exercises to stretch the bladder and increase its carrying capacity. There may be therapies to ease the psychological stress. Some doctors may even prescribe medications (though I am not really keen on this).

I am ready to give my son up for a night. I myself am ready to take damage control measures in case his best friend comes for a sleepover. My son’s best friend’s mom is embarrassed about her son’s problem and is reluctant to go for it.

What do you think?

Do you think I should push the issue or should I wait?

Tags: bedwetting, bladder control, enuresis
Posted in: Parenting, Potty Training
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During the nine months of your pregnancy, your body will go through many changes. Some will be immediately noticeable, such as an increased body mass index (BMI), but others will not be equally visible, such as the swelling of the eyes. All of these changes are usually part of a normal pregnancy, as your body adapts itself to nourishing the unborn baby.

Swelling During Pregnancy

This affects your eyes too! The fact that your eyes, more specifically the cornea, might thicken, could lead to discomfort for people wearing contact lenses. The reason why your eyes can swell is the same as the reason why your feet and hands might swell too. Hormonal spikes can cause fluctuations in blood and body fluid pressures. You cannot actually predict whether this will happen or not, but usually falls with in the range of normal pregnancy symptoms. However, if you regularly wear contact lenses, you may experience dry and itchy eyes, blurry vision, or slight discomfort when wearing your contacts, to the point where they are so ill-fitting that they may even fall out.

It is recommended that you visit an eye doctor at least two or three times during your pregnancy as he or she can run vision tests to see if the shape of your eyes have changed, and, if so, by how much. After the examination you will get a prescription for new contact lenses that will be of the right optical strength and size.

After you have given birth, your eyes will most likely go back to their original shape, meaning that your old prescription and contact lenses are applicable again.

Here’s what you can do if your eyes have changed shape during your pregnancy.

Get a New Prescription

Simply get a new prescription for contact lenses that you can wear while you are pregnant. Book an appointment at a local eye clinic where they can determine how much your vision has changed and prescribe you lenses that will be custom-fitted. Because it will take some time after pregnancy before your eyes return to normal, you can wear these lenses for quite some time.

Switch to Glasses

The second alternative that you will have is switching to regular glasses. It is important that you visit an eye clinic as the glasses need to have the correct optical power, which, due to the thickening of the cornea, has probably changed as well. If you wish, you could always go back to wearing lenses again after you have given birth as the swelling will most likely go down.

Sources:
Chris O. Imafidon. (1992). Contact Lenses in Pregnancy. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 99, 865¬-868
Park SB et al. (1992). The Effect of Pregnancy on Corneal Curvature, The CLAO Journal, Oct; 18(4), 256-259

Tags: contact lenses, Contact Lenses in Pregnancy, cornea, Corneal Curvature, swelling, Switch to Glasses, vision, wearing glasses
Posted in: Pregnancy
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Some of the treatments for male infertility actually mirror the treatments for female infertility. For instance, in vitro fertilization can be used to weed out the stronger sperm, fertilize the woman’s eggs in an external environment, and then implant them. In vitro fertilization remains the best medical treatment for a couple trying to conceive when male infertility is an issue.

IUI fertilization

Intrauterine insemination, too, is sometimes used for men with poor sperm quality. By implanting “washed” sperm directly into the woman during her ovulation period, IUI has an average pregnancy success rate of between 6 and 25%. Success rates at or above the higher end of this range occur when the sperm count is between 20 to 30 million per ejaculation and are reduced significantly when the count falls below 5 to 10 million.

IUI is typically not successful in cases of:

• Low sperm count

• Low sperm motility

Clomid

In April 2009, the journal Fertility and Sterility published a study that found that men who took Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) along with vitamin E for six months showed an increase in both sperm count and motility. The men in the study had a 37% success rate of impregnating their partners versus men who took a placebo. Those in the placebo group had a 13% success rate. A study by the World Health Organization several years ago did not show a great increase in fertility in men taking Clomid vs a control group taking a placebo, so it appears that the combination of vitamin E and the Clomid hormone makes the difference.

Natural Fertility Treatments

In many cases, natural fertility treatments can be performed at home such as changes in diet, exercise routines and general health will increase a man’s sperm count and motility.

Decrease temperature of sperm

Sperm do not thrive in constant, overly warm temperatures. Therefore, a man trying to conceive should avoid hot tubs, prolonged warm temperatures and heated blankets. Also, avoid sitting with a laptop on your lap for long periods. (Purchasing a cooling fan that fits under the laptop and runs on power from the PC will protect your sperm count and your computer.)

Many medical professionals say the “boxers or briefs” choice makes little difference, but like many natural treatments, switching to boxers while TTC couldn’t hurt.

Lifestyle changes

In general, any lifestyle changes that positively impact a man’s health can also impact his sperm production. Quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, avoiding illegal drugs, keeping your weight in check, and engaging in moderate exercise can all help increase sperm production and energy levels.

Excessive bicycling – for more than three hours a week – on a narrow bicycle seat can lead to reproductive problems. Avid cyclists need not give up their habit, though, as cycling is a healthy lifestyle choice. Simply invest in a wider, cushioned seat, and stand frequently to shift your weight.

Vitamins
Certain vitamin deficiencies can lead to low sperm count and motility. For improved reproductive health, men should take vitamin supplements and eat a diet rich in the following nutrients:

• Zinc

• Vitamin E

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin B12

• Selenium

• Flaxseed oil

You may find a blend of these vitamins in natural fertility supplements designed for men.

Herbs can increase sperm production

As herbal remedies grow in popularity, more reputable companies are introducing herbal supplements. However, herbs have no FDA regulation, and you can’t always determine the potency or reliability of an herbal supplement. Do your research to insure you’re purchasing from a reputable source and you’re not just wasting your money on what are, essentially, sugar pills.

Additionally, take herbs with caution, following the manufacturer’s recommended dosage. As with any medicine or supplement, do not take more than the recommended dose. Pay close attention to your body and stop taking the supplement if you experience any unusual side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about any interactions between herbs or with any prescription drugs.

Popular herbs to improve fertility in men include:

• Ginseng or Panax Ginseng

• Astralagus

• Saw palmetto

Stress Reduction

Coping with infertility can lead to additional stress on top of life’s everyday stressors. A couple trying to conceive can learn methods to cope with stress together. If you recently experienced a major, life-changing event that causes stress, such as a death in your family, job loss, purchasing a home or moving, you may want to cut back on the TTC efforts for a while. In other words, “stop trying,” have sex regularly and only when you feel like it for fun, and wait until the emotional ordeal passes to renew your efforts.

Author: Dawn Allcot

Tags: boxers or briefs, clomid, Clomiphene citrate, in vitro fertilization, infertility, intrauterine insemination, IUI fertilization, IVF, low sperm count, natural fertility treatments, poor sperm quality, reproductive health, reproductive problems, sperm production, trying to conceive, TTC, vitamin deficiencies, vitamins
Posted in: TTC
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Are you pregnant? Often, our body gives us the signs that we are pregnant before that plus sign ever shows up on a pregnancy test. However, many signs of pregnancy could also be symptoms of a medical problem or even just premenstrual syndrome, so it’s important to take that test as soon as a positive result is possible.

Here are some possible signs of pregnancy:

Implantation Bleeding

Implantation bleeding, in women who experience it, is typically the first indication of pregnancy. When the embryo implants into the uterine wall, some blood may be released. However, only about 20 to 30 percent of women experience this bleeding, which is really more like a pink or very light red discharge of blood. Any bleeding that is not your period should be discussed with your doctor.

Delay/Difference in Menstruation

When a woman misses a period, often the first thing she does is take a home pregnancy test. A late or skipped menstrual period is the most well-known symptom of pregnancy. Some women may bleed lightly during pregnancy. If this occurs in the first few weeks, it’s called implantation bleeding and should be very light. Heavy bleeding after a period is late or after a pregnancy test has shown you are pregnant could indicate a miscarriage and you should speak with your doctor.

Other factors may also create an irregular menstrual cycle or a missed period. These include:

• Excessive changes in weight and/or diet

• Hormonal imbalances

• Stress

• Going off birth control pills

• Breastfeeding

• Travel, esp. involving changes in altitude

• Illness

• Antibiotics

Swollen / Tender Breasts

A woman’s breasts may become sore, swollen or tender as early as one or two weeks after conception. However, this is also a sign of PMS so, if you experience swollen breasts, you may want to wait until the first day of your missed period to take a home pregnancy test. You may also experience tender or sore breasts if you have a hormone imbalance or recently started birth control pills or other hormone-based birth control.

Fatigue/Tiredness

Extreme fatigue or even feeling more tired than usual could indicate pregnancy and may begin as early as the first week after conception. However, there are multiple other factors that could make a woman tired, so if this is not accompanied by other symptoms of pregnancy, consider other factors first.

• Are you getting enough sleep?

• Are you under stress?

• Could you have a cold or the flu?

Stress, exhaustion, depression, illnesses, a change in exercise habits or even a change in diet can leave you feeling fatigued.

Nausea/Morning Sickness

This well-known pregnancy symptom will often show up between two and eight weeks after conception, and typically subsides at the start of the second trimester. Some women do not experience morning sickness at all, while some feel a degree of nausea throughout pregnancy. Rule out other causes first, including food poisoning, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach disorders, stress and a stomach flu.

Backaches

Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy, but it may begin at any time during your pregnancy and last until delivery, or come and go based on your level of physical activity and other factors.

Like most pregnancy symptoms, backaches may be caused by a number of other factors, including impending menstruation, stress, back problems, physical injuries such as pulled muscles.

Headaches

The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause headaches early in pregnancy but, since headaches are so prevalent in women and have so many other causes, this is not usually a good indicator of pregnancy unless accompanied by other symptoms. Headaches may be caused by:

• Dehydration

• Caffeine withdrawal

• PMS

• Eye strain

• Stress

• Cold or flu

• Seasonal allergies

• Sinus infection

Frequent Urination

Around six to eight weeks after conception, as the uterus grows and shifts, taking up more room in your abdomen and exerting force on your bladder, you may experience frequent urination. Frequent urination in the absence of other pregnancy symptoms, however, could indicate a problem such as:

• Urinary tract infection

• Bladder infection

• Diabetes

Using diuretics or increasing your liquid intake may also cause more frequent urination.

Darkening of Areolas

If you are pregnant, the skin around your nipples may get darker. This may also be caused by a hormone imbalance not related to pregnancy. Areolas may not return to their original color after childbirth.

Food Cravings

As any pregnant woman – or her husband who hit the convenience store at midnight for ice cream, with or without pickles – can attest, pregnancy food cravings are not a myth. They can last throughout your entire pregnancy, but usually don’t appear until the second trimester or late in the first trimester.

Dieting, PMS, lack of a certain nutrients, stress or depression can also cause food cravings. Click here to read about some strange food cravings experienced by the BOL bloggers.

Enhanced Sense of Smell

For moms-to-be pregnant for the first time, an enhanced sense of smell is often one of the oddest symptoms of pregnancy. This evolutionary trait may have developed to help pregnant women detect – and avoid – spoiled foods before they ate them. It can be embarrassing if you have to leave a room because of someone’s intense body odor or want to gag around people with the scent of third-hand smoke clinging to their bodies.

Mood Swings

It’s not just a myth. All those hormonal changes going on in your body can wreak havoc with your mood, too. Of course, mood swings can also be caused by stress or plain old garden variety PMS. Some women actually experience improved moods – or a more stable mood if they previously suffered from PMS-related mood swings – during pregnancy. Others discover that one or two specific individuals “push their buttons” but that people, as a whole, are easier to tolerate.

Increased Hunger

Doctors recommend that women not gain much weight in the first trimester, but you may feel hungrier than usual. To keep weight in check, maintain a healthy diet and eat lots of foods high in fiber, which are filling and will also help alleviate constipation. Drink a glass of water before every meal, too. Pregnant women shouldn’t need to increase their caloric intake to accommodate the growing fetus until the start of the second trimester, when they should eat approximately 300 extra calories per day. You can also maintain a high level of physical activity in the first trimester, which will help prevent excessive weight gain.

Later Pregnancy Symptoms

Some symptoms – such as a backache or headaches – may begin in the first trimester and persist throughout pregnancy. Others appear later.

Some later symptoms may include:

• Feeling extremely warm / hot flashes

• Varicose veins

• Quickening (fetal movement)

• Shortness of breath

• Stretch marks

• Changes in all areas of your body, including hair, skin and nails

• Blurred vision

• Insomnia

Essentially, “anything goes” when it comes to pregnancy symptoms. If you are concerned about any reactions you’re having or changes to your body, speak with your midwife or obstetrician.

Author: Dawn Allcot

Tags: areolas, backaches, bleeding, breasts, cravings, fatigue, headaches, implantation, menstruation, morning sickness, nausea, pregnancy signs, symptoms, tiredness, urination
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Is it really possible to pre-determine or, more accurately, to select, the gender of your child? Several medical experts say that it is.

These are a few methods currently used for gender selection.

The Ericsson Method – This medical procedure can be pricey, but it is effective about 75% of the time when selecting a boy and about 70% to 72% of the time if the couple is trying for a girl. The use of the fertility drug Clomid increases the odds of bearing a girl if sperm bearing the X chromosome are used for insemination.

The Ericsson Method entails artificial insemination, where the sperm are first separated and those bearing the male (Y) chromosome or bearing the female (X) chromosome only are used to fertilize the eggs, depending on the patient’s choice.

PGD (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) – PGD combines in vitro fertilization with the Ericsson Method of sperm selection, so that only embryos fertilized with sperm bearing either the X or Y chromosome, depending on the patient’s choice, get implanted into the mother. Because the embryos are first fertilized with selected sperm and then checked for gender prior to implantation, this combination yields even higher success rates than the Ericsson Method alone.

If you are using gender selection to avoid passing on gender-related genetic diseases, or if you feel you absolutely could not accept a child of the gender not of your choosing, this medical method has the most proven track record, according to many accounts.

Intercourse -Timed Gender Selection – In the 1970s, two doctors released two different books offering directions on how to conceive a baby with the gender of your choice. In 1971, Dr. Landrum Shettles and David Rorvik wrote “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby,” and revealed that sperm with male (Y) chromosomes move faster than sperm with X (female) chromosomes but do not live as long.

To conceive a boy, have intercourse on the day of ovulation or one day after. To conceive a girl, have sex two to four days prior to ovulation.

Use any number of methods, such as:

• tracking your natural fertility signs such as: basal body temperature, your cervical mucus, and your cervical position

• using an ovulation predictor kit

• using an ovulation tracker/calculator

Shettles offers other tips for tipping the scales when it comes to conceiving a baby boy, too.

• Have sex in a position that encourages deep penetration to deposit the weaker “boy” sperm closer to the cervix

• When a woman orgasms, it changes the pH level in the vagina to be more alkaline, an environment where the Y-chromosome sperm thrive

• Create an alkaline or acidic environment for the sperm by douching with a special solution prior to intercourse

• The prospective father-to-be should drink coffee prior to intercourse

Elizabeth Whelan’s method – outlined in her mid-seventies book “Boy or Girl,” contradicts the Shettles Method. She says that biochemical changes in a woman’s body prior to ovulation make the environment more friendly to Y-chromosome sperm. To conceive a boy, she says, have sex six to four days prior to ovulation, and to have a girl, wait until two or three days prior to ovulation.

Whelan’s technique, however, has lost validity over the years, while many people still rely on the Shettles Method. The Shettles Method, when done correctly, offers a 75% success rate for both genders, making the technique as reliable as medically-assisted methods. The Whelan’s method offers only a 68% success rate for boys and 56% for girls; only 6% higher than the natural 50% odds of having a girl without doing anything prior to or during conception to influence the gender.

GenSelect Gender Selection Kit – Kits such as the Genselect Gender Selection Kit also consider the pH level of the vagina, and offer special douching solutions to create an acidic or alkaline environment, friendly to x- or y-chromosome sperm, respectively.

This kit, which touts a 96% success rate, combines intercourse timing with diet and all-natural nutriceutical supplements with douches to adjust the acidity of the vagina.

Diet – A recent study suggests that women who eat a high-calorie diet tend to conceive boys more frequently – specifically, in a sampling of 740 women, 56% of the women who ate a diet high in carbohydrates and who consumed more calories conceived a boy, compared with 45% who ate a lower calorie diet. Additionally, starting the day with a bowl of cereal increased the odds of having a boy. 59% of women who ate cereal daily had boys, compared to 43% who ate cereal less frequently than once a week.

Experts attribute the increase in males conceived by women who eat a healthier, heartier diet to an increase in blood sugar levels. Also, the study seems to lend credence to the old belief that a diet high in salt increases the odds of conceiving a boy. In the study sample, a higher intake of sodium, potassium and calcium seemed to favor conceiving a boy.

It’s important to note, however, that a change in diet alone only increased the odds by a mere 9% (at best) over the natural 50-50 chance of having a boy.

Many people view the ideal family as “one boy, one girl.” And parents with two children of the same gender often get the question “Are you going to try for a boy/girl?”

These ideas may help you conceive your gender of choice. But let’s be honest: When all is said and done, most people don’t really care whether they have a boy or girl, so long as the baby is healthy. Even if you are hoping against hope for one or the other, as soon as you see that wonderful baby you created, the gender probably won’t matter.

Author: Dawn Allcot

Tags: conceive a boy, conceive a girl, diet, douche, Elizabeth Whelan, Ericsson Method, gender prediction, gender selection, Gender Selection Kit, ovulation, PGD, TTC
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If you have been trying to get pregnant without success for more than a year, or for more than six months if you are over the age of 35, it may be time to visit a fertility specialist.

Before you see a doctor, however, make sure you have done everything in your power to get pregnant.

• Are you tracking your menstrual cycles and using some method to ensure you are having sex at or around your time of ovulation?
• Does an ovulation predictor kit show that you are ovulating normally?

If this is the case, a fertility specialist should be able to help you pin down the reason you have not been able to conceive and discuss methods that will help you conceive or make a pregnancy possible. Statistics show that 85 percent of all infertility cases are curable.

Testing for Him

The doctor first will take down your medical history. Testing typically begins with the male, because his test involves a simple semen analysis. The analysis will look for sperm count, healthy movement of the sperm, and the shape and maturity of the sperm cells to determine the quality. The semen’s consistency and volume will be analyzed – approximately one teaspoon is considered normal. The pH balance will be tested – it should be slightly alkaline to survive in the environment of the cervix.

If the test results show abnormalities, a doctor specializing in male infertility will repeat the exam two times over the next three months. Many different factors – from a fever or illness to sexually transmitted diseases – can affect sperm count. Additionally, intense physical activity – and especially bicycle riding – can reduce sperm count, as can high temperatures, such as those experienced in a hot tub. Even wearing briefs instead of boxers can create a warm environment in the testes that can lower sperm count.

If the next two exams bring abnormal results, your partner will be referred to a urologist, who will perform the following tests:

• A sperm antibody test

• Hormonal blood tests

• Testicular biopies to determine if he is sterile

• Vasography which checks for any obstructions

• Fructose test

• Bovine cervical mucus test which checks the sperm’s ability to penetrate cervical mucus from cows

• Hamster egg test which determines sperm penetration strength. This test is important, because if his sperm can’t penetrate the egg, in vitro fertilization will not be successful.

Testing for Her

If your partner’s semen analysis results are normal, or if all of the tests performed by the urologist show no problems, testing begins for you. A gynecologist specializing in reproductive endocrinology can take you through this stage of fertility testing.

The doctor will first view both of your charts and review your medical history, paying particular attention to past surgeries such as appendicitis, myomectomies or fibroid surgery, and any STDs on record. He will ask about your menstrual cycle – if you’ve ever had irregular periods, etc., and he will ask about your contraceptive history. He will then conduct interviews with both of you, either together or separately.

He will ask you both questions about previous pregnancies and their outcomes, as well as how long you’ve been trying to get pregnant. He will also ask many lifestyle questions including:

• Frequency of sex

• Do you use any recreational drugs?

• Do you smoke?

• How often do you drink alcohol?

• How healthy is your diet?

• Do you exercise regularly? How often and what activities?

• Have you experienced any stressful events recently, such as a death or new job?

It may be tempting to lie when you answer some of these questions but your honest answers will help your doctor discover the cause of your infertility and make changes that will help you get pregnant.

Your exam includes a complete physical, including an internal, when the doctor will examine your ovaries for signs of problems such as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis, and PID. An ultrasound may be performed to check the condition of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Additionally, blood work will be done or scheduled to check reproductive and thyroid hormone levels and to test for STDs.

A visit to a fertility specialist can be a stressful experience, but knowing what to expect and being prepared can help alleviate some of your concerns, as well as make your visit go smoothly.

How can you prepare?

• Bring a list of questions you and your partner want to ask

• Be prepared with your families’ medical histories and your own medical histories

• Be prepared with information about your menstrual cycle, including ovulation dates from charting your cycle for at least three months.

Author: Dawn Allcot

Tags: Bovine cervical mucus test, doctors office, endometriosis, female infertility, fertility specialist, Fructose test, Hamster egg test, infertility, male infertility, PCOS, PID, sperm, sperm cells, STD, Testicular biopies, trying to get pregnant, TTC, Vasography
Posted in: TTC
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