The reasons given for children being left in hot cars range from parents forgetting that the babies were there to children playing around and getting accidentally locked in. Statistics from the Department of Geosciences at the San Francisco State University Web site indicate that from 1998-2007, 51 percent of deaths resulting from being locked inside a hot car occurred because the caregiver forgot the child; 30 percent resulted from children playing in a car unsupervised; 18 percent were due to adults knowingly leaving the child in the vehicle. Many adults tend to leave a child in a vehicle to run an errand which they figure shouldn’t take long.

How to Improve Car Safety

Although accidents do happen, as parents there is a lot we can do to try and minimize them. These pointers can go a long way in avoiding having to deal with the death of a child due to suffocation in a hot vehicle:

• Don’t leave car keys where small children and reach them and get into the car
• Do not leave your car doors open when at you are at home
• Place a reminder on your dashboard that you have a child in the backseat, especially if you are not normally the one taking children to daycare etc. Make sure that it is big enough to be easily seen.
• If you fear you may forget that you have a baby or toddler in the car, set an alarm on your phone or PDA to remind you
• Ask someone to call you and remind you to drop the child off if necessary
• Get cars with or install a trunk release latch on car trunks; this will prevent children accidentally locking themselves into the trunk and being unable to get out
• Make getting children out of the car the first priority when you reach your destination
• Tell children not to get into a car while playing without an adult being aware

While some of these tips may seem trite now, they can save a life and help you avoid prison and the loss of a beloved child.

The placenta is created during the first trimester but is not fully functional until the second trimester when it takes over all the nutrient production and waste management for the baby. The placenta is both genetically and biologically composed of two equal parts from the fetus and the mother. It is connected to the uterine wall and connected to the baby through the umbilical cord. It receives nutrients and oxygen and filters out any waste from the mother’s blood before delivering the blood to the baby via the umbilical cord.

Until the placenta takes over, a woman naturally produces progesterone to keep the baby viable. As soon as the placenta takes over it starts creating its own progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. After delivery of the placenta the cord is clamped near the baby and cut off permanently disconnecting the baby from the placenta. The entrance of the umbilical cord into the baby’s body later becomes the baby’s belly button.

Some cultures practice placentophagy which is the eating of the placenta. Those who do this believe that eating the placenta helps prevent postpartum depression and other complications. However, modern doctors and midwives do not believe that eating the placenta will actually help reduce the occurrence of postpartum depression.

In some pregnancies, placenta previa can occur. Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta covers at least part of the cervix, which is the opening that the baby will come through when born vaginally. This happens in about one of every 200 pregnancies. There are 3 types of placenta previa.

• Complete
  Complete placenta previa is the placenta covering the entire cervix. This can cause bleeding throughout the pregnancy, growth retardation and congenital defects in baby. It will also mean that a woman will need a c-section when it comes time to deliver her baby.
   
• Partial
  Partial placenta previa is a partial covering of cervix is covered. This can be anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 of the cervix. This can also cause bleeding and may lead to a c-section.
   
• Marginal
  Marginal placenta previa occurs when just a small portion, or just the edge of the cervix, is covered. In this case, as the pregnancy progresses, the placenta will generally move up and out of the way, allowing a clear passage for the baby to be born vaginally.

If you experience bleeding during your pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of any bleeding being caused by placenta previa.

One minute you hear that eating fish is good for your heart. The next, you find out that eating certain types of fish can be harmful.

Actually, there are benefits and risks to eating fish. Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain high-quality protein, other essential nutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids, and fish are low in saturated fat. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to a healthy heart and to healthy, well-developed children.

However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of methylmercury, a type of mercury found in water that can be harmful, especially to unborn babies and young children whose nervous systems are still developing. Some types of fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury. The risks depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the seafood.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through a joint consumer advisory, warn that women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should avoid the types of fish and shellfish with higher levels of mercury and eat only those that have lower levels.

Here’s more information about the mercury in fish and shellfish, and what you should know.

Q. What is mercury and methylmercury?

A. Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and also can be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans. Bacteria in the water cause chemical changes that transform the mercury into methylmercury. It is this type of mercury that can be harmful to unborn babies and young children. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters. Methylmercury builds up in the tissue of some types of fish and shellfish more than others depending on what the fish eat. That’s why levels vary among species and locations.

Q. Should a woman who is not pregnant, but could become pregnant, be concerned about methylmercury?

A. Yes. If you regularly eat types of fish high in methylmercury, the substance can accumulate in your blood over time. Methylmercury is removed from the body naturally, but it may take more than a year for the levels to drop significantly. Therefore, it may be present in a woman even before she becomes pregnant. That is why women who are trying to become pregnant also should avoid eating certain types of fish.

Q. Do all fish and shellfish contain methylmercury?

A. Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of methylmercury. However, larger fish that have lived longer have the highest levels of methylmercury because it has accumulated over time. Large fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish pose the greatest risk. Other types of fish and shellfish may be eaten in the amounts recommended by the FDA and EPA.

Q. Where can I get information about the types of fish I eat?

A. Information about the levels of methylmercury in the various types of fish you eat can be found at the FDA food safety Web site: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html or the EPA Web site at www.epa.gov/ost/fish.

Q. Should I be concerned about fish sticks and fast food sandwiches that are made with fish?

A. Fish sticks and fast food sandwiches are commonly made from fish low in mercury.

Q. Although advice is provided about canned tuna, what is the advice about tuna steaks?

A. Because tuna steak generally contains higher levels of mercury than canned light tuna, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces of tuna steak per week.

Q. What will happen if I eat more than the recommended amount of fish and shellfish in a week?

A. One week’s consumption of fish does not change the level of mercury in the body much. If you eat a lot of fish one week, you can cut back for the next week or two. Just make sure to average the recommended amount per week.

Q. Where can I get information about the safety of fish caught recreationally in lakes, streams, and rivers?

A. Before you go fishing, check the appropriate fishing regulations booklet for information about recreationally caught fish. You can also contact your local health department for information about advisories in your area. Check local advisories because some kinds of fish and shellfish caught in local waters may have widely varying levels of mercury, depending on the levels of mercury in the water. Fish with much lower levels may be eaten more frequently and in larger amounts.

Recommendations for Selecting and Eating Fish or Shellfish

Women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury by following these recommendations:

Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. Eat up to 12 ounces, two average meals, a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Albacore (white) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. When choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces, one average meal, of albacore tuna per week. Check to see if advisories exist concerning the safety of fish caught in local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week. Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions.

What Are Round Ligaments?

The round ligaments are the bands of tough fibrous tissue that support your muscles and organs.  They expand and grow to help support your uterus as it gets bigger. As these ligaments stretch, some women find it painful and are concerned. Most doctors and midwives will reassure you that these  pains are a normal part of pregnancy.

During the third trimester this pain can increase as your uterus grows even bigger and the ligaments have to stretch more to support the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta and extra blood that your body is carrying in your belly. There are things you can do to reduce the discomfort.

How to Ease the Pain

• Rest – Especially after extensive exercise.

• Change Positions – If you are sitting when the pain sets in, try standing. If standing already, try bending or stretching.

• Walking – Walking around after experiencing a ligament pain can also help.

• Heat – Applying a heating pad on low can also make a difference. A warm bath or shower can have the same effect. Just be careful to not to over do it. Excessive heat is not healthy to your pregnancy and things like hot tubs or extremely hot water should be avoided.

• Medication – If the pain is so great that you are losing a lot of sleep you may ask your doctor or midwife if Tylenol can be safely taken to reduce the discomfort.

• Rubbing – Good old fashioned rubbing. We all tend to rub an area we are feeling discomfort in whether dealing with ligament pain or not. Rubbing the tender area can actually help in this case.

Be Sure It’s Not Something More Serious

Round Ligament pain should get better with time and come in spurts. If instead the discomfort you are experiencing only gets worse and worse, this could be a sign of something more serious. Common things that can at first appear to be ligament pain can actually be:

• Appendicitis – The pain experienced by appendicitis will originate from your lower right abdomen and is typically followed by fever, nausea, and vomiting. Appendicitis is reported in 1 out of 2000 women and should not be taken lightly. If you suspect you have appendicitis seek medical attention immediately.

• Kidney Stones – If blood turns up in your urine after experiencing abdominal pain you could be passing a kidney stone.

• Ovarian Cysts or an ectopic pregnancy could be the cause of sharp abdominal pains, but this is more common in the first trimester.

Some women are concerned because they don’t have symptoms of round ligament pain, or they don’t seem to suffer from it as much as other women. Not every woman will experience a large amount of pain. Generally, in a first pregnancy, the pain won’t start as early or be as severe as it is in a woman’s second, third and subsequent pregnancies. This is normal and to be expected.

After you deliver the baby, remember that your body has “memory” so after your pregnancy is over, and as your belly shrinks and your body returns to normal, these round ligaments will return to their former, pre-pregnancy shape and size. This shrinking may also cause some pain, but it shouldn’t be as severe as when the ligaments originally stretched to make room for your baby.

What methods helped you deal with the discomfort of Round Ligament Pain?

When the mother has a negative Rhesus factor and the father has a positive Rhesus factor, it can result in a fetus that is positive Rh factor. Even though the blood systems of the mother and baby are separate while the baby is in the womb, there are times when the baby’s blood can enter the mother’s body. When this happens it can cause the mother’s negative Rh factor blood to naturally create antibodies against the baby’s positive Rh factor blood. This results in the body to treating the baby as it would an infection in the mother’s body, instead of the body recognizing that the baby is supposed to be there.

When the mother and baby have opposite RH factor blood, the mother will become sensitized and her body will begin making antibodies which will attack the baby’s positive Rh positive factor blood, causing the breakdown of red blood cells in the baby which can lead to anemia. In severe cases where this happens while the baby is growing in the womb, it can lead to illness, brain damage and even death of the fetus.

The good news is that, through early blood tests, the dangers of the Rh negative factor in women can be prevented. If a woman is found to have RH negative and the father to be RH positive, the woman can be given a shot of Rh immunoglobulin which is a blood product given through an injection, normally in the buttocks of a woman. The injection suppresses the ability of the woman’s blood to react to the Rh positive red blood cells coming from the baby.

Each shot of immunoglobulin, also known as Rhogam, lasts about 12 weeks. Some doctors will choose to give two shots, one at the beginning of the second trimester and one at the beginning of the third, at about 28 weeks. When the baby is born, if it is indeed has the Rh positive, the mother will be given another shot of Rhogam to help avoid the possibility of her body becoming sensitized to the Rh positive factor in later pregnancies.

Most women will test as Rh Positive, at which point there is no threat to the pregnancy. However, some women will test as Rh negative. If your blood work comes back showing that you are Rh negative, your doctor or midwife will mention it to you. However, if you have questions or are unsure if you fall into this group of women, make sure you ask your provider for the results of your blood work at your next appointment.

So what causes the discharge? As your waistline expands, and your hormones change new blood circulation in the vaginal area causes the increase in discharge known as leukorrhea. It shouldn’t smell, and it is normal. It is your body’s way of flushing out bacteria that could harm you or your baby.

There is something you can do though about the discomfort that this vaginal discharge may cause you. Changing your clothes often and wearing panty liners or maxi pads will help keep the wetness down. Douching will not help get rid of the discharge, and it could also introduce bacteria to your uterus, so you shouldn’t douche at all while pregnant.

During the third trimester, towards the end of your pregnancy, you may notice an increase in the amount and consistency of the discharge. Where it once was thin, it might be getting thicker and may be tinted with blood. This discharge is known as your mucus plug and your body expelling the plug signifies that labor is a few weeks away.

Anytime you have discharge during pregnancy that is colored, heavier or thicker than normal you should see your doctor. In some rare cases it could be a sign of vaginal infection or a problem with your pregnancy. Problems could include a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or a STD. In most of these cases there are preventative measures that your doctor or midwife can do to solve any problems you may be having.

As always, if you have any fear that your discharge is not normal, or if you have any questions, ask your provider. It is their job to answer your questions and to reassure you that everything is going normally with your pregnancy.

A glazed doughnut or a wedge of apple pie might be what we choose for a mid-morning munch. Unfortunately, these snacks contain refined sugar that is not only bad for your teeth and gums, but also for your pregnancy. Sugar, sometimes disguised as sucrose, dextrose, or glucose, provides empty calories, adds weight, and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.

We Americans eat entirely too much sugar — almost 7 tablespoons per person per day. Depending on who’s doing the research, that could be anywhere from 64 to 150 pounds per year. These “empty” spoonfuls contribute no nutrition or fiber and crowd out nutritious fare from your diet. In the presence of certain bacteria in the mouth, sugar leads to the production of toxic bacterial byproducts that are very acidic. These toxins, if allowed to sit on the enamel of your teeth, cause caries (cavities). If not removed properly from along the gum line and in between the teeth, they irritate the gums and will ultimately erode the supporting bone that anchors the teeth in the mouth. A mother-to-be is more susceptible to dental problems due to the excessive hormones circulating in her system. According to the Surgeon General’s report in 2000, “toxins or other products generated by periodontal (around the teeth) bacteria in the mother may reach the general circulation, cross the placenta, and harm the fetus.” Pregnant women with severe gum infections are seven times more prone to having a baby that is premature. Prevention and early diagnosis of dental decay and gingivitis (swollen, tender gums) are important for your health as well as your baby’s. So, what can you do about assuring good nutrition and oral health during pregnancy? Here are three tips from my book, Pregnancy and Oral Health that will make a difference right away:

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Here is a list of healthy snack ideas to replace those quick, convenient, sugary ones that contribute to dental decay:

• Yogurt with fresh fruit
• Unprocessed cheese
• Brown Rice, whole grain bagels, whole wheat toast, or bran muffins with cream cheese, peanut butter, or fruit spread
• Homemade frozen popsicles, using one 6oz. can frozen concentrated juice mixed with a small container (6-8 oz) of plain yogurt. I used to give these to my son when he was teething. They were yummy for both of us!
• Baked apples or other baked or stewed fruit
• Fresh fruit (Choose from a range of colors to ensure variety of nutrients and vitamins)
• Fruit smoothies, homemade, using yogurt and banana as your base. Add other fruit and flavorings with ice to make a delicious drink
• Unsweetened whole grain cereals with yogurt and fresh fruit.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Celery with peanut butter (my personal favorite).
• Raw carrot sticks, cucumber slices, green pepper wedges — or any fresh vegetables, for that matter. Serve with a dip made from ground garbanzo beans (hummus), yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese with herbs.

When you indulge:

When you do indulge in a sugary treat, it is better to do it all in one sitting rather than to sip on a soda or take tiny bites of sweet things all day long. (One soda has on the average of 12 teaspoons of sugar). Eating tiny bursts of sweets throughout your day is more injurious to your oral health since every time you introduce sugar into your mouth, the bacteria are nourished for about 20 minutes.

Brushing or swishing:

Brush as quickly as possible after eating or drinking anything with a high content of sugar. If that is not possible, I recommend taking a swig of water, swishing it around your mouth and swallowing. By keeping these residues at a very low level, you reduce the nutrients that many plaque-forming bacteria depend on for their growth and survival.

About the Author
Sheila Wolf, affectionately known to her patients and colleagues as Mama Gums, has been a dental hygienist for 32 years, educating and motivating people on both coasts to take control of their oral health. You can read more about the critical link between a healthy mouth and a healthy baby at her website, www.mamagums.com and in her book, Pregnancy and Oral Health: The Critical Connection Between Your Mouth and Your Baby, available through bookstores in June 2004 and on www.Amazon.com. Sheila invites questions and can be reached at 866 MAMA-GUMs or through her website.

The amniotic fluid is the clear, slightly yellowish fluid within the amniotic sac that surrounds the baby in the uterus. The baby grows in this amniotic sac, surrounded by the amniotic fluid, as he learns to move his limbs, open his eyes and breathe. Amniotic fluid levels generally sit at approximately 800ml through most of the pregnancy, dropping slightly in most cases to about 600ml by the time a woman reaches the 40 week mark.

The amniotic fluid has many purposes. It helps to cushion hard blows and jolts to your belly to protect the baby and it allows your baby the freedom to move while permitting symmetrical musculoskeletal development. It also maintains an even temperature so that your baby does not get too hot or too cold, even if you are extremely hot or cold.

Amniotic fluid also helps your baby develop his lungs. While in the womb your baby practices breathing by breathing in and out the water in the amniotic sac. The baby swallows and inhales the amniotic fluid and replaces the volume in the amniotic sac by urinating and exhaling the liquid.

In some cases, a woman may have too much or too little amniotic fluid. Having too much is called polyhydramnios and having too little is called oligohydramnios. In either case, a woman might be watched more closely by her physician throughout her pregnancy.

Well, yes and no. The thing is, what I was carrying at that time were my prenatal vitamins. I never took any vitamin pills before I got pregnant. My diet sufficiently provided all the nutrients and minerals I needed. But pregnancy changed all that. After all, my body was carrying and nurturing another body (in my case two bodies since I was carrying twins) and I needed all the help I could get it terms of vitamin supplements. This would ensure that the baby(ies) get all they needed to develop and grow normally without starving mommy in the process.

What Are The Prenatal Vitamins We Need?

According to the recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, we need higher doses of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. Most of these we can get in a proper healthy diet while avoiding certain foods, but sometimes we need extra supplementation for others.

Those vitamins that are sufficiently available from our daily diet, thus not routinely recommended for supplementation during pregnancy are:

• Vitamin A, available from green leafy and yellow-orange vegetables

• Vitamin B-1 or thiamine, available from milk and whole grains. Vitamin B-2

• Vitamin B-2 or riboflavin, available from green vegetables, dairy products, eggs and fish.

• Vitamin B-6, available from most vegetables you eat

• Vitamin B-12, available from animal proteins

• Vitamin C or ascorbic acid, available from fruits and vegetables

• Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin, available from exposure to sun and vitamin-D-fortified milk

• Vitamin E, available from animal fats and proteins

• Vitamin K, available from green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, dairy products, and eggs

• Niacin, available from poultry, fish, and nuts

Some vitamins and minerals are not sufficiently available in our daily diet for many reasons. Thus, in order to ensure the well-being of both mom and baby, supplementation is recommended.

Most Commonly Prescribed Prenatal Vitamin Supplements

• Folic acid/folate is available in vegetables and grains but in small amounts. In the US and many countries, flour is fortified with folate, the synthetic version of folic acid. However, even this fortification is not sufficient for pregnant women, thus folic acid supplement is highly recommended during pregnancy. Folic acid deficiency has been linked to neural tube defects in fetus (e.g. spina bifida) and to maternal megaloblastic anemia. If you are planning to get pregnant, taking folate supplements in advance is advisable. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folate supplement for pregnant women is 0.6 mg. In women who had a previous child with neural tube defects, the RDA may even be increased up to 10 mg.

• Iron is available in our daily food but the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is rather inefficient. Iron is essential for the production of hemoglobin that enables our blood to transport oxygen. In a pregnant woman, hemoglobin is very important in supplying blood to the placenta and the fetal tissues. Iron deficiency anemia is a common complaint during pregnancy. Thus, iron supplementation is highly recommended, with an RDA of 30 mg.

• Calcium is essential in the synthesis of bones. It is not surprising that as the baby grows in the uterus, the calcium requirement of the mother also increases. The RDA for calcium in pregnant women is 1200 mg.

I remember that I took my vitamin supplements each separately. However, nowadays, there are certain formulations which put the needed nutrients (and then some) in one multivitamin pill. According emedicine WebMD, the standard prenatal vitamin pill should contain the following:

• Iron – 30 mg

• Zinc – 15 mg

• Calcium – 250 mg

• Vitamin B-6 – 2 mg

• Folate – 0.4 mg

• Vitamin C – 50 mg

• Vitamin D – 5 mcg

The formulations, however, can vary and in some cases and may be customized to a woman’s specific nutritional needs. The following situations, for example, require special supplementation considerations.

When Special Supplementation May Be Needed

• Vegetarian diet – When a woman is vegetarian or vegan, then she would need supplementation of vitamins the she can only get from animal fats and proteins (e.g. Vitamins B12 and E).

• Lactose intolerance – Women who are lactose intolerant and therefore cannot drink milk or eat dairy products may need extra calcium supplementation.

• Cultural and behavioral considerations – In some countries, women may have minimal exposure to the sun, e.g. women in Muslim countries wearing the veil, or those intentionally avoid the sun for aesthetic or medical reasons. In such cases, pregnant women are usually prescribed vitamin D supplements.In developed countries, some women, especially the very young, might have the fear of having the so-called “baby fat” during pregnancy and would therefore try to cut down on their food intake. In these cases, obstetricians as well as family members should watch out for eating disorders to make sure the baby is not starved.

Multiple Pregnancies

Multiple growing babies require more vitamins and minerals than just one. I remember that when I was carrying my twins, my doctor had to increase my supplementation at a certain point. Folate and iron supplements may be increased and Vitamin B-6 supplement may be prescribed.

For more info about prenatal vitamins, check out:

• Prenatal Nutrition from WebMD

• Prenatal Vitamins: American Pregnancy Association

• Nutrition During Pregnancy: ACOG Education Pamphlet AP001 — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The danger in eating fish comes from ingesting too much mercury during pregnancy. Some studies, including a recent one done in Korea, conclude that high levels of mercury in a woman’s blood stream during pregnancy can be transferred to her unborn baby through the umbilical cord, causing birth defects, and in some cases, premature birth. In fact, women with high levels of mercury found in the cord blood are 3-5 times more likely to deliver a baby prematurely, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy, than women without mercury in their cord blood.

However, many experts disagree if the warning about eating fish includes ALL fish, or if certain types of fish are okay to eat occasionally during pregnancy. Some believe that salmon and other small fish are okay to eat during pregnancy while all bigger fish like tuna, swordfish, mackerel and shark should be avoided. The study in Korea concluded that “woman who never had fish during pregnancy had 4.6 micrograms of mercury per 1 liter of blood, while the mercury level of women who consumed fish more than four times per week had an average mercury level of 8.3 micrograms” although it never stated what type of fish the women ate, or commented on what kinds were considered safe during pregnancy.

Mercury risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies can also be found in other places too. There are also dental procedures that involve the use of amalgams that can put an unborn baby at risk. A dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent of the compound. Mercury is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard, and durable filling that is used to fill cavities in your teeth. Because of the high amount of mercury, it is suggested that you not get fillings during pregnancy unless absolutely necessary, and that if you have to get fillings, that you try to avoid getting more than three until after your baby is born.

Many people don’t realize it, but there is actually a large percentage of mercury in the air that we breathe in daily in many parts of the world. Air pollution makes it very hard to steer clear of mercury and more effort may be needed in staying away from all fish and avoiding the dentist’s office during pregnancy, Take as many precautions as you can when it comes to mercury, in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, and to help avoid a premature delivery of your baby.

Stretch marks first show up during puberty, and both girls and boys get them. They are caused by rapid gain weight or growth in an area of your body. Collagen, a protein that is partly responsible for skin strength and elasticity is stretched quickly and often leaves scars that are called stretch marks. People who are obese and weight lifters often have stretch marks as well.

Pregnancy is a very common time for a woman to get stretch marks. If she doesn’t have them already on her breasts, they can often pop up because of the rapid increase of growth and fatty tissue that develops as a woman’s breasts prepare to breastfeed her baby. However, a woman’s stomach is the most common place for stretch marks to appear during pregnancy.

Stretch marks generally show up during the third trimester when a woman’s belly begins to rapidly get bigger. During the third trimester the baby is gaining most of his weight, and it is then that he grows at the fastest rate during the pregnancy.

There are several products on the market for pregnant women to use to help avoid getting stretch marks, and to help them go away after your pregnancy is over. Some women swear by them, while others claim that they don’t work. In reality, whether or not you get stretch marks is determined by how much elasticity you have in your skin. If you have a lot of elasticity, you probably will not get stretch marks, or they will at least not be severe.

Stretch marks cannot be remedied gotten rid of by a simple cream. While they may start out a pink or purplish color, they will eventually fade to match the color of your skin, like other scars do. Some people will use artificial tanning sprays and lotions to help make them less noticeable. If your stretch marks really bother you, visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to see what options they can make available to you.

If you are lucky you will never get a stretch mark. However, if you do, remember that you are not alone and that most women in the world are just like you and have stretch marks too.

It is important that you remember that weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy. You have to gain weight in order to provide a healthy and comfortable home for the child that you will be nurturing for the next nine months.

Most women want to know what the ideal weight is during pregnancy. Honestly, there is no one answer. Weight gain will vary from woman to woman. There is no one “ideal” weight during pregnancy, just like there is no one “ideal” weight that is just right for al women.

That said there are certain guidelines that you can follow to ensure that the weight you gain during pregnancy is healthy.