Once you get pregnant you may feel like you are never getting out of the bathroom. Almost immediately in your first trimester you will have the unmistakable urge to sit on the toilet all day and empty your bladder. Even at night, while you are trying to sleep, you may be woken up several times by your body telling you it is time to visit the bathroom. This can be frustrating and tiresome for pregnant women who are already not getting enough sleep from either excitement or morning sickness.

But why does it happen? Your uterus is not that big to begin with. Once the egg implants in the uterus, the uterus starts to grow and to expand in order to make room for that egg that is going to be multiplying in size rapidly to grow for the next few months. As the uterus grows it pushes down on the bladder causing the frequent urges to pee. This can be made even more frequent if you increase your water and fluid intake once you find out you are pregnant, as is recommended by your provider.

Once you get into the second trimester, the early growth of the baby and uterus slow down some, and your bladder and body readjust to the lack of as much room, the urge to go to the bathroom will probably slow down. You will feel more like your old self. But be prepared, it is only temporary.

By the time the third trimester starts, your baby’s organs and limbs are all formed. All that is left for your baby now is to get stronger and grow bigger so that they can survive outside of the womb. Most of the weight your baby will gain will be gained during the third trimester. Because of this your uterus begins to grow quickly again, putting more pressure on your bladder. The weight of the baby also puts more pressure on your bladder, causing it to scream out to you more often.

Probably one of the most frustrating parts of this is the urge to pee, without being able to go. During the third trimester you may often feel like you have to go NOW, and if you don’t get to a bathroom, that you will not be able to hold it. However, once you get to the toilet you sit there and as hard as you try, nothing comes. When something finally does come, it is just a little trickle, making you wonder why you had to race to the bathroom. After all, it has only been 10 minutes since you went the last time.

You may also find that you are waking up more often during the night again to pee, making an already uncomfortable and broken night of sleep, that much more impossible. Thankfully, pregnancy only lasts 9 months, so there is an end in site. Eventually you will be back to your old self, not visiting the bathrooms as much, and only waking because the baby is crying next to you.

Most of the time during pregnancy, nature will take its course and your baby will eventually turn to where he is head down and waiting to drop into the pelvis and make his descent into the world. Occasionally however, a baby will remain in the head up position where his head is near your ribs and his butt is at the top of your pelvis. This is called breech presentation, often referred to simply as your baby being breech.

Several things can lead to your baby being breech. Most of the time it just happens, and there is no medical reason for it. It can happen with twins or other pregnancies with multiples as there isn’t enough room in the uterus all the time for the babies to flip around. It can also happen if there is a smaller than normal amount of amniotic fluid, a short umbilical cord, or other uterine abnormalities. If your baby has a congenital defect he is more likely to be breech as well.

Less than 5% of babies are breech when a full term labor begins. Premature babies are more likely to be breech as they have not had enough time to turn around. At 28 weeks of pregnancy 25% of babies are still in the breech position. It is the weight of the babies head that draws on the gravity to pull your baby to a head down position, and therefore the percentage of breech babies goes down drastically as the baby gets bigger and the end of pregnancy nears.

There are actually four different versions of breech presentation in babies. They include:

• Frank Breech where your baby comes out bottom first and the feet are up by your babies ears
• Complete Breech where your baby is sitting cross-legged and comes out bottom first
• Footling Breech where your baby’s bottom is higher in the uterus, but his feet are at the opening of the pelvic bone, set to come out first
• Kneeling Breech where your baby is in a kneeling position at the top of the pelvic bone

Frank Breech is the most common way a breech baby will be presented. Both the Footling Breech and the Kneeling Breech are very rare positions.

Many couples will prefer the doctor or midwife to try an external method of tuning the baby from the outside prior to labor beginning. This is done in the hospital and generally the baby is monitored on your baby to make sure he does not experience fetal distress.

If the baby cannot be turned, or the couple chooses to not try turning the baby, then a c-section will often be scheduled in order to deliver a breech baby. There are risks to delivering a full term breech baby, Including a prolapsed umbilical cord, oxygen deprivation, the baby’s head getting stuck since the bottom is softer and may not dilate the cervix as much as it should, as well as possible injury to the baby’s brain and skull. Because of these risks, doctors will generally not agree to do vaginal breech births, and will instead insist on delivering the baby by c-section as it is safer for both the mother and the baby.

During pregnancy, your body creates a temporary organ called the placenta. The placenta is necessary during pregnancy in order for your baby to grow and be healthy. After the birth of your baby, your doctor or midwife will also have you deliver the placenta, as it is no longer needed.

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 of the first tests that your doctor or midwife will do early in the first trimester, is to check blood iron levels. This test is generally run again during the second trimester to determine that iron levels are staying normal during the pregnancy.

Low iron levels in pregnancy are a common problem for women of childbearing age across the world. Many times if a woman’s iron levels are low, her doctor or midwife will prescribe an iron supplement for her to take during pregnancy.

There have been some studies done over the past few years which suggest that low iron levels in a mother during pregnancy can affect the child’s mental development in negative ways. Children who are born to anemic mothers tend to score lower on a series of tests given to them, than the children who were born to mothers that had normal or high iron levels in their blood.

Besides the iron suppllement pills, a woman can eat more foods that are naturally high in iron during her pregnancy in order to increase the iron levels. Foods high in iron include meats, egg yolks, dried beans or peas, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and grains.

If you are trying to get pregnant and have low iron levels, or are afraid that you will have low iron levels, there are things you can do prior to pregnancy to try to increase your iron. If you are planning on getting pregnant, you should start taking prenatal pills immediately, versus waiting till you are already pregnant. Also, start eating more iron-rich foods, remembering that foods coming from animals (the meat and eggs) have higher levels of iron in them than the foods coming from vegetables. If you are not a big meat eater, eating just a small amount of meat with your iron-rich vegetables will dramatically increase the amount of iron that is absorbed from those vegetables.

Adding Vitamin C to your meals will also help increase the amount of iron that is absorbed into your body. If you are consuming mostly vegetables to get your iron, avoid tea while eating them because the tea can prevent or reduce iron absorption. Also, try cooking food in an iron skillet, as the iron from the skillet adds to the iron levels in the food.

If you are worried or unsure about your iron levels during your pregnancy, be sure to ask your doctor or midwife if they have any additional suggestions for you to help you raise the levels while you are pregnant.

During the first trimester a woman often feels very fatigued. Shortly after she gets out of bed, or even right upon waking, she may have the urge to just lie down and go back to sleep. Many women will begin taking naps during the day because they are so tired, or going to bed hours earlier than normal to try to fight the fatigue.

Why is being so tired so common in the first trimester? When a woman first gets pregnant, and the egg implants in the uterus, the body starts working twice as hard. The egg is multiplying in size daily, the uterus is growing, the breasts are growing, and the body is left feeling tired and worn out. Because pregnancy is a huge change for a woman’s body, feeling tired is expected.

During the second trimester however a woman generally gets a break. At this point, the baby’s organs and limbs are formed, and the heart is beating, so the body doesn’t have to work quite as hard to sustain the pregnancy. A woman gets her energy back and doesn’t feel as tired anymore. It is definitely a stage of pregnancy a woman should enjoy.

With the third trimester in full force, a woman starts to feel tired again. By this point the baby is just growing and the uterus starts growing more rapidly, putting a lot of strain on the woman’s body. Normal everyday activities can leave a woman feeling tired, as well as the extra last minute preparations and shopping she will be doing as the baby gets closer to its due date. She will find that she is back to taking naps daily, or at least wanting to take naps daily, as well as going to bed earlier, and sleeping in later.

It gets worse! If you think you are tired now, just wait until after the baby arrives! Try to rest as much as you can before the baby is born, because sleep may become a distant memory for the first few months of a baby’s life.

If you feel extremely tired and do not believe you are pregnant, there are other reasons why you may feel fatigued. Stress and depression can cause a woman to feel like she wants to sleep all the time. Physical exhaustion can also be a cause. If you are sick, or are getting a cold, you might find that you are more tired as well. If you are unsure, contact your doctor.

Starting in the first trimester, many pregnant women find that they have an increasing amount of aches and pains throughout their bodies. Two of the most common are backaches and headaches.

Lower backaches in the first trimester often happen when the egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, and your uterus starts growing in order to support the new pregnancy. The extra pressure can cause the muscles in your lower back to ache. Throughout the second trimester this pain may increase as your belly, while low, starts to get bigger.

By the third trimester, the backache may include your upper back, or may only be in your upper back. By the time you come to the end of your pregnancy, your breasts have grown and weigh approximately 5 pounds more than they did before you got pregnant. Your upper back muscles are working twice as hard to support the extra weight.

If you are in the last days of your pregnancy and suddenly begin experiencing lower back pain, it could be a sign of early labor. Many women have back labor, where the contractions are felt mainly in their backs, rather than the abdomen, causing pain and discomfort. If the contractions radiate from the back to the front, they are most likely true labor contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions generally stay in just the front of a woman’s belly.

Headaches can happen throughout pregnancy, although many women are never affected by them. When a woman gets pregnant, her blood volume increases in order to help sustain the pregnancy. This extra blood can increase pressure in the head and cause headaches. Some women, who have never had a bad headache before, begin experiencing migraines once they get pregnant. If you start getting bad headaches, be sure to check with your doctor to find out what medications are safe to take while you are pregnant.

By the end of pregnancy, a woman might find that her headaches are becoming more frequent. Some women will begin to get them every day, which can complicate other late pregnancy complaints like not being able to sleep.

If you just think you might be pregnant, there are other reasons why you may be experiencing backaches and headaches. If your period is coming, if you are stressed, if you have another back problem, or if you pull a muscle you may find that your back aches more than normal. Impending menstruation, stress, eye strain and dehydration can also cause headaches. When in doubt, always call your doctor.

by Elaine Clay

It is true to say that a lot of people begin to get the scrappin’ bug after their child/children are born and usually their first attempt at scrapbooking is making a baby album.

Having a child is one of the most important events in our lives and baby’s first year is a busy, lively, ever changing journey of discovery. It is full of important milestones…

No wonder then, as parents we want to capture and record all those many memorable moments – preserving them in scrapbooks is a great way to safely keep and cherish those memories for years to come.

One timeless and extremely popular baby scrapbooking idea is to make an album that consists of ‘firsts’.

This is a relatively easy and flexible theme to follow, especially for someone new to scrapbooking and is a great way to create enchanting baby scrapbooks.

This kind of album usually consists of a scrapbook arranged in chronological order with individual layouts showing special and notable moments in your baby’s life.

New babies are so photogenic it’s hard to resist capturing all the big and little things that make up their day-to-day lives.

No doubt you will have lots of pictures to sort through – so here’s a small list of ‘firsts’ to give you some ideas for organizing your photos:

• sleep/nap
• bottle/breast feed
• diaper change
• dressed in their first outfit
• ride in a car seat
• smiles
• bath
• trip out in the buggy
• solid food
• teeth
• sitting up
• drinking from a cup
• feeding him/herself
• crawling
• walking with the furniture
• steps/walking on their own
• hair cut
• Halloween
• Christmas

To add a little more interest to your album try and vary the layouts, for instance make some events into double page spreads. Such as coming home from the hospital or bath-time, which always presents an opportunity for some great photos!

Give your pages a personal touch by adding some memorabilia, using a pocket envelope, to your layouts – like the birth announcement or maybe a lock of hair from their first hair cut.

If you are new to scrapbooking and you’re unsure about starting out on your new album then a good choice would be to buy yourself a baby scrapbook kit. These kits contain everything you will need to begin scrapbooking and are a great shortcut to creating super layouts that you can be proud of.

You can also enhance your pages with some of the many baby-related products that are available on the market. Decorate your layout with an adorable or cute baby scrapbook paper.

Then, embellish your page with some charming baby scrapbook stickers like rattles, booties, bibs, bottles etc and when they’re done display all of your beautiful pages in a lovely baby scrapbook album.

Go on… give it a go. Make yourself a baby scrapbook to savor and keep all those incredible memories. You’ll find it’s much more than just a scrapbook – it will become a precious family keepsake that you’ll treasure forever.

About The Author
Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.

Between family members, friends, and the photos that you snap yourself, you’ll certainly have an abundance of pictures to go through, organize and select for preparing your baby’s first photo album. Maybe you received a beautiful, hand-made book at your shower or have chosen one on your own, but whichever the case, you’ll want to make that first album as precious as the little bundle of joy in your arms.

And photo albums don’t have to be all about pictures. With so many new experiences about to occur for both you and your newborn, they’ll be lots of opportunities for collecting memorabilia to add to your baby’s album. And nothing is too silly, so if you adore it, include it.

Of course, the beginning is the easiest part. Starting with the very first photo taken of your baby – the hospital has already supplied you with what you need to get started – your sonogram picture, baby’s footprint, name tag bracelet, birth certificate, and even the receiving blanket your newborn was swaddled in. So your first page can incorporate all or parts of those things. For sentimental reasons, you may not want to snip that receiving blanket, but later on, a patch of the fabric placed on the birth page makes for a precious addition to your baby’s first photo album.

As we know, lots of babies are born lacking in the hair department. But once it does start to grow in and you give him or her their very first haircut, be sure to save part of those silken locks to add to the pages of your baby’s first photo album. For girls, you can also include a pretty bow they wore or their first barrette.

What about their first bowl of real cereal? Wouldn’t a few of those Cheerios be an adorable piece of memorabilia to include in baby’s first photo album? It may not mean much to your baby now, but once they’re old enough to realize what you’ve done it will surely bring a giggle and a smile when they see it, and the memory it has created for you is priceless.

First birthday photos, pieces of ribbon, and wrappings from the gifts they receive, even one of the candles from their first birthday cake are more creative ideas to add to your baby’s first photo album.

Pictures of the first day of nursery school, masterpieces they’ve created there or at home, first report cards and all of those other extraordinary firsts, are things that you’ll treasure throughout the years. As time goes on, growth and changes occur such as their first baby tooth is also something special that can be kept and cherished in your baby’s first photo album.

So include as many of the pictures and items you adore in your baby first photo album. Because it’s something that you will not only consider your most prized possession as time goes by, but you can also bet that your child will thank you for spending the time and devotion that made their first baby photo album so special.

Taking lots and lots of pictures of your new baby is one activity that goes without saying. From the time they come home, to all of those precious firsts in their little lives, you’ll want to capture as many of those special moments as possible. And although it’s a fun way to commemorate those events, the following tips will make it even easier.

Keeping the Camera Handy
This may sound like an obvious one, but with some of the chaos that comes along with having a new baby in the house you may, understandably, tend to forget where you put the camera down last. A good idea is to always try and keep it in the same spot – even if it means taking a few extra steps to reach the kitchen counter or end table in the living room once you’re done using it. This ensures a means of convenience in your newly, sometimes inconvenient world and is just one helpful hint so you’ll always know where it is and have it easily accessible for all those special shots you want to snap.

Charge It!
The batteries that is. If you’re using a digital camera, you know how fast the batteries can run out – even the good ones. So the charger that comes with most digital cameras can be one of your newest and most dependable friends. The last thing you’d want to happen is to miss an opportunity for capturing that precious moment because the batteries in your camera are drained. And remember, the batteries begin to drain even when the camera is not in use. So try to keep in mind that after every ten shots or so you’ll want to place them back in the charger so they’re ready to go when you need them. Of course, don’t forget to also put them back in the camera once they’re fully charged again.

Go For It!
Once you’ve got your camera and battery situation under control, don’t be afraid to take as many photos of your new baby as you want. Even the littlest event is an event – to you, so don’t worry if you think you’re over doing it – you’re not. Just remember while you’re snapping away, bright lights, including the flash on your camera, may irritate your baby’s eyes and attitude so try to take as many shots as you can during daylight hours or even outside in the sun’s natural light whenever possible.

Halloween is that time of year when your creative juices can begin to flow. It’s a fun time for the family and if you have a baby or toddler, and it is the first Halloween that they can actively participate in, then it can be even more exciting. Granted if your little one is too young to comprehend anything much past when the next meal or sleep is going to be, then your Halloween efforts may not amount to much. But if they are coming to the age when they can express their joy and delight then you are ready to create a bit of Halloween fun.
The key with toddlers is that you don’t want to scare them. A scary Halloween at this age is likely to scar them for life so keep it simple, lighthearted and fun. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the big day.

Trick or Treating

1. Keep it Simple – At this age your toddler won’t appreciate much of what is going on around them so you don’t want to spend a fortune nor a lot of your time in preparing for the day. Of course this won’t apply if you have older children in the house.
2. Create a Fun, Happy Theme – You don’t want to traumatize your baby with scary witches, dark costumes or blood and guts. Create a happy theme that is bright and cheery. For example, ensure that the jack-o-lanterns have happy smiley faces and the costumes you choose are more in line with fairies or princesses rather than scary witches or ghosts and ghouls.
3. Costumes – If you want to dress up your baby or toddler in a Halloween costume then look for something that is easy to put on and take off. Look for costumes with zips, velcro or buttons that are easily undone and of course a costume that allows for easy diaper changes. The costume also needs to be soft and flexible so that your baby isn’t uncomfortable. Avoid costumes with masks. This may restrict their view and cause them to topple over.
4. Keep it Safe – Be aware that most candies at this stage will probably be a choking hazard for your baby or toddler so be careful in your choice of sweets. Ensure that the costume you choose for your baby is flame retardant as you may be around real candles during this time. You should also ensure that the costume does not have too any dangly bits that your infant could place into his or her mouth.
5. Trick or Treating – If you are going to be trick or treating then follow these few tips:
   • Carry a torch and if your toddler is old enough, allow them to carry one too. Attach the torch to your child’s costume to ensure it doesn’t get lost.
   • Glow in the dark neck or wristbands are another way of keeping track of your toddler.
   • If you are taking a stroller then attach some reflective tape so it can be easily seen in the dark.
   • If you are worried about losing your toddler then buy one of those cords that attaches your wrist to your toddlers wrist. This allows your toddler a little freedom as they don’t have to constantly hold onto your hand and it means that you can feel secure that they are close by.

Your first Halloween with your toddler is likely to be a fun time that will be remembered forever. As a memento of the experience purchase a gift box and place in it your baby’s first Halloween costume, their first Halloween gift and any other little item that will serve as a memory in years to come.

About the Article
Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware – a resource for cookware sets, stainless cookware and enamel cast iron cookware.