Don't drink and smoke in the hospital

 

Congratulations! You're having a baby! Let's get down to business right now. The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) says that everything you do in the next nine months, like what you eat, what you drink, how active you are, and how much you weigh, could affect how big your child gets now and in the future. In fact, a new report by NWHRC explores the growing body of research that finds conditions in utero (i.e., while you’re pregnant) have the potential to affect your child’s health even decades down the road. For instance, one study found that women who drink during pregnancy could increase their child’s risk of alcohol addiction later in life, even with just one drinking binge. Other studies suggest that a mother's diet during pregnancy has a significant impact on her child's risk of being overweight and developing diabetes and heart disease in later life. The purpose? Eat well today to keep your child healthy in the future. When you're pregnant, "eating right" refers to two things. One is the type of food you’re eating, and the other is how much weight you gain. For many women, pregnancy is the first time in their lives when gaining weight is a good thing-but don’t go overboard. You do not need to consume any more calories than your normal daily intake during your first trimester. You can consume up to 300 extra calories per day after the first 12 weeks. You should gain between 25 and 35 pounds when you become pregnant if you are of normal weight. In the first 20 weeks of your pregnancy, keep your weight gain to no more than five to ten pounds, increasing by about a pound per week for the duration. Doctors strongly suggest, however, that if you are overweight, to try and lose some weight before you get pregnant. Women who are overweight have a higher risk of emergency cesarean, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and miscarriage. There is also a greater risk of delivery complications. Your health care professional will help you determine where you fall on the weight scale during your first prenatal visit. As always, talk to your health care professional about any special dietary concerns (if you’re vegetarian or vegan, for example).

 There have been many articles written about the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Additionally, this subject has been the subject of numerous discussions and studies. Some experts say moderate drinking during pregnancy is okay, but there are others who believe taking even one drink is like very dangerous for the baby’s health. The thing that is not debatable is that whatever women eat or drink while pregnant goes directly through your bloodstream into the placenta so literally if a pregnant woman takes a drink — a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail — the unborn child takes the same. For the unborn child, the alcohol interferes with his ability to get enough oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Research has shown that a developing foetus has very little tolerance for alcohol and infants born to mothers who drink during pregnancy can have serious problems. When a pregnant woman drinks "too much" alcohol, it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a pattern of mental and physical defects in her unborn children. A baby born with FAS, or even with the lesser Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), can have serious handicaps and therefore could require a lifetime of special care. There is even some research that indicates that women who plan to get pregnant should stop drinking before they even conceive. The debate raised by the Department of Health is about how much is too much because until now it was said that the only safe limit is no alcohol at all. According to the Department of Health, pregnant women and people trying to conceive can safely consume up to two glasses of wine per week without causing harm to the unborn child. Dr Raja Mukherjee, an expert on the disorder who works at St George’s hospital medical school in Tooting, London, called for pregnant women to cut out alcohol completely, and said the UK’s binge drinking habits were of particular concern: “There is an increasing literature of evidence, however, to suggest that binge drinking as well as low doses of alcohol can cause damage.” The Department of Health said the research cited at the conference had been reviewed in March as part of the government’s alcohol harm reduction strategy, and that the two units a week limit was considered to be safe.

Giving birth will no doubt be one of the most magical moments of your life and to ensure that your child is strong and happy, it is important you do all you can to have a healthy pregnancy. To help you and your baby on your way, this article has compiled a number of tips that are guaranteed to make those nine pregnancy months the best they can be! The first thing you must do when you find you are pregnant is to visit an obstetrician/gynecologist (OBGYN). They will give you an ultrasound to see how far along you are and whether your pregnancy appears to be normal. It's critical not to rush through this crucial stage. After this, you must begin to change your lifestyle. Remember, you are no longer eating and exercising for yourself but for two! First and foremost, you must stop drinking or smoking. Cigarette smoke can lead to low birth weight in babies as well as miscarriages and tubal pregnancies so try to avoid second hand smoke as it is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. The same can be said for alcohol and other toxic chemicals and substances such as paint fumes. These items are both damaging to the mother and to the pregnancy. Changing your diet while you're pregnant is another aspect of changing your lifestyle. Make sure to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. It is not healthy to be overweight or underweight during a pregnancy but do remember that you shouldnt diet during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a time to be worrying about your weight! You and your baby need as many calories and nutrients as possible, but not the fattening kind, so make sure you get a balance. Don't skip meals. Junk food is great to satisfy those crazy pregnancy cravings but try not to go overboard! If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy, a great alternative to dieting is light exercise. You may not have loved it before your pregnancy, but learn to love it now as it will definitely pay off in the long run by keeping your baby healthy and your body fit. Light exercises will not harm your pregnancy so try swimming, yoga and walking. An additional healthy pregnancy tip that those with busy schedules tend to forget is the importance of sleep. Make sure to get plenty of rest so that you and your baby can recuperate and to ensure that your immune system is as strong as possible. It is advised that you rest on your side to reduce swelling and generate the best circulation to your baby. To recap: avoid damaging substances such as nicotine and alcohol, dont diet during pregnancy, drink plenty of water, practice as much exercise as safely possible, and get plenty of sleep! Following these pregnancy tips will make certain that you have a healthy pregnancy and have a happy and fit child.

A cashier recently returned to her position after a smoke break with a round, pregnant belly. She explained to her customer that she was sneaking cigarettes so the baby's father wouldn't know. She appeared unaware of the potential harm her addiction might be causing the child. However, at a time when medical professionals are discovering increasingly alarming reasons for pregnant women to wean themselves from nicotine and tobacco, there is now a new method for mothers to gently break the habit. The Bravo cigarette cessation product provides a nicotine- and tobacco-free placebo smoke, allowing the mother to stop ingesting these harmful and addictive products without having to deal with the additional stress of not smoking or lighting one. Just as a child finds comfort in a favorite blanket or toy, many smokers find their empty hands terribly hard to deal with. The Bravo smoke fills this void and allows the mother to focus on reshaping a healthier lifestyle for herself and her child. The child may be the biggest beneficiary in this. According to a study published in the medical journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, smoking increases a woman's risk of having children with missing or extra fingers and toes, webbed fingers, and toes. The study concluded that smoking half a pack a day increased the risk of having a baby with digit abnormalities by 29 percent. 5,171 infants were found to have such defects in the study, which looked at live births in the United States between 2001 and 2002. The child's risk increases by as much as 78 percent when they smoke more cigarettes, which has even more alarming consequences. Surgery and other unwelcome complications for the infant may result from these defects. Digits are formed in the earliest part of pregnancy, so damage could be done before a woman knows she is pregnant. This possibility, coupled with the overwhelming scientific evidence that all cigarette smokers and their families are harmed by the addiction, provides a sound argument to begin a cessation program. The Bravo smoke, developed by pharmacist PuTo chairman and founder of Safer Smokes Inc., is a healthier alternative to the usual toxic cigarette made from enzyme-treated lettuce leaves. It is the only clinically tested, non-nicotine smoking product available, .