If you having been trying for a baby for at least a year, you know your monthly cycle inside out and you dread those stomach cramps at that time of the month as yet again you know you are not pregnant, remember you are not alone!  As condescending as it may seem when you are trying for a baby and having intercourse at all the right times yet still can’t seem to conceive, you are not alone! Everyone around you will either be announcing their joys of being pregnant after only one month of ‘trying’ and your family members may delight in telling you of every birth of everyone they know and those who you’ve never heard of but don’t despair.  What can you do?

• Make sure you know exactly when you are ovulating and have intercourse at the right times.

• Don’t drink too heavily, that applies to both you and your partner.

• Try to quit smoking, which yet again applies to both of you as sperm is affected by smoking 

If you’ve read all this advice a hundred times over and still can’t conceive then seek help! Go to see your doctor who can assess you both and find out if you have any fertility issues.  It’s not always easy to get a man to face up to having a fertility issue but it is a fact that many men suffer from poor sperm mobility or low sperm count. Once you know what the problem is, you can face it head on and decide which route to take. Just remember that the pregnant lady who you have just passed in the street may have had several miscarriages or 5 attempts at IVF to conceive and although it may seem like everyone is pregnant except you, it is not true and many of us are in the same situation of wondering…..why me?

A test that can detect Down’s syndrome from the blood of pregnant women has raised the prospect of routine screening for the condition for every expectant mother who wants it and should be available in around 5 years.

At the moment a test to check for Down’s syndrome is only carried out on women who are at high risk such as being over the age of forty. It is an invasive test and does carry the risk of miscarriage of one in 100 women. It involves inserting a needle into the womb to remove amniotic fluid surrounding the foetus or removing a small piece of the placenta.

Down’s syndrome affects around 1 in 900 of pregnancies and occurs when three copies of chromosome 21 are inherited instead of the usual two. Down’s syndrome causes learning difficulties and often cardiac defects.

However, if the test proved positive what would you do? It would give you more time to prepare and research about your life as a parent of a child with Down’s syndrome but equally it could increase the abortion rate.

Many parents who have a child with Down’s syndrome experience all the joys of parenthood and will tell you that they wouldn’t change anything. Their children enjoy their life and have great potential.

Would you go ahead and have the test if it became more accessible?

by: Craig Smith

Depression during pregnancy is a serious problem, affecting 10-20% of all women. With figures like that and with the added concern that depression can factor into the health of the baby, it is important to know something about how depression and pregnancy are connected.

It’s important to recognize what depression is and what the symptoms are.Depression is usually diagnosed when the patient experiences three or more of the following symptoms in the space of two weeks:

·         A sense that nothing feels enjoyable or fun anymore

·         Feeling blue, sad, or “empty” for most of the day, every day

·         Difficulty concentrating

·         Extreme irritability, agitation, or excessive crying

·         Trouble sleeping or sleeping all the time

·         Extreme or never-ending fatigue

·         A desire to eat all the time or not wanting to eat at all.

If a woman experiences three or more of these, she may be suffering from clinical depression and should report the symptoms to her doctor.

Author: Phillip Dye  It’s quite important that you drink enough water during your pregnancy and postpartum period. This will help ensure that your pregnancy is a healthy one. Water does a few things for you.

·         It helps your kidney and liver functions (and those of your baby also),

·         It flushes waste from your system cells.

·         It helps with your body’s expansion.

·         During pregnancy your blood volume will increase quite a bit. Because of this, without enough water, you could experience pre-term labor, miscarriage, constipation, or an increase in fatigue.

·         Without enough water, milk production and flow will be hindered. 

Here are some important facts every pregnant woman should know.  

1. A pregnant woman needs between eight and twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day. She should drink even more if the weather is hot or if she’s been exercising. 2. Don’t always use thirst as an indicator to drink In fact, a lot of times, we don’t experience thirst until dehydration has already begun. It’s better to dehydrate ahead of time.

3. Do not try to substitute sodas or other caffeinated beverages for water. These will actually cause your body to dehydrate faster. Therefore, they do not and should not be counted as part of your daily fluid intake. The less you drink of these while pregnant, the better.

4. Increasing your water consumption will actually help with your feelings of tiredness. So the next time you feel a bout of fatigue coming on, try drinking more water.

We’ve all been told how important it is to wear a properly fitted maternity bra to prevent drooping and sagging but just how to you decide which size to buy? The easiest way is to get properly fitted but you can work out your size for yourself which can be helpful, especially if you are purchasing one from the internet or ordering from a catalogue and can’t try them on! 

• Firstly work out what your band size is. Take a tape measure and put in around your body, just under your bust. You should take the measurement in inches and simply round it up to the nearest even number, i.e if you measure 37, then round it up to 38.
• Next you need to work out your cup size. Whilst wearing a non- padded, well fitting bra, measure around the widest part of your bust. This will need to be measured in inches. You will then work out the difference between this measurement and your band size to get your cup size. Every inch of difference between the two measurements is an increase of cup size. i.e if your band size is 36 and your bust measurement is 39, the difference will be 3 inches. As you can see from below this would make you a c cup, so you would be 36C!

Author: Richard Smart 

 Pregnancy is a time of preparation, wonder and eager anticipation. It is also a time of nausea, vomiting and constipation, tiredness, swollen ankles, cranky moods and sleepless nights. Add to this the worries that invade an expectant mother’s thinking. Some are rational and based on facts and some not so rational and most likely based on overactive hormone levels. Thinking about these, you will quickly understand while for many a mother-to-be pregnancy is a bit of a mixed bag. 

Nausea, vomiting, constipation and to a lesser extent also hormonal imbalances, can all be linked back to nutritional choices the expectant mother makes. While it is easy to assume that a pregnant woman will of course always choose the healthiest foods possible, the reality dictates that many women still have other children to take care. In addition, they might still be working full time, run their household and volunteer in the community. Thus, the somewhat idealistic notion of the expectant mother resting with feet propped up on the sofa snacking on carrots and lightly toasted almonds is rarely seen. 

Yet even the busiest mom-to-be does not need to despair! Healthy nutritional choices are easier than you think:

 ·         First and foremost, do not skip meals. Even a small meal consisting of little more than a few carrots and a handful of Cheerio’s is better than nothing. The goal is to keep your blood sugar levels even and therefore your hormones in balance.   ·         Iron supplements which are contained in your prenatal vitamins will lead to constipation. Counteract the constipating affect of the iron by snacking on high fibre crackers and prunes. At this point in time, individually wrapped prunes are commercially available and travel great in your purse or backpack.

Mums-to-be need to take good care of their skin throughout pregnancy as skin cell reproduction is accelerated making it important to keep it moisturised and nourished. 

Huge changes are brought on due to pregnancy hormones so therefore to keep a pregnant body in tip top condition some changes or adjustments may be needed. 

Some simple tips for pregnant skincare 

• It’s really important to take a look at all your normal products just to check that they are suitable for use during pregnancy. Many vitamins and creams will state that you must check with your G.P if you are pregnant or lactating before use. If you are concerned switch to products which clearly state they are suitable for use throughout pregnancy
• Try to use moisturising body creams, washes and a good moisturiser. This will keep your skin supple and will help in the areas where the skin could get stretch marks.
• Although a long soak in the bath may relieve aches and give you time to relax, avoid having the water too hot and don’t spend too long in there, as the water will dehydrate the skin.
• Always use a rich nourishing moisturiser to smother over your skin once you have had your daily shower or bath. Make it part of your daily routine and pay extra attention to your bump. There are lots of organic and homeopathic oils and creams designed especially for pregnancy which may be worth trying out. Although a simple non perfumed moisturiser massaged onto your tummy in large circular motions in a clockwise direction will not only moisturise but to help avoid or aid pregnant constipation.
• Never use soap to wash with as this will strip your body of it’s natural oils, use a moisturising body wash in it’s place. 

Skin can alter greatly throughout your pregnancy so it’s important to find a skincare routine that’s right for you. Pick up lots of testers and try them out until you find what suits you and your pregnant skin.

It is so important to take some time to make yourself feel pampered and give you time to relax and put your feet up. You may be finding that your skin is drier than normal, or maybe you have suddenly developed spots and your hair could be looking lank and greasy! 

There are many beauty salons now that have realised that not all pregnant women glow and many of us certainly feel in the need of a little pamper. Check out the pregnancy packages that many salons have on offer, or why not treat yourself to a different treatment each week to give you something to look forward to? 

Perhaps one of the most beneficial things you could do is to indulge in a luxury pedicure.  

As you get larger it can prove extremely difficult to get to your feet with your expanding tummy in the way. The added weight of pregnancy will be putting extra stress on your legs and feet, therefore a good leg and foot massage can aid circulation and help with water retention and swollen ankles. 

Having a foot massage will ease away aches and pains and give you a chance to take the weight off them. If it is not obvious that you are pregnant then remember to tell the therapist as there are certain oils that cannot be used during pregnancy. 

When it’s time to get your toe nails painted try a new colour, some nail art or nail jewels, your feet are doing a great job so make them look fantastic!

Studies have shown that 40% of pregnant women develop varicose veins. 

They can be caused by the increase in blood pressure in the veins of the legs, family history, weight gain and pregnancy hormones which relax the smooth muscle fibres in the wall of your blood vessels. There is a vein on the right hand side of your body called the inferior cava which can have added pressure put on it by your growing uterus and can be another cause. 

There are however, some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting them. 

• Relax and put your feet up, (now you have a great excuse for a rest, as if being pregnant wasn’t enough!) Rest them whenever you get the chance by propping them up on cushions or a chair.
• Try not to cross your legs, it may be a habit but try to stop yourself.
• Avoid standing up for long periods. If your day normally involves lots of standing try to find periods when you can sit and give your legs a rest.
• Sleep on your left hand side and put a pillow behind you to stop you turning over in the night.

The good news is that if you do develop them, they could disappear by around six months after giving birth. If however you find that they don’t and they are causing you pain your G.P will be able to advise you on how you can get them removed.

Choosing the correct material, size and getting the right support for your breast is so important when buying a maternity bra. You will be amazed by how much heavier your breasts will become, sometimes they increase by as much as 500g each! This is why it is important to get the correct support for them so they don’t loose their pre pregnancy perky shape! 

What should you choose? 

• Don’t wear your normal underwired bras, not only can they become uncomfortable, they will cause restriction and may even cut into you as your rib cage expands during pregnancy. If you really can’t bear the thought of giving them up, there are some special underwired bras which have been especially designed for pregnancy with soft wires which will accommodate your changing shape.
• Choose bras with wider straps, this will ease any strain on your back or neck.
• Choose the right fabric, an elastane bra in will add support, while a cotton one will be cool.
• Buy a nursing bra that has simple fastening, remember you will probably have to open and close it with one hand! Some mums prefer zips, hook and eye or clips……try before you buy to see what’s easiest for you.
• Last of all but by no means least, make sure you find a bra that still makes you feel feminine and makes you feel good about yourself. Sporty, fun and trendy or sexy, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look good in your undies!