Low blood pressure is less worrying than high blood pressure, but to be accompanied by tiredness and dizziness, it’s a hassle for pregnant woman.

Contrary to what happens during high blood pressure, “the low blood pressure (below 9/6) is much less worrisome and doesn’t imply risk, if not due to illness or is caused by heavy bleeding,” said Lluis Cabero , director of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital Chiron of Barcelona.

Symptoms:

Even though it’s not serious, low blood pressure is annoying for pregnant women, as it may be in the form of palpitations, dizziness or constant tiredness.

Principal causes:

Discarded diseases and bleeding, the main reasons for abnormally low blood pressure in early pregnancy are hormonal changes. “And another possible cause is that the appearance of the placenta lowers the resistance that control blood circulation and thus reduces stress,” says our advisor.

After:

Later, during the third trimester of pregnancy, when the pregnant woman is in the supine position (lying on your back), her uterus can compress the blood vessels of the pelvis and thus reduce the flow of blood that must reach the heart. This is called supine low blood pressure and can be corrected by lying on your side.

What can be done:

It is important to flee from excess heat and avoid staying too long standing. Also avoid lying on your back at the end of pregnancy. And women should stay hydrated, drinking enough water (at least two liters per day). These are the most effective ways, since there’s no medicine for raising the blood pressure.

How to Flatten your Tummy after Pregnancy? Full Treatment!

Ingredients for Drink:

Butter milk – 1 glass

Nutmeg and mace powder – ½ tsp

Orange juice or jamun vinegar – 1 tsp

Amla powder – 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp – ½ tsp

Date, fig or dry grapes – 1 or 2

Mix all ingredients in butter milk and take every day in breakfast.

Ingredients for Scrub:

Un perfumed soap – 100g

Egg – 1

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Fuller earth – 2 tbsp

Mix all above ingredients, make scrub. Scrub your tummy twice a day, once in a week.

Ingredients for Cream:

Sunflower oil – 5 tbsp

Borax cream – 2 tsp

Lecithin powder – loads of

Black clay – 1 tsp

Glycerine – 1 tsp

Method:

Mix all above ingredients and apply on tummy every day at night. Then wrap with muslin cloth or belt. Also take 1 tsp milk of magnesia every night.

Nutricious Drink During Pregnancy and Post-Natal Stage:

Raspberry and Mint Drink:

Pregnant women need correct nutrition along with little exercise for a healthy pregnancy and post-natal stage for both the mother and the child. Try this health drink out that you can have at all times of the day.

Ingredients: 

Fresh mint leaves – 1 bunch

Cinnamon sticks – 2

Fresh Raspberries – 1 cup (crushed)

Boiling water – 2 cups

Powdered sugar – 1 1/2 cups

Lime extract – 2 cups

Method:

Mix sugar in boiling water and let it cool for some time. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Store the drink in the refrigerator and let it cool for 3-4 hours. Then, in a glass, add crushed ice and pour the drink and serve.

Raspberries will supply you with lots of Vitamin C.

Get Rid of Stretch Marks after Pregnancy

Ingredients:

1. Orange or lime – 1

2. Lahori salt -1 tbsp

3. Lecithin lotion or lanolin lotion – as required

4. Peppermint oil – few drops

Method:

Many women have some marks after pregnancy, which is called stretch marks. To get rid of those marks you need to make homemade lotion. Mix all above ingredients in a bucket and massage whole body with exfoliation gloves or loofah. Your stretch marks will disappear in few days.

The infant has its peculiarities, because 0 to 3 year olds must be provided to the baby all the energy they need to develop. Find out how!

Children from 0 to 3 years have a special nutritional needs, and it is very important to provide enough energy to maintain their vital functions and boost growth. We must also educate them with healthy eating habits that they can keep throughout their lives. Find out all you need to take into account to properly feed your baby.

Development

Good nutrition is the foundation needed for the baby to develop physically, psychologically and socially, and constitute the first line of defense against many childhood diseases that can make a mark for life.

Nutrition and Health

Nutrition and health are directly connected, and the effects of malnutrition in early childhood can be terrible and long lasting. Often prevent the baby’s cognitive development, affecting educational achievement and reproductive health.

Early Childhood

In infancy, we must pay attention to important details. To feed a baby properly be fed with distributed meals throughout the day, while respecting their sense of appetite and a good idea to set a timetable indicating the incorporation of new foods to your diet.

Hygiene

It is important to take very good hygiene in the whole process of food preparation. If your baby goes to kindergarten, controlling what they eat there, and follow the advice for breastfeeding in child care centers.

Breast milk

The only food recommended for babies from 0 to 6 months is breast milk, to be offered when the child’s demands. If breastfeeding is not possible or if the mother prefers not to breastfeed, you can choose to feed it with an adapted milk or formula.

Purees

Ideally 6 to 10 months is to maintain lactation, and supplement with other foods like mashed variety of vegetables, fruits, rice and potatoes. Then we can introduce the wheat and meat (no more than 20 or 30 grams a day) and once the baby is 9 months, you can alternate with white fish meat (30 or 40 grams a day).

Textures

when the baby is 10 months you can give them some new food, and texture of purees may be less delicate. In this age they can take vermicelli soup, rice and small pieces or minced meat.

Schedules

When the child reaches 12 months it is advisable to continue breastfeeding (you can stay up to two years or more), but the main meal times should be adjusted to the rest of the family. At this age children can now eat most foods.

Bluefish

when children reach 18 months you can introduce oily fish to their diet, such as sardines, tuna or mackerel, provided that they have no skin and bones. They can also take flatulent vegetables that are not recommended for younger children, such as cabbage, artichokes or asparagus.

Fruits and vegetables

Introduce fruit juices, vegetable simple or cream to infant feeding  to provide fewer calories than you fed exclusively on breast milk or formula milk. But introducing solids without decreasing the amount of milk can lead to overweight in infants, so it is better to decrease the amount of milk as it eats other food.

Porridges

For breastfed infants, pick fruit from the fifth or sixth month because they are rich in water, carbohydrates, vitamins and salts, but better if they are juicy as oranges, lemons, apples, grapes, pears or plums. You can give cooked or as
jam or porridge.

Solids

remember it is better to introduce solid foods one by one on infant feeding. So if the child reacts adversely. It can quickly be detected no matter what food he/she likes.

Cereals

Cereals (wheat, rice, oats, rye, corn) are a good source of energy, vitamins and minerals, so it is advisable to give them the baby from 4 to 6 months. Besides aid digestion and can be used as a basis for the gruel before age 7 months, provided they do not contain gluten.

Daily rations /servings

from the year the child should be taught to eat everything slowly, always in moderation. We recommend that you take two servings of fish, chicken, eggs and vegetables, three servings of milk, yogurt, cheese and olive oil, four servings of fruit and vegetables and five servings of bread, pasta, potatoes and cereals.

Sweets and jars /baby food

at this age, sweets should be taken sparingly, only occasionally. Sugar, chocolate, ice cream and candy should be taken only occasionally. It is always best to take food prepared at home and not industrially processed foods. You can use a potito occasionally but not regularly.

Yoga and pregnancy
Yoga can be of great help to the expectant mothers during the pregnancy, at childbirth time and in post-delivery stages. The simple yoga poses help to make the body more flexible, improve posture, and ease many pregnancy problems.  It prepares both your body and mind for new situations and changes that occur during and after pregnancy.
Yoga and breathing meditation techniques help you to stay fit, healthy and happy during pregnancy and prepare your body for labor. You can reduce anxiety and unwanted worries by practicing simple yoga and meditation techniques.

Yoga also helps you after pregnancy, it strengthens abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor and helps you to get back to your pre-pregnancy shape faster.

Benefits of pregnancy yoga:
1. Yoga along with meditation prepares your mind and body for change and helps you to connect
to the baby growing within you.
2. Pregnancy yoga postures help to have more comfortable birthing and keep you relaxed at the time of delivery.
3. It relieves edema and cramping which is quite common in last months of pregnancy.
4. It helps to ease tension around the cervix and birth canal.
5. Yoga and Pranayama (breathing exercises) help to reduce morning sickness, mood swings, and nausea.
6. It also helps to decrease fatigue and tenderness, and also the swelling of breasts.
7. It raises the energy level and helps in slowing the metabolism, thus restore calm and focus.
8. Certain Yoga poses help in opening the pelvis that make delivery easier and quicker.
9. Yoga also helps in reducing inflammation and swelling around joints.
10. It strengthens and massages the abdomen and improves the digestive system.
11. Yoga helps to restore the uterus, abdomen and the pelvic floor after childbirth.
12. It also helps to relieve upper back tension and breast discomfort after pregnancy.
13. It helps to regain the fit and shapely body after pregnancy.

General precautions:
Pregnancy yoga exercises can be start like any other exercises, but you need to take some precautions to ensure maximum benefits without any harm. It is always advisable to consult your doctor before starting any exercise. If you are not used to regular exercise, start slowly and practice yoga under experienced trainer. There are certain poses that help to ease natural childbirth and reduce many pregnancy problems but there are other poses also that should be avoided during pregnancy. Hence, it is advisable to get complete knowledge and guidance before trying any yoga pose. Some general precautions, the expectant mothers should take are:

1. Always listen to your body. If you feel any discomfort, stop practicing that pose and consult your
trainer. You may need to modify each pose to your body’s physical changes.
2. Avoid any pose that compress your abdomen.
3. Practice twisting poses carefully, twist more from the shoulders and back to avoid putting any
pressure on your abdomen.
4. You should avoid any pose that involve lying on your back after the first trimester as that can cut
blood flow to the uterus.
5. It is good to practice standing and balance poses near a wall as it reduce the risk of injury due to
balance loss.
6. Try to maintain as much length as possible between the breastbone and the pubic bone to make
breathing easier.

You’ll be meeting your baby any day now… how do you feel?
The tissues of your baby’s eyes develop slowly in the final month. Eyesight is the last of the five senses to fully mature and as a newborn she will only be able to see 20cm ahead of her and it will be blurred at first. Most children with normal vision won’t have 20:20 vision until they are seven to nine years old.

The cells in her eyes that detect and convert light into signals to the brain are fully grown now, her retina is well formed and the pigmented cells are mature. At birth she will probably have bluey – grey eyes, but they won’t settle at their actual colour until she is about nine months old.

You are continuing to produce amniotic fluid, however the level at which your baby uses and absorbs it may start to slightly outpace your production of it now, explaining why, if she is overdue, her skin may be a bit dry.

What’s happening to you
If there’s still no sign of your baby this week (and remember only five per cent of all babies in the UK are born on their due date) then your midwife will see you again the following week. At your 41 week appointment she’ll offer to give you a membrane sweep to help get things going.
This involves gently but firmly sweeping a finger around the neck of your womb to separate the members around your baby from your cervix. It can release the hormone prostaglandin which can kick-start your labour.
She will also check for any signs of high blood pressure or protein in the urine, both of which can indicate early signs of pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition where the placenta ceases to function effectively.

Normal niggle
At this stage, many women develop quite a puffy face (which may be worse in the mornings) thanks to a combination of fluid retention and your increased blood volume.

When to check it out
If it comes on suddenly and/or is accompanied by other symptoms such as increased weight gain, nausea or vomiting, any visual disturbances or headaches, call your midwife or GP immediately as it can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia.

‘To do’ this week
If you’re worried about how you’ll ever get your baby out, reassure yourself that it’s your pelvis size and not your frame that has a bearing on how straightforward your labour will be!

Wow! Did you know…
How active your baby has been until now may be an indication of her temperament. One study has found that babies that are very active in the womb may be slightly more irritable as young infants, while unborn babies with irregular sleep/wake patterns tend to sleep less soundly after birth.

Almost there… are you excited or scared?
In the final couple of weeks, your baby has another growth spurt, and new skin is already forming underneath his outer layers, which will already be sloughing off.

If he’s born now then you will see that his scrotum appears bigger than normal and, if your baby is a girl, her breasts may be slightly swollen and her labia may be enlarged – she may also have a tiny bit of blood in her nappy. This is all normal though and the effect of the high levels of pregnancy hormones that have been circulating around you.

What’s happening to you
Your amniotic fluid, which is a clear substance, may be slightly pale and milky now thanks to the vernix having been shed from your baby’s skin. If you haven’t had it already then you may have a show this week (when the jelly – like mucus plug that seals the neck of your womb come away), but some pregnant women never get one, so don’t worry if you don’t.
Normal niggle
While your may be worried that labour will start with your waters breaking in the frozen food aisle at your local supermarket, this is actually one of the less common ways it begins. A show or mild contractions are more common. However if your waters do break first (and it can happen as a trickle or a gush), put on a sanitary pad and call your midwife. It may be a while until contractions start, in which case she may suggest you wait at home. Or you may be asked to be checked over.

When to check it out
Your waters should be clear. If you notice that they are green – coloured, this is a sign your baby has passed some meconium and may mean he is in distress. You should let you midwife know immediately.

‘To do’ this week
While you may not be able to wait for labour to start now, it means there’s still time to check you have all the essentials and that you know how to use them! Rehearse how to fold and unfold the buggy, attach the raincover and master the straps on your baby carrier. These are all things that will become second nature, but are much easier to master when you don’t also have a tiny newborn to contend with!

Wow! Did you know…
While the average weight of a baby about now is around 7lb 5oz, your little one may be as much as a pound heavier (3800g). Phew!

You’re almost there… how are you coping?
Your baby’s lung are now producing large amounts of the homone cortisol, which helps to produce surfactant, the substance that stops the lungs from sticking together. This will help ensure your baby’s transition from breathing amniotic fluid to breathing air once she’s born is as seamless as possible, but it may take a few hours until her breathing pattern is completely normal.

Her fat stores are continuing to build up, enabling her to regulate her body temperature and while she may still have some vernix on the surface of her skin when she’s born, it will mainly be in creases and crevices of the skin.

What’s happening to you
Hot, bothered, heavy, tired? The end is in sight now! Your baby’s skull is still very soft and pliable so that hopefully her passage through the birth canal will be a bit easier on your both. Some of the bones in her skull will only fuse together after the birth and you’ll notice a soft spot, the fontanelle, on the very top of her head. This won’t completely close over until she’s 18 months old, and shouldn’t be touched or pushed.
You may be getting Braxton Hicks even more frequently – these practice contractions help encourage more blood flow into the placenta, which is particularly important at this stage as the placenta has reached maturation now.
At your antenatal appointment this week your midwife will check to see what position your baby is in and how far engaged her head is. She may also check to see how dilated you are and whether your cervix is effaced (thinned out). Remember though that every pregnancy is unique – your cervix can be 3cm dilated for weeks before labour starts, or it may be closed during an examination one day, and open and ready for labour a few hours later!

Normal niggle
Not so much a niggle as an exciting development! Any time from now don’t be too surprised if you have a show. This is when the plug of mucus sealing the neck of your womb comes away. If it happens, you’ll see a blood – streaked mucus – discharge in your knickers – a sign that things may get going any day from now (although be prepared to wait, as it can take another week or so).

When to check it out
While a show may be lightly bloodstained, you should call your midwife immediately if you experience any bleeding. Bleeding at this stage can be a sign that your placenta is in the wrong position or is separating from the wall of your womb, both of which can be dangerous for you and your baby.

‘To do’ this week
Eat pineapple! It contains an enzyme (bromelain) that is thought to help soften the cervix and prepare it for labour.

Wow! Did you know…
If a light is shown at your bump then your baby will turn towards it. This is known as the ‘orienting response’ – the reflex that causes an organism to respond immediately to a change in its environment.