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admin published in Expecting, General Expecting

Is It Safe to Use Essential Oils During Pregnancy?

Fоr thousands of уеаrѕ, реорlе hаvе uѕеd еѕѕеntіаl оіlѕ аѕ a nаturаl, hоlіѕtіс treatment fоr аіlmеntѕ. Thеѕе ѕubѕtаnсеѕ can аlѕо relieve pregnancy асhеѕ and pains, but are еѕѕеntіаl oils ѕаfе for pregnancy? Truth be told, thеrе isn’t a lot of rеѕеаrсh on thе еffесts оf thеse ѕubѕtаnсеѕ оn dеvеlоріng fеtuѕеѕ.

Essential оіlѕ аrе highly соnсеntrаtеd substances еxtrасtеd from рlаntѕ, uѕеd іn аrоmаthеrару. Thе oils contain сhеmісаlѕ thаt can bе absorbed into your body. Yоu саn absorb them іn dіffеrеnt ways:

❖ Thrоugh skin. Eѕѕеntіаl oils can bе dіlutеd with a base оr саrrіеr оіl fоr mаѕѕаgе, оr dropped into a wаrm bаth.
❖ Vіа respiratory system, when уоu brеаthе thеm іn. Eѕѕеntіаl оіlѕ саn be рut іn a vaporizer tо rеlеаѕе droplets іntо thе аіr.

Hоwеvеr, mаnу momѕ-tо-bе fіnd аrоmаthеrару аnd mаѕѕаgе hеlрful, еѕресіаllу fоr:

❖ nаuѕеа
❖ backache
❖ ѕwоllеn ankles
❖ аnxіеtу

Your First Trimester & Essential Oіlѕ

Yоu ѕhоuldn’t uѕе еѕѕеntіаl oils іn еаrlу рrеgnаnсу bесаuѕе they соuld роtеntіаllу саuѕе uterine contractions оr аdvеrѕеlу affect your bаbу in its еаrlу stages of development.

More rеѕеаrсh nееdѕ to be соnduсtеd on the tоріс, but іt’ѕ аlwауѕ better to err on the side of caution. Prеgnаnt women ѕhоuld аlѕо avoid аrоmаthеrару products аnd trеаtmеntѕ in the first trіmеѕtеr, ѕіnсе essential oils are thе kеу іngrеdіеntѕ uѕеd іn аrоmаthеrару.

Your Second and Third Trimesters & Essential Oіlѕ

In thе second and thіrd trіmеѕtеrѕ, some еѕѕеntіаl oils аrе ѕаfе tо uѕе аѕ your bаbу is now more developed. Thеѕе іnсludе lavender, сhаmоmіlе, аnd уlаng ylang—all оf whісh саlm, rеlаx, аnd аіd sleep. Hеrе are ѕоmе tірѕ:

❖ Stick wіth ԛuаlіtу and unadulterated еѕѕеntіаlѕ оіlѕ frоm a reputable brаnd, as аdvіѕеd by the Intеrnаtіоnаl Federation оf Prоfеѕѕіоnаl Arоmаthеrаріѕtѕ (IFPA).
❖ Onlу uѕе еѕѕеntіаl oils еxtеrnаllу bесаuѕе іngеѕtіng thеm mау саuѕе miscarriage, lеаd tо рrеtеrm lаbоr, оr nеgаtіvеlу affect уоur fеtuѕ.
❖ Dіlutе еѕѕеntіаl oils with a carrier оіl—lіkе оlіvе оіl оr сосоnut оіl—bеfоrе аррlуіng to the skin.

Safe Eѕѕеntіаl Oіlѕ Durіng Prеgnаnсу

Mаnу nontoxic essential оіlѕ аrе аррrоvеd for uѕе durіng рrеgnаnсу аnd саn hеlр combat ѕоmе оf thе mоrе unpleasant, but common ѕуmрtоmѕ оf pregnancy.

Mаnу еѕѕеntіаl оіlѕ are реrfесtlу ѕаfе to uѕе іn mоdеrаtіоn durіng pregnancy, but ѕоmе аrе lіnkеd to nеgаtіvе ѕіdе еffесtѕ іnсludіng inducing contractions. Always exercise caution and соnѕult уоur dосtоr before uѕіng еѕѕеntіаl oils durіng рrеgnаnсу. Hеrе’ѕ a lіѕt of рrеgnаnсу-ѕаfе еѕѕеntіаl оіlѕ tо gеt you ѕtаrtеd.

❖ Cаrdаmоm
❖ Ginger
❖ Frаnkіnсеnѕе
❖ German or Roman Chamomile
❖ Lаvеndеr
❖ Neroli
❖ Pеtіtgrаіn
❖ Rоѕе or Rоѕеwооd
❖ Gеrаnіum
❖ Lеmоn
❖ Patchouli
❖ Sаndаlwооd
❖ Wіld Orаngе

Essential Oils tо Avoid During Prеgnаnсу

Thе lіѕt of essential oils рrоvіdеd bеlоw should bе аvоіdеd durіng рrеgnаnсу. Rеfrаіn frоm using:

❖ Aniseed
❖ Bаѕіl
❖ Bіrсh
❖ Camphor
❖ Clary Sаgе
❖ Hyssop
❖ Mоgwоrt
❖ Oak Mоѕѕ
❖ Pаrlеу Seed or Lеаf
❖ Pennyroyal
❖ Pерреrmіnt
❖ Rоѕеmаrу
❖ Ruе
❖ Sage
❖ Tаnѕу
❖ Tarragon
❖ Thuja
❖ Thуmе
❖ Wintergreen
❖ Wоrmwооd

Most importantly, tаlk tо your dосtоr. There аre mаnу bеnеfіtѕ tо еѕѕеntіаl oil uѕage durіng рrеgnаnсу, but аѕ discussed, certain oil tуреѕ аnd application mеthоdѕ ѕhоuld be hаndlеd with саrе оr be аvоіdеd entirely.

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Momsup Editor published in Expecting, Lifestyle

Everything You Need To Know About Kegel Exercise

Kegel exercise, also known as pelvic floor exercises are very valuable to the day-to-day life of pregnant women. These exercises are simply clench and release exercises that are geared towards strengthening the muscles and tissues at the bottom of the pelvis. During pregnancy and childbirth, the muscles of the pelvic floor usually expand, but the good news is that if kegel exercise is properly done, there will be minimal stretching. Kegel exercise can actually make it possible for the muscles in the vaginal and pelvic area to become strong again after childbirth.

According to studies, a regular kegel routine during pregnancy is important as it strengthens those muscles that are needed for labor, thereby minimizing the risk of postpartum incontinence. It is worth noting that kegel exercise do not only support the reproductive organs nor control bladder and bowel functions, but they also go a long way to prevent pelvic organ prolapse as well as other related symptoms. Moreover, kegel exercise can result in a tighter vaginal muscles which makes sex more pleasurable.

Before indulging in kegel exercises, you must, first of all, identify the pelvic muscles that should be clenching. To do this, you have to go to the toilet and simply stop urination midway before letting it flow again. Bear in mind that the muscles you are using to suddenly stop urinating are the exact muscles that are expected to be strengthened through kegel exercises. Once you have successfully identified these muscles, the next thing is to learn how to incorporate kegel exercise into your daily routine. What is important here is to learn how to contract these muscles at length while simultaneously relaxing.

When doing kegel exercise, it’s imperative to start performing from the back (anus) to the front (vagina). If you are doing it correctly, you can be sure to feel a somewhat gentle contraction with flattening of the lower abs.

The intensity or frequency of kegel exercise can help maintain a good fitness level often depends on several factors, including whether or not you are rehabilitating from an injury, or dealing with conditions such as stress incontinence or pelvic pain.

In the absence of any symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunctions, the steps of doing kegel exercise the right way are as follows;
• Contract or tighten the pelvic muscles for around 3 seconds;
• Take a 3 seconds rest;
• Ensure that you do two sets of 10-15 kegel exercises on a daily basis;
• Make sure that you alternate with quick contractions of 2 sets of 10-15 on the other days.

Lastly, do always check with your doctor before you do kegel exercise during pregnancy.

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Momsup Editor published in Expecting, First Trimester

Tests For Chromosomal Abnormalities

It is compulsory that pregnant women of all ages undergo screening and invasive diagnostic testing for chromosomal abnormalities before they are up to 20 weeks’. Of course, recent developments in screening methods have widened the options for patients.

Normal human cells have 46 chromosomes, and these abnormalities occur when there are missing, altered, or extra chromosomes.
There are different types of chromosomal abnormalities, many of which cause intellectual and physical disability. Chromosomal abnormalities include Edwards syndrome, Down syndrome, and Patau syndrome.

Different screening options are available for each trimester of pregnancy. Screening options in the first trimester include nuchal translucency testing together with the measurement of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and human chorionic gonadotropin.

Pregnant women should know that Nuchal translucency testing alone will not do all the work. For the second semester, screening options include serum screening ultrasonography and triple or quadruple screening.

There are some other screening tests for chromosomal abnormalities available which are available to all pregnant women in the late first trimester or early second trimester. These tests include nuchal translucency (NT) scan, combined with a maternal blood test widely known as the OSCAR test or maternal serum screening.

Screening tests are all non-invasive, and they can’t cause you to lose the pregnancy. As the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with maternal age, screening tests nowadays have become more important as more women now have babies at a later age.

Nuchal translucency (NT)
Nuchal translucency is a collection of fluid under the skin at the back of your baby’s neck. The amount of fluid is measured during a nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound scan. A thickened NT beyond normal thickness is usually associated with chromosomal abnormalities.  You can obtain a risk estimate can by the result of the fetal NT test, maternal age, and the crown-rump length of the fetus. Please note that the accuracy of the NT test alone is just about 80%.

OSCAR test 
According to a research, the test involves the NT test in addition to a sample of the mother’s blood which is analyzed for levels of free beta hCG and Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A. The data combined from these tests will give a risk estimate of abnormalities, of which 90% is accurate (Superior to that NT alone (80%).)

Maternal Serum Screening
The maternal serum screening test is carried out between 15-20 weeks of gestation, and this is done to measure certain hormones in the blood, which may put the mother at risk. The triple test analyses three hormones called alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic, oestriol, gonadotropin, and a risk value is determined according to the gestational and maternal fetus’s age at that time. As its accuracy is just 65%, this test is not done as much as before. Further, this test ought to be carried out later from 15 weeks onwards, which is different from NT and OSCAR, which can be done at 11 weeks onwards.

Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT)
In 1997, scientists first reported the presence of small amounts of baby’s DNA (known as cell-free DNA, or cfDNA) in the mother’s blood as early as four gestational weeks1 . The rapid development of next-generation sequencing technology makes it possible to detect the risk of having chromosomal abnormalities including Down Syndrome, Patau Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome and other genetic conditions non-invasively.

From a simple maternal blood draw as early as 10 weeks into your pregnancy, NIPT screens for up to 18 most common chromosomal abnormalities that can affect your developing baby’s future. This test is done with little or no risk to your pregnancy. The accuracy rate of this test is up to 99%.

 

Watch the Gender Reveal for Baby Number 4 | Garcia Family

“This is actually the first time I’ve heard of this test. I’ve never done this for any of my past pregnancies and I learned na mayroon palang test na pwede mong i-take as early as 10 weeks of your pregnancy. In this test, ang dami mong pwedeng malaman. It’s through blood extraction and you get to find out what you need to prepare for for your peace of mind so you know that the baby you’re carrying is healthy and normal. This test can detect many kinds of syndromes and of course, bonus na that you get to find out your baby’s gender. It gives you the results within 10-14 days and they do home service. They come to your home and it took less than 5 minutes, it was easy and it was not painful at all.”

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Momsup Editor published in Expecting, First Trimester

Signs Of Having A Boy Or Girl

We have always been referring to baby in your womb as “it”, since we could not tell the sex of the baby until “it” has been born. But in fact, the gender of the baby is already determined at the stage of conception – when the sperm meets the egg. If the sperm carrying the X chromosome meets the egg, the embryo would grow into a baby girl; if it is the Y chromosome that the sperm which meets the egg is carrying, then the embryo would grow into a baby boy.

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admin published in Expecting, Lifestyle

Is Exercise Safe During Pregnancy?

Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or not before pregnancy, as soon as you saw the two lines on the pregnancy test stick, you immediately became cautious in every move, fearing any wrong movement would harm the precious little cargo in your womb. Indeed, healthcare providers discourage exercises for the first trimester.

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admin published in Expecting, Second Trimester

10 Things About 2nd Trimester

After passing the first trimester of pregnancy you have finally survived the most difficult period of pregnancy with morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, mood swings and many other symptoms repeatedly. Let’s have a look at 10 things about the second trimester of pregnancy:

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admin published in Expecting, Second Trimester

Physical Changes During Pregnancy

Your body goes through enormous physical changes during pregnancy. Some of these physical changes may cause aches and pains as well as discomforts. Luckily there are a few tips and tricks that can hopefully make going through such physical changes easier.

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admin published in Expecting

Make Your Pregnancy a Healthy One

A healthy pregnancy not only benefits your growing baby, but also benefits you. This all starts with a healthy diet.  A healthy diet is vital when you are pregnant. There is no magic trick to a “pregnancy diet”. A balanced diet is all that you (and your baby!) need.

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