X-ray and its risks to pregnancy

There are several breakthroughs in technology that made human life easier and when it comes to medical technology, it saves a great deal of life too! One of the outstanding inventions that helped a lot of people especially in the field of medicine is the x-ray. But this amazing technology has its limitations too particularly to women expecting pregnancy.

When you are about to take an x-ray examination, the radiologist will ask you if you are pregnant or expecting to be pregnant. This is part of the precautionary measures being undertaken so as to ensure the safety of the expectant mom and the baby in the womb.

The process of an x-ray examination involves radiation that is why pregnant women should be careful about this. This is being performed to diagnose potential health problems that are not seen by the naked eye and involves the internal structure of the body. This technology uses light waves a form of radiant energy and penetrates the body to create images of the internal structure concerned.

Since it emits radiation it can modify cells, a process that is dangerous to pregnant women as it can cause malformations during pregnancy. One of the options that could be tried is the use of pregnancy scans or the latest technology to ultrasound called 4d scans.

Instead of using light waves, 4d baby scans uses sound waves to capture images of the internal organ or structure. It is already being used in some countries and strengthens the bond between the mother and the child.

X-ray is a beneficial technology to man. It should be used with care. To women expecting pregnancy, it is better to shun away from this examination if possible avoiding pregnancy complications. There are other alternatives that could be taken such as pregnancy scans or 4d scans.

Pregnancy protein requirement

As an expectant mom, it is important that you are able to sustain what your child needs during pregnancy. Your child's nutrition is dependent on you. Lacking of the needed nutrition during pregnancy could bring developmental problems on the baby and health concerns to the mother in the long run. Some of the nutrients that play a major role during pregnancy are folic acid, calcium, iron and protein. In this article we will discuss protein as an important part of pregnancy.

Amino acids which can be found on protein form the building block for the development of the muscles and the tissues. During pregnancy, it is important to the growth of the baby particularly on the second and the third trimester of pregnancy where growth is in its highest. Lacking of this nutrient can lead to low birth weight and early childbirth. Also some manifestations of this to the mother are weight loss, muscle fatigue and frequent infection.

How much protein you should consume per day? An average woman would need 40 to 45 grams of protein per day as his protein requirement. During pregnancy, there is an increase to the protein requirement by 25 grams to be able to sustain the development of the baby.

Getting the extra 25 grams should not pose a problem for expectant moms. There are several types of foods where you can get the protein that you need. Some of the protein-rich foods are beans and legumes, lean meats such as beef, chicken and pork, seafood like crab, lobster and shrimp and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Fish are also excellent source of protein. Expectant moms should however be careful in eating fish as not all types of fish are safe for consumption during pregnancy. Predator fish like tuna and king mackerel should be avoided as they may contain metals such as mercury that can be harmful to pregnancy. Mercury can affect the brain development of the baby inside the womb. Aside from mercury, you also run the risk of lead exposure that does the same effect.

Consulting your medical practitioner would help you learn if you have sufficient protein to sustain your health and the development of your child. By doing so, your doctor can help you plan your meals to help you meet your protein requirement.

Meeting your protein needs during pregnancy should never be a problem. There are a lot of choices to include in your meal to meet your protein requirement. Eat nutrition-dense food to ensure that you stay healthy as well as the baby in the womb.



Riza C. Belgira is health enthusiast and an advocate of strengthening women's health and well-being through informative health resources and articles.

Visit her web site and explore informative and useful tips on 4d scans, pregnancy, dieting and weight loss at http://www.4d-ultrasoundscan.co.uk/.

How yoga can ease pregnancy?

Do you want to keep fit even if you are pregnant? Many health experts recommend expectant moms to do yoga during their pregnancy to keep fit. Not only yoga helps pregnant women become fit during pregnancy but also it helps women to bear pregnancy better.

Yoga is an Indian exercise composed of poses and breathing techniques. The poses which is also called asanas do differently to each part of the body. The poses promote flexibility as stretching exercises of yoga makes tendons and ligaments more flexible. This is especially helpful during childbirth and labor as expectant moms would find it easier to adapt to labor positions. Another advantage that yoga poses can do is that it helps ease up muscle tension and tone the body at the same time.



Another technique involved in yoga exercises is the breathing techniques. Breathing techniques help improve circulation and provide adequate supply of oxygen in the body.

The practice of yoga has been popular as a form of meditation. During pregnancy, it is not only the body that feels the stress but also the mind. Worries, fears and other negative emotions can do harm to pregnancy when left unattended and continued to be ignored. Yoga gives expectant moms the time to reflect on and keep these negative emotions away. When the mind relaxes, the body releases lactic acid that can contribute to the tension of the body. In this way, the unity between the mind and the body is achieved, thereby improving the whole well-being of the person.

Aside from the above mentioned advantages that yoga can bring to pregnancy, yoga also improves posture, tones the muscle and helps the person to be more aware of the body. Being more aware of the body, this strengthen the bonding between the baby and the expectant mom.

There are several ways to keep fit during pregnancy and one is to do yoga. However, you should make sure that doing yoga would not be harmful to your health condition. An expectant mom doing yoga should not feel pain when doing yoga or after performing it. If pain is felt, your physician should be consulted. Have a healthy and fit pregnancy!

Chemical exposure during pregnancy

Whether you're a first time mom - or an experienced pro - it never hurts to make changes to your lifestyle during your pregnancy. There are simple and effective ways to ensure that you stay as healthy as possible while you are pregnant. Here are some ideas that can help you to get started right away.

When you come to think with it, we are exposed to several chemicals each day, from food and beverages, cleaning products and even wellness and beauty items. This may not normally be a concern for most people but when you are pregnant, you will start to ponder if these chemicals will not cause complications on your pregnancy.

Fortunately, exposure to chemicals that may pose risk to pregnancy can be avoided. Only a minimal of our household items could be avoided without affecting our daily lives and some of these are cosmetics and makeup items, cleaning products, pesticides and herbicides and mercury-positive items.

Cosmetics and makeup items. Pregnancy makes most women feel that they are less pretty than they use to be with bulges everywhere in the body, not to mention having stretch marks, darkening of the underarm and the neck and some women may also suffer from oily faces. All of this sufferings will only end after the 9-month period of pregnancy. In order to make women feel better, some would resort into indulging themselves with cosmetics and makeup items. However, some may not be aware that while these items may save the day to make you look good and feel good, these can pose danger to pregnancy. Some cosmetic items contain Parabens, Phthalates, and other Parfum identities that can cause premature birth, miscarriages and sperm damage. In addition, allergies may also manifest while using these.

Cleaning items. Whether a pregnant woman is in the house or not, maintaining cleanliness is important in the household. This is why cleaning items should never be missed when you went to the grocery and replenish your stocks for the house. However, it is crucial that when you are expecting, you should avoid as much as possible any contact with cleaning items. While you may not be aware, some cleaning products may contain Triclosan, alkylphenol ethoxylates, volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Xylenes and Tuolene are examples of VOC that can result to retarded growth, birth defects, developmental and neurological problems to the baby while inside the womb. Meanwhile, alkylphenol ethoxylates are known as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with, mimic or block human hormones. This chemical can be found on hair colors, spot removers and other hair care products.

Paints. Most paints that have been manufactured before 1970s contains lead. Pregnant women must refrain from peeling off paints that may contain lead. Also there are paints that may have presence of mercury.

Mercury exposure. Mercury is a type of metal that can exist in various forms. It exists in thermometer, in dental fillings, latex paints and batteries. Pregnant women should avoid being exposed to this. Moreover, there are foods that have high risk of mercury exposure and some are mackerel and tuna. Eating this foods should be done to minimal so as to avoid possible pregnancy complications.

There's nothing more important to your baby than a healthy mom! So be sure to make it a priority to concentrate on making the best choices to benefit both your baby and yourself especially during pregnancy. There is no substitute for the advice of a medical doctor, but the information above can give you some good ideas for keeping you and baby healthy.

On getting pregnant

A few days or months after marriage may leave couples wanting to have a child already. While many couples succeed in bearing a child easily, there are also those who may find difficulty in having a child. A year of trying to get pregnant and still having this failure maybe needing a medical attention already so as to know the reason why there might be problems on getting pregnant and bearing a child.

Most instances would lead to the thought that only woman may cause the problem of not bearing a child. However the man should also need to undergo medical examinations together with his wife. Frequently, a problem on bearing a child is caused by hormonal changes or imbalance, physical problems, or might be an effect of a health problem like obesity. Below are some of the most known reasons of problems on getting pregnant and yet, the most neglected one.


Stress. Although there is still no scientific explanation how stress directly affects the fertility of a man and a woman, most doctors claim that patient who are in less stressful conditions are likely to get pregnant that those who lives in more stressful environment.





Obesity. Obese people often have hormonal changes that can affect the reproductive system. In women, obesity causes disruption in ovulation cycle as caused by higher estrogen production. Likewise, high levels of estrogen in women also shows pre-cancerous changes in the uterus that is proven to give irreversible damage that can lead to infertility or failure to get pregnant. Aside from the direct effect to the childbearing process in a woman's body, obesity also affects the baby in the womb in case the woman successfully conceived. Spina bifida and cleft plates often results on babies with obese mothers.

Smoking. The nicotine found on cigarette has damaging effect on the capacity of a woman to produce a baby or on getting pregnant. Based on studies made, the nicotine can cause chromosomal abnormalities while the baby is in the womb. Moreover, it can cause changes on the ovulation cycle and fertility rates. This study is applicable to both active and passive smokers.


Stress, smoking and obesity are only a few causes of infertility in a woman or delays on getting pregnant. If you are trying to conceived and failed to expect pregnancy within a year of trying, seeking medical advice is highly recommended to trace the real cause of the problem and immediately provide solution to it.

Treating colds and cough during pregnancy

Rainy season is here and so as colds, cough and flu! It is important that we attend to any flu-like symptoms, get rest and take medicines needed to recover easily. This is easy for normal individuals to do however certain conditions like being pregnant can cause hesitations to expectant mothers in taking colds or cough medicine. How do we treat colds and cough during pregnancy?

Colds medicines have two kinds of preparations: the expectorant and the suppressant.

Cough suppressant are based on opioids, especially codeine and sedatives such as diphenhydramine. They help a person recover easily by inducing the individual to sleep better. This is not recommended for working moms as it may cause drowsiness while at work.

Cough expectorants meanwhile are advertise on the market to expel sputum and secretions produced at the respiratory tract.

To know how to treat colds and cough better during pregnancy, you should be able to consult your obstetrician so as he can prescribe the right medicine for you.

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Which is normal and which is not during the first trimester of pregnancy?

Being pregnant gives us the joy and as pregnancy progresses our excitement also increases. However, this may also bring us worries on which pregnancy experiences is normal and which is not. Here are a few examples on pregnancy experiences and we will identify which is normal and which are not.

Bleeding. Bleeding may alarm you on what is happening to your body. However, this may become false alarms. To determine the difference, any bleeding heavier than a heavy period will require you to go to the nearest hospital.

Cramps. You often experience cramps when your bladder is full or after a sexual activity. You should take notice if cramp is accompanied with bleeding especially when its heavier than a heavy period.

Abdominal pain. There are several reasons for abdominal pain. Most often it is a result of diet change during pregnancy. However, if you feel that it is more than that of a diet change, you should have yourself checked by a doctor. It could be a sign of ectopic pregnancy or a serious medical condition.

Armed with these information, you should be able to be more effective in taking care of your body during pregnancy. Have a blissful pregnancy!