How To Reduce Itching During Pregnancy

At a certain period in pregnancy, you might start having the urge to scratch your tummy as it becomes so itchy; this can be so stressful and even embarrassing at times

Here are some few tips:

• Take a warm bath
• Use good moisturising cream on the tummy area
• You can apply calamine lotion once you feel itchy as it has a calming and soothing effect
• Wear loose fitting clothes
• Avoid scratching excessively instead you can rub on it

On Expectant Fathers

Welcome to the journey of fatherhood. As an expectant dad, so many thoughts would be going through your mind viz: how will I receive the new baby? Will I make a good dad? What is my expected role? Will I be supportive enough? Will I still be getting enough attention from my wife? What does the society expect from me, etc? Not to worry you are not alone on this. The key to these questions and even more lies with being involved as much as possible from the onset of the pregnancy and you will be so amazed how everything would fall in place once the baby arrives. There is no joy that surpasses that first feeling of holding your baby in your arms!

Foetal Development (Week 13-16)

WEEK 13

Congrats! You are in your second trimester

What is happening to your baby:

• Weighs about 28grams
• Fingerprints start appearing

What is happening to you:

• You will feel less fatigue

 Week 14

What is happening to your baby:

• Your baby starts inhaling and exhaling

What is happening to you:

• Your energy levels will increase.
• You may become constipated.
• Your sex drive may increase

How to Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy

As the journey of pregnancy has taken off, we need to know some tips on maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Remember you are not just caring for yourself but also for another life that is inside you.

Here are some tips to help out:

·        Get a routine check up

·        Take your vitamins regularly as prescribed

·        Attend ante natal classes regularly (even if this is not your first pregnancy as no two pregnancies are the same

·        Visit your doctor if you do not feel well

·        Maintain healthy diets

·        Avoid exposure to toxic substances

·        Modify your lifestyle; avoid alcohol and smoking

·        Wash hands frequently to prevent spread of disease

·        Take moderate long walks especially in the evening; if possible, together with your partner

·        Most importantly BE HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!

Age and Fertility in Males

It is generally known that fertility decreases with age in females; hence women are most fertile around their 20’s and as they get into their 30’s it starts decreasing; and past 35yrs it becomes much more difficult to conceive.

Although much emphasis has not been made as regards males, studies have shown that men have their biological clocks ticking as well, though it is a more gradual process than in females.

Though lifestyle habits are rarely the only cause of infertility, making changes could enhance your fertility particularly if you have a borderline sperm health.

Some basic tips that could help improve fertility in males include:

Art Of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of the most satisfying aspects of motherhood, however mastering the art can be very difficult especially for new moms and might even take a couple of weeks to do so. This should not be a cause of worry because you are not alone. Apart from the joy it brings to mothers, there are a lot of benefits that could be derived from breastfeeding. Some of them include:

How To Reduce Stretch Marks In Pregnancy

As pregnancy is growing, the skin goes through a lot of pressure and changes and this could result in developing stretch marks. This is often a source of worry to most women. Here are some tips that could be used to minimise these stretch marks:

•       Use rich moisturising cream especially on breast and belly areas
•       You may also use some lotions that are specifically targeted at reducing stretch marks
•      Eat healthy and exercise in order to gain weight slowly
•      Drink plenty of water

On a lighter note we should learn to be positive about it especially when we believe they are proving difficult to minimise because after all, the baby is worth it!

Foetal Development (Week 9-12)

 Week 9

What is happening to your baby:

• Your baby will move if touched through the wall of the uterus.
•  All organs, nerves and muscles start functioning
• Fingers and thumbs appear

What is happening to you:

• Your breasts have become fuller and may feel very sensitive.
• You may find that you cannot fit into your clothes any longer as your waistline expands.
• Heartburn might become a problem
• Your skin might improve in appearance because of increased blood volume
• You may have nose-bleeds

Foetal Development (Weeks 4-8)

Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks, and throughout this course most mothers would be curious about what is actually going on and how the baby develops. This is a time to get rid of our bad habits like smoking, drinking, drugs, as they would affect the baby’s development. It is rather a time to embrace more positive lifestyle in order to enhance the overall health of the baby and mother.

Here is a guide to the weekly development and the changes that we would possibly be going through at each stage

Preparing For Motherhood

You are probably late and have done a pregnancy test and it is positive; the excitement the emotions and then the anxiety of the whole process starts taking its toll on you!

Congratulations and welcome to the journey! However this time should not be a time to curl up on our couches and probably lie lazily on our beds; it is a time for us to get active and read! Read, read, and read! These basic tips can be a guide:

Calming a Crying Child

When a child cries, he is obviously expressing his feelings and so we should try as much as possible to identify the cause and address it. There are some basic causes of discomfort to the child like hunger, wet or soiled nappies, sleep etc, and while addressing them might seem to work the magic sometimes, other times they don’t. 

Music, Pregnancy, and Child Development

How often have we heard that noise affects the baby in the womb. If that is true, then music should also affect the baby in the womb, but this time, positively. Furthermore, the hormones at play during pregnancy can get a lot of women down, so it is equally advisable that during pregnancy you find time to relax with such soothing music…it does you and your baby a lot of good…listen to this

Tell us what you think...

Also check out my weight loss blog at chizzweightlossdiary.blogspot.com

Curious How Your Baby Develops in the Early Stages?

Once you get pregnant, you are curious to know what is happening inside your womb leading to the arrival of your bundle of joy. Here's a video guide to help you understand

Careful Who Babysits for You!

This is just so ridiculous!

Gender Prediction using Chinese Birth Chart

The birth of a baby whether boy or girl should ordinarily bring joy to the parents. However, in reality, some couples would prefer a particular gender when they plan their babies...Is it really possible to predict your unborn child's gender? Are there things one needs to do to have a particular gender? I came across this Chinese baby chart that is claimed to work for people (about 90% accuracy)...You may want to try it. If it works for you, let us know through this forum. View through this link  http://www.obfocus.com/calculators/birthchart.htm

Art of Naming Babies

How do we really go about choosing names of our kids? Do we choose names just because it is probably the trending name around the time or because our adored celebrities go by such names?

While circumstances surrounding a person’s birth might play a significant role in naming a child, we should try considering these steps while choosing names

•     Get a baby name book with meanings; so we don’t end up with names that could probably mean snakes or other scary things
•           Consider naming after a relative you are close to; by this way the bond could get even closer
•      Avoid wacky names that your children might dislike later in life
•           Consider nicknames and initials that could be made out of the name so that the kids don’t always get made fun of
•     You might also consider names that identify your child’s ancestry
•     Remember your name is your identity and a window of your self so you don’t want to get it wrong

How do I know when I am ovulating?

Yeah, we are seriously thinking of starting a family but do we really understand our bodies and monthly cycle to know when might be the best time for us to conceive? Right, here is a guide:

(a) Basal Body Temperature (BBT): 

The woman is required to keep a chart of her daily temperature readings.  The reading is best taken from the anus first thing in the morning using a thermometer temperature. The basis for this method is that a woman's basal body temperature drops briefly and then rises half a degree following ovulation, and remains elevated until the start of the next period.  A rise in temperature that persists for at least 3 days indicates that ovulation has occurred. It is also advisable to use the same thermometer in order to avoid bias.

Thinking about Raising a Family

Most adults consciously or subconsciously start planning their families in their minds way before they even enter into a serious relationship.  We dream of the size of the family; how many kids we would have, even the sex of each of them, as though it would act out like a script!

Welcome

Blogs have almost become the "in thing" these days. While some blog about their personal experiences, others blog about celebrity gossips. Parenting basics is targeted at bringing information on basics of parenting as well as bringing information on issues of health, healthy living, lifestyle, environment and more. It is hoped that we can keep our readers up to date on such information that can guide us make the right choices.