Hallmark Heart Motherhood

Pregnancy

Preparation for Pregnancy

I can imagine that you are probably thinking about having a baby at this time (that is why you are reading this article, isn’t it?). As a mother I can tell you right away that pregnancy is a very exciting time in a woman’s life. But it can also be a time filled with questions and concerns. You may ask, “Why it is important to be ready for pregnancy?” and, “What is the big reason for doing this?” Well, read on to find out. Conception occurs about 2 weeks before your period is due. That means that you may be more than 3 weeks pregnant and not even know that you're pregnant! This is important because your baby is most sensitive to harm in the period from two to eight weeks after conception. This is when your baby's facial features and organs, such as the heart and kidneys, begin to form. Anything that you eat, drink, smoke or are exposed to can affect your baby. That's why it's best to start acting as if you're pregnant before you are sure that you have conceived, if you have been trying to get pregnant.

Your First Visit to Your Doctor about a Pregnancy?

It is better to see your doctor when you're just thinking about getting pregnant. You can talk about your diet, bowel habits, lifestyle, weight control and any concerns that you have. Try to visit your doctor in the year before you want to get pregnant. A thorough physical examination performed at this time may reveal unknown factors in your health that might have a significant effect on your ability to fall pregnant or successfully carry a child through to birth. High blood pressure, diabetes, back disease and gynecological problems are examples of some that can be found. A Pap smear test should be performed if you are due for one. A blood test for, and a check of your family history of, Rubella (German measles) infection will be arranged and a vaccination given if necessary. You and your partner (father-to-be) will be asked about your medical history because that is very important for the progress of your pregnancy and your future baby. Some medical problems, including genetic diseases such as Cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, run in the family. These problems aren't caused by anything you do. Talk with your doctor about your risk factors and whether screening tests are needed. If you are over 35 years of age, a talk with your doctor is highly recommended. You'll both also have the chance to ask your doctor any questions you may have at this exciting time. Conception, when life begins, is a miraculous process. Today, we know more than we ever have about its wondrous ways, but many aspects still remain a challenging mystery. Once fertilized, the egg has seven days to get down the fallopian tube, enter the cavity of the uterus and burrow into the lining so that it is covered by nutrient-rich blood of its mother. This is probably the most hazardous journey any of us will ever take. Failing to complete the trip leads to certain death. To begin the trip, but be delayed means either death or an ectopic pregnancy. Getting to the uterus too quickly probably also results in failure and death. Even if this developing new person makes it to the stage of implantation into the lining of the uterus, 50% will miscarry in the very early stages.

Shettles’s System to Increase The Odds of Having a Boy or a Girl in Your Favor.

What can you do to improve your chances of having a girl next time, if you already have two sons and you want to have a girl? Is there any way to increase the odds in your favor of having a boy or a girl? There is no simple way in which the sex of a child can be guaranteed, but the following system (known as Shettle's System) may help. Using this system is free; it absolutely does not cost you any money, only your determination and desire. At best, this system increases the chances of a child of a particular sex from 50% to 75%. It is definitely NOT a guarantee of success, but it is currently the most well-known method for influencing gender without the use of medical procedures. The method is based on the premise that men produce two types of sperm, the X (female) and Y (male). The Y sperms are smaller and more delicate, but faster, than the X sperms (which are bigger, tougher and slower), the system is based on providing an environment which is more likely to help the type of sperm that matches your preference to get to the egg first.

There are 6 basic recommendations to follow:

1) Timing - the most critical aspect of the Shettle's method is to time when you have intercourse. The closer to ovulation that you have sex, the better your chances of having a boy, because ovulation provides the most optimal time for conceiving, and male sperm are faster. If you have intercourse about 3 days prior to ovulation, you may maximize the chances for the slower but tougher female sperm, which are able to survive until the egg appears.

2) The pH of the woman's tract is also important. A more alkaline environment is generally favorable to fertility and, therefore, favors the quicker, but more delicate, male sperm. For a girl, a douche of very diluted water and vinegar is done just before intercourse. For a boy, a douche of very diluted water and baking soda just before intercourse is indicated.

3) A woman's tract is more acidic, the closer to the entrance of the vagina that the measurement is taken. Therefore, intercourse with shallow penetration may favor the conception of a girl, and intercourse with deeper penetration is believed to favor a boy being the result.

4) Orgasms in females produce a hormone which makes their vaginal tract more alkaline and therefore more favorable for boys.

5) A high sperm count favors boys. To increase sperm count, Shettle's method recommends that you abstain from intercourse for up to three to four days before ovulation. Also, men should wear boxers rather than tight underpants. To reduce the sperm count, men should take a hot bath just before intercourse and couples should have as much intercourse as possible until 3 days before ovulation.

6) Drinking a cup of coffee just prior to intercourse tends to favor a boy.

To sum up all of the above:

To Increase the Chance of Having a Girl:

Use a vaginal douche, consisting of 20 ml white vinegar in 500 ml of water, ten minutes before having sex. Have sex frequently in the seven to ten days before you ovulate. Have no sex from one day before ovulation until ten days after ovulation. Your partner should ejaculate just inside the vagina, and not deeply inside. Your partner should withdraw immediately after ejaculation. It is better for the woman not to have an orgasm.

To Increase the Chance of Having a Boy:

Ten minutes before sex, use a vaginal douche consisting of 5 g of baking soda in 500 mg of water. Have no sex from the end of your period until the day ovulation occurs. Have sex twice daily from the day of ovulation until four days afterward. Your partner should ejaculate deep inside the vagina. Your partner should withdraw immediately after ejaculation. It is better for woman to have an orgasm; ideally just before ejaculation.

Good luck!

Symptoms of Early Pregnancy

These are some of the first signs of impending motherhood. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms during the early stages of your pregnancy:

1 )Tender, swollen breasts: If you're pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period. A tingling sensation will be felt in the nipples. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.

2) Darkening of your areolas: If the skin around your nipples gets darker and the small lubricating glands become more prominent with small bumps appearing, you may have successfully conceived. But, this may also signal a hormonal imbalance that is unrelated to pregnancy or be a left-over effect from a previous pregnancy. It can even be related to the consumption of oral contraceptive pills.

3) Frequent urination: Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone ‘human chorionic gonadotropin’ (HCG), pregnant women start to urinate more frequently. This settles down after the twelfth week. But, later in pregnancy, the increased size of the womb puts more pressure on the bladder and frequent urination occurs again.

4) Dark patches on forehead and cheeks: These patches are caused by hormonal changes that affect the pigment cells in the skin (they are called ‘chloasma’). Such changes may be also be a side-effect of the contraceptive pills. The navel and a line down the center of the woman’s belly may also darken. These pigment changes fade somewhat after the pregnancy but those areas will probably always remain darker than before.

5) Food cravings: Food cravings can, sometimes, be a sign of pregnancy. Don't rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if the cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, the chance is that you are pregnant.

6) Implantation bleeding or cramping: You may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown color, as well as some cramping about eight days after ovulation. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period; this is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining. 7) Fatigue: High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel tired; as if you've run a marathon, when all you've done is to put in a day at the office. Tiredness is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a sure symptom on its own.
Morning sickness: Normally, morning sickness won't hit you until a few weeks after conception. A lucky few escape it altogether. But, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy as early as a couple of days following conception. This may not just occur in the morning; pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night. You may also notice t

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