Chocolate may reduce pregnancy complication risk

A box of chocolates. A daily snack of quality dark chocolate is healthy for pregnant women and protects them from possible high blood pressure problems, a medical study said Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Indulging in chocolate during pregnancy could help ward off a serious complication known as preeclampsia, new research suggests.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich in a chemical called theobromine, which stimulates the heart, relaxes smooth muscle and dilates blood vessels, and has been used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries, Dr. Elizabeth W. Triche of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues write.


Preeclampsia, in which blood pressure spikes during pregnancy while excess protein is released into the urine, has many features in common with heart disease, the researchers add.
To investigate whether chocolate's possible cardiovascular benefits also might help prevent preeclampsia, the researchers looked at 2,291 women who delivered a single infant, and asked them about how much chocolate they consumed in their first and third trimesters. The researchers also tested levels of theobromine in infants' umbilical cord blood.


Women who consumed the most chocolate and those whose infants had the highest concentration of theobromine in their cord blood were the least likely to develop preeclampsia. Women in the highest quarter for cord blood theobromine were 69 percent less likely to develop the complication than those in the lowest quarter.


Women who ate five or more servings of chocolate each week in their third trimester of pregnancy were 40 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.


A similar, but weaker, relationship between chocolate consumption and preeclampsia risk was seen in the first trimester, with women eating five or more servings of chocolate each week at 19 percent lower risk than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.


Theobromine could improve circulation within the placenta while blocking oxidative stress, or it could also be a stand-in for other beneficial chemicals found in chocolate, Triche and her team note in the May issue of Epidemiology.


"Our results raise the possibility that chocolate consumption by pregnant women may reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia," they write. "Because of the importance of preeclampsia as a major complication of pregnancy, replication of these results in other large prospective studies with a detailed assessment of chocolate consumption is warranted."

Mother's diet can help determine sex of child: study

PARIS (AFP) - - Oysters may excite the libido, but there is nothing like a hearty breakfast laced with sugar to boost a woman's chances of conceiving a son, according to a study released Wednesday.

Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, says the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Britain's de facto academy of sciences.

Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter in Britain and colleagues wanted to find out if a woman's diet has an impact on the sex of her offspring.

So they asked 740 first-time mothers who did not know if their unborn foetuses were male or female to provide detailed records of eating habits before and after they became pregnant. The women were split into three groups according to the number calories they consumed per day around the time of conception.

Fifty-six percent of the women in the group with the highest energy intake had sons, compared to 45 percent in the least-well fed cohort.

Beside racking up a higher calorie count, the group who produced more males were also more likely to have eaten a wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12.

The odds of an XY, or male outcome to a pregnancy also went up sharply "for women who consumed at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily compared with those who ate less than or equal to one bowl of week," the study reported.

These surprising findings are consistent with a very gradual shift in favor of girls over the last four decades in the sex ratio of newborns, according to the researchers.
Previous research has shown -- despite the rising epidemic in obesity -- a reduction in the average energy uptake in advanced economies. The number of adults who skip breakfast has also increased substantially.

"This research may help to explain why in developed countries, where many young women choose low calorie diets, the proportion of boys is falling," Mathews said.
The study's findings, she added, could point to a "natural mechanism" for gender selection.
The link between a rich diet and male children may have an evolutionary explanation.
For most species, the number of offspring a male can father exceeds the number a female can give birth to. But only if conditions are favorable -- poor quality male specimens may fail to breed at all, whereas females reproduce more consistently.

"If a mother has plentiful resources, then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter," thus contributing to the survival of the species, explains Mathews.
"However, in leaner times having a daughter is a safer bet."

While the mechanism is not yet understood, it is known from in vitro fertilisation research that higher levels of glucose, or sugar, encourage the growth and development of male embryos while inhibiting female embryos.

Nursing Mothers may be giving their infants food allergies.

Nursing Mother's with a history of asthma or eczema may need to be more cautious about foods they consume. A study being done in Canada has found that nursing mothers may pass peanut proteins in breast milk to their infants. Such early exposure to these kind of allergens could put babies at risk, developing potentially fatal allergies.

A recent Food and Drug Administration study also found that many food manufacturers fail to list highly allergenic ingredients such as peanuts, eggs and milk that are in their products. About 7 million Americans who suffer from food allergies rely on ingredient labels to tell them which processed foods are safe. Some food allergies, particularly peanut allergies, can be fatal -- they cause about 150 deaths each year.

Mothers who breast-feed their children may be able to prevent them from developing such allergies by monitoring their diets, according to a Canadian study. Researchers said babies with one or both parents with a history of asthma, eczema or other allergy-based diseases are at risk of peanut allergy, because those children can be identified at birth, nursing mothers could avoid exposing them to the allergen by not consuming peanut products while nursing.

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, said breast milk had been suspected as a hidden route by which children became sensitized to peanuts. Avoiding exposure through breast milk does not guarantee that children can avoid peanut allergy when they are exposed to the food at a later age. It is now believed the allergy is often triggered by exposure early in a child's development. Doctors generally recommend that parents not feed children peanut products until age 3.

Choosing the correct breast pump

What Type of Breast Pump Is Right For U?

Manual or electric, single or double-alternating pump, buy or rent? With the number of options available choosing the most suitable breast pump for your pumping needs can be tricky. Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all breast pump; what worked well for your mother or best friend may not work well for you. Choosing your ideal breast pump is a decision best made after considering your needs and weighing all of the options. There are several factors that can help determine your ideal breast pump.

The following sections provide a brief outline of points to consider when choosing a pump. If you are having difficulty choosing a pump, a qualified healthcare professional can help guide your decision based on the following factors:

1) How do you plan to use the pump?

Are you using a pump in addition to breastfeeding?
Do you plan to pump and store several containers of milk?
Are you returning to work?
Will you be away from your baby for several days?

2) How much time will it take you to pump?
The amount of time it takes to pump varies, but certain types of breast pumps may be easier to use and extract milk faster.
If you plan to pump at work or do not have a lot of time to pump, you may want to consider a battery or electrically powered breast pump. Double and double-alternating pumps may also decrease the amount of time it takes to pump because both breasts can be emptied at the same time.

3) Are the pump's instructions easy for you to understand?
Review the instructions included with several different pumps and choose a pump that is easy for you to assemble, use, clean, and take apart. If you are shopping for a pump in a store, ask a salesperson if the store has display breast pumps so you can practice assembling and taking apart several different pumps before you buy one.
Keep in mind that for health reasons most stores will not allow you to return a breast pump.

4) Where will you be using a pump?
Manual and battery-powered pumps can be easy to transport and use in small spaces, while an electric pump will require an outlet to power the pump and may be difficult to transport.
It is important that women who use a powered breast pump are prepared for emergency situations when electricity or extra batteries may not be available. Having extra supplies for pumping and a back-up method, such as a manual breast pump, may help a woman maintain her breast pumping schedule during an emergency.

5) Do you need a pump that is easy to transport?
If you travel frequently, or plan to pump at work consider buying a light-weight pump that transports easily in a carrying case that holds the pump and your pumping supplies.
If you plan to pump in the same place every time, you may not need to worry about how easy it is to transport.

6) Will the breast-shields fit you?
Make sure that the breast-shield opening is the correct size for you. You should be able to comfortably center your nipple inside the breast-shield. Many pumps are sold with one size of breast-shield. If the included breast-shields make your nipples sore or are otherwise uncomfortable, make sure you can replace them with a different size or texture that is comfortable for you and will work with your pump.

Pregnancy Loss - Dealing with Miscarriage and Other Forms of Loss

How to cope with grief and every day living after the loss of your pregnancy or baby due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, stillbirth or neonatal death.

Here's some brief information for your knowledge. Most importantly, Take good care of yourself.

Pregnancy Loss: Pregnancy loss is defined as the loss of a pregnancy at any point before birth. It can be at a very early point in the first trimester due to miscarriage or near the end of pregnancy as a stillbirth. Each type of pregnancy loss is different and is experienced differently for each family suffering the grief of that loss.

Miscarriage: Miscarriage is usually defined as the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation, about the half way point, before your baby can survive outside of the uterus. The vast majority of miscarriages occur in the first trimester. Sometimes they are caused by a blighted ovum, or egg that failed to develop.

Tubal Pregnancy: Tubal pregnancy is also know as an ectopic pregnancy. This is a pregnancy that grows outside of the uterus, most frequently in the fallopian tube. Since other structures are not capable of carrying a growing baby, the pregnancy is doomed. This can be a very serious and often life threatening situation for the woman.

Preterm Labor: Preterm labor does not always lead to preterm birth, but when it does, there is a greater chance of neonatal death. When a baby is born early, it is unable to survive as well and faces extra challenges from the premature birth. Even with vast amounts of technology we cannot always save these early babies.

Stillbirth: After the midpoint of pregnancy, around 20 weeks, if your baby dies for any reason before birth, it is said to be still born. The stillbirth rate is about 1% of all pregnancies. Birth is usually induced right away, though not always.

Grief: After a pregnancy loss you may feel very numb and not know what to do. Seek help from a group of parents in similar situations, your hospital should be able to help point you in the right direction. There are other ways such as memorial services and grief counseling that work well. Others find that individual counseling is helpful. Doing what is best for your family will be what you need.

Family Issues: If someone you know has had a pregnancy loss, you may not know what to say or do. You may worry about how to act around them or be unsure of what they want you to to help them. The best advice is to always ask what you can do to help.

Having Another Baby: Many families go on to try again. Having a pregnancy after any type of pregnancy loss is often very scary for you and your family. You may need to have extra visits with your doctor or midwives to help you emotionally deal with being pregnant again. Be calm and patient with yourself and each other.

What women really eat in pregnancy?

We all know we're meant to have a healthy diet when pregnant, but what if our pregnancy cravings are for cream cakes instead of black chicken soup?

Between the food we're supposed to eat every day and the foods we shouldn't touch with a barge pole, is it any wonder we're confused about our antenatal diet?

Eating during pregnancy can be a minefield. We're bombarded with nutritional advice, and food-safety guidelines seem to change every five minutes. If you're a busy pregnant woman, cooking a nutritionally balanced meal every night can be an added stress. And if you're pregnancy cravings see you eating salt-and-vinegar crisps every hour on the hour, what's a girl to do?

Despite having access to a wealth of healthy-eating information 67% of mums-to-be still think they should double their food intake during pregnancy. In fact, an extra 300 calories a day is plenty. The resilience of this old wives' tale shows just how confused we are.

'Eating well during pregnancy can be quite straightforward,. 'There's no such thing as unhealthy food, only an unhealthy diet. Don't worry about the odd treat, as long as your overall nutrition is balanced.

'If you accidentally eat something you're advised not to, such as soft cheese or shellfish, don't panic. These carry a higher risk of food poisoning, but they're not guaranteed to harm you or your baby, especially if just a one-off. If you can't resist food such as prawns, store and cook them properly and they'll be safe.'

Expert advice on pregnancy nutrition

This list of foods you can tuck into any time from 0 to 40 weeks...

· Eat as much organic fruit and vegetables as you like, the more colours the better. They're packed with essential vitamins and minerals.

· If you really do crave something 'naughty', then some organic dark chocolate or a health-food-shop cereal bar every now and again is the best option.

· Hearty soups containing pulses (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, flageolet beans) are great comfort food, and an excellent source of vegetable protein. Plus they're low in fat and high in fibre and essential B-vitamins.

· Natural organic yogurt provides friendly bacteria – good for the digestive system. Add your own fruit for a tasty treat.

· Mixed fresh nuts (Brazil, almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts) are ideal snacks, as are pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Good sources of protein and essential fats.

· Cheese oatcakes are a super snack. They balance blood-sugar levels and sustain energy.

Hospital Charges

Here's a list of hospital charges for your reference.

KK Women's & Children's Hospital

100 Bukit Timah RoadSingapore 229899
Tel: 62934044

Daily Ward Fees Daily Nursery Fees

Class A(single bed) $297.00 $63.70

Class A(2-bedded) $217.10 $63.70

Class B1(4-bedded) $171.70 $63.70

Class B2+(5-bedded) $110.00 $41.00

Class B2(6-bedded) $43.00 $41.00

Class C(open ward) $22.00 $41.00

East Shore Hospital

321 Joo Chiat PlaceSingapore 427990

Tel: 63447588

Daily Room Rates
Single deluxe room $430.50
Single room $362.25
2-bedded room $210.00
4-bedded room $141.75
Lodger (extra bed) with meals $59.85

Mount Alvernia Hospital

820 Thomson RoadSingapore 574623

Tel: 63476688

Fixed Priced Maternity Packages
Single room Double room 4-bedded room
Normal delivery
- 2 days $1,764.00 $1,050.00 $934.50
- 3 days $2,168.25 $1,349.25 $1,176.00
Normal delivery (with epidural)
- 2 days $2,084.25 $1,370.25 $1,254.75
- 3 days $2,488.50 $1,669.50 $1,496.250
Assisted delivery
- 2 days $1,853.25 $1,139.25 $1,023.75
- 3 days $2,257.50 $1,438.50 $1,265.25
Assisted delivery (with epidural)
- 2 days $2,173.50 $1,459.50 $1,344.00
- 3 days $2,577.75 $1,758.75 $1,585.50
Caesarean section (with GA)
- 3 days $2,919.00 $1,858.50 $1,685.25
- 4 days $3,323.25 $2,157.75 $1,926.75
Caesarean section (with epidural)
- 3 days $2,793.00 $1,732.50 $1,559.25
- 4 days $3,197.25 $2,031.75 $1,800.75

Gleneagles Hospital

6A Napier RoadSingapore 258500

Tel: 64737222

Daily Room Rates
Gleneagles suite $3,684.45
Tanglin suite $3,159.45
Napier/Nassim suite $1,584.45
Executive suite $765.45
Deluxe (maternity) room $525.00
Single room $407.40
2-bedded room $241.50
4-bedded room $178.50
Other Charges

Nursery (before mum's discharge) $57.75 per day
Nursery (after mum's discharge) $89.25 per day

Mount Elizabeth Hospital

3 Mount ElizabethSingapore 228510

Tel: 67372666

Daily Room Rates
Single deluxe room $661.50
Single room $407.40
2-bedded room $241.50
4-bedded room $178.50
VIP room (with attached lounge) $2,625.00
Lodger (extra bed) with meals $78.75
Other Charges
Nursery $52.50 per day

Singapore General Hospital

Outram RoadSingapore 169608

Tel: 62223322

Daily Room Rates
Class A1+ (upgraded ward) $280.00
Class A1 (1-bedded) $250.00
Class B1 (4-bedded) $150.00
Class B2 (6-bedded) $50.00

Thomson Medical Centre

339 Thomson RoadSingapore 307677

Tel: 62502222

Daily Room Rates
VIP suite $764.40
Super deluxe single $512.40
Single-bedded room $367.50
2-bedded room $216.30
4-bedded room $168.00
Other Charges
Nursery-cot bed $100.00 per day
Companion Accommodation
VIP suite $100.00 daily
Super deluxe single $85.00 daily
Single-bedded room $75.00 daily

National University Hospital

5 Lower Kent Ridge RoadSingapore 119074

Tel: 6779 5555
Daily Room Rates Treatment Fee Nursery
Single room $262.50 $63.00 $31.50
4-bedded room $168.00 $52.50 $31.50
6-bedded room $50.00 $16.00 $15.00

Breastfeeding vital within first hour of birth

MORE than one million babies could be saved worldwide if mothers were to start breastfeeding within the first hour of birth.

Mother and child bonding:Mothers participating in a minute-long global synchronised breastfeeding project in Penang.

That was the message the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) sent out in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week 2007.

A global synchronised breastfeeding event was held in the Penang Caring Society Complex where 60 mothers joined their counterparts in over 21 countries to breastfeed simultaneously for one minute.

A total 128 mothers in Kuala Lumpur also participated in the breastfeeding.

“Exclusive breastfeeding (where all nutrients are naturally pro- vided from the mother) is crucial for the first six months of a baby’s life.

“Not only does this save lives, but it also reduces the risk of deve-lop-ing allergies later in life,” said Susan Siew, the Co-Director of WABA.

Deputy Director Liew Mun Tip said after birth, babies were normally whisked away for weighing and cleaning.

“These procedures can be delayed to give priority on feeding, which in the long run, is more important,” he said.

A surprising number of fathers were also present for the event.

Pong Yong How, a first-time father, said it was important for fathers to encourage breastfeed- ing.

“Breastfeeding is not an easy job. Newborns have to be fed over 10 times a day, ” he said.
WABA has also set up a Men’s Initiative to promote holistic family involvement.

WABA coordinator Julianna Lim Abdullah said mothers and fathers were a team when it came to raising children.

“During breastfeeding, many mothers sometimes experience anxiety and feel very alone when things don’t go smoothly.

“We find that their husbands are especially good at helping their wives relax in such situation,” she said.

(Send in your baby/kids photo to mykidzspot@yahoo.com.sg for a FREE write up in this blog! More details, check out the "Baby/Kid Write up" Section in the blog.)

Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy

It is common for pregnant women to develop some loss of glucose tolerance during pregnancy. With the increase in circulating blood volume and metabolites, often the pancreas has a difficult time with the increased demands to supply insulin to help maintain proper blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is not uncommon for sugar levels to rise during pregnancy.

In about 10 to 20 percent of cases, a women will develop a condition know as gestational diabetes, in which blood sugar levels are too high. This condition requires careful medical monitoring and diet control. If it is not properly controlled, it can lead to problems for the mother or her baby.
Although you have not been classified as having gestational diabetes, it is a good idea for you to keep blood sugar levels within a safe range. Proper diet and daily exercise are important.

What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes develops in women during pregnancy because the mother's body is not able to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that enables the body to break down sugar (glucose) to be used as energy. Without sufficient insulin the amount of sugar in the blood rises.


Here are some suggestions to help you maintain this goal:
Avoid sugar and foods high in sugar.During pregnancy, sugar is rapidly absorbed into the blood and requires a larger release of insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Sugar comes in many forms, and you should become familiar with how to identify it on a packaging label ingredient panel. If any of the forms appear near the top of the list, you should avoid that product. Eat unsweetened breakfast cereals and breads without added sugars. Avoid pies, cakes, cookies, sweetened yogurt, fruit drinks, sodas, candy, ice cream, syrup and any sugars such as honey, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, turbinado sugar, high fructose corn syrup and molasses.
It may be a good idea to drink vegetable juices such as tomato juice. Whole fruit is a better choice than fruit juice, because it contains fiber, which will help slow the absorption of sugar. Be sure to avoid fruit in syrup. Vegetables are a wonderful snack. They are very low in sugar.

Additional Self-help Tips
The most important part of treatment is to control blood sugar levels. Besides that, regular testing of blood sugar (glucose) levels, a carefully planned diet and regular exercise is also important.
A doctor or dietician can give advice about what and how much to eat. A meal plan will probably consist of a variety of foods including plenty of starchy fillers such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, and at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
It's important to limit consumption of sugary foods like cakes, biscuits and soft drinks. A diet that is low in fat is also desirable. This can be acheived by avoiding full-fat dairy products such as butter and cream, and limiting fatty meat, pies, sausages and burgers. Grilling, steaming or microwaving food rather than frying or roasting means less fat is added during cooking.
Gentle, regular exercise such as walking can help reduce blood sugar levels and promote a sense of well-being. A doctor or midwife can advise about suitable exercise during pregnancy.
Medicines
Despite making the above lifestyle changes, a few women's blood sugar levels remain too high, and they may need daily injections of insulin. The extra insulin will not cross the placenta and will not affect the baby. Any woman who needs to take insulin will be taught how to take it by her doctor or nurse.
It is possible to have too much insulin and this can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Common symptoms of this are weakness, shaking, hunger and sweating. For people taking insulin, it is a good idea to keep a snack handy at all times in case low blood sugar develops.

Prevention
To help reduce the risk of getting gestational diabetes, women should make healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise and maintaining the correct weight for their height.

Below is an example of a healthy daily diet that can help keep your blood sugars within a reasonable range:

Breakfast:1/2 cup orange juice, 3/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 tsp. margarine

Morning snack:Yogurt smoothie made with 1 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 banana
Lunch:1 cup skim milk, salad with 1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, 1/2 fresh tomato, 2 oz. water-packed tuna and 2 tbs. low-calorie Italian dressing, 1 bran muffin, 1/2 cup cantaloupe chunks

Afternoon snack:6 whole-grain crackers with 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1/2 sliced apple

Dinner:1 cup tossed salad with 1 tbsp. low-fat dressing, 3 oz. skinless chicken breast, 1 baked potato, 1/2 cup cooked broccoli, 1 piece corn bread, 1 cup skim milk, 1 fresh peach

Bedtime snack:Fresh carrot sticks, 2 cups plain popcorn, 1 oz. low-fat cheese

New Study Finds that a Baby’s Conception and Birth Can Influence Dream Content in New Moms

The conception and birth of a child are emotional events that influence the dreams of most new mothers. In a surprisingly high number of cases, this influence reflects negative aspects of maternal responsibility, depicting the new infant in dreamed situations of danger and provoking anxiety in the mother that often spills over into wakefulness. Furthermore, these kinds of dreams are also accompanied by complex behaviors by new moms such as motor activity, speaking and expressing emotion, according to a study published in the September 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.


The study in Canada , focused on 273 women, who were divided into three groups: postpartum, pregnant, and null gravida. The subjects completed questionnaires about pregnancy and birth factors, personality and sleep, and participated in interviews concerning the prevalence of recent infant dreams and nightmares, associated behaviors, anxiety, depression and other psychopathologic factors.

The following summarizes the results:

• The percentage of women in all groups who recalled dreams ranged from 88-91 percent.
  
• Postpartum and pregnant women recalled infant dreams and nightmares with equal prevalence, but more postpartum women reported they contained anxiety (75 percent) and the infant in danger (73 percent) than did pregnant women (59 percent).
• Motor activity was present in twice as many postpartum (57 percent) as pregnant (24 percent) or null gravida (25 percent) women.
  
• Expressing emotion was more prevalent among null gravida (56 percent) than postpartum women (27 percent), but was not different from pregnant women (37 percent).
• Speaking was equally prevalent among the three groups (12-19 percent).
  
• Behaviors were associated with nightmares, dream anxiety and, among postpartum women, post-awakening anxiety (41 percent), confusion (51 percent), and a need to check on the infant (60 percent).
  

“The research has uncovered a new dream phenomenon that affects a surprisingly large number of new mothers (and some fathers) and that therefore broadens our understanding of REM sleep parasomnias in the healthy population,” said Dr. Nielsen. “Hallucinatory baby-in-bed nightmares and other vivid dreams of the baby in peril appear to arise normally in response to the acute maternal responsibilities and sleep fragmentation that are endured by new mothers.

The unique experiences constitute a window through which cognitive and emotional processes underlying the earliest steps of mother-infant attachment may be observed.”
A woman’s body goes through drastic changes during and after pregnancy. These changes can be physical, hormonal and emotional. All of these changes can affect a woman’s sleep. Most pregnant women experience daytime fatigue even though they may get more sleep. This is because the quality of their sleep tends to be worse. Physical discomfort and awakenings are common. The third trimester tends to be the time when it is hardest to sleep well.


Studies show that snoring often increases during pregnancy. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also may develop as the pregnancy progresses. Warning signs for OSA may become more evident. These include gasping, choking sounds and pauses in breathing. OSA is more likely to develop if a woman had a high body mass index prior to the pregnancy.

Two other sleep disorders that are more common during pregnancy are restless legs syndrome (RLS) and sleep related leg cramps. RLS affects nearly 25 percent of pregnant women. RLS may be related to low iron. Therefore, women who must take iron supplements during pregnancy may have a lower risk of RLS. Leg cramps occur in about 40 percent of pregnant women. They tend to go away after delivery.

Experts recommend that pregnant and postpartum women, as well as other adults, get seven-to-eight hours of sleep each night for good health and optimum performance.

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to discuss their problem with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.

Headache during Pregnancy

One of the common phases people, especially of women, is headache during pregnancy in the results of hormonal changes, fatigue, tension, hunger or physical and emotional stress. Considered as a common complaint during pregnancy, specifically during the first and third trimesters, doctors say it is rarely a signal of a serious problem.

The headaches you experience can get BETTER in pregnancy, because the progesterone causes the blood vessels to relax and not spasm, which is often a cause of bad headaches. If you do suffer from increased headaches during pregnancy, you may be particularly sensitive to your hormones or have had headache problems before your pregnancy.


Potential Ways to Treat Your Headaches

* Some headaches are triggered by low blood sugar. You can prevent any bouts of decreased blood sugar by not missing meals and carrying high-energy snacks with you.
* Drink plenty of water - dehydration can cause headaches.
* Whenever possible, avoid loud music, noisy restaurants, packed parties and crowded department stores.
* Ensure your environment is healthy. An overheated, smoke-filled unventilated room can trigger some people's headaches.
* Try going out for a brisk walk.
* Rest (but not too much, sometimes too much rest can worsen your overall symptoms)!
* Meditation and yoga are two ways to help you relax and decrease the effects of tension headaches.
* Try lying down in a dark quiet room with your feet up for ten to 15 minutes.
* Acupuncture, biofeedback and massage have been show to bring some relief from a headache.
* Alternating hot and cold compresses to the aching area for ten minutes can alleviate some of your pain.
* Cut a lemon into wedges and suck the juice out of the wedges.
* It's a good idea to avoid taking any kind of drugs while pregnant. However, if your practitioner recommends it, a paracetemol is OK but limit the number you take.




(Send in your baby/kids photo to mykidzspot@yahoo.com.sg for a FREE write up in this blog! More details, check out the "Baby/Kid Write up" Section in the blog.)

Asthma VS Pregnancy

When someone who is asthmatic gets pregnant, its useful to think firstly of how the pregnancy might affect the asthma and also how the asthma might affect your pregnancy.




Will my asthma affect my baby?

No, not if it's kept under control. But because your baby needs a good oxygen supply, you need to control your asthma so that the supply doesn't become restricted.

What if I have an asthma attack in labour?

This is extremely unlikely to happen, because while you're in labour your body naturally produces hormones (adrenaline and a steroid) that work in the same way as your medication and will keep your asthma in check.

Some, but not all doctors recommend delivering your baby with forceps if you have asthma. This speeds things up and minimises the effort involved in pushing the baby out. If you'd prefer to avoid this, discuss it with your doctor.

How can pregnancy affect my asthma?

Pregnancy can cause asthma to get better or worse. However, it is important that you do not change or reduce your asthma medication without speaking to the doctor or nurse who is caring for your asthma. Poorly treated asthma is usually more dangerous to the baby than any possible risk associated with an asthma medication.

Can I breastfeed my baby?

There's no evidence that any of the drugs taken for asthma are harmful to your baby, so it's quite safe for you to breastfeed.

Will my baby have asthma too?

Because asthma runs in families, there's a chance that your baby will develop it, especially if your partner has it too. Breastfeeding may provide some protection against it, but unfortunately this is not guaranteed.






(Send in your baby/kids photo to mykidzspot@yahoo.com.sg for a FREE write up in this blog! More details, check out the "Baby/Kid Write up" Section in the blog.)