Things to Do in Preparation for Baby’s Birth

By: Patricia Bennett

Finding out that you’re pregnant can be very exciting, especially for those that have been trying for some time. You’ll find yourself dreaming of the features that come through in your child. Who will they look more like? What is the gender of the child? How will you make him/her most comfortable and safe when you bring him/her home? The arrival of your child opens a new page in the book of your life. All the excitement and emotions can get overwhelming at times. In order to help keep your emotions in check and give you one less thing to worry about, it’s important to know how to prepare for you baby’s arrival.

Read up on everything while you can. Once your baby comes you will have precious few opportunities to sit down and read about parenting. Make that something you do ahead of time. There are a lot of books out there that focus on parenting from first time parents to parents in their later years. When you take the time to read about everything that is happening to your body as well as the reasoning for the tests that you’ll be taking throughout your pregnancy, you won’t be as worried every time something changes or you feel something different inside.

Take it easy, but don’t forget exercise. In your pregnancy you obviously won’t want to run a marathon, but getting some exercise regularly will keep you healthy no matter how much weight you put on. Remember, you’re not dieting. It’s not good for baby to diet during the pregnancy due to the artificial sweeteners and low fat foods. Your baby needs the fat to grow. However, getting regular exercise will help you have easier labor and will keep your body in shape under the child growing.

When registering for your baby shower ask others that already have children. There are lots of “things” out there for babies. If you talk to someone that’s recently had a child of their own, they’ll be able to tell you the items you won’t want to be without and the ones that are not so great. Additionally, if you ask your guests to bring one package of diapers each and play a game with them such as the person with the heaviest package wins a prize or something along those lines, you may not have to buy diapers for quite some time.

Prepare your child’s bedroom and pack your bag. Many women will carry their baby to full term, go in to labor, and deliver their child with very few problems. But some women will go into labor suddenly or early. It’ll be easier on your nerves as you come closer to the end of your pregnancy to know that when the time comes, all you have to do is go the hospital. Even if you don’t know what you’re having, if the bedroom is prepared, you know that everything will be ready when you come home from the hospital.

These tips will help you prepare for the arrival of your baby. You’ll be able to rest your mind as you come close to those last few weeks before delivery because everything will be done. Having a rested mind will help you through labor and delivery because you’ll know you’ve done everything to prepare.

Popular Gender Neutral Baby Names

By: Julie ann Tomaro

Choosing a name for your new baby can be a difficult task for some. With so many options and variations of different names, you have a lot of thinking and consideration to do because whichever name you choose will last for a lifetime for your baby!
This article lists some of the popular gender neutral baby names for both boys and girls.

Addison – This name is more popular among baby girls than boys.
Alexis – This name is popular for both genders.
Ashton – Influenced by celebrities, this name can be either for a baby boy or girl.
Cameron – This name is used for both boys and girls, but more often then not it is used for a boy.
Casey – This is another popular gender neutral baby name.
Dakota – This is another favorite gender neutral baby name.
Harley – This can be for either a boy or girl and is very popular on the popular baby names list.
Jessie – This name can be used for either sex.
Justice – A popular name for either gender.
Madison – This name makes the popular baby names list of 2007.
Payton – This spelling is for a girl’s name.
Peyton – This is the popular spelling for a boy.
Reese – A popular celebrity’s name, this name is rising on the charts amongst either gender.
Riley – Another very popular baby name rising on the charts.
Shannon – This name can be for either a boy or girl.
Skylar – This spelling is popular for girls.
Skyler – This is the spelling used for boys.
Taylor – This name can go either way.

Remember to keep a small notebook with you at all times, circle names in magazine’s that you may consider naming your new baby with. Say the name out loud with your own last name, does it sound like the right fit?

Remember, your baby’s name will last a lifetime so be sure to choose a name that reflects both you and your partner.

Using Natural Ways to Increase Fertility

Using Natural Ways to Increase Fertility
by: Lyta Humphris


Are you finding it difficult to become pregnant? If so you can do many simple things to improve your chances of conception, the way we live can have a big effect on the reproductive system of both men and women and most people prefer natural ways to increase fertility. You may both have to change your life-style to incorporate healthy influences, and eliminate things you enjoy that reduce your fertility.

Increasing or improving your fertility is something you can both do. You can make sure your weight is within the range that is helpful for conceiving. You can make sure you incorporate a regular gentle exercise programme into your daily life such as walking; cycling or swimming, being fit and active is beneficial for fertility. You can make sure you and your partner are eating healthily, and eliminate habits that may lower your chances of conceiving.

Alcohol Reduction

Alcohol can put pregnancy at risk. According to some studies, the risk of miscarriage appears to increase with moderate drinking during the first three months of pregnancy, particularly in the first weeks.

Reducing Stress

Stress can have a big effect on fertility. In women under stress, the reproductive hormone prolactin is over-produced and this can interfere with ovulation. The hypothalamus stops secreting gonadotrophin hormone, which in turn will affect the release of both the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. As these hormones stimulate ovulation - fertility is affected.

Self help for stress is regular exercise, deep breathing techniques, hypnotherapy and visualization - a combined approach can include the following:

- Acupuncture
- Nutrition
- Hypnotherapy

Fertility is a whole-body event, not something that happens just in our reproductive organs - that is why a holistic approach often works well. There may be a need for more fertility awareness and lifestyle changes to improve the chances of starting the pregnancy, or there may be a need for nutritional supplements, relaxation and de-stressing techniques, acupuncture, and massage.

Nutritional Improvement

You should not overlook nutrition in fertility treatment – it is important to have a good level of nourishment that will allow your body to function well, and it is of course a very natural way to increase fertility! Bad eating habits can lower the reserves of nutrients that are necessary for reproductive hormone systems to work properly. Your hormonal balance and fertility are affected by what you eat, your nutrient levels and how well your digestion works. If you are short of essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin B6, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants, then your hormone production may be blocked - resulting in an imbalance that makes conception less likely.

Acupuncture

Have you ever wondered about the treatment of infertility with traditional medicine and acupuncture? Good candidates for trying medical acupuncture are people who have unexplained infertility - acupuncture is effective for balancing the body's energies and raising the receptiveness of the body for conception. Men and women with a physical problem, such as damaged fallopian tubes, or a low sperm count, would be encouraged to try acupuncture in addition to their medical treatment.

When skilfully applied, acupuncture is effective in correcting many of the imbalances that underlie the complex physical and hormonal disorders that lead to a reduction in fertility.

Smoking Cessation

Women who smoke are more likely to take longer to conceive, they have an increased risk of miscarriage, and lower oestrogen and progesterone levels. Men who smoke are likely to have decreased sperm density, less motile sperm, reduced testosterone, and an increase in abnormal sperm. These risks for both men and women increase with the number of cigarettes smoked.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is exceptionally beneficial and natural way to increase fertility. Hypnotherapists are already using Hypnotherapy to help women give birth peacefully, and teaching them that a normal birth should be a calm and natural process. Learning simple but specialised relaxation, and breathing, and other techniques, make the whole birth easier and more comfortable.

With unexplained infertility, hypnotherapists teach you to let go of the stress you have been holding on to, using specialised relaxation, and breathing techniques. It teaches you to let go of any emotional blocks or worries you may have that can create infertility issues – Hypnotherapy can help you identify and process emotional issues that might be interfering with conception.

In addition to dealing with deep-seated fears, hypnotherapy is effective in stress reduction, and this in turn allows for hormonal rebalancing. This has been seen in cases where there is too much prolactin being produced which can inhibit ovulation. In a relaxed environment at a clinic, you can work together to bring about positive attitudes and beliefs.

You can give your unconscious mind free rein here and allow yourself to be creative, free, and prepared to follow your heart's wishes. So there you have it - a range of natural ways to Increase infertility . Choose as many as befits your lifestyle and make things easier for yourself and your baby.


About The Author
Looking to increase infertility is nothing to be ashamed of; in fact, thousands of people look for methods to improve fertility every year. Improve your chances of having a baby at http://www.hypnospot.co.uk

The Dos and Donts of Pregnancy

by Sarah Mitchell of NamesToBe.com; http://www.namestobe.com

With so many people giving their opinion on what to do and what not to do during pregnancy, it becomes hard to determine what is fact and what is fiction. Below is a list of some of the more important factors to consider in regards to pregnancy do's and dont's.

Food during pregnancy

Certain foods need to be avoided during pregnancy. Listeria, which is caused by uncooked meats, some seafood, unpasterized milk and soft cheeses, can cause birth defects, miscarriages and stillbirth. Here is an interesting article on diet during pregnancy:

Cat litter

Toxoplasmosis, is a disease which is contracted by contact with cat feces. It is spread by a parasite which can lead to miscarriages, stillbirth and birth defects.
Smoking
Smoking during pregnancy is definetely a no no. It has been linked to a low birth weight, miscarriage and premature birth in many different studies. Second hand smoke poses the same dangers during pregnancy, and should be avoided at all costs.

Caffeine

Some studies on caffeine during pregnancy have led to the conclusion that the two do not mix well together, as caffeine may increase the possibility of miscarriage and low birth weight. On the other hand, other studies have shown no link between the two. Obviously an excessive amount of caffeine is a bad idea regardless of pregnancy. An excessive amount of caffeine is generally regarded as over 300 milligrams per day. If you stay well clear of this figure, caffeine during pregnancy is less likely to cause problems.

Safety around the house

There are many hazards around the house for pregnant women, but almost all can be easily avoided. If you still insist on doing all the house work yourself, try to stay clear of aerosol cans, industrial strength cleaners and fumes from paint, solvents and strippers. All of the above have been linked to birth defects and other pregnancy complications. It also pays to take it a little easier around certain parts of the house such as stair cases.

Body temperature

Keeping a moderate body temperature during pregnancy (especially during first trimester) is important as it may lead to birth defects. It is a good idea to keep an eye on your temperature during exercise and keep your fluids up. Things such as saunas and hot baths are not recommended during pregnancy.

Alcohol and drugs

To be safe with alcohol during pregnancy it is probably best to avoid it altogether, as there is no safe level of consumption. It can have detremental affects on an unborn child. In comparison to a fully grown woman, a baby is very small, so you could imagine the potential damage to the baby if the mother was drunk or even tipsy. Drugs during pregnancy have been shown to have a negative effect. Drugs such as cocaine have been shown to hinder the development of a babys vital oxygen and nourishment, leading to complications such as birth defects and even an addiction in the child itself.

Exercise

Exercise during pregnancy is recommended for most women, but only at a moderate pace. Women who participated in high impact exersice, weight lifting, contact sports, high altitude training or scuba diving before pregnancy, will have to readjust their routines. Walking is highly recommended for at least the first two trimesters, as it can help your body withstand the rigors of labor and delivery more easily.

The do's and dont's of pregnancy are different for each woman and each pregnancy. The above information is not a medical opinion and should not substitute a professional medical opinion. Always consult your doctor or care provider before making any major decisions before, during and even after pregnancy.

MyLittleBeBe Blog - It Guides Me, It Guides You

Welcome to MyLittleBeBe blog - It Guides Me, It Guides You.



I am a typical Malaysian Chinese blogger. I will dedicate my time to write and share my knowledge, view, experience and etc regarding pregnancy and baby. I hope all of you would benefit from my sharing and your comments are most welcomed.


Thank you.