Exercise in Pregnancy: the Benefits of Reasonable Physical Exercise to Pregnant Women

Staying in shape while a woman is pregnant is important. With reasonable physical exercise, pregnant women will find their body always kept in good shape. Studies made on some expectant mothers indicate that being in good shape may even result in a shorter labor. But is it really a good idea to exercise during pregnancy?

Exercise is essential to good health; for as long as exercise is done in moderation, pregnant women will surely derive certain benefits from it. For one, moderate exercise can increase stamina, which will help expectant mothers in coping with the rigors of labor. Regular moderate exercise also makes it easier for pregnant women to return to normal physical tone after childbirth.

Most physicians normally recommend that the form of physical exercise practiced before a woman became pregnant should be continued even during pregnancy. Of course, this is on the assumption that such exercise or physical activity is reasonable or of the "low-impact" type. One of the best forms of exercise for women during pregnancy is walking. Gardening is another form that pregnant women may find beneficial. Certain muscle-building exercises, which are aimed at strengthening those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, are prescribed by some physicians; this will make the process of childbirth less taxing.

Moderation is the key when exercising during pregnancy. One of the dangers pregnant women face when exercising too hard is that blood and nutrients are diverted from the fetus. A good way to test if a pregnant woman is not working out too hard is when she is able to converse while exercising. It is also important for her to consider her physical condition prior to her becoming pregnant. This means, for example, that if she was not active before becoming pregnant, she should just engage in such low-impact activities as walking or short workouts on a treadmill. From the fifth month of pregnancy, pregnant women should refrain from engaging in any activity or sport that requires running.

It is very clear, therefore, that heavy physical work, strenuous physical activities, or high-impact sports (or those that involve a high degree of reflex coordination) should be avoided by women during pregnancy. Lifting is definitely a heavy physical work that must be avoided; so is stooping. Exercises that require lying on one's back, such as sit-ups and some aerobic positions, should be shunned. This is because such exercises can make the weight of the uterus to constrict blood flow through the vena cava, thus interfering with the return of blood to the right atrium of the heart.

Some of the sports that should be avoided during pregnancy are those that can cause expectant mothers to fall, such as skating and skiing. More dangerous ones that should definitely be avoided during this period are horseback riding and mountaineering. Underwater and high-altitude sports should be given up as these can divert too much oxygen from the fetus. Even those activities that involve hopping, such as jogging, should be skipped.

Adequate exercise, even during pregnancy, promotes blood circulation throughout the body and helps to maintain the tissues in good condition. But expectant mothers have to always remember that they should engage only in reasonable physical exercise or avoid extremes of exertion. [Read the Original Article]

Simple Tips for a Healthful Living During Pregnancy

It is always desirable for parents to lead a healthy life. During pregnancy, living healthfully becomes particularly important for the welfare of both the mother and her child. As a general rule, pregnant women should go on with their usual way of life; however, they should observe a lessening of intensity or avoid extremeness in everything they do. This means avoiding excesses of any kind.

Some of the excesses that pregnant women must avoid include doing heavy work or engaging in strenuous physical activities. Lifting and stooping are two specific actions that should be avoided. Those who are into such strenuous sports as horseback riding or tennis should wait until way after they have given birth before engaging in their favorite game again. And, yes, even excesses of rest should be shunned.

Some pregnant women ask if it is alright to exercise during pregnancy. In reply, most physicians confirm that reasonable exercise is beneficial to pregnant women. Two specific forms of exercise or activity that can definitely benefit pregnant women are gardening and walking. There are also special muscle-building exercises that some physicians recommend which are intended to make stronger those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, hence making the procedure less taxing.

What should a woman wear during pregnancy? Two easy descriptions immediately come to mind: simple and comfortable. Pregnant women should avoid wearing tight-fitting dresses that may interfere with the blood's circulation in the veins. A firmly-made brassiere is ideal since the breasts become larger during pregnancy. As for footwear, low-heeled shoes are always desirable.

It is during pregnancy when taking a bath daily is even more advisable than at any other time in a woman's life. This is because the skin glands are more active during this period. The water should be of the right temperature. During the last month of pregnancy, the woman should no longer be taking tub baths; this is to avoid germs from being introduced into those parts which will help to form the channel through which the fetus will pass during birth. Taking a shower instead is preferable at this stage of pregnancy.

It is natural for a woman to have less desire for sexual intercourse during pregnancy. But, observing moderation, it is proper for a couple to go on with their intimate relations even until the last month of this period. Also during this period, the couple should be able to communicate with each other easily, especially where preferences and problems are concerned. It is likewise advisable for the husband to be with his pregnant wife as much as he could whenever she visits her obstetrician-gynecologist. [Read the Original Article]

Cervical Smear Test: How to Detect Cervical Cancer in Its Earliest Stage

The cervical smear test (also called Pap test - popularly so termed after its Greek inventor, Georgios N. Papanikolaou) is used to detect cervical cancer in its earliest stage. This medical screening method has achieved quite a success, with statistics indicating that the death rate from cervical cancer has dramatically dropped since the cervical smear test was introduced into the medical field in the late 1940s.

The success of the cervical smear test may be attributed to the fact that cervical cancer develops slowly, as it can take several years for cells to become cancerous. Regular pelvic examinations and screening enable physicians to determine the existence of cervical cancer in its most treatable stage; they likewise keep to a minimum the long-term risks associated with a single false-negative result.

But inspite of the impressive accomplishment of the cervical smear test, the number of cases of deaths in North America alone each year from cervical cancer is still something to be concerned about. Doctors rue this fact, saying that cervical cancer is actually nearly 100 percent curable if detected early. The sad reality is that many women are not being tested, and the ratio is becoming progressively greater. Doctors have other concerns: insufficient testing, the wrong conclusions that are sometimes made on some test results, and the failure of some of those who are tested to follow up on abnormal results.

Perhaps one of the questions that has to be clearly answered is, "when should a woman undergo cervical smear test?" The answer to this question, according to the Well Woman Centre, is that "All women who are, or have been, sexually active should have smear tests done." She should undergo the test within six months of first having sexual intercourse, and again six to 12 months later. She may, thereafter, repeat the test at two to three years' intervals depending on the guidelines set by the doctor who initially performed the test on her.

The cervical smear test is a risk-free procedure and takes only a few seconds to perform. The procedure involves the scraping away of some cervical cells, which are then examined in the medical laboratory for any abnormalities; the test result is later prepared, which may either be negative or positive.

If the test result is negative, it indicates that the cells appear normal. A positive test result, on the other hand, indicates that the cells are abnormal, suggesting the existence of a precancerous or cancerous condition. To confirm the findings, doctors recommend follow-up tests or repeat smears, such as the reexamination of the cervix with the use of a colposcope and the removal of cervical tissue for microscopic analysis, or biopsy.

A cervical smear test result may not always be accurate, which means that it can be a false positive or a false negative. A false positive implies abnormalities even when none really do. This can definitely be frightening but additional testing will most certainly reverse the result. A false negative, on the other hand, suggests that the cells are normal when actually they are not. To avoid the potential risk of a false negative result, regular testing is of utmost importance.

To increase the chances of getting an error-free test result, a woman should schedule a test for ten to 20 days after her period begins. Note that cast-off cells and blood make it more difficult to spot abnormalities. A woman likewise needs to refrain from sexual intercourse and douching for a couple of days before undergoing a cervical smear test. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.wellwomancentre.ie/docs/Cervical_Screening. pdf and http://www.phaa.com/cervical-smear-test.htm

The Value of Teaching 5-Month-Old Babies to Drink from a Cup

Teaching a baby to drink from a cup actually has a more significant worth than it may seem initially. Sucking and swallowing are the only steps required or involved in the incipient pattern of feeding of a baby. A vital process necessary in the modification of a baby's feeding pattern, leading to the adult patterns of eating, is drinking with the use of a cup. Drinking from a cup is decidedly more complicated than the "suck-and-swallow" process. It also requires additional muscle coordination.

Starting as early as five months of age, your baby should be trained to drink from a cup. This is not aiming, at such an early age, to detach your baby from his regular means or pattern of feeding which is by nursing. What is intended here instead is for your baby to have an early start in developing muscle control. Equally important is to prevent from happening your baby at, say, ten months offering resistance should drinking from a cup astonishes him at that stage.

The use of milk, rather than juice (i.e., orange juice), is given emphasis here. It has been proven that drinking juice from a cup does not set forth the habit patterns that will subsequently be useful when the baby is shifted from taking milk from breast or bottle to a cup. Milk is what your baby should learn to drink from a cup.

Initially, a baby is taught to drink from a cup by allowing him to sip an amount of milk equivalent to a single swallow. If your baby resists this, do not try again for the next couple of weeks. After this period, try again; your baby may be more submissive this time. Do not think of your baby as being naughty if he happens to spit out the milk. The reason why he may do this at the early stages of the training is that he has not yet fully learned to control his mouth and tongue muscles well.

Moms should note however that requiring her baby to give up taking milk from a bottle at any certain age won't result to any particular benefit. A bottle of milk after all is always a source of delight to every baby. Permitting your baby to go on with this innocent pleasure is, of course, better than developing in him emotional tensions that may result from making him abandon his bottle and forcing him to drink milk from a cup. [Read the Original Article]

Sources:

"Teaching Your Baby To Use A Cup" - http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/WIC/cards/baby/PPH4881.pdf
"The ABC's Of Teaching Your Baby To Use A Cup" - http://health.state.tn.us/wic/PDFs/Infants/ABCs_teaching_baby.pdf