Weird cravings during pregnancy

Posted on January 21, 2016April 7, 2016 by admin

As a mom-to-be, you must have experienced the crazy pregnancy cravings! You are feeling emotional and some food/beverage items just feel right! But if you are having an extreme craving that does not seem right as it could mean there is some kind of nutritional deficiency. Here is a list of all food items that one usually craves and the science behind it.

Dirt, wall paint, ice

If you are craving for non-food items like chalk, wall paint, dirt and detergent, you might be suffering from ‘pica’. This means you are a little anemic and need to include iron rich foods in your diet.

Chocolate

If you are craving for chocolate then it could mean your body has magnesium deficiency. If you are good at self-control, you could eat sweets in moderation, have just a square or two of dark chocolate at a time. But if you aren’t, you could probably snack on almonds instead.

Pickles

It is very common for all pregnant ladies to crave for pickles at some point or the other. The craving for sour and tarty flavors might mean you want more variety in your daily diet. So go ahead and try out different things to see what makes you happy!

Spicy Food

Yet another common craving among pregnant ladies is spicy food, especially hot curries and red peppers. One of the advantages of spicy foods is makes you sweat, which in turn makes your body to cool-off. You can try adding spices to your meal to combat your craving.

Ice cream

If you are craving it for its creamy, sweet and icy feel then it might just be the weather. But if you are craving it too much, then your body might be in need of calcium. You can eat frozen yogurt instead and ensure there is enough calcium in your daily diet.

Green leafy vegetables

This might be the weirdest craving! But some time you can end up craving for leafy veggies. You would want to eat a giant pile of lettuce, palak, methi, etc. But this is a good craving to have! These are packed with nutrients and are good for your body and your baby!

All these crazy cravings are just a small part of the great journey that is pregnancy. Just remember to have a well-balanced diet and drink a lot of fluids between your meals.

A special message for all you fathers out there! Make her feel loved and never let the cravings take charge of her.

My Pregnancy Bucket List

Posted on January 19, 2016January 29, 2016 by admin

That prodigious moment when you find out you are about to be a mother; magical, isn’t it?

Yes, you’re Pregnant! Embrace it, love it, and make it the most cherished memory of your life. Pregnancy comes with all new responsibilities, excitement, happiness and a little fear too. Family and friends will give you caring health tips and advices, and its dos and don’ts can leave many moms feeling overwhelmed and confused. All you need to do is to treat this crucial phase of life with a touch of fun and enthusiasm.

So buckle up would-be moms, get ready to kick-off your pregnancy bucket list!

It’s time for Pose, Pout, and Click!

Maternity Photo shoot/Professional pregnancy photos: Those Instagram selfies add a little spice but professional pregnancy photographs can capture a mom – and her growing family’s style and spirit in ways that will amaze many. Click pictures with the family and make a collage to make the memories last a lifetime.

Shopping is an inevitable love – Go for it!

Pregnancy will lead to many body changes. Take your beloved husband along and buy all those comfortable cotton clothes that are loose and come with adjustable belts for your ever-changing body.

Don’t forget the soon to come new member of the family. Shopping for those cute little shoes, socks, dresses, and sweaters will certainly get you all the more excited!

Set up space for the crib

Buy new furniture for the baby. Revamp your old room into a brand new nursery room for your little-munchkin. Also don’t forget to baby proof the room before your baby arrives.

Shortlist few names for the baby

Picking out a name for your little bundle of joy is an enjoyable part of pregnancy. Although it can be serious business, it is equally fun to come up with the name list. Involve your friends & family to finalize on a unique name for your baby.

Put health first!

Get into the habit of exercising. While pregnant, it’s safe to exercise in the same way you did before, so get your body in shape so you can stay fit and healthy while pregnant.

It’s important for pregnant women to take the best possible care of themselves, and that includes eating real foods, natural alternatives to everyday preservative-ridden food items.

Stock up on food you currently think is delicious, and enjoy eating it before you start getting morning sickness and/or food aversions!

Go Green- Plant a Sapling.

While spending time on your daily chores, you may want to get creative and find a way to celebrate your pregnancy, such as planting a sapling!

Sleep as much as you can!

Once the baby comes, sleepless nights become part of your daily routine. Of course, staying awake throughout the day and night doesn’t matter as long as your little one is fine.

Treat yourself

Needless to say, once you’ve given birth, you will be spending the rest of your life making sure your child gets the best. So it is safe to say that you should treat yourself a little bit before you shift your focus onto the little one.

Head out for a Babymoon!

It’s said the second trimester is very comfortable to go out for a babymoon. Make sure that the destination you choose is relaxing and it helps you rejuvenate your tired body. The travelling time should be short and take all your medical facilities together for you to avoid any complications. A beautiful sunset at a calm and cosy beach is an ideal way to spend your babymoon weekend with your hubby!

Knit a baby-winter hat

If your baby is due during winter, you still have a little time in hand. Make use of that to knit a cute little winter hat for your baby, and bring in the holidays in style.

Movie night with your better-half

After the baby gets home, say good-bye to movie nights. You will be spending your nights, feeding, cleaning and taking care of your baby. So before that happens, spend the night watching your favourite movie with your husband along with popcorn and a few soft-drinks. That’s something you will cherish for a long time.

So let’s welcome the New Years with a positive spirit and tick all these points in your pregnancy bucket List!

Pregnancy Nutrient Needs

Posted on January 14, 2016April 7, 2016 by admin

Here’s a simple illustration of what your body needs during pregnancy.

Make the most of these ingredients in your diet for you to enjoy pregnancy with a power back up!

Here’s all the information on why to include these in your daily diet and how it will benefit your baby during pregnancy.

Share your comments if you find this information helpful!

Bumpy Bonding!

Posted on July 13, 2015April 7, 2016 by admin

Pregnancy is the most exciting phase of any woman’s life. It is a journey that takes a woman to a new phase called – Motherhood!

While you are excited about getting to that new stage, your body goes through a complete roller coaster ride – mentally, emotionally & physically! You will be very cautious about things you do! One of them is an attempt to bond with the bump!

Bonding with your bump helps you build a stronger connect with your baby! But in most of the cases mommies-to-be wonder how?

To help you sort this dilemma, here are few ways that you can try:

1. Massage your bump

A soothing way to bond with your baby is to gently massage your belly. This is safe to do after the first three months of pregnancy, and it’s a great way to relax and unwind.

2. Sing soothing songs to your bump

If you are wondering what to talk to your baby, in that case singing out your favourite song would be the best thing to do. This will also help you develop a habit of singing lullaby to your baby for the coming time.

3. Read out positive stories

A baby always believes in the stories heard from his mother. Reading out stories to your bump will lay a foundation of positive thoughts in the baby?s brain.

4. Listen to some music together

A baby can sense music while in the womb. Music is one such thing that can calm and sooth all the senses.

5. Feel the kick

Feeling the baby?s kick is one sensation that should be experienced by both the parents. Together responding to the kicks will not only nurture your bond but builds a two way communication with the baby too.

One last quick tip – To connect better with your bump choose on a name to address your unborn child. Keep a unisex name for the bump and address him with that name. This will help you give your bump a definitive identity and make your bond with it even more special.

Pregnancy Calendar

Posted on July 13, 2015April 20, 2016 by admin

Pregnancy is an exciting phase of life for every woman! After you announce your pregnancy, the first question you’ll probably be asked is, “When are you due?”

To answer that question for you, we bring to you our pregnancy calendar!

Calculate your due date in seconds with this! Try it out now!

5 things To-Be-Dads need to know!

Posted on June 19, 2015November 2, 2016 by admin

We are pretty sure that all you dads-to-be are super excited to step into the new role termed – Fatherhood! But are you ready to take life one notch higher?

A lot may happen that no one will have prepared you for. There’s no way to anticipate every possible scenario, but you need not be completely in the dark, here are a few tips that can help you out a little:

1. Learning the basics –

Change is the only thing that will be constant. Starting from the changes in your partner?s body to the changes in the house, everything is going to change, your everyday life can go for a toss but the first step is acceptance! Accepting things will make life easy!

2. Is it all about your wife and the baby?

Yes, you read it correctly, stepping anywhere close to fatherhood is a completely different ball game, and the only concentration of your life now is your wife and her growing belly.

3. Never question her cravings!

The next nine months your wife is going to extremely fussy about things she wishes to eat. So, if she wakes you up at 3 in the morning demanding for an ice-cream or a chocolate, don’t argue, just go and get one!

4. Go easy with those hormones –

Don’t worry it’s a temporary phase, but yes it persists. Don’t be surprised if she expresses 10 different emotions in just 1 minute, those are her hormones acting on her.

5. Talking helps -

Your wife is going through a roller coaster ride and is extremely vulnerable, the best way to sooth her down is by talking to her and by stating obvious things like you will be by her side throughout the journey of parenthood.

We know with these tips you can’t crack the entrance examination, but this will help you at least sync into the new role. We wish you all a very happy Father’s (to-be) Day!

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Posted on April 29, 2015April 7, 2016 by admin

The first question that most mothers have is ?when should I think about nutrition?? Change in food habits should start long before conceiving your baby- in the planning stage when you decide that you are ready to carry the baby. And you have to ensure that you take care of your diet not only before and during the pregnancy but also after the pregnancy when you breastfeed the baby.

However it is important to remember that even though you are growing a baby inside you it does not mean that you have to eat double. For a single pregnancy you need just 300-500 extra calories per day. This means a simple vegetable sandwich, a fruit and a glass of milk extra per day.

Mother?s nutrition is important right from the planning stage of baby. The right amount of nutrients help in the physical and mental development of the baby. Ideal birth weight is directly proportional to the right amount of nutrients intake by the mother.

Here are few reasons how a healthy diet benefits the mother

Healthy and Safe Pregnancy
Timely Labor and Delivery
Positive Birth Experience
Management of Hormones
Optimum weight gain

In the planning stage, doctors prescribe Nutraceuticals which help in the development of a healthy baby.

Now that we have gone through the list of food items once must include in their diet, let us move on to the food items once must avoid.

Raw Meat: Might invite infections due to toxoplasma parasite.
Soft cheese and milk- unpasteurized- Unpasteurized milk carry various disease causing bacteria.
Raw eggs: Raw eggs too can carry salmonella that causes various diseases like mentioned before.
Fish (in excess)- Some types of seafood ? particularly large, predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish ? can contain high levels of mercury. Although the mercury in seafood isn’t a concern for most adults, special precautions apply if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Caffeine- Since caffeine is a stimulant that increases heart rate, it can cause various discomforts like feeling jittery and insomnia. It can also contribute to heart burn by stimulating the secretion of stomach acids.
Alcohol and other forms of drugs: Alcohol and other forms of drugs, in general are harmful to the human body. So imagine the effect these would have on your baby. These can cause life threatening problems for your baby. Hence stay far away from them.

Signs Of Pregnancy

Posted on April 29, 2015April 7, 2016 by admin

Missed your period? Is it a hormonal change or pregnancy?

Find out with these 7 simple signs!

Morning sickness

Do you wake up in the morning feeling nauseous? This could be one of the occurring symptoms of pregnancy. This condition affects pregnant women mostly during the first trimester, about six weeks after conception. If a feeling of queasiness follows you throughout the day, it might be a good idea to see your gynaecologist as soon as you can.

2. Tickling nipples

A sudden increase in the blood supply especially in the breast area results into irritation around your nipples. One of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy, this may start within a week of fertilization

3. Faint bleeding or spotting

You may experience slight stains on your panties. They may be red, brown or even pink. Don?t be alarmed when you get it. It?s a common sign of early pregnancy.

Swelling of breasts

Tender breasts and swelling around that area is also one of signs that you shouldn?t neglect. You may also experience blue veins popping out around your breasts. These changes are brought about by hormones which may make your?breasts?feel?swollen.

Feeling worn-out all the time

From one person you are developing into two. ?It goes without saying that you require more food, more energy and more rest. When your body starts providing extra support and nutrition for your baby it often takes a toll on itself making you uneasy and tired all the time.

Frequent urination

You may realize you are peeing almost every 10 seconds. Why is that happening? The hormones are to be blamed again. Soon after you conceive, the amount of blood in your body and its flow rises. This causes extra fluid to be processed through your kidneys and then gets collected straight into your bladder.

A skipped period

A missed period is one of the definite signs of pregnancy. But this too depends from cycle to cycle. If you are always regular, and you miss a period, chances are more. However if you suffer from PCOS or have irregular periods you cannot be sure until you see a doctor.

Still a bundle of nerves? A pregnancy test will solve all your worries!