Phthalates are so dangerous because they either mimic or block our natural hormones and male fetuses are especially vulnerable.

According to “Theodore Schettler, a physician and science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, an environmental advocacy group.

‘There’s a huge animal database showing how exposures to phthalates during development can have effects at levels hundreds of times lower than these needed to show any impact on an adult,’ he said.

Timing of the exposure matters, and the most harm may occur between the eighth and 15th weeks of pregnancy, when a fetus’ sexual differentiation starts, he said.

Timing of the exposure matters, and the most harm may occur between the eighth and 15th weeks of pregnancy

‘If my testosterone dropped by 20 or 30 percent for a couple of days, it wouldn’t matter,’ he said. ‘But for a developing fetus, it could matter a whole lot if there was a substantial drop in testosterone.’

Phthalates fall into a group of chemicals called endocrine disruptors because they either mimic or block the action of human hormones. Phthalates interfere with the synthesis of testosterone.

Bisphenol A, another controversial chemical that is found in plastics, can mimic female hormones. Consumers’ concerns about bisphenol A, which has been used for years to make plastics stiff, have prompted some producers and retailers to announce in recent months that they would stop using and selling it.” Physorg.com

Phthalates are found in nail polishes, hair sprays, perfumes, shampoos, deodorants, soft plastic toys and much more. There is no easy way to determine if your beauty or household product contains phthalates unless it clearly states “phthalate free”. During pregnancy, the safer the better so if you wont put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your skin.

More resources: Not Too Pretty (PDF)

Month One
By the time you miss your period and find out that you are actually pregnant, a tiny embryo that will become your baby has formed and begins growing at an incredibly rapid rate. In fact, the embryo is now 10,000 times larger than a single fertilized egg. The placenta, baby’s heart, spinal cord, and digestive system are all beginning to develop.

Month Two
By the end of this month, the embryo has grown to approximately 1 inch long. The heart is now functioning, and facial features are beginning to appear. While the embryo is moving, you will not feel anything for another couple of months.

Month Three
The embryo is officially called a fetus and measures almost 3 inches in length. His or her arms, legs, hands, and feet are fully formed. At this stage you can probably detect a heartbeat using a device called a Doppler.

Month Four
Growth continues rapidly, and your baby’s gender is now determinable. While looking human in appearance at this point, your baby will still need much more time before he or she could survive outside of your body.

Month Five
At about 10 inches long, your baby is beginning to grow hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. He or she is also growing a type of fine hair called lanugo that will cover the body until it is shed shortly before or after birth.

Month Six
Fetal movement is becoming more and more pronounced as muscles strengthen. Eyelids begin to part and the eyes will open occasionally. Also, hearing has developed to the point of being able to hear sounds from outside of the womb.

Month Seven
The average seven-month-old fetus is 15 inches long and over two lbs. in weight. If born at this stage, your baby would be premature but would have a good chance of survival.

Month Eight
Growth is especially rapid this month, with tremendous development of the brain, lungs, and other organs. Your baby will most likely turn head down during this time to prepare for delivery.

Month Nine
Congratulations! Your baby is ready to be born. He or she likely weighs between 6 and 9 lbs and measure 18 to 22 inches in length. The lungs and other organs are completely mature and the skin is pink and smooth. Don’t forget that most babies are not born on their exact due date and there is no benefit to rushing it. Anytime from the 38th to the 42nd week of pregnancy is optimal.

Author: Julian Hall
About the author: Julian Hall of GiftBabies.co.uk and The Baby Gifts Company - The Most Unique, Innovative Gift Ideas for Babies, Christening Gifts, Newborn Gifts, Personalized Gifts, Organic Clothing, Nappies, Blankets, New Baby Gifts

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/hennasooq/306640571/

“Answer: Most likely, it won’t. Most women find out that their second pregnancy differs from first one. As a rule, if there are no complications and special problems with health, second pregnancy proceeds easier, than first one. Nevertheless, it’s better for you to plan your second pregnancy in 2-5 years after delivery of your first baby. During this period your organism will be able to restore completely after bearing, delivery and breastfeeding of a baby.”
Click here to read the full article at Baby-Health.net

Most experts readily agree that a second pregnancy differs from the first in many aspects. Usually you will show sooner due to abdominal muscles that have been stretched out from the first pregnancy. The pregnancy can also be more difficult physically because you may be carrying a toddler on one hip. Proper posture is much more important if you are caring for a toddler to avoid back problems.

One of the positive points of a second time pregnancy is that many of the worries and concerns of a first time mother are no longer concerns. You already know what to expect and what is a valid concern. You have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Many mothers learn from their horrific hospital births to take matters into their own hands and have a midwife assisted home birth or an unassisted birth. By and large this allows for a peaceful, gentle pregnancy and a blissful, pleasurable childbirth.

“For many parents, pregnancy and childbirth are an awakening to the organic world. Suddenly, vague or distant-seeming concerns about health and the environment become focused on the new baby in the home. Studies have shown repeatedly that contaminants in the blood can pass from mother to fetus with alarming ease, and that the developing organs and tissues of infants, children and teenagers are more susceptible to damage from chemical toxins.”

The Complete Organic Pregnancy, was published by HarperCollins in October. The book is a user-friendly guidebook for the busy mom or dad whose bookshelf is already over-stuffed with baby advice manuals, but who - like Zissu - found themselves sitting awake at night worried about invisible threats in the home environment.

The four steps recommended in the article are: (You should read the full article for a more detailed explanation)

1.Don’t renovate your home during pregnancy or early childhood
2.Switch to non-toxic cleaning products
3.Choose certified organic foods whenever possible
4.Pamper yourself with products that are not loaded with chemicals

A couple of other ideas that I am going to throw in are:

Try making your own cleaning products. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle works as well as Windex for example. This will give save you a lot of childproofing hassle in the future and also allow your little one to help you clean. Take it from me, they wont spray themselves in the mouth twice with vinegar and water. The look on their face in priceless and there is no need to call poison control.

You can also try making your own cosmetics, skin and hair care products from items in your kitchen. This will not only be substantially better for your body but will have the same benefits as home made cleaning products. You will not have to call poison control if your toddler drinks your homemade olive oil body “lotion”.

Lastly, make sure to avoid toxic people. Something about pregnancy makes the non-pregnant people act stupid and weird. People say preposterous things and of course think it is perfectly OK to tell you how to handle your pregnancy and birth. It is a personal, intimate, magical and beautiful time so if the toxic people are getting to you and you are finding the bad vibes hard to shake then avoid the people if you can. The precious nine months goes by so quickly and you want to enjoy this magical time with your little one.

Click here to read the full story at www.thedailygreen.com

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/kendrak/123822604/

She was suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum which afflicts approximately 5 out of 1000 pregnancies. Her doctor told her that she was “pregnant, not sick”.

This story is simply beyond tragic. This is just another example of medical doctors causing more harm than good. This poor woman must have gone through hell. I have a few friends who have endured Hyperemesis Gravidarum and from what they have told me, they would not wish it on their worst enemy. If your doctor tells you that you are “pregnant, not sick” then find yourself a new doctor or midwife. If you are really sufering from this debilitating condition then I do not recommend doing your own prenatal care because you may need intravenous hydration or nutrition.

If you are diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum some of the treatment options are: (and they do not include abortion)

• Hydration and anti-nausea medications
• Nutrition by vein
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin K
• Ginger
• Chamomile
• Anti-nausea bands

Click on the following links to learn more about hyperemesis gravidarum:
www.med.nyu.edu
www.pharmasave.com

Click here to see full CNN report

Click here to read the full story at Associated Content

Excerpt from The Straight Dope

Do unborn babies pee and/or defecate in the womb? –Realtime, via e-mail

Cecil replies:

That’s two questions, so two answers. Number one: yes, and it’s a good thing they do. Number two: yes, but you better hope they don’t.

Fetal urination is normal. It’s part of that “miracle of life” the nature programs exalt just before they hit you with something you’d rather not know. Naturally, fetal urine isn’t quite the same as yours or mine. It does contain urea, but much of the nitrogenous waste enters maternal circulation for mama to clean up. Fetal urine isn’t yellow, either. Fetuses and newborns lack enzymes to convert bile pigments to urobilin, which colors the output of older children and adults…

Click here to read the full article| digg story

ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Scientists are investigating whether ultrasound scans during pregnancy may harm the brains of unborn babies.

The move follows a U.S. study which showed the developing offspring of pregnant mice suffered brain abnormalities when they were exposed to ultrasound waves.

Click here to read the full article

Sheryl’s comment

Some natural advocates recommend avoiding prenatal ultrasound altogether because of both the known and the unknown risks. Why subject to your child to damage that you might find out about twenty years from now?

I am torn on the issue quite honestly and I am not sure whether I will choose to have a prenatal ultrasound if I am fortunate enough to have another child. For the most part I believe they are totally useless. Gestational age is only an issue for the providers who are trying to make money off of your labor and delivery. If you are choosing a natural childbirth then the baby will arrive when he or she is quite ready.

I am aware however, that certain conditions like placenta previa can be life threatening for both the mother and the baby and that this type of condition would legitimately necessitate a C-section. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose this condition and because it is potentially fatal, I think I would personally get one (and only one) very short ultrasound. Naturally I reserve the right to change my mind.

I once knew a woman who had access to unlimited ultrasounds because her husband happened to work in radiology and managed to sneak her in. She had an irrational fear of her children being born with a cleft palate. I am quite certain that she would not have aborted in either event, but the fact remains that she repeatedly exposed her helpless babies to damaging ultrasound rays because of her own vain and quite insane preoccupations. She brags about the countless ultrasounds she received during all of her pregnancies. This is what we are adamantly against. We are supposed to protect our children at all costs.

Check out The Center for Unhindered Living’s guide to prenatal care. She has a great list of common prenatal tests and why they are largely unnecessary. It is also arguably the best resource on the web for do-it-yourself prenatal care.

ST LOUIS, MO — (MARKET WIRE) — A study by researchers from three of America’s top universities suggests U.S. women aren’t getting adequate amounts of a nutrient thought to promote normal fetal brain development.

Sponsored by the National Institute of Health, researchers found the average American consumes just 314 milligrams of choline each day — much less than the 425 milligrams (women) and 550 milligrams (men) recommended by government health officials.

Choline is a nutrient essential for human brain development, normal memory function and fertility, and is thought to be particularly important during pregnancy. Foods rich in choline include soy lecithin, beef liver and egg yolks, although soy lecithin delivers one of the most bioactive and natural sources of the nutrient without cholesterol or saturated fat.

A new study by researchers from three of America’s top universities suggests U.S. women aren’t getting adequate amounts of choline thought to promote normal fetal brain development.Taking egg yolks or soy lecithin while pregnant can provide the choline that your fetus needs for proper brain development.

Click here to read full story at www.marketwire.com

Find choline and soy lecithin at http://naturalpregnancy.amuchbetterstore.com

Washington D.C. (AHN) - Acupuncture is effective at relieving back and pelvic muscle pain during pregnancy, a common complaint among pregnant women as they enter into the final trimesters. A study has found that one in three pregnant women suffer severe back and pelvic pain as the pregnancy progresses.

This is because the center of gravity of a pregnant woman is off and she has to arch her back to balance her bulging tummy, leading to an extra strain on back and pelvic muscles.

Experts believe that stretching exercises, coupled with special pillows and acupuncture could help relieve back and pelvic pain that often occur during pregnancy.

The study tracked almost 1,500 pregnant women from Sweden, Iran, Brazil, Thailand and Australia and found that those who participated in the suggested exercises involving acupuncture reported a reduction in pain levels

Authors also found that expectant mothers benefited by the use of an Ozzlo pillow - a curved pillow designed to support the pregnant abdomen when lying down and that 60 percent of women trying acupuncture reported a substantial pain relief.The study found no complications associated with the use of acupuncture in pregnant women.

It was also found that women who followed the pelvic or back pain exercises experienced some pain relief and reported less need for pain medication, physical therapy and posture-support belts.

Click here to read full article

Sheryl’s comment:
Another method to avoid pregnancy related back and pelvic pain is to practice prenatal yoga daily and learn the Alexander Method for pregnancy to carry yourself properly to avoid the common practice of arching your back. Also make sure to visit your chiropractor regularly during pregnancy, when you feel labor coming on, and immediately after labor with your newborn particularly if you delivered in a hospital.

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