“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/

A pregnancy calendar is a fun and informative way to keep track of your pregnancy and ensure a healthy outcome for you and your baby. For most women, pregnancy and birth is one of the key points in life and a pregnancy calendar will help you live the experience to the fullest. Detailed week-by-week information about the bodily changes happening to yourself and your baby, as well as handy advice regarding everything from nutrition to exercise, are just some of the things pregnancy calendars have to offer.

Standard features of most pregnancy calendars include: how to take care of yourself throughout each stage of pregnancy; tips on how to meet increasing nutritional needs while staying physically fit; and how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. Some may also include a detailed outline of your baby’s weekly development and instructions from the experts on how to ensure that you both progress the way that you should. Many pregnancy calendars can be customized to fit your own unique personality and include spaces for a diary and a record to keep track of doctor’s appointments and other important dates.

Pregnancy calendars are fun to use and, best of all, they are often free or cost a minimal amount. Many internet sources offer free downloads of pregnancy calendars and a simple online search will reveal dozens of choices. Most can be personalized and some websites will even send you e-mail alerts as important milestones draw near. Some pregnancy-related or Women’s and Children’s Health magazines offer a free pregnancy calendar to paid subscribers.

Huggies offers an excellent pregnancy calendar while American Adoptions has an online version accompanied by weekly updates. American Baby and Pregnancy Weekly both have calendars that are available online and can be personalized. Baby Fit features a week-by-week, development-specific pregnancy calendar while Baby Center has create-your-own pregnancy calendar options and tools. The choices are endless and the results amazing. Many people treasure their pregnancy calendars as keepsakes or use them to compare with future pregnancies.

Most pregnancy calendars are very simple and user-friendly. Anyone can understand them and the facts are presented in a clear-cut, down-to-earth manner. The hardest part for most people is calculating the due date, but this is usually provided by your physician. Even if it is not, most pregnancy calendars include instructions on how to calculate the due date that are easy to understand for even the most math illiterate person.

Pregnancy is no longer just a 9-month waiting period for the big day. With the help of a pregnancy calendar, expectant mothers can become actively involved in all the exciting changes of pregnancy, while at the same time benefiting their health. A handy source for expert advice, it can also do much to alleviate anxiety, as the due date looms closer. The truth is, a pregnancy calendar is just one excellent way to make the most of your pregnancy.

About the author:
Celia Nemart writes about family and medical issues on the internet, Celia is a dedicated mother that is aware of the dangers of the lack of information about Pregnancy.

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/kahunna/445837177/

Click here to read the full story at Associated Content

Author: Kat Beechum

“Congratulations! You are pregnant!” That is probably one of best lines you will ever hear from your doctor!

There are so many things to think about when you are pregnant and one of the questions I hear often is “How much weight should I gain? What is a safe weight gain?” It can be so easy to just take the opportunity to eat lots of food and not worry about the consequences! While you are eating for two, it pays to remember that you ARE only eating for two, not three or four (unless you are of course!).

Weight gain is going to be different for each of you, so you just have to feel what is right for you. Fast weight gain is not good for you or the baby. Weight gain should be gradual over time as your baby grows inside you. If you find that your weight is increasing rapidly, see your doctor for some guidelines on what to eat and if at any stage during your pregnancy you feel that things are just not quite right, do go and see your doctor, it is not worth the risk to ignore your instincts.

As a rule of thumb, you should gain 2 to 4 pounds during the first three months of pregnancy and then 3 to 4 pounds per month for the rest of your pregnancy to equal a total of about 25 - 30 pounds over the whole pregnancy.

By slowly gaining weight throughout your pregnancy, you will decrease the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight baby. After all, you want a healthy, happy baby.

The weight you will gain includes 6 to 8 pounds for the weight of the baby. The remaining weight consists of a higher fluid volume, larger breasts, larger uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placenta. Phew, that is a lot to be carrying around!

Make sure you keep up with exercise during your pregnancy as well. If you don’t exercise, now is a good time to start! Light walks every day will keep your weight gain to a healthy amount and you will feel so much better for it.

Above all else, do what makes you feel good and keep in mind the health of you and your baby… with those things in mind, you can’t go wrong!

About the author:
Kat Beechum is a writer who loves to writer about her interests and passions, which are many and varied.

If you found this article useful, for further information visit Pregnancy without Pounds

Image Source:http://flickr.com/photos/falsecognate/360112654/

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

While choosing locally grown, organic produce can help solve this problem in the long run, that does not help you if you are trying to conceive, pregnant or nursing as you read this. If what you eat or drink will pass through to your sperm, egg, fetus or newborn in any way, then please avoid pesticides at all costs.

This study only looked at the correlation between preterm labor and agricultural runoff in our drinking water. Is it really a stretch to imagine what the chemicals are doing to fertility, fetal development, neurological development, disease and the like? The answer is naturally to eat organic if at all possible and of course use a water filter.

Many experts are now recommending against bottled water due to the environmental costs of shipping the water and due to the fact that the water is not much cleaner or more pure than your tap water. The best water filter you can buy is a reverse osmosis whole house filter. This will provide you with clean drinking water and also chemical free water for bathing.

Unfortunately, the cost is prohibitive for many people. Any filter is better than no filter so even a filtering pitcher or faucet like Brita or Pur will help to filter out some of the chemicals that can cause you or your little one harm.

Click here to see EPA list of drinking water contaminants

Click here to see EWG tap water database

Click here to see the bottled water database

Buy water filters at the Natural Home Store

read full story

read full story at Catholic News.Com

Sheryl’s comment:
According to this article, “more than 80,000 new organic synthetic chemicals have been introduced commercially since the 1960s”. The article goes on to say that “No basic toxicity information is publicly available for 43 percent” of those high-volume chemicals and “full information on toxicity is publicly available for only 7 percent,” The article specifically discusses the effect of phthalates (found in your shampoos and personal care items), PCBs and how chemicals such as methymercury can severely damage a fetus’s brain. Your child can be poisoned with Methylmercury while in your womb if you receive RH-negative shots, Flu-vaccines, have dental amalgams, or receive pitocin for a labor induction during childbirth.

This article underscores the dire need to avoid pollutants, chemicals inside and outside of your home, avoid plastics, pesticides, toxic personal care products, and all shots and amalgam related dental work. This is so important if you care about your innocent baby’s brain.

A developing fetus is highly susceptible to outside influences. Most people know for example, that smoking and drinking can have serious adverse effects on a fetus, some permanent. Unfortunately many women are not as aware of the effects of common household chemicals and how they can affect not only their baby but even their great, great grandchildren.

What can affect a fetus? There is very little that a pregnant women consumes, breathes, or slathers on her skin that will not affect her fetus in one way or another. Some chemicals are clearly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. An excellent starting point for a pregnant woman is to consider how natural a substance is. If something grew out of the ground it is quite likely safer than something developed in a lab. There are obviously exceptions to this rule such as poisonous mushrooms and certain herbs but for the most part it holds true.

The hard part is not determining what is safe as much as what is unsafe during pregnancy. Many substances have never been tested on pregnant women and their unborn children so the truth is, you may never know what is safe and what is not. So as a conscientious mother you may choose to err on the side of caution and avoid substances that may potentially be harmful to your baby. This is not feasible all the time but it is certainly worth the attempt.

What is potentially harmful to a fetus?

DRUGS & CHEMICALS
First you should evaluate all drug use including prescription, OTC, and illegal. The FDA has Use-In-Pregnancy ratings for drugs based on their known or unknown dangers. Perinatology.com has a fairly comprehensive list of prescription drugs, vaccines and illegal drugs and includes the class and the potential effects on a fetus or newborn.

What chemicals should you avoid if you are pregnant? Honestly, all of them. Some are clearly more toxic to your fetus than others and some may be totally safe but nobody knows for sure. Some of the dangerous chemicals which are proven to cause miscarriage, birth defects, developmental problems, and stillbirth are:

Pesticides, phthalates (found in some plastics, cosmetics, and bath products), paint, carpet, nail polish, gasoline fumes, routine dental procedures, some household cleaning products, polyurethane foam, hair dyes, and tap water (which can contain fluoride & chlorine). Read Pollution in Newborns by the Environmental Working Group to learn more.

You shuold also research your skin and hair care products at skindeep.org. The almost 15,000 beauty products in the Skin Deep database will tell you not only the safety rating of your products but what questionable chemicals your favorite beauty products contain. Skin Deep provides brand by brand comparisons and safety ratings. Search by product name, product type, brand, or even look up the highest concern brands. They will even give you a personalized shopping list of the safest beauty products.

PRENATAL TESTING (prenatal “scare”)
Additionally, prenatal testing carries inherent risks and potential benefits which must be weighed by each couple. In many cases the testing is totally unnecessary and can even result in miscarriage. What is the answer? Educate yourself. Thoroughly research prenatal tests prior to agreeing to them. The Center for Unhindered Living has a number of articles explaining the pros and cons of Ultrasound, Dopplers, Alpha Fetoprotein Test, Glucose Tolerance Test, Amniocentesis, Chorionic Villus Sampling, and Prenatal Rhogam.

If the test is not absolutely necessary then you have the right to refuse to have it done because it could potentially jeopardize your unborn child. Only you can decide if a test is necessary or not based on your physician’s advice, your research, and your instincts. Please do not take a “medical professionals” word for it. As a responsible adult do some research first.

Nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
Proper nutrition means avoiding processed foods, sugar, commercial meat and dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, among others. Soy, wheat, sugar, and caffeine should be avoided.

There are so many books available about pregnancy nutrition and if you need a bit of guidance then by all means get a book. Dr. William Sears has a great page on prenatal nutrition as well. In addition to avoiding negative food items, you need to accentuate the positive. Certain vitamins and minerals are vital to a healthy pregnancy. The RDA of most vitamins and minerals increases substantially during pregnancy. Folic Acid, calcium, and iron are essential. Organic produce should be your best friend. If this is all new to you then you are probably overwhelmed and confused. If you are committed though, making sensible food choices will be second nature in no time.

Lack of exercise generally will not result in direct harm to your baby but it will make your pregnancy and labor substantially more difficult. The increased blood flow from regular exercise will enhance your child’s development and some studies link prenatal fitness with increased apgar scores and mental development. A walking routine or prenatal yoga course is ideal. You certainly do not want to overdo and many fitness routines need to be modified for pregnancy. The key is to avoid inactivity and increase blood flow. So whatever you do, get off the couch and get moving.

Finally, if you are seeking a natural pregnancy, it is very important to avoid stress. Stress has been linked to miscarriage, autism, and other many other fetal developmental problems. Unfortunately it is unlikely you can quit your job and move to an island for nine months so you need to play the cards you have been dealt. In other word if you are prone to stress you can learn to identify your stress triggers and avoid stressful situations. You can also learn how to handle stressful situations once you are in them.

Both meditation and yoga are proven, fabulous ways of lowering stress levels. Counseling may also help with current stressors in your life. Even a ten minute walk has been proven to reduce stress levels considerably. In any event, please do not resort to drugs or alcohol which don’t reduce stress, they only numb you temporarily and they will certainly cause harm to your child.

You may also want to try other stress reducing techniques include biofeedback, EFT, or a mantra such as “This too will pass”. And never underestimate the value of a good friend or family member that you can call if things get rough.

If you are committed to an organic pregnancy you can certainly do it. Having a partner and family who support your decision will certainly help but even without their help you are certainly capable of trusting your instincts and standing your ground. Your body and your baby will thank you.

Image source: http://flickr.com/photos/jstar/1280611861/