Help! I’m 6 months’ pregnant and I have hemorrhoids that are driving me crazy! And, on top of it, I’m always constipated. What do I do?! – Cyndy Hemorrhoids — which are actually varicose veins in the anus or rectum — are a common pregnancy complaint. They may bleed, itch, or sting, especially during or [...]
I’m 7 months’ pregnant and my back is killing me! How can I get some relief? – Fiona Many pregnant women have achy backs as their bellies grow larger and their muscles and spine strain to carry the extra weight. During pregnancy, the body also produces the hormone relaxin, which helps prepare the body for [...]
Chicken salad with apples Note: This recipe is especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but it can be a nutritious part of almost anyone’s diet. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to consume extra calories and eat a variety of nutritious foods to contribute to their baby’s growth and development. Prep time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 12 [...]
Easy turkey lasagna Note: This recipe is especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but it can be a nutritious part of almost anyone’s diet. Prep time: 1 hour, including cooking time Ingredients: 1 tsp. olive oil 1 lb. ground turkey breast 2 cloves garlic, crushed 8-oz. can tomato sauce 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes salt and [...]
How You Might Feel You won’t feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. With a planned C-section, the anesthesiologist will give you the option to be unconscious (or “asleep”) during the delivery using general anesthesia or awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia (an [...]
Every pregnant woman hopes for a short labor and delivery with no complications — manageable contractions, some pushing, then a beautiful baby — but it doesn’t always work out that way. These days, almost 30% of all babies in the United States are delivered via cesarean section (C-section). In fact, there’s a lot of debate [...]
It isn’t just an old wives’ tale — it’s really true. A woman can look most ravishing during pregnancy. Well … make that some women. Indeed, while pregnancy can leave some lucky ladies looking luscious, for others, all that extra hormonal activity can have the opposite effect, causing a variety of pregnancy skin problems. “Hands [...]
Over the past two decades, there’s been a phenomenal rise in the number of multiple births in the United States. Between 1980 and 2004, the number of twin births increased by 70% and the number of births involving three or more babies has quadrupled. What’s responsible for this dramatic rise in multiple births? And how [...]
If you’re pregnant or even planning a pregnancy, you’ve probably found an abundance of information about sex before pregnancy (that is, having sex in order to conceive) and sex after childbirth (general consensus: expect a less active sex life when there’s a newborn in the house). But there’s less talk about the topic of sex [...]
What do you know about your family tree? Have any of your relatives had health problems that tend to run in families? Which of these problems affected your parents or grandparents? Which ones affect you or your brothers or sisters now? Which problems might you pass on to your children? Thanks to advances in medical [...]
