Things women should do in pregnancy

For women who are pregnant, it is such a time to be relieved of certain chores in the home and workplace, a time to eat more and adhere to a number of rules, for the sake of their health and that of the foetus in their womb.

This is partly because it has been established that the actions and inactions of a pregnant woman go a long way to impact on the well-being of the foetus she’s carrying. Thus, the need to examine the things a pregnant woman should do.

Visit a pre-conception clinic: Usually, women start visiting the hospital when they want to register for prenatal care, and that is about few months into the pregnancy, but, according to a consultant endocrinologist, Dr. Michael Olamoyegun, a woman should see a doctor even before she is pregnant, which means consulting a doctor when she is still anticipating the pregnancy is important.

But why should a woman see the doctor about a pregnancy that has yet to be? Olamoyegun explained that this is to ensure that the woman puts on hold any habit, drug usage or attitude that she has been involved in that may endanger the life of the foetus. He said this is more important for people who have chronic medical conditions, like hypertension and diabetes.

He said, “The first thing before being pregnant is to see a doctor. In developed countries, they have pre-conception clinics for women anticipating pregnancy. The woman could have been taking certain drugs that are not compatible with pregnancy, and she would need to stop such.

“For example, if she is planning to be pregnant in three months and she has hypertension, the doctor could look at the drugs she had been taking to control her blood pressure, and then withdraw some of them that might not be compatible with pregnancy, to avoid some adverse effects on the baby.

“Here, some women don’t even go for ante-natal booking until the pregnancy is advanced, which is not right. So, if somebody is taking a drug that is not compatible with pregnancy, and that person has taken it throughout the time of being pregnant until it is later discovered, that could have adverse effects on the baby. So, the ideal thing is to see a doctor before being pregnant, especially for those who have chronic condition, like hypertension, diabetes.”

He said if somebody has diabetes and the blood sugar is not well controlled, that is not the best time for the person to be pregnant, because uncontrolled blood sugar affects pregnancy on its own; make the pregnancy to be aborted and make the foetus to develop congenital abnormalities.

But if the person had come before getting pregnant, the doctor would be able to regulate the blood sugar and put it under control before the person would be pregnant. This and many other reasons are why you should discuss with your doctor before getting pregnant.

Avoid smoking and taking alcohols: According to the expert, one other thing pregnant women should avoid is taking alcohols and smoking. He said these substances contain some chemicals that could have adverse effects on the foetus, and could cause “congenital abnormalities.”

Findings show that a child could develop disorders such as low intelligence, problems with hearing and seeing, short height, low body weight, small head size and behaviour problems if the mother smokes or drinks during pregnancy. Thus, to have healthy children, stay away from alcohol and smoking.

Don’t take drugs, unless prescribed: Pregnant women are also advised not to take drugs, including antibiotics, except they are prescribed by a doctor. “Most antibiotics, antidiabetic, anti-hypertensive and antiasthma drugs are not very safe in pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, when the development of all the body structures usually takes place. So, any alteration from any drug or smoking can have a devastating effect on the foetus,” Olamoyegun said.

Don’t wear tight clothes: It may be fashionable dress to wear, especially by those who don’t want others to know they are pregnant, whether the pregnancy is unwanted or not, but it has always been advised that pregnant women should always wear loose or roomy dresses. “If a pregnant woman wears a tight dress, it can form a band on the tummy and even compress the pregnancy, so, it is not encouraged,” Olamoyegun added.

Eat quality food and in good quantity: Even though there is no basic restriction on the kind of food a woman should take during pregnancy, it has however been advised that such women should take more of food that are rich in protein, so as to increase their blood flow, more so that the foetus would benefit from the same food.

According to the expert, if the woman is not well fed, the foetus would not get enough nutrients, which would impact on the size of the baby and the development of the brain.

He said, “One of the things that cause intrauterine growth retardation, in which case the baby does not attain the expected growth rate, is malnutrition. So, if the woman is malnourished or the quality of the food she eats is not good, it will impact on the size of the baby and the development of the brain.”

He explained further that when a child does not have the normal weight at birth, it can serve as a precursor for the development of kidney problem, diabetes and hypertension when the child grows old.

“That is why we encourage women to eat well and they can eat what they like, especially proteinous food, even though there are taboos, like not eating snail or okro. Those are all myths and misconceptions,” he explained.

Mind your sleep position: Due to the bulging stomach, it has been found that there are some sleep positions that pregnant women should avoid. According to Olamoyegun, pregnant women should avoid sleeping on their tummy, and sleeping on their back has its bad side as well. They should also have good rest.

He said they should avoid any sleeping position that would make the uterus, especially when the pregnancy is advanced, to compress either on the blood vessel or on the bladder. However, he said the best sleeping position is to sleep on their side, whether left or right, and or any posture that is convenient for them and the baby.

He said, “When they sleep on their side, it is better and they find it easier to stand. But when they lie on their back, we don’t encourage them to stand up without turning to the left or the right. If you lie on your back, especially when the pregnancy is advanced, it compresses the abdomen and that would indirectly be on the foetus when you stand from bed like that.”

According to a study published on Mail Online, pregnant women should wash their fruits and vegetables before eating them, because it makes a lot of difference to the health of the baby.

They are also advised to avoid seafood (and if they must eat, it must be well-cooked), ice cream and some herbs to avoid listeria, which is food poisoning or other disease caused by infection with a type of bacterium that infects humans and other warm-blooded animals.

While pregnant women are advised to engage in some exercise, like yoga, to stay in shape and burn fats that would have remained when the baby bump is gone after childbirth, the study found that doing rollerblading, horse riding, downhill skiing and some other exercises should be avoided. It should also be noted that any exercise by a pregnant woman should be moderate and must be under the supervision of a trained instructor.

In the same vein, ankle massage should be avoided, as it has been found that certain pressure points in the ankles can stimulate labour. So, to avoid premature birth, you should stay away from that, no matter how fun it is.

And due to the sensitivity of the skin at that period, pregnant women are advised to limit their exposure to the sun.

Speaking on the need to do exercise in pregnancy, Mirella Ingamels, a personal trainer in Lincoln, United Kingdom, said, “For their own wellbeing and sanity, pregnant women shouldn’t let themselves go.

She said, “Exercise during pregnancy can also reduce pain and give women a stronger chance of re-gaining their post-baby body once they give birth, boosting their confidence. You lose the baby bump but you don’t lose the body fat – that stays with you. And your body changes after pregnancy.

“Being healthy and active gives mothers a better chance of having an easier labour and means they will be less likely to need a Caesarean,” she added.

(PUNCH)

Health benefits of having more sex

According to research, the more sex we have, the healthier we get and the longer we may live.

1. It's a natural mood lifter.

Psychologically, those who have sex on a regular basis experience less depression. In the afterglow of sex, it’s usually impossible to focus on distracting thoughts and worries.

2. It's a natural stress reducer.

Some say that the best cure for stress is sex. And no wonder: The relaxation that typically follows is often one of the few times people actually allow themselves to completely relax and let go of the day’s stresses. The stress and anxiety feel-good hormone, Oxytocin, floods the brain when we have sex. This is what gives us that sleepy, relaxed feeling. Another hormone, Prolactin, kicks in [after sex] and adds to that desire to breathe deeply and fall into a peaceful slumber.

3. It's a natural immune booster.

Orgasms increase blood flow, and as fresh blood supply arrives, your cells, organs and muscles are saturated with fresh oxygen and hormones, and as the used blood is removed, you also remove waste products that cause fatigue and illness. That’s not all; immune-system-boosting antibodies like Immunoglobin are enhanced during sex.

4. It's a natural appetite suppressant.

Wouldn’t it be great to lose weight without dieting and working out? Sex can even regulate metabolism and curb your appetite thanks to the hormone phenetylamine, another natural hormone produced during sex. It serves as a natural amphetamine that eases food cravings and regulates appetite. If you have sex in the morning or before dinner, you may feel like eating less and find yourself satisfied with a smaller food portion.

5. It's a natural body toner.

Who needs the gym when you can have sex with your sweetie? The deep breathing, the muscle contractions, and the challenging positions can also strengthen your body. Muscle contraction as a form of exercise is generally good for any muscle— and not just the abs, legs and arms. The muscle contraction associated with orgasm can also address issues such as erection problems for men, and for women. Contractions during sex strengthen the entire uro-genital tract, which can aid in easing childbirth.

6. It's a natural memory booster.

Did you know that sex actually increases brain cells and improves memory? When you have more sex, your sleep quality is enhanced thus allowing time for cellular turnover and repair. Experts add that maintaining adequate levels and hormonal balance reduces the risk of dementia and stroke as well.

7. It gives you a natural facelift.

There is a biochemical basis for a look of relaxation and vibrant, glowing skin. A healthy sex life normalizes cortisol levels and other inflammatory mediators. This helps stimulate normal growth hormone levels and other sex hormones such as testosterone. It’s scientific truth that growth hormone and testosterone help repair damaged skin, erase wrinkles, stimulate collagen regeneration, and give you an overall younger and healthier appearance.

Study: Sex raises heart attack risk in older men

A new study has some unpleasant news for ageing men: Having lots of enjoyable sex may put them at a greater risk for heart complications.

The study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, looked at 2,204 people between the ages 57 to 85. The people were interviewed again five years later, in an effort to understand how sex impacts people’s health later in life.

The report authors found that men who reported having at least weekly sex were more likely to report experiencing heart problems when they were interviewed again a few years later, compared to men who were not sexually active.

“Older men who found sex with their partner extremely pleasurable or satisfying had higher risk of cardiovascular events than men who did not feel so,” said study author Hui Liu, an associate professor of sociology at Michigan State University in a statement.

Women, however, did not experience any increase in heart health problems with more sexual activity. In fact, women who reported feeling highly satisfied with their sex life had a lower risk of high blood pressure years later, compared to women who didn’t hold the same level of satisfaction.

The study had found a link between heart problems and sex, but it’s not definitive. More studies are needed to gain a clearer understanding of the benefits and risks of sex later in life, and whether the amount of sexual activity matters as people age.

Liu recommends men have conversations with their physicians about their health and sexuality.

Why might men have a higher risk for heart issues? While sex is shown to have health benefits, including better heart health, overdoing it late in life could be problematic, the study authors suggest.

Overall, older men tend to have more sexual complications compared to younger men, and Liu argues that the exertion to reach orgasm could be causing heart stress.

It’s also possible that medications men take to improve their sexual performance, like testosterone therapy, could be playing a role.

However, the researchers did not look at this connection in the study.

Woman who received the world's first partial face transplant dies

A French woman who underwent the world’s first partial face transplant has died in hospital aged 49 after a long illness.

Isabelle Dinoire, who lost her mouth and nose after a dog bite, made medical history in 2005 when she was given a partial face transplant using tissue from a brain-dead woman in a 15-hour operation at Amiens Picardie hospital.

Dinoire died in April, Le Figaro revealed, which was confirmed by doctors in Amiens who said they had not previously announced her death to protect her family’s privacy.

Doctors did not reveal the exact cause of death. Le Figaro reported that Dinoire’s body had rejected the transplant last year “and she had lost part of the use of her lips”.

The drugs that she had to take to prevent her body from rejecting the transplant left her vulnerable to cancer and two cancers had developed, the paper said.

At the age of 38, Dinoire received a triangular-shaped graft, comprising the nose, lips and chin from a brain-dead donor, to replace parts of her face that had been mauled by her pet cross-labrador.

Dinoire, a divorced mother of two, later explained the circumstances that led to her losing half her face. After a bad week, Dinoire, who was a seamstress, had taken a large dose of sleeping pills “to forget” her troubles. She woke on her sofa and tried to light a cigarette, and then noticed blood and the presence of her dog beside her. Looking in the mirror, she discovered her terrible injuries.

For months before the transplant, she had “the face of a monster”, she said. She had no mouth and her teeth and gums were exposed, skull-like, in a “reminder of death”. Most of her nose was missing. But she said she had no hatred for her dog Tanya, who she felt had been trying to save her.

It was through British press reports that she discovered her donor had killed herself. She said she felt a bond to her “twin sister” through their suicidal urges. “That it was someone who wanted to die, like me … It’s odd to know that she saved me,” she said.

After the transplant she said she was determined to make a success of her life, learning to eat and speak and also wanting to be able to kiss.

Two years after the transplant she described in a book that the hardest thing was accepting the inside of “someone else’s” mouth. “It was odd to touch it with my tongue. It was soft. It was horrible.”

She said of the discovery of a hair on her chin: “It was odd. I’d never had one. I thought, ‘It’s me that has given it life, but the hair is hers.’Sometimes I put my hand to my face to check that it’s still there.”

Since Dinoire’s partial face transplant, more than 30 people worldwide have had similar treatment.

Seven health mistakes all pregnant women make

You already know you should eat healthy, exercise and keep your prenatal care appointments, but when it comes to other decisions you might have misconceptions about your pregnancy health.

Here are seven of the most common mistakes pregnant women make and easy ways to fix them.k

1. Overlooking the Zika virus

As of August 25th, there have been 624 reported cases of pregnant women in the U.S. with lab evidence of the Zika virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although women have been advised to avoid travel where Zika has been circulating, women who live in those areas or decide to travel anyway might not use insect repellant or use the wrong type of insect repellant to prevent mosquito bites, said Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a board-certified OB/GYN in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. and an assistant clinical professor at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Dweck recommends pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant use insect repellant with DEET sprayed on their clothing, not directly on their skin. If your sexual partner has traveled to an area with Zika, you should also use condoms to prevent the spread of the virus.

2. Treating pregnancy like a condition

“The greatest mistake I’ve seen women in pregnancy make is this idea that somehow it’s a much different state than the rest of their lives and that they have to change everything that they do,” said Dr. Jennifer Lang, a board-certified OB/GYN in Los Angeles and author of, “The Whole 9 Months: A Week-By-Week Pregnancy Nutrition Guide with Recipes for a Healthy Start.”

Remember that pregnancy is natural and normal and although you might have to avoid certain foods like sushi, pregnancy shouldn’t be a free pass to overindulge on foods you crave.

“If it’s not a great idea to do when you’re not pregnant, it’s not a great idea to do in pregnancy,” she said.

3. Eating for two

Nearly 50 percent of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, according to a study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Women think that because they’re pregnant they have to double their calories and it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Lang said.

Women who are obese during pregnancy have an increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth and difficult deliveries, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, sleep apnea and blood clots. Infants born to obese mothers are also more likely to have birth defects and be obese themselves later on in life.

The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends women with a normal body mass index (BMI) get an extra 340 calories a day in the second trimester and an extra 450 calories a day in the third trimester.

If you’re carrying twins or multiples, or you’re overweight or obese when you start your pregnancy, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian nutritionist about a plan that’s right for you.

4. Avoiding sex

“Some women feel incredibly sexual during pregnancy and others feel like, ‘No way, no how,’” Dweck said.

Unless your doctor has told you that there’s a medical reason why you shouldn’t have sex, there’s no reason to avoid it. In fact, if your pregnancy is full-term, sex may actually jump-start labor because the prostaglandins from semen may soften the cervix and cause uterine contractions.

You can get creative with different positions to make sex more comfortable, but it’s important to avoid lying flat on your back because it can compress the vena cava, the vein that returns blood to the heart.

5. Opting out of vaccines

Pregnant women may decide not to get the seasonal flu shot over concerns about its effectiveness or safety. Yet it’s the best way to avoid serious complications from the flu, which pregnant women are at risk for because of the changes to the immune system that happen during pregnancy, Dweck said.

In fact, a study in the journal Pediatrics showed that 90 percent of women didn’t get the flu vaccine, yet the infants of mothers who did had a 70 percent reduced risk of the flu.

What’s more, infants of mothers who receive the flu vaccine in the third trimester are 33 percent less likely to be hospitalized for respiratory illness in the first six months after they’re born, found a study presented at the Options for the Control of Influenza 2016 Conference in Chicago.

The CDC also recommends women receive the whooping cough vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy to protect their babies from the disease before they receive the vaccine at two months.

6. Neglecting your core

Exercise is healthy for you and your baby but many women avoid training their abdominal muscles during pregnancy because they fear they could hurt themselves or their babies while others don’t even realize they should be doing it, said Leah Keller, a pre- and post-natal fitness expert in San Francisco, California and creator of The Dia Method.

The core muscles can help to prevent falls and injuries that are more common during pregnancy and make delivery shorter and easier. Training the core during pregnancy can also help prevent damage from diastasis recti— the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles that affect approximately sixty percent of first-time— singleton pregnancies.

To make sure you train safely, ask your physician to recommend a program or a trainer who has experience with prenatal fitness and diastasis recti.

7. Overdosing on vitamins and supplements

You already know you need to take your prenatal vitamins, but if you’re loading up on extra vitamins and over-the-counter herbal supplements, there’s no evidence it can help and it could actually be harmful to your baby, Lang said.

A better way is to get your nutrition through food. A whole-foods, primarily plant-based diet, will likely give you the right amount of nutrients you need.

“It’s the way our body was meant to assimilate vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in combination with this very complex blend that tends to be absorbed more optimally by the body,” Lang said.

If morning sickness or food aversions get in the way and you think you need a supplement, check with your doctor first to make sure what you’re taking is safe.

 

Source: Julie Revelant (FOX)

How much sex can do for health

If you ever needed an excuse to have sex, there are a lot of them. Aside from the fact that it is obviously enjoyable and fun, there are so many wonderful and blissful reasons to have sex. Not only will it reduce pain, your health status will be better:

1.       Cardio Activity: sex is classified as a form of cardiovascular exercise, by this we refer to the heart and blood vessels – tubes that carry blood around the body. This, as an exercise, is said to be more enjoyable than going for a jog. The more sex you have, the better your heart health is likely to be. And in the course of this, though, you have to take an active role, or you won’t reap the same benefits.

2.       It Reduces pain: if headache has been an excuse for you not to have sex, it sure will not be an obstacle any more after you have read this. When women reach orgasm, that is, the moment of greatest pleasure and excitement during sexual activity, the body produces an analgesic effect, which means the pleasure gives you a type of drug which stops you from feeling pain. Your pain or headache won’t necessarily go, but you’ll certainly feel less pain.

3.       Good Hormones: the general feeling and benefit sex provides, whether or not you achieve an orgasm, is that your body releases oxytocin and dopamine. Oxytocin hormone increases its levels when we hug or kiss a loved one. These hormones are also released when you simply cuddle, and help to improve your mood and increase feelings of happiness.

4.       Better Sleep: Ever wondered the reason you feel so tired after having sex? It could, of course, be that you’re just a bit worn out, but it’s also because sexual activity promotes the release of prolactin. This hormone determines feelings of satisfaction, and is higher during sleep. Because of this positive correlation, it’s likely that having sex can increase your chances of sleeping without trouble.

5.       Healthy Glow: again, if you play a more active role, having sex will get your body circulating. This, in turn, brings fresh blood cells and oxygen to the surface of the skin, and gives you a healthy glow.

6.       Stronger Immunity: according to a study, having frequent sex can strengthen the immune system, helping the body to fight against disease.

7.       Weight Loss: Because sex is technically cardiovascular activity, it’s a great way to burn some fat while spending quality time with your partner. On average, 30 minutes of sex will burn 85 calories. This means that if you have sex every day for a week, you have burned an extra 595 calories without even really trying.

8.       Confidence Boost: Having sex can give you a confidence boost, whether you suffer from low self-esteem or are already happy with yourself.

Bleaching cream causes kidney failure – consultant

Cases of negligence and other medical lapses caused by doctors and other healthcare providers resulting in avoidable deaths or permanent injuries have been described as actionable offences by a London-based consultant physician on Family Health, Dr. Chukwudi Ukpaka.

Ukpaka, the founder of Crystalife Care, a health based Non-Governmental Organisation, which trains healthcare providers and engages in medical outreaches to communities, called for strict sanctions against erring health practitioners to serve as deterrent to others.

Lapses, negligence and other unethical medical practices leading to avoidable deaths or deformities, Ukpaka argued, negates the dictates of clinical governance, which encourages professionalism among health professionals.

Clinical governance also mandates them to do the right thing when taking care of their patients and to take responsibility of the consequences of their actions, if they pose any health risk.

While hinting that the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, will on Tuesday, August 19, preside over the Clinical Governance Summit in Abuja, he regretted that in many cases it seems: “Patients pay to be killed through misdiagnosis, wrong medications and other careless mistakes during treatment.”

Speaking on the rising cases of kidney failures, Ukpaka warned against use of bleaching creams saying: “It contains mercury and other heavy metals that enter the body through the skin, seep into the bloodstream and travels to the kidney and does not go out through urine. After a period of time, they accumulate and break down the kidney. A lot of people who require dialysis were caused by their use of bleaching creams.”

He also noted that prolonged use of gentamycin causes deafness and kidney failure for people whose kidneys are not very strong, saying the symptoms may take up to one or two year to show.

Ukpaka averred that fibroid cases no longer require surgery due to the risk of bleeding and infections. Rather he said there is a new drug that shrinks it till it becomes small and falls off, but he was quick to add that it costs about N200, 000 and doctors know the drug.

He warned against the use of Chloroquine, which according to him has been banned and criminalised in some countries, because it causes blindness which may take up to five years after use before manifestation.

For Men: Five reasons to masturbate tonight

Regular sex or masturbation works out your pelvic floor muscles to prevent erectile dysfunction and incontinence.

Masturbation perks

There is nothing wrong in taking a little time to love yourself. Not only does it feel really, really good, it also has awesome benefits that you get long after your explosive climax.
Menshealth gives all men 5 reasons to give themselves a hand.

It prevents cancer.

A study found that men who ejaculated more than five times a week were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Disease-causing toxins build up in your urogenital tract and when you rub one out, you flush the bad guys out of your system.

It makes you harder.

As you age, you naturally lose muscle tone ... even down there.
Regular sex or masturbation works out your pelvic floor muscles to prevent erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Aim to (ahem) arrive three to five times a week for rock-solid results.

It helps you last longer.

Taking yourself to palm prom may help you stretch your sack sessions.
“[Masturbating] an hour before a date will give you more control. Train yourself by timing how long it takes you to orgasm. If it usually takes two minutes solo, try for three next time. Or count how many strokes you need to get to your happy place. If you’re spurting after 50, shoot for 60. Most men can double the number of strokes and the time within one month.
READ: Six signs you have a serious sexual problem

It ups your immunity.

Ejaculation increases levels of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol, which usually gets a bad rap as a havoc-wrecking stress hormone, actually helps regulate and maintain your immunity in the small doses. Masturbation can produce the right environment for a strengthened immune system.

It boosts your mood.

Masturbating releases a slew of feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that lift your spirits, boost your satisfaction, and activate the reward circuits in your brain.
“An orgasm is the biggest non-drug blast of dopamine available,” says Brame. “A brain scan of someone having an orgasm looks like a heroin addict’s.”