When you are pregnant, you should be sure to wash all raw vegetables prior to consumption. Raw vegetables have the potential to carry toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that is typically carried in the feces of cats. It can sometimes get into the soil and contaminate fruits or vegetables.Many women are interested in trying natural alternatives to medications during pregnancy. Some turn to herbal remedies. It is important that you consult with your healthcare provider during pregnancy to ensure that an herb is safe before you take it. Some herbs can be harmful to you or your unborn fetus, and result in premature labor, miscarriage or even birth defects. Some of the more commonly known herbs to avoid during pregnancy include:- Goldenseal- Mugwort- Penny Royal- Aloe Vera- Black Cohosh- Blue Cohosh- Buchers Broom- False Unicorn- Feverfew- Juniper- Lady's Mantle- WormwoodMost of these herbs are known for their ability to stimulate the uterus, which might lead to premature contractions or miscarriage. That said, midwives have used some herbs in the last trimester to help restart a stalled labor or initiate an overdue labor. It is essential that you not try to use any of these herbs however without first consulting a qualified healthcare provider. The consequences could be devastating.Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on dietary precautions during pregnancy

Are you a first time expectant mum wandering around the shops wondering do I really need that, or what is all this used for? If you answer yes to this question then you may find the following article useful.I can remember during my first pregnancy looking at items in the baby section wondering if all these bits and pieces were really necessary, and wondered what half of them were used for. I was often confused and would buy things 'just in case'. After the birth of my daughter I soon found that some of these items I definitely didn't need, and then there were others I just couldn't live without. I have put together a list of items that I personally feel are baby essentials and try to give you some insight into what and why you may be in need of them.Essentials for babyBunny rugs/ muslin wraps ? These are used to wrap your baby in. Newborn babies usually like to be wrapped snugly as it gives them the secure feeling they had in the womb. The difference is that Bunny rugs are for cool weather and muslin wraps are for warm weather, so the time of year your baby is due will determine which you will require. Recommend 8-12 of which ever you require.Baby towels - You can just use normal ones but baby towels are often smaller, lighter and softer. Recommend at least 3.Cot sheets - Fitted are best to prevent loosening as baby will move around a lot as it gets older. Recommend 3 sets.If you are using a cradle or bassinet to start with you will need special sheets to fit these. You can get away with just 2 sets as babies are only in them for a short time (6-10weeks) and if you run into trouble you can always use a bunny rug!Mattress protectors ? Recommend 2-3.Baby blankets - I don't use any baby bedding (blankets, top sheet ect) in the cot. Initially I wrapped baby in their bunny rug/muslin wrap and once they got to big I used baby sleeping bags or sleepsuits. Babies tend to kick blankets off , I found myself worrying they would wiggle under the loosened blankets, at the same time I worried baby would be too cold. Once I discovered baby sleeping bag/suits I never looked back. These types of suits go over the top of their normal sleeping outfits and allow baby freedom to kick and move about. SIDS bedding guidelines state that sleeping bags/suits are a safe bedding alternative as long as individual bags/suits meet the following safety standards ? neck and armholes should be fitted so that there is no chance of baby slipping inside the bag and it should not contain a hood. Baby sleeping conditions are not something to be taken lightly. I highly recommend that prior to making any decision in relation to how you will sleep your baby that you visit safe sleeping at the sids and kids website. This way you can make an informed decision on what will best suit your individual situation.Baby nail clippers/scissors - Baby nails grow really quick and are sharp, often causing them to scratch themselves.Baby cotton buds ? Used for cleaning outer ear, nose and belly buttons!! Look for the ones that are specially designed to prevent you from accidentally going in too far.Baby moisturiser - Babies often get a bit scaly in their first few weeks while their skin is adjusting to the outside world.Nappy bag ? A good quality nappy bag will have separate compartments to put your different bits and pieces in such as bottles, wipes, clothes ect.Look for one with a change mat attached as you will find this useful.A gentle baby soap - I recommend Johnson's milk bath you just squirt it in the water, no need to juggle baby and soap.Baby wipes - excellent for cleaning face, hands and bottoms, I'd be lost with out them. I recommend Huggies, you can get a refillable travel pack for the nappy bag and a clip top container for home. You can get cheaper brands but they are often thinner and harder to dispense.Nappy rash cream - I use one called Sudocrem. I found it very effective and although it is a little more expensive then some of the others creams you will see, you tend to use less.Bibs ? Bibs aren't really necessary unless you are bottle feeding, or until baby starts on solids. Look for bibs that either slip straight over baby's head or have velcro fasteners. I found soft plastic back bibs protected clothing better. Try to avoid bibs that require you to tie them, these can be difficult to manage when you have one hand holding the baby. Once baby is older using full plastic bibs while they are eating can save you a lot of washing.Cloth nappies - whether or not your are going to use disposable nappies you will still need some cloth nappies, they come in handy for cleaning up and protecting yourself from baby vomit and placing under baby when you have nappy leaks! 12 should suffice if you are going to use disposables. Of course if you are not using disposables you are going to need a lot more, approximately 24-36 in total. Please note that I didn't use cloth nappies, I used disposables so if you intend on using cloth nappies then their maybe some extra things you need in relation to them - snappies or pins, nappy liners and possibly plastic pants or fluffies.Nappy bucket ? If you are using cloth nappies you will probably need 2, one for the nappies, another for clothes/bibs ect. For those that are using disposables one will suffice (or some sort of bucket) for soaking clothes ect. For soaking the clothes you will need something like napisan. Lux flakes are also good for general washing of baby clothes as initially their skin can be sensitive.The following items you may not want straight away but are something to think about:A thermometer - If you think baby might be a bit 'off colour' it can help put your mind at rest. I eventually bought a tympanic one as I grew tired of trying to keep baby still while the thermometer was under their arm. The advantage of a tympanic thermometer is you use their ear and it only takes a couple of seconds to register, the problem is they are expensive.Bottles ? It does pay to have one or two bottles even if you plan to breastfeed, just in case you need to be away from baby for some reason or you just need a break. You will also need a couple of newborn teats, a bottle brush and some sterilising equipment. Microwave sterilisers are very effective and are not expensive. If for some reason you are unable to breastfeed or you plan to wean baby in the first year you will need more bottles, approximately 8.Breast pump ? This will totally depend on your situation. If you are going back to work early but want to continue to breast feed an electric pump would be of benefit. You can hire these from some hospitals and pharmacies if your budget is tight. If you only want to express milk for the rare occasion then a hand pump will be sufficient.I hope that this article has enlightened you on what products you may require for the upcoming birth of your child. If you feel that there are any items that are definite essentials that are missing from this list feel free to contact me through our website and I will add them.Please note that I have mentioned brand names throughout the article but I am in no way affiliated with these companies, nor are they products that I sell on my site, I genuinely found them to be worth the money you pay for them.About the AuthorLeisa Sanderson is a mother of two. Owner and operator of Bumps and Bundles - a pregnancy, baby and parenting resource centre and Bumps and Bundles Maternity ? Online retailer of Maternity wear, Baby clothes, and Baby gifts.This article maybe reprinted freely as long as all links remain active and author resource box is included.

If exercise is so obviously the answer to losing weight after childbirth, then why aren't more women doing it? The answer isn't as tricky as you may think.One problem most new mothers will report is that they don't feel that they have enough time to exercise after birth. This is a complaint among just about anyone who has ever attempted to set up a routine exercise program, not just women who have given birth!While it is true that taking care of your newborn should be first and foremost in your mind, it is also important that you set aside time for your own health and well being. This includes setting aside enough time to engage in routine exercise. Finding time may be as simple as blocking off a certain number of hours during the day to work out.If you are having trouble finding time to exercise, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you stick with some type of exercise routine:Set aside a specific time every day to exercise. Even if you just set aside 10 minutes of time in the morning, your body will benefit from regular exercise. Remember that stretching, yoga and other forms of activity are also considered exercise, and will help your body return to its pre-pregnancy shape much more quickly.Ask your partner to help. Ask your partner or another friend or family member if they would be willing to watch your newborn for a set time during the week. This could be two or three times per week , or as often as every other day.Consider a sitter. You might need to have someone come in for an hour per day to watch your baby while you work out. Not sure who to ask? Consider parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors. You can even put an ad out in your local paper. If you have friends with older children, you might ask one of them if they have any children with experience watching young children. Many gyms also offer daycare for parents who need an hour to work out, as do many local recreation centers.Take just ten minutes. If you are truly time deprived, you can still get a great work out in for the day in 10 minute intervals. There are no hard and fast rules that state that you have to work out 30 minutes in a row for exercise to be effective. If you have just 10 free minutes in your day, consider climbing some stairs or going for a brisk walk. Do that two to three times per day and you have worked in a full blown work out.Consider home work out videos. You can pop these easily into your VHS or DVD player and work out from the convenience of you home, saving travel time and much more. There are even many videos that are targeted toward moms, where you can work out with your newborn!Article by Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby", visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on exercise after pregnancy

A doula is a Greek word meaning "woman servant." Doulas are trained professionals helping and guiding a woman and her partner through childbirth. A doula provides a continuous presence during labor and delivery as she takes care of a mother's emotional and non-medical needs.ARE YOU DOULA MATERIAL?Do you pick up childbirth magazines, immediately turning to the labor section, and you aren't even pregnant? Do you long to talk to anyone who is pregnant? I was this way before I became a doula or labor assistant. When I was looking for a new career path after the birth of my second child, I came across a doula when I was waiting in line to register my son for preschool. I was in a certified doula training class a month later and have never looked back. Now, I want to help other women who are passionate about childbirth and want to pursue a life change into the doula world. Once you decide that you want to become a doula, you will never be the same person again.ALL NIGHTERS AND SHORT DELIVERIESNo one can prepare you for the all nighters. This is the hardest part of being a doula. You are consistently offering massage, suggestions on positioning and explanations of medical procedures throughout the night. You do all this with a smile on your face and a positive attitude. Some labors will take you through two whole nights. Try doing this when you are not a coffee drinker.Some deliveries are long, some are short. This helps balance your doula practice. Thirty-six hours or 4 hours, either way you walk away from the delivery on a natural high. You feel on top of the world because you were apart of an extraordinary experience. You were able to provide assistance to a laboring mother and serve in a unique way.WHAT'S NEXT?The first thing you have to do is check into a certified doula program with CAPPA, Doulas of North America(DONA) and Lamaze International for local trainings. Get involved with local doula groups for support and friendship. Read everything you can get your hands on and talk to every pregnant woman you find.Julie L. Johnson is a wife and mother of three who has experienced every pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding situation there is and has lived to tell about. She is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant practicing in Southern California. Her website http://www.birth-angel.com provides services and products to help ease transition through motherhood. The products also make great doula "Thank You" gifts or for a baby shower.

Pregnancy is a beautiful time. And it is also a time for
out-of-control hormones which can get a little stressful and
chaotic. But there is good news for women who are
planning
to become or already are pregnant. A variety of wonderful
hormone-balancing treatments are available today. You
don't
even need a prescription to obtain such pregnancy hormone
medication.If you're uncertain as to what treatments are effective and
safe, it is always advisable to speak to your doctor.
As a secondary option you can also refer to the internet as
there are many websites that provide information on
pregnancy treatments as well as the treatments
themselves.
Pregnancy is a wonderful experience providing your
hormones
stay in check and you can keep the morning sickness to a
minimum. With the proper hormone treatment, your
experience
can be as joyous as ever.Pregnancy supplements are also very important during the
course of pregnancy and these can sometimes be used to
manage hormones and other pregnancy issues such as
the
proper vitamins and nutrients. When you're pregnant, you
are
not only working to provide nutrition for yourself, but for
your unborn baby inside. You might not be getting all the
nutrients you need through your diet and you certainly can
use all the help available when it comes to making sure
you baby is healthy and well.Many women still have no idea how important supplements
are
during pregnancy. You need to make sure that both you and
your unborn child are getting all of the iron, folic acid
and vitamin B6 you both need. Of course, that's only a small
portion of all the nutrients you need for a healthy
pregnancy and healthy baby. It is advisable that you just
do not rely on the food you eat. When you're pregnant, your
body craves all sorts of things. Those particular meals may
lack the certain nutrients you desperately need.Don't leave anything to chance, by taking pregnancy
supplements. It is a safe and healthy way to be sure you
and your baby are taken care of. When it comes to a child,
nothing should be taken for granted - especially your
nutrition. Make sure your diet is balanced with the proper
supplements. Your body, your hormones and your baby will
thank you.During your entire pregnancy, you also need to be sure you
keep regular appointments with a doctor or OB nurse
practitioner to be sure both the baby and you are healthy.Happy Birthing!Claudia Roselli has been involved in the womens health
field for over 20 years, and has assisted many mothers with
her knowledge. She is enthusiastic about pregnancy and
is the originator of See Pregnancy

If you are a pregnant mother or soon will be, this is the most important reality you going to face. You will get stress and depress. Why? The physical and mental changes of a pregnant woman can affect her stress levels-especially since she is forced to see herself in a new light. The woman who was once the prettiest girl at the dance may have turned into a sluggish, chubby grouch seemingly overnight. In her mind, she sees herself as ugly and dumpy, even though others just see her beautiful motherly glow.Five Common Stress and Depress Among Pregnant Women1. Pregnant women face an almost endless list of concerns-some valid and others not so. One of the most valid worries is that of miscarriage, which is a big fear for women in their first trimester, especially if they have experienced past miscarriages or problem pregnancies. Miscarriage is a sad, unfortunate event for which many women blame themselves (Is it something I did? If I had done anything differently, would my baby have lived?). Anyone who has experienced this horrible loss knows that Mom is not to blame no matter what she may think.2. Women also naturally worry if their babies will be healthy, so they fret over whether or not they are eating the right foods, taking the right vitamins and getting enough exercise. Worry stretches into excess though when an expectant mom frets over everything from whether or not to eat the skin of an apple to how long she should wait to take her vitamin after lunch. As many silly worries as moms concoct, though, there are valid issues of concern. They affect some women to greater degrees than others.3. It isn't rare for expecting moms to ask themselves, "Will I love my baby enough?" and "Will I know what to do when my baby cries or gets sick?" The answer is yes, or it will be after a little experience. But, when you enter a job you've never held before with no guide book, it can be very intimidating (especially for those expectant moms who have issues with their own mothers).4. Other issues that creep up include finances and daycare. Most mothers take a maternity leave from work after their babies are born, but finding the right daycare where baby will be happy and Mom will feel reassured in leaving her little one can be a challenge.5. There is also the issue of what will happen at work while a woman is on maternity leave. Will she lose the esteem and respect of others for putting family first? Or will her someone else snatch her spot as team leader while she is out on leave?Of course, these issues are just a synopsis of the concerns and worries pregnant women face. Naturally, every woman has her own specific circumstances that make some of these concerns less important, while others are more so. There are also concerns each woman has that are unique to her.But relative to all expecting moms is that they face a number of worries and potential stressors. In extreme situations, these stressors lead into depression. Women feeling overwhelming and/or debilitating feelings of sadness or hopelessness should consult an OBGYN or counselor ASAP.About the Author: Sara Jameson succeeded and writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy in her Website http://www.pregnancywithoutstress.com

Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps for planning a pregnancy with your healthy lifestyle in mind.The most important step in planning for a healthy pregnancy is getting you healthy. This means quitting use of tobacco products, illegal drugs and alcohol. Most doctors also advise limiting caffeine intake. A pre-pregnancy physical exam is also vitally important. Your health issues and medical history, as well as family history, will all have a bearing on the health of your baby, so discuss these issues with your doctor before conception. Your doctor may suggest a blood test to screen for some types of genetic disorders, and a review of conditions that may require special care during a pregnancy, like diabetes, should be reviewed.You should begin watching what you eat, remember, your diet will be nourishing your baby too! Eat a balanced diet and begin taking prenatal vitamins, especially folic acid, before you conceive to make sure that the developing baby will be getting all the nutrition it needs. Your doctor can prescribe these vitamins during your pre-pregnancy exam. In addition to eating well, you should exercise regularly and get plenty of rest. Although pregnancy is usually a time of weight gain, try to manage your weight to avoid complications like high blood pressure and diabetes during the pregnancy. Making healthy eating a habit prior to conception will help to control your weight gain.Finally, it is important to evaluate your surroundings for harmful substances. While pregnant and planning to be pregnant, you should avoid lead, pesticides, x-rays and other forms of radiation.By planning for a healthy pregnancy, you can help your baby be healthy too!Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.

The shock and stress of having a baby born prematurely is difficult in and of itself to deal with. The frequent trips to the hospital are exhausting. And the worry you feel about the health of your son or daughter can be overwhelming. If you had hoped to breastfeed your baby, you will no doubt want to use a breast pump to initiate and maintain your supply until your baby is strong enough and developed enough to start short attempts at breastfeeding and hopefully eventually transition to exclusive breastfeeding, but until this point, a breast pump will be a necessity. The requirements of expressing breast milk in the early days and weeks post-partum can add additional stress to what is already a difficult time, but having good information on how to best establish your milk supply will assist you to build a strong milk supply and provide the best nutrition possible for a pre-term baby: mother's milk.The benefits of breast milk for preemies have been well researched. Not only can breast milk decrease the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious intestinal infection which is a very serious complication for any baby), but the breast milk from mothers of preemies is uniquely suited to the needs of these tiny infants. Breast milk contains an high level of antibodies which can decrease serious infections and illness in preemies. Breast milk also has growth factors which are very important for premature babies who are often very small and may have difficulty gaining weight. Mothers of premature babies also produce milk that is higher in nitrogen, protein, lipids, fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, and other vital elements important to the development of preemies.It is important to begin using a breast pump to provide stimulation as soon as possible after the birth of your baby. It is best to use a hospital-grade double electric breast pump at least until your supply is well established. Your baby's neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) should be able to help you locate a place you can rent a hospital-grade breast pump. When starting to use a breast pump following delivery you will want to follow, as closely as possible, the feeding patterns of a full-term baby in order to establish a strong milk supply. This means that it is important to use a breast pump 8 to 10 times within a 24 hour period for at least the first couple of weeks. Frequent stimulation is crucial to establishing a good supply; just as a full-term newborn would nurse on demand frequently, but likely for short periods, you must provide frequent stimulation to your nipples, breasts, and areolas. It is important to pump around the clock: both day and night. Although at night you can go for slightly longer periods between sessions. When beginning to pump soon after delivery, you do not need to pump for lengthy sessions. Ten to twelve minutes per pumping session is enough. Initially, you many not express too much in the way of colostrum or milk, but it will increase over the next several days with dedicated pumping.At first, the milk you express is colostrum: a thick, yellow milk that has a very high concentration of antibodies and fat. While there is not a large volume of colostrum, it is worth its weight in gold! It can sometimes be difficult to express colostrum with a breast pump because it is thick and somewhat sticky. If you are finding it difficult, try hand expressing to see if you can express more. Use a syringe to collect as much of the colostrum as you can.Your baby's NICU will give you instructions on storing and transporting your breast milk. Since preemies are more susceptible to bacteria, viruses, and other illness, it is important to carefully follow the guidelines the NICU gives you. Always use sterile collection bottles and sterilize your pump kit regularly. Fresh breast milk is almost always best, so try to deliver your expressed breast milk to the hospital as often as possible.Usually within the first week or two, you should see your milk supply start to increase. You may find that you become engorged frequently. Frequent pumping is the best way to combat this. It will subside as your body starts to regulate its milk production. When your daily volumes start to increase, you will need to increase the length of your pumping sessions to ensure you are emptying your breasts as fully as possible. A general guideline is to pump for 120 minutes per day divided by the number of sessions you are pumping. Therefore, if you are pumping 8 times a day, you would pump for approximately 15 minutes per session. This is just a general guideline though and you may need to pump longer. The breast pump you are using can also vary the length of time you need to pump since not all pumps are as efficient in removing milk.Initially, lactation is hormonally controlled, but this endrocrine control switches to an autocrine control- supply and demand- over the first several weeks post-partum. Prolactin, the primary hormone involved in lactation, dramatically decreases within the first couple days post-partum (one reason why frequent pumping is vital starting as soon as possible after delivery) and then slowly continues to decrease over the next 6 to 12 weeks. Many women who have not pumped frequently during the first few weeks after the birth of their baby find that their supply starts to decrease around the time that their prolactin levels would naturally be decreasing. It is best to make use of the prolactin you have in your system in order to establish a strong supply early on and then maintain that supply by maintaining the demand through efficiently and completely removing the milk in your breasts on a regular basis.Generally, it is important to continue pumping frequently- at least 6 to 8 times per day- for the first couple of months post-partum or until you are able to transition to breastfeeding. If you find your supply is becoming extremely large- 45 to 50 oz. per day or more- it is better to decrease the length of your pumping sessions by a minute or two than to decrease the number of sessions you are pumping per day. The frequent stimulation is still very important. It is also better to establish as strong a supply as you can as opposed to only reaching the amount that your baby currently needs or is projected to need upon discharge from the hospital. While your baby's intake is low, your milk production needs to continue on as though your baby was born full-term. Trying to increase your supply later on once your baby's intake increases can be difficult with a breast pump since it will require you to start pumping more frequently than you already are. It is much easier to decrease your production once your baby starts breastfeeding. It is also important to continue to pump at least once during the night at least for the first couple of months post-partum (or until your baby starts to breastfeed exclusively): until a full-term baby would start sleeping through the night. However, some women choose to continue pumping at night as a way of reducing the sessions through the day and some women find that by eliminating the night session their supply declines.Mothers of premature babies can sometimes have more difficulty establishing their milk supply. This may simply be a result of the premature birth since the mother's hormone levels may not be optimum for lactation. This is particularly true for mothers of extremely early preemies and micro preemies. Difficulties can also sometimes be a result of the medical interventions necessary with a premature delivery: IVs, cesarean sections, pain medication, pitocin, etc. Usually,given time,mothers of preemies are able to establish a good milk supply. Sometimes though, it may take longer for your milk supply to increase. If however, even with diligent pumping habits, you are unable to establish a sufficient supply, there are medical interventions that can sometimes be effective. Domperidone and Reglan are the most common prescription medications used to increase milk supply. Before turning to the use of these drugs though, it is best to exhaust all other means of increasing milk supply. www.kellymom.com is a valuable evidence-based website and has extensive information on increasing milk supply.The frequent pumping that is required to initiate your milk supply with a breast pump can be very overwhelming, especially when you are already trying to cope with the issues surrounding the premature birth of your baby. But remember how important breast milk is to babies and even more important to babies that are born premature. Often it can feel very isolating in the NICU and you may feel as though there is little you can do for your child, but you can provide breast milk for your baby. You can provide your child with something that only you can give; something that is made especially for your baby and something that meets your baby's very particular needs.Stephanie Casemore, the author of Exclusively Pumping Breast Milk: A Guide to Providing Expressed Breast Milk for Your Baby, is the mother of a "former" preemie who was born at 31 weeks gestation. She experienced all the emotions and challenges involved with having a preemie, hoping to breastfeed, using a breast pump to initiate and maintain her supply, and ultimately the disappointment of not experiencing the breastfeeding relationship with her son that she had hoped for. Casemore exclusively pumped breast milk for her son for one year. Her website,ExclusivelyPumping.com, is a unique resource site dedicated solely to the needs of women who are exclusively pumping breast milk for their babies.

People say pregnancy is a fun and exciting time. Probably they are right, but don't you think that behind the fun and excitement, you also feel the changes in your body. Any woman who has ever been pregnant knows that changes come with the nine months as the "Baby Carrier."What Are Those Changes?Naturally, our bodies change. Our boobs get bigger, our tummies expand and our taste buds become fickle, taking us on a whirlwind from one craving to the next. A once slender woman can morph into what seems like a monster.Of course, morning sickness, which can happen at anytime during the day, is also a new change for expectant moms. Foods and even smells we once loved can send us into a hurl on a second's notice. On top of that, we get to enjoy sweating like piglets, pimple outbreaks, exhaustion and sore feet and backs.And then there are the emotional and mental changes. You've got to start getting into the Mom Mindset, so you tend to become more protective of others. See your husband using a knife that looks too sharp? Better run over and cut that tomato yourself! Or, have you noticed a stray dog in the neighborhood? No time like now to practice up on your care-giving skills - you should definitely make a trip to the grocery store for some Purina.Indeed, we women take our roles as mothers seriously - sometimes too seriously. And we can find ourselves snapping at our loved ones for little infractions and even working ourselves into tearful outbursts over anything from a sad movie to a dirty rug during our pregnancies.But doesn't anybody dare tell a pregnant woman that she's being irrational. Mood swings - sometimes within minutes - are totally normal. A pregnant woman's body is going through hormonal changes, and spouses and others are well-advised to not taking anything personally.About the Author: Sara Jameson set out on a mission to find out how to have a healthy baby but also a happy and healthy pregnancy. She succeeded and writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy in her Website http://www.pregnancywithoutstress.com

So you need to gain weight but don't want to gain too much weight during your pregnancy right?There are many things that you can do to improve your diet and ensure that you gain a minimal but healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy.So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after:Tip #1
Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think wild rice, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. Whole foods don't include waffles and pancakes!Tip #2
Add calories during the second trimester. Eating for two doesn't literally mean eating for two. In fact during your first trimester your baby is about the size of a small bean! Most women don't actually need to start adding 300 calories a day to their diet until the second and third trimesters.Tip #3
Be sure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal. It will help you if you break your meals into six mini meals per day. This will help rev up your metabolism. Next be sure that you eat some protein, carbohydrate and fat at each mini meal session. This will help nourish your body more completely and help prevent cravings later in the day.Tip #4
Choose foods high in fiber. High fiber foods will help fill you up when you are ravenous during pregnancy, and they will also help relieve constipation and help you feel great! A high fiber diet is good for anyone, whether or not they
are pregnant.Tip #5
Drink extra water. You'll be thirstier than normal anyway during pregnancy. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your system and helps prevent excessive edema. Believe it or not you can actually fight weight gain associated with edema if you drink more water!Remember that pregnancy is a short period of time in the long journey that is your life. You should enjoy every moment of it. By following the tips above, you can gain the right amount of weight and feel great throughout your pregnancy.Article by Beverley Brooke, visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on pregnancy weight gain