I am 22 weeks along, and wonder if anyone else has experienced this. Before becoming pregnant, I had been on Prozac and Klonopin for GAD and depression. I am 27, and have had these disorders since age 14 (GAD since childhood). None of it is due to enviromental factors, I had a great childhood and life but internally I was always a wreck for no apparant reason. Since I became pregnant, almost all my symptoms are gone. I feel fantastic, and I am on no medication. Has anyone ever heard of this? Now I am wondering if my problems were caused by either a hormone or vitamin deficiency (I take prenatal vitamins and my iron pills daily). I am so relaxed and peaceful, and everyone around me notices as well.
What do I do after the baby comes to stay this way?

Have you been noticing these three capital letters “DHA added” appearing on the labels of certain items at the grocery store and wonder what it means? DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that have many healthful properties such as lowering cholesterol as well as lowering blood pressure. Besides these benefits it is now recommended to use a supplement of DHA during pregnancy along with prenatal vitamins to aid in the proper brain growth and eye development of the fetus. Of course, always check with your doctor first before starting any new supplements.

Some of the grocery items with DHA added include Pure Premium Healthy Heart with Omega-3 Orange Juice and 12 Grain Bread with omega-3. There are also several companies that are now marketing omega-3 fortified eggs. These are all good but won’t come close to giving you the amount of DHA that your body needs, especially during pregnancy. Some foods that naturally contain DHA are anchovies, herring, sardines and other oily fishes. You need to use extreme caution when eating fish, though, because of possible high levels of mercury and other contaminants present. Some high-mercury fish that should be avoided entirely by children and women in their child-bearing years are swordfish, tilefish, shark, and king mackerel.

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While eating during pregnancy, the expectant mother needs to be aware of all the essential nutrients that she needs to consume on a regular basis, both for herself and for her growing baby. Such nutrients are necessary for the healthy development of the foetus growing in her tummy, and ensure that her child is born healthy and well. Poor pregnancy nutrition increases the chances of birth defects including disability, poor foetal development, and low birth weight, as well as increasing the possibility of miscarriage.

A good food plan will ensure that eating during pregnancy doesn’t become a chore. There are a wide range of natural wholesome foods that will provide all the essential minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and folic acid that a pregnant woman needs. However, your doctor will most likely also prescribe prenatal vitamins to err on the side of caution.

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Congratulations on your pregnancy! What an exciting, special time of waiting for that new little one to arrive. I’m sure you are doing all you can to have a healthy, full-term baby by seeing your doctor regularly, getting plenty of fresh air and exercise, and taking your pre-natal vitamins. Doctors and scientists alike are now advising that you should add a supplement of fish oil during pregnancy along with your pre-natal vitamins.

Prenatal vitamins do not contain the omega 3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which is so vital for your baby’s brain development, retina formation, and nourishment of the nervous system to name a few. Fish oil contains the omega 3 fatty acid DHA along with other essential fatty acids that aid in good health. The placenta utilizes DHA during fetal development, with DHA making up 50% of the retinal structure and 30% of the brain.

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Because ovarian cysts strike girls who are mostly premenopausal, an Ovarian Cyst Miracle when pregnant is a major concern. Cysts are a threat during pregnancy, they can also cause complications to the girl who is trying to conceive.

Because cysts can disrupt the menstrual cycle, or occasionally result in anovolation, conceiving can be really difficult. Women afflicted with ovarian cysts don’t experience the standard release of the hormone or LH, the chemical that excites the egg to be freed from the follicle monthly.

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Everybody can benefit from exercise, even those who are handicapped. The elderly would exhibit health improvements when performing low-impact exercises. Pregnant women would also benefit from low-impact aerobic exercises.  Those who practice aerobics while pregnant would experience easier labor and child-birth.   

There are also studies that showed women who have been performing aerobic exercises have reduced risk of undergoing caesarean operation/ surgery, quicker recovery whether it is physical or from postpartum depression.  These women would also shed pounds gained during pregnancy, faster.  Overall, women would testify that they had healthier pregnancy compared with other women.

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Introduction

          Physical spousal abuse towards pregnant women cuts across societies and classes in developed and developing countries of the world. It is a gross violation of human rights and has many far-reaching consequences for a woman and her fetus including serious social and health problems (Neuberger, 1992; Gazmararian, 1996; Valladares, 2002; American Medical Association, 1992).

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The most of studies show that massage therapy executed during pregnancy can abate anxiety, reduce symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, newborn health and improved labor outcomes.

Many Massage therapy techniques, one of technique is called Swedish Massage, which purposes to rest muscle tension and blood circulation and improve lymphatic through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body. It is the advised or recommended prenatal massage way during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts during pregnancy.

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Many people are not aware of all the emotional changes taking place during pregnancy. The experience will be less distressing if you know the common changes and understand what is normal and what may not be normal.

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Why

Over the years I’ve worked with countless dog-owning young couples with feelings so strong for their dogs that they could not imagine those feelings could be any stronger for a child. However, when they became pregnant they found released from within an even greater capacity for love. An accompanying byproduct of this heightened state is a fierce, innate, hard wired need to provide the safest of environments for their child. From that moment and for many years to come they know that all decisions will revolve around the impact they will have on their child. That first pregnancy launches a furied time of preparation part of which is includes an evaluation of their current environment from its baby-friendly perspective. What was once just a means to access the basement they realize is now a path of potential danger that must be addressed. What was once just a cupboard to store cleaning supplies is now a reservoir of peril. What was once ‘their dog’ is about to become the ‘family dog’ and regardless of their devotion consideration is given to potential for conflict however minor.

Based on past experience some dog owners will be aware of the possibility of jealousy or anxiety however many will not be aware of the potential for either that the addition of a baby can uniquely elicit. Others have little worry about conflict based on malice or fear but much to worry about regarding unruliness. Behavior that could once be worked around; they realize will by necessity need to be addressed. Outside of injury due to unruliness, statistics confirm that an objective eye is warranted and that each dog should be assessed for its baby-friendly status. According to many high profile sources one out of two children is bitten by a dog before reaching the age of twelve and dog bites are greater health problem for children in the US, than measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined. For most dog owners though the risk their dog brings is due more to sheer unruliness than meanness of spirit. However either way intervention before the dramatic change in lifestyle that accompanies the birth of a child is becoming more common amongst dog owning expectant couples.

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