Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Health Insurance - International Coverage for Travelers Or Expats


Health Insurance coverage needs to travel with those who travel about the country and even when traveling internationally. If the traveler is going to a country where government run health systems is in effect, then the basic health insurance policy will be enough to take care of any medical needs that might come up while traveling there. However, when traveling to countries where health care is privately run, it is a good idea to carry a personal insurance policy that opts for the widest range and best coverage possible.

Countries with government run health systems have equal options available for everyone whereas those countries with privatized health care have levels of care where the better the insurance or ability to pay, the better the quality of care. This is why is it optimal to have a comprehensive health care plan to carry internationally in case of any as illness or injury where medical treatment is necessary.

International medical coverage can be obtained through most carriers and sometimes added to a person's current health care coverage. When applying for international health insurance coverage, applicants who have recently been seriously ill or who have a chronic illness will likely be denied international coverage. If a woman wishes to give birth in a foreign country, international health insurance can be purchased that will cover maternity medical care needs, however the woman in question cannot be pregnant at the time of the insurance plan purchase. Sometimes there is also a waiting period involved before maternity related expenses will be covered by the international health insurance plan.

Traveling abroad with full comprehensive health insurance coverage is the best way to insure there are no obstacles to the traveler receiving the best possible care when in a foreign country. In countries where the health care is privatized and good insurance is had, the hospitals are much nicer and the health care staff will always speak English. This is the level of health care travelers should strive to have when enjoying international adventures. If one decides to live in a foreign country some of the time, the health care plan can accommodate that, just talk to the company and set it up for the times abroad and the times at the primary country of residence. All of this sounds complicated and while it does take some figuring out, quality coverage can go internationally with travelers.

If you need help locating this coverage, please feel free to visit our website at http://www.health-insurance-buyer.com and leave your contact information so we can respond to your request.

Ten Things to Do Before Trying to Conceive


Have you and your companion decided to become parents? People worry all the time about the changes they have to make while being pregnant. However, there are things you should focus on before even trying. You must wait for a month or two and do these 10 things in order to prepare your routine, lifestyle and body for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Have a healthy diet:

Have an intake of nourishing and healthy foods in order to prepare your body with all the nutrients needed for pregnancy. Have two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables daily. If you can afford it, buy organic because it is proved to be more nutritional. In addition have an abundance of whole grain foods such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, milk, orange juice and yogurt because they will provide you with the calcium you need. Avoid high mercury fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Methyl mercury in large amounts can damage your babys brain. However fish is still provides a great supply of protein and therefore you should have twelve ounces of low mercury fish a week. Examples include canned light tuna or salmon. Also try oily fish such as sardines and mackerel.
It is very important to have an intake of 400 micrograms of folic acid for at least a month prior to trying to get pregnant and beginning your first trimester. By doing this you will prevent the chance by 70 percent of your baby being born with neuraltube damage like spina bifida, which currently affects 1 in 1,500 babies born in the UK. Folic acid supplements may be purchased at drug stores. You may also take prenatal or standard multivitamin. However, make sure the latter does not withhold more than 770 mcg RAE (2565 IU) of vitamin A if its a type of beta-carotene, because it may cause birth defects. Foods such as leafy green vegetables, Brussels sprouts, bran flakes, black-eyed beans, papaya and broccoli are all good food sources for folic acid.

Refrain from consuming coffee, tea and colas. Caffeine reduces your ability to absorb the iron you require for pregnancy and enhances the danger of having a stillbirth. However if your body is too used to having these drinks on a regular basis, then cutting of suddenly may give you headaches. Switch to decaf and if thats not enough then try half decaf or half caffeinated drinks. Cut back a cup a day. Steamed milk with syrup is a good alternative because it provides your body with the calcium it needs..

Stay away from unpasteurized soft cheeses and dairy products, luncheon and deli meats, raw undercooked fish and poultry such as shellfish, and unpasteurized juices. The harmful bacteria and microorganisms in these foods can cause listeriosis, salmonella or E.coli, which lead to stillbirths and miscarriages.

Avoid Medications and Harmful Intoxicants:

Stop taking birth control. This can be easily done, however, stopping hormonal contraception needs more planning. Complete your current pack of The Pill to stop irregular bleeding.. Sometimes it takes months for your cycle to normalize, other times you become fertile the first month, most likely if you are under thirty. It will take some time for you to figure out how long your cycle is, and when you are most fertile. Contraceptive patch and ring can take up to a year.

There are many drugs that can influence sperm production, while everyday medications like anti-depressants, antibiotics, acne treatments and steroids can disturb your fertility. Some drugs remain in your system for months even after stopping use. See your doctor or health advisor to find out which prescribed drugs you need to stop using.

You must not smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol. Some drugs remain in your system long after their effects have disappeared and therefore you must stop immediately. Even second hand smoke can be harmful for your pregnancy. Indulging in these activities leads to miscarriage, untimely birth and unhealthy babies. Tobacco use also limits fertility, affects your fallopian tubes and drops the sperm count. Alcohol loads calories and weight, and does not allow you to have stable blood sugar required for hormone production.

Having a healthy weight:

Conceiving becomes much easier when you have a healthy weight. Make sure your BMI (body mass index) is between 20 and 30. A healthcare provider can show you how to best achieve your desired weight if you are not in shape.

Excess weight affects hormone production that is required to ovulate and consequently get pregnant. Oestrogen released by fat cells reduces the production of FSH, a hormone necessary for getting pregnant. Being underweight will not allow you to ovulate on a regular basis create an adequate amount of hormones to initiate pregnancy

Follow a fitness plan to have a healthy body that's ready for pregnancy. This means at least sixty minutes of physical activity like walking, jogging, cycling, weight training or yoga. By doing this you will relive the stress that accompanies the process of getting pregnant, and have a flexible, healthy body. You should continue your routine even after getting pregnant. If your body is not used to such a routine then start with a short exercise such as taking twenty minute walks. Change your activity to become more and more rigorous everyday.

Be in a healthy environment:

Be hygienic and avoid infections by washing your hands repeatedly and wear gloves when doing dirty jobs such as digging in the garden or sandbox. Avoid activities such as cleaning the litter box because the risk getting toxoplasmosis is dangerous for the baby.

Wash your hands regularly when cooking food and set your fridge at the temperature of 35 and 40 degrees F (2 to 4 degrees C) and your freezer under 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C) to make sure food does not go bad.

Make sure that your daily job is not harmful for your baby. Chemicals, radiation, cleaning products, pesticides, solvents, lean in drinking water from old pipes are hazardous for the baby. Discuss this with a doctor or midwife and see what changes need to be made.

Avoid X rays and other such treatments during this time, as they can be harmful for your baby.

Have the necessary check ups:

Hormonal changes such as increased progesterone and estrogen levels during pregnancy can make you more vulnerable to gum infections, and bring about different result to the bacteria in plaque, causing pregnancy gingivitis where the gums are bloated, bleeding or sensitive. This occurs to half the women who become pregnant. Women with the tooth condition periodontal disease are seven times more expected to give birth to underweight babies. Get a check up from a dentist to prevent these complications before getting pregnant.

Have a preconception check up with your regular healthcare advisor. You will be discussing your familys medical history, medication your are taking, diet, weight, exercise, suggested prenatal vitamin, update your immunizations, tested for immunity from the diseases you have had in the past such a rubella and chicken pox, possibly have a pelvic exam and a pap smear if it has been more than a year since your last check up, be tested for sexually transmitted diseases if at risk and possibly get genetic testing upon your wish to detect sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis etc.

If you see signs of depression such as loss of pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable, a change in diet, sleep pattern and loss of energy, feelings of despair and hopelessness and worthlessness then check your mental health with a therapist or psychiatrist. Women with depression are more likely to have problems with fertility. Do a mental health check before you get pregnant especially if you have a personal or family history of depression.

Do your own research:

Do some research on your family's health history. Find out if there is a history of genetic or chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome, sickle call anemia, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease or bleeding disorders, mental retardation, developmental delays or anatomical birth defects like cardiac or neural tube defects.

Know your cycle. The average length is 28 day but it varies from 25 to 35 days in most women. Symptoms such as tender breasts, abdominal pain and increased libido can indicate when you are ovulating. You can calculate your ovulation day. You may start charting your basal body temperature and the changes in your cervical mucus. By keeping a record for several months you can figure this out. Purchase a special thermometer available at certain drugstores and record it when you wake up in the morning before getting out of bed. Ovulation predictor kits can also help but these are expensive.

Start thinking about the costs:

Contact your health insurance company and consider the cost of having a baby. Take a look at prenatal coverage, the cost of going out of network, the cost of a particular doctor or midwife, deductibles for prenatal visits and delivery, and insurance coverage of tests and procedures. Vaginal delivery costs around 7000 dollars, a cesarean section costs around 11,000 dollars and neonatal intensive care can cost around 3000 dollars per day without insurance.

Contact a financial advisor to find out the cost of raising a child and about saving. Families that make around 50,000 dollars a year are likely to spend around 200,000 dollars to raise a child.

Keep a check on your partner:

Keep a check in your partner too. Make sure that the limitations you set for yourself, you also make him follow. Caffeine, alcohol and weight have influence on the sperm as well as the eggs. A man's fertility can cause as many delays in conceiving as a woman's. Make sure he isn't stressed out and is eating healthily. Sperm production and quality is connected to a good healthy diet. Vitamin tablets such as Wellman tablets will advance his energy levels and make conception easier.

Have sex:

Have regular sex before you start trying. By getting comfortable with this activity on a regular basis, you will not have a problem when you need to have sex at certain amounts in order to conceive. Having sex with the intention to conceive can bring a lot of stress and pressure, so make sure you enjoy it. Buy some lingerie and feel sexy. It is suggested that women are more fertile when they are aroused so don't let it become a chore and have fun with it.

Mentally prepare yourself:

This is a big change in your life. There are many things you need to be sure about. Some of the things you should think about and discuss with your partner are about being equally committed about doing this, about religious differences affecting the child, giving up sleep, childcare responsibilities, balancing work and family, parenting a special needs child and hiring babysitters.
Are your prepared to dedicate yourself to these changes and responsibilities?

You may release stress by talking to a friend and confiding your emotions with them. They will support you and share your feeling of anticipation and excitement.

Have fun. Do all the crazy things you will have to avoid once you are pregnant. Ride a horse, Go on a rollercoaster. Treat yourself for this exciting journey to come.

5 Things Not To Do During Pregnancy


Pregnancy can be the happiest and also the most daunting moments in life. A woman goes through many changes physically and emotionally during her pregnancy. It is good to take good care during pregnancy so that able to make this experience a happy one. In this article, we are going to learn about 5 important tips you must be aware of when you are about to become a mother.

First is smoking. Everybody knows that smoking is not good for health. It's even more important when it comes to smoking during pregnancy. The only way the foetus receives the nutrients is from the mother, therefor as a mum it is not good to pass on toxins in tobacco to the baby. Tobacco smoke not only damages the mother's health, but also puts the baby at risk for serious health problems during and after birth.

Secondly, please avoid drugs and over the counter medicine during pregnancy. Aspirin might be useful when a headache comes but taken a lot can cause low birth weight, weaken a baby's nervous system, impair neurobehavioral development and cause other abnormalities.

Third thing to be careful is not to go for extreme sport or activities. Whether you are thinking of bungee jumping, mountain climbing, water rafting will have to wait as it is obvious that a pregnant woman's are not fit for these as well when having a bulging tummy.

Stress is harmful for pregnancy. This is another thing to look out for. Stress increases heart beat rate, raising body temperature, can cause nervous breakdown. Therefore it's a must to manage stress well during pregnancy. Sign up for yoga classes catered for pregnant ladies or meditation classes will help too. Listen to music as it soothes the soul, remember that doing happy things will chase stress away.

Lastly, junk food, fatty food and yoyo diet have to go. What is better than having a healthy, chubby, cheerful baby? Healthy diet is a must for mothers to be so if you have been eating badly all the while, its time to cut down on those fried, over processed food. Go for fresh, organic vegetables and fruits instead of the bag of Doritos if you have a tendency to snack whenever the cravings come.

Above all, enjoy the pregnancy. If you have done the right things, reward yourself by getting yourself some great maternity wear that looks good and always remember not to be stressful as it can be harmful to your health and future baby.

4 Proven Methods for Natural Labor Induction


By the end of pregnancy you want nothing more than to just have your baby! It's hard to feel huge, exhausted, and like you have to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes! Here are four safe, proven methods to get labor going. Different women's bodies work differently, so these might not all work for you. It's worth a shot when you're tired and just ready to meet your baby, though!

Keep on Walking

You're probably doing a lot of walking already. It's one of the easiest exercises during pregnancy and it helps keep you and your baby healthy. But taking a walk every day can help your body go into labor if it's not getting there on its own. It gets your blood moving and nourishes baby regardless.

Climbing stairs is a trusted variation on walking. Find a flight and go up and down until you're tired. Remember to get plenty of rest after your walks and stair climbing. You want energy if labor does start up!

Squat Away

Squatting is strongly associated with pregnancy and giving birth, and with good reason. It usually opens the pelvis and helps your baby come down to the birth canal. Doing squats during pregnancy can prepare you for an easier labor and birth.

The reason squats can help you during labor is due to your baby's head. We're not sure exactly what causes labor to begin, but the baby's head pressing firmly against the cervix is thought to help trigger labor into beginning. Squats help to push baby down to firmly engage.

Enjoy Yourself

You've probably heard that lovemaking can stimulate labor, and this is true. What gets the baby in can help get the baby out. Semen contains prostaglandins that help ripen the cervix and prepare it for labor. You also get relaxed and all hormones are able to flow more freely.

Certain other things, like nipple stimulation can come into play and help get labor going. Nipple stimulation can be so powerful, in fact, that breast pumps have been used to get a labor moving. If you decide to try this know that it can take persistence to get a labor pattern going and established.

Visualization and Relaxation

Some people may think it makes no difference, but many moms have found that just by taking a break and relaxing things start to happen. Stop wondering "is this it!" about everything. Instead, ask yourself what you'll do next. Will you take a nap, clean the kitchen, get a snack? Maybe you'll take a walk or go window shopping. Take it one day at a time. When you finally resolve to relax and let nature take its course is when things might just get going!

Visualization is also a powerful thing. Find some time to take a rest in your bedroom or on the couch. Vividly imagine yourself going into labor. See, smell, touch, and taste how things will go. Let your baby know that you're ready. Focus on opening and softening your body so that things will get started. Our mind has a powerful effect on our body and you may just find that this technique works for you.

Planning Your Baby's Gender - An Overview of Prince or Princess by Alicia Pennington


Gender Disappointment has sadly become a recognised condition among new parents whose desire for a child of a given sex has not been fulfilled. Its symptoms have been likened to that of post-natal depression, and in some cases, can be part of its cause. Feelings of grief, despondency, depression and an inability to bond with the new-born baby are common symptoms of the condition.

Thankfully, most new parents never encounter such feelings as they are too busy being overjoyed at having a healthy child of either sex. For some though, the need to have a boy or girl, depending on circumstances, is overwhelming and can have devastating effects on the dynamics of the family. In the developed world where sexual equality is the norm, this is less of a problem, but for couples still wanting to influence the gender of their unborn child, there are certain methods available, but often at a price.

Wanting a baby of a particular gender is nothing new - for centuries, societies and cultures across the world have taken certain attitudes to the sex of their children. The custom of primogeniture in many Western countries has favoured the birth of male babies. Disappointment at the birth of female child was never disguised and the pressure on women to produce a male heir was intense, often leading them to continue having children until a boy was eventually produced. Only in recent times has this attitude changed, but in many other countries, the value of one sex over another is still inherent.

The issue of gender selection among babies is a bit of a hornet's nest. The use of gender selection in an in-vitro environment is becoming more common to couples willing to pay for the benefit. This does, however, involved invasive, medicalized procedures to remove eggs, fertilise and then implant the chosen embryo. This creates the potential for unwanted embryos - an issue that has caused controversy in the recent past.

Alicia Pennington, a midwife with many years hands-on experience has developed Prince or Princess, a guide to influencing the gender of your baby using non-invasive and completely safe methods. She test-ran her methods on a control group of couples before releasing the guide which boasts a 94% success rate. Her guide, available as an eBook, covers the following aspects of influencing gender:

Having sex at specific times of a woman's menstrual cycle. This has been widely proven to affect the gender of a baby. Male-producing sperm tend to move fast but live only short lives, (but jolly ones, apparently!), and female-producing sperm are less motile but have greater longevity. The point of the woman's cycle at which the sperm meet the egg, and the position of the egg at the time of fertilisation can have a great effect on which sperm are more likely to have done the job.

For men, the pressure is often on to create the right type of sperm in the first place. It is widely known that wearing tight underwear and taking hot baths can reduce the production and survival of sperm, but slight changes in temperature of the testicles can create significant changes in the ratio of male/female-producing sperm.

Dietary changes can have a huge effect on the production of sperm and the conditions within the uterus. It is common knowledge that smoking an alcohol have a detrimental effect on sperm production, but less well known that certain foods can alter the pH balance of the uterus and vagina to favour survival either male or female-producing sperm. Women have long known the effects of having a healthy diet throughout pregnancy, but it is only in more recent years that pre-pregnancy nutrition has become considered as being just if not, more important. Trace elements, vitamins and other nutrients all have their part to play in gender influencing, and making simple dietary changes can make significant differences to conditions for egg and sperm.

Having sex in certain positions has long been understood to affect baby gender. The guide covers this in detail and provides an interesting, (and fun!) aspect to the whole business of having a boy or girl. The cumulative effect of applying each of the recommendations in Pennington's guide apparently dramatically increases the potential for conceiving the baby of a chosen gender. This is no mean claim considering all the recommendations are natural and safe with no side-effects.

For most couples, trying to have a baby of a preferred gender is more of a fun exercise regardless of the outcome. For couples who have had several babies of a single sex and want the opportunity to have variety in their family, it can be a more serious quest. The spontaneity of jumping into bed or being romantic can be given up for strict timing, temperature-taking and dietary control with little joy in the process - don't forget that making a baby should be fun! Whatever the agenda of couples, knowing that there are positive and effective steps that can be taken prior to conception can be no bad thing in fulfilling the desire for the baby of their dreams.

How to Get Pregnant - Natural and Holistic Approach Will Help You in Getting Pregnant


Everybody wants to start their own family on a long and joyful life. That eventually leads to the beginning of a new family when they decide to become parents. Becoming mother of a baby and getting pregnant is the most easy and natural thing in the world.

Many couples are there in the worlds who avoid pregnancy for a long-term in the life. They use all the birth control methods for not becoming pregnant. After some years suddenly they decided to get pregnant and have a Baby. They have to face many types of problem in conceiving. Using of birth control methods and contraceptive pills for a long time, may create the big problems in your pregnancy. There are thousands of women in the world who struggles for years to get pregnant. They do their tireless efforts to conceive naturally but not able to do so.

How to get pregnant is the biggest question for the new generation couples. Many couples have let the years slip away by before starting a new family and suddenly they decide to start their family at the late of 30s and 40s. So, these couples are the most common who are affected by the infertility. This is not the fact that only using of contraceptive pills for a long time may hamper your pregnancy but there are several other reasons also that make you infertile. Now a day's getting pregnant naturally is a big challenge for the good percentage of couples.

Many women get pregnant very easily but some women find it very hard and difficult task of the life. If you are one of those women who have been told that you can never conceive your own child then you can understand the pain of infertility. Getting pregnant and giving birth of a child is the basic instinct and the
very essence of a being women.

So, when you decide to get pregnant but not accomplish your goal, you just need to follow all the natural ways and holistic approaches. Natural ways and methods are very effective in curing your infertility and help you in getting pregnant fast and naturally. Natural ways has no any horrible side effects which are dangerous for your health and even for your unborn baby. Now a day's many young couples are going to treat their infertility by the natural ways. A natural method helps you in balancing your body naturally. When your body is fully balanced, your all internal system works very efficiently. So, now you do not need to worry at all for not becoming pregnant.

Postpartum Depression - How to Deal and Get Over It


Often referred as "baby blues", Postpartum Depression (PPD) is experienced in some degrees by more than 50 percent of women giving birth. This type of depression can last for some time, which may vary between a few weeks to a few months.

Causes behind Postpartum Depression

The body of women goes through immense hormonal changes after pregnancy and child birth and this is one of the biggest reasons behind postpartum depression. Other reason behind postpartum depression in a new mother is lack of proper sleep, as the baby is always crying and hence requires non-stop attention.

What You Can Notice During Postpartum Depression?

The period of Postpartum Depression is characterized by rapid changes in hormones of a female body. The progesterone and the estrogen levels fall dramatically within 48 hours and these gonadal steroids are very much involved in causing the depression in women.

If you are suffering from postpartum depression, you may experience difficulty in sleeping, lack the desire of eating, feel hopeless and depressed all the time. There are many ways with which you can deal your postpartum depression, but beware that the symptoms of this depression state come and go for some time.

How to Deal With Postpartum Depression Symptoms?

Sleep As Much As Possible

The first and foremost way to deal with your postpartum depression symptoms is to get sleep as much you can. This may be difficult for you, especially if you are breastfeeding throughout the whole night. Due to this, your sleep may get interrupted for every two to three hours. The best way to cope with this is to breastfeed your baby lying in your bed so that you can get some rest while breastfeeding. It is ideal for you to take naps during the daytime, as every bit of rest results in rejuvenating and energising your body.

Nourish Your Body with Proper Food

Since you just gave birth and you are breastfeeding your baby, you need to nourish your body with good and proper foods. You should have snacks all throughout the day. Always have some vegetables in your diet especially a few carrots, as they keep you energised. Remember that a poor appetite leads to increase of depression and fatigue in your body.

Stay With Family and Friends

Again, you should always be in the midst of good friends and your family. This is because having people around you can contribute in changing your mood. You get the much needed outlet to express your feelings and thoughts. This automatically reduces the chances of you getting depressed. It is recommended that in an event of postpartum depression, you keep yourself surrounded with things helping you to feel good.

Such goods things may be candles lit in your bedroom, have some soft music being played or have pictures containing happy memories of your life. These things can boost you with happy energy and make you feel good.

Apart from these, postpartum depression can also be dealt by doing significant amount of exercise, as it increases your metabolism rate. This improves the frame of your mind and health. You can also go for a walk to 10 minutes in the morning, as it can help both your body and mind.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Don't Forget Your Health Insurance When Moving Abroad


Why do I need expat health insurance?

Even the smallest accident or minor illness can be expensive if you don't have adequate health insurance. Make sure that you and your family are fully covered before you move abroad and you have peace of mind knowing you will receive the best medical care, no matter where in the world you are and no matter how serious the illness or injury is. Expat health insurance is designed specifically for people moving from their country of origin to another location on a permanent basis. It makes sure that the transition from one system to another is smooth, and that you are not denied medical cover in your new home.

Some countries also insist that you have adequate health insurance in place before you take up residency. If it's a legal requirement and you don't have insurance in place before you arrive, you may be denied access to the country or even incur a hefty fine.

Expat health insurance is the same as a normal health insurance policy, but rather than just covering you in your country of origin, it ensures that you are covered for treatment in your new home from the moment you arrive.

Other reasons for taking out international health insurance

Apart from the legal aspect of entering your new country, there are a variety of reasons as to why you might need international health insurance including:

• The quality of your local country's healthcare system is poor or does not meet your needs
• Good quality local healthcare may be very expensive, even for prescription drugs or minor treatment
• The local healthcare system is confusing
• Language barriers make using the local system difficult

Why shouldn't I just wait until I arrive in my new home?

You could wait until you have reached your new country of residence (if they'll allow you in without medical insurance), but that could mean a delay of days or even weeks until you get coverage. During that time you would have no health cover to pay for any medical bills, which could become very expensive, very quickly. Even prescription drugs such as asthma inhalers and blood pressure tablets can be costly and cut into your family's finances at a time when you may need to spend more than usual. So not having medical insurance could easily add extra problems to what is what already a stressful period in your life.

Where do I find guidelines on requirements?

The Internet has a wealth of information on official government and state sites, which will tell you what insurance you need. While you are still in the UK you can check out the NHS website, which provides guides on healthcare in EU and non-EU countries. If you're moving to the USA, the State Department's website has a medical insurance and country guide that will give you with all the information you need. Other countries such as Australia and Canada also have their own personalised guides to health insurance that will help you decide which type of international health insurance is suitable for you.

What should I look for when buying Expat health insurance?

While we would all like to think that an accident will never happen or we'll stay in good health, you never know what might be around the corner. To ensure that you are covered for every eventuality, both short and long-term, you might want to choose a range of cover that includes:
• Chronic conditions such as cancer
• Maternity including pre and post-natal treatment
• Doctors/specialist visits and prescription drugs
• Emergency evacuation back to your country of origin
• Dental & optometrist treatment

You should also check if the plan offers "Paid in full" or whether it just covers a proportion of the costs for certain treatments, particularly for long-term illnesses such as heart disease. It is also sensible at this stage to decide what deductibles (excess) you are willing to pay. As with other types of insurance, the higher the deductible you are prepared to cover, the lower the overall premium.

You also need to what the maximum limit on the policy is so that you are certain that you are covered for everything, including emergency surgery or long-term medical treatment. The UK's Foreign Office recommends that you should take out a policy that provides at least 瞿2m / €2.5m / $3m in benefit limits.

It all sounds very complicated...

In fact, taking out expat health insurance is as easy as arranging any other form of insurance cover. The first thing to do is a little research into the requirements of your country of destination to find out what type of cover you will need. Then talk to insurance companies that specialize in expat health insurance, telling them where you're moving to and what kind of cover you would like. They will use their experience and expertise to find a policy that matches both your needs and the legal requirements of the country you are moving to. There are policies designed for international travellers who just want temporary cover, and for those who are planning to move to a new country on a permanent basis. Insurance providers such as CIGNA Global offer comprehensive international health insurance packages that are tailor-made to help people who are planning to make that big move abroad.

Once you've sorted out your international health insurance, you can then arrive in your new home, safe in the knowledge that you and your family will get the medical treatment you need, when you need it. Medical insurance also means that you won't have to pay a fortune for that treatment either.

CFS, Fibromyalgia and Obesity: The Truth about Exercise and Diet


We have now reached a level of obesity in the US, South America, Canada, and throughout Europe which is unprecedented in recorded history.

It is also accepted that the lifestyles we lead are often very high stress.

It is no coincidence that these new peaks of obesity and stress correlate directly with an increase in the occurrence of "modern" or "new" diseases of Western society, including heart disease, the cancers, and others including the rheumatic and fatigue spectrum, specifically in our case Fibromyalgia and CFS.

At least we have moved past the era when debate was so Neolithic as to suggest that these conditions don't really exist or are a subdivision of psychology and now we can concentrate on the science and biology of these diseases and the reality of life and recovery for Fibromyalgia and CFS patients.

Carrying extra weight will exacerbate small anomalies in musculoskeletal balance.

These anomalies in conjunction with a certain genetic predisposition appear to underlie the onset of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in certain individuals, while other individuals who suffer the same initial "trigger" infection, trauma or exposure recover relatively unscathed.

Post-onset, carrying extra weight may cause your condition to be maintained longer and exacerbated more than in patients of normal weight.

The Autonomic Nervous System, damaged by the initial trauma of your condition controls homeostasis, digestion, and the organs of elimination to name but a few of its functions.

The ANS will be under additional stress in individuals who are overweight or clinically obese.

I do appreciate that the last thing you need to hear when you are struck with the early stages of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is that you need to lose weight.

In the early stages of the illness weight loss is NOT advised. I advise sufferers to eat a well balanced diet.

At a later stage as overall toxicity reduces, lymphatic flow improves, immunological modulation begins and digestive stress is reduced weight loss strategies can be considered and undertaken.

However due to the causal factors involved in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome it is essential to avoid programs which require strenuous exercise regimes, due to the onset of post-exertional malaise which is a defining feature of Fibromyalgia and CFS pathology.

Any program involving sustained aerobic activity that induces cardiovascular debt or strenuous muscular exertion such as weightlifting, can seriously damage sufferers of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Patients suffering "true" CFS should never attempt to waste what little energy they have on strenuous exercise, whether it be weight bearing, graded, aerobic or anaerobic.

The only energy you should be expending is on your essential daily activities, and relaxing walks or pastimes which will reduce your susceptibility to depression.

What I am about to say I am sure will open a veritable Pandora's Box, well so be it.

My research has lead me firmly to the conclusion that the evidence supporting "graded exercise" as a strategy for CFS and Fibromyalgia treatment is wholly unfounded.

Clinical trials I have investigated which were used as supporting evidence for the use of graded exercise as an establishment response to CFS and Fibromyalgia were deeply flawed as inadequate distinction was made with regards to the actual medical cause of fatigue in these sufferers.

The definition of Chronic Fatigue was basically that a subject should have suffered pronounced fatigue for 6 months or more.

From our own research we all know that there are a thousand and one different causes of long term fatigue. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome being just one of these.

Similarly it is a recognized fact that patients diagnosed with mild, post-natal, or clinical depression and/or Seasonal Affective Disorder often respond well to graded exercise regimes, particularly if undertaken outdoors in daylight.

Not only does graded exercise improve stamina via increased RBC production and oxygen uptake, it provides a lux (unit of light) boost in SAD sufferers, and provides a new purpose and routine to depressed patients.

Exercise also produces endorphins which help to boost and modulate brain chemistry with respect to serotonin and dopamine balance.

Naturally, it stands to reason that all these factors will benefit patients with fatigue of DEPRESSIVE origin.

However, damage to the Autonomic Nervous System in patients with "true" Fibromyalgia and CFS mean that energy production via the Sympathetic Nervous System in response to exercise is impaired.

More importantly, removal of toxins and lactic acid produced by the muscles in response to exercise via the lymphatic and venous systems is seriously compromised and as a result causes toxic overload and rapid symptomatic decline after exercise.

This results in the "post-exertional malaise" that Fibromyalgia and CFS sufferers who have attempted an exercise regime WILL have experienced.

A cruel twist in the tale which has lead the establishment down the psychological path so many times is that often the most obvious physical sign of illness in Fibromyalgia and CFS patients is that they are suffering depression.

It is only now being acknowledged by the establishment that patients with these syndromes display depression as an environmental CONSEQUENCE of living with their illness.

It is NOT THE CAUSE as is so often dictated by well-meaning healthcare providers.

I am putting together a manual of dietary advice which I will be posting soon, but in the meantime I recommend a diet that is balanced and safe, rich in nutrients and will produce sustainable results with regards to maintaining or reducing your weight while you are still in the recuperative phase of a chronic disease.

I do admit reservations about recommending calorific restrictions but our illness is not caused by a lack of calories, and excessive consumption due to depression or comfort eating will only serve to overload organs which are already disturbed and congested.

From a dietary perspective, I advise a pretty standard protocol:

o Eat 5 or more portions of fresh, raw fruit and lightly boiled or streamed vegetables per day, with a good balance of protein and carbohydrates.

o Avoid red meat more than once a week. Eat chicken and fish instead.

o Avoid too much sugar. Fruit will contain all the sugars you need in a more useable form.

o Avoid dairy products due to the almost universal immune over-reaction to cow's milk.

o Avoid alcohol consumption. This should be a given if you are reading this anyway. The immune response is excessive and the toxic load on the eliminatory organs such as the liver, kidneys and stomach are also excessive.

o Take a daily high quality multivitamin/multimineral supplement.

With this balanced diet you will not be deficient in any nutrients which could possibly be causing your fatigue, or that could hinder your recovery from your condition.

Also, you will not be putting undue strain on your digestive system, which is currently disturbed and malfunctioning.

I DO advocate taking a high quality multivitamin/multimineral supplement to top up any slight deficiencies you may have on a daily basis. They will certainly do you no harm and for a small price will eliminate any worries you might have over dietary deficiencies.

There have been notable cases where sufferers who have been misdiagnosed have responded remarkably to high doses of the B-Complex family. It seems malnutrition is still far from being confined to history in the US and with the rise of fast food is making quite a confident and remarkable comeback in our own backyard.

The quality of foods you consume should hugely outweigh the quantity.

All foods consumed should be natural, unprocessed, and highly rich in vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

If I must recommend a particular "fashion" diet that meets these criteria it would probably be "The South Beach Diet", but I do not recommend any dietary restrictions till you are past the 3 month stage of your recovery protocol.

Hospitals in Chiang Mai, Thailand - Medical Tourism


Chiang Mai Ram Hospital

This is the premium private hospital in Chiang Mai, and with the price range to match: but then again, you get what you pay for, though the Ram is not necessarily where you might want to have your check-up or physician appointment if you are a backpacker traveling on a limited budget. The Ram has comprehensive departments: Obstetrics/Gynecology, neurosurgery, pediatrician, dentistry, and all the specialists you would expect to find at any modern hospital. Indeed, Thai doctors tend to come with much better bedside manners and as a rule are friendlier than their western counterparts thanks to the emphasis on hospitality in Thai culture as well as the Ram's direction as part of the service sector. The staff speak fairly fluent English, usually give prompt, helpful service, and the hospital as a whole is one of the most reputable in the country (overseas patients who come to Thailand for cheaper medical expenses and operations are common). The Chiang Mai Ram is located in the Old City area, near the Central Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall, and boasts a roof that has been built to accommodate emergency helicopter landing. All reputable hotels in the city often have a contract with the Ram and default to them for ambulances and emergencies.

Rajavej Hospital

Located opposite a hotel, the Rajavej Hospital includes highly specialized service clinics, including liver disease clinic, hemorrhoids clinic, digestive system disease, diabetes/thyroid and cholesterol clinic, dermatology, geriatric clinic and a menopause clinic. Their service centers range from cancer to endoscopy, and they have surgeons who specialize in orthopedic surgery, oncology, and plastic surgery. Price range is somewhat less likely to traumatize your wallet, but the Rajavej Hospital's lobby and waiting area is also considerably less glamorous to look at then the Ram's.

McCormick Hospital

The McCormick Hospital is one of the few institutions in Chiang Mai and Thailand in general that are run under the umbrella of the Church of Christ, and as such is a Catholic hospital. Being considerably smaller than the Chiang Mai Ram, it accordingly offers rather fewer facilities and department, but the accommodation and nursing fees are also much cheaper, catering to more budget-conscious patients. General health check-ups, cancer check-ups, prenatal and postnatal care, cardiac care unit, and intensive care units are available. The McCormick is located in Wat Ket, on Kaeonawarat Road, close to the Dara Academy.

Lanna Hospital

The Lanna Hospital has been certified with ISO 9000. It offers 180 in-patient beds, and distinguishes itself by hiring staff who not only speak English but also Mandarin and Japanese in addition to, of course, Thai. While like others it offers general care across various health categories (cardiac care, back pain, Obstetrics/Gynecology, et cetera), it specializes in handling emergency cases. It is located on Chnag Klan Road, in the city center, and is one of the hospitals closest to the Night Market area.

All the hospitals listed adhere to ISO standards and are staffed by internationally trained doctors and nurses, many of which graduated from Ivy League schools and top medical universities of England and Switzerland. Combine this with the superior hospitality, cultural disposition toward friendliness, and the relatively low costs, and Chiang Mai easily proves one of the most attractive destinations for medical tourism.

3 Effective Steps You Can Take to Help You Get Pregnant


When it comes to getting pregnant it is not about doing one thing to improve your chances its more about doing many things so as to improve your odds of success.

If you are trying to get pregnant, there are things you can do to increase your chances of success and that is what I am going to cover briefly in this article.

Pregnancy isn't an exact science, but there are steps you can follow to prepare yourself for the event. The following are 3 effective steps you can take to help you get pregnant.

1. Number one, changing your diet will also help you to get pregnant. If you consider what you are putting into your body, it will help you prepare both mentally and physically. Try eating healthier: more fruits and vegetables and a balanced diet in general will not only make it easier to get pregnant but will ensure the child is safe and healthy.

2. Number 2, it is important to stop or limit any bad habits you may have. Thus, you should start this process by stopping any drinking or smoking. If you are planning this child, then you have the ability to stop any activities that could cause harm to the pregnancy.

3. Number three, you should talk to a doctor. He or she will be able to give you medical help in regards to figuring out when the best time to get pregnant is and what else you can do to increase your chances in your specific case.

If you follow the above tips you will improve your chances.

Sex Positions That Helps Achieve Pregnancy Fast - 6 Tips to Get You Pregnant Right Now!


The Art of Conception

Obviously, when a man's sperm goes inside a woman's vagina and fertilizes her egg. This is how she becomes pregnant. Many couples have a hard time conceiving for a number of different reasons. Sometimes this has to do with a low sperm count. Some couples need a little help to get pregnant.

Sex Positions That Helps Achieve Pregnancy Fast

1. The missionary position, is known to be the best position for getting pregnant. The reason for this is because the man is able to get the deepest penetration.

2. It is a good idea to raise her hips because the female cervix will be able to get all the sperm that your partner releases.

3. The doggie style position when the man enters the woman from behind is also recommended. This way, the sperm is placed closest to the cervix, giving you a much greater chance for conception.

4. The spoon position puts no pressure on the women's abdomen. The woman lies on her side and the man enters her from behind pulling his body close to hers.

5. The leapfrog position is perfect when the woman starts to feel uncomfortable with the man's weight pushing down on her. The woman kneels down on the bed with her legs spread wide as the man enters her from behind.

6. The spread eagle position is when the woman lies face down with the man on top of her. She needs to spread her legs and the man will support his weight using his arms. If she raises her bottom a little, with the aid of a pillow under her hips, then the man will be able to get deeper penetration. These sex positions should help you achieve pregnancy fast.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

How to Find the Best Illinois Maternity Health Insurance Plan


What are some of the best Illinois maternity health insurance plans? What is the average cost of pregnancy in Illinois? How do I find the best Illinois health plan with maternity benefits? These are all important questions for anyone in the state of Illinois that is considering becoming pregnant to ask.

Many females will eventually experience the miraculous 9 month period of pregnancy, possibly more than once. Approximately 4.1 million children were born in the year of 2005. It is an important thing to have maternity insurance during these wonderful 9 months so you can make sure that bundle of joy will be healthy and delivered safely. If you are a part of the 13% of women who are without maternity added onto their health insurance or that simply do not have any health insurance at all, then don't wait any longer and do something about it as soon as possible.

Having a child is a very big financial burden, that's why every pregnant or soon to be pregnant female should have this much needed coverage. There are hundreds of health insurance companies that don't automatically cover maternity. As soon as you have the intentions of becoming pregnant, make sure to check that it is included in your plan. If it is not, then you have to contact your insurance company as soon as possible to add it on. The state of Illinois has an estimated 12 million in population and there has to be some women out there who do not have this type of coverage. For this reason it is important to understand what choices are out there when it comes to Illinois maternity coverage.

One great Illinois health insurance company which is rated to be an "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and that optionally provides maternity care to their customers is, United Healthcare (known as Golden Rule Insurance in the individual market in many states including Illinois). United Healthcare has been in business for 40 years providing customers with great health coverage. It is for this reason that they are one of the largest insurance companies in the United States serving an estimated 18 million people.

Another wonderful Illinois medical insurance company that gives you the option of maternity care is Humana. The official sponsor for health care of the PGA Tour is one of the largest publicly traded health benefit companies in the nation. The company founded in 1961 has kept growing through the years and today they have approximately 6.4 million members. Usually with Humana you will have the option of maternity care if you pay an extra $1,000 in deductible and then you will be subject to the co-insurance.

Lastly another great IL medical insurance company that should be looked at is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois which was founded in the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930's. It is an independently operated health management company from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Insurance Company and for this reason they offer different plans that what other states do. They also offer a maternity coverage, but although you won't have to pay a deductible on it; it will raise your monthly premium.

If you're a women that might have gotten pregnant unexpectedly and now it is too late to sign up for maternity insurance, or if you simply cant afford it. Don't worry, because there is still hope. There is a pregnancy and maternity coverage provided by Affordable Health Care Options (AHCO) called the "Maternity Card". AHCO has been giving customized non-insurance health care benefits since 1994 and they have become very famous around the United States.

The Maternity Card is a discount card that could save you up to 60% in pregnancy related expenses. Some of the services given to you if you apply and are accepted to receive this discount card include doctor visits, hospital stays, lab works, sonograms, new born tests, new born immunizations and prescription drugs.

You have to pay a small monthly fee of course, but applying to this card will in no way harm you considering they have a "certificate of guarantee." This certificate states that "you will save at least the cost of your yearly membership or we will pay you the difference plus $200, if you are expecting a baby". That's really something you can't turn down, because it is a guarantee that you will save money if you sign up.

As said before maternity care is very important in a woman's everyday life. An unexpected pregnancy can happen very easily since not even condoms are 100% effective and you must be prepared in every single situation. If you do not have Illinois health insurance and you become pregnant then there is a good chance you will be in debt after you have your baby, plus pregnancy brings prenatal tests, doctor visits and much more.

The Differences Between Men and Women in Their Expression of Depressed Feelings


Depression is a serious condition that impacts every aspect of a person's life. Depression is individualistic and is not the same for men and women. There are many factors that contribute to depression from sexual hormones to social pressures to how one responds to stress. Overall, depression is twice as common in women as compared to men. According to the National Mental Health Association one in eight women will experience clinical depression during their lifetime.
 
Common complaints of major depression include: feeling depressed; loss of interest or pleasure in activities they use to enjoy; feelings of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness; suicidal thoughts or recurrent thoughts of death; sleep disturbances (sleep more or less); appetite and weight changes; difficulty concentrating; and, lack of energy and fatigue. Women, also, have a higher incidence of thyroid problems, and hypothyroidism can cause depression.
 
Women and men tend to cope with depression differently. Women ruminate. This includes crying to relieve emotional tension, trying to figure out why they are depressed, and talking to their friends about their depression. However rumination has been found to maintain depression and even make it worse. Women tend to talk and talk about their feelings to others until the anger and depression is drained off or they seek out professional help.
 
Men tend to bottle up their feelings. They distract themselves from their feelings of depression by keeping busy. They are raised with such social myths as , "big boys do not cry" or "do not show your feelings as the other kids will think you are a sissy."   

Men tend to let the angry and depressed feelings build over a long period of time until they either explode like Mt. Vesuvius or take some dramatic action to get rid of their feelings of anger/depression. Male depression is far more likely to be deadly, as seen in the recent headlines that sadly demonstrate this point in the recent case of the man in Virginia who killed his wife and one son before killing himself.
 
A major factor in the differences between how men and women express their depression is the way they are socialized in their roles. Most women in our country have been raised to be other-oriented. Throughout life, women advise their daughters to be good children, good wives, and good mothers. Such value-laden advice essentially says, "Your worth comes from what you do in relation to other people, and not from whom you are as a unique individual." This value is very different from one that says, "Create and pursue your own independent dreams, even if it means not marrying or having children."   

The cultural value for women is "Be-other-oriented and conform to expectations of others" in the traditional female acculturation, is it any wonder that women are diagnosed as depressed nearly twice as often as men. The typical man in this culture is raised to achievement-oriented, having been taught from childhood that worth is determined by accomplishment. It should be no surprise that men have high professional expectations and strives to achieve them, even at the risk of his family relationships. 

For as long as circumstances permit him to achieve, he can earn great rewards in the form of approval, financial success, professional status and so forth.   If this man is somehow blocked from achieving, the central focus of his life is lost. The significant point here is: our values can create rigidities in people that make them a candidate for depression if those values are challenged in some way.
 
Another impediment to men seeking help for depression is the strong stigma that men attach to professional care of any kind. Again, our roles in society are, also, a factor. Women are responsible for caring for a sick child or spouse more often than men. When they take time off from work, co-workers tend to understand, and forgive the imposition.  On the other hand, one study found that "male workers who took some time off were rated as less performing than those who did not."
 
Women tend to internalize emotional pain, saying to themselves that they must have done something to cause the problem, while men, tend to externalize emotional pain. They are more inclined to see others as obstacles that prevent them from reaching their goals and feel victimized. Men discharge their distress through action.   Hence the statistics, which show that women attempt suicide more often than men, yet males, actually kill themselves at a rate three to four times higher than females.
 
Women process their experiences with their friends, and are much more likely to tell a physician how they feel and cooperate in the prescribed treatment. As a result, women get better treatment for their depression. Admitting to being depressed is the ultimate shame for many men because depression carries, to many, a double stain--the stigma of mental illness and also the stigma of 'feminine' emotionality. Many men treat their depression with alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant. For someone who is all ready depressed, alcohol greatly enhances the depth of the depression. Several studies have shown that alcohol impairs the senses and clouds judgment, predisposing a person to impulsive suicide. Impairment from alcohol also masks inhibitions and allows people who have planned suicide the opportunity to initiate the act.
 
In conclusion, as a society, we must admit and accept the reality, and the normality of male depression.  We need to work harder to give men the same helping hand that many women get simply because women are more willing to acknowledge their depression and seek out professional help.

Understanding Postpartum or Postnatal Depression


Postpartum or postnatal depression is mainly caused by hormonal changes brought about by the pregnancy. The onset of this type of depression can occur as late as 18 months after labor.

An estimated seventy percent of women experiences postpartum depression. Many of these cases are fairly mild and last only a few days, while others are more severe and can last much longer. The latter types will typically require medical treatment. It is believed that the more severe cases tend to affect women who have lower self-esteem, or women who have had prior history of depression, or single mothers who lack the necessary support from close ones.

The symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to most other types of depression. The symptoms include irritability, inability to focus, sleeping problems, headaches, feeling a sense of dread or sadness and a loss of interest in pretty much everything.

Postpartum depression is not easy to overcome. The depression feeds on itself, growing stronger as the woman's self-doubt grows. She believes that the way she is feeling isn't "right"; she may think that the "proper" feeling she should have is joy at her newborn, and may wonder why she isn't feeling that way. As a result, she begins to think she is a bad mother or a terrible person, and doesn't deserve to have a child. These feelings of guilt and self-doubt worsen the depression, and can make it difficult or impossible for the mother to bond with her newborn child.

It is important to note that such feelings are common. A newborn will no doubt lead to huge lifestyle changes, and no amount of preparation will seem enough to handle them. Lack of sleep, tiredness from taking care of the newborn, and general doubt whether you're being or will be a good mother or not all contribute to postpartum depression.

Consider depression as a kind of speed bump in your journey through life. In the grand scheme of things, it is but a temporary hurdle that you will overcome; it just seems extremely foreboding at the current moment. A newborn is a gift, and you may find it hard to believe that in your state of depression at the moment, but never give up trying to fight the depression.

If you are severely depressed after birth, then do consider seeking treatment. Remember that postpartum depression is fairly common, and does not reflect badly on your motherhood skills. Do not doubt yourself, and do not be ashamed to get professional medical help, or support from your loved ones.

What You Should Know About Maternity Leave in the USA


Half a century ago, new mothers resuming their jobs while leaving their children in the care of others was mostly unheard of. Traditionally, the father was the one who worked outside the home and was the breadwinner while the mother stayed at home to care for the kids. However, many women of today find that staying at home with their baby is far more difficult that it was decades ago when the income of one spouse was usually enough for providing a comfortable living. Nowadays, two incomes are usually required just to keep things afloat. Another reason for going back to work is that many women do not want to give up their careers after starting a family.

Maternity leave is a common option available to new mothers who want or need to keep their full-time jobs. Although not a long term solution, it is helpful for a couple of reasons. Bonding between mother and child during the first few weeks after birth is necessary for the baby's healthy mental and physical development and for the mother's recovery.

What should you know about maternity leave in the United States? First and foremost, there is no federal law which guarantees paid maternity leave. This makes it difficult for mothers to stay at home without worrying about monthly bills.

According to a federal law, the Family & Medical Leave Act, women are guaranteed up to twelve weeks of maternity leave. This law is in place to allow mothers to enjoy time off from work without worrying about the loss of their jobs. Another federal law states that it is illegal to fire or refuse to employ a woman because she is pregnant or to terminate her because of maternity leave.

Unfortunately for some women, the FMLA law only applies to businesses with more than fifty employees. Furthermore, you must have worked for the same company for a minimum of one year and for at least 1250 hours. This means that if you haven't had the same job for at least one year or only worked part-time, you cannot be guaranteed maternity leave. Even women who are eligible often can't afford to take twelve weeks off from work.

So, what options are open to you? If you are determined to stay at home with your baby, working from home may be possible. Your company may allow telecommuting. If not, you may want to look into other career paths that do allow you to work at home, such as medical transcription. You may try doing an online search for such jobs. Some of the common freelance jobs that allow you to make money at home using your computer with an internet connection include writing articles, editing, proofreading, website design, graphic design, illustration, etc. The great thing about our computer age is that more mothers than ever before in history can now make money while staying at home with their babies.

Behavioural Changes During Pregnancy


Pregnancy brings together quite a number of discomforts in most women. The underlying fact is that the discomforts vary from individual to individual. Some may experience nausea, vomiting, heartburn, dark pigmentation, stretch marks, Back ache, nasal congestion, etc. Apart from these physical changes, behavioral changes may also be noticed during pregnancy. But some lucky women will have no problems at all.

Below are some of the common behavioral changes that could be seen during pregnancy. They are not to be worried, but will disappear with the birth of the child.

Mood extremes- Due to the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, mood swings are very commonly observed. Even the strong women might feel high at spirits at one moment and low at the very next. Often working women feel lack of interest in their job and related matters during this time. Depression found in pregnant women is not a surprising change in behavior as it can be expected at this phase. Thus the life partner needs to understand the pregnant woman so that she gets good care and comfort.

Tiredness- Tiredness seen during pregnancy is a signal shown by the body that one has to take it easy and relax. It is advisable to have sleep for at least ten hours a day so that the body and the mind get enough of rest. If sleeping ten hours continuously is not possible, then one can have some short naps in the afternoons. Pregnant women are normally recommended to go to bed early. Before going to bed, it is wise to recite a prayer, poem or sing a favorite song so that the unwanted stress level could be kept away. But in some cases, tiredness may also be caused due to the reduced count of Hemoglobin in the blood.

Sleeplessness- Sleeplessness is seen common in pregnancy. This mainly happens due to the stress or worry. During the course of pregnancy, women might have a fear or worry regarding their pregnancy or child birth especially when they are nearing their due dates. Sometimes, it also happens that one may get satisfactory sleep at the time they retire to bed, but later may wake up in a few hours. This may be due to the desire to pass urine or sometimes by the baby's kicking. This waking up at the midnight could be controlled to an extend by not taking fluids just before going to bed or in the late evening.

Abnormal cravings- Some people may feel abnormal cravings for unusual things like soil, coal, etc. The medical background of this abnormal craving is due to the lack of minerals like calcium or iron. In such a case, doctor can detect and see what misses out in the body what supplements should be added.

It should be noted that indiscriminate use of certain medicines may cause harm to the pregnancy and the baby inside. Thus medication should however be kept to minimum and should be taken only under doctor's prescription.

Does Acupuncture Work for Anxiety and Pulled Muscles?


Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment that has a wide variety of uses. It's been around for thousands of years and has been used to treat individuals suffering from back pain and other forms of pain, to improve fertility, relieve stress, and for other purposes.

It works by inserting thin, sterile needles in certain points on the body, which practitioners believe helps to release positive energy, which in the process pushes out negative energy. Practitioners believe that a life force, called Qi, may become blocked due to trauma, stress, poor diet or lack of exercise, and may manifest in a variety of different ways. By unblocking this life energy, patients feel relief.

Anxiety and depression affect people around the world, and many seek treatment in a variety of forms from speaking with a therapist to prescription medication. Acupuncture has been helpful in addressing depression and anxiety, as it can be a good reliever of stress. It is intended to relax individuals throughout the treatment, which can have a positive effect on many individuals who are suffering from depression or anxiety.

Acupuncture has even been used to treat individuals with a pulled muscle or back pain. It's treated those with arthritis, headaches and migraines, whiplash, sciatica, fractures, muscle tears, bruises, etc. Before you seek acupuncture for any injury or emotional disorder such as anxiety, post-partum depression, etc. speak with your doctor. Individuals may enjoy varying degrees of success with acupuncture, but many have reported success with a variety of conditions including infertility.

The exact reasons for acupuncture's success are not fully understood, but studies have indicated that putting the thin needles used in acupuncture into certain points on the body helps with the production of endorphins. Scientists differ as to whether certain activities such as acupuncture help to release endorphins, as studies conducted use endorphin plasma levels and this may not be an accurate portrayal of endorphin plasma levels present in the central nervous system.

Nevertheless, the ancient treatment has been reported successful by many individuals who have given acupuncture a try. It continues to be used by athletes to treat certain injuries or pain, as well as many in the general public who are dealing with physical injuries or emotional issues such as stress and anxiety. Finding ways to manage and relieve stress can have a positive impact on several aspects of one's life, and acupuncture is one such means by which many achieve this goal.

What Health Care Reform Means For Infertility Coverage


The Senate version of the recently enacted health care reform does not provide any obvious, direct relief for couples looking for infertility health insurance coverage. Upon closer inspection there are areas where our friends in Washington have taken away, and places that show a glimmer of hope. Much will change over time as more details begin to emerge. Take a look at what can be learned from a high level overview of the bill.

I was interested to see what help the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" offered, if any, to couples facing infertility. One can learn very interesting things by downloading the 2,409 page PDF document available online. Adobe Acrobat provides a handy word search feature that allows us to quickly see what, if anything was done to address the needs of couples trying to conceive.

So I typed in a number of keyword phrases, and got the following results: Infertility: 0, IVF: 0, Fertility: 0, In Vitro Fertilization: 0, Assistive Reproduction Technology: 0

Okay so it seems that the new law does not provide any obvious direct help for couple trying to conceive. Is there indirect help? Let's try typing in "pregnancy" as see what comes up. We find twenty one entries; now we may be onto something! The entries break down to these categories:


  • Establishment of a pregnancy assistance fund to help pregnant and parenting college students.

  • "A sense of Congress" to study the mental health consequences of women "resolving" pregnancy.

  • Funding tied to state-established goals to reduce teen pregnancy rates.

  • Personal responsibility programs designed to educate adolescents on abstinence, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases.

  • Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) as it relates to oral healthcare.

  • Removal of cost share for counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use by pregnant women.

It seems we are out of luck once again. Funding and attention are allocated to preventing pregnancy, and keeping already pregnant women healthy, but nothing about helping get people pregnant.

Flexible Spending Accounts can be very useful for infertile couples. Pre-taxing helps lower costs for the very high level of unreimbursed medical expenses associated with infertility treatments. Let's see if the bill provides any help in this area? The news is not good. Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts contribution limits have been capped at $2,500 for any plans with tax year's beginning after December 31, 2010. It still makes sense to utilize your FSA to keep costs low, but a $2,500 limit does not make much of a dent in a $15,000 IVF payment.

Let's not give up yet. There are those state run health exchanges to examine. Their principle purpose is to provide some level of coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions. The funds by nature lose money for the states that currently run such programs; which means your benefit may exceed your premium. Each state is given some level of flexibility it how it will set up and run its exchange. Perhaps there may be something for infertility hidden amongst these exchanges.

And then there is prescription drugs: 136 mentions, and a few that aren't related to Medicare (the program for people over age 65). Perhaps we can explore these topics in another article. Stay tuned.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

IVF Infertility - Can In Vitro Fertilization Treatments Help You Get Pregnant Now?


Reproduction is a natural and complicated process. Sometimes it's as easy as having a one night stand with a stranger, but for others, it can be so hard. So many couples have had trouble conceiving after trying for ten years. So many couples yearn to have and raise a child on their own, but conceiving is not as easy as it seems.

In vitro fertilization is a conception method in artificial means that allow the ovum fertilized by the sperm outside the womb. The fertilized egg is planted into the infertile woman's uterus for gestation. In vitro is usually the last means for couples to conceive a child and is best for treating multiply IVF infertility problems for both men and women. Babies born through in vitro fertilization are sometimes called test tube babies-but in reality, babies are combined in a Petri dish and not in test tubes.

The first successful in vitro fertilization was performed in 1978, wherein 3 test tube babies were born. IVF infertility has thus been solved most of the time through in vitro fertilization. It allows couples to become pregnant when they normally can't due to several problems: low sperm count, low sperm quality, polycystic ovary syndrome, menopause, and more. Even same sex couples have opted for in vitro fertilization to have a child of their own DNA. Success rate for this method is 30%, which is quite high for artificial conception methods.

Despite its good success rate, in vitro fertilization comes with its own risks and disadvantages. The biggest risk is chance of having multiple births. This could be a boon or a bane, depending on how you see it. Another risk is that test tube babies have higher chances of being conceived underweight. Remember that the natural means is always the best means, so be sure to exhaust all other natural methods before resorting to IVF infertility methods.

Choosing the Right Birth Attendant - The Investigation


Picking the right prenatal care provider/birth attendant is one of the most important decisions you will make during your pregnancy. While the process does not have to take a lot of time it is important that you give some focused energy to your choice since the person you choose has the power to affect your entire experience.

Once you have an understanding of the type of birthing experience you desire, it's time to move into The Investigation Phase of choosing your provider. The goal of The Investigation Phase is to create a list of providers that you believe may fit your needs and desires. There are four basic steps to the investigation. Each step will bring additional information.

Step 1 Ask your friends, family and coworkers what providers they used. Ask what providers they recommend, which they don't recommend. Be sure to ask WHY? While their choice of provider may not be your choice what they tell you can give you good baseline information.

Step 2

Visit the websites of the hospital, birth center, or OB/GYN offices in your area. This will provide good baseline information. While you can't make a decision about choosing someone simply from an internet profile you may be able to eliminate someone from the search. As an example: If you are absolutely adamant about having a female provider you can eliminate some providers once your internet search reveals their gender. Perhaps you are absolutely sure you want to birth with a Midwife. If the practice you investigate does not have any midwives, you can eliminate them as well. If you are planning a hospital birth and there is more than one hospital in your area find out how you can get a tour of the maternity area including the nursery and post partum units.

Steps one and two are the basic investigation. Its possible you will eliminate a few providers with those two steps. Moving forward, you want to intensify your investigation and obtain more specific information about your remaining options.

Step 3

Make more use of the internet. First do a basic internet search. You may be surprised at the amount of information, personal and professional, you can find through a simple internet search. Then make a visit to The Birth Survey a national non-profit organization with a goal to create more transparency in maternity care. Women from all over the country can visit the website and provide insight, feedback and opinions about a provider they recently used for a delivery. Check out the site and see if the providers you are considering have been mentioned.

Step 4

If you are planning a hospital birth, call the hospital and talk to the staff about the providers. Call more than once and at a different time of day since a different person may provide different information. (Saturday and Sunday afternoons/evenings are often good times.) A great question to ask the staff is: "If you or a family member were pregnant, what provider would you use?" If it is possible, speak with different levels of staff on the unit. They see the providers differently and often have varying opinions. If it would make you feel more comfortable don't hesitate to call anonymously.

Remember, at this stage of the game, you are simply investigating and gathering information. You are NOT making any final decisions. At the end of the investigation phase, you should have a list of providers that you will interview to determine which provider is right for you. Also remember, during this process you should make an appointment with someone and start your prenatal care. You can always change providers later.

Need Help Losing Pregnancy Weight? Discover How to Become a Sexy Mommy!


First of all, congratulations to your baby! Now that you are a mommy you will have a lot to keep track of: Breast-feeding your new born, figuring out why she is crying, keeping her clean, warm and comfy, and... losing pregnancy weight - stubborn, annoying post-pregnancy weight.

Of course, this shouldn't be your main concern right now, but let's face it, we're still women, aren't we? So, what is the best way in losing pregnancy weight and becoming a sexy mommy in no time?

There are a couple of DON'Ts you can't do in your current situation, because it could be very harmful to your exhausted body.

The first thing is, don't go on a crash diet or even decide to fast. I know it sounds obvious but many women are so frustrated after a while that they decide that they're all better and go on a diet that deprives their bodies on nutrients it needs badly right now, for you AND your baby. Things like low-carb diets or eat-only-this-and-that diets are a big, big no-go.

The second thing you shouldn't do is jumping into more-than light exercising. Until your body is recovered and balanced again, you should stick to light cardio exercises at most.

After about 8 weeks you should be fit enough to increase your work outs. But don't take my word on it. For your exercise program you really should consult a doctor. Just make sure he understands why it's important to you to lose weight right now.

Okay, fine. You have to wait until you can exercise, but what can you do right now that will result in you losing pregnancy weight?

I mentioned that you shouldn't go on some diet, but what you can do is control what you eat. Your baby is born and now you can eat food that will aid your fat loss.

Sit down and create a healthy and balanced meal plan. It will help you kick-start your post-pregnancy weight loss and later you can add in cardio exercises. This is where you will see results very fast and become a sexy mommy.

Ardyss International's Maternity Garments and Nutritional Products For Pregnant Women


There are over four and half million births in the United States each year. And any woman who has gone through the stages of pregnancy and development can attest to the significant changes their bodies make throughout that time. The nine months leading up to the birth of a child is an extremely delicate time emotional, physically, and spiritually and often requires lifestyles changes.

The changes that women undergo include making changes to their diet and the introduction of essential vitamins, minerals, and additional supplements to ensure they receive all the necessary components that help nurture a new life.

In the latest Doctors Showcase call with Drs. Lee Laney (Gastroenterologist), Tonia Farmer (ENT) and Abdul-al (Ob/GYN) they all spoke about the importance of a wrap-around care for pregnancy that can help supplement your doctors' care and help ensure you have a smooth, healthy pregnancy experience. These leading medical professional are part of the growing Ardyss International business team that utilize the products in their independent practices throughout the country.

As doctors they have all been involved in some capacity with pregnant women and have offered medical advice and assistance throughout pregnancy. They have recently decided to explore the importance of how the Ardyss products both nutritional and garments can benefit pregnant women. Dr. Laney has delivered well over 50 children in his career and although his emphasis is in Gastroenterology he has profound insight into the needs of women including the essential products pregnant women should be including in their daily diets.

There are essential vitamins Dr. Laney advocates that all women need pre-pregnancy and throughout that can help make for a much more comfortable maternity experience. He suggestion during pre-pregnancy that women build up on Calcium, Omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and water-soluble (Vitamins B and C) and fat-soluble(Vitamins A, D, E, K). These will be helpful to the mother prior pregnancy and the health of the fetus and will help with gastro and intestinal problems.

Those supplements can be addressed in the Ardyss nutritional products line by consuming Ardyss Plus, Coral Calcium, Le Vive, Green 29, and Omega 3, 6, 9 supplements, and the delicious Nutrishake for additional protein support. A recent study by a team from University of South Carolina found the women taking the highest dose of Vitamin D were 50 per cent less likely to suffer from problems including premature labour, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and infections, than those on the lowest dose. Dr Carol Wagner, lead author of the study, said: "The spectacular part of the study was it showed women replete in vitamin D had lower rates of preterm labor and preterm birth, and lower rates of infection."

As a pregnant physician preparing for her third child, Dr. Farmer is aware and attested to the most challenging problem women face during pregnancy-Back Pain. The overall consensus is among medical professionals is to encourage use of a non-restrictive maternity garment which will help alleviate back problems. In addition to the suggestion of getting ample exercise, the benefits of chiropractic care and acupuncture can be used linked to effective treatment for back pain. Because the body is experiencing weight gain and the developing fetus is changing the shape and posture of the body it is vital to have support around the abdominal region and back.

Dr Abdul-al understands the complaints new mothers as a highly respected doctor he often hears the complaints of new mothers and he first line of defense for his patients are the use of Ardyss International's maternity girdles from the second trimester to birth. These garments are medical grade garments designed by an Orthopedic Doctor Lionel Kelly who designed the full product line of Ardyss garments with the intention of overall body support. These particular garments are of particular benefit to pregnant women because they are designed to help alleviate fluid build-up and provide comfortable and support in this areas where women have new contours and additional weight gain.

The Ardyss maternity garments are just being discovered by medical professionals all over the world because of their benefits to patients. You can engage your own physician to seek out more information about these product especially if you wan to use them throughout your pregnancy. The statistics are staggering for low-birth weight and premature babies born in the United States it can be likened to living in a developing country with little to no medical care throughout pregnancy. Even more surprising is how these issues affect African American women regardless of socio-economic status. These issues can be halted by having access to important information and alternative care products.

The Ardyss Doctors Showcase will continue to host webinars on different topics I would encourage anyone interested in learning more to stay connected via email. This article is here to provide information on Ardyss International products to help improve your quality of life. This information presented here does not diagnose or treat any illness, you should always check with your physician before using any new products.

Will Acupuncture and Holistic Methods Help With Getting Pregnant?


Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years and in a part of traditional Chinese medicine. Many women that are having trouble getting pregnant are turning to acupuncture and holistic methods to help them fall pregnant. If fertility issues are a concern for many men and women, turning to acupuncture and other holistic methods may be the answer that is needed. Will acupuncture and holistic methods help with getting pregnant for you? Find out in this article.

The traditional Chinese medicine practice has been accepted into western practices and continues to spread globally as a way to cure common ailments. Fertility issues are an area that is being helped by acupuncture. The needles used in acupuncture shall not get you pregnant. The needles are used to eradicate the level of negativity in the patient to allow the body to open up and allow conception.

Acupuncture has been found to help men and women struggling with infertility and has helped them conceive. It is usually older women who have decided to try to have a child that are turning to this more and more because of the success rate. Acupuncture in conjunction with other holistic methods such as the addition of certain herbs, lifestyle changes, diet changes, etc, have proven successful with helping with conception and getting pregnant.

For women that have fertility issues resulting from hormone imbalance or blockages in the fallopian tubes, acupuncture and other holistic methods may help with conceiving. Men with low sperm counts that hinder conception are commonly treated with acupuncture. In this case, along with herbs, acupuncture treats the kidney energy levels.

Negativity affects the body in many levels and may lead to various illnesses and diseases such as infertility. Instead of treating the symptoms such as infertility, acupuncture and other holistic methods seek to get to the bottom or root of the problem. Once the root is dealt with and treated, the problem should no longer persist. If only the symptom is treated, the root can continue to produce more and more symptoms which is why traditional medicine does to effectively treat the problem because it only seeks to address the symptoms.

Acupuncture and holistic or natural methods can also be used to create a healthy body. Although there is no guarantee that fertility issues will be cured despite the success rates of acupuncture and holistic remedies, you are guaranteed to become healthier with less stress and anxiety, etc, which may allow traditional infertility treatments to work because your body is in a much healthier place. These traditional methods may include being artificially inseminated, in vitro fertilization, etc.

Even after you conceive, other types of acupuncture can be performed to relieve cravings, back pain and to continue to promote a healthier body to allow the fetus to thrive until delivery. Giving birth may throw your body's energy levels off and an acupuncturist can help you deal with negativity as well as postpartum depression that a lot of women deal with after giving birth so that you can be in a better place to bond with the baby.

C-Section Adhesions: What Every Woman Must Know


One of the biggest side effects of a surgical birth are the C-Section adhesions you are left with.

Adhesions are filmy, sticky, tentacle like internal fibrous scar tissue structures that begin to grow immediately after surgery, these adhesion fibers are a way for the body to heal itself.

The unfortunate thing about adhesions that result from having a C-Section are that they can attach themselves to your organs such as your uterus, ovaries, intestines, bowels, and other organs. When this happens it can cause intense chronic pain, infertility or even bowel obstruction.

C-Section adhesions are not a problem for every woman; in fact I've had two c-sections myself and have never had a problem with adhesions. But they can and do become a problem for many people.

A good example of how adhesions can cause problems was when a family member of mine had his appendix removed when he was 13 years old. Strangely enough when he was 76 he had an obstructed bowel which the doctors told him was the result of adhesions that had entangled his intestines from the appendectomy he had at age 13.

The interesting thing about adhesions is that they continue to grow for several years after surgery.

Surgical adhesions can cause pain as well as blockages. Once they attach themselves to your organs they can grow like a vine choking a tree. They can even grow to a point where they have their own blood vessels and nerve endings. They can cause so many different pains in so many different ways that they are hard to diagnose.

Unfortunately, if you think that you have adhesions as a result of having a c-section, your OB/Gyn will often treat your pain as it relates to his expertise. For example, doctors will treat a pain in the gastro intestinal area as though there was a problem with your intestines and send you to a GI doctor. When the pain is asymptomatic or in multiple areas, they get stumped, this can lead to exploratory surgery where they don't even know what they are looking for.

So what can you do now if adhesions are causing your pain and discomfort?

Because adhesions are hard to detect with the usual CT Scan, MRI, or X-ray, medical personnel cannot get a good diagnosis and usually have to begin a series of healing by process of elimination, which can take a very long time.

- Post surgery massage therapy has also been advocated and claimed to work which makes sense to me just as moving around does for preventing the adhesions from sticking.

- Avoid C-Section Adhesions with Yoga Exercises. Yoga is ideal for just about anything connected to healing and achieving that overall feeling of peace, but it can also help relieve C-Section adhesions.

Yoga poses and stretches, like the forward bend, the cat/cow stretch, the cobra pose and side twists will strengthen and tone muscles and can keep your incision flexible while also keeping it from getting tight and uncomfortable.

- Stretching for C-Section Adhesion Pain Relief. Daily stretching is another way to soften adhesion fibers. Pelvic tilts are gentle but effective exercises that are excellent for stretching the areas of the adhesions that need the most attention.

Never stretch too rigorously. Take care to stretch gently and move slowly. If something hurts or doesn't feel right, don't do it.

Things that can help prevent adhesions from Occurring in the first place

First of all YOU must be your own best advocate with your doctor. If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, you owe it to yourself and your baby to educate yourself on childbirth and the possibility that a C-Section could occur.

Discuss everything with your doctor. Remember that you are in charge of and have responsibility for your own health. The doctor is there to assist YOU with your health goals, not the other way around.

- Inquire with your doctor about using adhesion blockers. This is barrier material that doctors can use to help reduce the effects of adhesions.

For example, use of a material called Seprafilm, an adhesion barrier, has been shown to reduce internal adhesions after open abdominal surgery. This is something you should talk to your doctor about.

- Closing up the peritoneum. This is a surgical technique that helps minimize tissue injury and contamination of the wound, but it's also been found to reduce adhesions.

On closing the peritoneum, a study in 2005 by Stanford University has found that women who have had the peritoneum closed as part of their first c-section delivery are as much as five times less likely to develop adhesions than those who had theirs left open as is the common practice today.

This is possibly why I have not had any issues myself with adhesions as my doctor closed the peritoneum. Personally, after discussing this with my doctor, I think this may be one of the most significant things you can insist upon to help your future health in the event you must have a c-section.

- The type of incision can make a difference. A report by Mathai M, Hofmeyr GJ of The Cochrane Collaborative states that using a Joel-Cohen incision, a specific type of incision used for C-Sections can result in "... less fever, pain and analgesic requirements; less blood loss; shorter duration of surgery and hospital stay. This is another factor to discuss with your doctor as part of your preparation plan.

- Prepare and Stay Positive. Your mental and spiritual outlook plays a major role in your ability to heal. For me personally, my first C-Section took a toll on my body and my mind. My postpartum depression was high and my pain was severe. I'm convinced that if I had been prepared for having a C-Section and understood the complications and what to expect, my outcome would have been much different.

My second c-section was much better. Two weeks tops on the full recovery compared to two months and more with my first. Most of that, I believe, is simply because I knew what to expect, so the mental stress was greatly reduced.

If you are a spiritual person, you too will likely be better off than someone who did not take the time to prepare physically and mentally.

My final thoughts for you are that in the event of a c-section delivery I have helped you understand the importance of preparation and discussion with your doctor so that your C-Section becomes the miraculous joyful event that it's meant to be.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Pregnancy Back Support


Studies show that 50% of women experience chronic back pain during pregnancy. Aside from this, they experience pain in the pelvic area. Pain disrupts their daily life. It prevents them from carrying out their daily activities. In some cases, severe pain results in incapacity. Women become bedridden in the entire pregnancy duration. Approximately 8% of women have experienced severe disability because of back pain. Therefore, manufacturers of garments have made clothing items to support the body during pregnancy.

The most common maternity garments are belts, girdles, and support bands. Maternity belts are elastic fabrics wrapped around the waist and hips. Maternity belts push belly the upward, easing the weight needed to be carried by the back. There are three types of maternity belts. These are standard pregnancy belt, prenatal cradles, and abdominal support pregnancy belt. Standard pregnancy belt provides moderate support on the abdominal and back area. They are the simplest kind of belly support belt for pregnant women.

Prenatal cradles provide the maximum support on the abdomen and back. A prenatal cradle has a crisscross design on the chest, extending towards the shoulders and back. Side expanders provide a firm support on the waist and back. The support points lift the weight from the pelvic cradle, relieving the back from heavy weight.

Moreover, abdominal support belt functions like prenatal cradles. It provides maximum support on the abdomen and back. It has an abdominal strap that wraps the upper abdomen. This envelops the entire abdominal area, decreasing belly movement during exercise. They are recommended for active pregnant women who love to exercise. Straps of pregnancy belly support belts are fastened by Velcro adhesives.

Pregnant women have distinct needs. The degree of pregnancy back support depends on the heaviness of the abdominal area. Likewise, this depends on one's pregnancy duration. Women need maximum support on the third trimester of pregnancy. The womb is expanding enormously, causing maximum protrusion of the upper and lower abdomen.

Belts for pregnancy belly support lessen back pain during pregnancy. There are support belts that resemble a camisole. This type of abdominal inner wear is a combination of maternity bra, maternity belt, and support band. Now, heavy belly mass is not a problem for pregnant women. Maternity undergarments provide adequate support for a woman's body.