Is it Alright For a Wife to Be Older Than Her Husband and Vice Versa?

Women who are pregnant at an older age are not the one that is on the risk for genetic complications. Women are not the only one that causes the risk but the father to-be as well. Like it is say, it takes two to tango and this can be applied to the risk of the complication. Thus, some believed that issues on older dads should be analyzed and observed too. Although there is no specific age for men, many suggested the age of 45 or 50 as the 'end point' of having children. While others stated it should be 35 similar to women.

The genetic risk given to the baby by men and women are different. Women might give the baby a chromosomal abnormality while men might give the child an autosomal dominant disorder, neurofibromatosis or even dwarfism. It is a copy of abnormal gene that causes this. This is known as spontaneous gene mutations that are contained in sperm. However problems like cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia occurs when there are two copies of the abnormal genes. This is known as a recessive genetic disorder. Although there are possibilities of different diseases, autosomal dominant disorder is very rare. There is no test available to screen for it. That is why the limit age for a man to be a father is unknown.

On the opposite side of being young, teenage mothers also faces problems with their pregnancy. The percentage of teenager getting pregnant today is high. Although their babies will have less risk in chromosomal abnormalities, they are on a higher risk for birth deformity. This is due to majority of teenagers do not eat proper food that contains nutrients when they are pregnant. This will cause the baby to be underweight.

Other than that, preeclampsia is one of the conditions that teenage mothers go through. Thus, it is impossible for natural birth in this situation. With little education about pregnancy, teenager mothers are less likely to breastfeed their child. That is why teenage mothers need some guidance, help and go for group discussion to help them with their pregnancy. If you or anyone you know is a teenage mother, find sources to help you by eating healthy and knowing the benefits of breastfeeding.

From this short write-up alone, it should be clear that there could be problems when men are much younger than their wife and vice versa. So, when it comes time to find a soul mate, this may be something worth pondering to help you make informed decisions about your life.

Raw Food Diet - Can it Be Another Unexplained Cause of Infertility?

I. What is a raw food diet?

The raw food diet is defined as a type of diet of which at least 75% of the daily diet must be unprocessed and uncooked foods or foods can not be heating above 115 degree of Fahrenheit or 40 °C , including fresh fruit and vegetables and raw meats. It believes that the more raw food in your diet, the more healthy you are. While there are many benefits for people eating raw, such as increasing energy for our daily activity, improving skin appearance, assisting digestive process, stability weight loss with no risk of weight re-gaining, reducing the risk of heart and chronic diseases, because the diet contains high in trace minerals, essential vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals and less harmful substances, such as trans fat, saturated fat and salt, but it interferes with the natural process of human being over thousand years of eating cooked foods, such as smaller jaws and teeth , shrinking stomachs have shrunk, and longer small intestines and lengthening the digestive surface area.

Some alternative medicine, such as Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine suggested that a raw-only diet may not be appropriate for people living in colder climates, because in order to fight off the constant cold or Prolong periods of eating raw foods deplete the yang qi in the body. Since most raw foods eaten in typical American raw food diet are cold, they will decrease the yang qi even further, leading to colding affects in our body, resulting in certain kinds of diseases, including blood stagnation and kidney yang deficiency, causing infertility in some severe cases.

II. What is Fertility and Infertility and the explained causes of infertility

A. Fertility

Fertility is a natural process to insure the survival of human species. Through natural selection, we produce many offspring when the reproductive system works at it's peak in a suitable environment with plenty foods around. On the other hand, the reductive system may completely shut down or work at its minimum state and we produce less offspring, when the environment is hostile including less foods around, war, epidemic, etc. but regardless any situation. most women are capable to conceive sometimes before menopause.

B. Infertility

Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It affects over 5 million couples alone in the U. S. and many times more in the world. Because of an unawareness of treatments, only 10% seek help from professional specialists. In fact, about 35% of infertility is caused by the male's inability to fertilize. 35% is caused by the female's inability to conceive, 10% attributes to both, and 10 % is considered a failure with an unknown cause.

C. The unexplained causes of infertility

The Unexplained cause of infertility is defined as a condition of a healthy couple who have found no reproductive structure or medical problems, but for whatever reason, the female partner is unable to get pregnant, and modern technologies and doctors in conventional medicine fail to find the causes of infertility.

According to conventional medicine, a couple are diagnosed with explained causes of infertility can have children by going through the process of artificial insemination or other options such as adoption, or subrogation. Some women may seek help from traditional medicine, because of cost effectiveness or believing that traditional medicine can offer a more natural birth.

III. Before proceeding further, let us take a look of:

What is a menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle begins when the level of estrogen starts to rise. At certain point, the brain stimulates hypothalamus to produce Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (FSH) which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to produce the Follicle stimulating hormone, leading to initiating the growth and recruitment of immature Ovarian follicles in the ovary. At its peak, the pituitary gland switch to produce luteinizing hormone (LH), the FSH starts to decline which stimulates the mature of follicle and the production of estradiol and thicken of the uterus lining as well as promoting friendly cervical mucus, triggering ovulation, resulting in extruding egg from the ovary into the Fallopian tube and initiating the conversion of the residual follicle into a corpus luteum. The corpus luteum in turn produces progesterone in preparing the uterus lining for a possible egg implantation. If pregnancy does not occur, hormone levels plumped, and the thickened uterus limning is shed through the vaginal canal.

There are many thing involved to make the cycle regularly, but unfortunately any disruption may cause irregular menstruation and sometimes interferes the natural process of fertility.

IV. How raw food diet affects fertility in TCM perspective

While conventional medicine have never viewed irregular menstruation seriously, traditional Chinese medicine view irregular menstrual period as a tiny micro change in the female ecosystem. If not treat, it will interfere with the normal process of fertility and other women health's diseases such as nervous tension menstrual pain and cramps etc. Especially if you are diagnosed with the unexplained causes of infertility with irregular period, then your menstrual cycle may be the causes.

V. How to treat raw food diet causes of infertility in traditional Chinese perspective

A. Understand the food classification in TCM perspective

By diagnosis the underlying causes and treating each woman as an unique entity and the body as a whole. Depending in what have been diagnosed, you may be given advice not to eat some kinds of food which may interfere the normal menstrual cycle and dampen your chance of fertility.

1. Cold

Cold foods in traditional Chinese medicine are considered as a type of food which may stimulate the colding effects in your body and deplete the yang qi as resulting of our body needs to counter the cold with yang qi in the body. Prolong period of taking these kinds of food without balancing them with other warm, cooked or hot foods may cause yang qi and kidney yang deficiency, resulting in interfering with normal function of the reproductive organ and leading to irregular period. For women who try to conceive should avoid to eat these types of raw foods or counter them with at least same amount of hot foods.

a) Bamboo
b) Banana
c) Grape fruit
d) Clams
e) Seaweed
f) Watermelon
g) Bitter melon
h) Etc.

2. Cool

Same as cold food, but they are not as strong. It also depletes the yang qi but moderately, therefore eating these types of foods should counter with some warm food to avoid yang qi and kidney yang deficiency. Women who have irregular period and try to get pregnancy are advised to eat only moderate amounts and for nutrients only. Otherwise, they may dampen the chance of fertility.

a) Apple
b) Lecture
c) Cucumber
d) Pear
e) Spinach
f) Strawberry
g) Tomato
h) Etc.

3. Neutral

Although neutral foods are types of food which have no effects in ying and yang qi in the body, but it may have other side effect such as rice, gain and potato which may interfere with insulin production of the spleen as well as liver function in carbohydrate metabolism.

a) Apricot
b) Beet
c) All kinds of red meat
d) Celery
e) Honey
f) Rice
g) Bread
h) Etc.

4. Warm

Warm foods are considered as food with warming effects in the body. It is most important foods which are used most often for pregnant women as they can help to warm the uterus and maintain the healthy pregnancy and protect against miscarriage. Warm foods increase your body temperature and yang qi slightly.

a) Black tea
b) Cherry
c) Chive
d) Leek
e) Peach
f) Raspberry
g Chicken
h.) Etc.

5. Hot

Foods with hot nature are normally good for improving immune system in fighting against forming of free radicals, bacteria and virus and increasing blood flow to the body, including the reproductive organs, but over eating these types of food may cause yin qi and kidney yin deficiency leading to hormone imbalance and interfering with natural process of normal menstrual cycle.

a) Garlic
b) Ginger
c) Pepper
d) Onion
e) Green onion
f) Cinnamon powder
g) Etc.

Finally, we would like you to know that most foods with bitter, sour and salty are classified as yin and hot and sweet are classified as yang.

B. How raw food diet causes infertility

Most raw foods can be either yang or yin pathogens. A typical American raw food diet is most yin and dampness pathogens.

1. Colding and cooling effects

Spleen is important to break down the food and transform them to energy for our body's daily activity. Too much raw foods weaken and slow the digestive system, leading to nutrients deficiency, including the following:

a) Fatigue, tiredness and sluggishness
b) Nervous tension
c) Bloating and gas
d) Unclear thinking
e) Cloudy urine
f) Etc.

Typical raw foods diet puts more strain on the digestion. If spleen is damaged caused by prolong intake of raw food, it may weaken the digestive system in absorbing of nutrients, leading to less efficient assimilation of nutrients. In fact, traditional Chinese medicine view the process of transformation of foods and transportation of nutrients are a warm process in nature, and raw foods are more cold in nature, After entering the stomach, our body need to raise temperature before the food can be digested and absorbed.

2. Dampness affects

Raw foods interfere with the spleen in controlling the internal dampness caused by impairment of water metabolism within the body or spleen damage due to prolong in take of raw dampness hot foods, leading to impairing the spleen yang and the development of interior damp-cold, resulting in qi and blood stagnation, leading to delay menstruation and menstrual pain and cramps. Raw foods cause dampen effect including the following:

a) Milk products
b) Celery,
c) Lettuce, alfalfa,
d) Raw honey
e) Corn.
f) Sage,
g) Parsley
h) Onion
i) Etc.

And the symptoms include
a) Fatigue,
b) Reduced appetite
c) Abdominal bloating and discomfort
d) Other related spleen deficiency symptoms

3. Kidney yin deficiency

Kidney yin also known primordial yin or true yin , is defined as the foundation of the yin fluid of the body, therefore it helps to moisten, nourish the organs and tissues and maintain the body fluid balance with fire of kidney yang. Raw foods are yin in nature, prolong intake of may decrease the yang qi in the kidney, leading to fluid imbalance, resulting in irregular menstruation and in serve case, causing infertility.

a) Lack of energy

Deficiency of kidney yin causes inability of kidney in stabilization of energy, leading to abnormal flow of energy, disrupting the blood flow to the body organs including ovaries in egg production resulting in distorting the normal menstrual cycle in women, leading to irregular period.

b) Blood Flow

Deficiency of kidney yin also increases the risk of irregular blood flow as the heart must work harder to provide more energy to our body, leading to abnormal function of capillaries and interrupting the normal function of small veins in the nervous system, causing dizziness, hearing problems and ringing in the ear. It also causes abnormal blood flow to the reproductive organs, distorting the menstrual cycle.

c) Digestive system

It also causes abnormal digestive system due to spleen function in absorbing vital vitamins and mineral as a result of lack of fluid which is necessary for digestive system in stomach acid secretion, leading to constipation and abnormal pain.

d) Burning sensation

People with kidney yin deficiency feel burning sensation not only in the body including the chest, but also see bright yellow color in their urine, leading to oxidative and kidney damage. If the problem is not treated, it may disrupt natural process of normal menstrual cycle.

e) High temperature

It also increases the body temperature that interferes with egg, cervical mucus production.

4. Blood deficiency

Blood deficiency is defined as not enough blood to distribute to our body organs needs. Tradition Chinese medicine view blood deficiency is caused by weakened liver organ as resulting of a weaken spleen due to prolong period intake of raw foods, thereby reducing the liver function in blood formation, causing not enough blood to distribute to the body such as absence of (no blood for) menstruation or scanty menstruation.. It also leads to abnormal function of reproductive system in regulating menstrual cycle, that disrupts the production of egg or produces poor quality egg and makes uterine mucus hostile to sperm.

There are many symptoms of blood deficiency including:

a) Palpitations caused by your heart have to work harder, because of not enough blood in the body.
b) Forgetfulness and poor memory caused by not enough oxygen delivering to the nervous cells need
c) Insomnia: because of brain cells can not transmit information between themselves, leading to over production of certain hormones.
d) Shortness of breath: you lung has to harder to provide oxygen to your body needs.
e) Dizziness and fatigue is due to oxygen and energy shortage.
f) Constipation due to lack of fluid in the body
g) Pale complexion: lack of blood

5. Blood stagnation

Blood stagnation is defined as qi stagnation or qi deficiency in the liver. In traditional Chinese medicine, raw foods cause freeze and constrict circulation, leading to blood stagnation resulting in menstrual irregularities and sometimes infertility, because of blocking of the blood flow or blood become static to the reproductive organs..

a) Blood stagnation is caused by liver qi imbalance, it reduces the liver function in regulating the secretion of certain hormone in the prostaglandins family thereby, increasing the risk of abdominal cramps, thus causing blood stagnation in the abdominal region.

b) Liver also helps to regulate the secretion of insulin from the spleen, abnormal function of spleen increases the risk of diabetes, leading to blood stagnation in the reproductive organs.

c) Imbalance of liver qi also causes inability of liver in fat and protein metabolism, leading to nervous tension and increasing the risk of hormonal imbalance causing irregular menstrual cycle.

C. How raw food diet causes infertility by looking back to conventional medicine menstrual cycle in TCM Perspective

1. Estrogen

Estrogen which is yin pathogen in TCM, is required to stimulate the brain action in production of Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (FSH) by the hypothalamus. Raw food diet increases the kidney yang function, causing hormone imbalance with low estrogen and high progesterone and testosterone. Deficiency of yang ( or high level of estrogen) obstructs each step of in the estrogen phrase of the menstrual cycle, causing irregular production of hormones from pituitary gland in secreting FSH and LH and ovaries function in production of follicles such as poor egg quality, thinner the uterine lining which can support an egg implantation and early ovulation.

In some women, it causes menstrual irregularity, but in severe case, it increases the risk of infertility. The symptoms of kidney yang deficiency include:

a) White coat on tongue
b) Pale, frigid appearance
c) Achy pain in joints or muscles
d) Cold extremities
e) Poor digestion
f) Tendencies toward stagnation
g) Depression
h) Emaciation
i) Obesity
j) Etc.

2. Progesterone

Progesterone is considered as yang pathogen. Raw food diet is considered cool or cold in TCM perspective, it reduces the the yang qi to certain degree, depending on types of raw foods consuming daily by each individual. Since the second phrase of the menstrual cycle is the increased production of progesterone ( yang in TCM ), it affects the ability of egg extruding and deter the normal process of supporting the uterus lining in egg implantation as well as increasing the risk of producing cervical mucus which is hostile to sperm invasion. In severe case, it makes conception difficult for some women and infertility to others. As the level of progesterone rise, blood is required to support the uterus and the uterus lining in egg implantation and embryo nourishment. Raw foods cause freeze and constrict circulation, leading to blood stagnation and deficiency, resulting in lessening the chance for the normal process of making a baby.

3. Testosterone

Testosterone ( yang in TCM) is produced in small quality during the progesterone phase. Deficiency of yang qi reduces the production of testosterone, leading to low sexual desire, poor muscle tone and fatigue.

4. Menstruation

In traditional Chinese medicine, raw foods cause freeze and constrict circulation thereby reducing the spleen function in food transportation and weaken the liver function in blood formation, leading to blood stagnation in the productive organs including the uterus, causing not enough blood to support the process and for menstruation if pregnancy does not occur.

D. How raw food diet causes irregular period by looking back to 5 phrases menstrual cycle in TCM Perspective

The traditional Chinese medicine divide the women menstrual cycle into 5 phrases

1. The yin phrase according TCM) lasting about 3-4 days

In this phrase The yang ( progesterone) decreases rapidly and the yin (estrogen) starts to rise, leading to the growth of body fluids, supporting the production of blood and producing sperm friendly mucus as well as making the uterus lining thicken for egg implantation. The deficiency of yin or abundance of yang distorts the production of fluids which are necessary for moister and nourish the blood, causing shortening of yin phrase, leading to not enough time for egg to mature and uterine lining to grow thick enough for egg implantation, resulting in lessening the chance of fertility and increasing the risk of irregular period.

2. The Ovulation phase, lasting about 3 days

At the estrogen (yin) at its peak, liver triggers the starts the ovulation phrase, as resulting of stimulating of the brain action in production of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (FSH) by the hypothalamus of which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to produce the follicle stimulating hormone, leading to initiating the growth and recruitment of immature ovarian follicles in the ovary. In this phrase, qi and blood moves downward to promote the implantation of the egg and nourish the uterus to support the growth of embryos. Deficiency of yin and blood stagnation caused by raw food diet shorten the ovulation phrase, leading to not enough time for egg implantation and uterus lining to support the growth of the embryo, causing infertility or miscarriage as well as irregular menstruation.

3. The Yang phrase, lasting about 5 days

During the fourth phase, yin decreases to allow growth of yang (mutual consumption of Yin and Yang). Growth of yang helps to warm the Uterus. Raw food diet causes yang deficiency, thus colding the Uterus that distorts the normal process of egg implantation.

4. The luteal phrase, lasting about 12 days

The luteal phase also is referred to day after ovulation to the day before period. In this phrase, a mature egg was released at ovulation as resulting of the production of progesterone from corpus luteum in preparing the body for pregnancy. Raw food diet causes yin deficiency and liver qi stagnation, leading to rising temperature and distorting the luteal phrase process, resulting in increasing the risk of infertility or irregular menstruation.

5. Menstruation phrase, lasting about 5 days

According the to traditional Chinese medicine, this phrase is dominated by the movement of blood and qi moving downward as resulting of dropping of the level estrogen and progesterone( yin and yang), since raw foods cause freeze and constrict circulation, it causes blood and qi stagnation, leading to delay menstruation, delay period and scanty period.

E. How traditional Chinese medicine helps to treat yang deficiency caused by raw food diet with diet in general approach

a) Appropriate diet

If you are raw food diet follower, make sure you increase the percentage of cooked food in your diet.

b) Moderate exercise

While raw foods interfere with the spleen function in digesting and absorbing nutrients, moderate exercise increases the digestive system in production of stomach acid and enhance blood circulation thus promoting a healthy spleen.

c) Relax and rest

Stress and rest are always a problem for people living in this fast pace society, we face stress constantly everyday, such as sickness of your child, workplace pressure, etc. You make sure that you take a lot of relaxation and rest to avoid the abnormal production of certain hormone.

III. The summary

The raw food diet has written an important page in the America (world) health history as its contribution to make us healthier and reduce the death rate of heart diseases and stroke will never be denied. Since traditional Chinese medicine have been round over 4000 years and proven to be one most effective traditional medicine in treating the unexplained causes of infertility, its idea toward raw food diet must be right in some extent. The aim of this article is to provide reader the other point of view, with no intention to offend anyone, including the raw food advocators. If you are offended by this article, I say sorry. If you are raw food diet supporter and diagnosed with the unexplained causes of infertility, I urge you to give it a try. Although, I don't consider myself as a raw food supporter, but 50% of my daily food intake are considered raw.

How to Strengthen the Mind and Rid Anxiety

When you say the words 'Mental Health' it is likely most people will pull some sort of face, feel embarrassed or shy away. There is still a social stigma to the idea of mental health but all it really has to do with is how well, mentally, you're able to deal with problems. It is true to say that at some point or another most of us have experienced or suffered some sort of mental collapse, even your boss at work, the beautiful woman stood next to you on the train or one of your closest family members. Anxiety falls under the mental health umbrella. It is for this reason it is imperative that we as individuals and society to understand anxiety and mind in order to combat the condition and begin to lead lives that are based on positivity and happiness.

It can literally be a case of finding the world hard to live in and cope with that can have an affect on your mental health and it is so important to realise that you are not the only one who has ever felt like this. But the social stigma attached to anything like depression, anxiety, post natal depression or bi-polar means that people are scared to talk about things and some people wont even realise they have a problem because people are scared to talk and therefore don't know about things. People are much more likely to talk about cancer, diabetes, heart disease, even STD's than they are mental health problems as they are seen as a weakness and controllable as opposed to physical illnesses.

We have to cope with so much on a day to day basis that is can become overwhelming and sometimes too much. This can affect the mental balance for us, and is not just a few people that this can happen to, but thousands, even millions. Depending on who we are, our history and how our brains work, but, essentially it puts an imbalance on our minds which can make us act in an unnatural way. So, what is it and how do we gain mental strength?

Medical and psychological research has shown that mental health is very dependent on genetics and experience. Depending on who we are the affects of these 2 main factors can vary and are also reliant on one another. People that have been brought up in a happy environment and are confident because of this will usually have strong minds and live life to the full. However, there are experiences that can happen in this life that mean our mental toughness is tested and this can affect us much more than it should and can happen easily. A bad break up from your partner, being sacked from work, sexual abuse, drug addiction, being bullied because you are overweight or even just a general bad run of luck can sometimes have a hugely detrimental effect on your mental health.

There are things you can do though to begin to make your mind stronger and happier. As it is something that is not discussed enough so, find a group or people to talk to, this will make you feel confident first and foremost as you will know you wont be the only one and you can begin to approach your problems. Speak to your doctor, to other professionals, friends, family or therapy groups, or go to all of these if you think it will help, why should you be embarrassed when you are trying to better yourself and make yourself happy in your life.

Our lives are hectic. Fact. Stress can lead to many mental health issues but can so easily be avoided its just that usually it gets left until too late and that's when problems can set in. Think about your work load, life style and time management, keep a diary or write things down that you do and want to do. Are there things you can give up or stop doing for a while? Can you get others to help you? What is your priority? Think about what you really want to do and make time for it, don't get bogged down in all the stress. Make time for yourself and do something that you will enjoy, relieve stress and make yourself happy.

Finding a life balance and staying realistic is the key to finding good mental health, by making sure all the parts of your life work together you can lead a happy and fulfilled life where your mind is strong and cannot be taken over by any negatives that may be able to corrupt you. Strive to move forward and always keep your goals insight. You may sit there and say you don't have any goals but this is untrue you have probably never thought of them consciously that's all. They can be anything and not necessarily work related; you want to be a parent by the time you are 30, you want to own your own car, you want to find a partner, you want that promotion in a year, you want to move to a city, you want to weigh this much by your birthday etc. By having goals it gives you a focus that keeps you cleared minded and guided, giving you a strong mind.

Finding that quality of life is what this will do and put everything in your life into some sort of perspective. One thing to remember though is don't let it get to you down if you don't achieve one of your goals sometimes it just isn't the right time but as long as your know what is right for you and the fact that you tried, you have the love of others around you and you are wealthy in this you will keep moving forward and thinking clearly. Anxiety, worry, fear and panic will then become a thing of the past as your balance every factor in your life physically, emotionally and mentally.

Postnatal Depression - The Best 6 Treatments That Worked For Me

Postnatal depression is one of the most common ailments of new mothers. Feelings of worthlessness, despair, sadness, or even causing harm to yourself or newborn are several of the symptoms. I dealt with postnatal depression myself and here are the top six things that helped me through my hard time:

Building a Support Group: I didn't bottle up my emotions. I spoke to those that I trusted around me about what I was going through and allowed them to offer their advice. My husband, mother, and sister where the ones who where always their for me in the past and they helped me tremendously

Breathing Exercises/Meditation - I came across a book that detailed some breathing exercises in it. It was really helpful to just sit with my thoughts and for a few moments a day be at peace with myself. Natural Remedies- There are a sleuw of natural remedies that you can look into. They can be found in books and online journals. The one the helped me the most was St. John's Wort, it has been known to act as a natural anti-depressant for thousands of years.

My Doctor - Checking in with my doctor gave me piece of mind. I was able to tell him how I was feeling and he assured me that It was as normal as it could be and offer prescription medications if I felt I wanted to go down that path, I didn't. He also checked my thyroid, often times a over or under active thyroid can produce effects similar to that of postnatal depression.

Rest - It was hard to get good rest with a newborn in the house. Once my husband got home from work it I put him on baby duty and got a good 1 hour nap in. These quick naps allowed me to recharge my batteries and feel a lot better on a daily basis. Hey Einstein was known as a habitual napper and he was one of the most brilliant minds of our time.

Reading - I read everything about this disease. I knew it inside and out, and this greatly helped me overcome it completely.I am a firm believer in the idea that you cannot defeat your ailments if you do not know what they are doing to you.

These are the top six things that helped me overcome my postnatal depression. I hope that they can put you on the right track to defeating your disease.

Flying When Pregnant - A Definitive Guide

A case in Dublin Airport, Ireland, in August 2011 brought the issue of flying when pregnant into the media. Nigerian asylum seeker Olayinka Ijaware who had miscarried at 8 weeks was due to be deported and the Rotunda Hospital had discharged her with a letter stating that if she was actively bleeding from the vagina that she would be unfit for air travel. Although this case relates to a woman who had already suffered a miscarriage it gives us the opportunity to examine the subject of flying when pregnant in more detail.

What are the risks of flying when pregnant?

The risks of air travel during pregnancy are deep-vein thrombosis, miscarriage and premature birth.

Also bear in mind that the British Medical Journal highlights the fact that there is a limit on robust evidence which makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to provide definitive advice.

So to clarify, there are various generic guidelines but given that air travel and pregnancy is a relatively new topic the British Medical Journal (BMJ) states that the only way to completely avoid the risks is by postponing air travel. The BMJ does also state that air travel may either be necessary or desirable in pregnancy.

The majority of pregnancies are low risk and if you fall into this category the general guidelines below should apply to you. However please note that these are guidelines only and you should always consult your own healthcare provider.

Air travel during pregnancy has some generic guidelines such as:
1. The second trimester (18-24 weeks) is considered to be the safest time to fly when pregnant. It is during this time that most women should be feeling at their best and that there is generally the lowest risk of miscarrying or premature labour.

2. If you feel that you will want fly during pregnancy then before making your final decision consider the destination you are planning to fly to. Is it well equipped medically if you had a need?

3. Are you considering flying to a destination where there are specific risks of acquiring infectious diseases? Infectious diseases acquired abroad may increase risks of perinatal morbidity.

4. If this is the case you may wish to reconsider the destination or if it is necessary to fly there you should definitely consult with your healthcare provider.

5. Check out the airlines policies on flying when pregnant, as these differ from airline to airline.

6. Buy the most suitable insurance cover for your journey.

If you do fly:
1. Ask for an aisle seat with extra legroom when possible.

2. If you are flying when pregnant then wear clothing which does not restrict movement and is loose and comfortable.

3. Make sure you drink a lot of fluids when flying while pregnant.

4. Every half an hour you should get up and walk around a bit if possible.

5. While sitting-be aware of flexing your feet and stretching your legs to keep the circulation healthy.

6. Do circulatory exercises as detailed usually in the flight magazine and wear compression socks (flight socks).

7. Fasten your safety belt across the tops of the thighs so that it rests under your stomach.

Flying When Pregnant-Potential Medical Concerns
Medical professionals will potentially be concerned about the method of travel-air travel as well as the destination, healthcare facilities there and adequate insurance coverage.

The doctor will want to assess the fitness of his pregnant patient to fly and will focus on blood pressure readings and ultrasound pregnancy scans findings.

The doctor will analyse if the woman is at an increased risk of miscarriage, premature labour, pre-delivery haemorrhage or pre-eclampsia. He/she will also assess if the woman has any pre-existing conditions such as asthma or diabetes.

Is There Any Evidence Of Risk Of Miscarriage When Flying During Pregnancy?
At the time of writing there has been no evidence to date which would suggest that flying when pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage. However there are studies which reveal that female flight attendants do have a higher miscarriage rate than the rate of their peers.

Even though there is no evidence to point towards a heightened risk of miscarriage when flying during pregnancy; if a miscarriage were to occur it would be more difficult to manage it.

Flying When Pregnant Conclusion
Consider the destination, healthcare facilities, the stage of pregnancy you intend to fly during, and consult with your healthcare practitioner who will take into account your medical history, pregnancy scans and your travel destination. One last point is that kind of a worst case scenario-but if you were not able to return home for some reason this would mean you would need to spend the remainder of your pregnancy away from home.

Natural Skin Care Treatment For Pregnant Women

Now that you are pregnant, you must take care of your body, including your skin, more than ever before.

One of the things you have to watch out for during pregnancy is acne. Acne can be due to several things, but stress is a major contributor. This disease can make you feel very uncomfortable; therefore, it is important that you know how to deal with it. Since stress may cause or worsen acne breakouts, one treatment of choice should focus on reducing stress. Like, for instance, you may want to engage in natural stress-reducing activities such as yoga, breathing exercises, or anything else that enables you to relax.

You may also be worried of stretch marks on the stomach. These usually appear during the latter stage of your pregnancy when your tummy begins to grow.

Other skin problems you are likely to deal with during pregnancy dryness and peeling. It's good to know that these problems may be resolved by eating right and by using the appropriate skin care products. Remember, though, that you cannot just apply any medication to treat acne or any skin problem for that matter. You see, pregnancy is a very delicate stage for you and your baby; anything you put in your body eventually gets transmitted to your baby, and you know that skin care products that are chemically formulated contain harsh ingredients that can result to birth problems.

It is therefore very important that you choose carefully the kinds of skin care products to use. As much as possible, go natural in your choice of creams, lotions and anything else. Natural products do not contain harmful chemicals that can affect your baby, so they are safe to use.

To help you deal with skin care problems during pregnancy, drink lots of water. Drinking water keeps you hydrated and your skin well moisturized so you get to have healthy, beautiful skin all throughout your pregnancy.

Dealing With Depression And Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wondrous moment. It is the time when women are excited to be called moms. It is a great opportunity to learn about child's growth and development. But sometimes it can be the other way around. Pregnancy is not always such a happy experience for some. Pregnancy can also be a time for worry. It can also be a moment of confusion.

A woman's decision to begin a pregnancy carries with it the acceptance of the lifelong responsibility to be a parent. Ideally, effective parenting begins even before the moment of conception, when the woman confirms her desire to have a child and is physically and mentally prepared for the challenges of pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

However, most women go through a lot of changes during pregnancy that sometimes, it is causing them stress as well as numerous emotional and physical changes. As a result, many pregnant women develop depression during their pregnancies.

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, so it's a commonly encountered pre-existing condition during pregnancy. Depression has both physiological as well a sociological causes. It is actually caused by a number of different factors. But, it is most likely to be linked to a change in the levels of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals govern our moods, and when they become disrupted, it can lead to depression.

During pregnancy, the rapid change in a woman's body's hormones can trigger a change in the levels of these chemicals, resulting in depression. Interestingly though, women have it twice as often as men, and among women, there is an increased tendency toward it during the reproductive years.

It has been proven that the rapid rise in hormone levels during pregnancy is actually a very common trigger for depression. At least 20% of pregnant women experience some depressive symptoms during their pregnancies, while 10% of pregnant women develop full-blown clinical depression. Depression during pregnancy is actually much more common then many people realize. At one time, health care professionals thought that pregnant women couldn't suffer from depression because of their pregnancy hormones. It was believed that these hormones protected against mood disorders like depression.

Any pregnant woman can be dealing with depression at any point throughout her pregnancy. There are several causes of it during pregnancy, some of which are the following:

∑ having a personal or family history of depression
∑ relationship or marital conflict
∑ age at time of pregnancy
∑ unplanned pregnancy
∑ living alone
∑ limited social support
∑ previous miscarriage
∑ pregnancy confusions and complications
∑ history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse

Dealing with depression can often drain a woman's desire and energy, pregnant women with the disorder may not seek appropriate prenatal care. Depression during pregnancy may also increase the likelihood that a pregnant woman will abuse alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs during pregnancy. When it is most severe, clinically diagnosed depression can be a psychiatric emergency. Because a woman is in a very difficult period of adjustment and less likely to climb out of her despair, hopelessness, and suffering, she poses a danger to herself and her new baby.

Pregnancy is a particularly active field for depression to either start anew or worsen if already a problem. The extra physical, financial, marital, and sexual stresses come whether one is ready or not. On top of that, any new feelings of poor self-image can reinforce depression's already negative self-image problems.

Preparing for a new baby is a lot of hard work, but a woman's health should come first. A pregnant woman should resist the urge to get everything done, she should limit her activities and do things that will help her relax. Talking about things that concern a pregnant woman is also very important during these difficult times. A pregnant woman should ask for support, which most often than not, she will get. Remember that taking care oneself is an essential part of taking care of the unborn child.