Making Choices About Maternity Coverage

Directly purchased healthcare assurance policies that will pay for pregnancy related medical care including prenatal visits and the hospital medical care can cost much more than similar plans which do not provide coverage for maternity-connected medical expenses. You may invest big money for these additional benefits. You and your family might indeed invest this money elsewhere if you don't want to have a child in the near future.

It is a waste of money to have this coverage and not need it. It is expensive to need pregnancy coverage and not have maternity insurance coverage. An uncovered maternity can cost you well over ten thousand. Therefore, it is critical that you pick a good option. Making an error one way or the other might have a great financial impact.

Pregnancy insurance coverage: When is best to add or drop maternity insurance coverage?

In a perfect world, you would be able to include maternity insurance benefits immediately prior to when you conceive a child and drop it immediately after your final visit with your midwife. Unfortunately, the issue of pre existing conditions and unplanned pregnancy might make the timing of changing to another medical insurance plan harder.

Be sure that you are aware of the waiting periods in the policy of any plan you are considering. With some plans, you simply have to conceive after the effective date. This means that you may conceive right after your effective date. With other plans, you will need to wait a period of several months to conceive to have your pregnancy covered.

Pregnancy Plans and Pre-existing Conditions

A pre-existing medical condition can keep you from changing your policy. This means that if you have a condition at the time you decide to change to a policy which covers maternity, you may not be allowed to do so. It also means that if you are pregnant at that time, you may not be allowed to do so. If a family member is suffering with a sickness, you may not be able to change your policy.

Even something as innocuous as a broken bone can prevent you from changing your insurance plans until you have healed. Most private health insurers will want to wait until you have been released from care before they will offer you medical insurance.

This means that your plans to include or eliminate maternity benefits may be thwarted by fate.

Strategy for Pregnancy Insurance

Most families do better when they purchase when they buy separate insurance policies. Often plans that will cover maternity-related services have other insurance benefits that they will find unnecessary. Often the wife should get separate dental and health insurance plan than other family members. Two insurance contracts will often be cheaper than one policy.

Larger families will often save when they purchase one dental and health care policy. Family size and the ages of the parents affect whether you will do better with one policy or two. A good personal dental and health insurance broker should be able to help you decide which insurance choice is best for you and your family.

There many families who have maternity coverage on their insurance contracts after they have taken steps to make sure that they cannot conceive. Be sure to drop this costly coverage when you no longer need it. Money that you invest on pregnancy coverage after you have had your tubes tied is obviously wasted money.

Should you get Maternity Insurance Now?

Unfortunately, not knowing when or if you will conceive that is not planned and when or if you will develop a pre-existing condition which makes it difficult to purchase an underwritten healthcare insurance policy makes that a tricky question. Being better informed should make it easier to make a better decision. Without the ability to know what's going to happen, making the choice with absolute certainty is not possible.

Pregnancy and Panic Attacks - 4 Simple Tips Will Help You to Deal With Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Pregnancy and panic attacks seems to be a common issue that is discussed among pregnant mothers these days. If you are looking for some answers on how to deal with panic attacks during pregnancy, then you will want to read this article.

First, ask yourself a question. Am I suffering from anxiety and panic disorder?

If this is your first baby then chances are you are suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. While most pregnant mothers can easily overcome this situation after first delivery but trust me, you are not alone in this world to face this endemic disease.

First of all, what you really need is to manage your stress levels.

Anything that stresses you out, also stresses out the unborn baby. Stress can affect your pregnancy only if you let it. You must remember is that your unborn child is the most precious person in your life. Try to control your stresses. Talk to your friend. Go for a short walk or watch tv. There are many ways and skills that you can learn to manage your stress levels. Some techniques really help us to remain calm in high pressure situations. You can consult your doctor and he will guide you accordingly.

Breathing techniques can help you to prevent panic attacks. Breathing control will not only help you during your pregnancy but it will also help you to improve your physical and mental conditions. There are two basic breathing control techniques which you can easily practice in your spare time.

Abdominal breathing

- Place one hand on your stomach

- Breathe in slowly and deeply into your bottom of your lungs. You should be able to feel and your stomach expand while you shoulders and chest move very little

- Pause for a moment, and then breathe out slowly. As you breathe out, allow your body to relax

- Repeat at least 10 times to keep your breathing smooth and regular. After 5 minutes of abdominal breathing, you will notice that you are much less anxious.

This exercise should be practiced at least once in a day.

Slow breathing

- Breathe in slowly, counting silently to yourself 1..2...3...4..5

- Hold your breathe for a moment

- Breathe out slowly, counting silently to yourself 1..2...3..4...5

As you breathe out, say the word relax quietly.

This exercise is very effective when used at the first signs of panic attack. It needs to be continued for around four minutes to allow the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide to return to normal.

Keep yourself busy. It will really help to get tired and sleep well in the night. Do not just sit around at home watching tv or reading novels. You really need to involve yourself in hard work. Continue with your daily routine work as you always used to do before pregnancy. Are you self employed? Are you involved in 9.00 to 5.00 office job? Then, consider this as a blessing for you because you constantly keeping your mind engaged with something which will help you stop anxiety and panic attacks.

Think positive. Although, most women do not go through easy pregnancies but always keep looking at the joy in life and pray not to lose self confidence. Just keep your thoughts on having a beautiful healthy baby a true gift from God and the rest will take care of itself. Start thinking from now that everything will go smooth with you and your baby, nothing to worry, I can handle any situations and you will be good to go.

Being pregnant is very exciting, knowing you have something great to look forward at will always help you keep your mind off of your anxiety. Although your self consciousness and willingness greatly matters to overcome anxiety and panic attacks but it is always recommended to discuss all your problems with a doctor straightforwardly.

ADHD Symptoms and Hormonal Changes

Do your ADHD symptoms get worse during certain parts of the month? Do you get organized and efficient after your period, and forgetful the week before your period starts? Experts on ADHD noticed that there seems to be a relation between hormonal fluctuations and the severity of ADHD symptoms. Hormones' influence on ADHD doesn't just happen every cycle; they can last over an entire lifetime. In fact, the average age a female adult gets diagnosed for ADHD is between ages 36 to 38.

Doctors who evaluate women with ADHD rarely factor in hormonal fluctuations when they construct a treatment plan. But an increased awareness of ADHD and the effect of hormones are starting to change this. Here are the four major stages of a woman's life, the hormonal changes that occur at these periods, and the best ways to manage symptoms.

Adolescence

During puberty, the female body produces higher levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. These "raging hormones" often lead to risky behavior, rebellion, and increased impulsivity. During their early teen years, girls with ADHD are more likely to experience academic problems, experiment with drugs, and display aggressive behavior. You can help your daughter by keeping an eye out for signs of worsening symptoms. When you notice this happening, encourage her to accomplish tasks, study for a big test, or write a paper a week in advance. Identify her strengths and skills, and emphasizing these during the emotional lows of her cycle. Try to patient with her if she begins to get argumentative; instead of yelling, show her a better way to handle the situation.

The reproductive years

During the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle, estrogen levels rise. This hormone is responsible for the release of neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, and can explain why women are better at managing their ADHD symptoms at this point of the cycle. At the third and fourth week, progesterone levels increase and start canceling out the benefits of estrogen. Experts believe that women with ADHD are more likely to experience severe pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) than women who do not. The good news is that proper ADHD management gets rid of PMS too.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnancy is a period of hormonal change. Not only does the placenta produce more hormones; it stimulates the thyroid and adrenal glands to increase hormonal production as well. During the first few months of pregnancy, expectant moms with ADHD are more likely to experience anxiety, mood swings, and fatigue. The good news is that these symptoms improve as the pregnancy progresses. After childbirth, hormone levels drop and can cause postpartum depression or mood swings. Make sure that any ADHD treatment you are taking is safe while pregnant or nursing.

Menopause

During menopause, or the last period, your estrogen levels would have dropped by 65%. This drop in hormones does not occur immediately; rather, it is a gradual decrease that takes place during perimenopause, or the ten years before menopause. Women with ADHD going through perimenopause tend to experience fatigue, memory lapses, irritability, and moodiness more than women without. Look for natural ways to stabilize your hormone levels, such as eating food with phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Get a lot of exercise as well. While it might be tempting to seek hormone replacement therapy, this may actually cause a hormonal imbalance that will aggravate the effects of perimenopause and contribute to your ADHD symptoms.

Webster Technique During Pregnancy - How Chiropractic Care Leads To Healthy Babies

The Webster Technique is known after Dr. Larry Webster, who developed this technique in 1978. Dr. Webster was a renowned pediatrician and chiropractor who founded the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, or ICPA. The Webster Technique is one of the most popular of all the chiropractic pediatric treatments. It is a well known technique that has been featured on various Television shows like The Learning Channel. It has also been featured in magazines like Mothering and Midwife Today. The Webster technique addresses the causes of 'intrauterine constraint' which is defined as any external force hampering the development of the fetus by constraining its natural movement. Adopting this technique may help to relieve mental and physical stress on the mother and the unborn child. It helps to convert breech pregnancies to cephalic presentation. American medical practitioners have been using the technique for more than thirty years and it has proven to be very successful.

Intrauterine constraint results in abnormal development of the fetus because it prevents the head-down position which may present complications during birth of the child. The Webster Technique deals with the complications at the outset thus making the birthing and labor process easier for the mother and child. The chiropractor will help to prevent to the potential birth defects which will allow the child to lead a healthy life.

Although the Webster Technique has been successful, it still has its critics. These critics are against using any type of chiropractic care for pregnant women or the unborn child, because they feel that it is detrimental to their growth. Doubts have been raised whether this method actually helps to remove intrauterine constraints during pregnancy. Chiropractic care for newborns aims to correct misalignments in the spine by light pushing of the affected part. It is a gentle way of correcting misalignments that might have occurred during the childbirth. This may prove helpful to prevent scoliosis and other problems of the nervous system occurring in later life. Breech delivery is not something an expectant mother wants and therefore the Webster Technique may prove to be helpful to avoid such type of complications.

It is advisable for the mother-to-be to consult with her gynecologist before deciding to take chiropractic care. Moreover, chiropractic care during pregnancy may not be suitable for all pregnant women because not all criticisms of the technique are unfounded. Some of the concerns raised by the critics are genuine. There may be different positions the fetus may take which may create complications during the later stages of pregnancy and require immediate medical attention. Since the Webster Technique can be used for breech pregnancies only, if other complications arise, it is advisable to proceed with alternate methods of treatment as per the doctor's suggestions.

Pros and Cons of Communicating Through Text

Sometimes we tend to forget that we have power right in our hands. The power to communicate with people that are dear to us. We all know how communication help transform our lives either for good or for the worse. And with communication, we are able to build our reputation and sometimes, it can help destroy it. With that, there are certain rules that are applied when it comes to communication just like texting.

Texting can be a good way in building people's confidence. Send a text of encouragement or you can quote a famous line to help him with his current ordeal. You might not know it but your text can be crucial to his decision in life.

If texting takes too much time like explaining a concept to a person, feel free to call him up instead. Rather than burn your thumb pressing the keys to your phone, call him up and let your mouth do the talking.

Messages can be worth a million especially for those who are in a relationship. Sending messages of love can make the world go round for someone who is in love. So, do yourself a favor and send your loved one messages.

Oftentimes we get to hear someone complaining about how their boss texted them late at night because of an emergency, although it can be a hassle sometimes, it is acceptable. What's not acceptable is when you wake up at 1 in the morning and found out you receive a text message saying hello.

If you think that putting your anger into words and send it through text can make it all better, think again. Not only will your situation take a turn for the worse, it will offend the person even more. It is much better that you say it infront of the person you want to talk to rather than hide behind your phone to say things that you really want to say.

Avoid sending messages that have no meaning, jokes that are not funny, and messages that mean to irritate and annoy people. It is annoying. Spamming messages can really be annoying especially at times when you are stressed at work.

Allow yourself to fully take advantage of how great it is to have the ability to text messages to people you love. Take this time to send quotes of love and appreciation to your family and friends.

Preemie Advice

My son was born at 29 weeks 4 days after an otherwise perfect pregnancy. I thought I had the flu. My husband wanted me to go to the hospital, and bam! Two hours later my son was here.

I didn't have time to stop and reflect on the seriousness of the situation because it happened so fast and the pain was tremendous (I opted to not have any drugs for pain). But a few hours later, after my body issues were settled and I was put into a quiet postpartum room, it suddenly hit me. I was one of the only women in that ward who didn't have their baby next to my bed. Physically I felt great (I had a natural delivery with no complications with my body), but mentally I quickly became a mess.

I had big plans for my birthing experience. In fact, I was waiting for the Hypnobabies course I had ordered merely days before to arrive so I could start studying how to have a peaceful, pain-free experience. I had already spent good money on a midwife and was contemplating whether or not to purchase a birthing tub for my planned home birth. I had plans to welcome my beautiful baby in my arms while he was still fresh out of the womb and start breastfeeding.

Such big plans. In those two traumatic hours, I would quickly learn that life doesn't necessarily care about plans.

My son spent 53 days in the NICU. I began to grow attached to the hospital in a way a victim might get close to their kidnapper. In those 53 days I had to learn to live with my heart outside of my body. I had to learn to set aside expectations and adapt to a new life. Most of all, I had to learn to be a mother for my son.

As with any struggle in life, I came out of it changed. My priorities were different. My mind was consumed and my heart enlarged with a kind of love you'd never know until you experienced it. But more importantly, I learned a lot about life in those 53 days.

Lesson #1: Roll with the Punches or the Punches Will Roll You

I conceived my son with such set plans (he'd be due in March, and since I'm a teacher I'd get to be with him until the end of summer, etc). Those plans were immediately dashed with his impromptu January arrival. My husband and I had to scramble to figure out my time off and how I'd be able to stay off. You see, maternity leave doesn't wait for the baby to come home. And since preemies don't have physical maturity like full-term babies, you can't exactly leave them at a daycare with other germy kids. As a mother, you can't exactly leave them at all, but with a mortgage and other bills to pay, life may dictate otherwise.

I had planned to have my sweet baby at my breast immediately after birth, not a piece of cold, hard plastic pump.

I planned to be big and pregnant at my baby shower.

I planned to finish the baby's room.

I planned to show my baby off to family and friends, not be housebound and isolated for fear of the flu and RSV.

I planned to leave the hospital with my husband and baby and flowers and balloons, instead I left my baby behind.

I didn't plan on having to answer questions when people recognized me around town and asked where my baby was, or why I wasn't pregnant anymore.

I didn't plan on having to carry my son around attached to an apnea monitor, having it alarm at the most inopportune times (like the middle of the night).

Plans are good, but they are not set in stone. Learn to be flexible when premature delivery becomes your reality.

Even better, plan to have back-up plans to your plans. An "a", "b", and "c" plan never hurt anyone.

Lesson #2: Take Care of Yourself

Mommies of preemies (and daddies too) need to make sure they take good care of themselves and each other. It's so tempting to want to be at the hospital 24/7. The reality is life outside the hospital keeps going, so you need to too. Food needs to be made, homes cleaned, bills paid, sleep, etc. Striking a balance is essential. For me, I found making a schedule worked best. I spent mornings at the hospital, and then I left by 1PM. I was home before my husband was and was able to get a few things done.

The guilt of "I should be there" never goes away. Trust me, you'll always feel guilty about something. I felt guilty going to my own baby shower because I felt like I should have been at the hospital with my son. If I had to do it over again, I would have taken more "me" time. When you bring your baby home, you're most likely going to be housebound. You need to keep your preemie isolated from the masses because of the flu, colds, and other communicable diseases. So, if I had to do it over again, I would have gotten that manicure and pedicure. I would have gotten my teeth cleaned instead of postponing it so I could spend extra time with the baby. I would have had that nice romantic dinner with my husband.

Don't forget your husband. He's going through a lot too, and a lot of new moms put all their focus into their babies (rightfully so), but (wrongfully) forget the hubby. Make time for each other. Use the experience to build a stronger bond. The alternative is to let the experience rip you apart from each other, and that ultimately won't be good for your baby.

Finally, don't beat yourself up. Many moms (me included) blame themselves when a premature delivery happens. More often than not it isn't your fault. They thought mine was from placental abruption only to later find that it was a fluke infection of the amniotic fluid. Once the birth happens you can't focus on the "why" (until you decide to have another baby, that is). Your focus should be on getting that little baby strong enough to go home.

Lesson #3: Optimism

Easier said than done, but staying optimistic is necessary for your sanity. I've seen so many sick babies in the NICU. Some with heart defects, others with genetic diseases. Some with brain damage. Some with their intestines outside of their bodies. And then I looked at my son, who was very tiny but healthy, and I had to be thankful. Things can always be worse. I kept repeating that to myself.

Limit your googling. You'll find information that will scare the heck out of you for no reason. For example, my son was born with a brain bleed. We freaked out. We started asking the doctor's for the "worst case scenario" (which they seem to always give you anyway) and googling our brains out for information. We discovered that if the brain bleed doesn't absorb and disappear on its own, he may need a shunt in his brain. Imagine how you'd feel thinking of something being drilled into your baby's head! The point is that it healed properly and there was no cause for concern, but we got ourselves hysterical for no reason by doing too much research.

Also, those preemie books the hospital gives you are bad too. I recommend burying it somewhere in your house just in case, but don't waste your time reading about all the disabilities your kid might develop or have. This is a waste of emotions and energy.

Lesson #4: Hospital Networking

If you're going to be a NICU regular for a while, you might as well make friends. Get to know the doctors, nurses, secretaries, even the janitors! It will give you comfort during a time when you feel all alone and vulnerable. Many hospitals even let you pick a "primary" nurse for your baby, giving you consistency and familiar face you can depend on. This is a great thing to have and usually not advertised.

If there are lactation nurses, use them. I bugged the three that worked in our NICU every day! They were amazing, and they were more than just lactation nurses. They were familiar faces I could talk to about anything. I would talk to one every night from 9PM-10PM about everything. When I left the hospital with my baby, I was still talking to them. I even went back to see them. These are the kind of relationships that will make this experience easier to handle for you.

Lesson #5: Put Yourself before Family and Friends

I don't know what it is, but it seems in times of crisis you will quickly discover who the keepers are and who should be put at a distance in your circle of family and friends. Who you think will be the most supportive disappear into their own orbits, and people not on your radar will show up as sources of support.

I had a grandma, aunt, and uncle decide to fight with me four weeks postpartum and in the thick of my NICU experience over their gripe with my mother. I was floored at the lack of compassion they showed toward me and my situation. I ended up losing all of them just to preserve my own sanity. You can't spend energy or time on other people's negativity and drama while you're going through the "preemie experience."

A lot of other people's problems seem to stem from a lack of understanding of the difficulty one goes through with their baby in the NICU for a prolonged amount of time. You can't really understand the impact of the situation unless you're in it. So, I forgave people for not understanding, but at the same time I made a pact with myself not to let them bring me further down with their ignorance and lack of empathy.

Lesson #6: Accept Help

I've always been the independent type, so accepting help was difficult for me. But the thing is, help won't always be around, so you might as well grab it while you can. One of the best things given to me was home-cooked meals. Some of them were fresh, some were frozen for me. It made it so nice to come home from the hospital and have something warm to eat. It was also great to have pre-made meals when the baby came home and I was adjusting to having a new little one in the house (and the lack of sleep).
Other nice things to have help with: cleaning and grocery shopping.

Lesson #7: Find another Preemie Mom's Shoulder to Lean On

This was one of the best things I did for myself. I sought out other preemie moms to share and compare notes with, helping me navigate my way through my own experience. They're out there; you just need to connect with them. I found the Internet to be a great way to find other moms in a similar situation. You may also know somebody in real life but never really thought twice about their situation until you were in a similar one.

Lesson #8: Pictures and Videos

Take loads of pictures. Take video clips. Share them with family and friends. You can make a blog or a website, or even just post them on Facebook. I found that by posting daily pictures of my son for the rest of the world to see, and seeing their well-wishes and comments about how beautiful he was and how strong they thought I was, it was enough of a pick-me-up to get me through the days. It also makes your baby seem "real", which is a difficult feeling to achieve when they are locked up in the NICU and not allowed any visitors (most only allow parents, grandparents, and siblings during non-flu and cold seasons).

Lesson #9: No Expectations

Toward the end of your stay you're going to start getting estimates from doctors and nurses about your baby's discharge day. While their intentions are good, this can lead to a lot of disappointment on your part. You WILL cry the day they change discharge on you. I remember watching a mom about half-way into our NICU stay. Her baby was ready for discharge- or so they thought. I was there when they told her the baby wouldn't be discharged as expected, and she left the room in a flood of tears. I remember thinking to myself "geez, it's for the baby's own good. I will never allow myself to be over-emotional!" Well, when it was my turn to have that happen, I cried the whole drive home. Just take things as they go and don't get too invested in one reality. Your baby will be home before you know it. It seems like forever as you're going through it, but after it's over you'll wonder where the time went.

Remember, you will get through this. Be strong and keep your head clear. Nobody will fault you for doing the best that you can. Someday you'll have many stories to share with your tough little baby

Second Pregnancy - What to Expect

Congratulations on your second pregnancy! So you are going to be a mother again! Motherhood is a wonderful feeling indeed. You must be wondering, in what ways your experience is going to differ from your first one. Also, since your body is older than the first time around, you might also be anxious about possible complications. Here are a few things to expect during your second pregnancy period, and some cautions that you need to take, to ensure that everything is smooth sailing.

Changes In Your Body Different From Your First Pregnancy:

Your morning sickness may be less severe, although this is not a rule. Varicose veins, hemorrhoids and leaky bladder are likely to occur again though.

You may get easily fatigued this time. You might not get as much rest as you did the first time, what with having to care for your first kid. Your pelvic joints may hurt more. You need to be much more careful about your posture, and lie on your side while sleeping.
-Your belly may enlarge and a bump starts to show much earlier than the first time. Your uterine wall has already undergone expansion before, so your muscles are more flexible now. Sometimes, second pregnancy becomes apparent even before the second trimester, as early as the 8th - 10th week.

The first time, labor can last as long as 12 to 14 ours, or even 20 hours in some cases. But the second time, the labor period is often much reduced. The cervical muscles dilate faster, about 1.5 cm per hour, as compared to 1.2 cm per hour in the first pregnancy. However, if the first time you had a C-section, then the second time the labor phase will not be reduced.

The uterine contractions that mothers experience for the first few days after birth may be more severe this time. These uterine contractions are actually signs that your uterus is returning to its pre-pregnancy state. But the pains associated with it may be so severe that you may feel the need of medications.

Emotional Adjustments For Yourself And Your Family:

The second time pregnant mothers often do not stay as much preoccupied with their pregnancy as they did the first time. They have to look after their first-born, who might very well be an active toddler or a pre-schooler. Also, being more experienced, they tend to be less anxious. But sometimes they may think that they are not taking as much care of the unborn baby as they should and feel guilty. Rest assured, in the second pregnancy, requisite frequency of natal checkups is less than the first one. Also, you will have ample opportunity to care for the new baby after its birth.

Guilt pangs may also arise from inability to spend as much time with your first kid and husband as you used to before the second pregnancy. You may fell that you are neglecting our older child. Relax; consider this as an opportunity for them to learn to take care of them.

You might worry about the right time to tell your first child about your second pregnancy. It is advisable to tell them as soon as possible, to give them sufficient time to adjust to the idea. Try and spend quality time with them, involve them in your planning for the newborn. Assure them that they are not becoming any less important to you because the second baby is on its way. Make them feel that you are relying upon them to take care of their baby sibling. If they are to be shifted to another room or to another bed, do not wait till your delivery time, they might feel replaced. Also, consider making them a part of the delivery by keeping them in the waiting room at childbirth.

Complications That Might Arise

Weight gain between pregnancies increases the risks of complications for both the mother and the second baby. Studies show that the gain of even 3 to 6 kilos can lead to high blood pressure and pregnancy-diabetes. The gain of 9 kilos can cause toxemia, pre-eclampsia, or even still-birth.

Pre-eclampsia is more likely if the first baby was premature or smaller than normal, or the mother has diabetes or chronic high blood pressure. The symptoms of pre-eclampsia are pregnancy induced hypertension, protein in urine and excessive fluid retention. This can restrict blood flow to placenta in severe cases. The longer the gap between pregnancies, the higher the risk of these problems.

Rh-disease erythroblastosis fetalis is also another high-risk factor during the second pregnancy. This occurs when the mother is Rh¬- while the fetus is Rh+ in the first pregnancy. Some red blood cells from the fetus may enter the mother's bloodstream at the time of delivery. These activate Rh-specific antibodies, which persist within the mother's blood. In a subsequent pregnancy, these anti Rh antibodies can cross the placenta and damage the blood cells of the fetus, with fatal consequences. This can be prevented by injection of Rhogam into the mother's body after the birth of the first child. These destroy any fetal red blood cells that enter the bloodstream of the mother, and prevent formation of anti-Rh antibodies.

So all you second-time moms, hope your first experience makes you less anxious than before. You are now better aware of the diets you need to follow, the exercises you need to do in order to ensure that you experience a risk-free second pregnancy. Consult your OB, try and stay updated about any new tests or medications that may have been introduced. Consider joining a Lamaze class again, now that you may have forgotten much of the exercise routine. Discussing your experiences with other second-time mothers in your friend circle will further ease your tensions. So sit back, relax, enjoy your motherhood, and welcome the new baby in this earth cheerfully.