Taking Care Of Your Newborn (0-6 months)

A newborn baby can feel small and fragile. The first month or two of your baby's life are an intense time. You may find yourself more "in love" than you thought possible or it may take longer to feel truly bonded. It's also a time of hard work and little sleep. The better prepared you are for this time, the smoother the transition will be. Taking care of your newborn can be one of the most special and rewarding experience of your life.To take care of a newborn, you need to know how to give your baby the rest, nourishment and care that he needs as well as a healthy dose of love and affection. Here you'll find information about bathing and feeding your baby, establishing good sleep habits, interpreting your baby's cries, and knowing when to call the doctor.

 

 Help your newborn get plenty of rest

• Newborns need to get lot of rest to continue growing healthy and strong. Some can rest up to 16 hours a day as well. Though once your baby is three months or so, he may be able to sleep for 6-8 hours at a time. In the beginning your baby may only sleep for 2-3 hours at a time and should be woken up if he or she hasn't been fed for 4 hours.

Hold your newborn

• You have to make sure to give your baby as much head and neck support as possible when you hold them. You should let the baby's head rest inside your inner elbow, with the length of their body resting on your forearm. Their outer hip and upper legs should rest in your hand, with inside arm resting over their chest and abdomen. Hold the baby snugly and give your baby all of your attention.
• You can also hold the baby by pacing his/her tummy on your upper chest, while using the same side hand to hold their body, while using the opposite hand to support the baby's head from the back.
• If your baby has siblings and people unfamiliar with holding babies, carefully instruct them on how to hold the baby and make sure they are sitting down with a knowing adult nearby to keep the baby safe.

Care for your newborn's umbilical cord stump

• Your baby's umbilical cord stump should fall off within the first two weeks of its life. It will change in color from a yellowish green to brown and black as it dries and falls off on its own. It's important to care of it properly before it falls off to avoid infection.
• Keep it clean. Clean it with plain water and dry it with a clean and absorbent cloth. Make sure to wash your hands before you handle it. Stick to giving your baby sponge baths until it falls off.
• Keep it dry. Expose it to air so the base dries out, keeping the front of your baby's diaper folded down so it is uncovered. Resist the urge to pull it off. Let the stump fall off at its own pace.
• Keep an eye out for signs of infection. It's natural to see a bit of dried blood or a little bit of crust near the stump. However, you should see a doctor immediately if the stump produces a smelly discharge or yellowish pus, continues to bleed, or is swollen and red.

Nutrition for your newborn

• Feeding is an essential task which also provides you with an opportunity to interact. In the early days babies need a minimum of 8-12 feeds in a 24 hour period. This includes overnight feeding. 
• Infant nutrition means making sure your baby is getting enough nutrients during the first year. Nutrients are calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Making sure your baby has good nutrition will protect them against diseases. It also helps him stay healthy as he grows.
• Breast milk or infant formula is the only nourishment needed by most healthy babies until they are 4-6 months old. During 4-6 months we can include cereal mixed with 4 to 5 tablespoons of breast milk or formula in their diet along with breastfeeding.
• Breast milk or formula or cereal contains 8 to 15% protein, 35 to 55% fat, and 30 to 50% carbohydrate, which is the right amount of calories and protein your baby needs.
• Cow's milk or other dairy products should not be given until at least one year of age. Your baby's kidneys cannot handle the high protein and mineral content well until that age.
• Do not feed your newborn with fruits. At 4-6 months you can feed them with 1/4th cup of completely pureed fruits or mix the pureed fruit with the cereal.
• Most infants get the water they need from breast milk, formula, or juices. In very hot climates, they may need 1/2 to 1 cup a day to make up losses.  

Diaper your newborn

• If the baby gets enough food, it will produce 6-8 wet diapers a day, along with steady bowel movements. Stock up on diapers, so you don't run out.
• Change diapers frequently to avoid diaper rash. It's especially important to change poopy diapers as soon as possible, since they can cause diaper rash quickly. If you observe any diaper rash, apply some diaper rash cream and dress your newborn with fresh diaper.
• Keep distractions handy. If your baby fusses during changes, give your baby a small toy to play with while you take care of business.
• Resist the urge to change your baby every time she wakes up you'll just jostle her awake even more. Instead, dress your baby in a high-quality, nighttime diaper at bedtime.
• For sleepy nighttime changes, nothing wakes a baby faster than a cold wet wipe, try using a warm washcloth instead.
• Some disposable diapers for young babies have a wetness indicator on them a line that turns color if the diaper is wet. This isn't necessary, but it can be a convenient way to tell at a glance if it's time for a change.

Massage and Bath for your newborn

• Baby Massage is a lovely way of bonding and connecting with your baby or toddler. You can learn simple massage techniques that you can use at home as part of your daily routine with your child.
• You can start massage for baby at any age, including premature babies (with the consent of your midwife/Health Visitor) and can continue this as your child grows.
• Baby Massage can soothe and calm babies and also help with conditions such as colic, constipation, wind, colds, teething and birth-related conditions such as wry neck and stiff legs. It also reduces post-natal depression in mothers.
• Massaging your baby can make you feel more relaxed and connected with your baby, and you will have more confidence about handling your baby.
• Warm hands make for a comfortable massage feeling. After rubbing a few drops of oil in each hand, you're ready to go. Start with stroking motions from baby’s head to feet. After this gentle beginning, perform the different exercises on the reverse side for complete relaxation. After you finish massaging your baby you can directly take them for bathing.
• During the first week, you should carefully give your baby a sponge bath. Once the umbilical cord falls off, you can start bathing your baby regularly.
• Set everything you'll need within arm's reach soap, washcloth, towel, diaper, change of clothes before you start so that you can keep one hand on your baby at all times. When you're done bathing, quickly wrap your baby up in the towel so they doesn't lose too much body heat. Dry them thoroughly, being sure to get into the creases, before you diaper and dress them.
• You may feel a little scared or uncertain when you bathe your baby for the first time. If so, see if you can get your partner or a family member involved. That way, one person can hold the baby while the other person bathes the baby.
• Use mild soap and use it sparingly (too much dries out your baby's skin). Wash your baby with your hand or a washcloth from top to bottom, front and back. If dried mucus has collected in the corners of your baby's nostrils or eyes, dab it several times to soften it before you wipe it out. As for your baby's genitals, a routine washing is all that's needed. When you are done bathing, wipe your baby clean with a washcloth. Continue to use one hand to support their neck and head. Be careful babies are slippery when wet.
• Never leave your baby unsupervised, even for a minute. If the doorbell or phone rings and you feel you must answer it, scoop him up in a towel and take him with you.

Give your baby "tummy time" every day

• Since your baby spends so much of its time on its back, it's important to also give your baby time to stay on his tummy so that he develops both mentally and physically and strengthens his arms, head, and neck.
• Some doctors say babies should get 15-20 minutes of tummy time a day, while others say that you should just place your baby on his tummy for 5 minutes during different parts of the day as he develops.
• You can start with tummy after a month. To make tummy time fun, get level with your baby. Make eye contact, tickle your baby, and play around. Tummy time is hard work, and some babies will be resistant to it.

Connect with your newborn

• You can't play with the child just yet, but they do get bored like we do. Try taking them for a walk to the park once a day, talking to them, putting pictures in the room where they spend most of their time, listening to music.
• In the beginning, the most important thing you can do is to bond with your baby. This means you should stroke your baby, cradle your baby, give the baby some skin-to-skin contact, giving your baby an infant massage.
• Babies love vocal sounds, and it's never too early to start talking, babbling, singing, or cooing with your baby.

Learn to soothe a crying newborn

• If your baby is upset, it's not always easy to find the reason right away, though there are a few tricks you can try. Check for a wet diaper. Try feeding them.
• If that doesn't work, try adding a layer of clothing if it's cold out or removing a layer if it's hot.
• Sometimes, your baby just wants to be held, or is experiencing too much stimulation.
• As you get to know your newborn, you'll become better at finding what's wrong. Your baby also may just need to be burped.
• Rocking them gently and singing or humming a lullaby to them will help. They might just be tired so lay them down. Sometimes, babies just cry and you have to let them until they fall asleep.

Know when to call the doctor for your baby

• It's normal for new parents to worry about their baby's health. Even if you can see that your newborn is strong and sturdy, babies are small and vulnerable and need our protection.
• Many first newborn visits occur just 1-3 days after you and your baby are discharged from the hospital. After that, each doctor's program will vary slightly, but you should generally take your newborn to the doctor at least two weeks to a month after birth, after the second month, and then every other month or so. It's important to schedule regular visits with your baby to make sure that your baby is growing normally and receiving the necessary care.
• If your baby like the usual playful, happy and is feeding well, then your baby is not seriously ill. A baby who has a runny nose and a big smile is probably not as sick as a baby who has a runny nose and is sluggish or inactive.
• If your baby suddenly starts crying more than usual and you can't comfort your baby in the usual ways, or if your baby cry is weak or unusually high-pitched, he/she may be seriously ill. The opposite is also true if your baby seems unhappy and doesn't cry, but is unusually inactive and difficult to wake up, call your doctor.
• A baby who tires easily from sucking or loses interest in nursing or feeding may be sick. Also, if you notice your baby spitting up more than usual, with more effort, or if the spit-up is greenish in color, call your doctor.
• Young babies, especially breastfed babies, often have very soft or liquid bowel movements. But if the stools become extra watery, your infant may have diarrhea. Monitor their bowel movements and see whether the diarrhea continues. Make sure they are breastfed or bottle fed as often as usual, so they doesn't get dehydrated. Your baby should wet a minimum of six diapers a day. If they seems lethargic and stops having bowel movements or begins to have small, hard, or dry bowel movements or if their stool is streaked with blood or mucus, or has the consistency of jelly, call the doctor.
• If your baby's breathing is labored or if they have  trouble breathing at all, get help immediately.
• Although fever in a baby is a signal that they are sick, the fever alone usually isn't worrisome. A baby can have a low-grade fever and be seriously ill, or a high fever and be only mildly ill. But if a baby under 3 months of age has a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher, then they should be examined. If  your baby has fever, but appears completely well otherwise, observe them for a day to see whether they develops other symptoms. If you're still in doubt, call your healthcare provider immediately.

Sleep patterns for your newborn

• Newborns sleep a lot typically up to 16 to 17 hours a day. But most babies don't stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.
• Baby sleep cycles are far shorter than those of adults, and babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the extraordinary development happening in their brain. REM sleep is lighter than non-REM sleep, and more easily disrupted.
• At 6 to 8 weeks of age, most babies begin to sleep for shorter periods during the day and longer periods at night, though most continue to wake up to feed during the night. They also have shorter periods of REM sleep, and longer periods of deep, non-REM sleep.
•  Somewhere between 4 and 6 months, experts say, most babies are capable of sleeping for a stretch of 8 to 12 hours through the night. Some infants sleep for a long stretch at night as early as 6 weeks, but many babies don't reach that milestone until they're 5 or 6 months old and some continue to wake up at night into toddlerhood. You can help your baby get there sooner, if that's your goal, by teaching them good sleep habits from the start.
• For the first six to eight weeks, most babies aren't able to stay up much longer than two hours at a time. If you wait longer than that to put your baby down, they may be overtired and have trouble falling asleep.
• Watch your baby for signs that they are tired. Are they rubbing their eyes, pulling on their ears, or being more fussy than normal. If you spot these or any other signs of sleepiness, try putting them down to sleep. You'll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when they are ready for a nap.
• Some infants are night owls and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching them to distinguish night from day.
• When they are alert and awake during the day, interact with them as much as you can, keep the house and their room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, music, or dishwasher. If they tends to sleep through feedings, wake them up.
• At night, don't play with them when they wakes up. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to them. Before long they should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.
• When your baby is a little older, you should establish a regular bedtime, as well as consistent nap times, to regulate their sleep patterns. Choose a reasonable bedtime that suits your schedule and stick to it as much as possible.
•  You can start to plan naps for a specific time every day. You can just put your baby down about two hours after they last woke up. As long as they are getting enough opportunities to sleep, either approach is fine.
• If your baby's having a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep, whether during naps or at night, try putting them down sooner. Being too tired can make it hard to settle down and get restful sleep.
• It's fine to wake your baby up in the morning if they are sleeping past their usual waking time, to help set their daily clock. Your baby needs to follow a regular sleep/wake pattern and recharge with naps during the day. Waking them up at the same time every morning will help keep them on a predictable sleep schedule.

Conclusion:

Your child is strongly influenced by the environment, daily activities and routines. A predictable routine, including meal, bath, story time, brief cuddle and sleep help your child establish good habits or patterns. It takes time for your baby to develop a predictable routine. This can be a fun time as your child develops new skills such as exploring their world. All babies are different. Modify the routine to match your baby's needs. Trying out the above things is never a mistake, it might take some time, but will help the baby in the long run. If you try and lose, then it isn't your fault.

 

Cholesterol: Basics, Factors affecting its levels and Natural ways to lower cholesterol levels

 Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. The cell walls need cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help you digest fat. Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs.  However, cholesterol also is found in some of the foods you eat. But the body only needs a limited amount of cholesterol. When there’s too much of cholesterol in your body, health problems, such as heart disease, may develop. High blood cholesterol is a condition in which you have too much cholesterol in your blood. This condition usually has no signs or symptoms. People who have high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease. Coronary heart disease is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the heart arteries. Plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your coronary arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and gradually it blocks the arteries in the heart. If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle is reduced or blocked, heart attack may occur.

 

Types of Cholesterol:

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins. These packages are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. There are three types of lipoproteins in your blood: high density, low density, and very low density. The specific type depends on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

• Low density lipoproteins (LDL) is also called "bad" cholesterol because it can cause plaque buildup on the walls of arteries. The more LDL there is in the blood, the greater the risk of heart disease.
• High density lipoproteins (HDL) is also called "good" cholesterol. It helps the body to get rid of LDL. Maintaining a higher level of  HDL is important. If your HDL level is low your risk of heart disease goes up.
• Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) is similar to LDL in that it contains mostly fat and not much protein.
• Triglycerides, another type of fat, is carried in the blood by VLDL. Excess calories, alcohol, or sugar in your body is converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout your body.

Factors Affecting Cholesterol Levels

A variety of factors can affect your cholesterol levels. They include:

• Diet: Foods rich in cholesterol and fats like saturated fat and trans fat, increase your cholesterol levels. Saturated fats, like those in meat, full-fat dairy products and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, which are found in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels. These fats raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol, and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good," cholesterol.
• Exercise: Lack of physical exercise  increases your cholesterol levels. Physical inactiveness raises your LDL levels and lowers the HDL.
• Over weight: Being overweight increases the cholesterol levels. Gaining some extra pounds even just a few contributes to high cholesterol. Your eating habits and daily routines are mainly responsible for gaining extra weight.
• Diabetes: Poorly controlled diabetes increases cholesterol levels. Uncontrolled diabetes slowly raises your LDL and lowers your HDL.
• Stress: Stress and its companion emotions—tension, anxiety, anger, depression—trigger the release of chemicals that constrict arteries, reduce blood flow to the heart, raise blood pressure, and elevate your heart rate. These changes, in combination with uncontrolled cholesterol, can put you on course for a heart attack.
• Age and Gender: As you get older, cholesterol levels rise. Before menopause, women tend to have lower total cholesterol levels than men. After menopause  women's LDL levels tend to rise.
• Heredity and Other factors: Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families. The other factors that contribute to high cholesterol can be medications. Certain medications and medical conditions can cause high cholesterol.

 Natural Ways To Lower Cholesterol Levels

Healthy Lifestyle can help reduce cholesterol, keep you off cholesterol-lowering medications. Here are some ways to reduce the cholesterol levels naturally:

1. Eat healthy foods

• Eliminate trans fat from your food. Trans fat is found in fried foods, bakery foods like cakes, cookies etc. Don't rely on packages that are labeled "trans fat-free." If a food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, it can be labeled "trans fat-free." Even though those amounts seem small, they can add up quickly if you eat a lot of foods that have a small amount of trans fat in them. Read the ingredients list carefully. You can tell if a food has trans fat in it if it contains partially hydrogenated oil.
• Choose healthy fats like saturated fats in your diet. Saturated fats found in red meat and whole milk products raise your cholesterol levels. You should get less than 7 percent of your daily calories from saturated fat. Instead, choose leaner cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and monounsaturated fats found in olive, peanut and canola oils for a healthier option.
•  Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can help lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Some types of fish — such as salmon, mackerel and herring — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, almonds and ground flax seeds.
• Include more fiber rich foods in your diet. Dietary fiber found in beans, fruits, and other foods binds to cholesterol, lowering LDL levels by about 5%. Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol by acting like a sponge to absorb cholesterol" in the digestive tract. Good sources of soluble fiber include dried beans, oats, and barley, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets as well as fiber products containing psyllium.
• Whole grains foods are rich sources of heart healthy antioxidants that lowers the cholesterol level. Various nutrients found in whole grains promote heart health. Choose whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat flour and brown rice.
•  Dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks contain lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow pigment. Include lutein-rich foods daily in your diet, which guards against heart attacks by helping artery walls "shrug off" cholesterol invaders that cause clogging.  

    2. Exercise

• Exercise is a great way to raise HDL. People who have had a heart attack can reduce their death risk by 25% with exercise compared with usual care. Moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. With your doctor's OK, work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Physical activities like a brisk walk, swimming, yoga, running or any kind of activity would be helpful.

    3. Lose weight

• Carrying some extra pounds — even just a few — contributes to high cholesterol. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help significantly reduce cholesterol levels. You should be careful about your eating habits and daily routines. Don't eat when you're bored or frustrated, take a walk instead. Avoid fast foods for lunch every day, pack something healthier from home. If you're sitting in front of the television, try munching on carrot sticks instead of potato chips as you watch. Don't eat mindlessly.   

    4. Quit smoking and drink alcohol only in moderation

• If you smoke, stop. Quitting may improve your HDL cholesterol level. Just 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure decreases. Within 24 hours, your risk of a heart attack decreases. Within one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker. Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is similar to someone who never smoked.
• Moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of HDL cholesterol, but the benefits aren't strong enough to recommend alcohol for anyone who doesn't already drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke.

    5. Find ways to short-circuit stress

• Stress in combination with uncontrolled cholesterol, can put you on course for a heart attack. To block your body's stress response, simply removing yourself from the stressful situation can help. Go for a short walk, practice deep breathing, perform a few simple stretches, meditate whatever enables you to relax. You'll feel better, you'll think more clearly, and you'll spare your heart from harm.

    6. Drink green tea

• Green tea is a healthier alternative to sodas and sugary beverages. Green tea contains compounds that can help lower LDL cholesterol. In a small study conducted in Brazil, people who took capsules containing a green tea extract were able to reduce their total cholesterol.

Conclusion

 

Sometimes healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to lower cholesterol levels. Make sure the changes you choose to make are ones that you can continue, and don't be disappointed if you don't see results immediately. If your doctor recommends medication to help lower your cholesterol, take it as prescribed, but continue your lifestyle changes.

VITAL ROLE OF WATER IN OUR BODY

Water is our body's most significant nutrient, involves in every bodily function, and makes up 70- 75% of your total body weight and is a major element of our physical structures and vital organs.A healthy adult living in a normal climate should drink 1.5 liters of water per day. Water enables to balance water losses and maintain one’s body properly hydrated. A healthy body has exactly the correct measure of fluid inside and outside each cell, which is called as fluid balance. Maintaining your fluid balance is essential to life. If too little water is within a cell, it contracts and dies. If there’s too much water, the cell bursts. Muscle tissue has more water than fat tissue. The average male body has proportionately more muscle than the female body, so males have more water in their body than females. If you are not getting enough water, your body will respond by pulling it from other places, including your blood. This does the closure of some smaller vessels (capillaries), making your blood thicker, more susceptible to clotting, and harder to pump through your organization. And this contributes to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and nerve disease. 

 

The vital functions of water in our body are:

  

Water Protects Your Tissues, Spinal Cord, and Joints

The presence of water in and around body tissues helps defend the body against shock. The brain, eyes, and spinal cord are among the sensitive structures that depend on a protective water layer. Maintaining your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these tender regions. Water is present in the mucous and salivary juices of our digestive systems. Water is important for moving the food through the digestive tract. Those who drink less water or dehydrated will have the difficulty to swallow the food. Water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints.

Water Helps In Eliminating Body Waste

Enough water intake enables your body to excrete waste through sweating, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use water to help flush away waste. Water can also keep you from becoming constipated by softening your stools and helping propel the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. Water is likewise necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. With the help of water, this fiber dissolves easily and benefits your bowel health by doing well-formed, soft stools that are easy to pass.

Water Helps In Metabolizing Stored Fat

Liver's primary function is to metabolize stored fat into energy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins, wastes, ingested water, and salts out of the blood stream. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly, and the liver must work extra time to compensate. As a result, it metabolizes less fat. If you are trying to lessen the amount of fat on your torso, maintain your body hydrated.

Water Act As Body's Transportation System

Water is the medium by which other nutrients and essential elements are distributed throughout the body. As a major portion of the blood, water helps move glucose, water-soluble vitamins, minerals, other nutrients and some medications throughout your body. The digestion of protein and carbohydrates to usable and absorbable forms and their distribution to different parts of body depends on water as part of the chemical reaction. Water also works as the transport for body waste removal.

Water Regulates Your Body Temperature

Our health and well-being is dependent on keeping body temperature within a real narrow range. Water itself changes temperature slowly and helps regulate body temperature by serving as a good heat storage material. Water has a large heat capacity, which helps limit changes in body temperature in a warm or a cold environment. Water allows the body to release heat when ambient temperature is higher than body temperature. The body begins to sweat, and the evaporation of water from the skin surface very efficiently cools the body. Water also has a high heat capacity. A great deal of energy is required to increase its temperature. Since the body contains more water than anything else, it requires rather a significant sum of heat to elevate your body temperature.

Conclusion:
water is a great natural appetite suppressant. There are three ways we draw water into our physical structures. We take it from the foods we consume, the fluids we drink, and as a byproduct of metabolism. Each day water losses are balanced with water intake. The body possesses a sophisticated organization that acts to maintain water equilibrium. Thirst is a trigger that reminds us to take in more water. It is significant to be aware of fluid intake. If water is something you rarely think about, you are not alone. Many people don’t realize the important role water plays in major body functions. If you truly want your body major functions to execute properly, and so you should be aware of fluid intake and drink enough water to sustain a tidy lifespan.

BE ACTIVE DURING YOUR PREGNANCY

Being physically active is important for everyone, including women who are pregnant. Even if you are tired and suffering from morning sickness, being physically active and making out some practice session can help you feel more excited and energized. Even gentle exercise during pregnancy can help you have a more comfortable pregnancy and it may as well dilute the risk of complications during pregnancy. If you were physically active before pregnancy, it's healthier to continue with exercising and most of your activities. If you were not physically active before pregnancy, its better you start with gentle exercise. Before you begin any exercise make sure you speak to your physician about getting active during pregnancy and follow their advice.

 

How will physical activity help you during pregnancy?

• Regular exercise such as brisk walking strengthens your heart and lungs and can make you feel less tired.
• The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidelines for exercise during pregnancy. These guidelines state that pregnant women should do 30 minutes of moderate activity regularly.
• Giving birth requires energy and stamina, so staying active during pregnancy is an excellent preparation for the difficult work ahead.
• A steady routine of aerobic workout, such as walking, swimming or low-impact aerobics, may even help shorten your labor and help the birth to proceed smoothly.
• If you develop diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), exercise can facilitate you to make out your blood sugar levels, when united with a healthy diet.
• Exercise stretches and strengthens your muscles, which can assist your physical structure to manage better with pregnancy niggles such as: Stretches may ease back pain, Walking improves your circulation, easing the discomfort of varicose veins in legs, Swimming strengthens your tummy muscles and supports the weight of your growing bump.
•  Exercising can improve your mood and aid to reduce feelings of anxiousness and depression.
• Try an exercise that's designed for moms-to-be, such as pregnancy yoga or Pilates. Prenatal Yoga teaches proper breathing techniques (useful during labor) and is great for strengthening muscles.
• When you’re pregnant, finding a comfortable position to sleep during night can be a genuine challenge. Exercise will improve your sleep patterns, yielding you a more restful sleep.
• Being physically active regularly can help you to keep a healthy weight during pregnancy, which may assist you to feel better about your changing physical structure.
• Exercise during pregnancy is not only beneficial for you but also for your baby. The benefits of working out during pregnancy includes: Fewer pregnancy complaints (Backache, constipation, and so on), Decreased risk of gestational diabetes, Shortens the labor and makes the birth smother, Faster recovery from natural birth or C-section.
• You should cease working immediately, if you own any of the following signs: Faintness, uterine contractions, vaginal bleeding. Consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the above signs.

Conclusion: Physical exertion can be a fun part of your daily life. Exercise does not have to be a solid 30 minute session every day. You can discontinue your workout time into three 10 min or two 15 minute sessions depending on your energy and toughness. Eat healthy and remain active during your pregnancy to induce a healthy pregnancy.