Women and Peace

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Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles, which prepare you body for labor and delivery. As you practice these exercises more, you will even be able to relax your pelvic muscles, which is a great help for delivery. And finaly, by practicing your Kegel exercises during pregnancy, you will help your vagina bounce back into shape more quickly than if you don’t do Kegels.

The muscles you use to practice Kegels are the same ones you would use to stop the flow of urine midstream (something you are probably already familiar with by doing all the urine tests at the doctor’s office!)

You should do 25-30 Kegels each day, spread out throughout the day. You should hold for approximately 10 seconds each time. If you can’t hold it for 10 seconds each time, even starting at 2 seconds and working your way up to 10 seconds will help your pelvic muscles prepare for pregnancy.

After birth, you should continue to practice to help your vagina get back to pre-pregnancy size.

During pregnancy, your body undergoes massive changes, both physical and hormonal, not to mention emotional changes. Pregnancy can cause your cartilage to become softer and loser, in preparation for the flexibility in your hips during birth. Read the rest of this entry »

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While many realize over the counter sleeping aids are a no-no during pregnancy, many do not realize that herbal supplements can be just as bad, if not even more dangerous, to take during pregnancy. Read the rest of this entry »

Sleeping on a waterbed has been given mixed reviews by pregnancy experts. Some agree you should sleep on a regular bed during pregnancy, while others believe that a waterbed is perfectly safe for a pregnant woman. Read the rest of this entry »

Every pregnant women seems to lament the lack of comfortable sleep during pregnancy. Between the baby kicking, endless bathroom trips and sore backs, it is a wonder that you can even sleep! Read the rest of this entry »

Every pregnant woman experiences stress of some sort, whether it is financial fears or just how to assemble the crib correctly. These sorts of stress are common during pregnancy.

But some women suffer extreme stress during pregnancy. Certain situations such as domestic violence, workload, worries over being a single mother, and medical worries can cause some pregnant women to endanger themselves and their babies. Read the rest of this entry »

Domestic violence is many things. While most people invision physical violence, it can also include verbal abuse as well as sexual abuse (yes, even if he is your partner). Once you are pregnant, domestic violence can become an even larger issue. Read the rest of this entry »

Your doctor has told you that you must take your prenatal vitamin containing folic acid each and every day. But why is folic acid so important, and what exactly does it do for your unborn baby during pregnancy? Read the rest of this entry »

With the many multi-ethnic foods readily available in North America, you might not realize that an ethnic favorite might be off limits during pregnancy. While ethnic dish avoidance is usually passed on from mother to daughter, chances are your mother probably didn’t indulge in sushi if she happened to grow up surrounded by meals of a different ethnicity. Read the rest of this entry »