Carrying a new life inside you is wonderful, but can sometimes be frightening. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and safe while pregnant.

There is a lot of advice that people will try to give you when you are pregnant, but the best advice will come from your doctor and concerns how you take care of your body and that of your unborn child.

Pregnancy Facts

Your body will need nutrients that it may not have been getting previously, and your caloric consumption will increase when you become pregnant. That new life is going through new growth phases every day and needs calories to fuel that growth. Expectant mothers are encouraged to eat more to help with this. For the fetus, a variety of vitamins and minerals are needed for proper organ function.

Nutrition Tips

To make sure that mother is properly feeding the fetus and it is growing at the right rate, here are a few nutritional guidelines:

* Take a multivitamin each day – A complete vitamin will contain all the vitamins needed for healthy brain and neurological functioning. This is important in the first trimester of pregnancy to help avoid many kinds of birth defects. In particular, folic acid needs to be included.

* Eat whole grains – These grains can lower cholesterol and help keep your blood sugar in check during pregnancy. Grains also help keep cravings at bay so you won’t feed a sweet tooth for the next nine months.

* Drink lots of water – Proper hydration can help with waste elimination for you and the fetus. It can also help keep your skin healthy and firm.

Fitness Tips

* Stay active – After the first trimester, you will be advised what exercises are no longer safe for you to perform. You may not be able to dance actively, but you can participate in less vigorous but equally effective activities. Walking or swimming are both beneficial.

* Avoid strenuous activities – Lifting weights, high-impact aerobics and even riding a bike can be dangerous due to the changes in your body. The added weight of the pregnancy can leave you unsteady at times. Any activity that depends on balance can be a danger to you and your baby.

* Avoid losing weight – It is not recommended that pregnant women lose weight. Engage in activities to keep the muscles strong as they aid in easier childbirth. If you find that you are losing weight, increase your calorie consumption.

Pregnancy can be both emotionally and physically life altering. Use the tips above to stay in shape and in good health as you carry the new life inside your body.

Today, most people are concerned with eating more healthily. That has extended to the milk we drink and the dairy products that we consume.

What Is Organic?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set down guidelines in order for foods to be declared as organic on their labels. When it comes to milk and dairy products, here are the guidelines.

Cows that are considered giving organic milk have to eat from the pasture most of the time. There is no time limit set, but there is debate going on about whether grass-fed cows give better milk than those fed with hay or grain. Normally cows would eat only grass, but times have changed and their diet can now include grain as well.

Cows must not have been injected with growth hormones, which can help cows produce more milk. Many consumers are afraid that these hormones will be transferred to their milk and affect their children.

Cows are not allowed to be given antibiotics. If a cow becomes sick and needs to be given antibiotics, they cannot rejoin the herd for at least a year. Testing is done to ensure that the antibiotic is not in the cow and not in the milk that is shipped from the farm.

Milk has to be tested regularly for certain compounds. Organic milk must have no more than a specified level of pesticides. These pesticides could be found in the grain or in the field where the cows are grazing.

If all of these conditions are met, then the milk is certified by the Government to be organic and can carry that label on the store shelves; however, it also carries a higher price tag.

Benefits of Organic Milk and Dairy Products

Organic milk has lower levels of pesticides and hormones. Growth hormones are found in different animals and are thought to affect the human body through consumption of meat treated with hormones. This is not a concern with organic milk.

Along with organic milk, there are now dairy products made using certified organic milk. That includes cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. Vitamins are still added to the milk to increase its nutritional value.

While there are no studies concluding that organic is better than regular milk, you can rest easy knowing that you are getting all of the nutrition with none of the potential side effects of other substances in your dairy products.

There are many choices of cow’s milk in the marketplace. Milk provides us with calcium, vitamin D and a healthy amount of fat and protein. Milk can come from other animals as well, but here we will concentrate on the different kinds of cow’s milk and non-animal milk products:

* Whole milk – This milk has a rich texture and contains about 4 percent milk fat and is fortified with vitamins A and D. Children who are weaned off breast milk are given whole milk to meet their nutritional needs.

* Two percent milk – This milk has fewer milk fats. It contains ten grams of protein and is fortified with vitamins A and D like whole milk. This milk has less richness due to its lack of milk fat.

* One percent milk – This is the closest to skim milk, but still with some substance that is thicker than water. It gives you the benefit of the added vitamins, but without the milk fat. If you are eating to lose weight, try this or skim milk.

* Skim milk – Contains no milk fat. This milk provides fewer calories than whole milk. It has a bluish tint and is more the consistency of water. It contains added vitamins, just like whole milk.

* Organic milk – This milk is much like whole milk, but has met the guidelines set down by the U.S. Government for obtaining milk from organic farms. It has fewer pesticides, hormones and antibiotics than can be contained in regular milk.

* Buttermilk – Has a yellowish appearance and smells sour. The reason for that is that it is soured milk. It is made from low-fat milk and contains sweeteners for taste. It can be used to make biscuits, pancakes and waffles.

* Soy milk – For those who are vegetarian or vegan and don’t want to eat animal products. Soy milk comes from soy protein, ground soybeans. It is more like a beverage, but has the consistency of milk and lots of protein.

* Flavored milk – Made from two percent or fat-free milk. Flavoring is added for strawberry milk. Cocoa is added for chocolate milk. Sweetener is also added for taste.

* Powdered milk – This milk is processed and heat-treated to remove bacteria. It is a mixture of whole milk and part skim milk. Water is removed from the liquid to produce the powder. It has a longer shelf life and can be reconstituted with water for cereal and recipes.

* Condensed milk – Used to sweeten recipes. It is milk from which water has been removed and sugars added to make it thick.

There are many other types of milk on the market, including goat’s milk. The type of milk that you choose depends on what you feel is best for your family’s nutrition.

One way to keep the urinary bladder in place is by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor.

The pelvis is the area between your two hip bones. The two sides of the pelvis are fused together at a point called the symphysis pubis. This area houses the pelvic organs: your bladder and female reproductive organs, as well as your rectum.

The muscles that firmly hold these organs in place can be challenged when you get pregnant. Everything is stretched, including them. They become weak. After childbirth, if the muscles are not actively strengthened, it can lead to issues as a woman ages.

With age also comes menopause. The lack of hormones can lead to vaginal dryness, and also further weakening of these muscles. As a result, the bladder can bulge downward, causing problems for the urinary system and the rectum. Simply coughing can cause urinary incontinence.

When these openings fall in on each other, there are other repercussions. For one, you may have a less than satisfying sexual experience as a result. Your uterus could prolapse as well. The shifting of the structures in the pelvis can lead to abdominal and/or back pain.

Exercises to Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles

One way to prevent this from happening or to rectify weak pelvic floor muscles is to exercise them.

First, learn to identify the muscles in this area. You can do this in the privacy of your own bedroom or bathroom. Lie on the bed or the floor and place a finger or two in your vagina. Squeeze hard. If you can feel the muscles tightening around your fingers, then you are using your pelvic muscles.

The same goes for your rectum and anus. If you are squeezing and feel it in that area, then you are also using other pelvic muscles. Resist the urge to squeeze your stomach muscles. If you are feeling it in your abdominals, you don’t have the right area.

One of the best exercises for strength here is Kegel exercises. Women are told to perform these during pregnancy to help with the delivery. Continuing to perform them can help to tighten the pelvic muscles. If this is your first time, it can take about 8-12 weeks to see results.

How to Perform Kegel Exercises

Empty your bladder. Sit on a chair or lie down. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Relax for the same amount of time and squeeze again. Repeat 10 times, three times a day.

As you perfect your technique, you can perform them at your desk, in the car and while standing at the stove. You will find easier ways to incorporate them into your daily routine.

To prevent your bladder from collapsing and leading to infections and discomfort, try Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles.

If you ever experience a feeling of fullness in your abdomen, it could be bloating, and there are ways to prevent it or stop it from occurring.

Bloating is when the digestive system fills up with excessive gas, which can be quite uncomfortable. It can happen at any time and to anyone, but women usually suffer the most.

Although some people think that bloat is a part of being healthy and that they must tolerate it, that’s not exactly true. You can eat well and also keep a trimmer abdomen. Here are some ways to combat bloat:

* Drink water – The body is mostly water. When we don’t drink enough, we can become constipated. Our digestive systems can get a little sluggish. Water gives the body an internal shower and also cleans out the pipes. If you don’t like plain water, try flavored water drinks or foods that have high water content.

* Add fiber – The average daily fiber intake is about thirty grams. Most people get less than half of that. Fiber helps you feel full. Choose high fiber carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables that contain it.

* Avoid cruciferous vegetables – This would include broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Some people have a build-up of gas from eating them. If that is you, then choose different vegetables to add to your diet. If you really like them, you can take something like Beano before you eat.  Of course, the more cruciferous vegetables you do eat and the more your body gets used to them, the less gas they will cause in your digestive system.

* Avoid the air – We are not talking about flying, but breathing. People who talk when they eat suck in more air than others. This excess air can create more gas in the digestive tract, leading to bloat. Drinking through a straw can do the same thing as well.

* Lactose intolerance – If you are having a lot of bloating and abdominal pain after eating dairy products, you may have a problem with lactose intolerance. Try soy products, or try taking Lactaid before you eat cheese or ice cream.

* Avoid salt – Most food has salt in it, but adding more can lead to swelling in the stomach. Avoiding processed foods can limit your sodium intake. Drink lots of water to flush out excess salt.

* Take PMS seriously – There are medicines that can reduce any bloat during premenstrual syndrome.

* Use natural remedies – Before you head for the medicine cabinet, go to the kitchen. Peppermint can help relax digestive muscles and prevent bloating. Use supplements that remove excess gas.

If you are battling bloat, whether man or woman, you can counteract bloating with a few easy steps.

Here is a useful Q and A on this topic:
Can I pass along a yeast infection in a spa or pool?

This is a great article on what to wear and what to avoid if you want to avoid yeast infections:
What Not To Wear: Yeast Infections