Reasons for spotting during pregnancy and what you can do about it

Seeing spots of blood during pregnancy is usually a cause for concern. However, it is not uncommon. The light bleeding, which is known as spotting may occur for a number of reasons.

Bleeding during the first trimester

Spotting is most likely to happen during early pregnancy and the reasons could be many, such as:

- implantation bleeding occurs during the first month of pregnancy when the fertilised egg gets attached to the wall of the uterus.

- cervical polyps ( a tumour that form on the surface of the cervix) or yeast infection may also cause episodes of spotting.

- miscarriage may be another possible reason for spotting

- ectopic pregnancy is another cause. It is the condition in which the embryo plants itself in either of the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.

- molar pregnancy is a rare condition associated with spotting during pregnancy. When this is the case, instead of your baby, an abnormal tissue grows inside the uterus. Sometimes it can be cancerous too.

Bleeding during the second or third trimesters

Spotting may also occur during late pregnancy and the possible reasons are listed below.

- problems related to placenta like placenta previa placental abruption can also result in spotting. These are serious conditions when the placenta either covers the cervix or it gets detached from the uterine wall respectively.

- uterine rupture is the rare and unfortunate event when a scar from a previous surgery (like the removal of fibroid or previous caesarean scar bursts open and the baby slips into the pregnant woman's abdomen.

- premature labour occurs when your body is too eager to deliver the baby, usually one month before the due date of delivery.

- vasa Previa is another rare condition when a baby who is still developing has his blood vessels entangled in the umbilical cord or placenta-crossing the cervix. It is extremely dangerous because the blood vessels may burst open thus causing the baby to bleed and lose oxygen.

Here's what you can do about spotting

It is strongly recommended that you should immediately see your doctor as soon as you detect any spotting during your pregnancy. Only a well-qualified medical expert can suggest the appropriate steps to be taken, depending on your individual reasons and symptoms related to spotting.

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Related Tip: 6 Changes You Can Expect During the 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy

Reasons for Spotting During Pregnancy

How to improve your vaginal health?

There is very little awareness or action to ensure vaginal health for women. There aren't many public discussions to be witnessed and women basically survive on whatever little they know and experience. 

Here are a few things you can do to improve your vaginal health, naturally:

1. Drink lots of water - our body is 70% water. And water alone is the cure to a lot of our basic health problems. To have a healthy vagina too, you should drink a lot of water. The science behind this is that mucous vaginal membranes need a lot of water.

2. Go nuts - almonds, flaxseeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and such nuts should be eaten in plenty. The essential minerals in them regulate your monthly cycle and also ensure that you do not face dryness, itchiness, etc.

3. Have garlic - we all know that garlic has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. Eating them raw helps cure infections. Wrapping a clove of fresh garlic into gauze and making a sort of a tampon, inserting it into your vagina and leaving it overnight would actually cure itchiness, dryness and infections.

4. Try cranberry juice - cranberries (the pure form, and not the bottled ones) are known to be beneficial for the bladder. They also acidify the urine and balance the ph in your vagina.

5. Less sugar is good - sugars, wheat and alcohols should be avoided when trying to heal an infection. It is advisable to consume these products as less as possible. The sweetness from all these foods disbalance the ph level of the vagina. If you want your vagina to be healthy, avoid rich, processed and sugary foods, and eat a balanced diet with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

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5 Foods That Care For Your Vagina

Vaginitis is a vaginal disorder, which is characterized by pain, itching and inflammation. It is usually caused due to an imbalance of the bacteria in the vagina. It may also occur because of low estrogen levels after menopause.

Vaginitis is classified into four types:

Yeast Infections: These infections are caused by a fungus known as candida albicans.
Bacterial Vaginosis: This disease results from an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina.
Vaginal Atrophy: Vaginal atrophy (vaginal inflammation resulting from tissue shrinking and thinning) occurs due to low estrogen levels in the body.
Trichomoniasis: This disease is caused by a parasite and is usually transmitted through sexual intercourse.
The symptoms of this disorder are:

Itching in the vagina
Abnormal bleeding from the vagina
Intense pain while having sexual intercourse
Vaginal discharge that changes in color and amount
Intense pain while urinating
Note: The cause of the disorder depends on the type of vaginitis you have; bacterial vaginitis results from an imbalance of the bacteria in the vagina. Yeast infections result from an overgrowth of fungi in the vagina. Trichomoniasis is caused by a single celled parasite 'Trichomonas vaginalis'.

Vaginitis - 4 Common Types

Do you know that the future health of your baby is decided  before you even conceive? Your preconception health is very important. Planning a baby is a demanding task, but if you plan it well you will have a healthier and easier pregnancy. 

These are a few tips which can do wonders

1. Relaxation at Work and Household Backup - Plan out your work schedule. You might need to change your work hours or may be change the job profile. You will also need someone to help you out with the household chores around this time.

2. Finances - Get your finances settled and insurance plan changed accordingly.

3. Lifestyle Modification - Eat healthy. Stop the intake of alcohol and stop smoking. Set aside a time for regular exercise if possible. Try to lose that extra flab and stay very active.

4. Reduce Stress - Create a support system for yourself. Engage in activities that uplift your mood.

5. Take Folic Acid -Take 400 mcg of folic acid tablet daily. It helps prevent birth defects of brain and spine in the baby.

6. Avoid Exposure to - Harmful chemicals, metals and toxic substances at workplace and home. Protect yourself from infections. Stay away from cats.

7. Up-to-Date Vaccination - Make sure your vaccination is complete. Vaccination against rubella and flu are very important. It is also important to maintain a gap of at least one month between your rubella shot and pregnancy planning.

8. Optimize your Medical Condition - If you have Hypertension, Diabetes, Asthma, Epilepsy or any other medical condition you must take complete advice from the physician. Blood pressure and sugar levels have to be under full control. The type and dose of the drug may need modifications.

9. Check Family History - Ask your parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and cousins about any health problems in the family like genetic problems, mental retardation or malformations in babies. This can help your Gynaecologist to determine which problems to look for and how to prevent it. 

10. Visit your Doctor - Carry a record of your medical conditions, family history and a checklist of your queries. Get tested for Li Blood Group, Thalassemia, HIV, Thyroid Levels, and Blood Sugars.



Why Your Baby's Health is Decided Much Before You Even Conceive

Are you experiencing reduced libido along with intense dryness in your genitals? Loss of libido is a tough thing to cope with in women. In spite of having a great sex life, your vaginal area can become nonresponsive because of several reasons. You might not even know what is happening and the reasons which are causing the condition. These conditions are common in the menopause stage in women.

Reasons for decreased libido and vaginal dryness: 

1. Several changes occur in a woman s body during the menopause stage. The sex hormones, which include estrogen and progesterone start decreasing. This may lower your libido, cause vaginal dryness and affect your sex life to a great extent.

2. Testosterone is the sex hormone which turns you on or gets you into the mood for having sex. When the production of this hormone is insufficient, the urge for having sex gets affected and reaching an orgasm gets even harder.

3. The decrease in estrogen production causes several physical changes in a woman. The blood circulation to your sexual organs gets reduced, making you less sensitive to any kind of sexual stimulation. It also leads to vaginal dryness. The walls of the vagina also become thin due to which penetration may get painful.

Remedies for decreased libido

1. You should start practicing breathing exercises and do meditation for at least thirty minutes every day. This will enable you to eliminate stress, which is a primary trigger for decreased libido.

2. For balancing the estrogen levels, you should consume phytoestrogenic tea and supplements. Some important herbs which you should take include black cohosh, red clover and dong quai.

3. You should also consume aphrodisiac food items. Garlic is such a food item, which contains allicin and increases the blood flow to the vagina. Dark chocolate can also be taken.

Remedies for vaginal dryness

Several conventional vaginal lubricants may lead to irritation, infection and dryness of the vagina.

1. You should always use a natural lubricant, which is not associated with side effects and works effectively. Natural lubricants such as tea tree oil, coconut oil and vitamin E based oils provide effective vaginal lubrication. They also moisturize and repair the vagina.

2. You must keep fit and active. Regular cardio or yoga sessions will help with enhanced blood flow to your sexual organs, making you feel wet.

3. You should drink plenty of water and always stay hydrated in order to prevent dryness in the vagina.

Most importantly, it is a good idea to continue having sex. If you shy away and do not make any effort, the problem of decrease in libido will continue. Therefore, sex is the best way of encouraging your body. Proper communication with your partner is also necessary.

Decreased Libido and Vaginal Lubrication. What can you Do?

Pregnancy brings with it a new set of additional responsibilities. The mother has to be extra vigilant about monitoring and caring for her health. This ensures that sufficient nutrition is being provided to the growing infant, at the same time, ensuring no harm comes to you. Listed below are some simple ways to do the same.

1. Prenatal care: As soon as you realize you are pregnant, it is advisable to talk to a doctor or a midwife about proper prenatal care. This could include anything and everything from prenatal vitamins to food habits to exercise to sleeping habits to periodic scanning and a number of other things that your doctor will prescribe.

2. Diet: You need to ensure two things that is you are eating enough for two people and everything is healthy and not harmful for the little one that gets all its nutrition through you. The diet should be healthy, nutritious, wholesome and of course free of junk. Some pointers to a healthy diet include:

a. Include a good amount of fruits and vegetables every day; break it into five small portions.
b. Sufficient amount of carbohydrates should be the basis of each meal.
c. Whole grains are preferred to white grains, which also give good amount of fiber.
d. A good amount of proteins including fish, eggs, meat, nuts, pulses, milk, and other dairy products.
e. Ensure adequate amount of iron, calcium, and other minerals are included in the diet.
f. Avoid eating unpasteurized dairy products, uncooked or undercooked food and smoked seafood.
g. While most vitamin requirements should be met through the diet, in some people, prenatal vitamins which provide the increased demands for folic acid.

3. Weight gain: If your weight was normal for your age and height before pregnancy, expect to add about 12 to 15 kg during your pregnancy. Consult with your doctor on weight changes and nutritional aspects to monitor weight throughout pregnancy. This could change based on if it is twins, your weight before pregnancy, and body type.

4. Exercise: Exercising during pregnancy is being increasingly encouraged for the following reasons:

a. Improved energy levels
b. Controls back pain
c. Improved sleep pattern
d. Improves constipation
e. Improves muscles strength and endurance
There are specific exercises designed to benefit the pregnant women. Whether it is walking or swimming aimed at improving overall health or Kegel exercises aimed at improving vaginal and perineal muscles, your doctor should be able to draw up a routine.

5. Lifestyle changes: With pregnancy setting in, it is time to bid goodbye to smoking and drinking alcohol. Continued smoking after onset of pregnancy has many serious complications, including growth retardation, low birth weight. Alcohol can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery.

These are simple ways to monitor and care for your and of course, the baby's health throughout pregnancy.

5 Ways to Monitor and Care for Your Health During Pregnancy

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