When you are pregnant, your body is at a very delicate stage as you are carrying another individual inside you. While you are pregnant, there are many restrictions and regulations you must follow to ensure the birth of a healthy child. Bad habits such as smoking and consuming alcohol are strictly prohibited. It is also advised that you should not be in any kind of stress.

When it comes to travelling, it depends on the stage of your pregnancy. You should consult your doctor before travelling and know well about the restrictions that would be imposed, even if you are allowed to travel. The ideal time for you to travel during pregnancy is after the second trimester, when you will be less fatigued.

Here are some tips you should follow if you choose to travel when you are pregnant.
Travelling by car, train
1. You should always put your seatbelt on while travelling in a car when you are pregnant. Wear both the lap belt and the shoulder belt to keep yourself and your baby inside, safe and static.
2. The airbags should always be turned on for safety purpose.
3. Buses are narrow and should be avoided when you are pregnant. If you are availing a bus, avoid getting up when the bus is moving. In case you have to move, take the support of the railings.
4. When you are travelling by train, always hold on to the railings and seats while moving about in motion.
5. Avoid long hour journeys in cars or trains. The maximum travel duration should be not more than six hours, when you are carrying a child.
6. Make it a point to halt at points to take a walk. This would enhance your blood circulation.

Travelling by air, sea
1. This mode of travel is safer than any other travel modes for pregnant women.
2. Pregnant women can fly until eight months or nine months, after consulting a doctor.
3. Moving about in an airplane, which is flying is a bad idea for pregnant women and should be avoided.
4. Always choose an aisle seat while travelling by air. It will make moving convenient in case you need to visit the restroom.
5. Choose to travel on trustworthy, major airlines with a pressurized cabin and avoid small airplanes or private jets. Do not travel above a height of 7000 ft.
6. Travelling by sea should be strictly avoided as it causes motion sickness and pregnant women might have nausea.

Travel for pregnant women is restricted in many ways, and all the instructions should be followed.

Is It Safe for Me to Travel During Pregnancy?

How to know if you're pregnant

There are two main ways of finding out if you are pregnant - getting your blood tested, and doing home pregnancy urine test. In order for these tests to give you a clear picture, you need to wait until the right time i.e. until you've missed your period. However, there are several early signs of pregnancy that can give you an indication that you might be expecting.

1. Shortness of breath - Do you find yourself losing your breath on the stairs or when you walk for a long period of time, more than you usually do? This could be a sign of pregnancy since the fetus needs oxygen, leaving you feeling a little breathless even when you mildly exert yourself.

2. Sore breasts - If your breasts suddenly start feeling a little heavy or you feel like they have grown and your areolas seem slightly darker, it could be one of the first signs that you are pregnant.

3. Fatigue - The increase in hormones in your body during a pregnancy could lead to you feeling a lot more tired. If you end up exhausted after a normal day this could be because women tend to feel extreme tiredness during their first trimester of pregnancy.

4. Nausea - Around 6 weeks into a pregnancy (sometimes earlier), women tend to feel nauseous. This usually subsides as you enter into your second trimester. Feeling nauseous could be a sign of pregnancy. You can treat it by eating things that help settle your stomach like crackers and soda.

5. Frequent Urination - If you notice yourself needing to urinate more than usual, it could be a sign of pregnancy. This happens because your body is now producing extra fluids that cause your bladder to work extra.

6. Headaches - An early sign of pregnancy is experiencing frequent headaches. This happens because your body is now suddenly dealing with a lot of excessive hormones. To deal with the headaches make sure you take a pregnancy safe painkiller instead of a normal one.

Everybody has a way of expressing itself if only we take the time out to listen. If we really pay attention to these tiny reactions, detecting a pregnancy early, that is even before you skip that period is possible



How to know if you're pregnant

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

What skin differences can you expect when you're pregnant?

During pregnancy, quite a few changes occur inside a woman's body. It is quite common for some of these changes to surface outside. Skin changes are quite common in pregnant women, and pinkish streaks on the stomach and a sudden glow on the face are commonly observed. Although not all women experience the same skin changes, there are some changes which are quite common during pregnancy. Some of them are:

1. Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are the most common and usual skin changes that occur during pregnancy. Nearly 90% of all pregnant women are likely to experience stretch marks. Stretch marks are the reddish streaks that run down the abdomen or breasts of a pregnant woman. Exercising and applying lotions rich in the vitamin can help in preventing such marks.

2. Mask of pregnancy

Melasma, commonly known as the mask of pregnancy, causes dark splotchy spots to appear on your face. Fluctuations in hormonal activities during those nine months can lead to an increase in pigmentation. These spots usually occur on the forehead and cheeks. Nearly 50% of all pregnant women encounter signs of melasma.

3. Pregnancy Glow

During pregnancy, the body produces 50% more blood; hence, there is a greater circulation of blood in the body, and the increased blood flow causes the face to appear brighter. The body also produces a lot of hormones that cause the glands to overwork, which renders the face shiny.

4. Acne

Hormonal fluctuations in the body can cause the oil glands to secrete more oil, which can cause a breakout. In case of pre-existing acne, the condition may heighten and, thus, get more inflamed.

5. Spider and Varicose veins

Increased blood circulation can cause minute, reddish blood vessels to protrude outwards. These veins usually appear on the face, neck, upper chest and arms. Varicose veins refer to the thick, bluish veins that appear on the legs. This happens because the body compensates for the extra blood that flows to your baby.



What skin differences can you expect when you're pregnant?

What You Must Know About ZIKA VIRUS

Introduction to the ZIKA VIRUS:

After the deadly Yellow Fever and Ebola pandemics, Zika Virus is yet another disease borne out of the African soil and spreading across the world right now. Named after the Zika forest in Uganda, where it originated, this virus spreads through a mosquito bite - that of ‘aedes aegypti’ mosquito. It can also be passed on from mother to child, blood transfusion and sex. 

What’s so deadly about ‘Aedes Aegypti’ Mosquito?

Zika Virus spreads via ‘aedes aegypti’ mosquito, same mosquito that also spreads Dengue and Chikungunya.These mosquitoes typically lay eggs in and near still water found in buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases.  They are aggressive daytime biters, prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people.
These mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

Symptoms of Zika Virus Attack
A person bit by an infected mosquito takes about 2-7 days to show symptoms like:
- Mild fever 
- Skin Rash
- Conjunctivitis
- Muscle and joint pain 
- Weakness and Fatigue

However, it lasts no more than a week and is usually milder than its cousins Dengue or Chikungunya. Although it is not a fatal disease, the real reason behind the panic is for the women who are pregnant. Zika is found to be a major cause of microcephaly – a birth defect due to which children are born with visibly smaller heads, severely limiting their mental and physical abilities. 

Should India Worry?

While it originated in the African continent, Zika has already taken South American countries like Brazil, and most others. Although the virus hasn’t reached Indian shores yet, we are very prone to mosquito borne diseases. The Dengue menace since last few years says it all. Since it is from the same family, we need to be all the more cautious. 

Preventions and Precautions:

Since no vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus attack, it’s best to act with caution to prevent the spread.

1. Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime. Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
2. Use Mosquito Repellents during the day when exposed to areas prone to mosquitoes and cover yourself very well.
3. Never allow water to stagnate in or around your habitation. Avoid letting the water stand for long eg: puddles, or water in buckets or potted plants, sewage etc.



What is ZIKA VIRUS? Is it Deadlier than Dengue? Is India Ready To Face the ZIKA 

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.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Changes You Can Expect During the 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy

Reasons for Spotting During Pregnancy

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