Pregnant Adult

Therapeutic massage has been around for hundreds of years, and can be used to relieve muscle tension, reduce stress, and to improve your overall health.  In the past, health professionals were somewhat ambivalent in accepting the benefits of therapeutic massage for pregnant women.  However, modern research is showing that this type of massage can be an important part of a woman’s prenatal care.

The Benefits

Studies indicate that therapeutic massage during pregnancy can relieve muscle aches and pains, reduce the symptoms of depression, and decrease anxiety.

The massage technique shown to provide the most benefits to a pregnant woman is the Swedish massage.  This particular type of massage reduces muscle tension, improves circulation and is the most recommended for pregnancy, since it focuses on the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on as a result of changing hormone levels in a pregnant woman’s body.

Therapeutic massage studies have shown that pregnant women who received massages twice a week for a five-week period had significantly lower levels of the stress hormones norepinephrines and cortisol.  They also showed high levels of serotonin and dopamine – the body’s “feel good” hormones.  This evidence strongly suggests that therapeutic massage incorporated into normal prenatal care can give the mother some very substantial health benefits.

Swelling, or edema, of the joints is very common during pregnancy, and is caused by increased pressure on major blood vessels from the heavy uterus.  Massage can help soft tissues release these trapped fluids, aiding in the removal of waste products from the body.

In addition, many women experience sciatic nerve pain in the late stages of pregnancy.  The weight of the uterus can put pressure on the muscles of the lower and upper leg, causing swelling and pressure on the nerves.  Therapeutic massage has been demonstrated to help relieve this pressure and significantly reduce sciatic nerve pain.

Precautions

Women should discuss the benefits and risks of therapeutic massage with their individual prenatal caregivers.  You need to be informed about the benefits and risks of therapeutic massage – so it’s best to work with a knowledgeable professional before adding therapeutic massage to your pregnancy care.

If therapeutic massage is recommended in your case, you should only seek services from a certified prenatal care massage therapist.  These professionals have been trained beyond what is required of national standards for massage therapists and they know specifically how to address the sensitive areas of the pregnant body.

If you have any of the following condition, you should speak with your health care provider before you receive a massage: high risk pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, hypertension due to pregnancy, previous pre-term labor or severe swelling.  In addition, most therapists will refuse treatment to a woman in her first trimester of pregnancy, as there are statistics that show a higher rate of miscarriage during the first twelve weeks.

Therapeutic massage is one avenue to consider to help relieve some of the discomforts associated with pregnancy, including back and joint pain, anxiety and swelling.  Again, it’s important to speak with your prenatal care specialist before you sign up for therapeutic massage to be sure the therapy is right for you.

Scott Wolf of “Party of Five” and his wife Kelley Limp of MTV’s “The Real World: New Orleans”, are expecting their first child. Kelley is five months pregnant with a baby boy. The couple was married in 2004 and are very excited about the upcoming birth. After a health scare recently where Kelley had been diagnosed with a breast tumor (which turned out to be benign), this is excellent news. No news as of yet on the due date.  Congratulations to Scott and Kelley.

Some Adoption Facts:

A national survey reveals that U.S. adults are considering foster care adoption more often than any other type of adoption, but misperceptions abound about the children waiting to be adopted and the adoption process. Here are a few adoption facts:

• On any given day in North America, nearly 600,000 children are in the foster care system, and more than 150,000 of them are available for adoption, just waiting for the right family to find them.
• Children enter the foster care system through no fault of their own, as victims of neglect, abandonment or abuse.
• Each year, 20% of children (26,517 in 2006) exit foster care at age 18 without an adoptive family.
• More children become available for adoption each year than are adopted. In 2006, 79,000 children had parental rights terminated by the courts, yet only 51,000 were adopted.

Adoption may be something that you would like to consider. A great place to get more information is the Dave Thomas Foundation where you can find a wealth of adoption information and resources.

Nia Vardalos (46) and Ian Gomez (43) are proud parents to a precious girl. They adopted a child, younger that five, a few months ago. The statement released by their representative, reported that the couple wanted to celebrate National Adoption Month by releasing the news, now. Today is National Adoption Day.

Both Nia and Ian played parts in the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” which Nia wrote. The one-woman play was turned into a movie after Rita Wilson saw the play and recommended it to her husband Tom Hanks. Nia became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 20, 1999, originally from Canada. The happy couple were married in 2003.

Nia Vardalos (46) and Ian Gomez (43) are proud parents to a precious girl. They adopted a child, younger that five, a few months ago. The statement released by their representative, reported that the couple wanted to celebrate National Adoption Month by releasing the news, now. Today is National Adoption Day.

Both Nia and Ian played parts in the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” which Nia wrote. The one-woman play was turned into a movie after Rita Wilson saw the play and recommended it to her husband Tom Hanks. Nia became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 20, 1999, originally from Canada. The happy couple were married in 2003.

A recent study in the United Kingdom linked high caffeine intake during pregnancy to miscarriages. This study says that drinking caffeine doubled the chances of a pregnant woman losing her baby, and stated that women might not want to drink coffee, tea or soda.

This study took place in San Fransisco among a group of 1,063 pregnant women. The entrance examination was done in person, and each person was asked what caffeinated drinks they had consumed since their last menstrual period. This list allowed but was not limited to coffee, soda, hot chocolate, and tea. They were then asked which beverages they had consumed daily, how many times a week, quantity of each drink, and what combination of drinks since they had realized they were pregnant. Those women who had miscarried before the exam were only asked what their caffeine intake was before and during the pregnancy up to that point of the miscarriage.

Doctors used the women’s answers to figure out their daily caffeine consumption rate. The doctors also asked about other aspects of the women’s lives, including previous problems with pregnancy and other miscarriages, their age, marital status, race, alcohol & smoking practices, income, whether they had used a jacuzzi during their pregnancy or encountered any magnetic fields, and whether or not there had been any nausea or vomiting related to their pregnancy.

Researchers followed the women to the 20^th week of their pregnancy. They compared the rate of miscarriage at the very end of the study, to the rate of women’s caffeine consumed, taking into account all other factors as well that might predate a miscarriage. They came to the conclusion that expecting mothers should not consume higher levels of caffeine as the evidence suggests that it is a factor for miscarriage.

A recent study in the United Kingdom linked high caffeine intake during pregnancy to miscarriages. This study says that drinking caffeine doubled the chances of a pregnant woman losing her baby, and stated that women might not want to drink coffee, tea or soda.

This study took place in San Fransisco among a group of 1,063 pregnant women. The entrance examination was done in person, and each person was asked what caffeinated drinks they had consumed since their last menstrual period. This list allowed but was not limited to coffee, soda, hot chocolate, and tea. They were then asked which beverages they had consumed daily, how many times a week, quantity of each drink, and what combination of drinks since they had realized they were pregnant. Those women who had miscarried before the exam were only asked what their caffeine intake was before and during the pregnancy up to that point of the miscarriage.

Doctors used the women’s answers to figure out their daily caffeine consumption rate. The doctors also asked about other aspects of the women’s lives, including previous problems with pregnancy and other miscarriages, their age, marital status, race, alcohol &amp smoking practices, income, whether they had used a jacuzzi during their pregnancy or encountered any magnetic fields, and whether or not there had been any nausea or vomiting related to their pregnancy.

Researchers followed the women to the 20^th week of their pregnancy. They compared the rate of miscarriage at the very end of the study, to the rate of women’s caffeine consumed, taking into account all other factors as well that might predate a miscarriage. They came to the conclusion that expecting mothers should not consume higher levels of caffeine as the evidence suggests that it is a factor for miscarriage.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administartion, the company, Nestle, has voluntarily pulled their Strawberry Nesquik Powder (21.8 oz) off shelves with codes “82255880″ or “82265880″ and with a best-buy date of August, 2010. Pieces of aluminum may be in some of these products. Only the above product codes are included in this recall. If you have containers with these numbers return the product to the store of purchase for a full refund.

For more information, contact Nestle Consumer Services Center at 888-637-4345.

What image first comes to mind when you hear the words maternity clothes?  For many women, the image isn’t a pretty one – whether it’s the ever-popular muumuu or a tent-like maternity blouse.  However, nowadays, nothing could be further from the truth.  Today, many high fashion stores carry exclusive lines of maternity clothes.  Can’t afford designer prices?  Don’t worry!  Department stores and consignment shops aren’t far behind in providing fashionable, yet affordable, maternity clothing.

In fact, shopping for maternity clothes can be a lot of fun.  The thought of your growing tummy may make you very happy.  Others may not feel this way.  But when is spending money on clothes not fun?  So even if it isn’t your idea of a great Saturday morning, why not try to make the best of it?

When you’re considering which maternity clothes to buy, try to decide what exactly you will need.  Are you planning to continue working up until the big day?  Will you be cutting back your hours and staying in more?  Do you exercise daily and need maternity exercise clothing as well?

If you plan on working through your entire pregnancy (or depending upon your career), you may need to find stylish, up-to-date, maternity clothing.  Consider purchasing several pieces that will work with each other.  If you can mix and match the pieces to make several outfits, this will help reduce the cost of your new clothing and maybe even leave enough leftover for a new pair of shoes!

Remember you’ll only be wearing maternity clothing for four to six months.  If you’re planning on have additional children, then these clothes can be used again – as long as you choose simple, classic pieces that won’t go out of style in the next year.  Look for pants and blouses with clean lines and neutral colors, made of sturdy fabrics that will stand up to your changing body.

If you’re looking for bargains, try your local consignment shop.  Many women bring in their maternity clothes for resale, especially if they aren’t planning on having any more children.  The nice part about these pieces is that they are seldom in poor shape, since they aren’t worn very long.  You can often find some fabulous designer pieces tucked away in these stores and snag them for a fraction of the price.

Many of the name-brand department stores carry great lines of maternity wear.  However, these stores often have the price tags to match their stature.  If you’re just beginning your pregnancy in the spring, you might be able to locate some good sales on the winter clearances – or visa versa, depending on the season.

Online shopping is also popular for maternity clothes.  Of course, one drawback is you aren’t able to see the clothing in person, or try it on to see if you like the style or cut.  While great deals can be found online, it’s not such a great deal it’s immediately flung to the back of your closet.  You might also be able to find good deals on online auction sites.  eBay has multiple auctions for maternity clothes, and many are packaged in lots.  Sometimes you can find an entire wardrobe in one auction – most times at a really great price.

No matter where you decide to go shopping for your maternity clothes, remember what the clothes represent – the baby you are going to love and help grow up.  That’s what is most important – not the clothes you wear.

This video of an adorable baby isn’t just a cute video. Some think it is a lucky song. A few games ago, this video was played at the beginning of one of the Colorado University football games. The team won. So why not play it at the next? That’s exactly what they did and, you guessed it, they won! To date, they are undefeated and still playing the video.