Alot of Baby Talk on mena lately ~ anyone care to share tips and advice on pregnancy, maybe advice passed on from co-workers, family members, in-laws, friends ?

Soothing out Stretch Marks
Cures for Morning (or anytime during pregnancy) sickness
Swelling of feet
Diets on what to feed the baby growing inside

Etc...Feel free to bring up more subjects!

Not personally ready to have kids yet, but I got a couple of tips from family members, in-laws, friends and wondering if any other members had special advice for pregnancy.

An Ethiopian woman at work (with beautiful skin) is around 7 months pregnant didn't seem to have any stretch marks from her previous child or current! She said putting Vaseline (jelly from the tub) constantly start to finish of the pregnancy helps avoid stretch marks. I would have never thought it would've came in handy but it worked for her!
She also said her 1 year old had such nice glowing skin with rosy cheeks (saw her baby pics) because she ate alot of fruit, salad, and toast. She kept it strictly vegetarian with cooked foods too. I will definitely be following her advice! Anyone else got some insight!

i think they say to eat saltine crackers even before ur feet hit the floor to make u not have morning sickness. i dont know cuz i didnt have it but its what i hear helps.

my mom had twins and never put anything on her stomach to prevent stretch marks and didnt get them. she had 5 kids and never a stretch mark.. now me on the other hand used cocoa butter and other lotions they had on the market to avoid getting them and nothing worked. i think it just depends on ur skin type if u will get them or not.

That's interesting , My mom didn't get them (marks) I hope I get blessed as she did

Stretch Marks: I agree that skin type makes ALL the difference in the world! But lotions never hurt and with twins its been a battle...some luck out and some don't! But water/keeping hydrated, plus lotion have worked great for me so far.

Morning sickness: Saltines (any type of plain cracker) Also, taking my prenatal vitamins later in the day (near evening) instead of mornings since my belly was less stable in the morning! I was blessed though and didn't experience much of it!!

Swelling Feet: REST...put those puppies up! If you don't you'll regret it...the more you put em up the better they will feel. Soak 'em when you can and if your love is around...massage 'em please!!

Diets...hmmm...no advice. I eat what I want..Joking. Healthy at times and indulge when I need to as well! I believe your body will tell you as well what you need...I have had major cravings for red meat and no carbs what so ever and my doctor has raved about my health/blood tests. Where I have girlfriends who want to throw up at the thought of eating red meat and crave sweets or carbs! So its about what your body needs and what your doctor of course is recommending by your check ups (so important).

Doctor advice...Ask questions on each visit, don't be shy!! You're paying its your dime! Follow their advice as well...I'd rather correct something while its small then later when its a big problem!

Keep a diary/log and take pictures of ur growing belly! So fun and really I can't wait to show the babies when they are older!!

So many things ... read a lot, talk to friends, sign up early for coupons and baby discounts, avoid stress (no matter what remember ur baby feels what you feel)...Overall, a woman needs to ENJOY THIS SPECIAL TIME!!

Be blessed!

Be prepared for ANYTHING to happen. Realise that pregnancy is a miracle and should never be taken for granted.

Stretch marks - totally genetic, my grandma had them, my mom does, I did and so does my sister. Bummer. Lotion didn't work one bit.

Morning sickness, just throw up and get it over with LOL that's what I had to do.

Feet: Mine didn't swell ever so I'm not sure about this one I would guess just don't walk around so much!

For those with a foreign SO the whole pregnancy and inclusion process I believe is a little weird for them. My husband really had no clue when it came to babies. He was there for it all but I should have done a better job helping him to learn about pregnancy and getting prepared. I ended up on bedrest for a little while and he just didn't get why I couldn't get up and do anything. Thank god my mom was there!

Anyone know of how to prevent leg cramps otherwise called charlie horses.........I get them in my left calf muscle in the middle of the night. I don't get them during the day.......but when it happens at night, I wake up screaming from the pain. I know there's one theory that it could be that you need more calcium but, I don't have a calcium deficiency. My doctor said it's normal during pregnancy and to try and take a magnesium suppliment, I've tried that for about 3 weeks and so far.......it hasn't helped.

Perhaps you should try a natural source of magnesium - like a banana a day. I had a friend who had this problem (not from pregnancy, tho) and eating a banana a day did the trick. If it was skipped for a few days, cramps came back. Back on the banana treatment! LOL... it worked.

I heard leg cramps are a potassium deficiency and eating bananas might help with that.

This used to work when I got them when I danced , One the afftect leg find the floor or other solid surface ( the end of the bed if you are lying down might work) use the top of the foot strech a bit out ( like the position of wearing high heels ) and make little pushes with the foot . Do this for about 3 minutes and it should help.

Guess I gotta start eating more bananas...............

yeah, potassium is what I meant!

Yep potassium and dehydration so also make sure you're drinking plenty of water!!!

Amen to that... Amen to that for sure. Too many people don't even realise how lucky they are Amerlu

ORGANIC!!! bananas help with that my mom had them for 3 days last month!!

There's something called Lymphatic Fluid it stops moving around if you're not active. Lightly bouncing a small trampoline for 20 mins can help prevent that cramping in the leg to occur. Water definitely and bananas. My mom went to a Natural Doctor instead of a normal one and she's been ok now.

Bananas eased my charlie horses....

Never had morning sickness, but agreed, I would take my vitamin with dinner...later in the day was better for me, they always made me sick if i took it in the morning....

stretch marks, I got them, HORRIBLY...as did my mom, gramma, etc, lotions may or may not do anything, i sent a fortune of money of cocoa butters and still go them, thinkin it has alot of to with genetics, also, I only gained 30lbs, but my skin was soooo stretched, I think alot of it has to do with how big u actually get...the last 2 weeks before i delivered, my belly button actually came out and folded the other way, Again, I got VERY big...

I had severe edema in my feet and legs....I dont know if it had anything to do with being on my feet constantly at work, but, I had to cut salt intake down from the recommended 2000mg a day to like 1000mg...Watch salt intake early on...frozen foods, canned foods, etc are deathly...also, stay hydrated, water is sooo imortant....

the funny thing about it is, no 2 women are the same when carrying a baby....there is no norm, u really never know what each visit holds....u never know what could or couldnt occur

Anybody got old family tradition advice? Like that advice been passed down generations?

They may or may not be myths but it's nice to read about em!

My family no, but my in laws had plenty that were just hilarious. Including making sure I always had something on my feet (I don't think they realize that we have wall to wall carpet) and after giving birth that I always wore pants. ( I think it has something to do with keeping that ahhh "place" protected?) They were so confused to find out that pants were not part of the attire in the hospital. They also felt that it was vital for me and my son to stay inside for like 40 days which simply was not happening. Hubby tried to impose this however about a week after delivering my mom snuck up while DH was at work and took me to the grocery store. I hate how he is so suspicious of everyone. LIke when someone does or did tell us "oh look how cute your baby is!" he would honestly get offended like they were trying to jinx the baby. Argh so frustrating to get him to understand that they truly meant it and had no ill will!

Soothing out Stretch Marks - I have heard mixed information about this....I used the creams and didnt get any until my 2nd pregnancy than used - mederma to fade the marks and that worked like a charm....

Cures for Morning (or anytime during pregnancy) sickness - I got it in the morning...and before I even got myself in an up right position I would eat....I found also that I would eat a small amount before bed and if I woke in the middle of the night I would too....also I agree w/others I did not take my prenatal in the am or forget it....

Swelling of feet - I didnt have that problem...but I did rest my feet and put my legs up a lot....

Diets on what to feed the baby growing inside - I tried to keep a nice balanced diet....and had anemia so had to consume more things w/iron....

hope this helps when the time comes for you:)

I have been so gravely ill with pregnancy induced severe asthma. I have not even had a chance to be normal sick lol

hmm pregnancy diet... when i was pregnant, the ONLY things i could eat were ramen noodles (marunchan brand only) and KFC chicken breasts. EVERYTHING else made me sick. i know that the more variety you can eat on a daily basis, the more likely your child will be willing to try new foods. it was proven true with my kid coz he is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo picky its unbelievable!

the feet thing.. drink lotsa water and put yer feet up as often as possible.

stretch marks.. u mean ppl DON'T get those??

I heard that laying on ur left side promoted the most oxygen to the baby (or was it the right side..it was 9 years ago)

Leg cramps.. i have to hold my foot with my toes towards my knees as hard as possible in order to not feel the cramps. I've heard the banana thing too..maybe i'll try that.

i also got severe migraines daily with my son. anyone know how to prevent those pregnancy migraines??

take ur child out after a week or so and expose them to the environment. this will encourage their bodies to produce antibodies to fight off illnesses as they get older. don't shelter them from germs completely. if they're not exposed, it will actually weaken their immune system.

I agree about getting ur kid outside...not only that, but, having the baby in natural sunlight encourages their bodies to get on a regular schedule, so if u kid is awake all nite yet snoozin all day, that may get it back to normal....

amal...I loved Ramen too...but when my blood ressure started shooting to the sky, I had to cut that out totally...you have no idea how much sodium is in that stuff!!

I don't remember if I ever posted this anywhere here or not so please forgive me if this is a repeat....
If you are partial to having a boy (not that you would not love a girl if you had one but some people have a preference:) here's an interesting read concerning diet

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/23/gender.diet/index.html
Study shows bananas make baby boy

well i got pregnant in Algeria with a boy and I was eating a heck of alot of cous cous right before...so maybe the cous cous did it

Breakfasting on Shredded Wheat or cornflakes has been found to increase dramatically a woman’s chances of having sons instead of daughters. Up to 59 per cent of women who get pregnant after eating high-energy breakfasts end up giving birth to a son.

OMG!! my aunt told me the exact same thing about bananas it was printed in a french newsbaper if you eat bananas you are most likely to produce for a boy i can't believe tht it's crazy but I will do it anyways when the time comes bc i can't handle a girl !!

OK, clearly this must be the men eating bananas, shredded wheat and/or cornflakes since they are the ones who *genetically* determine the sex of a fetus.

whats that supposed to mean??

jJ

Hehe! So true! One of the few thing us ladies can be "blamed" for is dropping extra eggs! LMAO!

Hope you had a great weekend sweets!!

All these baby pics in the signatures are so adorable btw. I want a little 50 me and 50 my spouse

Bananas... This is very interesting.

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again -

Bananas. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose
combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial
boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a
strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit
with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also
help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions,
making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people
suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.
This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body
converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and
generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The
vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in
the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium
yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so,
the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to
make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood
pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped
through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and
lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the
potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore
normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana
milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the
help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk
soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you
suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood
sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the
affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it
amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria
found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and
crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese
were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to
avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels
by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders
because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that
can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also
neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit
that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant
mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because
they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12
they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help
the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat,
sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we
are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium
levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine,
"eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by
strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off
a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the
yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it
to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three
times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.
It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so
that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

WOW! That's it! A banana a day!! Thanks Tamara!

She hasn't seen this commercial from France LOL


MOM SAID I COULD ( 7 year old boy )

ah I saw that in TV here in US. France shows too much haraam I can't even watch tv sometimes much less watch it with my family together!

I had morning sickness all day with my first and for the better part of the last half of the day with my second. What worked for me was to have plain cheerios handy everywhere....by the bed for before waking up and before going to bed, in the car, in my purse, etc. I used to do the saltines but the cheerios have so many good vitamins in them and they're kind of salty and did the trick.

Don't know how to make a boy since I have two girls but I loved having girls since I could dress them up so pretty in pink! Plus I think I'm super close to them since we lived as three girls for so long.

I have stretchmarks but not too visible. I heard that creams, etc. do nothing to prevent them. You either get them or you don't.

Best advice my mom gave me: don't gain too much weight since it's VERY hard to come off. It doesn't just fly out with the baby!!! I gained 50 lbs with my first and 40 lbs with my second and since they were consecutive pregnancies with only about two months of rest in between that was VERY hard to get off. I lost about 60 of it but never did lose the remaining 30. Went to a nutritionalist for the last pregnancy and discovered that although my pregnant brain told me otherwise, ice cream is NOT the best source of calcium.

ice cream is NOT the best source of calcium. blush.gif

there goes my other myth jk

Very interesting about making a boy, although it really is dependent on the man's sex chromosome! I have read several articles, from sex positions to foods the women eats that predicts gender. I will say this although I am not sure of the exact number statistically speaking, but generally 50% of men will produce the same amount of X and Y chromosomes, while 25% will produce more X and 25% will produce more Y.

On another note, stretch marks are completely dependent on genetics. If your mother did not have them and your grandmother, your chances of not getting them increases. With time and vitamin treatment they will fade, but if they were light to begin with then of course they may appear to disappear too.

For nausea there are so many remedies out there to sleeping with one leg hanging of the bed to eating ginger from the root. I know I have tried many and nothing worked

Good information. Even everyday nausea not pertaining to pregnancy- ginger root didn't help for me

Do any of the new mom's use slings like these?

http://www.hotslings.com/s.nl/sc.2/.f

I used to use one with my youngest, though it wasn't a fabricy one like the above, it was a Bjorn Baby or whatever the heck that name is. She was VERY colicky after the 2nd week and ONLY stopped crying when I had her in the carrier. Made my life sooo easy since I could do dishes, clean the house, and take my oldest out for a walk (she turned 1 when I brought my youngest home from the hospital).

Some of my parents friends joked around with us and said the only way to get these kids to sleep is take them in a car ride. lol they actually leave our family gatherings to take the baby/kids in the car and ride out for 15 mins and bring them back and put them in the bedroom.

I bought a hotsling for my baby. I used it maybe once, it was cute and fashionable but not comfortable for him or for me. I used my baby bjorn ALL the time though.

Yeah that's what I'm hearing. I used my baby bjorn all the time too but it just wasn't comfy after a certain age...I think it was like 4 months that it was good until. Seems like a waste and these other ones look soooo snuggly.

I definitly don't want a baby carrier...I don't want to get the baby used to being held all the time.

I used to say that too but a colicky baby will make you do things that you NEVER before thought you would do! I mean she would cry nonstop save a few hours of sleep unless she was in that sling. It was very therapeutic for her.

Yeah I've heard this from many people but arabs are very anti-holding, lol. I'm getting lectures now about not holding the baby too much and my mom is going to take care of her when I go back to work so if she gets used to be held I will never hear teh end of it.

I think this depends on where you are from. The babies I saw in my husbands family never got put down. In fact if their parents were not holding them, a sibling , a cousin.... someone was always walking around with them on their hip. Strangers get into the act too. You tell your baby no candy,,, then they start crying then out of no where a dozen guys say BON BON and give your kid a bon bon then scowl at you if you say no... I saw some spoiled little kids over in Algeria.. including my little one who frankly became a BON BON maniac over there. She also got used to getting carried around, kissed and fussed over.

I never used a baby sling. I bought a baby carrier (and its still in the other room) but just never used it. I would cart the kid around in one of those infant carrier and everywhere I stopped , take it out and hold her, face foward so she could check out the action in the room

I think swings are great and little bouncers so they can sit in the middle of all the action

But I will admit , I do have a friend of mine with a small child under 2 who she holds TOO MUCH and he is unbearable because he cannot sit in a play pen or in a swing or in a playpen because hes never put down

When I had my son years ago my grandmother was really big on the 'you're holding him too much' thing. and my mother in law started it when she was here and I first had my daughter. I have read a number of studies that indicate it is pretty much impossible to spoil a baby less than 6 months old. During those early months lots of holding and cuddling actually helps the baby feel secure and safe and to know that when he/she cries or has a problem that someone will help. In the long run it can actually lead to more independent and happier toddlers and children. I hold my baby whenever she or I want to and now that she is getting older she doesnt want to be held as much. she wants to explore and experiment and work on crawling, etc. if she gets fussy usually she just wants to know that I am around, she wants me to be in eyerange. If she is especially clingy for a day or two its for a reason, most recently when she was getting her teeth. we had to hold her all the time for a few days because she was miserable and didnt understand why and wanted some comfort. but now she is back to her growing independent little self, as she should be. I guess if she was 2 and couldnt deal with being put down that would be a problem but so far I dont think we are on that path. and at the end of the day, she is only going to be this small for such a short time. when else in her life am I going to be able to totally solve her problems and make everything all right for her just by picking her up and giving her a cuddle? so why not?

as for the sling, I had one too and I hated it, we could never find a way for it to be comfortable for both baby and wearer.