The Uncertainties Of Teenage Pregnancy

Pregnancy is essentially one of the joyful experiences of being a woman. The process of anticipating, nurturing and giving life can be a momentous event for a woman. Despite some discomforts, pregnancy is one on the pivotal moments in a woman’s life. But perhaps not in the case of unwanted teenage pregnancy. Teenage life is basically the stage of adolescence, and as such, pregnancy for a teenager can cause much distress and anxiety. Instead of discovering her potential and her identity, teenage pregnancy can place an unnecessary burden to a teenage girl. The stress during the pregnancy, revealing it to the parents and the shame and worry teenage pregnancy brings can cause so much pressure on the mother thus affecting her health and well-being.

Although teenage pregnancy in the United States has steadily decreased over the years, the pregnancy rate among teenagers remain high. In 1991, 60 out of 1000 young women gave birth during their teens but in 1998, the number was reduced to 51 out of 1000. Such outcome was instigated by the use of contraceptive measures and less sexual activity among teenagers. But the statistics remain alarming according to the Women’s Health Channel. Approximately 1 million women is beset by teenage pregnancy annually in the United States alone. Thirteen percent of pregnant women in 1997 were teenage girls. As the mother is basically unprepared for pregnancy, early pregnancy can put significant health risks to herself as well as to her unborn child.

Teenage pregnancy cannot only place the mother’s health to a detriment but can consequently beget social and emotional issues as well. As for the baby, teenage pregnancy can lay bare complications such as premature labor and birth. Socioeconomic consequences may also present themselves during and after teenage pregnancy. As adolescence is certainly not an ideal time for pregnancy, teenage pregnancy can put failed academic performance, poverty, physical and mental illness as matters to be dealt with. As teenage mothers are generally caught unprepared and unaware of the proper measure to implement for a healthy pregnancy, these young women may not seek medical care and attention which may lead to possible medical complications.

During teenage pregnancy, the mother may need emotional understanding, proper medical care and education as a healthy pregnancy is a venture that needs scrupulous grounding. A teenage mother must be aware as well of her nutrition needs and the potential complications of pregnancy. As most of the teenage pregnancy cases are unplanned, the young mother may experience varied emotions. Some teenage mothers may have positive feeling about the pregnancy while others might be reluctant to be mothers. Guilt and anxiety are also prevalent emotions triggered by teenage pregnancy. Depression as well can be the most common concern for a teenage mother.

At worst, a pregnant teenager may even require the attention of a mental health professional. Studies have shown that teenage pregnancy can result to underweight babies as there is a tendency for the mother to have poor eating habits and to smoke and drink. Parental obligation is necessary for teenage pregnancy prevention. Parents and community authorities must ensure that teenagers are educated and guided on the issues of sexuality, std, contraception and the risks and responsibilities of pregnancy. Young as they are, family and community support must be made available to adolescents so as not to get involved in the complicated lot of teenage pregnancy.


Source: Dr. Rose Windale (ArticleDashboard.com)

How To Reduce Morning Sickness In Pregnancy First Stages

Pregnancy is probably one of the most exciting moments in a woman’s life. There are many wonderful things will happen in the next nine months, that you can really enjoy. However, in some women, there is a condition that can turn your pregnancy into quite a difficult time: nausea and vomiting, or people used to call morning sickness. Although morning sickness is becoming common in the pregnancy first stages, it does not mean that you cannot do anything to reduce it. Anyway, this is your precious moment, so don’t let anything ruin your excitement!

Morning sickness usually occurs in the pregnancy first stages, which starts in the 4th week, get worse around 6th and 8th week, and then decreasing when you enter the 12th week of pregnancy. The rapid increase of hormone level in the blood is the culprit of morning sickness you had. The hormone change is needed for your body to prepare your womb and your body for developing the pregnancy. It might takes a while for your body to adjust with the hormonal changes, which will trigger morning sickness.

Morning sickness is basically not dangerous for you nor for the baby. However, in some cases the vomiting could gone so bad that the mother can lack of food and fluids in her body. And when this continue over several days, it can cause dehydration and malnourishment, which may lead you to the hospital for intensive care and diagnosis.

So, before all of those problems come and ruin your pregnancy, you can try these natural diet as well as medicational methods to ease and reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy,

Avoid the trigger

What causes vomiting could be vary between one woman to another. Cooking smell often causes nausea. That’s why it is recommended for women in pregnancy first stages to avoid strong smelling cooked food (especially Asian dishes which is rich of onion and garlic). In a severe nausea condition, some women might have nausea just because they eat their regular food. In this case, you can eat anything that you can take, ignoring the nutrition level in it. The most important thing is that you still have some food entering your body.

Water or other fluid is also important to avoid dehydration. If you cannot take water, try to add few drops of lemon in it. Drink as plenty of fluids as you can in regular sips during the day.

Snack upon waking-up

Having tea and biscuits or crackers early in the morning is believed to reduce morning sickness. If you have severe nausea, take peppermint tea or ginger tea with some ginger biscuits or cakes. Ginger is an ancient method of using natural herbs to reduce nausea.

Small frequent meals

Pregnant women are recommended to have small but frequent meals to relieve nausea symptoms. You can have healthy foods every 2 hours from these choices,

Toast and jam (without butter)
Crackers or plain biscuits
Fruit salads (apple, tomato, banana)
Yogurt
Soup with toast
Cereal with low fat milk and banana
Sandwich with low fat spread
Hard boild eggs

Besides heathy diet, pregnant women should take vitamins to ensure both mother and baby’s health.

Taking 10-25 mgs of Vitamin B6 can ease the morning sickness, while Vitamin K and C can relieve some symptoms while taken together. If you have severe morning sickness but do not fond of gingery taste, you can substitute ginger tea with 1 gram encapsulated ginger powder per day.

Last but not least, remember that positive attitude can always help you in any conditions, including the uncomfortable period during your pregnancy first stages. So, always think positively, of your pregnancy and of your baby.


Source: sariefah (ArticleDash.com)

Unplanned Pregnancy: Facing The Consequences

Although conceiving a child is considered one of the most joyous experiences that can happen to a woman, an unplanned pregnancy can leave a woman feeling otherwise even when she is in a steady relationship.

The many responsibilities associated with motherhood, the lack of support from the father or her family, and the social stigma put on unplanned pregnancy can all make it a devastating experience. Not to mention that raging hormones during pregnancy, in general can make matters worse, leaving women who become pregnant out of wedlock to suffer more emotionally than wedded women.

Unplanned pregnancy can lead to mothers to decide on three things: abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby. Whereas abortion is legal in majority of the western countries, it isn’t in nations where Christianity is the predominant religion. But even when abortion is legal it still isn’t an easy decision since it often accompanies emotional, physical, and psychological problems on the mother.

How to make an unplanned pregnancy worth saving? A small number of young people might not be aware of the consequences of pre-marital sex, with unplanned pregnancy as one of those. However, if you’re not one of these people then you should be somewhat informed of the high possibility of conceiving when you’re sexually active.

With that as a huge possibility (in the absence of contraceptives), unplanned pregnancy is inevitable. The guilt associated with abortions can be emotionally overbearing to the young mother than to let the unplanned pregnancy continue and hold the baby for adoption.

Today, there are a great number of couples who, for some reasons, resort to adoption and babies are highly in demand. If you believe that you or the father of the baby will be unable to provide his overall needs, then adoption would be the best option. Nobody said it will be guiltless but guilt will be of lesser degree than the decision to abort the baby.

Emotional support is greatly needed during this time, which you can get from supportive networks like friends, relatives, and most of all your parents.

Unplanned pregnancy is one of the biggest issues that transcend beyond cultural. Many unwed mothers are more prone to experience poverty in their lifetime and be dependent in welfares. Statistics show that unplanned pregnancy accounts for more than half of all pregnancies, and the sad truth is that it is most prevalent in teenage girls who are neither economically nor emotionally prepared for the situation.

Unplanned pregnancy is more than just an individual’s problem but it is among the biggest factors of population growth that affects an entire nation. Thus, if you’re not ready to parent a child, then by all means use contraceptives or better yet don’t engage in sex at all.


Source: Lucile Taylor (ArticleDashboard.com)

How To Reduce Pregnancy Weight Gain

One of the most important things that women worry about when they are pregnant is their baby's health. After that, their second largest worry is pregnancy weight gain. Some women put more thought into this than others do, but this is something that your doctor will be worried about.

Plenty of times, women take the old proverb 'eating for two' a little too seriously and end up gaining loads more of weight than they should have. When a lady gains too much weight during pregnancy, there are a few issues that will happen.

Your doctor will be in a position to tell you what a safe pregnancy weight gain will be. Your body does need additional minerals and vitamins to help feed your growing baby in your stomach, but if you go over the top, your body will store everything as fat. If your pregnancy weight gain starts to get out of control, there are a few medical conditions that may result. If you find yourself worrying about your pregnancy weight gain, contact your doctor right now. If your next appointment is coming up, you can wait till then to discuss with them about it.

Tell them that you are concerned about your pregnancy weight gain and ask them if you are on the right track or not. In a few cases, you will just be sensitive about your weight. In other cases, you will have something to fret about.

It is always better to ask your doctor than to wonder. Remember that your pregnancy weight gain will not always leave after you have given birth. You could have seen models and actresses that may fit right back to their clothing a week or so after they give birth, but you must know this is not the standard.

You should expect that some of your pregnancy weight gain will stay with you for some months after you have given birth. If you opt to breast-feed, you can find the weight comes off quicker than you believe. However, if you are still having the same pregnancy weight gain after some months and have not lost a pound, you may need to talk to your doctor about the way to get those additional pounds off.


Source: Thomas Choo (ArticleDashboard.com)

Four Ways To Avoid Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

There are thousands of women who want to know how to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy. Why? Well, we all that pregnancy is one of the causes that make women get these unwanted lines on the skin. They also happen when a person gains weight and during puberty stage, when one's body is growing. The bad news is, there's no guarantee that you can avoid stretch marks during pregnancy because of the fact that genetics play a vital role in determining whether or not you will get them. This means that, if one of your family members had these scars before, it means that you have a great chance of having them later in life.

Aside from pregnancy, weight gain can cause individuals to get these marks. If you had them already, another bad news to know is that, you will be having them forever, since they are permanent scars with no cure. Topicals and surgical methods that claim to remove them completely only reduce their visibility, to make them less apparent.

Pregnancy is a stage where the skin stretches to a point of no return, which means that, whether you like it or not, you will have them sooner or later.

However, I've heard stories from women who have successfully avoided these scars during pregnancy, so it will not hurt to try these tips to avoid stretch marks.

1. Exercise to make the skin stretch and more elastic, to avoid getting these unsightly marks. Move the legs, thighs and abdomen when engaging in exercises, which can be as short as fifteen minutes a day.

2. Eat a lot of food rich in Vitamins A, C, E and zinc to make the skin healthier and more elastic, and to keep it full and less prone to scarring.

3. Over-the-counter products which aim to avoid stretch marks are all over the market, ranging from shea butters, to gels to lotions. These products have common ingredients which aim to make the skin more elastic, at the onset of stretch marks. Apply them everyday to ensure your skin is protected from these scars.

Here is a well-known over-the-counter product to help prevent getting permanent scars.

Clinique CX Stretch Mark Cream

This product is made prevent and minimize marks, and it is also the latest topical to hit the market. It contains palmitoyl oligopeptide, hydrolyzed collagen and acetyl hexampeptide-2, which we all use to stimulate collagen production.

It’s got Mimosa tenuiflora bark extract in it as well which helps maintain natural collagen levels. There are sucrose, caffeine and sandalwood extract in this product to help your skin repair itself as soon as unwanted marks are formed, and it also has shea butter, muru muru butter and linoleic acid which will increase suppleness and help bolster the lipid system within the skin’s surface, helping to smooth the skin, and stop new lines from forming.

4. Massage your skin with baby oil while the skin is still wet from bathing, to make it more firm and elastic, which helps avoid stretch marks.All in all, while genetics determine if you will suffer from these scars or not, you might have a chance of fighting back if you apply the tips above during and after pregnancy. I don't guarantee, however, that you will indeed succeed, because of your genes.


Source: Juana Cruz (ArticleDashboard.com)