Pregnancy is the one time in your life where you will see your body changing unexpectedly and you will not mind it just one bit. The hormonal changes in the body cause the woman’s skin and hair to shine and glow like never before. However there are rare occasions when this might not be the case and dry skin and pigmentation occur but do not worry as all this can be easily taken care of. Applying oils and moisturizers during pregnancy is mandatory to ensure you have soft and supple skin during these tender days. Use products that have a high content of almond oil, wheat germ oil, olive oil, avocado oil and cocoa butter. These help to do away with marks and stretches. Jojoba oil and coconut oil are good for this purpose as well. Essential oils are highly popularized but remember using those during your second and third trimesters of pregnancy increases the chances of your child’s abortion. If you have oily skin, you might experience some good trouble with acne during your first trimester. In this case use, products high on glycolic acid, alpha hydroxyl acid or witch hazel.

Skin during pregnancy needs to begin with gently cleansing your skin. Keep yourself from washing your face too many times a day if you have dry skin. Use creams to moisten your skin and hydrate it. Women with oily skin should use moisturizers that have high water content and those having dry skin should obviously opt for oil based moisturizers. Sunscreens which have a SPF of 15 are a good way to keep your skin from getting discoloured. Water helps to add glow to your luster so drink a lot of water. At the same time you will be keeping healthy. Remember to sleep well and stay happy as all this eventually manifests in reflecting good skin.

Also avoid using soap and try to keep to liquid washes so that the natural oil on your skin stays intact. Prolonged baths in cold water will make your skin dull, try to bathe in warm water hence. Your skin has chances of getting tanned more during pregnancy, so make sure you always use a sunscreen. Massage your tummy often with oils and products that will help to do away with the stretch marks. Your feet feel tired while you are pregnant, take care of them in warm water and get frequent pedicures done. Massage yourself and drink a lot of water to stay healthy and feel fresh. If you get acnes and pimples, avoid medicines to cure them. Instead try to use the right kind of face wash. Calamine lotions are very good options to help your body from itching when your skin feels too dry and stretched.

Being pregnant is the most exciting time of your life. Your very own child, still unknown to you, and yet a precious part of you is developing inside your body. And yet we all know that being pregnant does come with concerns and worries. You want to achieve health during pregnancy and give your baby the very best start in life you can.

You may be worried about ensuring you provide your baby with all the nutrients it needs to develop properly. There may be thoughts of ensuring you do not gain too much weight, or worries as to how you will lose it once the baby is born.

There might even be other, possibly smaller concerns, such as whether you will get stretch marks or sagging breasts that might never go away. After all, having a baby often changes a woman’s figure forever. Here is a list of just a few health concerns expectant mothers may have and some tips that I found handy in prevention or cure of them.

1. Stretch Marks.

This was a big worry for me, as I figured if you got stretch marks they would be there forever. I am led to believe that stretch marks will fade. However, I figured prevention on this one was better than cure. For this it was recommended to daily massage with Shea butter or Cocoa butter or Vitamin E. They can also occur because of nutritional deficiencies, such as not enough vitamin E, C or Zinc. So ensure you eat healthy nutritious meals.

2. Cellulite.

This is very much about toxin and waste buildup. Make sure that you drink a lot of water to cleanse the digestive system as well as rub the problem area for a few minutes each day to help clear out the toxins. Relax and breathe – if you are stressed your tight muscles can also be preventing the waste being eliminated from your system.

3. Pregnancy Acne.

Again drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet will help to fight this. Endeavour to wash your face morning and night with a gentle cleansing product, but do avoid products that contain chemical exfoliates. And a very important thing is to clean off your makeup before going to bed – no matter how tired you are.

4. Constipation.

Sometimes this occurs if you need to take iron supplements. Make an effort to drink plenty of water and to eat foods that are rich in fibre.

5. Swollen feet and Legs.

Take a break and put your legs up as often as you can. Try to avoid standing up for long periods of time and don’t wear tight clothing or elastic around your legs.

There are numerous other things that could be listed as concerns to the health of an expectant mum. But we don’t only want to look at the bad things. For this is a very beautiful time and should be enjoyed! Just don’t think you have to struggle with any ailment for the full 9 months – for generally there is always something you can do to reduce or even eliminate the problem. For example, did you know that drinking 8 – 10 glasses of water a day will aid in the prevention of all 5 of these ailments? Drinking plenty of water and eating a well balanced, nutritious diet will definitely put you on the right track to receiving great health during pregnancy.

Not every woman will look like that gorgeous model in that magazine. Similarly, not every pregnant woman will still look beautiful and svelte than before. Fact.

The ugly truth is nine out of ten pregnant women suffer from some kind of physical discomfort, not to mention their fatigued and ungainly appearance – sluggish movement, flabby tummy, arms and legs, thicker waist, excess flab and more.

New mothers are already stressed by what they saw in mirrors. It could get worse if they are unable to regain pre-pregnancy looks and yet have to look after a crying baby. New mothers are prone to post-natal depression, especially if they are deprived of family support and they are still recovering from childbirth.

Luckily, doctors observe that through proper education and preparation, new mothers are able to accept and cope with these body changes as expected.

Sometimes, medication and counseling are necessary if doctors detect symptoms of disturbances for some mothers. Neglect is never the solution as it may lead to or aggravate post-natal depression.

Obstetricians and gynaecologists advise the following changes may occur during pregnancy. It definitely helps you to learn to accept these changes if you understand more about them.

“I’m tired all the time”

Giving birth saps a lot of your energy, so it is natural after childbirth you will feel weakness or dizziness. The recovery usually takes from two weeks to two months, depending on your physique. That’s why in some countries like Singapore, mothers are allowed maternity leave up to 3 months, to recuperate.

The Chinese view this as loss of “qi”, therefore you can replenish “qi” by consuming tonics and keeping warm with clothes and socks. Actually the preventive measure is to build up your blood store before and during pregnancy by consuming adequate iron, folic acid and multivitamins.

You may also feel aches in the back and lower pubic bone areas due to the strain on the ligaments and muscles. However, these are only temporary discomfort.

“My breasts become bigger”

If you find your breasts grow from B cup to C cup, don’t be alarmed – your breasts are getting ready for breastfeeding. Furthermore, hormonal changes during the pregnancy cause more melanin to deposit into the skin cells at the nipples and areola, leading to darkening of nipple or areola skin tone.

Breastfeeding can cause your breasts to lose their sizes permanently, or become saggy and loose. If you are a heavy-breasted woman, you have to be mentally prepared for this.

“What are these marks on my body? “

They are called stretch marks which are formed as result of a split in your skin’s supportive tissue to accommodate a growing baby. They are initially red and will turn darker. However, after pregnancy, they may turn silvery or blue.

The bad news is they are also permanent, though they may fade in intensity. So far, no medication or creams are effective in removing them, but some do help to speed up the fading effect.

“What is incontinence ?”

Incontinence means that you lose control of your bladder or bowel which can be embarrassing. This could be due to physical injury or trauma to the pelvic floor muscles.

The likely causes of injury are a difficult forceps delivery, prolonged labour, or vaginal delivery of a large baby. In the case of difficult delivery, use of Caesarean could help to reduce pelvic floor trauma.

It is a symptom but not a disease itself, therefore it can be treated. Don’t be afraid to seek medical help. If you refuse treatment now, you’ll face higher risk of contracting rashes, sores, skin and urinary tract infections.

Your social life will also be affected as you will try to avoid your family and friends for fear of embarrassment.

You should follow a well-balanced diet, and avoid food or drinks that may irritate their bladders, such as caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks and spicy foods.

Citrus fruits and juices must be cut down too. For diabetes patients, sugar intake must be reduced in your diet so as to control the glucose level.

Exercising and strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, widely known as Kegel’s exercise named after Arnold Kegel, M.D, helps to cure incontinence.

“Why are my veins so obvious now?”

You may notice more veins become more prominent in your legs during pregnancy. These veins, called varicose and spider veins, appear because the weight of your womb exerts more pressure on the major vein (inferior vena cava) on the right side of the body. This in turn increases the pressure in the leg veins.

Pregnancy also cause blood vessels walls to relax due to higher progesterone levels, thus magnifying the problem.

Some useful tips are

1.Wear support or compression stockings

2.Don’t stand too long

3.Lift your legs on some cushions when resting

4.Lose some weight

5.Surgery such as sclerotherapy and vein stripping. However, be patient to see if the veins disappear after childbirth.

“My hair is falling out !”

It is actually normal due to hormonal changes and usually happen three months after delivery. During pregnancy, the hormone cause the hair follicles to delay the fallout of the hair.

After delivery, the hormone levels revert to normal and those hair that suppose to drop out previously, now happen all at the same time. And you thought you are losing out more hair than before.

If you are worried, you may just take some multivitamins.

Prevent stretchmarks – get the cure for stretch marks celeb style here.

If you’ll find yourself amongst the 50% of women who get stretchmarks during a pregnancy then this article will show you some effective ways to help prevent them. For stretchmarks prevention is the best medicine! If you are wondering whether you will be a victim of them – just ask your mum – some of us  unfortunately are genetically predisposed to the them!

Most of the time they end up on your abdomen, thighs, hips or bum. Their exact colour depends on your skin tone. On women with light skin the marks are purple, red or pink whereas dark skinned women, the marks appear browner. The marks appear more and more visible later on in the pregnancy and for the majority of us finding a way to cure them is a must.

SO, Here are some popular home remedies that are effective for preventing stretchmarks:

An excellent way to help prevent them is by drinking plenty of water daily. Water helps the skin’s elasticity and in the process helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Pure Shea Butter - gently massage pure shea butter on the affected area. Massaging does two things, it improves blood circulation and help fade the appearance of strech marks. Do this twice daily.

Olive Oil – gently massaging olive oil is a very old remedy and can help lighten the marks and give you smooth skin. Do this as often as necessary.If you are considering investing in stretch mark creams go for natural-ingredients based creams as these are safer to use during a pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

Often these types of products work best in removing stretch marks. Other more expensive treatments such as laser treatments should be your last resort.

Get your stretch mark cure for FREE.

When you are pregnant, it seems that your body works at giving you grief.  As if it were trying to rebel for you allowing yourself to get pregnant.  However, one of the worst things about pregnancy can be heartburn, so finding heartburn relief during pregnancy can be a top priority.  Cocoa butter will take care of the possibility of stretch marks but heartburn can leave you flat miserable.  Mainly because there are only so many ways that you can sleep when you are pregnant and you are already uncomfortable enough.

Probably the simplest way to get rid of heartburn is to do what you can to avoid it in the first place.  There are of course certain foods and beverages that can result in a very upset stomach, many of them being the ones you will no doubt crave.  Foods such as chocolates, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits or juices, tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, mint products and processed meats.  Not to mention those spicy foods and the ones that are seasoned a bit too well, or even the fried and fatty foods.  I’ve probably just sank your ship if you crave any of the things on that list.  Sorry gals, if you want to try your best to avoid heartburn then these are the ones that you need to steer away from.

I remember when I first got pregnant I figured that was my ticket to being able to eat what I want when I wanted it.  Again, another dream went up in smoke.  When pregnant it is actually best to try and refrain from eating any heavy meals.  Instead, try to replace those big meals with a few small meals spread throughout the day.  So no pigging out and no overindulging yourself over a buffet.  Keep it simple girls. 

If you already have heartburn though and need some heartburn relief during pregnancy then some simple exercises such as bending at the knees instead of bending at the waist can bring you some relief.  Clothing is also something to consider.  Try to wear stuff that is loose and comfortable instead of ones that are tight around the waist and baby tummy area.

Something very simple that can help with heartburn relief during pregnancy is to chew some gum before you eat.  And your mom told you that bubble gum was bad for you.  Nevertheless, if you chew some before eating then that stimulates the saliva glands, which work to neutralize the acids that cause heartburn.  Sleeping with a couple of pillows propped under your head can also help to relieve heartburn, as it keeps any acid from making its way back up.

Trying to find heartburn relief during pregnancy isn’t always easy because you are always wanting to make sure that the baby is first on the list of priorities.  But all of these remedies that I’ve listed are truly safe for the baby.  No sense in you having to suffer with something if you don’t have to.

For many women, being pregnant is the best time of their life. It’s a time to celebrate the extraordinary event of bringing life into the world. Unfortunately, it usually comes with a whole list of uncomfortable aliments including the worries of stretch marks that won’t disappear after giving birth. As with most things, prevention is easier than trying to find a cure, so preventing stretch marks during pregnancy should be a habit that is taken up within the first trimester if not before.

The majority of people believe that the reason for stretch marks is because the skin is stretched beyond its capability and leaves tears or marks in the skin. Although this is true, there’s more to it than that.

The skin around the women’s stomach is fragile to begin with and with rapid weight gain, the lower skin layers, which are even weaker, begin to rip apart. As with any injury the body encounters, the immune system jumps into action and begins to release a variety of chemicals to fight against intruders. Dermal inflammation is notable with the initial appearance of pink, lavender or purple shades in the damaged area.

The body’s immune system many times over produces these chemicals that were meant to kill bacteria or foreign material and end up damaging healthy skin cells in the process making the wound area larger.

With any injury, the body rushes to re-connect the broken tissues with both skin cells and connective tissue cells, a substance called fibroblasts. Fibroblasts have a net-like appearance where the skin cells can fill in the wound. There needs to be a balance between the rates of replication of fibroblasts versus skin cells so that there is minimal scarring. When the fibroblasts replicate too quickly, which is many times the case in order to quickly seal the wound and protect the body, a dense network of scar tissue is created.

Stretch Mark Treatment

While pregnant, which is the only time to prevent the damage of pregnancy stretch marks, you need to be careful what type of creams you use so that your unborn child is not affected. For example, the use of synthetic steroids to curb inflammation can harm the development of your baby. A credible product that prevents stretch marks needs to strengthen the skin, reduce inflammation and remove abnormal or damaged skin tissues without dangerous chemicals.

A natural product seems to be the best solution, especially if you use a product that includes a serum that is a complete solution for both stretch marks prevention and stretch marks treatment. A wonderful discovery found that the liquid secreted from the Helix Aspersa Müller snails is saturated with antioxidants, collagen, elastin boosters, enzymes, and cell communicating ingredients that balance the deterioration of dead and/or damaged cells because of overstretching and the use of their amino-acids to construct new cells.

Because this tiny creature has the same structural elements you find in human skin (collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans), you can enjoy the same healing and renewal benefits as he does.

The Beauty of All-Natural

The molecules within the snail’s serum assures the body that it is being taken care of with the proper proteins, enzymes and nutrients necessary to quickly control bacteria or other hazardous matter. The immune system then doesn’t need to respond with its normal inflammatory over-reactions and can focus on creating healthy cells and skin.

They are also molecules that are able to protect the skin from overstretching by triggering new collagen and elastin formation and replenishing glycosaminoglycans to strengthen the skin’s structure and framework. The glycosaminoglycans are water holding molecules within the dermis that attach, hydrate and enable the tissues to withstand stressors and stretching, making the skin more flexible to withstand tearing and scarring of the deeper layers of the skin.

The serum’s enzymes dissolve and gently strip damaged cells and scar proteins. They go to work like biological scrubbers on each individual cell. They clean out the debris, open clogged pores, consume the dead material and open up the vascular system to bring new oxygen into the cells.

A stretch mark cream that uses this amazing biological ingredient can successfully prevent stretch marks in the most critical period when the skin is being stretched beyond its limits. It’s not only effective in minimizing inflammation, breaking up scar tissue and fortifying the skin but also is completely safe to use during pregnancy and when breast-feeding. With the use of this incredible gift from nature, you can eliminate the worry of stretch marks and focus your energies on the arrival of your very one little gift.

As a woman, you have probably been “blessed” with a stretch mark or two. Whether it happened during puberty, as physiological growth spurts stretched your skin beyond its tolerance, or during a previous pregnancy, stretch marks are simply a normal part of life. But if you are ready to say, “No More!”, then you need to be aware of ways to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy or other periods of dramatic weight change.

As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” This little pearl of wisdom also applies to the prevention of stretch marks. As you probably know, removing stretch marks is not an easy process and can take months just to fade them enough so they are not quite as noticeable. There are effective stretch mark creams and lotions that do a pretty good job of repairing the damaged skin, but they can be costly and time consuming.

So, if you are concerned about developing any further stretch marks during pregnancy, try following these helpful tips. Your odds of avoiding further skin damage and scarring will be dramatically improved, and as an added bonus, the appearance your existing stretch marks may benefit too!

Establish a Skin Care Program

The first step in preventing stretch marks is to develop a routine skin care program. Don’t make your program so complicated or cumbersome that you will not stick with it. A simple plan that you will be able to follow easily on a daily basis will prove far more effective than a more elaborate routine that you will only follow on a hit and miss basis.

Moderate Your Weight Gain

Though some weight gain is natural during pregnancy, the rate at which the additional pounds are added is very important. Remember that the skin has a natural tendency to flex or stretch without damaging the skin tissue. However, sudden weight changes can stretch the skin beyond its tolerances and tearing and scarring result, also known as stretch marks. So, monitor your weight gain during your pregnancy and strive for a more moderate and even weight gain to the extent possible.

Don’t Forget to Hydrate Your Skin

The proper hydration of your skin during pregnancy is a key element of any skin care program. As pregnancy will place more tension on your skin in the abdomen, thighs and buttocks areas, your skin becomes more sensitive. You may experience sensations of itching and pressure as your skin expands. This is where the application of a high quality stretch mark cream or body lotion can not only relieve some of these symptoms, but also enhance the skins ability to expand and flex.

Massage Your Skin

This is a practice that is often overlooked but can really help with the prevention of stretch marks. Take a gentle brush or massage glove and gently massage the skin in those high risk areas, generally your abdomen and thighs. This will stimulate circulation to the skin and promote healthier and more resilient skin tissue.

Eat Right and Take Vitamins

Being as healthy as you possibly can during pregnancy has multiple benefits. Firstly and most importantly, it helps develop a strong and healthy baby. Secondly, it helps your body counter the stresses placed on it during and after your pregnancy. This also includes your skin’s health. Eating nutritional and healthy meals, complimented by a vitamin prescribed by your doctor, will help keep your skin healthy and radiant.

These five helpful skin care tips, if practiced routinely, will help prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. Obviously, there are no absolute guarantees due to the variability of skin types and conditions, but establishing a skin care program will definitely tip the odds in your favor of preventing any further stretch marks. So, don’t be afraid of pampering yourself a little, you truly deserve it!

I’m 15 weeks pregnant with my first and I slather cocoa butter on my tummy every day. I’m hoping to avoid stretch marks (haha, yeah right) but they do run in my family during pregnancy. When did you first get them and how severe were they by the end?

I am 20 weeks pregnant. I havent gotten any stretch marks from pregnancy yet, but I do have some that are prior pregnancy. I want to get rid of the ones I have now, and prevent the ones I may get. What did you used and how well did it helped you. Also did u use it during pregnancy?

Looking for the best cream or lotion that could help keep the stretch marks to a limit.