5 Helpful Resources for Expecting Women, Pregnant Women, and New Mothers

          Pregnancy is an exciting time in every women’s life, but it can also be frightening. Finding the right tools and information to help you do the job correctly can be a daunting task. The CDC offers helpful information in order to assist women in staying healthy and protecting their baby from the time of conception to birth. The CDC suggests these easy to use cyber tools for pregnant women, those considering pregnancy, and even new moms. They offer tips on how to keep yourself and your baby safe and healthy.

Text4baby- A free text messaging service for pregnant women and new moms. You will receive automated texts three times a week with tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy, healthy baby, and how to care for your baby up to age one. The tips are synchronized around your expected due date or your baby’s date of birth. Text4baby Automated Messaging

Test Your Knowledge- How much do you know about your folic acid needs? About one in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect. Test yourself with this quiz to know how much folic acid you should ingest before and during your pregnancy to prevent birth defects. This quiz also helps you find different ways to get the right amount daily. Folic Acid Quiz

Take this quiz to learn about Birth Defect Prevention:

·         Preventing birth Defects

·         Getting vaccinations during pregnancy

·         Using Medication during pregnancy

·         Diabetes and pregnancy, and much more.

Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Go to the CDC’s homepage for information on healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Be the healthiest version of you so you can give your baby a healthy start in life.

CDC Pregnancy Homepage

 

Health-E-Cards

Help your friends and family by sending CDC health-e-cards to let them know about health issues affecting pregnant women, new moms, and their children. Help them to take care of their health and the babies in their lives.

 Health-E-Cards

Podcasts

Listen in on the CDC’s podcast page, and in just a few minutes, learn reliable health and safety information to help you and your baby. Browse through the pregnancy and women’s health topics.

CDC Pregnancy Podcasts
CDC Women's Health Podcasts

Sources:  http://www.cdc.gov/features/pregnancytools/
  

 



Finding Strength in Family History

 

As members of the church we are often encouraged to find our ancestors and help do work for those that have passed on. We often overlook that in doing their works, we are also lifting ourselves. By learning more about our ancestors, we can gain insights through their life experiences. We can find strength and courage through their struggles to overcome our own trials.

To some the task of finding family can be quite large. You might be the only one listed in your family tree. There’s a simple way to start, add your immediate family and then branch out from there. Soon you will have your grandparents and their children (your uncles and aunts). You can even add your cousins in from there. If you run out of relatives you’ve met in person start asking your family about other family they knew growing up. They might have stories that you will be surprised you never heard!

It’s also important to record stories that are happening today. You might get to an age where you wish you could tell the stories of your youth, but your memory may fail you. Prepare for that possibility by keeping a journal and taking photos (include a short description of what’s happening.) Photos create wonderful recollections and memories. Finding out more about your ancestors also helps you become more acquainted with your living family.  Spending quality time with your family brings peace to our homes.

 See how a grandfather influenced his granddaughters by talking about his experiences during Pearl Harbor.

 

 

To learn more about  Family History visit this site for more steps :

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-history/family-history-is-for-everyone?lang=eng

 

For more videos on Family History: http://www.lds.org/topics/family-history?lang=eng&cid=HPTU011414347&im=true#media=

Bloating- Associated with PMS

The week or couple days before your menstrual period can be just as uncomfortable and annoying as during your period. However, this can be managed with some lifestyle changes, dietary supplements and perhaps medications.

The reason we are likely to retain water during the premenstrual time is not completely clear but many sources point the blame to hormonal changes, heredity, and diet, specifically a lack of vitamins or too much salt.

Some tips to help fend off bloating:

·         Participate in physical activity daily: Women who regularly participate in physical fitness activities have reported to have fewer PMS symptoms.

·         Reduce your SALT: Check the labels on prepackaged foods, a lot of the food industry uses salts to preserve meats and prolong shelf life in other products. Don’t add extra salt to foods at the table until you have tasted if first.

·         Eat Healthy: Include many fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and seeds while avoiding things like caffeine and alcohol.

 

What about supplements?

Not much research has gone into finding supplement cures for PMS symptoms but the ones that do show some positive effects from calcium, magnesium, thiamine & riboflavin, and vitamin E. Always consult your provider or pharmacist before you take any dietary supplements as some can be harmful to those with diabetes or heart disease.

Medication is another option that should be considered after diet and lifestyle changes have had no effect.  Diuretics can help to reduce the fluid buildup but do have an associated risk causing of kidney damage if taken with anti-inflammatory drugs or ibuprofen. Birth Control Pills have been shown to reduce many physical PMS symptoms and may aid you in your fight against bloating. But remember everyone is different and thus everyone’s body responds differently to medications.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/water-retention/ART-20044983?pg=2

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