Emotional changes experienced by pregnant women will have an impact on the fetus. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid stress because stress can inhibit the intake of oxygen to the fetus. A relaxed mind will create a comfortable pregnancy and fetal health.

Experts recommend that pregnant women avoid the things that can cause stress. One of the things that need to be avoided is a thriller movies. This is because the fetus can feel the emotions she felt.

In a research, it is found that when pregnant women watch fun movies, the fetus will go quiet and happy. Meanwhile, if a pregnant woman watches a horror or sad movie,  the fetus is silence and become weaker following the mother’s emotional turmoil.

Although it is not yet known how the fetus is able to recognize the mother’s emotional differences, but experts suspect that hormonal changes triggered by the emotions generated by the movie will be transmitted indirectly to the fetus.

In the research, 10 pregnant women were asked to watch a different type of movie genre, namely the movie The Sound of Music and a sad movie, The Champ. Then the experts monitors the movements of the fetus as their mothers watches these films using ultrasound scanning.

Babies born from mothers who are stressed are known to have lower intelligence levels, tend to be hyperactivity and has an emotional problems.

A healthy sex life can add comfort and relieve stress during pregnancy. However, some couples worry about their sex activities just continue to harm a fetus.

Most couples want to know what are the safest sex activities that can be done during pregnancy. In order to answer these questions, the couples have to consider the mother’s health, the development of pregnancy, and feelings of both partners. Here are some other important information, as quoted from Modern Mom.

Effect

In low-risk pregnancies, sex is considered safe and healthy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, the comfort and the desire of the mother to have sex should be ascertained before starting to have sex.

Some sexual positions and actions can be uncomfortable during pregnancy, so patience becomes the key. In high-risk pregnancy, your doctor may suggest to limit or avoid sex.

Time frame

During the first trimester of pregnancy, she felt her body more sensitive, nausea, and swelling. Sex becomes uncomfortable, even her sex drive may be decreased. In the second trimester, usually the sex drive is back, while nausea and swelling reduced.

Weight gain in the third trimester may make her uncomfortable, although sex is still possible if you and your partner want. According to the Nemours Foundation, a doctor or midwife may recommend to stop the sexual partner during the last weeks of pregnancy, because sperm contains chemicals that are believed to stimulate contractions.

Considerations

In high-risk pregnancies, doctors tend to recommend the couple do not have sex in certain time. Common reasons for avoiding sex during pregnancy, including vaginal bleeding, rupture of membranes, premature opening of the cervix, or rupture of the placenta. Women with a history of difficult pregnancy or premature birth may also be advisable to not have sex.

Misconceptions

Sex will not cause spontaneous abortion in a healthy pregnancy. The physical act of penetration is not harmful to the fetus, which is protected by the amniotic sac and mucus in the uterus. Most cases of miscarriages occur because of genetic problems or other health problems.

Orgasms can cause reactions similar to contractions. This is not a contraction of birth and not associated with preterm delivery.

Latest Research involving 4,000 women which are diagnosed with breast cancer showed that aspirin consumption is proven to increase patient survival and reduce recurrence.

“About 50 percent of women with breast cancer who take aspirin, less likely to die than those not taking them,” said lead researcher Dr. Michelle Holmes, who is also professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health, Boston, United States, such as reported by HealthDay. This research is published online on February 16 and in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In general, bright Holmes, for women who consumed more aspirin a week will have a higher life expectancy. This is done by comparing the aspirin users and who do not. For instance recovering patients who take aspirin for 6-7 days a week, they will have a 64 percent reduction in risk of death.

Meanwhile, those who took aspirin for 2-5 days a week, with a variety of different reasons-even would have reduced the risk of death up to 71 percent. However, the most important is the data 50 percent of the overall risk reduction. This study did not include the dose taken, but the only time in a week usage.

The use of aspirin in the same way also able to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. “Very surprising, this is a strong effect of aspirin,” said Holmes. Although she admitted this was only the study by way of observation, not a definitive determination of cause and effect.

How aspirin can reduce the recurrence, Holmes did not know exactly. However, recent research is consistent with several previous studies. “We appreciate only too well that cancer is a disease of inflammation and aspirin is anti-inflammatory drugs,” she said. The researchers speculate, aspirin may decrease the hormone estrogen in the blood or prevent the spread of early cancer.

For this study, Holmes and colleagues evaluated the use of aspirin among women at least one year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman, diagnosed with stage 1, 2, or 3 breast cancer between 1976 and 2002. All of these women are participants Nurses Health Study.

During the research process, until the death of a woman in June 2006, 341 women died of breast cancer and 400 people because of recurrence or other metastatic disease. However, Holmes asserted aspirin will never be the recommended drugs for treatment of cancer.

Aspirin also causes negative side effects in some aspects. “It (the consumption of aspirin) can cause GI tract bleeding in patients,” he said. At present it is necessary further studies about the results of this research. But, he added, when a woman with breast cancer and aspirin for other reasons (such as bone pain or pain), she will feel comfortable when she knew could prevent breast cancer does not become worse.

“This is the largest study of aspirin use and a special breast cancer recurrence and patient survival,” said Eric Jacobs, Director of Pharmacoepidemiology in the American Cancer Society. Previous research has produced a more extensive findings and not specific.

“The results of this study interesting, there are some important warning,” said Jacobs. As well as Holmes said, he noted that these findings do not prove cause and effect. “As this study the researchers noted, do not talk about because aspirin during chemotherapy may be inspired by the success of cancer patients who continue to survive. Do not get your hopes too high against the use of aspirin, “said Jacobs.

Both Holmes and Jacobs agree that it is too early to tell breast cancer patients who survived because taking aspirin, with the goal of reducing breast cancer recurrence or avoid death. According to them, patients must communicate with the doctor more about what is best for their treatment process.

Breast cancer is the most common known women. Every year more than 250,000 new cases diagnosed in Europe and more than 175,000 in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2000 estimated 1.2 million women diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 700,000 of them died.

The cause of breast cancer itself until now unknown, but there are some risk factors that cause a woman to be more likely to develop breast cancer, including age above 60 years old, had suffered from breast cancer, family history, genetic and hormonal factors, menarche (first time menstruation) before the age of 12 years, menopause after age 55 years, first pregnancy after age 30 years or had never been pregnant, use birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy, postmenopausal obesity and alcohol.

Consumption of chocolate, cheese, or MSG may trigger excessive migraine headache. If menstruation is the trigger of a migraine it is called menstrual migraine.

As experienced by Ms. W. (18 years old) who came to a doctor with a headache. She had an episodic headache, which she gets approximately 2 times a week. The headache sometimes only felt at one side of her head, but sometimes also on the both sides.

The headache is very severe accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Stimulation of light or sound will aggravate headache. At the time before, during, or after menstruation, then the frequency and intensity of headache will be felt more heavily.

The case which is experienced by Ms. W is a form of migraine headache. Migraine headache occurs episodic, not continuous. At the time of the attack, the pain is felt pretty bad and often requires the patient to rest completely.

Mild physical activity will spur even an greater headache. Stimulation of light or sound will aggravate headache attacks,  patients would generally prefer to shut himself in the room.

Well, some form of a migraine headache is exacerbated by menstruation.  This form of headache is called a menstrual migraine.

The estrogen hormone has a very large role in migraine headache. Approximately 60% of women suffering migraine will experience a headache attack just before or during menstruation.

In most cases, the attacks will appear 1 or 2 days before the start of menstruation until the third day of menstruation. Another critical period is the emergence of migraine attacks during ovulation.

The estrogen hormone  has a major impact on one’s pain. The estrogen hormone which decrease associated with an increased intensity of pain.

Pill consumption would spur a sudden drop in estrogen at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. This is what explains why the use of birth control pills can worsen migraine attacks. Most migraine sufferers will experience improvement in symptoms at menopause.

How do I know menstrual migraine?

One important step in the treatment of migraine headache is identifying what triggers an attack. In many cases certain foods will boost migraine attacks. Consumption of chocolate, cheese,  MSG is said to be a cause of migraine headache attacks.

In the case of menstrual migraine, it is menstruation which triggers migraine attacks. In 2008 a measuring instrument is developed in the form of a short questionnaire to determine a menstrual migraine which is called MMAT (Menstrual Migraine Assessment Tools).

This questionnaire consists of the following 3 questions:
1. Does your headache associated with your menstrual occurred 2 days before menstruation until the third day of menstruation?
2. During menstruation, does your headache became more severe?
3. Is light more disturbing during menstruation?

The  on 250 women showed that this simple measure can detect menstrual migraine accurately. Answer yes to questions 1 and the other has a sensitivity up to 94%.

What should I do if I suffer menstrual migraine?

One important step in the treatment of migraine is to recognize and avoid what triggers migraine attacks. In the case of menstrual migraine, it is very difficult to do. Menstrual period could not be avoided, unless in the state of pregnancy or menopause.

There are several important steps that can be done to reduce the frequency and intensity of menstrual migraine attacks carried out before the period:

1. Eat a balanced regularly.
Avoid an empty stomach, low blood glucose levels will spur headache attacks. Also avoid eating carbs in significant amounts.

Consumption of sweet foods in a large number will lead to rapid reduction of blood sugar.  Decrease in blood sugar will also spur migraines.

2. Drink enough.
Dehydration will spur migraine attacks.

3. Get Enough sleep. Lack of sleep or too much sleep will accelerate migraine attacks.

4. Avoid foods or beverages that can trigger migraine attacks.
Food is preserved, too salty or too sweet can race migraine attacks. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks can also spur a migraine attack.

5. Mild exercise can help prevent migraine attacks.
Some relaxation techniques can also help prevent migraine attacks.

When attacks occur frequently, you can take migraine attacks preventive medicine  (eg: amitriptilin, flunarizin). Individual therapy. Discuss the most appropriate therapy for you with your physician.

EXERCISE regularly is beneficial for your health and the fetus during pregnancy. Not only that, exercise during pregnancy also provide a great opportunity for you to continue it as part of a healthy lifestyle after your baby is born.

“Exercise during pregnancy helps women remain positive thinking in facing the stresses condition of pregnancy. Even women may have better power if she do exercise regularly,” said Rebecca Scritchfield, nutritionists, health, and fitness ACSM health fitness, as reported by Sheknows.

Study of exercise or exercise during pregnancy has been researched by many scientists in recent years. In August 2009, the findings reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, encouraging women to start a fitness program during pregnancy – even though not carried out regularly.

Two months later, in October 2009, a study of obstetrics & content reports that exercise during pregnancy can reduce the risk of excessive weight babies at birth. Which means, the exercise that you do also provide health benefit for the baby.

Ideal weight for deliver a baby

Exercise during pregnancy does not only control the fetal weight. “The exercise will fight fat (deposited in the body) which is useful when you’re trying to lose a little weight for the purpose of labor,” said John Williams, CEO of EVO Health & Nutraceuticals Inc..

Williams adds, manage your weight during pregnancy, help you ward off the threat of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy).

Exercise during pregnancy needs adjustment

If you’re concerned with the safety of the fetus, there are simple exercises that you can do to strengthen abdominal muscles after the first trimester. But, you should avoid exercises that focus on the back.

Scritchfield suggested, ranging from low-intensity exercise to moderate to approximately one hour a day, but do not push yourself if you feel your body was not fit.

“The best exercise program is aerobic due to the strength and flexibility training. Actually, most sports can be done at all stages of pregnancy,” said Scritchfield.

So, what is the best exercise for pregnant women? Below you could find lists of useful exersices, as suggested by Scritchfield.

1. Cardio. Aerobic low to moderate intensity, such as walking, swimming, jogging in water, and riding a stationary bike beneficial for heart health, relieve stress, and keep your weight in pregnancy remains proportional.

2. Yoga. Prenatal yoga is taught by instructors with special training to include movements that help the process of birth, and to avoid contraindication position during pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor before starting a fitness routine, and listen to what he said about the situation. If you feel there is something wrong, stop the exercise.