baby names

FIGURE OUT OVULATION DATE The key to getting pregnant quickly is figuring out when you'll ovulate, or release an egg from your ovary. You ovulate only once each menstrual cycle. If you can tell when you'll ovulate, you and your partner can time intercourse for the best chance of getting pregnant that cycle. You can use a few different methods to determine when you ovulate. Our article on predicting ovulation walks you through them. (If you have irregular periods, pinpointing ovulation could be difficult. Ask your provider for advice.)  SEX AT RIGHT TIME Once you know your time frame for ovulation, plan to have sex during your most fertile window, which is two to three days before ovulation through the day you ovulate. HEALTHCARE FOR BOTH THE PARTNERS Begin taking folic acid at least one month before you start trying to conceive. This nutrient can dramatically reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Other good advice that may hel...

Babies who are breastfed are less likely to have behavioural problems by the age of five than those given formula milk, according to new research. The question of whether breastfeeding has a long-term impact on behaviour has been investigated before, but the studies have usually been small-scale and inconsistent in their findings. But a large research project carried out by the universities of Oxford, Essex and York, together with University College London, has come to a more robust conclusion. They used data from the ongoing Millennium Cohort Study, a survey of babies born in the UK during a 12-month period between 2000 and 2001. More than 10,000 mother and baby pairs of white ethnic background took part. They were interviewed when the baby was nine months old and again at two-yearly intervals. The researchers asked parents to fill in questionnaires to assess their children 's potential behavioural difficulties. These included emotional issues such as c...

Having a new baby is very exciting, even if it isn't your first child. Along with the regular preparations for a new baby come the added responsibilities of preparing other children for a new bundle of joy. When to you tell your children and what to say about the pregnancy and a new baby really depends a lot on the age and maturity level of that child. An older child with more of a concept of time passage will be able to learn earlier in the pregnancy than a child who has no concept of time. Some people choose to relate the time of the baby's birth to an event, which works well even for smaller children. For example, "The new baby will come near Thanksgiving." Another thing to keep in mind about when to tell a child is how fearful you are of having to explain an early loss. We actually told our older children early in pregnancy. My personal view point was that we'd have to explain my elation/nausea or my depression. When we did lose our baby, we simply explained t...

Most information we get about safety in pregnancy often comes from practical experience with the medicine over time. Often, when a medicine has been in wide use for many years without causing adverse effects on pregnancies, we can conclude that it is not harmful. Information will also come from women who have been accidentally exposed to a medicine during pregnancy and from animal studies. So some medicines are known to be safe while others are known to be definately harmful. But in a large number of cases there isn't the firm evidence to conclude safety or risk. This applies to all medicines, be they prescription only or over-the-counter. Taking any medicine during pregnancy is all about weighing up the pros and cons. The decision should, ideally, be made by your doctor, who will be able to weigh up the benefits of a particular medicine to the mother against the risks of that same medicine to the baby. If the benefits outweigh the risks, then the...

Having a pregnant wife can be a stressful time for both the husband and the wife. The wife, though, bears the brunt of pregnancy's trials. A responsible husband should try his best to ease the burden off his spouse during this high-stress period. Care her health(both mentally and physically)- Pregnant women experience many changes, both physically and emotionally as they progress through their pregnancy. These changes can be sometimes not noticeable to the woman herself. Expecting fathers can be a big help by learning about the pregnancy progress and watching out for his partner's health. This can be done by encouraging her to eat a proper diet and avoiding cigarettes, alcohol and the use of unnecesary drugs. Smoking and alcohol have been both proven to have detrimental effects for children in the womb. If your wife is addicted to either, help her to quit as soon as possible. Also, second-hand smoke is also a great danger. Keep away from the smokes or quit altogether...

You’re back home again. You’re happy, but maybe not physically fit. That’s perfectly normal, since your body has gone through significant changes during pregnancy and has worked very hard during the birth of your baby. When you give birth, you lose around 6 kilos (13 pounds) immediately. When you return home again, you continue to lose water and, once your uterus returns to its original size, you will lose another two to three kilos (four to seven pounds). If you are breastfeeding, you will get back to your normal weight more quickly because producing milk uses fat stores in your body and burns up lots of energy. It is important to allow your weight to come off slowly. This process should happen naturally as long as excess kilojoules are not consumed. Aim to give yourself around six months to get your figure back naturally before resorting to a restricted eating plan. The early days of motherhood are not a good time to restrict your diet. Your body needs some additiona...