Prenatal Circle by Shyft

Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy (gestation). Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how your cells use sugar (glucose).

If you’re experiencing hair falling or thinning during pregnancy, it is due to the hormonal changes and the decrease in Estrogen levels in your body. It is normal for your scalp to shed 300 hair a day but anything beyond that might be serious. Here are a few steps on how you can treat hair thinning naturally.

As your body is adjusting to the changing hormone levels, mood swings are the most common symptoms in early pregnancy starting as soon as Week 4. Relax and take a deep breath! It’s normal to go through this emotional rollercoaster.

Your belly’s shape or size is not an indication of your baby’s s*x. There are numerous myths about what a belly can look like and how one can predict s*x beforehand by the physical appearance of the belly alone. Don’t pay heed to those!

Should you be on bed rest during trimester 3? The answer is No. Inactivity can actually be really harmful for the body as it’s time for your body to prepare for labor.

Understand why you should stay up and kicking during these last few months!!

Your breasts will undergo changes every trimester, in fact every month as your body starts preparing to feed the baby. You will feel the them getting fuller and bigger, this is a part of the lactation process.

All you need to know is that it’s ABSOLUTELY NORMAL!

Complications in your first trimester can he severely harmful for you and your baby. Make sure you got these two in check:
- vaginal bleeding: light bleeding in the initial days after conception is fine, anything beyond that is a cause of concern
- Severe abdominal pain: abdominal pain is normal but if the severity is unbearable, reach out to your gynaecologist immediately

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The best and most effective way to cure morning sickness is by selecting effective foods that are easy to digest and not too spicy. Follow these simple steps on how to combat the nausea.

Let us know in the comments sections if these tips work for you!

Despite its name, morning sickness can occur at any time of the day or night. You may or may not experience it, especially during the first three months of pregnancy. However, is it alarming? The answer is No. Morning sickness is just another symptom of pregnancy. Find out the main causes of it:

- Low blood sugar
- rise in pregnancy hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or estrogen

Comment below on whether or not you have been experiencing morning sickness and let us know what symptoms you are facing.

Have you been frequently experiencing morning sickness. Don't worry! That's completely normal. Check out these natural remedies to cure the sickness.

Tag a person who needs to try these remedies!

Prenatal post on gum bleeding

Post copy - It is quite common to find that white foam turning red while brushing when you're pregnant. This condition is called pregnancy gingivitis.

The main reason being increased levels of estrogen and progesterone that causes an increase in blood flow in your gums, making them swollen and tender. So any bacteria can enter the gums causing problems. Other than the hormones, there can be a few other reasons like -

➡️ Dietary changes - Pregnancy can come along with an increased appetite for a sugary and high-carb diet, causing the rise of bacteria in your mouth.

➡️ Decreased saliva - Hormonal changes also mean a decrease in saliva. This does not let the food run down easily and particles of food are stuck in the gums leading to bacterial growth.

What can you do? Just maintain your oral hygiene diligently and you'll be good to go.

Hemoglobin is a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to the organs and tissues of our body. During pregnancy, the amount of blood your body makes is increased by 30-40% from its pre-pregnancy levels. Therefore, hemoglobin levels also need to be up to cover for you and your growing baby.

If your hemoglobin level is lower than 12/dl, you're at a greater risk of developing these conditions -

➡️ Anemia
➡️ Pre-term labour
➡️ Dizziness
➡️ Weakness
➡️ Inability to have a vaginal delivery

Iron deficiency is the main cause of low hemoglobin. Make sure you include iron-rich food like spinach, dried fruits and beans in your daily diet to avoid the risk of complications later.

Which food do you eat for that iron boost? Let us know in the comments.

A vaginal discharge during pregnancy is called - Leukorrhea. The discharge is thin, milky and mild smelling which is usual during your pregnancy cycle. It can start right after conception and last till your third trimester.

This discharge is there for a purpose. It stands against the bacteria that can travel up your cervix and womb, imposing a threat to your health along with that of the baby's. Ditch those tampons because they can increase the risk of infection and make panty liners your best friend.

When to reach out to your doctor? When you see a visible change in the discharge in terms of the color, consistency and smell. A greenish/yellowish, strong-smelling, and considerably thicker discharge can indicate a vaginal or yeast infection. That's your cue to visit a doctor's clinic.

Finding yourself out of breath just by climbing a few steps is a very common phenomenon during pregnancy, especially when it is just the beginning of your 1st trimester. Don't worry as that's bound to happen.

Here are the reasons why you're experiencing this -

✅ Increased levels of progesterone - Your body is trying to accept the new changes i.e. the sudden increase in progesterone causing you to pant a few times. Progesterone increases the amount of oxygen you inhale and exhale making you breathe faster than normal

✅ Changes in the respiratory system - Your body is functioning for not just one but 2 individuals, hence, it takes time to adjust to sharing the same oxygen and blood with the baby

✅ Bodily changes - Your uterus starts to grow in size squeezing the other organs, including the diaphragm

This condition may intensify if you're suffering from asthma or a heart or lung disease.

With that being said, shortness of breath is a part of the journey which cannot be escaped. This can be experienced in your subsequent trimesters as well. The only time you need to pay attention is when you face -

➡️ Chest pain while breathing
➡️ Loss of breath for a few seconds
➡️ Extreme heart rate
➡️ Wheezing

You would've imagined the whole scenario of waking up to morning sickness and sleeping with soreness in the legs. But what if none of it occurs? While it may not be very common but it's definitely possible. So don't get too worried, because having a few or no symptoms is fine but stressing about it is a big NO.

Some common symptoms during pregnancy include constipation, frequent urination and tiredness. Some women miss tracking such symptoms because -

➡️ They were common in their pre-pregnancy life as well
➡️ Too mild to create a difference

Women suffering from PCOS, who face irregular menstrual cycles commonly, can find it usual when they don't get their cycles on time, even though it may be for a very different reason. These are the reasons why some women can only diagnose a pregnancy after their 1st trimester when the belly grows significantly and the fetus starts kickin'.

Regular consultation with your OB-GYN is the best way to deal with the jitter that occurs with or without pregnancy symptoms.

Let us know which symptoms you are facing or you're the lucky one to sail without any symptoms at all.

Don’t we all need to exercise to remain in the best of our health, and isn’t a healthy pregnancy what we all want? Sounds logical right?

Exercising during pregnancy can -

✅ Improve posture that may get affected due to the growing belly

✅ Reduce fatigue

✅ Prevent the risk of other medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy

✅ Provide strength and stamina needed during labour

✅ Lower the chances of any severe pregnancy complication

✅ Help in sp*edy postpartum recovery

Now that it’s established why you should exercise, here’s what you can do -

➡️ Yoga
➡️ Walk
➡️ Pilates

Any movement that is slow-paced and does not accelerate your heart rate rapidly can be easily done. Happy exercising!

P.S. - Consult your doctor before taking up exercising to prevent any complications later on.

Swelling in the feet is very common during pregnancy because your legs bear all the weight of your body along with that of the growing belly. Hence, it is nothing to be worried about.

But we have a few tips that can surely make a difference in those swollen feet -

✅ Make water your best friend
Drink as much water as you can to have minimum water retention as this helps in decreasing the swelling. Another way to incorporate water is by soaking your feet in cold water for 20 minutes. This method reduces the swelling almost instantly as well.

✅ Include walking in your daily routine
A slow walk for even 10-15 minutes twice a day increases the blood circulation in your legs and feet. That becomes beneficial when you're trying to overcome the swelling.

✅ Cut down on caffeine
Caffeine has a tendency of dehydrating your body as it causes frequent urination. Your body's mechanism tries to hold as much water as possible to avoid this dehydration, thus, causing water retention. It may sound poles apart but that is how our bodies function.

✅ Use potassium to your rescue
Potassium controls the amount of water retention happening in the body. This means more potassium. lesser the water retention. Make bananas, yoghurt, lentils and sweet potatoes a part of your regular diet.

Pregnancy is a sensitive time in your life. There is a risk of complications in the absence of proper care. One such pregnancy complication that can affect you is preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a health disorder only specific to pregnancy. It is the rapid increase in the blood pressure of pregnant women. This condition starts appearing mostly after 20 weeks into the pregnancy. While the actual cause of preeclampsia is not yet discovered, genes play a role in it.

When should you visit your doctor?

➡️ Consistency in high blood pressure

➡️ Changes in vision

➡️ Abdominal pain

➡️ Shortness of breath

➡️ Decreased urge to urinate

➡️ Constant feeling of nausea

➡️ Excessive protein in urine (after a urine test)

These signs should not be ignored in any case because if left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to life-threatening situations.

Even though preeclampsia can affect any pregnant woman, maintaining a healthier body is a precautionary step. A well-balanced diet, physical movement and prenatal vitamins are a must during the 9 months of pregnancy.

It's week 6 and you start experiencing

✔️ Frequent visits to the loo
✔️ Fire burning down there while p*eing
✔️ Urine changing colours like seasons (red or cola)
✔️ A foul-smelling p*e you cannot ignore

Then we suggest it's time to get tested for a UTI infection. Urinary tract infection affects the whole path your urine goes through from the kidney, bladder, and urethra.

The uterus increases while other organs size down to make way for the baby. The bladder being situated right below the uterus, squeezes to accommodate the growing uterus. As a result, the path by which your urine flows (kidney, bladder and urethra) gets blocked because of lesser space for movement. Now, your bladder fails to empty itself completely. This leftover urine causes all the infections.

While a UTI may not seriously affect the pregnancy or the baby in the early stage, it requires your attention to remove the risk of any complications which may occur if left untreated. Some of these could involve -

➡️ Premature delivery

➡️ The weight of the baby is lower than normal

An easy way is to get a urinalysis or urine test which looks for the presence of a certain bacteria in the urine to claim a UTI

We chase our ideal body weight all our lives. But ladies, pregnancy is a time when you should care about it less if not the least. The weight gain is not due to an increase in body fat only but rather a combined weight of the baby, uterus, placenta, amniotic fluids, breast tissues, blood and so much more. This may vary for you all based on your -

✔️Physical activity level
✔️Calorie intake (No, you don't need to eat for two)
✔️Metabolism
✔️Genetics

Gaining too much or too less is not a good sign. But, it's safe to say that most women experience an increase of 10-15 kgs to their pre-pregnancy weight. This increase can be broken down into stages like this -

➡️2 kgs in 1st trimester
➡️6-7 kgs in 2nd trimester
➡️5-6 kgs in 3rd trimester

This is the time you can enjoy the weight gain without getting those unsolicited comments. So enjoy while you can.

Estrogen and Progesterone are the hero hormones during pregnancy. Both these hormones are s*x hormones that become the active drivers during the 9-month long pregnancy ride.

A woman will produce more estrogen during one pregnancy than throughout her entire life when not pregnant. The increase in estrogen during pregnancy enables the uterus and placenta to -

➡️ Improve vascularisation (the formation of blood vessels)

➡️ Transfer nutrients

➡️ Support the developing baby

In addition, estrogen is thought to play an important role in helping the fetus develop and mature.

The rapid increase in estrogen levels during the first trimester may cause some of the nausea associated with pregnancy. During the second trimester, it plays a major role in the milk duct development that enlarges the breasts. Estrogen levels increase steadily during pregnancy and reach their peak in the third trimester.

Progesterone levels also are extraordinarily high during pregnancy. The changes in progesterone levels cause a laxity or loosening of ligaments and joints throughout the body. In addition, high levels of progesterone causes internal structures to increase in size, such as the ureters (the ureters connect the kidneys with the maternal bladder.) Progesterone is also important for transforming the uterus from the size of a small pear — in its non-pregnant state — to a uterus that can accommodate a full-term baby.