The concept that it is possible to know too much struck home quite often during my pregnancy. While perusing various pregnancy and baby related websites, I kept discovering all the things that might go wrong or could be going wrong at any time, with or without my knowledge or potential for control. If it weren’t for a very level-headed husband and perfectly calm midwives to help keep me on an even keel, I might have gone off the deep end with paranoia and hypochondria.

Probably the worst of the potential problems was the threat of craving non food items, such as dirt or gravel. Just considering the possibility of having to deal with that kind of mental disturbance terrified me…briefly. I quickly came to the conclusion that that must be a rarity, not very likely in my case. After all, I never really even had to deal with the more common cravings to any extreme. I’m not even sure that mine were real pregnancy related craving and aversion. At the beginning of the pregnancy, we had put some hummus in the freezer to keep it from spoiling while we finished another container. When we took it out of the freezer, the texture had changed a bit, and it was very unappetizing. It’s possible that my aversion to the stuff grew from that unpleasant sight, rather than from the pregnancy. Similarly, as I mentioned before, I’m always a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, and it just may be possible (highly unlikely, assuredly, but possible) that I merely took advantage of the opportunities to indulge my cravings with more chocolate and peanut butter than I probably should have. This, too, may have been entirely unrelated to the pregnancy.

Either way, despite my explorations of the world of “things that might go wrong during pregnancy,” I managed to survive with no desire for a binge on dirt or a bite of a napkin…how thankful I was and am! The closest I ever got was my fear of the possibility, which proved to be a complete waste of worry, as such “borrowing trouble from tomorrow” so often is. There seems to be a great deal of debate over the matter, but I’m of the firm opinion that much of the craving and aversion is directly related to the body’s needs. Granted, not every specific craving is indicative of a need for what is specifically craved, but I believe that there are elements that correspond between the need and the desire. But, then, I’m no scientist—I’m just a gal who’s been pregnant once.

Although Americans are more health conscious than ever, consuming millions of dollars’ worth of vitamins and nutritional supplements a year, it is a sad irony that so many American women are deficient in a simple vitamin that could protect their future children from birth defects. These neural tube birth defects can be severe, and include conditions such as spina bifida and anencephaly, or malformations of the brain and skull. Folic acid is the critical vitamin that works to prevent such defects. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates folic acid can help reduce the risk of spina bifida by a whopping 70 percent.

 Folic acid does its remarkable preventative work in the earliest stages of pregnancy, and it is even before a woman knows she is pregnant that folic acid becomes so important to help the development of the unborn child. That is why the CDC recommends women who may someday become pregnant take 400 micrograms a day (“400 mcg”) of folic acid. Taking folic acid well before planning a pregnancy is key, since statistically one-half of all pregnancies are unplanned surprises. Folic acid is an ingredient in most multivitamins, as well as many fortified breakfast cereals, and it is a simple matter to check the label for the recommended amount of 400 mcg.

How folic acid works to protect against neural tube defects is a mystery, but its effectiveness is well-established. Furthermore, it is clear that folic acid has health benefits for women of all ages, and may offer protection concerning conditions such as certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression. For further information, you can go online to the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov and look up FAQs about folic acid.

So remember to take your multivitamin, or enjoy a bowl of Life or Total for breakfast, and know that you have taken a stand in the fight against birth defects.

The San Clemente Pregnancy Resource Center, a faith-based nonprofit organization offering help for women in crisis, understands the vital role of folic acid in pregnancy, and assistance offered to those facing an unplanned pregnancy includes initial supplies of prenatal vitamins. The Center also provides free pregnancy tests, free ultrasound exams, and free counseling on topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention, adoption placement and parenting, and abortion risks and procedures. In addition, the Center offers abortion recovery support groups. It is open Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m., and Friday 10 a.m.–1 p.m. It is located at 1450 N. El Camino Real, Suite B, San Clemente, California, phone number is 949.218.5777. Their website is www.sanclementepregnancy.com.

Whether you still need confirmation that you really are expecting or you’re already trying to figure out what you’re going to do, the volunteers and staff at TLC Women’s Center are dedicated to offering you free, confidential services. You may need to take advantage of the medical-quality pregnancy tests in Orlando, or you may just need a listening ear. Either way, they want to be sure you get all the information you need to have all the facts before you make any decisions. If you are, indeed, pregnant, the decisions you have to make will have permanent effects, so this is a time for some serious research.

Before you get too caught up in the hard questions, start with the easiest one—are you really pregnant? Rather than counting on an at-home pregnancy test, contact the center to set up an appointment for a free, lab-certified pregnancy test in Orlando. They have two facilities, to make it easier for you to get to them. Don’t waste time worrying, if you aren’t even pregnant. If you are, they’ll help you from that point; if you aren’t, they can offer you some other pertinent information, and you can avoid a whole lot of unnecessary stress.

So, what if you’ve taken the tests and you are facing an unplanned pregnancy in Winter Park? What if you’re pretty sure you’re not ready to be a parent? What can you do? What choices do you have? Contact the people at TLC Women’s Center, to get an idea of your options, whether adoption, abortion, or parenting. There is no financial benefit to the center, no matter what choice you make, so you don’t have to wonder, “What’s in it for them?” They want to help you, and the best way they can do that is to give you all the facts. It’s your responsibility…your decision to make.

As they point out on their website, pregnancy isn’t the only possible surprise that can follow sex, and knowing the facts can make a big difference in your future. Besides the pregnancy information, TLC Women’s Center offers information to help you learn about STDs in Fairview Shores. Knowing the risks and knowing how to approach them can protect you from a number of potentially fatal infections and diseases.

Life seems to consist of one change after another. If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy in the Orlando, Florida area, contact TLC Women’s Center to talk to peer counselors who will help without judging you. Many of the staff have been through what you’re facing, and they want to help you prepare to make the decisions you have lying ahead.

Right from the get-go, this baby has been surrounded with music, almost 24/7, because she was (literally) stuck with me. In reality, the incessant music input didn’t require a whole lot of adjustment on my part. I had a minimum of a 45-minute drive to and from work, and my desk job allowed for quiet, calm music of my choice in the background, so there was about eleven hours of music per day, right there, with lunchtime usually consisting of an hour’s nap in the car, with the radio or the CD player going the entire time (so I didn’t oversleep). At the time, I was also the organist for our church, so that added a significant amount of time, between practice and services.

Unless my husband was in the car with me and we were talking rather than singing together, there was pretty much always music in the car. It didn’t stop when we got home, either–I’ve always loved to have music throughout the house, especially while taking care of household chores. Right there at the end of the pregnancy, the chores became increasingly more important than usual, especially the home-renovation projects, so the stereo was going almost non-stop.

While packing for the birthing center, we included a selection of some of our favorite CDs, so the music that we’d been playing throughout the pregnancy continued throughout our time at the birthing center. Granted, I didn’t really notice it during the pushing and actual delivery, but I distinctly remember the music before and after. Once we had our baby home, the music–especially the quiet and calm–continued, at bedtime, for sure, if not also throughout the day.

So, has all that music saturation had any effect on our daughter? I don’t yet know. She actually seemed to be more responsive to changes in music before she was born. Most noticeably, in church she would be still all during the song service and then get very squirmy when the music stopped. Also, with a CD of piano and organ solos, her activity level would often shift significantly with switches between the two instruments.

At this point in her development, it is clear that she enjoys having music–she’ll get and keep her musical toys going while she’s playing with other toys. We’re just not yet sure of her general attitude toward music. Time will tell, I suppose (and my curiosity hopes).

While we also offer assistance and services to women with planned pregnancies, our medical clinic specializes in serving women who are faced with the difficult decision of considering abortion. We provide a number of services that can be pivotal in the information-gathering process, including free pregnancy tests with 99% accuracy and immediate results.

If your test is positive, we’ll also schedule an ultrasound scan, free of charge, to help you determine gestational age, viability and intrauterine pregnancy. Gestational age will help you to determine how far your pregnancy has progressed. This will help you to determine which abortion procedure you will be considering.

Viability refers to whether or not the embryo or fetus has a detectable heartbeat. For women considering abortion, it is particularly important to verify the viability of a pregnancy so that they know whether or not an abortion is necessary. If the pregnancy is not viable, which can occur in nearly 25% of pregnancies, these women may have the option of a natural miscarriage rather than the difficult decision of abortion.

Intrauterine pregnancy determination refers to whether or not the pregnancy is occurring within the uterus normally, or whether it is occurring outside of the uterus abnormally. Pregnancies that are outside of the uterus require the special care of a physician and are not usually terminated by typical abortion procedures.

In addition to these valuable medical services, the Women’s Center-Kettering also provides each woman with an individualized and confidential consultation by a trained educator. We are equipped to provide up-to-date and accurate information about all pregnancy options: parenting, abortion and adoption. Many women faced with unexpected pregnancies lack an adequate support network and appreciate the opportunity to meet with a sympathetic educator who can hear their concerns and address them with correct information. Whatever the circumstances, we protect each client’s personal information with the utmost integrity and care.

The Women’s Center-Kettering and its affiliated clinics in Dayton and Fairborn also provide numerous other sexual health and pregnancy-related services including information about birth control options, training in holistic alternatives to hormonal birth control, STD testing and treatment, prenatal care, parenting classes, material assistance programs and post-abortion support.

Due to the generous support of others, all of our services are currently free. We’re located at 1377 East Stroop Rd, above the Mamma Disalvo’s Italian Ristorante. Call us 24/7 at 937-643-4673 to make an appointment. Or make your appointment online: www.WomensCenterOhio.com. Walk-ins are welcome as well.

So what is the advice? How can you try to conceive the daughter or son that you’ve always felt you’ve wanted or choose the gender of child you haven’t had yet?

As far as the old folk wisdom goes, there is advice ranging from what to eat–lots of red meat for boys and sweets, fish, and veggies for girls–to how to make love–standing up or rear entry for a boy and missionary position or woman on top for a girl. And then, of course, there is always the influence of the moon–make love when there is a 1/4 moon in the sky for a boy or a full moon if you’re trying to conceive a girl. Still others say the date is important, that if you conceive on an odd day of the month your baby will be male and if on an even day, your baby will be female.

Of course, the scientific community has also weighed in on how to attempt to select the gender of your children, and they, too, have come up with some interesting ideas. If you truly want to select the gender of your child, some doctors may suggest Pre-Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Originally, PGD was developed to help couples avoid genetic diseases that were prevalent in their families; however, the process is now available on a very limited basis for non-medical “gender selection.” Besides serious ethical issues, the procedure is very expensive and can be painful.

Other more accessible and ethical scientific ideas include The Shettles Method, which deals with the timing of intercourse. Many swear by it and say that Dr Landrum Shettles’ ideas helped them have the gender of child that they planned. His theory works like this: the Y chromosome sperm (”male sperm”) swim faster but don’t live as long as the X chromosome sperm (”female sperm”). Therefore, Dr Shettles suggests that if you want to try to conceive a boy, have sex as close as possible to ovulation. If you are trying to conceive a girl, however, try to have sex a few days (2-4) before ovulation. The claim is that this method is 75% effective, but you have to keep in mind that you already have a 50% chance of having the gender of baby you’re trying to conceive.

When you get down to it, unless you actually manipulate the fertilization of the egg, there is no guarantee on what gender of child you will be blessed with. But, then again, maybe you really were always destined to be the mother of all boys or all girls. Either way, we have to be sure not to let our desire for a son or daughter override our joy at simply being blessed to be parents.

You thought your biggest worry this year would be getting a good grade in biology. Now you’re concerned you might have a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

At Light of Hope Pregnancy Center, we know you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 50% of sexually active women will contract an STD or STI before reaching 30 years of age. And the most common STD – chlamydia – is known as the silent disease, because the majority of men and women infected have no physical symptoms.

Unfortunately, all too often men and women with STI’s remain undiagnosed until complications develop. For women, this can mean developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which may lead to permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus and tissues surrounding the ovaries.

Don’t wait. Get tested – get treated. At Light of Hope Pregnancy Center, we can help answer your questions about sexually transmitted diseases and refer you to medical resources in the community for testing.

If you think you might be pregnant, we can also provide you with a free pregnancy test. You’ll learn the results of your test on-site before you leave our center.

We’ve been serving the Sumter area for over 15 years, helping more than 6,000 women with unplanned pregnancy and questions about abortion, abortion alternatives, and sexually transmitted disease. We can help you too.

You can reach us at 803-773-8858, or toll-free at 800-671-0681. Our services are free and confidential. You can find us at 207 N. Main Street in downtown Sumter, right across the street from Tuomey Hospital. Call us today to set up an appointment, or walk-in on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10:00am and 2:00pm.

This is particularly true for women who will experience their bodies changing in ways they never imagined possible. This being said, it’s easy to see how important preparation is when considering starting a family. If you have the luxury of being able to plan your pregnancy, you should certainly incorporate exercise both physical and mental into your preconception preparations.

After consulting with your doctor, you may want to consider beginning a fitness regime. The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are numerous. Not only does regular, low impact exercise reduce unnecessary weight gain, it can also elevate mood, relieve leg cramps and help with the insomnia that often accompanies pregnancy. When you are trying to conceive, exercise helps to keep your weight at an optimum level which is turn regulates your hormone production. This is important in order to maintain a predictable ovulation cycle, increasing your chances of conception. Incorporating some resistance training into your pre conception work out has great benefits as well. The average woman carries thirty five pounds of pregnancy weight and gaining muscle mass will ensure that you don’t suffer any unnecessary exhaustion. Focus on building long, lean muscles throughout your body by using light weights or taking a few Pilates classes. Imagine the amount of time you are going to spend hoisting your toddler in the future – having strong arms and a powerful core will go far in reducing the inevitable strain.

Taking a holistic approach to your preconception exercise routine will help to reduce some of the emotional tension that you may experience. Much has been said about the physical exhaustion of parenthood, but your emotional health needs to be taken just as seriously. Take the time before you conceive to learn relaxation techniques that will help you in the tumultuous years to come. Meditation, creative visualization and yoga are just some ways that you can learn to nurture your emotional self. Remember the importance of communication and spend some time with your partner talking about your expectations and anxieties about starting a family. Your relationship will be deeply affected by having a child and you need to be sure you are both aware of the sacrifices and challenges that may be ahead of you. By gaining a deep knowledge of yourself and your partner, you are preparing to become the best parents you can be for your little one.

In many cases, couples don’t have the time to establish a healthy preconception routine. If this is the case with you and your partner, remember that it’s never too late to make important lifestyle changes when expecting a child. The most important things to do are to quit drinking, smoking and other unhealthy habits. Whether your pregnancy is planned or a surprise, there is no excuse for putting your unborn child’s health at risk. When those habits are taken care of, start to gently incorporate the above mentioned activities into your routine, always being aware of your limitations and ensuring you don’t push yourself too far.

Respecting your body and your mind is perhaps the most important pre conception exercise routine to follow. Your body undergoes amazing transformations when you become pregnant and you will no doubt gain a new appreciation of its abilities. The same can be said for your mind. Some parts of your journey to parenthood you won’t be able to prepare for and it’s best to simply sit back and try to enjoy the process and all of its challenges.

Your first step when attacking your infertility problems should be a visit to your doctor. After the appropriate tests to rule out any physiological issues, you may then be advised to look into making some lifestyle changes. Seeing a nutritionist or registered dietician is a very good way to begin. There are so many different fad diets and myths around exercise that it can be hard to devise a program on your own. A nutritionist or dietician can help you to cut to the chase of what will be healthiest for you and your new family.

Diet can have a profound affect on your hormones. Your nutritionist may recommend making some significant dietary changes such as cutting out sugar and processed foods entirely from your diet. They may also suggest dietary supplements such as a good multi vitamin or zinc, which is shown to increase fertility in both men and women. It may be difficult at first to give up your daily bag of chips, but knowing it may help you to start a family of your own will no doubt be motivation enough.

If you are already exercising, the nutritionist may decide that you need to slow down. Women’s fertility can be affected by over exertion as the endorphins created interfere with her monthly cycles. There is no need for you to give up your favorite sport; you may simply have to enjoy it at a lower intensity. Running can becoming jogging, spinning can become cycling and so on…Your body needs rest to create the optimum environment for conception. . Daily exercise when done at a sensible intensity can help to regulate ovulation and increase your sex drive – a powerful conception combination!

Many parents have found that co-sleeping makes life easier for everyone, not to mention the bond it helps to foster between parents and child. For breastfeeding mothers, co-sleeping makes night feeding much easier. The baby is right there in bed with you, and you can don’t even have to get up to nurse. If your baby is in a crib however, you must get out of bed each time your baby cries at night, feed her, get her back to sleep, and then get back in bed yourself.

With our first son, we weren’t really sure about co-sleeping. We had read about the benefits but were still nervous to sleep with him as a newborn. But then, he got sick. I was so tired, I just brought him to bed with us. He too needed the closeness that co-sleeping provides. This closeness is beneficial for any baby, but when my little guy became ill, it was even more important. Once we brought him to bed with us, we never looked back. It was so much easier for my husband and me to parent at night with our baby in our bed, and my husband also loved the extra special time he got snuggling up with our son while we all slept.

With our second son, we were ready to co-sleep from the beginning. But, we were still a bit nervous about how big we were compared to how tiny our new little baby was. We found out that there are products on the market that we could use to help protect the baby from us, while still allowing him to be right there in our bed. Now not everyone feels the need for these types of products. Co-sleeping without any extra supports has been shown to be a very safe option.

The safety of co-sleeping has been proven time and again at the Mother Baby Behavioral Sleep Lab at the University of Notre Dame. Here, Dr James McKenna PhD. studies mothers and babies, their sleep patterns and how they sleep together. He has found mothers to actually be in tune with their babies during all cycles of sleep.

It is important to note however, that co-sleeping should be done in a safe environment. This means with sober parents on a firm mattress with a tight fitting headboard. It is also important that both adults in the bed agree to the co-sleeping arrangement and agree to be responsible for the welfare of the baby.

Co-sleeping has so many benefits it is worth at least exploring as an option for you and your baby. There’s nothing like waking up in a family bed!