Pregnant: Maternity Workout Clothes

What to Wear When You Are Preggo and Want to Hit the Gym

Most doctors will tell you that the secret to a great pregnancy and an easy birth is taking care of yourself. Along with taking care of yourself comes exercise. Doctors note that mothers who worked out during their pregnancy experienced shorter and less painful births. While it is important to workout before you are pregnant, working out during pregnancy is just as important. Finding maternity workout clothes can be a little difficult however. Since most expecting women take it easy for nine months, maternity workout clothes are not the most popular items in the world. Knowing what you need can help you find what you are looking for however.

Pregnant women who worked out before they were pregnant may talk to their doctors about what exercises they are able to do. Many women can still do many of their normal exercises. You might even be able to run or lift weights. If you have not worked out much before the pregnancy however, it is not the best time to start a rigorous schedule. Most pregnant women are safe walking, swimming, or biking on a stationary bike. Unless you talk with your doctor before hand, you might not want to do more than walking however.

With these simple exercises in mind, you will not need any unusually specific maternity workout clothes. You may need a maternity swimsuit however. During the summer months, many maternity clothing stores will sell these swimsuits. They are often expensive however and can be very unflattering. You can always try to wear your normal suit if you wish. It may very well work, or a larger size might work. Just remember that it will likely stretch out to fit your pregnant size and won't ever be normal again. If you have trouble finding one, you can always check online. You will be able to find abundance there.

Other than a maternity swimsuit, you will only need to gather some comfortable clothing for your workouts. Try using large t-shirts made of cotton. You can also try sweat pants or elastic waist shorts. You might not even need to visit the maternity section. Just purchase clothing in a couple of sizes larger than what you would normally buy. As long as the elastic waist is comfortable, you will be fine. You can save yourself some cash by buying normal clothing. Maternity clothing tends to be more expensive just because of the label.

Once you have found appropriate maternity workout clothes, you can begin your regimen. Remember to take it easy on yourself. You are not only working out for you, but also for your unborn child. You will need to steer clear of most abdominal exercises as well as heavy lifting. It is better to play it safer than normal. Make sure you have a snack before and after the workout and drink plenty of water throughout. Working out will make you feel great and you will love your comfortable maternity workout clothes so much you won't want to take them off.



I am a successful freelance writer who enjoys writing on many different topics. 

How to Find the Right Doctor for You

Whether you are like me and have been with your doctor for years or if you are unhappy with your current doctor, chances are that at some point you will have to find a new doctor. In preparation for my doctor's inevitable retirement, I decided to use an organized selection process to ensure that I make the best choice of doctor to help maintain my health.

Start the Process

Unbeknownst to the doctors on my list I have a list of potential "candidates." My list was created throughout the years by speaking with family and friends. It turns out this was a great strategy, since two separate Consumer Report surveys found that people who located their doctors through referrals were happiest with their choice.

If you have a particular health issue, doing research will allow you to make sure you and your doctor are on the same page, as far as the best way to treat your condition. However, when researching your health issue make sure to only use reputable websites. In one study 41% of doctors said patients often had incorrect health information that they had obtained from online sources.

Questions to Ask Yourself
Narrow down your list of potential doctors by asking yourself questions such as:

*Where would you be willing to go in order to see your doctor?

*If you are driving, then is parking an issue?

*How much does parking cost?

*Does your doctor's age matter? An older doctor will probably have more experience than a younger doctor. But an older doctor is probably closer to retirement than a younger doctor, which means you will end up repeating the doctor search sooner.

Questions to Ask the Doctor's Office Personnel

Call the doctor's office and ask the questions below. If they are unable to answer the questions and/or if they take a long time to get back to you, then you may want to take this into consideration when making your decision on your new doctor.

*One of the first questions you need to ask is whether or not the doctor is taking new patients.

*Which hospitals does the doctor use? You want to be sure that he/she uses one that you are comfortable going to in case you need to be hospitalized.

*Does the doctor see patients with urgent issues on the same day you call?

*Will the office process insurance claims or do you have to do the paperwork?

*Does the doctor/staff accept questions via email?

*What is the policy on cancellations?

Questions to Ask the Doctor

When you go in for your first office visit there are things you should note and questions you should ask.

*Note whether or not the office staff is professional and friendly. This is important since you will frequently interact with them.

*Does the doctor manage his/her patient care most of the time or does he/she prefer to send patients to specialists?

*Note whether the doctor's health management style is collaborative or a "take charge" style. You will want your doctor's style to be one you are comfortable with so that planning for your health care needs will be relatively effortless.

These guidelines are useful to follow whenever you need to look for a new doctor. If you find yourself in the position where you don't have any recommendations from anyone, then you can begin your search with an online physicians' directory. Take the time to make sure you find the right doctor especially since he or she may someday, literally, hold your life in their hands.

Published by J McPherson - Featured Contributor in Travel

I have been a nurse for over 20 years. For 10 of those years I had the honor of working with patients who were having to deal with death and dying. This particular job, while heartbreaking, gave me the gift...

Yoga Therapy Being Studied in the Treatment of PTSD

As healthcare debates rage on leading up to Election 2012, new research findings are appearing that may help lessen the need for reliance on big pharma when it comes to the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD, which is characterized by states of hypo and hyper arousal, affects about 8% of the population in the United States, with more prevalence amongst women than men. However, PTSD may actually affect people at much higher rates than believed, due to the fact it is sometimes misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder (BPD), and over the years, the rates of diagnosis for BPD has skyrocketed, especially amongst children.

PTSD was first observed amongst combat veterans and rape survivors; as both the experience of combat and rape increase likelihood of developing PTSD. It was a controversial diagnosis at first due to the suggestion that the onset was caused by an external force (the trauma) as opposed to flaws or weakness within the individual (neurosis). It is this very premise that helps yoga to restore a sense of self to those affected by PTSD.

Even without meeting the criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD, many of us in today's fast paced world can still experience PTSD like symptoms, which is something I have recognized in several of my clients. As the rates of exposure to violent crime, child abuse, domestic violence, and other societal ills rise, so does the likelihood of becoming traumatized by one of these events. In fact, one doesn't even have to experience an act of violence to trigger an onset of PTSD-- a divorce, a car accident, or a chronic illness…anything which causes a strong emotional reaction, including being exposed to other people's trauma, can create PTSD.

PTSD then becomes a defense mechanism for the individual to protect one's self against a perceived threat. The body becomes dysregulated, and individuals fluctuate between states of emotional and physical unresponsiveness (the dissociative or "freeze" response), characterized by being unaware of body sensations and emotional numbness, to states of hyperarousal, where the body is constantly in fight or flight mode, at which points symptoms like anxiety and insomnia manifest. Living in the body becomes emotionally and physically unbearable and the body becomes the enemy, especially for those who experience invasive thoughts and flashbacks. The brain continues to relive the past trauma as if it were occurring right now.

Mindfulness practices, including yoga, are beneficial because they are mind-body therapies that focus on the present moment. The intrinsic focus of yoga is able to help bring the body back into balance by teaching practitioners to learn to self regulate, bringing awareness back to the breath and the body & its various sensations. Many of us, myself included, may not realize how often we walk around holding our breath or holding tension in parts of our body until we take our first few yoga classes. For example, I invite you to pause for a moment right now and concentrate on your body, observing each part from your head to your toes. Do you notice any areas that are especially tense? What about your jaws? Neck? In between your shoulder blades?

As a therapist, these efforts are invaluable not only because of their immediate benefits, but because they allow the client to be in control of the experience-- it is empowering for them and helps them to learn that they are safe in their own bodies.

Because of the relatively low success that talk therapy and psychopharmacology offer individuals living with PTSD, and the high rates of combat veterans experiencing PTSD, the U.S. Department of Defense invested $600,000 in a study on yoga therapy, led by an assistant professor from Harvard Medical; this study demonstrated a significant improvement after just 10 weeks of yoga classes.

A second phase of another study being carried out by the University of Wisconsin-Madison just started this month.

Published by April Dawn Ricchuito, D.D. & MSW - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness April Ricchuito, D.D., MSW is a writer and integrative practitioner who brings a unique voice to the field of health and wellness by combining traditional evidence-based techniques with ancient practices suc...

Could Your Chest Pain Be Hyperventilation Syndrome?

Do you experience a vague discomfort in your chest? Do you sometimes have panic attacks or experience anxiety? Do you worry that maybe you have an undiagnosed heart condition? Chest pain, a feeling of doom, and tingling hands could be hyperventilation syndrome, not necessarily heart trouble. If you've had a medical workup and been told that your heart is fine, consider that your breathing habits may be the culprit.

What is hyperventilation syndrome?

Hyperventilation syndrome, also called overbreathing, is the habit of breathing into the chest and overinflating the lungs, rather than the more relaxed abdominal breathing of healthy people. There are a number of causes of hyperventilation syndrome, and it can happen chronically or just at certain times, when you are feeling anxious for example. It can be as simple as worrying about your belly and breathing into your chest instead. Most of us could learn to breathe better.

Hyperventilation syndrome can contribute to anxiety and panic attacks.

When you overbreathe, the increase of carbon dioxide in your blood can result in strange sensations, such as numbness around your mouth or in your hands. Your chest may hurt, from overusing the intercostal muscles between your ribs. It can feel just like you imagine a heart attack would. You may feel "spaced out" or just a little disoriented. All of these feelings can make you feel anxious and lead to a full on panic attack.

A comprehensive approach can help you reverse hyperventilation syndrome and help you feel better.

The causes of hyperventilation syndrome are unclear, but the solution is to learn to breathe properly, which may be much more difficult than it sounds. If you have experienced intense stress over a long period of time, you may have just learned to breathe this way as a result of chronic anxiety. It may be as simple as having been whacked on the fanny when you were born, resulting in those first breaths being from the chest. Many of the things we wear can contribute to lack of ease in the belly, making it difficult to take healthy abdominal breaths.

If you think you might have hyperventilation syndrome, do make sure to get your symptoms evaluated to rule out anything else. If overbreathing is your diagnosis, the solution is not complicated although it will take persistence.

Regular aerobic exercise will help your lungs regain the healthy breathing habit. Training your breath through yoga or breathing exercises is effective and worth the time it takes. These skills will not only retrain your breathing, but they're good for you anyway and will improve your general health.

Source:
e-medicine health

Study: Milk Doesn’t Do Your Bones Good

You probably grew up hearing the axiom "milk - it does a body good" over and over again. Your mom likely made you drink milk in large quantities at the advice of your pediatrician to make sure you got enough calcium. Even movie stars, singers and athletes encourage you to drink more milk by wearing milk mustaches. And all of this was done in the name of promoting healthy and strong bones and teeth.

Recent research published online March 5, 2012 in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine is generating doubt about this deep-rooted notion.

[RELATED: Is There Too Much Protein on Your Plate?]

Researchers designed a cohort study to determine the effectiveness of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D in reducing stress fractures among girls aged 9 to 15 years old.

More than 6,700 adolescent girls who engaged in high-impact activities were observed during the seven year study. Food frequency questionnaires were administered every 12 to 24 months from 1996 to 2001 to determine participant intake of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D.

Remarkably, and against conventional wisdom, scientists discovered that dairy and calcium intake did not afford any protective benefit from stress fractures. On the other hand those who had the highest intake of vitamin D had a 50 percent lower risk of stress fracture when compared with those with the lowest intake.

These findings suggest that vitamin D may be more important than calcium when it comes to bone health. In 2010, the Institute of medicine increased the recommended daily intake of vitamin D from 400 IU to 600 IU per day for adolescents due to the growing body of evidence regarding the health benefits of vitamin D.

Milk contains significant quantities of calcium, about 290 mg per cup, which is important for healthy bones. However, holistic health practitioners have always advocated that milk isn't as healthy as the milk processors and dairy farmers would have you believe. In fact, many holistic practitioners suggest that milk is unhealthy for adults, and promotes congestion and the formation of mucous within the body.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a leading natural health expert, the type of milk you consume is what causes increased phlegm production. Mercola says that milk produced by certain breeds of cows contains a protein called beta-CM-7, which could "stimulate phlegm-particularly in people who suffer from chronic lung conditions."

According to Harvard's School of Public Health it's not clear that we need as much calcium as is generally recommended. They also suggest that dairy products may not be the best source of calcium for most people. Instead, they recommend getting your calcium from non-dairy sources like collard greens, bok choy, fortified soy milk, baked beans and dietary supplements that contain both calcium and vitamin D.

If you want healthy and strong bones, the next time you see the most recent advertising campaign from the milk processors and dairy farmers -"Got Milk?"- you may want to say "no" and swallow a vitamin D supplement in stead.

Published by Scott Johnson - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness

Scott Johnson started his professional writing career in 2007 and published his first book, "Nutrition A Word of Wisdom," in 2009. He specializes in health and wellness, fitness, nutraceuticals, naturopathy...

How Contagious Is Shingles?

I recently received word that a relative of mine has shingles. But the reason people were calling to tell me this was not to share family news. My relatives wanted to know one thing from Nurse Jen: how contagious is shingles? So I dug into my nursing textbooks and online medical resources to answer this question.

What is shingles?

Shingles is a skin infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles is occurs when the varicella zoster virus that lay dormant in your nerves from an earlier chicken pox infection is reactivated. A person infected with shingles will begin to see reddened areas on the skin that eventually form fluid filled vesicles. The fluid in these vesicles is highly contagious. The redness and vesicles tend to form unilaterally, that is on one side of the body only.

Who gets shingles?

People over the age of 60 are more likely to develop shingles. However, people who have a compromised immune system regardless of age are also very susceptible to developing shingles. My relative is 51, recovering from a bout of skin cancer, and she did have contact with someone who had shingles. Is this how she got shingles? Maybe.

How contagious is shingles?

For my family and everyone else reading this article, pay attention. If you come into contact with an open oozing vesicle on someone diagnosed with shingles, you may develop shingles. This is heavily dependent on two conditions:

-Did you ever have the chicken pox or chicken pox vaccine?

-Are you very ill right now?

If you never had chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccine, you will develop chicken pox rather than shingles. If you are very sick and your immune system is compromised, you have a greater chance of contracting shingles. Women who are pregnant should avoid people with active cases of shingles since this virus can cross the placenta and infect the fetus. Otherwise, shingles is much less contagious than chicken pox.

So should I avoid people with shingles?

If you're pregnant or never had chicken pox, absolutely. If your immune system is run down due to illness or certain cancers like lymphomas or leukemia, keep your distance from people with shingles. Shingles is not an airborne disease. So being in the same room with someone infected with shingles is not dangerous. But avoid contact with personal items the infected person may have touched: utensils, towels, clothing, linens. If you have shingles, wash these personal items in hot water. If you are over age 60, the shingles vaccine is highly recommended.

Sources:

PubMed Health (US National Library of Medicine-National Institutes of Health), Shingles, updated May 2010

LeMone, Priscilla & Burke, Karen (2008). Medical-Surgical Nursing-Critical Thinking In Client Care (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall pp 452-455.

First Person: My Depression Was a Symptom of My ADHD

I have struggled with ADHD for years. I was diagnosed at only 12 years old, but my parents didn't believe that ADHD was a real condition or disorder and I wasn't truly treated for the condition until I turned 20. I was reluctant to start ADHD medications, mostly because of all of the bad press they received. There were so many people talking about the dangers and risks of these drugs. It seemed like nothing good could come of these medications. After all, who wants to be pumped full of stimulants all day?

Anti-depressants didn't work I had been diagnosed with ADHD almost a decade before I started treatment for the condition. After I had my second child, I went to my doctor telling him I felt depressed and that I needed some type of anti-depressant. He started asking me about different anti-depressants and whether or not I had tried them before. Almost every medication he listed, I had tried at one point or another and none had worked for me in the past. I wasn't hopeful that they'd work for me now.

Depression wasn't the problem
I had spent years thinking that I suffered from chronic depression, but when I went to visit my doctor he asked if I had ever been diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, the question seemed irrelevant. After all, I was there for anti-depressants. My ability to focus and concentrate shouldn't matter, should it? I told my physician that I had been diagnosed as ADHD when I was twelve, but that I had never really been treated for the condition with the exception of temporary medications that were used sporadically throughout my childhood. My doctor suggested that my depression may not be the problem, but rather a symptom of the ADHD and suggested that I try some medication.

A trial run When my doctor suggested ADHD medications, I was hesitant. I had never heard anything good about those medications and I didn't want to be one of "those" people who relied on medications like Ritalin or Adderall to make me focus. At the same time though, my doctor was right. Anti-depressants never worked for me before, so maybe depression wasn't the problem. I agreed to try to medication and scheduled a follow-up appointment for two weeks later.

Inner conflict The first pill I took was the hardest one to swallow. As a child, I had been drugged and medicated with every psychotropic drug known to mankind. Day after day, I was forced to take medications that didn't work, medications that made me sick and made me shake, even if I protested. When I turned 18, I swore I'd never take another psychotropic medication again, but here I was, this time, taking the pills of my own free will. Looking back, I am glad I did.

A life-changing treatment At first, the medications made me feel more energetic and focused. It was almost like I had a mild cup of coffee. I was motivated and I was getting things done. It was nice, but I didn't notice a difference in my depression until a week or two after starting the medication. I noticed that because I was getting things done, I was able to focus and concentrate, that I wasn't as stressed. I wasn't as overwhelmed and I had more time to relax and enjoy my family. My depression wasn't a chemical imbalance. My depression was a side effect of my inability to focus and concentrate, leading me to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Admitting that I needed treatment and accepting treatment for my ADHD was likely one of the hardest things I have ever done, but my life has changed dramatically for the better because of it.

Reference:- Samantha Van Vleet, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Mar 23, 2012.