Beauty and Personal Grooming

Miscarriage can be devastating for any woman who's looking forward to hold her baby in her arms after a long wait of 9 months. In most cases, it's often difficult to ascertain the exact cause of miscarriage; in fact most missed abortions occur for reasons you have no control over.

Miscarriage is a devastating experience for any pregnant woman who looks forward to hold her baby in her arms. Whether she loses her baby in the first term,  second term or for that matter even after completion of the full term, the loss is extremely traumatic and catastrophic for her. It takes several months or sometimes even a year to come out of the mental, physical and emotional trauma of the unfortunate incident. Do read the gut-wrenching account of one woman who had to go through the agony of missed abortion and how she had suffered terrible headaches and nightmares in the period leading to her ill-fated loss . While such a calamity should never befall anyone, things don't work out as per our wishes and in the event of an unfortunate miscarriage here are some tips and home-remedies to cope up with it .

Being a night owl is associated with a host of health risks. Recent studies have found that night owls or people who stay up late are more likely to die early compared to morning larks who rise early. But being a night owl has some advantages also. [ Source ] Night owls are found to be creative, smart and with better reasoning skills. They are also found to have more mental stamina than early birds. Early risers have a distinct advantage in terms of health over the night owls.

There is a lot of debate going on about co-sleeping. Some claim it is necessary for bonding, while others swear that it comes with a lot of dangers, some of which may be fatal, hence no need to even risk it. If you are a mother, or a couple planning for a family, this is a debate you will not avoid and it is imperative to arm yourself with the right information so that when the time comes, you will not face it with fear and doubts which tend to surround it at the moment.

You can look fantastic and regain your pre-pregnancy figure if you spare a few minutes every day for your body. With a little effort a woman can look beautiful at any time of her life. Motherhood is a unique experience in every woman’s life, her very special dream. But in the age of “figure-consciousness” retaining a good figure after childbirth becomes a definite problem for many a young mother. In this age of “figure consciousness” retention of a graceful and slim body after childbirth warrants a regular regimen.

Some time back, Smitha had related her harrowing experience of a missed abortion / miscarriage in the post " Are headaches in early pregnancy a sign of miscarriage?"   She also wondered what could possibly cause miscarriage - low progesterone, chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus, environment in the uterus not favourable for foetal growth. or something else. Smitha had conceived through assisted reproductive method, IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination) and was eagerly waiting to hold her baby in her arms after the completion of nine months! Alas, but destiny had other plans for her and she lost her baby in her 17th week or pregnancy and she had to go through severe depression for several months. Do read Top home-remedies after miscarriage .

Precocious Puberty or early puberty has become quite common these days and we find young girls reaching menarche before the age of 10. Myriad causes are responsible for this and we have already discussed some of it in the post " Air pollution possibly delays menarche - A surprising result of a study ." In a large study involving involving 50,000 postmenopausal women in the UK, Australia, Japan and Scandinavia, it was found that women were 31 percent more likely to go through menopause early - between the ages of 40-44 if they started menstruating before their 12th birthday.

Long time ago, I had posted about how introducing fish in a baby's diet before the age of nine months could lower eczema risk . It looks like besides genetic inheritance and other factors, a baby's risk of developing eczema is also dependent on the expectant mother's food habits. A new r esearch has found that women who take probiotics while they’re pregnant and breastfeeding could be less likely to have children with eczema than mothers who don’t. Eat probiotics when you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

A neat, trim waist and a flat belly looks gorgeous but a bulging, pendulous belly can lessen the charm of the most alluring woman and it has its own health hazards as well.   Do read Woes of having a big belly .     A protruding midriff is the result of flabby, soft abdominal muscles. Lack of exercise, being overweight or obese and child bearing – all take their toll on the woman’s belly. Childbirth generally sees a weakening of abdominal muscles and the start of a protruding belly. To get a flatter tummy after years of neglect will certainly take time and lots of effort on your part.   A controlled diet, an exercise regimen consisting of specific yoga poses and most important of all your determination is required to regain your slender, flat and trim belly . Do read the posts I wanna reduce my waist and thighs, Please help !,    Have Craving for a flat tummy? Check these top treatments for a tighter core , Slim Down and Stay in Shape with Yoga ...

Pregnant women need to think hundred times before they pop pills and they should never ever do this without consulting their doctor. Pregnancy isn't without constraints and an expectant mother is bound to catch a flu or cold in the course of her pregnancy. Paracetamol, usually considered safe during pregnancy is usually prescribed for this. But is the use of paracetamol safe for the unborn baby? Apparently not, according to a study which says that high doses of paracetamol during pregnancy could affect the fertility of the unborn child, especially if it is a girl.

Malabar Spinach or Basella alba is one of the most common vegetables that is grown in kitchen gardens, especially in the coastal and Malanad regions of Karnataka. Called as " Basale Soppu " in Kannada, this is one of my favourite vegetables and makes me nostalgic as the very mention of this vine reminds me of my native place where it grew abundantly.

Girdles have been around for a long time in different forms and designs. During pregnancy body goes through a lot of changes and one hopes that the body can just bounce back to its original shape. However, it's not always easy to regain the original shape and posture without any help. Photo Credits: Amazon

Being a new mom is never easy and there’s nothing that can fully prepare you for the job and responsibilities that come with after the baby. Apart from spending most of your time with your child, there are other common concerns that new moms experience. Body image is just one of them. Instead of over-thinking and worrying about your looks, accept the nature’s course and start taking baby steps along with your child in order to reach new goals.

Bringing life into this world is an absolutely beautiful thing. Unfortunately most women do not feel their best after noticing the stretch marks that their little bundle of joy left behind. While they are nothing to be ashamed of, removing stretch marks is on many women's minds whether they are post-pregnancy or post-weight loss. Here are a few ways to manage these scars as well as keep new ones from appearing.

Well, when a woman is pregnant she has to be over-cautious. She should be most careful of what goes into her system during this time. While some things are obviously good for her and her foetus , other things are not ! Particularly she should be wary of taking any medicine other than the ones prescribed by her gynaecologist. And this over-cautiousness is not a bad thing when one is pregnant. After all, whatever you take in does affect your unborn child. Any medicine, including home-remedies shouldn't be taken without your doctor's approval. The same cautiousness should be exercised while using skin-care and makeup products also.

Picture this – you have a flight to catch at 3 am to London after spending 12 gruelling hours at work. You've got only forty winks before you begin yet another hectic week. You comfort yourself saying that you’ll make up for the lost sleep, and stressful schedule after the big presentation is over. Little do you realize that the harm caused to your body could be far beyond repair! Image Courtesy: Getty

With so many products on the market, it can be confusing choosing certain baby products, especially if you are a first time mum. One great product that is available on the market is the baby carrier. Getting out and about and completing daily activities may be difficult in a pram and for many a baby carrier is a better option. Popular styles available include the structured carrier and baby sling.

When you’re pregnant, it’s easy to feel self-conscious about the weight gain and the difficulty behind moving around freely. It’s suddenly difficult to walk, sleep, climb the stairs and that can be a tough transition, especially those having their first child. What you’ve got to learn early on is that it’s okay and that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Gaining weight is a natural phase of pregnancy, even if we all wish it weren’t. The question is-- how do you adjust? It’ll be a long nine months if you spend them obsessing over your belly.

​​Life teaches us many lessons, and few of the biggest lessons that I have learnt have been during my first pregnancy. It’s true when they say that some things in life are better understood only when experienced. You may spend hours reading about, and skimming through pictures of exotic holiday destinations, but not until you finally make that trip will you be able to soak in the true beauty of a place. Similarly, no matter how many sources give you their two cents worth about pregnancy, your experience of this phase is going to be truly your own. Regardless of how mentally and physically ready you may be, there will still be many untold truths that you’ll discover through this journey. Here are 5 things I discovered that I wish I had known during my pregnancy:  

When women become mothers, their entire lives change. All of the freedoms, financial security and alone time they had before baby vanishes. Of course, most women would agree that the trade off is well worth losing those privileges. One of the things a lot of mothers miss once their babies are born is time for staying in shape. Whether they are members of  a gym, enrolled in a dance class, or enjoy running around their neighborhood, mothers need that "me" time to stay physically and mentally fit. Breastfeeding is a great way to help lose some of that baby weight, but it doesn't get the heart rate going, or build any muscle.