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Exercise during pregnancy appears to be safe even for African-American women at high risk for pregnancy complications, a new study suggests.

The study, which focused on poor, urban African-American women, found that “exercise participation did not increase or decrease the risk of low birth weight or preterm birth," said co-author Suezanne Orr, Ph.D.

“There is not much information about exercise participation in this population. Most of the research has been on middle-aged white women," said Orr, with the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University, in Greenville, N.C.

The study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Ethnicity and Disease, looked at 922 low-income African-American women receiving prenatal care at five Baltimore clinics between 1993 and 1995.

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Acid Reflux Disease

Commonly called 'heart burn', acid reflux disease is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus. It's annoying and painful. But you want to know the truth, the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus occurs in most normal individuals. However, when heartburn becomes acid reflux disease or Gastro esophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, it is s real problem. That is because with GERD, the acid is stronger and stays in the esophagus longer causing more discomfort. Most often, you will experience this during the daytime when you are upright, sitting straight, or standing. You body handles this reflux by the fluid flowing back down into your stomach. You swallow more during the daytime therefore draining the acid back to where it belongs. Your salivary glands produce saliva that also contains bicarbonate that acts to neutralize the acid your stomach has kicked up. At night though, you may have a greater problem when acid reflux disease occurs that is because while sleeping, gravity does not work as well lying down, your constant swallowing stops, and the production of saliva is reduced. Certain conditions make a person more prone to acid reflux disease, this GERD. For example, while you are pregnant, this can be a serious problem. Elevated hormone levels of pregnancy probably cause reflux by lowering the pressure in that part of your body known as the lower esophageal sphincter. Also, the growing baby puts more pressure on the abdomen. Both of these effects of pregnancy tend to increase the risk of GERD. If your acid reflux disease is a minor condition, then you should only experience minor symptoms. These would include primarily heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea. However, if the condition is complicated, then watch out for the following symptoms. The liquid that comes back into the esophagus damages the lining of the esophagus. The body tries to protect itself from the acid reflux disease by 'inflaming' the esophagus. Trying to speed the healing process through the inflammation, the wall of the esophagus may form an ulcer. The ulcer is a break in the lining of the esophagus wall. Then what happens is that there may be bleeding. If the bleeding is very severe, patients might need a blood transfusion or even surgical treatment. If your heartburn is severe or acute, happening very frequently, you need to see a doctor. What can you do for yourself to help the condition? Try sleeping a pillow a night that raises your chest up slightly so that gravity can bring the acid back down more easily. Since this condition usually occurs on a full stomach, eat earlier and eat less to keep the stomach from being too full. Ease off on the chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks. Reduce fatty foods and of course, cut down or quit smoking. Other foods may aggravate the conditions. Avoid spicy or acid-containing foods, like citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and tomato juice.

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Early Pregnancy Testing

Early Pregnancy Testing After years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child, I am the queen of early pregnancy testing. I know that science tells us that early pregnancy testing is not always accurate, but who has the patience to wait weeks before finding out if they are carrying a little bundle of joy? My doctor frowns on early pregnancy testing. He told me that it takes about two weeks after you conceive to accumulate enough HCG for a test to give a positive result. By his calculations, early pregnancy testing is just a waste of money. Maybe he is right, but I just can’t help myself and I give into the early pregnancy testing bug every time. I order pregnancy tests online by the case. I keep them in my bathroom so that I can satisfy my early pregnancy testing whim any time I feel like it. Early pregnancy testing can be extremely frustrating. The three minutes it takes for a line to show up can seem like hours. I try to follow the early pregnancy testing directions. I try to wait for three minutes before I look at the test to see if I am pregnant. Oh, who am I kidding? Every time I give into the urge for early pregnancy testing, I end up sitting on the bathroom counter, holding the test in my hand for the entire three minutes, verbally willing a line to show up. When the three minutes have gone by, I stand there, twisting the test to every angle imaginable. I hold it at arms length. I put it right up to my nose. I squint my eyes, hoping that the blur it creates will show me an early pregnancy testing line. I examine each shadow and I have even been known to rip apart an early pregnancy testing kit to see if the line is more visible outside the casing. Yes, I know. I have it bad. I am suffering from EPTS. (Early Pregnancy Testing Syndrome) I have even been known to dig an hour old test out of the trash just to see if a line somehow snuck onto it. When I finally did get pregnant, I couldn’t believe that I was really seeing a line. I went through five more early pregnancy testing kits before I believed that I was pregnant. I had spent so many years with negative pregnancy results that I didn’t know a positive result when I saw it.

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Early Signs of Pregnancy

It’s a good idea to keep a look out for the early signs of pregnancy if you are trying for a baby. Its very important to see a doctor and begin a regiment of prenatal care as early in your pregnancy as possible, so the sooner you become aware of it the better. Even if you aren’t trying for one, no birth control is totally effective and so it’s a good idea to be familiar with some early signs of pregnancy just in case. Probably the most well known early sign of pregnancy is a missed menstrual cycle. A late period for most women is their first sign that they might be pregnant, yet there are actually some early signs of pregnancy that can occur even before then. One early symptom of pregnancy that can occur even just a week or two after conception is the dreaded ‘morning sickness’. While morning sickness does indeed often occur in the morning, it can happen at anytime throughout the day, and can be persistent. Many women report having had morning sickness symptoms up to two weeks before the expected period was missed. Another common early sign of pregnancy that can occur shortly after conception is tender and swelling breasts. Breasts often become tender before a normal menstrual cycle, but swelling and tingling sensations in addition to tenderness is a strong indicator of pregnancy. Finally, fatigue is another early indicator, especially if other early signs of pregnancy are present as well. It’s a good idea to keep in mind that many women don’t experience any of these early signs of pregnancy at all and do not realize they are pregnant until well after their expected menstrual cycle was missed. Other women begin experiencing symptoms almost immediately after conception. The types and intensity of symptoms women experience varies from woman to woman, and can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy within the same woman as well. Many women may experience some combination of early signs of pregnancy and not be pregnant at all. All of the symptoms discussed above can occur due to stress, sickness, hormone imbalances, diet, birth control pills or other medications, or pretty much anything else that throws your body a little out of whack. If you suspect you could be pregnant, its always a good idea to take a pregnancy test and see a doctor just to be on the safe side.

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Maternity Gifts

There are a number of items that make perfect maternity gifts. Yet, few gift givers think to include them during a baby shower. If you have a pregnant friend, relative, or co-worker, consider the following options when deciding on presents. Often, during and after labor, doctors administer a drug called Pitocin to help with uterine contractions. Pitocin has a horrible side effect, water retention. Ankles and feet can swell to twice or three times their normal size. When considering maternity gifts, look at wide, comfortable slippers with good traction. Often, buying footwear a size larger than normal will work best. Even if the new mother only wears these slippers for the duration of the swelling, having a larger pair of footwear can be a treasure. Pregnancy is a trying time. Emotions vary from minute to minute. Another great idea for maternity gifts is an afternoon out. You can buy the mother-to-be a gift certificate to a local spa or her favorite store. Dining out or attending a movie are also great ideas for maternity gifts. The idea is to get the mom-to-be away from work or errands and allow her to think only of herself. Even if the time away is only an hour, every minute can help reduce stress. She will definitely thank you for it! Preparing for a child takes time and energy. The first few months of pregnancy are exhausting. Impending moms constantly fight the urge to sleep, and the rest of that first trimester usually includes frequent trips to the toilet or wastebasket. Paying for a temporary housecleaning service is another wonderful idea when trying to decide on unforgettable maternity gifts. Having someone else keep up with the housekeeping can lighten a mother-to-be’s load. Here is an excellent idea for your maternity gifts list. Carrying extra water, baby, and placenta weight can be tiring on the feet and calves. Consider purchasing a massaging footbath for the mother-to-be. These relaxing devices make exceptional maternity gifts for a woman with space to store the massager between uses. The blend of soothing massaging nodes and water jets help alleviate aches and pains. Any mom-to-be will greatly appreciate this item. My friend loved a present I bought her for her baby shower. While every other gift at her shower was meant for the baby, I found loungewear in a local maternity store. Her comfortable wear had become huge t-shirts and sweatpants, and that attire was making her feel frumpy. Among the maternity gifts I purchased, I bought a set of attractive loungewear that would work during the remainder of her pregnancy and contained breastfeeding flaps for after. This outfit became her favorite of all the maternity gifts she received that day.

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Japanese Weekend Maternity

Pregnancy changes everything. Your outlook on life is different. Your diet is different and your relationships with others have changed as well. Japanese Weekend Maternity recognizes the many changes that you are experiencing but with one major difference; the company is aware that you are still your self. Japanese Weekend Maternity clothing understands that you still desire the same comfort and style that your regular wardrobe provided for you. Many other manufacturers of clothing for pregnancy neglect to create clothes that are made for a woman who doesn’t want to hide behind extra large clothing. Japanese Weekend Maternity lines offer clothes that compliment and accentuate the positive in a comfortable fashion. Stylish and pregnant are two terms that rarely share the same sentence. In fact, the two terms rarely meet in the same paragraph. A pregnant woman still wants to feel attractive and this can be very hard in most of the clothing items created for pregnancy. Oversized shirts that have no shape just make things worse. At Japanese Weekend Maternity you will find a selection of clothes designed for looks as well as comfort. Who says that being comfortable means that you have to look frumpy? I spent my first pregnancy in nothing but sweatpants and oversized shirts. I didn’t want to leave my house because I felt like I was as big as a house. If I would have invested a little more time and energy into my appearance I would have felt much better. Fortunately, I came across Japanese Weekend Maternity clothing. Things have changed this time around. I may be a mom with another on the way but I am not going to lock myself up in my house. I am not going to dress in my husband’s clothes and I am definitely not committing my self to sweat suits for the next few months. There are too many things to do. Shopping at Japanese Weekend Maternity is one of them. I found very comfortable clothes to wear in all phases of this pregnancy. I’m glad that I can still move freely and look great too. It is a nice feeling to be able to go out with my toddler in my clothes from Japanese Weekend Maternity and not be embarrassed about feeling frumpy. My only regret is not finding out about the clothing line available through Japanese Weekend Maternity the first time around. I would have had much more fun during my first pregnancy if I were more comfortable and stylish.