Pregnancy can be one of the greatest times in a woman’s life but it also can be a time that they may let their health go to a certain extent. This is really a shame because they are not only dealing with their own health, they are dealing with the health of the fetus that is growing inside of them. If you are concerned about weight gain and other problems that may occur during pregnancy, however, having a fit pregnancy is certainly one of the options. As long as you get the green light from your doctor, you would be surprised at how much you can actually do to stay fit while you’re pregnant.

The first thing that you’re going to need to worry about is your diet. As they say, you’re not eating for one, you’re now eating for two. The good news about this is that many of the things that you eat in order to stay fit yourself are also good for your baby. Although your doctor will be able to give you general guidelines in this direction, by eating things that keep you healthy in general and maintaining a balanced diet, you will not only come out of your pregnancy in a fit state, your baby will be healthy as a result. If you’re worried about weight, don’t try any kind of a fad diet. Just stay healthy and the weight will come off naturally after the baby is born.

Another thing that you can do in order to maintain a fit pregnancy is exercise. As with everything else, you’re going to have to do this under your doctor’s direction. If you’re healthy, however, and are not experiencing any difficulties then there should not be any problem with you getting a regular amount of exercise. As a matter of fact, some women who are healthy throughout their pregnancy continue to exercise intensely throughout most of the time that they are carrying a child. You may find, however, that you need to slow down whenever you get pretty far along and size is becoming an issue. If you remain fit through the majority of your pregnancy, however, and pick up on your exercise regime after the baby is born then you would be surprised at how quickly you get back to where you were before you got pregnant and discover that old body again.

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Becoming a parent is one of the most joyful times that we, as individuals can experience. That time can be marked by stress, however, if you and your partner are having a difficult time in conceiving a child. As a matter of fact, this can become a source of such tension that it actually comes between you as partners. If you’re looking for some conception tips that will help you in your quest to have a child, there are some that you can do that will help you naturally. The best part about it is, many of these conception tips are based on scientific principles and not simply on natural healing techniques.

One of the most important things that you can do it whenever you are trying to conceive a child is to stay hydrated. Far too many people spend the majority of their life in a dehydrated state and this can affect many different areas of their body, including their ability to produce and egg or sperm. Make sure that you drink eight to 10 glasses of clean, clear water every day and maintain this regimen throughout your lifetime. Not only will it help you in the conception department, it will help you in many areas of your health that will become evident once you start drinking the water.

Another thing that you can do in order to increase your odds of conceiving a child is to supplement with various vitamins and minerals. You would be surprised at how deficient many of us are in these vital nutrients. Taking vitamins such as C, B and E will increase your odds of conceiving a child because your body will have the things that it needs in order to maintain a healthy cycle.

Another thing that can help you with conception is for the female to experience an orgasm once the male has ejaculated. The contractions that are realized during this orgasm will help to move the sperm up into the uterus and toward the egg that we hope is waiting to receive it.

One other thing that you can do if you are having an especially difficult time in conceiving a child is to go on a fast. Although this has not been proven scientifically, many people have experienced conception that occurs as a result of being on one of these fasts. The most common one is the master cleanse, otherwise known as the lemonade diet. When all other methods have failed, this one may do the trick for you.

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A Chinese Conception calendar is supposed to help you determine whether your baby will be a boy or girl based on your conception date and age. To find out if your baby is a boy or girl, simply find your age on the left column and match it to your conception date across the top rows.

Although this has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years and has been known to be accurate, always check with your ob/gyn before you start painting your nursery blue or pink!

Click on the image below to see a larger version.

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WOW.  

That’s what we thought when we saw the baby’s first ultrasound.  Although the images aren’t that clear, and although you can’t see the baby’s defined features, it’s amazing to watch the heart beat, the head move, the mouth yawn, and even hand wave!  Well, it looked like a wave! 

One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind while the technician was moving the receiver across my belly was, “I can’t believe there is actually a real human being, a little baby, a part of me in my belly!”

Watch the video and you’ll see why we were so impressed:

http://stevencathy.com/babychang

I swear he was waving at us, as if he knows we are watching him! 

By the way, the video is narrated by my husband.  It’s difficult to see where the baby’s head is versus his butt.  So he thought he’d make it easier for the viewer to see.  Hoe you enjoy his narration.

Our little guy is 7 months old now.  Oh the progress!  Today, I decided to watch the video for grins and giggles.  That yawn.  It’s the same yawn he has today!  Isn’t that something!

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FitPregnancy (http://www.fitpregnancy.com/bestcities2008/155) released an article on the best cities to have a baby in America. Criteria in determining the best cities include hospitals and doctors, midwives and doulas, birth and health risks, affordability, stroller friendly parks, and more. Study was based on the top 50 most populated cities in the U. S. And the top ten winners are (drum roll please):

1. Portland, OR
2. Minneapolis, MN
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Seattle, WA
5. Denver, CO
6. Boston, MA
7. Omaha, NE
8. Virginia Beach, VA
9. Austin, TX
10. Albuquerque, NM

And what about the worst city? Detroit. Las Vegas is second to last. Hmmm…I wonder why?

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