1st Trimester

UIF Maternity Claims

If there’s one thing almost every pregnant woman in South Africa is confused about, it’s how to claim Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) maternity benefits. This is one of those situations where an expert’s opinion can make an enormous difference. Klaus Arnhard from UIF-Hero (www.uif-hero.co.za), a professional nationwide partner for claiming from the UIF, gives us all the necessary tips to make the claiming process quick and easy. What is UIF Maternity Benefits? Expectant mothers are entitled to benefits for the period of Maternity leave (no more than 4 months) as prescribed by the Department of Labour. Those benefits are paid from the UIF

Read More

Folic acid – What is it

Folic Acid is vitamin B that has lots of important functions in our bodies, it helps us to make new proteins and red blood cells. During pregnancy Folic Acid helps to protect your unborn baby against Spina bifida (a condition where the backbone and spinal canal do not close properly before birth) and other defects of the neural tubes along the spine. How much do I need to take? It is recommended that you take a daily 400 micrograms of the supplement for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. Your baby’s spine starts to develop very soon after you conceive so,

Read More

Will my baby be normal?

Woman worry almost constantly through their pregnancy about whether their baby will be born normal, will they give birth to an abnormal child, or will they hurt the baby during their pregnancy? There are general precautions that you must be taken to avoid a special risk or harm to the baby such as eating sensibly, doing regular moderate exercise, cutting out smoking and drinking alcohol and going for your regular checkups to the doctor. There are some cases where women are superstitious and have a fear that it is punishment for their past behaviour There are some cases where women are superstitious and

Read More

Healthy Pregnancy Tips

As soon as you announce to your friends and family that you’re pregnant, you’re likely to be bombarded with advice on what you should or shouldn’t do to have a healthy pregnancy. Can you eat biltong? What about cheese? Can you dye your hair or paint your nails? Some women become hyper-sensitive about what they put into their bodies when they’re pregnant. It really isn’t necessary to become overly paranoid, after all, women in impoverished areas eat what they can, live their lives normally and still give birth to healthy babies. The best bit of advice is to consult your doctor regularly and

Read More

You may have Pregnancy Anaemia

Are you feeling tired and weak, you could have anaemia. This is very common in pregnancy and can be there before you fall pregnant or due to morning sickness. Most of the time this means you do not have enough iron and your vitamin levels are low. Anaemia is something you must check out because it can affect your baby. The reason for this is when you fall pregnant you create more red blood cells to improve the development to your baby, the blood carries oxygen. With anaemia you won’t be making enough red blood cells to make more blood. You can get

Read More

Drugs During your Pregnancy

Principles Drugs with molecular mass of less than 1500 easily cross the placenta, while drugs with a molecular mass of more than 1500 cross the placenta with difficulty,or not at all. Heparin is an example of the latter. Since the majority of drugs cross the placenta, most of this cannot be considered to be safe in pregnancy. Drugs should therefore be avoided as far as possible, especially during the first trimester. The classic teratogenic period is form day 31 after LNP in a 28-day cycle, to71 days from the LNP. During this critical period, the organs are being formed. However,

Read More

Molar Pregnancy

CAUSES SYMPTOMS DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT FOLLOW-UP COPING About one in every two thousand pregnancies is a so-called `molar` pregnancy. To begin with, a woman may have every reason to believe that she is expecting a baby. She will have missed one period or more, the pregnancy test will have been very strongly positive, and she may be experiencing all the classic signs of pregnancy. In addition she may be having particularly bad morning sickness. However, when the woman is examined no fetal heartbeat can be heard and no heartbeat or indeed any fetal parts can be seen on scan. The scan may

Read More

X and Y Chromosomes

Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes.  There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy. Henry Kissinger  When pregnant moms are asked whether they are hoping for a boy or a girl, the most popular answer is “I don’t mind at all, as long as it’s healthy!” But, deep down, most of us do have a preference – be it the dream of a nursery all in pink or adorable clothes in every shade of blue. For some, being able to determine the gender of the baby becomes somewhat of an obsession. They focus on everything from dietary changes

Read More

When to call the Doctor

During your pregnancy, you’re bound to have the odd tweak or tingle that you’re not entirely sure about. Should you be cramping, even if it is only a slight cramp? Are your feet supposed to be so swollen? Why isn’t your baby moving as much as she should be? Many pregnant women become neurotic about their unborn babies' welfare, Many pregnant women become neurotic about their unborn babies' welfare, and rightly so! In most cases, there’s no need to panic, but there are times when you should phone your doctor. Phone your doctor if you: Are bleeding Have fluid leaking from your vagina

Read More

Weight Gain

Heard the term “eating for two”? Well banish that thought from your mind. There is no such thing as eating for two. For some women, pregnancy is a time to indulge on all those treats that they couldn’t touch when they weren’t pregnant. As they stuff the second chocolate or handful of chips into their mouths, they think “What the hell, I’ll lose the weight once the baby is born.” Think again. Research has shown that a woman who is overweight or obese, is more likely to have problems during her pregnancy. The incidents of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes are likely

Read More