Pregnancy & Childcare : Facts about Folic Acid

If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine. Women need 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.

About folic acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid.

How much folic acid a woman needs

400 micrograms (mcg) every day

When to start taking folic acid

For folic acid to help prevent some major birth defects, a woman needs to start taking it at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.

Every woman needs folic acid every day, whether she’s planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells the body makes daily. Think about the skin, hair, and nails. These – and other parts of the body – make new cells each day.

How a woman can get enough folic acid

There are two easy ways to be sure to get enough folic acid each day:

Take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day.

Most multivitamins sold in pharmacies have the amount of folic acid women need each day. Women can also choose to take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.

Multivitamins and folic acid pills can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores. Check the label to be sure it contains 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms (mcg).
Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day.

Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

The following cereals contain 100% of the DV of folic acid per serving size. Please look at nutrition label on the side of the cereal box for the serving size and % Daily Value.

Kellogg’s®

All-Bran® Bran Buds®
All-Bran® Complete® Wheat Flakes
All-Bran® Original
All-Bran® Strawberry Medley
Low-Fat Granola without Raisins
Product 19®
Mueslix
Smart Start® Strong Heart Antioxidants
Special K®

Quaker® Oats

Cap'n Crunch Original ®
Cap'n Crunch’s Christmas Crunch®
Cap'n Crunch’s Crunch Berries®
Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch®
Honey Graham OH!s®
King Vitamin®
Cinnamon Life®
Maple & Brown Sugar Life®
Oatmeal Squares Brown Sugar
Oatmeal Squares Cinnamon
Oatmeal Squares Golden Maple
Quisp®

These cereals are high in folic acid, but please check the nutritional information on the label to ensure that your other nutritional needs are met

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

PCOS or Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the rising cause of infertility amongst women. Fortunately, PCO is also a condition which can be treated easily. A lot of women face problem while trying to get pregnant if they have polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is very important that you know all possible options of PCO treatments so that your passage to parenthood can be as even and smooth as possible.

If you are trying to get pregnant while suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, you must change your lifestyle. Majority of women suffering from Polycystic ovarian syndrome have realized that their fertility incredibly increases after making changes in diet regimen and exercise

Only if you realize around 5% body weight loss, a huge difference would be accounted to your overall fertility and there will be a decrease in risk to gestational diabetes once you get pregnant. You must switch to eating low carbohydrate and fat diets so that you are able to regulate your insulin levels and manage your weight.

It is important to take the right medications that are designed to take care of internal resistance which is the stepping stone for getting pregnant if you are suffering from Polycystic ovarian syndrome. A physician or gynecologists will advise you on drugs that you will need to take for 3 to 6 months before you can start with any other treatment options. You must not get frustrated as it takes to get rid of the syndrome.

For ovulation, you must seek help. Women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome have difficulties ovulating so take drugs in order to stimulate ovulation. The gynecologists may prescribe injections in order to further stimulate the ovaries.

If you’re planning to get pregnant, it is important that you time it correctly. Making a chart of your basal body temperature will help you determine the right time for conception. You may also seek advice for determining the right time when you and your partner should have intercourse. The time of intercourse should be typically the four days that surrounds ovulation. Once you start to ovulate correctly, the doctor may advise you with intrauterine inseminations (IUI’s) which will make it easier for sperm to reach your eggs. This will increase the chances of conception incredibly.

Reference : on request

Bye Bye Baby Bump

Get your post-baby body back with these super effective workout tips and healthy eating plan. There is no quick fix solution, remember it took 9 months to gain the weight so allow a similar length of time to regain your pre-pregnancy appearance. Just as it is best to put on weight slowly and steadily during your pregnancy, you need to be slow and steady in losing weight after your pregnancy. For optimum health, aim to lose no more than 1 pound per week, and continue to focus on eating nutritious foods as recommended by your doctor.

Exercise plays a major role in returning you to your post-baby body. Apart from weight loss other benefits of new mothers engaging in exercise, include alleviating postnatal depression and, unlike dieting, it won't interfere with breastfeeding.
With a new baby at home it will most definitely be difficult to dedicate time to exercise, therefore a good trick is to find easy ways to increase and incorporate exercise into your daily routine like parking farther away or using stairs instead of lifts.



After 2-3 months, when you feel your strength is returning and when your period has returned to normal, start light exercise. Such exercises include walking, swimming, yoga, cycling, dancing or stair climbing. It is important to use one or more of these cardiovascular exercises daily, preferably one that you find comfortable and maybe have an interest in.

Most new mothers find walking to be more practical. You can take a 10-20 minute walk with the baby every day or with a friend or new mother. Babies can be carried using a snugli, baby strollers (prams), or even secured on your back with a wrapper, the more traditional way. A 30 minute stroll at a light three-miles-per-hour pace will burn at least 106 calories! Hence do not underrate the weight-loss power of walking.
Other important tips to losing baby fat are:

• Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. You can cut out hundreds of calories a day this way.

• Eat lean meats such as skinless chicken and lean beef. Also resist the urge to indulge in a fast food meal.

• Eat whole grains (breads, cereals, pastas) instead of the "white" versions. The “white” versions are more common in Africa, but whole grain products are being sold in a number of stores.

• Breastfeed! Fortunately African women are more likely to breast-feed after child birth than other ethnic groups. Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories per day so the longer you breastfeed, the more calories you burn. One of the reasons your body puts on weight during pregnancy is to help store the caloric energy it takes to breastfeed your baby. Therefore take advantage of losing calories the way your body naturally intended!

I have sourced out helpful exercise regimes should you wish to go a step further and engage in more rigorous routines. Follow the links below:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/videos/m/28298552/better-body-after-baby.htm

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/lose-baby-weight/workouts/lose-the-baby-weight-fast-toning-circuit-workout/?page=6

http://www.womenshealthsa.co.za/list/weightloss-baby

www.befitmom.com

Debby Soetan