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I wanted to tell all of you about this fascinating show that will be on the National Geographic Channel this weekend. You may have heard about it on the Today Show this morning.
National Geographic has developed a new series entitled In the Womb. This Sunday they will be showing In The Womb: Multiples, which will feature the development of triplets from conception through birth. The footage is absolutely fascinating. Using 4D sonogram imaging they are able to show all the developmental changes the babies go through, how they interact with one another in the womb, and how they accommodate one another in such cramped quarters.
I recently watched another part of the In the Womb series that featured golden retriever puppies, a baby elephant, and a baby dolphin. It was amazing the details that were visible thanks so the 4D sonogram imaging.
I highly recommend taking an hour out of your day this Sunday to check out this program. The show will be on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday January 14th at 8pm et/7pm ct/9pm pt. Check your local listings for more details.
Be sure to stop by and tell me what you thought of the program.
Your window of opportunity to get pregnant in any given month is fairly small. A fertile woman has a 20 percent chance of conceiving during a cycle. Luckily, 85 percent of healthy, fertile couples will conceive within 1 year of trying.
Conception can only occur during a small window during your cycle. Your egg will live for 24 hours after ovulation so fertilization must occur within that 24 hours. Sperm can live inside a woman for 2-3 days so that helps increase the odds a little. The trick is determining when ovulation has occurred so you can plan your schedule around it. There are a few different ways in which you can try to predict ovulation.
Keeping track of your cycle: If you cycle is fairly regular you can try to predict when ovulation will occur. For a normal cycle that is 28 days long ovulation will typically occur on the 14th day of your cycle (that would be 14 days from the start of your last period), so by counting forward from the first day of your cycle you can predict about what day you will ovulate. This method of course is no help at all if your cycle is irregular.
Basal Body Temperature: When ovulation has occurred your basal body temperature will rise, it is a pretty small increase in temperature, only about 1/2 a degree to a degree. You can help predict when ovulation will occur by keeping track of your basal body temperature for several months to identify a trend. You will need to take your temperature first thing in the morning every day and chart your temperature. Over several months you will begin to see a trend that will be able to help you predict when ovulation typically occurs in your cycle. This method will require a little more commitment and time.
Ovulation Predictor Kits: Ovulation predictor kits are now available that women can use to determine if ovulation is about to occur. The way these kits work is a woman urinates on the stick and the stick will change color when you are about to ovulate. These kits measure the luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in your urine which rise the day before ovulation occurs. The kits can be expensive, ranging in price from about $20-$50, so you might not want to rely on this every month.
Some lucky women will notice physical signs that ovulation has occurred such as cramping. For most women, however, there are no physical signs and ovulation remains a mystery. When you are trying to get pregnant it can be a bit frustrating, but remember the odds are in your favor. Talk to your doctor for some additional pointers on trying to predict ovulation. If after 12 months of trying you still have not been able to conceive consult your doctor to determine if there is some underlying fertility problem.
Best of luck to everyone trying to get pregnant, I know it can be a bit nerve wracking and a little stressful as you wait to see if you conceived.
(Source: BabyCenter)
There are lots of great carnivals going on this week that I am participating in. They span a wide range of topics that are helpful for everyone. I encourage you to stop by the carnivals and check out the other great entries. Health Carnival Fitness Carnival Carnival of Education Carnival of Family Life Education Carnival Enjoy!!
Several months ago I wrote an article about maternity fashion, and how thanks to the celebrity baby boom the selection of fashionable maternity wear was ever increasing. Well, there is good news for those of us planning a pregnancy in 2007 when it comes to maternity fashion. The trend of pretty, flattering, and trendy maternity fashion is continuing, if not getting even better. Over the last few years we have seen a rise in the availability of beautiful clothing for pregnant women. So what can we expect in 2007?
The trends in maternity fashion for 2007 are very similar to the trends in regular fashion. Here are a few things you can expect to see on the store shelves of maternity stores this year.
- Very feminine and flirty materials. Light, flowy fabrics that will help make you look and feel very feminine.
- Island patterns for the spring and summer, including fabrics with lots of color and floral patterns.
- Bohemian style clothing, long flowing dresses, longer shirts made of light fabrics with intricate details.
- Availability of quality business wear continues to improve, especially at cheaper retailers like Old Navy, Gap and Target.
- More options in the type of fit, particularly when it comes to pants.
- More options in style, you can dress according to your age group and style type much more easily.
- Increased availability of harder to find items like active wear, intimate wear, bathing suits and dressy clothing.
It is finally fun to shop for maternity clothing. It will be interesting to see where maternity fashion heads next.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a new recommendation this month regarding testing for Down Syndrome. According to the news release the ACOG is recommending that all pregnant women, no matter their age, be offered genetics counseling and diagnostic testing for Down Syndrome. Previously this testing and counseling was only automatically offered to pregnant women if they were over the age of 35.
Screening for your risk of Down Syndrome should be done prior to the 20th week of pregnancy, and the ACOG is recommending that all pregnant women consider a less invasive screening. The goal of this recommendation is to offer screening tests to all pregnant women that have a high detection rate with low false positive results. More invasive diagnostic testing would be offered to those women whose screening results indicate a high risk of having a child with Down Syndrome.
The ACOG hopes that by making this recommendation and providing prenatal caregivers with adequate educational materials about the screenings that there will be more standardization among obstetricians. The hope is to offer more women the option of having the screening done, and decrease the use of unnecessary invasive testing.
Down Syndrome is a fairly common disorder that is caused by an extra chromosome and causes congenital heart defects and mental retardation. Down Syndrome occurs in approximately one out of every 733 births in the United States. For more information about Down Syndrome visit the National Down Syndrome Society website.