Ten Questions About Pregnancy You Might Not Want To Ask Your Doctor

TEN QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT PREGNANCY

Q1. Can I get pregnant following oral sex or heavy petting?

No. You can only get pregnant from full sexual intercourse.

Q2. How will I know if I am pregnant?

If you have had sexual intercourse since your last period and you are late for your current period, you may be pregnant. Following implantation of the fertilised egg menstruation should not occur, hence for women who have been sexually active and who have previously menstruated regularly, the absence of a period should be put down to pregnancy.

The most common way to confirm a pregnancy is to purchase and undertake a home test. These are relatively cheap and can be done in the privacy of your home. The manufacturers claim they are over 95% accurate.

If the home test has a positive result, you should make an appointment to see your doctor.

Q3. Is it safe to have sex during pregnancy?

For most couples it is normal for them to enjoy an active sex life throughout the pregnancy. Sexual intercourse will not harm the development of your baby as it is cushioned by a bag of fluid in your uterus.

Sex during your pregnancy may also help you both unwind and should help you maintain a strong bond with your partner, ready for the months ahead.

Q4. Does vaginal discharge increases during this time?

Yes, unfortunately it does. Vaginal discharge may well increase during all stages of your pregnancy and should be similar to the discharge you have previously had before a period. It is only if the discharge becomes very thick, smelly or blood stained that you need to seek medical assistance. If the cause is an infection, it can be easily treated with creams or tablets.

Q5. Will I get piles/haemorrhoids?

You may. Although people laugh and joke about piles, they are no laughing matter.

During pregnancy the walls and veins in your anus swell and blood flow becomes sluggish, causing the affected veins to throb and become painful.

There are precautions you can take to help reduce the chances of developing piles, such as:

ï¿½Ï Eat a high fibre diet and drink lots of fluid to avoid constipation.

ï¿½Ï Try to relax on the toilet and not strain.

ï¿½Ï Undertake regular exercise and pelvic floor exercises to help blood flow around your anus.

If you do get piles, your doctor, midwife or pharmacist will be able to suggest a suitable cream to ease the pain.

Q6. What is the best contraception to use after birth?

This will depend on how soon you wish to have another baby. If you want another baby soon (within one year), then short-term measures such as the cap or condom, ideally with the use of a spermicide, are probably the best contraception.

Long term, methods such as contraceptive injection, hormone implant and ¡¥the pill¡ï¿½ may be your best options.

Q7. How soon can I have sex after birth?

It is advisable to wait a few weeks after a normal delivery, and up to three months after a caesarean, as healing may take this length of time. It is important however that both you and your partner agree: neither should feel pressured into it.

Be aware that you may feel dry; though by using water-based lubricants there is no reason why sex should not be as enjoyable as before.

Q8. How will the midwife measure cervical dilation?

The midwife will measure how dilated (or open) the cervix is by gently inserting two fingers into the vagina. She assesses how open the cervix is by opening her fingers and feeling around its perimeter. She will also be feeling the position of the cervix and how soft it is.

She will always try to be gentle but sometimes the process can be slightly uncomfortable. Try to stay as relaxed as possible: the tenser you are, the more uncomfortable the procedure will be. Hold your partner¡ï¿½s hand while the midwife examines you and ask him to try and distract you.

Q9. How will the hospital staff break my waters if they need to?

The midwife will discuss with you why you might need your waters breaking. Remember though, if you are not comfortable with this you can decline. If you fully understand the need to have your waters broken, and are happy to go ahead, the midwife or doctor will perform a normal vaginal examination then insert a long thin plastic hook that is a little bit like a crochet hook. The hook will be brushed over the bag of waters, which will usually be enough pressure to break it. The cervix does, however, have to be sufficiently open for this to be carried out.

Q10. If I have an episiotomy or perineal tear, how will it be repaired?

It is not always the case that your perineum (the area between the vaginal entrance and the rectum) will tear or need to be cut. Moreover, if it is, there is no way of knowing if you will require stitches. Some studies have shown that perineal massage can help prevent trauma. Your midwife will be able to advise you on this. Sometimes if a small tear has been sustained, it will be left to heal naturally.

If the area does require stitches, the midwife who has been looking after you will usually do it. You will be given local anaesthetic to numb the area before the midwife starts and she will check that you are unable to feel any pain before commencing. These days, stitches are almost always dissolvable and will not need to be removed.

Want to know more?

If you do want to know more about pregnancy, from conception to labour, you should take a look at ¡¥Pregnancy for Beginners¡ï¿½ ¡V a comprehensive guide for the new mother-to-Be. Written by a State Registered Midwife, it is a simple, easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive, book you can download to your computer in minutes. See www.pregnancyfacts.org for full details of this invaluable guide for the newly pregnant woman.

About the author:
Written by a practising midwife, this article gives a taster for her comprehensive, yet easy-to-read ebook, ¡¥Pregnancy for Beginners ¡V The Complete Guide for the First-Time Mother-to-Be¡ï¿½, a unique source of advice for newly pregnant women. See

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Craft Show Profits - Away from Craft Shows!

As you gain experience selling your crafts at craft shows,
you'll be planning your schedule a year in advance. Although a
business plan isn't essential, a marketing plan is a good idea
to have as you plan your shows. You'll want to keep your
customers on your mailing list informed of new products, special
sales and upcoming shows. You may need to update your marketing
materials from time to time as well. In addition, between shows,
you may decide to pursue other paths to selling your products.
Some of these are: the Internet (your own Web site or eBay),
retail (your own store, space in a gallery or retail store),
wholesale (trade shows, distributors or sales reps), trade or
consumer magazine ads (extremely costly), mail order, catalogs,
TV shopping networks and home shows.

Selling wholesale at galleries, stores, trade shows or through
reps or distributors cuts your profit in half. The only way to
make it up is through large quantity sales—and then you may find
yourself in a bigger production mode than what you feel
comfortable with. Selling wholesale has other drawbacks, like
return policies, cancellations and late payments. And some shops
and galleries will only take you on consignment.

Although billions of dollars are spent by consumers buying
products over the Internet, online sales for craft items has not
been spectacular—and nothing compared to craft show figures.
However, it's relatively inexpensive to sell over eBay and for
under $1,000 you can have a decent Web site designed. Check out
eBay for yourself to see if anything like your items are being
marketed there. If you have to sell way too low to match the
competition that you won't make a profit, it's not worth it. Put
up your own Web site and let it be a virtual shop for you—for
existing customers to see what you're up to and to attract new
buyers. You can post your show schedule, have information about
yourself and your crafts and sell whatever items photograph well
and ship safely.

Research other Web sites selling similar products, decide how
you would like your electronic store to look and find a
competent Web designer. Make sure you are quoted all costs up
front including monthly maintenance so you can keep your site
updated. Design your Web site with the same care you designed
your booth—so it represents you and your product in the best
light. Make it easy for people to buy and to contact you. Have
your phone number and e-mail address so they can ask questions.
If your Web designer is not marketing savvy, have someone help
you submit your Web site to search engines and do whatever you
can to make it visible to potential buyers.

Another way to promote yourself online is to join craft forums
or chat groups, where buyers and sellers gather to discuss
crafts. If you position yourself as an expert answering various
questions, people may visit your Web site to gain more contact
with you. Also consider having links and resources on your site
so people will see you as a source of knowledge about crafts. As
a creative person, you'll probably have so many ideas to enhance
your Web site—just don't become obsessed so it takes you away
from your first love—making crafts! Once you have a Web site,
put the address on all your marketing materials—from business
cards to show schedules.

If you are doing well selling your crafts at craft shows, that
may be all you need to do. The more avenues for sales you take
on, the thinner you spread yourself, and the less you're doing
what you love most and what you started this business
for—creating crafts!

About the author:
Natalie Goyette is the best selling author of Craft Show Success. Her e-book shows you how you can finally make money at craft shows.

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Hair Color Secrets – Which Color Is Right For You?

Hair color correction is a big money maker in salons nationwide. The reason: over-the-counter hair coloring products have given consumers the impression that hair color is easy and extremely affordable. One look at a professionally-colored model on a commercial or glossy magazine page, and many people clamor to the closest drug store to purchase a $5 box of color with the hopes of receiving a $50 salon look.

The results are often disastrous, and it can take hundreds of dollars to correct a hair color problem that could have been prevented with just a tiny bit of knowledge and planning.

The most common problem seen with hair coloring at home and in salons is choosing a hair color that is too light for the natural shade of hair. Realistically, color can only lighten hair beautifully by a few shades. If you go any lighter than a few shades, you need to choose a high-lift product such as bleach or a professional highlighting system. Failure to do this often results in hair color that is much too brassy or even orange.

Word to the wise: high-lift hair coloring should only be performed by professionals. The controlled chemicals used in the process, if used incorrectly, can result in irreparable damage and/or chemical burns on the scalp and skin.

Another hair color mistake that is seen quite often is choosing a color that is too dark. Extremely dark hair color can be the most challenging to correct because dark color can actually stain the cortex (inner layer) of the hair, making it almost impossible to lighten. Again, avoid choosing hair colors that are more than a few shades darker than your own to prevent a costly cortex stain.

When it comes to choosing the right shade of hair color to use, pick tones and shades that flatter your skin tone. Choose warm shade of hair color (reds and warm browns) if you look best in warm-colored clothing such as reds, pinks and oranges. Choose a cool shade (beige, pale blonde highlights and neutral colors) if you look best in blues and greens.

As you can see, just a little bid of planning and knowledge can save you from costly hair coloring disasters. And by making an informed decision before you purchase hair color, you will not only save money, you will also save your hair from needless damage.

Hair color is a chemical, and every time you chemically process your hair, you damage it to some extent. The damage can be minimal, as is usually the case with high-end professional hair coloring systems, or can be extreme. And each time you use hair color to correct a problem, you are damaging your hair even more.

Here are just a few tell-tale signs that your hair has been over processed with hair color and other chemicals.

" The hair is limp and dull, and no amount of styling can bring back its luster and bounce.
" The hair color has faded dramatically, and you are left with brassy and banded hair color. (Banded hair color is evident by the sudden change of hair color along the hair shaft. For example: the hair may be dark until about 2" from the scalp where it turns a brassy orange.)
" The hair is extremely dry and brittle. When it is wet, it is almost impossible to comb it without causing breakage.

You can avoid damage to your hair caused by hair coloring by taking the same precautions recommended for choosing the right hair color. Choosing the right hair color reduces the amount of color applications, therefore, reducing the chances of your hair becoming over processed.

About the author:
Michael Barrows' website gives great advice for good hair. Get your free ebook packed with hair style and hair care tips and advice, visit

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Ten Questions About Pregnancy You Might Not Want To Ask Your Doctor