Environmental factors may be behind some of the problems faced by women in conceiving, reveals a new study. It goes on to suggest that air pollution could reduce the number of years women have to reproduce and lead to early menopause. These findings were presented at The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology…

Women who exercise while pregnant are not only helping themselves, but their babies too, according to a new study. New-borns whose moms exercised during pregnancy may have improved heart health and reached movement milestones earlier than other babies, according to researchers at East Carolina University. The researchers compared the outcomes of 1-month-old babies from a…

Moderate exercise improves a mother’s health and has a positive effect on her emotional well-being. Some of the benefits include: - Higher level of cardiovascular fitness - Improved blood lipid profiles and insulin response - A feeling of well-being from improved energy and reduced stress levels - Enhanced maternal-infant relationship - Alleviation of depression symptoms…

As your pregnancy progresses, many body parts begin to ache. Your legs and feet tend to get tired, worn out, and downright achy, and the extra weight of the baby doesn’t help. Leg cramps often strike in the middle of the night, especially during the second and third trimesters. Although your legs and feet hurt,…

Is it normal to worry in pregnancy? Yes. Pregnancy is a life-changing event, so it's only natural for you to feel scared or uneasy sometimes. The hormone changes that pregnancy brings can also play havoc with your emotions, making you more vulnerable to worry. You may find yourself worrying about: - your pregnancy symptoms and…

Those in a trial who ate more fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil while undergoing the treatment had an almost 70 per cent better chance of conceiving than women eating less healthily. Researchers asked 244 women how often they ate certain groups of food in the preceding six months before they…

Being pregnant throughout the summer months isn’t always easy. With the heat and humidity (and often sore swollen feet), it can feel like there’s no end in sight. But there is plenty to shout about too! From comfy clothes and shoes, to refreshing summer mocktails… here’s to summer lovin’... 1. Super-comfy maxi-dresses When it's hot…

Potential to produce healthy oocytes is limited  The reasons for postponing motherhood in the 21st century are different, such as making education a priority, working on a career or a business, meeting the proper partner later in life. Unfortunately ovaries have a limited reserve to produce healthy oocytes and with increase of the women’s age…

What does premature birth mean? Once you reach 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, your baby is what’s called “term”. Your baby will be premature if he arrives before you're 37 weeks pregnant. Most premature babies arrive after 32 weeks (HES online 2012a) and have a good chance of surviving and growing up to be healthy.…

In the brain of the father: why men can be just as good primary parents as women Brain research shows that fathers who are secondary to a female caregiver are more engaged as thinkers and planners. But men raising a child without a female partner were found to have the same level of emotional response…

Did you know that in northern countries, which have dark, cold winters, couples are less likely to conceive during the winter, whereas conception rates peak in the summer? There are a number of reasons why this association exists, but new research highlights vitamin D as one of the most important variable. Vitamin D, a steroid…

Now that you're expecting, you're ready to put your feet up and rest for the next nine months, right? Not so fast. "Regular exercise while you're pregnant can improve your heart health, give you energy, and pump up your self-image," says Frances Crites, MD, an Ob-Gyn at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Maintaining a healthy body…