COMPILED BYXANET SCHEEPERS AND REGISTERED MIDWIFE PIPPA HIMEPHOTOGRAPHYSUPPLIED; GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK12 | AUGUST 2019 | L&L
We
love!You are more likely to
break a bone during
pregnancy. This is
because the hormone,
relaxin, softens your
joints to open up
your hips and pelvis
for birth, which also
makes your bones
more prone to breaks. Pregnancynotes
Tips and advice to guide you
through your pregnancy.
STRETCHING
BELLIES
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lightweight, moisturising
and made with certified
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Not only will it help to
soothe and hydrate
dry, tight or stretched
skin, it will also improve
your skin’s elasticity and
softness. It contains
jojoba and coconut oils
for deep nourishment
that helps to soften
the appearance
of stretch marks.
Available online from
faithful-to-nature.co.za
for R389 (118ml).Revolutionary
fertility
treatment
After struggling to
conceive for 13 years,
Durban mom Ashlesha
Raghubir was diagnosed
with premature ovarian
failure, a loss of normal
function of the ovaries
before the age of 40. The
condition affects fewer
than 1% of women.
“Thanks to a new
platelet-rich plasma
(PRP) procedure
performed for ovarian
rejuvenation in the case
of premature ovarian
failure, the couple
was able to conceive
spontaneously just
weeks after undergoing
the procedure,” says Dr
Naidu a gynaecologist,
obstetrician and
fertility specialist at
the Durban Fertility
Clinic. This is the first
successful pregnancy
in South Africa using
the PRP procedure,
which involves injecting
Is vaping safer?
It’s common knowledge that smoking is harmful to both
you and your unborn child’s health during pregnancy,
but what about vaping? Is it a safer alternative to smoking
if you just can’t kick the habit? According to registered
midwife Pippa Hime, there’s very little research on the safety
of the toxins that are inhaled, and what harm they can
cause to your baby. “There’s no FDA regulation on these
products, but there are definitely chemicals present that
may be reaching your baby that could cause harm,” she
says. “Nicotine itself is known to constrict blood vessels and
results in growth restriction and low-birth-weight babies.
Some products claim to contain no nicotine, but small
traces can still be found, which is a risk in pregnancy.”
Pippa says some women believe the use of an e-cigarette
will help them quit smoking when they’re expecting. “But
the reality is, you’ll still be taking in nicotine, which is where
the addiction lies. And while the use of an e-cigarette may
satisfy your craving to smoke during pregnancy, and reduce
your intake of tar – it’s still potentially harmful to your baby.”
The bottom line: avoid vaping and e-cigarettes (and any
other tobacco products for that matter) if you’re expecting.
If you’re a heavy smoker, discuss a plan to quit with your
healthcare provider. It will improve your health and greatly
reduce the risks of complications to your unborn child.platelet-rich plasma into
the ovaries in order to
stimulate the stem cells
within the ovaries to
generate new eggs.
“We had been told by
many doctors over the
years that I wouldn’t be
able to fall pregnant and
that we should rather adopt
a child or consider falling
pregnant by egg donation,
as I was not ovulating
at all. But we were
determined to have our
own baby,” says Ashlesha.KNOW?
Did you