August 2022 - Elle Chic Printables

How to Improve Your Chances of Conceiving a Girl

Do you already have one boy (or several), and now you want to have a girl? Or perhaps you grew up with only brothers, and always wondered what it would be like to have a girl?

Some people choose to leave gender selection to chance, which can be great fun to find out whether they are having a boy or girl on the day of the birth. However, some other parents would like to tip the scales in their favor of conceiving a particular gender. In this particular article, information is provided on how to increase your chances of having a girl.

So what are the factors that can help you conceive a girl?

First, understanding the science behind what creates little boys and little girls is the easiest way to increase the chances of conceiving the gender of your choice. In particular, knowing the differences between sperm is what is most important.

So what are the differences in sperm?

As you may already know, sperm can be X or Y chromosomes. X chromosomes result in a girl baby when they fertilize the female’s egg. Y chromosomes result in boy babies upon fertilization. The mother’s egg always contains an X chromosome.

X (from mother) + X (from father) = Girl baby

X (from mother) + Y (from father) = Boy baby

What other differences exist between X and Y sperm?

X sperm chromosomes are heartier and live longer in a woman’s body. On the other hand, Y sperm chromosomes are weaker and do not live as long, dying off more quickly inside a woman’s body. X chromosomes also swim more slowly, compared to Y chromosomes.

Therefore, to increase your chances to conceive a girl, you will want to ensure that there are no Y sperm still inside your body so that the X sperm fertilize the egg when you ovulate.

So how do you make this happen then?

If you want to have a girl, you need to plan to have sex about two to four days before you ovulate. By then, the Y sperm will have died off, and the slower-moving, longer-living X sperm will presumably get to the egg to fertilize it.

This is just one factor that can help you in getting pregnant with a girl. For best results, you need to combine several techniques for higher success. Other techniques include considering the pH levels of your cervical mucus, what foods you are eating, and so forth. The best way is to get the information from someone who has helped many couples to achieve the gender that they desire. You can find out more here: <insert your affiliate link here – Clickbank Marketplace and Amazon have books about gender selection>

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Checklist of Things to Pack to Bring to the Hospital or Birthing Center

For You:

___ Loose, comfortable clothing to go home in
___ A couple of nightgowns and a housecoat
___ Comfortable, cool clothes to lounge in after the birth of your baby
___ Slippers
___ Socks
___ Breastfeeding pillow
___ Breast pads
___ Two breastfeeding bras
___ Nipple cream for possible cracks/sore nipples
___ Toothpaste
___ Toothbrush
___ Floss
___ Hairbrush
___ Antiperspirant/deodorant
___ Cosmetics and hair products
___ Shampoo and conditioner
___ Body wash or soap
___ A few healthy snacks to keep in your room
___ Eyeglasses or contact lenses and solution
___ Birth plan, hospital paperwork, your insurance or health card
___ Camera and/or video camera
___ Your own underwear (oversized)

For Baby:

___ Clothing for your baby to go home in
___ Car seat (make sure you know how to use and install it before giving birth)
___ Blanket or car seat cover to keep the wind off of your baby

For Your Partner:

___ A couple changes of comfortable clothing
___ Snacks
___ Money
___ Phone numbers of friends and family to call after your baby’s birth

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4 Reasons for Postpartum Depression & Risk Factors for Its Development

It is common for moms to experience the “baby blues” – crying, sadness, difficulty sleeping, irritability – within the first few days to couple of weeks after having a new baby. However, when these symptoms last longer than two or three weeks, you may be suffering from “postpartum depression” (PPD). The latter requires professional consultation and treatment, and is not something that you should blame yourself for developing. In any case, if you are experiencing depression after the birth of your baby, please do NOT delay in getting treatment.

How many women are affected by postpartum depression?

Although many cases still go unreported, it appears that about 20% of moms develop it.

Why, at a time that most would celebrate the birth of a baby, do you feel depressed?

There can be many reasons, but here are some potential ones:

Hormonal Changes:

Estrogen and progesterone hormones increase ten times during pregnancy, and then drop suddenly after birth. In fact, they are back to pre-pregnancy levels or even lower within three days of giving birth! Cortisol is another hormone that increases in pregnancy, and decreases dramatically after the baby’s birth.

Major Lifestyle Changes:

If it is a first baby, it can be very stressful learning everything there is to know about caring for a newborn. Add lack of sleep and/or a colicky baby into the picture, and coping skills can dramatically be reduced.

If this is not your first baby, there can sometimes be guilt associated with not spending enough time with your older children as caring for the new baby may be taking away time away from them.

Physical Changes:

It can be frustrating to hear about celebrities who are in their pre-pregnancy jeans within a week of giving birth! This is not the norm. In addition to weight gain, new mothers deal with the reality of permanent stretch marks, and the pain from vaginal deliveries or caesarean sections.

Emotional Causes:

Many times, mothers-to-be have idealistic thoughts of how the pregnancy, labor and delivery, and post-pregnancy weeks are going to be, only to find out that many things do not go according to plan. For example, if a mother was planning on cuddling and bonding with her baby immediately after the birth, but the baby has to be rushed off due to unexpected medical reasons, this can be devastating.

Although all moms experience potential reasons to become depressed, not all do.

As in other physical and mental health disorders, there are particular risk factors for developing postpartum depression.

Risk factors for PPD include:

History of depression prior to pregnancy or during pregnancy
Family history of depression (often a biochemical predisposition)
Previous history of postpartum depression after the birth of other children
History of an eating disorder
Lack of support from family, friends, and partner
Age of the mother – Younger mothers are at increased risk
The more children you have, the greater the risk of PPD
Troubled relationship with your partner

In summary, up to 20% of moms will develop postpartum depression. There are several reasons why you may feel depressed after the birth, and risk factors that increase the chances of developing PPD. Arming yourself with this knowledge, can help you identify if you may be suffering from PPD, so that you can get help as soon as possible.

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Recognizing Prenatal Depression and Its Effects on Mother and Unborn Baby

Prenatal depression has recently gained more attention by obstetricians, but it is still not fully understood. Studies on pregnant women are less frequent due to the ethical issues. But observational studies have shown that, among women who are diagnosed with postnatal depression, many report having had similar feelings during their pregnancies.

Therefore, women who are experiencing depression should discuss their feelings with their obstetricians and seek treatment as soon as they recognize that something is amiss. Depression that affects the mom in significant ways, may also directly affect the unborn fetus.

What are some of the symptoms of prenatal depression?

Crying
Sleep disturbances and fatigue
Appetite disturbance
Anxiety
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating

Some of these symptoms seem to describe normal pregnancy occurrences such as appetite disturbance and sleep problems, but the key factors are the severity and duration of the symptoms.

What are some of the major factors contributing to prenatal depression?

Poor fetal attachment
Previous history of depression, or a family history of it
Unplanned pregnancy
Previous history of miscarriage
Years of fertility treatments
Relationship dissatisfaction with the baby’s father, or being single
Limited family or social supports
Stress over the changes that are happening or are about to happen ex) pause in career goals, loss of independent lifestyle, increased bills, etc.
Other children – the more children you already have, the more chance of depression

Women who experience any of the above factors, and do not receive help for these and the other symptoms listed, have an increased likelihood to experience postnatal depression as well. It is therefore important to get treatment during pregnancy.

How does prenatal depression directly affect the fetus?

Although at least 18% of all pregnant women suffer from some form of prenatal depression, the few studies that have been done have found that 40% of women who live in lower socio-economic conditions tend to suffer more severe prenatal depression.

As a result of healthcare concerns and economic challenges, the fetus may have some challenges as well, including:

Smaller head circumference
Low birth weight
Premature birth
Lower level of growth during the first year of life, including developmental delay

What can a mom with prenatal depression do to help herself and her unborn child?

Although prenatal depression tends to make a pregnant woman feel she is all alone, she can reduce the symptoms proactively by doing the following things:

Communicate her feelings with her family to get their support
See her physician for treatment.
Join a support group to learn about how others are dealing with the same feelings, and try to use those strategies that may work for her.
Exercise regularly to help release “feel-good” endorphins. Always speak to a physician first to ensure a suitable and safe level of exercise.
Try to get proper rest.
Eat well. If costs are a concern, seek assistance with government food programs to get a proper diet.

Prenatal depression is hard to deal with all alone. Seek help for it and your baby. The help will make bringing a new life into the world so much better for both of you. It will also reduce the chances that the new baby will be affected by the negative impact of depression both before and after the birth.