Sunday, July 06, 2008

Health Tips for July 6

Health Tip: Trying Pregnancy Again

Trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage can be fraught with a host of emotional and physical concerns.

Here are suggestions when considering another pregnancy after a miscarriage, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:

* Doctors routinely recommend waiting six months to one year before trying to get pregnant again. This is to make sure that the woman's body to ready to handle another pregnancy. It's also important to make sure that you're emotionally ready to try again.
* About 85 percent of women who have had a miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy. Among those who have had more than one loss, the rate is about 75 percent.
* If you do get pregnant again, ask your doctor to help you more carefully monitor your health and progress.
* It's normal to still grieve for an earlier loss while celebrating the arrival of a new baby.
* It's common to be hesitant in bonding with your new baby, fearing another loss.
* Talk to your doctor about counselors or support groups if you are having a difficult time with your pregnancy or new baby.

Health Tip: Stretch Marks

Stretch marks, often the result of rapid stretching of the skin, are most commonly associated with pregnancy.

Usually pink or reddish in color, these darkish lines can also appear on diabetics, or among children who rapidly gain weight.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) offers these additional facts about stretch marks:

* They can look like indented ridges in the skin, and eventually may turn white and look like scars.
* They most often appear on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen and the flank.
* They can result from long-time use of some medications, such as cortisone skin creams.
* Lotions and creams that claim to reduce the appearance of stretch marks have little proven value, the NLM says.

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