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Does Your Voice Change During Pregnancy?
You may be glowing with happiness to welcome your little bundle of joy into this world. Everyone around you may have loaded you with information about the physical and emotional changes that your body may be undergoing in the next few months. However, did anyone mention that you may be experiencing a change in your voice too? Sounds strange or weird, well, many women may actually experience a difference in their voice during pregnancy. What may be reasons for this phenomenon and when should you feel alarmed, find out all this information in this post.
What Causes Voice Changes in Pregnancy?
From the time you become pregnant and until the birth of your baby, you may experience many changes. Where most of the metabolic, physiological and anatomical changes may subside after you deliver your baby, the same may not hold true for your pregnancy voice change. Here are some causes that may change the pitch, quality, perturbation rate of your voice during pregnancy:
1. Swelling of Your Vocal Chords
You may experience swelling on your arms, legs and face, and sometimes vocal folds tissues may swell up too. The swelling may put pressure on the vocal chores and may change the voice quality.
2. Pregnancy Hormones
You may undergo various changes during pregnancy due to the changing hormonal levels in your body. The surge in estrogen and progesterone hormones in the body may affect a pregnant woman's body, and this hormonal imbalance affects the voice quality too.
3. More Bodily Fluids
During pregnancy, your body fluids increase by approximately 50 per cent. The increased fluids in the body may alter or deepen your voice because the excess amount of fluid (mucus) may sometimes get collected near the vocal cords, which may reduce the vibration rate. The slower vibrations may deepen your voice.
4. Change in the Lung Capacity
As your little munchkin grows inside your womb, he may push your internal organs upwards, including your diaphragm. This may make you experience breathing issues, vocal fatigue, decreased lung capacity and a changed voice. This may decrease the ability of your voice to sustain high notes.
5. Changed Voice Range
The blood vessels of your entire body dilate during pregnancy to carry the increased supply of the blood to various parts of the body. This may occur in your vocal cord vessels too, which may make your vocal cord muscles fragile and thus more prone to rupturing and tearing. This may cause the voice to change during pregnancy.
6. LPR or Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
Progesterone may affect the functioning oesophagal sphincter, which is responsible for keeping your stomach’s acid and other content from travelling back into your larynx. This may make the stomach acid to move up to the oesophagus and may result in LPR or Laryngopharyngeal reflux. LPR may alter your voice during pregnancy because it may irritate the voice box.
7. Changes in Nasal Resonance
We have discussed in the above section that pregnancy may lead to swelling in various parts of the body and it may occur on your nose too. The swelling on and around your nasal region may cause hindrance in breathing. The decreased nasal resonance may cause a hoarse voice while pregnant.
8. Changed Posture
Your entire support mechanism undergoes a tremendous change during pregnancy, which may make changes in your voice too. As you enter into your final trimester, you may experience noticeable changes in your back, chest and pelvis. These may lead to changed posture and changed voice too.
It is entirely normal to experience any changes in voice during pregnancy. In most cases, your voice may get back to normal after the birth of your baby or in some cases a few months after delivery. However, you may require to feel alarmed or get your alarm bells ringing in certain situations.
When to See a Laryngologist
Your pregnancy hormones may be the culprit in most cases of changed voice issues during pregnancy; however, if you experience any of the following changes, you should see a laryngologist as soon as possible:
If you experience any loss of voice during pregnancy
If you experience any sort of discomfort or pain while talking or singing
If you feel there is a sudden change in your voice quality after your talk or sing or when you sneeze or cough
If you are experiencing any changes in your voice during pregnancy, it is essential for you to understand that it is a very normal phenomenon. Also, you should not make efforts to strain your voice thinking that it may make it better. Sometimes straining the larynx may damage your vocal chords. You should relax, drink ample amounts of water and do some breathing exercises to reduce any swelling. Very soon you may be singing sweet lullabies to your precious little one.
Also Read: Body Changes in Pregnancy Read more
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Common Toilet Training Problems in Young Children with Solutions
For parents, potty training their kids is one of those activities that makes them worry with fear. Having seen your child poop and pee in his diapers all this while, shifting that to the pot can be quite a challenge. There are numerous toddler potty training problems that you might come across, and the results of each one of those will be disturbing for everyone around. That being said, training your child to use the potty sooner than later is extremely important and cannot be taken lightly.
What Is the Normal Age for Potty Training
Potty training is an aspect that varies from kid to kid. Some kids are potty trained by the time they are a year and a half. While others take their own sweet time and embrace the pot by the time they reach 3 or 4 years of age.
Potty Training Problems and Their Solutions
Many parents compare potty training to an army regiment. Although the comparison might be far-fetched, there is a certain degree of discipline required in doing so. And that is purely due to the variety of problems you might face when training your little one to use the pot.
1. In Presence of Parents
Some fortunate parents have kids who are ready to use the pot anywhere. But these kids agree to do so only when a parent is with them, and not in the presence of any other person.
Solution
Instead of making him comfortable with using the pot in the presence of another person, gradually remove yourself from the equation. Once your child is on the pot, lightly close the door and tell him that you are waiting outside.
2. Wetting the Bed
This is usually the number one complaint of most parents. The bladder of a kid is not matured enough to hold the urine through the night or even for a few more minutes than usual, hence they wet the bed while asleep.
Solution
It is best to inculcate the habit of urinating before proceeding to sleep. If your child does want to pee in the middle of the night, keep the bathroom light on so that he won't feel scared to go to the bathroom alone.
3. Asks for a Diaper
Many kids don't use the pot but they ask their parents for a diaper when they want to poop. Your child could go to a corner of the house and poop alone until he is done.
Solution
Advise him to start pooping in the toilet with the diaper on. Once he gets comfortable with the place, you can ask him to use the pot instead of a diaper.
4. Pooping After Getting Off the Pot
Your child may listen to you and get on the pot to pee or poop. But he might fail to do either, only to wet his pants or soil them right after he gets down from the pot.
Solution
There might be a psychological side to this but it is also due to the inability of kids to control their excretory muscles at a young age. Pooping problems during potty training can be due to constipation as well. However, you must make him sit for a while even if he refuses to sit. He may throw tantrums now and then, but slowly he will get used to it and start peeing and pooping in the pot.
5. Crying After Flushing
Some children have known to get sad or start crying when they flush their poop. The feeling of strong attachment might make him avoid pooping in the pot altogether.
Solution
Compare the poop with spit or nasal mucous or even pee and let him know that these need to be disposed off properly.
6. An Unfortunate Accident
Right when your child gets used to the seat, he might slip off the pot and hurt himself, causing him to stay away from using the pot altogether.
Solution
Treat an accident just like an accident. Don’t punish your child for it. Calm him down and treat the matter in a light-hearted manner so as to take his mind off it. And after a few days train him again.
7. Boys Wanting to Sit and Pee
In the early stages, your little boy might want to sit on the pot when he pees. This could be because he might not want to risk pooping accidentally or just not feeling confident about peeing standing up.
Solution
Let him pee in that manner and teach him to stand and pee after he gets used to it. If you are outside, go to a urinal together and let him see how everyone pees while standing.
8. Fear of Falling
The wide opening of the pot might make your child feel that he will fall into it or will have his butt sucked in if he accidentally flushes it. Some kids might actually be scared of the noise of the toilet flushing itself as well.
Solution
Start by flushing pieces of paper and show him how the toilet actually works. He will be fine with it after a few uses.
9. Playing With Poop
Some extremely curious kids tend to indulge in playing with the poop. This could easily get out of hand if they refuse to listen to you.
Solution
Nip this in bud without scolding your child. A firm no right away should do the trick.
10. Can Poop But Cannot Pee
Your child may be able to tell you when he wants to poop and rush to use the loo. However, the same might not happen for peeing, leading him to wet his pants as well as the bed.
Solution
Your child may not have bladder control early in life and would not recognize the need to pee until it is too late. Don’t fret. Let the potty training continue as it is and this phase shall pass.
Problems Associated with Late Toilet Training
Out of the numerous potty training problems, holding it in might just be one of those that is dangerous. But delaying the training can have disastrous results as well. Here are some problems that may arise if you delay the toilet training.
The inability to control pooping and peeing could cause your child to stay away from participating in various activities in the school.
Delayed training can leave a child with the weak bladder and lack of bowel control for many years.
The embarrassment and shaming of the child when he wets his pants in public can affect his self-esteem and mental health.
Tips to Prevent Toilet Training Problems
To prevent certain toilet training problems in 4-year-old kids and many others, there are a few tips you can put to use.
Don’t tell your child to force out the poop unnecessarily.
Try to establish a schedule of visiting the loo at fixed times.
Teach your child to wash his butt and genitals the right way.
Include numerous fluids and fibrous foods in your child's diet to prevent constipation.
Teach the etiquettes of using the toilet seat.
Never scold your child for not using the pot correctly.
Combine potty training by singing a song or telling a story while he poops.
Start slowly and gradually increase the use of pot.
Who Can Help You With Potty Training Problems
If you’re facing problems in getting your child to use the pot, there’s no harm in asking for help. Your paediatrician can be your first point-of-contact, as he can provide you with some simple tips. If your child has developmental delays, opting for a therapist’s advice or getting a child psychologist to advise you can be helpful as well.
Child potty training problems are plenty. You will come across several new challenges when you start training your kid. Being patient and understanding is the key to the process and your child will start using the pot by himself soon.
Also Read: Toilet Training Tips for Girls Read more
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Food Poisoning during Pregnancy
For a healthy pregnancy, a balanced and nutritious diet is important. The right nutritional intake not only keeps you healthy, it also nourishes your foetus. It is mandatory though that you are careful while making your food choices. During pregnancy, you are more susceptible to have food poisoning because of changes in metabolism and circulation. The wrong kind of food can cause food poisoning and create complications in your pregnancy. Acute food poisoning can cause dehydration, miscarriage or premature delivery. Please consult your doctor in case you have food poisoning during pregnancy.
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning does not mean that your food has been poisoned intentionally, it simply means that the food is contaminated. This could be because of bacteria, virus or a parasite. Symptoms of food poisoning can be similar to other illnesses or can be confused with that of morning sickness. Food poisoning is mostly not harmful and may not cause any long-term problems for both you and the foetus. However, it is still an unpleasant experience.
The main problem with food poisoning is that it can cause complications for you and the foetus. However, the risk varies from person to person.
Depending on the ability of your immune system to fight the microorganism or other contamination, the risk to you and your foetus can vary. The severity of food poisoning could range from a risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth to maternal death. This is why it is advised to treat all cases of food poisoning in pregnant mothers expeditiously.
How Common is Food Poisoning During Pregnancy?
Hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy weaken the immune system of pregnant women and increase their risk for certain illnesses like food poisoning. However, statistical data on food poisoning during pregnancy is not reliable. This is because most cases are never reported and don’t need any extensive medical care.
Types of Food Poisoning
Food poisoning could be mild, severe or even fatal. Here we are going to find out more about the more serious variety that you must guard against.
1. Listeriosis
Caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Generally found in some raw vegetables, meat, dairy products as well as processed soft cheese. Symptoms may include fever, muscle pain, nausea or diarrhea, headache or even convulsions. In pregnant women, the infection can cause premature delivery, infection of the foetus, stillbirth or long-term health issues for the baby. Pregnant women are ten times more likely than general population to get this infection.
2. Toxoplasmosis
Caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. You can get it from the soil or from a surface contaminated with cat's litter or cat feces. Symptoms may be flu-like or cause muscle aches and swollen glands. This type of infection can pass on from the mother to the foetus resulting in miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects.
3. Salmonellosis
Caused by Salmonella bacteria. You can get it either by touching an infected animal or by eating contaminated foods. Primary symptoms include dehydration and bacteremia (bacteria in the blood). Salmonellosis can pass from mother to child during pregnancy. Babies born with salmonellosis may have diarrhea, fever or may even develop meningitis after birth.
Causes of Food Poisoning
Common bacteria such as Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella, apart from chemical contaminants cause the most common types of food poisoning in pregnant women. These enter the mother’s body through:
Unhygienic cleaning and storage of food items (vegetables, meats, fish and perishable food items)
Contaminated water
Not following a personal hygiene regimen (such as washing your hands thoroughly with soap after exposure to soil or other contaminated surfaces)
Use of stored/processed food vs. freshly prepared food
Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning While Pregnant
Food poisoning usually affects stomach and intestines and often starts with relatively mild symptoms such as fever and body aches. General symptoms are –
Diarrhoea
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal (belly) cramps
The severity of the symptoms depends on your overall health and your immune system’s ability to fight the organism causing the infection. In some cases, the symptoms may be mild or absent and leave you unaware of the risk to your unborn child.
Screening for Food Poisoning
A well-balanced diet is important for every woman during pregnancy. Good food provides the necessary nutrients and energy to the mother and the baby.
Being careful with your food habits can reduce the risks associated with food borne infections or food poisoning. Here are a few tips to screen food during pregnancy:
Avoid unpasteurized milk and products made from such milk (particularly soft cheese).
Avoid fresh sprouts (they may carry E. coli)
Stay away from raw meat, fish, and egg.
Avoid seafood.
Avoid juices or cider (even freshly prepared juice can contain E.coli).
Wash raw vegetables thoroughly in clean water.
Always store meat and milk products refrigerated at or below 40 degrees.
Marinate and thaw food in the fridge, not on the counter.
Cook meats and seafood thoroughly (well done, not rare or medium).
Make sure food is served hot, right after preparation.
Don't buy food past its "use by" or “expiry” date.
Avoid food with damaged packaging.
Wash your hands before preparing, storing or eating food.
Cook leftover food until steaming hot. Refrigeration doesn't prevent the bacteria from multiplying.
Effects of Food Poisoning on Pregnancy and Baby
Harmful microorganisms or heavy metals or chemicals in food can enter the placenta and affect the growing foetus. The unborn baby is vulnerable to such infections since it’s’ immune system is not fully developed. As a result, the foetus or the new born baby can experience a variety of health issues ranging from:
Low birth weight
Bacteraemia
Hearing loss or blindness
Seizures
Brain, heart or kidney problems
Treatment of Food Poisoning During Pregnancy
Knowing exactly what to do if you get food poisoning while pregnant can be tricky. Hence, consulting your family doctor is advisable. Priority of treatment should be to:
Stay hydrated - For the mother, the biggest risk is dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhea. Drinking water, soups or Oral Rehydration System (ORS) at regular intervals keeps your body hydrated and replenishes the lost electrolytes.
Identify the cause - Clinical tests can help establish the specific cause of food poisoning.
Start the treatment - Once the cause is identified, an antibiotic that is safe for pregnant mothers to neutralize the infection causing organism. This will also help to prevent the infection from spreading to the foetus.
Home Remedies For Food Poisoning When Pregnant
Be alert for the warning signs given by your body of any discomfort of the stomach. Apart from that, here are a few things you can try at home.
Rest speeds up your recovery process
Flush out all the toxins from your body by drinking as many fluids as possible
You should start with soft, easily digestible foods. Once you start feeling better you can get back to your regular diet.
Avoid milk and milk based food during your illness.
The best approach to prevent food poisoning is to actively get involved in eating the food that keeps you fit and minimizes the risk of food poisoning giving you the right nutrition needed for a healthy pregnancy. Maintaining hygienic habits too will go a long way in ensuring that you have a safe and uneventful pregnancy.
Also Read:
Foods to Avoid during Pregnancy
Stomach Pain during Pregnancy Read more
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Traces of Dreaded Polio Type 2 Virus Found in Polio Vaccines: Experts Recommend Caution
When India was declared polio-free in the year 2014, the country heaved a collective sigh of relief. Which is exactly why the resurgence of the Polio type 2 virus in certain parts of the country is worrisome, to say the least.
As has been reported in the past couple of days, traces of the virus were found in a sample of sewage from Kurla, Mumbai, in the month of August. Soon after, a case was reported in Uttar Pradesh where a child tested positive for the same strain of the virus. Health ministry officials have also confirmed that some vials of the oral polio vaccines (OPV) were administered to a few children in the states of Maharashtra, Telengana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The vials were manufactured and distributed by a Ghaziabad-based pharmaceutical company called Biomed, which was in charge of supplying polio vaccines for immunisation programmes run by the government only. At the moment, the company has been banned from further supply and manufacture of these vaccines.
As per the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), children over 2 years of age received trivalent OPV as part of their routine immunisation, up until it was discontinued in 2016. Post this period, children have been receiving bivalent OPV along with doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Given that the coverage of IPV is quite vast in India, it is unlikely that a spread of the Type 2 virus could cause much harm to the population.
Currently, polio surveillance teams in the above-mentioned states will ensure that the children who have been administered the vaccines are closely monitored for any symptoms. Health officials have also confirmed that the team is well-trained to identify any symptoms of polio and that the government is prepared for any eventuality, which offers some reassurance. Measures are also being taken to ensure the administration of IPV to all the children in the 3 affected states, to make sure no child is missed.
EXPERT SPEAK
We got in touch with Dr Arti Sharma (MBBS, MD, Paediatrics), who provided her take on the situation. She maintained that the necessary measures have been implemented to tackle the situation urgently, and that there is no reason to panic at the moment. Reiterating the stand taken by the IAP, she mentioned that the damage or spread of the virus would be quite limited. However, she recommended caution when it came to receiving further doses of the vaccine, until further instruction was provided by the authorities.
While the situation does seem scary at the moment, the government is taking all the possible measures to tackle this eventuality. We urge all caretakers and guardians to wait for further instructions from the concerned authorities with regard to following through with their child’s immunisation schedule.
Also Read: Child Immunization & Vaccination Schedule
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How To Stay With Your Baby - Even When You're Away!
Nothing is more anxiety-inducing for a new mom than being away from her baby, even for a few hours. Yes, she needs to rest, eat, run errands and make some time for the other people in her life, but it is just so difficult to trust anyone with your angel! Thankfully, there is now a smart way you can stay with your baby even when you are not. Confused? Read on to see what we mean.
In your absence, your baby does a lot of things. Yes, he takes a nap for a short while. But soon after that, he starts looking around the room, observing the people in the house, tugging at whatever he can lay his little hands on, and generally being a more active baby than you've known him to be! Even if this isn't true in entirety, as moms, we worry ourselves thin about our little ones when we are away from them. This is the mommy problem that brands like Motorola have tried to address through an innovative product invention – baby monitors.
Baby monitors are devices that can be set up in your baby's room to record and monitor all the proceedings – including the sound of his crying! Through a wired/wireless connection to your smartphone, they allow you to view all necessary information about your baby. And we really mean ALL – including his temperature, breathing rate, heart-rate and even the temperature of the room! And if you're putting this down as a regular camera, check out these brilliant ways in which baby monitors let you actually be close to your baby:
1. You Can Talk To Your Child
Some baby monitors now come with a button in the parent unit that lets you talk to your baby through the baby unit’s loudspeaker. So anytime you see your baby getting restless, all that Mamma needs to do is talk or sing to him, just as she would in person!
2. You Can Make Sure He is Comfortable
Is your baby feeling too cold? Or too hot? A competent baby monitor lets you control the temperature of the room to suit your baby's needs. This is perfect for homes with central heating or air-conditioning.
3. You Can Sing or Play Lullabies to Him
When mum is not around, nap time can be hard. Why not use a baby monitor that lets you choose from a selection of lullabies to help your baby sleep? The Motorola MBP662, for instance, offers you five carefully chosen songs. Otherwise, there's always the option to sing to your baby through the high-sensitivity microphone.
4. You Can Follow Your Child Around The House
If you're mom to a child who has just learnt to crawl, you really need this! Pick a baby monitor that can be paired with multiple baby units and hey presto, you can run after your baby just as you'd do in real life – all while away!
5. You Can Watch Over Him – From Every Angle
Our babies are our biggest and deepest obsession. We want to see them from every vantage point - upward, downward, left, right...Guess what, some baby monitors come with video remote pan and tilt and zoom that let you have your heart's fill of baby-watching!
We love how technology and thoughtful inventions have now made it possible to deal with separation anxiety. Even when you're physically away from your baby, he is close to you, and you know that he is well. Now if that isn't reassuring, nothing is!
Do you use a baby monitor at home? How has it helped ease your mind as a new mom? Read more
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
13 hours ago
Q. Is it normal to have a one leg swelling in 7 th month
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
13 hours ago
A. not normal
in your case a medical examination is required for proper diagnosis and treatment.
difficult to tell without examination whether it is normal or not.
advisable to remain in contact with your doctor for proper guidance and treatment
Dr Priyanka Kalra has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
13 hours ago
Q. Early pregnancy symptoms
Dr Priyanka Kalra
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
13 hours ago
A. nausea, better to show to specialist always as they get the correct diagnosis. try to avoid self and extra medication that will only complicate this and create more damage to the child
Sindhu has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
12 hours ago
Q. I am 13 weeks pregnant and I have a low lying placenta. Is it a risk ?
Sindhu
Mom of a Newborn boy
10 hours ago
A. We can't say now in 8th months scan only we can say surely.anyway consultation is important
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
10 hours ago
Q. my quadruple test shows trisomy 21 and my Dr. insist for amniocentesis but my family is not agree for that they are saying it's a god gift and he will care for baby.
so what should I do?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
10 hours ago
A. you had to take a decision along with your family members and the treating doctor ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Father of a 4 yr old child
7 hours ago
Q. my 2 years boy using left hand for picking any thing.how can I avoid this
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. Kids mostly prefer using the left hand only as a very comfortable and that’s a very natural thing for them to use so if you want to change this habit you just have to constantly remind or tell your child to use the right hand that is what you can do as in India we believe that only right hand should be used for everything but actually if you see the kids using the left hand is very comfortable and there is no problem in that
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
6 hours ago
Q. how to protect baby from mosquito bites as we are using all out in our room but still mosquitoes are biting my baby and the area is swelled and baby is feeling itchy. please suggest something to avoid bites. some home remedies also.
Read moreDr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
5 hours ago
A. you can use mosquito control measures make the child were full watch and make the area sanitize and specially the corner should be cleaned regularly consult your doctor for more guidance
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