Folic Acid for parents to be

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You must have read it in my last post that consuming optimal amount of Folic acid is must for a mother-to-be. In my this post, I am going to highlight the key reasons concerning why.

Below are some key reasons why an expecting mother or planning to conceive woman should take the right amount of Folic acid.

• Folic acid before pregnancy -
• Folic acid promotes fertility - some of my friends believed it to be a myth but it isn't. The super properties of folic acid i.e the one where is protects the embryos in the women's body helps boost fertility in women
• It just not helps women, it also helps men by improving sperm motility and count which is must have if a woman wants to conceive

• Folic acid during pregnancy - there are couple of reasons due to which folic acid is considered a key vitamin in pre-natal supplements. To list down major ones:
• Promotes cell growth - with a little baby inside you, you need all help you can get to have an excellent cell growth phenomena. And given folic acid has a vital property of making and repairing cells, it provides this much required support
• Develops neural tubes - Neural tubes development is the key stage for your baby. It happens in the very beginning of the pregnancy, when you might even know that you are expecting. Neural tubes form into brain and spinal cord of the baby and Folic acid is one of the key vitamin which promotes healthy neural development

There are various foods which have good amount of folic acid present but being pregnant calls for additional supplements. The ideal intake of Folic acid is 400 micrograms per day but you must consult your doctor as every person is different. Depending on your health and condition, your doctor will prescribe you right dosage.

For more details on Folic acid regarding natural sources, dosage, over dosage and other benefits, please read my detailed post here.

I hope my article helps.

Love and Cheers

Who knew that health and fertility were just a sleep away :)

We have been hearing all our lives that sleeping on time and for right amount of time is very crucial

as it enables us to wake up fresh and on-time the next morning. However, today you will find out how having right sleep will not just keep you fresh and happy but will also increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Below are some key points that a mother-to-be should pay attention to:

• Lack of sleep results in upset hormones. It is not just the case in women but also in men. When we are sleep deprived or sleep and wake up at different times, we force our body to adapt to ruptured schedule. The inconsistent schedule confuses our body and it does not produce right hormones at the right time
•  No sleep or irregular sleep makes you tired and even bitchy. Which severely affects the BD* and we will know how important BD is if you wish to conceive
•  Less sleep affects overall health which weakens the immune system of our body. With weak immune system one is more prone to fall sick which may result in no baby bump
• Lack of sleep does affect males as well. If the sleep cycle is too abrupt, it can affect sperm count and motility
• Sleep produces melatonin which helps body heal during the sleep process. One thing that is not so commonly known is that melatonin protects eggs during the time of ovulation. If you are sleep deprived then your body will not produce enough melatonin to protect your eggs - which in turn will result in fail cycle. Taking melatonin supplement without consulting your doctor is not advised.
• Also if you have conceived, lack of sleep or abrupt schedule can also lead to an unfortunate miscarriage

Hence, it is very important to maintain a good sleep schedule which provides you 7-8 hours of deep and sound sleep.

In order to have good night's sleep, one should try to follow below:

1. Keep bedroom sleep friendly i.e. avoid bright lights that provide hindrance to sleep
2. Keep cell phones, tablets out of reach and avoid using electronic devices just  before sleeping
3. Keep room cool as per desired temperature
4. Try to keep all tensions, worries aside and sleep in peace
5. Lie down at same time everyday to get into the routine

Following above should help and if you still have problem sleeping, it is strongly suggested to visit a health care professional.

I hope my article helps. You can read more regarding this topic on this link .

Love and Cheers.

* Click here to get the list of abbreviations used.