We are expecting

Its been a bit quiet for a while because we are indeed expecting our first baby. After only two months of trying we were lucky enough to get it right. Perhaps all the eating healthy and taking supplements really did work – that we will never know for sure. But a baby will arrive with due date 4th July. I am already 12 weeks and the worst queasiness is over, and a bump is showing.

Parabene and perfume – what a jungle

Watch out for Ftalater, Parabene and Perfume when pregnant (well always really) here is a list of the most common names for it:
Ftalater:
DEHP
DBP
BBP
DINP
Di-ethylhexyl
Di-isononyl

Parabener:
Methyl
Ethyl
Propyl
Butylparaoxibenzoat
Isopropyl
Sodium methyl
Buthyl
Isobutyl
(Parabene is often portrait as E-numbers: 214-219)

Names of the 26 perfumes that in EU is declarable because they can cause allergy to sensitive people (and babies): 

• Amyl Cinnamal
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Cinnamyl Alcohol
• Citral
• Eugenol
• Hydroxycitronellal
• Isoeugenol
• Amylcinnamyl Alcohol
• Benzyl Salicylate
• Cinnamal
• Coumarin
• Geraniol
• Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene
• Carboxaldehyde
• Anise Alcohol
• Benzyl Cinnamate
• Farnesol
• Butylphenyl Methylpropional
• Linalool
• Benzyl benzoate
• Citronellol
• Hexyl Cinnamal
• Limonene
• Methyl 2-Octynoate
• Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
• Evernia Prunastri (Oak moss) Extract
• Evernia Furfuracea (Treemoss) Extract

Ovulation Calculator

Since we just started Project Baby, we are still trying to figure out exactly when the 2 day window is. I used to be on the pill so we don’t know yet how long my cycle is. However I have found a very good calculator to do the calculation for me (ovulation calculator). Still we are just trying without paying too much attention to days and how to do it. However I have read little tips on what to do to increase your chances: After the act you should try laying on your back with a pillow under your buttock, have sex in the morning, only do it every second day (so there is time for the little ones to load properly) and of cause try to hit the 2 day window.

Stuff to avoid when you are pregnant (or trying)

The sperm quality of men has fallen 50% the last 40 years and 50% of all men have difficulty getting a woman pregnant, and for 25% it is virtually impossible to impregnate a woman.

The only way to change that statistic is for the mother to be very careful when carrying a baby, because it is inside the belly of the mother that fertility of a baby is determined, and cannot be changed later (unless for the worse).

Scary stuff?? I think so! Check the list below of what you can do if you are trying to get pregnant or is pregnant.

AVOID:

• Paint
• Perfume
• Chemicals (found in many make up, creams, shampoo, cleaning stuff, carpet cleaner)
• Dry cleaning (unless the place is organic)
• Tap water(contains minerals that could be harmful to the developing fetus. Most doctors will recommend drinking filtered water instead of tap – use eg Brita filter )
• Hair dye (saturates the skin. The chemicals related to the product of hair dye can cause defects in the unborn child)
• Reptiles (are linked to many miscarriages. Reptile as a pet isn’t safe to have around when trying to conceive a baby or for a woman who is already pregnant. Why? The reasons are quite clear but unknown to many. Reptiles contain the salmonella virus. This virus isn’t safe for women who are pregnant or children who are under the age of five. The virus is contracted by the transfer of feces and skin. The reptiles that should be concerned about are turtles, lizards, iguanas and snakes. These are the animals to watch out for)
• Hot Dogs: The link between hot dogs and pregnancy isn’t quite researched thoroughly as of now. But in some studies it has shown that the consumption of hot dogs while pregnant is linked to cancer. A visit with your doctor can put you at ease. It is better safe than sorry.
• Microwaves isn’t a very common danger to avoid. The radiation in a microwave is in small doses but it should be limited. Doctors says to avoid x-rays because of the exposure of radiation is dangerous to a developing fetus. The exposure to microwave radiation isn’t as dangerous as x-rays, but the usage of microwaves for a pregnant woman can be dangerous.
• Electric blankets and waterbeds: A water bed isn’t a fact most doctors tell patients. Most or all water beds contain heaters. A heater in a water bed produces mounts of electric fields. The electric fields are harmful to a developing fetus. Another product to avoid while pregnant is an electric blanket. The blanket contains the same electric fields as the water bed.
• Pesticides: The chemicals found in pesticides are dangerous. The use of pesticides should be limited to a pregnancy. The effects of the chemicals found in the pesticides range in a large variety. In our day and age it is hard to avoid the exposure to pesticides. Roach and insect traps, yard services, and various other products are used worldwide. If pesticides are needed to be used, try alternatives to pesticides. There are numerous natural remedies to treat the common invasion of insects.
• Bath products are luxury items used daily for hygiene and relaxation. What is unknown to the consumers, bath products contain a toxic chemical called methylisothiazoline. This chemical has a link to nerve damage. Some of the productscontaining this chemical are, Head and shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene hair conditioner.
• Fish The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it may contain. The Food and Drug administration (FDA) encourages pregnant women to avoid:
• Swordfish
• Shark
• King mackerel
• Tilefish
• Diary (I say avoid all, but if you insist then dont eat anything unpasteurized such as brie, feta, Camembert, blue cheese)
• Alcohol
• Smoke
• Drugs
• Cat litter (Both cat litter and undercooked meat present the risk of toxoplasmosis, which causes birth defects)

The Baby Project

So we just started The Baby Project – I had read a bit, and obviously with my age most of my girlfriends have been there and done that even so my husband and I happily and naïve I suppose just started having sex as much as we possibly could, and at least once a day. I now know that its best to wait and do it every second day and that you only have a two day window of opportunity. Oh well at least my husband thinks its really fun to try and have a baby. The fortune of our “happy trying” is also that I miscalculated and thought my ovulation was on a different day, but at least I know we had sex on both of the days this month..