Why Tiwa Savage Perfomed Live While Pregnant

 

Only recently, pouplar music star, Tiwa Savage took to stage in Uganda to do what she knows best. But many of her fans back home in Nigeria were stunned, knowing she was pregnant. "Why will a pregnant women perform on stage?" many wondered.

However, Tiwa Savage, the mother of one, revealed in a recent interview with Genevieve Magazine why she did perform live on stage with baby in the womb.

The event was the Women’s Day celebration and Social media awards in Uganda and the Mavin records first lady gave it her best shot in entertaining her fans.

“I went ahead with that performance because my doctor had given me the go ahead. And I had also contacted a local doctor out there.

However, even though I did do a few other performances like that; I wasn’t planning to be that energetic at that event. But I got so much love from the crowd in Uganda and it was very emotional for me, considering the stage of the pregnancy at the time. Before, I got there; I had doubts about how I would be received and if

I was going to be made to sit on a stool during the performance. But when I got there, everyone was warm, loving and understanding of my situation.

In all, that performance was unexpected. I got that energy from somewhere, but trust me, the next day I was in bed all day.”

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7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Getting pregnant can be way harder than it looks (especially if you’re relying on the high-five method). According to fertility expert Peter Ahlering, M.D., most healthy women under the age of 35 have a 20 to 25 percent chance of getting pregnant each month when they’re actually trying. And those odds decrease the older you get after that. “There is more involved than one may think,” says Ahlering. 

When I tried to get pregnant the first time, I was shocked to realize that I really didn’t know how to make a baby—or rather, how to make the whole process easier. I thought I could get knocked up every time I had sex, which explains why I bought pregnancy tests about as often as I order takeout (you’re welcome, pregnancy test industry).

Ready to make a baby? Try these tips from top fertility experts to increase the odds you’ll be pregnant ASAP…that is, if you want to be.

1.         Take Prenatal Vitamins

You’ve probably heard that it’s a good idea to take prenatal vitamins when you’re pregnant, but doing so before you’re with child can up your chances of having a baby, says fertility specialist Gloria Richard-Davis, M.D., coauthor of Planning Parenthood. 

“Eating healthy will raise your chances of conceiving," she explains, "and prenatal vitamins help fill in any holes in the mother’s diet.” Look for one with vitamin B6—it’s been shown to increase fertility—and take it with Omega-3 fish oil, which helps aid absorption of the vitamins.

2.         Try to Time It

Yeah, timing when you get busy is a little unsexy, but since you were going to have sex anyway…you might as well make it count. Having sex when you’re ovulating is important, but there’s a little more to it.

“There is a four- to five-day window around ovulation, starting two days prior to actual ovulation, [during which] a female can conceive,” says Ahlering. 

He recommends trying a couple of times during that period if you can swing it. How can you tell when you’re ovulating? You can pick up an ovulation kit at your local pharmacy, or you can save money and keep tabs on your vaginal discharge—when there’s more than usual and it’s similar to the consistency of egg whites, you’re probably ovulating.

3.         Skip the Lube

Lube is awesome for a good time in bed, but we’re trying to make a baby here! Most lubricants can actually work against your pregnancy plans because they negatively affect sperm mobility, says Richard-Davis. If you can’t live without your lube, she recommends Pre-Seed, an FDA-approved “fertility-friendly” lubricant developed by doctors. 

It’s pH-balanced to match fertile cervical mucus as well as the pH of his sperm, so it won’t hurt your odds of conceiving.

4.         Cut Back on Caffeine

If most of us were forced to choose between coffee and sex, it’d be a tough call. (Hey, no judgment.) But when it comes to baby-making, it’s best to scale back a little on the caffeine to be safe since several studies have shown that it can increase the amount of time it takes to conceive. 

Ahlering recommends having less than 200 milligrams per day, (i.e., about one and a half medium lattes). Keep in mind that chocolate and most sodas contain caffeine, too…

5.         Don’t Increase Your Exercise Routine

You want to run a marathon someday, but right now your routine involves three-milers? Maybe shelve your 26.2 goals ‘til after you have a baby. 

Going to the extreme with exercise can be “problematic” for conception, says Ahlering—the best method is to keep doing what you’re doing.

6.         Go Easy on the Alcohol

Sure, alcohol can help promote conception-friendly activities, but drinking too much of it can actually hamper your plans. Don’t become a teetotaler just yet, though. 

“Abstaining from alcohol is not necessary or helpful regarding fertility,” says Ahlering. “In fact, I often see that when one is overly restrictive, this can become stressful.” 

To stay in the safe zone, he recommends sticking with one or two four-ounce glasses of wine or one or two 12-ounce beers a day.

7.         Try to Chill Out

Making a baby can be the opposite of relaxing—especially if you don’t conceive right away. 

But being stressed out will only work against you, says Davis. Try to focus on the (hot sex-filled) journey, not the destination. You’ll be surprised by how much it helps.

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Pregnant Photographer Displays Her Pregnancy In Photo Series

 As a husband would you allow your partner to expose her pregnancy for the entire world to see? Or as a woman, would you be comfortable to captures what pregnancy cravings and mood swings are by going for a photo shoot?

To most moms being pregnant is not usually a glamorous time – with sudden hormonal outbursts and inexplicable food cravings.

But Ireland-based art director and Carrot Incorporations stylist, Vaida Rasciute, decided to use her artistic abilities to create a pregnancy photo project that brings mood swings and food cravings to real life in a way she considered fun and quirky.

With the help of makeup artists Giedre Bereisaite and Aushra Lauren and hair stylist Kristina Sumile, an expecting Vaida posed in a bathtub with different flowers to reflect the wide range of emotions she experienced during her pregnancy - including serenity, sadness, pain, and sensuality.

Would you do this? What is your take?

        

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6 Reasons A Woman Can Go Nine Months Without Knowing She’s Pregnant

It happened again last week: a 25-year-old in the U.K. thought she was coming down with a stomach flu...then got the shock of her life when she delivered a baby while sitting on her toilet. 

And in January, a Massachusetts woman who was rushed to the ER with insane back pain was blown away by the news that she was in labor and about to give birth, as well.

We can understand having no clue about a surprise birthday party. But a surprise full-term baby? Considering all the physical and mental changes that happen to the typical expecting mom over nine months, it’s hard to get how a woman could be in the dark. 

Turns out, the phenomenon, known as cryptic pregnancy, isn’t so uncommon (it happens often enough to be the basis of a reality show). And it really is possible for some women to go 40 weeks without having a clue they’re carrying a kid. 

Here’s why.

1.            Over Weight

“Women who are very overweight or obese won’t necessarily see the physical changes that a baby is growing inside them, and the extra fat can insulate her from feeling the baby move and kick,” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of ob-gyn at Yale School of Medicine.

2.            If you have always had Irregular periods

If your flow always went MIA and never stuck to a schedule—either because of your own body chemistry or a condition such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which causes an off-kilter cycle)—you wouldn’t necessarily think that no period equals pregnancy, says Minkin.

3.            Pregnancy test aren’t 100 percent accurate

While chances are slim that you could get a false negative from a home pregnancy test (Minkin estimates it's less than a one percent chance), it is possible—especially if you pee on the stick so early on that your body isn’t producing enough of the hormone the test is supposed to detect, if you drink too much water and dilute your urine so that your hormone levels are also diluted, or if you use it wrong. 

Always do a backup test, and if that comes out negative but your flow isn’t showing up and you detect other early-pregnancy signs like nausea or nipple tenderness, have your doc test you, suggests Minkin.

4.            The growing baby is super quiet

“It’s normal for the baby to start moving around and kicking in the second trimester, but not all do,” says Minkin. It’s also possible that the baby is moving, but because the placenta is in front of the baby, the pregnant woman doesn’t feel anything, she adds.

5.            Mistaking pregnancy signs for perimenopause

In their mid to late 40s, many women experience shifts in their cycles collectively known as perimenopause: irregular periods, a period that stops for months before starting up again, and other body changes such as weight gain and moodiness. 

These all happen to be signs that a baby is on board, too. “This happened to a patient of mine,” says Minkin. “She was 46 and came to me complaining about perimenopausal weight gain. I took one look at her and told her she was well into her second trimester.”

6.            You have always had a funky stomach

If you’re used to dealing with nausea, vomiting, bloat, and other upset-stomach issues, you may blow off morning sickness and an expanding belly as just more G.I. tract irritation, says Minkin. “And then when it disappears after a few months, you think it’s over—you wouldn’t realize you just passed your first trimester,” she says.

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