DP Nguyen

Self-Care Advice for New Mothers

June 8, 2017 by DP Nguyen 1 Comment

My best friend from college had her first baby six months ago. I adore my “niece” and I was there when she was born, and I was able to stay to help my friend for several days after her delivery. And my friend needed all the emotional and physical support she could get. Take care of a baby is an exhausting 24/7 responsibility that never ends. Her husband works night shifts, so he is sleeping most of the day, and unfortunately can’t give her the help that a partner working day shifts can. As a result, my friend is always exhausted and stressed. She doesn’t eat well – because she has no time to eat with taking care of her baby – and she’s lost a lot of weight. Her short term memory is out the window, and her mood suffers. She is neglecting her self-care.

Self-care is so important when you are a new mom. It will help keep your sanity.

So what are some self-care tips for new mothers? (Not all of these may help you and some may not be realistic depending on other factors, but I hope they help, even a little!) [Read more…] about Self-Care Advice for New Mothers

Surviving the NICU As a New Parent

May 27, 2017 by DP Nguyen Leave a Comment

Recently, a friend of mine had a baby. She had a textbook pregnancy and gave birth right on schedule to an almost nine-pound baby. It should have been the happiest day of her life.

But it wasn’t.

At some point during the delivery or before, the baby inhaled meconium and developed an infection. Instead of cuddling her new little one in her arms, the mom and dad were frantically driving to a hospital in a larger city as their new baby was airlifted to their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU for short.

How do families deal with having their dreams deferred by a side trip to the NICU? How can you prepare for an experience like that? How can you help a friend of family member that is looking at their baby through a plastic crib cover? [Read more…] about Surviving the NICU As a New Parent

Coping with a Flu During Pregnancy

October 7, 2015 by DP Nguyen 5 Comments

Getting sick when you’re pregnant is scary business. Not only do you feel awful, but there’s also a worry that your developing baby is at risk – especially if you’re unable to keep any fluids or food down.

Pregnant women are at higher risk for illness during pregnancy because your immune system is weakened during those 40 weeks. Mother nature is a miraculous thing, and your body changes so much when you’re pregnant. When you’re expecting, your immune system becomes weakened to tolerate the unborn baby, since it is a “foreign substance.” To prevent your body from attacking your growing child, your immune system naturally takes a back seat and alters its immune responses. So you are more vulnerable to getting sick. [Read more…] about Coping with a Flu During Pregnancy

Trying to Conceive: How to Increase Cervical Mucus

September 12, 2015 by DP Nguyen 3 Comments

Ovulation kits are great, but there’s one easy way to check out if you’re fertile – your cervical mucus. The changes in those secretions in your cervix play a huge role in your fertility and ovulation. During your fertile time, cervical mucus aids and helps sperm swim through the cervix to reach their final destination.

When you’re fertile, you will be moist and sticky. Your cervical mucus will be white or creamy, and it breaks easily when you stretch it between your fingers. When your cervical mucus is thin, watery, transparent and has a similar consistency as an egg white, that’s when you are at your most fertile and most likely to conceive if you have unprotected sex.

During the parts of the month when you’re feeling dry down there, you aren’t fertile. Not having much cervical mucus may also be a sign of a fertility problem. It could mean that you’re not ovulating, and this is especially true if you are missing periods or your cycle is irregular.

There are many reasons why you not be producing enough cervical mucus, including stress; how old you are (in your 30s and 40s, your fertility decreases and your days of having stretchy, slippery, fertile cervical mucus also decreases); lower estrogen levels; side effects of medications, and other reasons.

If you’re looking to increase your cervical mucus, the following may help improve the amount of cervical mucus: [Read more…] about Trying to Conceive: How to Increase Cervical Mucus

Green Tea and Fertility – Will Drinking Tea Help Me Get Pregnant?

May 26, 2015 by DP Nguyen 2 Comments

If you’re trying to get pregnant, you can desperate to try anything for a baby. Why not enjoy a hot, relaxing cup of green tea? There is some research that drinking green tea can boost your fertility and potentially improve your chances of getting pregnant.

For thousands of years, humans have consumed and enjoyed tea. Today, it’s the second most consumed beverage in the world, with water being the first.
Not only is tea soothing, but it has medicinal purposes as well. Green tea, in particular, is one of the healthiest varieties of teas.

Green tea, first cultivated in ancient China, is packed full of unique antioxidants, which protect you against free radicals that can cause cancer, heart and cardiovascular disease.

There is some research that suggests that polyphenols and hypoxanthine – the two main ingredients found in green tea – are correlated to a higher chance of having viable embryos. Studies have indicated that these two compounds can help egg maturation, which may lead to your eggs being more fertile. [Read more…] about Green Tea and Fertility – Will Drinking Tea Help Me Get Pregnant?

Why is My Period Late?

March 23, 2015 by DP Nguyen 12 Comments

My period is always on time – always! – but a few weeks ago, when I went on vacation, overseas, I found myself panicking. My period was late. And not only by a few days, but over a week late.

I knew I wasn’t pregnant, but the idea of having a baby completely scared me. Like most of you, pregnancy is a life-changing event and one of the scariest experiences if you’re not planning on having a baby anytime soon. I mean, having a baby is a game changer (and really expensive too boot.)

Fortunately, my period came and went, and I realized it was all the stress and the few extra pounds I had put on, due to the holidays and yummy holiday food I was binging on, and my oversea travels that threw my body for a loop. I went 52 days from one period to the next – so it definitely freaked me out! [Read more…] about Why is My Period Late?