Butter and Margarine: Which One is Better and Healthier Choice

I used to be confused when it comes to choosing between butter or margarine. Which one is better? And which one is better to avoid?

To understand this, first you must understand that there are 3 different types of fats:

• Saturated : occurs naturally in animal foods such as butter. This fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol in blood, which can clog artheries, thus lead to heart disease.
• Unsaturated : monounsaturated fats (eg. canola and olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (sunflower and safflower oils and omega-3 varieties). This fat lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Trans-fat : naturally found in meat and dairy products. Type of trans-fat to watch out for is a synthetic trans-fat, which produced when vegetable oils are hardened in presence of hydrogen.

There are 2 ways of hardening oils:

• Partial hydrogenation : produces elaidic acid (nasty trans-fat)
• Complete hydrogenation : does not produce elaidic acid, but increases saturated fat level

Synthetic trans-fat mentioned above is the one we really have to avoid. This type of fat, raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and at the same time, lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.

In a nutshell, we should not take too much butter, margarine or spreads as they all contain saturated fats and are high in calories.

- Butter : almost 60$ saturated fat, but no synthetic trans-fat. Butter usually has 52 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams
- Margarine : usually has less than half the saturated fats of butter. In order to be labelled margarine, it must have a minimum percentage of unsaturated fats and a limited amount of saturated fat. The level of saturated fat may be as low as 11 grams per 100 grams or higher.
- Spreads : Less overall fat (more water) and much less saturated fat than buter, straight margarine or cooking margarine.
- Dairy spreads: combined butter and liquid vegetable oil, reducing saturated fat content but still higher than vegetable-based spreads. Dairy spreads have 19 to 35 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams
- Cooking margarines usually have 35 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams
- Vegetable shortening (such as copha) may have as much as 98 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams.

So watch out the next time you go shop. Check the labels carefully. But if you still prefer ones that contain high saturated fats, limit the consumption and take it as a rare treat.

The Health Risks Of Rapid Weight Gain In First Three Months Of Life

I've seen some of my friends' babies, born at low birth weight, around 2,5 - 2,7 kg. These babies seem so fragile, with bony hands, bony legs, even can literally see all the ribs. Actually, low birth weight is not a good thing. This can mean small brains and small organs, which is not a good start to life.

Research from Netherlands suggests that regardless of birth weight, how rapidly a baby gains weight in the first three months is associated with the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk later on in early adulthood.

In the past, people have thought that the circumstances in the womb which led to low birth weight, were what predisposed these children to heart disease later in life.

This new study though, has found that young adults with fat tummies, low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), less sensitivity to insulin (important to combat diabetes), were significantly more likely to have had rapid weight gain during the first 3 months of their lives. Unfortunately, the records didn't show which children were breastfed or formula-fed.

The study also found that these young adults who were born with a low birth weight are quite short as adults.

So, for parents, do check your baby's weight gain against the weight gain chart to make sure there is no significant increase in weight gain. Also, try to breastfeed your baby longer, for at least 1 year if possible, as recommended by AAP.

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For reference:

Leunissen RWJ et al. Timing and Tempo of First-Year Rapid Growth in Relation to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk Profile in Early Adulthood. JAMA 2009;301(21):2234-2242

Causes of Varicose Veins, Definitely Not Crossing Legs

I remember when I was younger, I was kept being told by parents and also friends, not to cross legs after exercising or after a long walk, as this can cause varicose veins. I didn't know how true that was, but I just followed their advice anyway. Oh well, until I read on this health article. Crossing legs does not cause or exacerbate varicose veins.

What is varicose veins? These are veins with weakened walls, which cause them to bulge above our skin surface. And this damage to the wall affects the vein's job of returning blood circulation to our heart. Varicose veins can cause itching, pains, and sometimes eczema and ulcers.

According to Dr Ken Myers, a Melbourne vein expert, crossing legs does not affect the risks of varicose veins or even spider veins (smaller veins). It does not make the varicose veins any worse either.

A study was conducted to look at the risk factors for varicose veins conditions, and none points to crossing legs.

One of the causes of varicose veins is genetics. But many other causes remains unknown yet. An increased pressure in veins is not a cause, according to this study. The study also dismiss the previous beliefs that varicose veins was caused by the backwards pressure of blood in the veins, blowing them up like a balloon. The study concluded that when the damage to the veins is already done, then the back pressure can become a factor, thus is not the initial cause of varicose veins.

Below is the list of myths that was believed to worsen varicose veins:

• Crossing legs, as the pressure in veins is minimal, thus this habit does not worsen the existing condition


• Smoking


• Having high blood pressure


• Wearing heels

The known factors to cause varicose veins condition to worsen is:

• Standing for long period, as it increases pressure on veins and worsen the condition slightly


• Pregnancy, probably due to hormonal changes


• Obesity, no known reason why this worsen the condition

Treatment for varicose veins involving closing off the affected veins by removing and/or letting it absorbed by the body. This can be done by means of surgical or non-surgical. This procedure does not harm circulation because other veins can take over the job of veins that no longer carry blood. But this does not guarantee that other veins will not be affected by varicose veins.

What you can do in the meantime is to wear support stockings, as this reduces swelling nd discomfort. Especially for my preggar friends, do wear support stockings (as your gynae might have suggested to you already)!

We All Can Die From Broken Hearted

It hit me long time ago, as I saw in some families, when one member of the family (be it the parent or the child) died due to some reasons, the other member of family will also die in the following weeks. It occurred to me back then, whether there might be some logical explanation that can justify why the other member of the family can die too? Is it dying because of broken hearted? Because of unbearable grieve and sorrow?

It turned out that this actually has a logical explanation behind it. I saw the news several days ago about dying because of broken hearted.

The fact is, you can die when someone you love dies, especially if the person is your partner or your child. This is due to increased risks of heart attack, according to Dr Thomas Buckley, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sydney.

Based on their research, the bereaved people experienced:

• psychological symptoms such as anger, depression, anxiety.


• physical symptoms such as reduced sleep, reduced appetite, increase in blood pressure and stress hormones, changes in immune system and blood clotting

The biological risk of heart attack is most intense in the first few weeks after the death of the loved one. But it decreases considerably 3 months after the death, and still continue to reduce down to 6 months (at this point, the researchers stopped measuring).

What's worth noting is that it's not just older people who are at increased risks of a heart attack. Younger people are also at significant high risks of a heart attack.

It is recommended for people to be prepared for death as this seems to be very important. And also having the right social support also helps greatly.

The Health Risks of Uncircumcision

For my dearest blog fellows who are pregnant with baby boy, this is the time to think about circumcision. Especially for Asian people, circumcision is not widely practised as in Western countries.

Keep reading below and you will know how important is circumcision, BOTH for your boy and for his future wife.

Let's go back in history. If you happened to think that circumcision is unimportant as our ancestors back then never even have this procedures done, you are correct! But, only applicable for that period of ancient time, when our ancestors are still naked. In fact, the foreskin plays important role to protect the tip of penis from dust, sand, insects, and infections.

The above doesn't apply anymore in our time, where we are all wrapped in clothes, often dirty and sweaty. This has made it became unhygienic, especially for people who live in hot weather countries.

The reason why circumcision is important, because the inner lining of the foreskin is very thin. This does not give protection against injury and infection like normal skin does. In fact, 'smegma' or a whitish residue of dead cells and other material, is collected under the foreskin. This attracts bacteria and other microorganisms.

Statistically, uncircumcised men are more exposed to infectious diseases such as:

• Thrush
• Human papilloma virus
• Syphilis
• HIV
• Urinary tract infections
• Other inflammatory conditions of the skin
• Phimosis, a narrowing of the opening the foreskin that prevents it being retracted and makes sex painful
• Higher chance of prostate cancer

Meanwhile, their female partners are more prone to:

• Genital herpes
• Chlamydia
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Infertility
• Higher chance of cervix cancer

There is a one-in-three chance of an uncircumcised man developing one or more of these conditions over his lifetime.

However, there are always risks involving with any surgical procedure. In one in 500 circumcisions there's some minor bleeding. In about 1 in 1000, the circumcision needs to be redone. It is noteworthy though, that complications are fewest when it's done between birth and 4 months, although the procedure can be done at any age. Serious complications that requires hospitalisation is very rare. Mutilation or loss of the penis, and death, are practically unheard of if the surgeon is competent.

All in all, the benefits of circumcision still outweigh the risks of the procedure.

And to mothers to baby boys, now you can make your informed decision on whether or not to circumcised your boy, or leave it to him to decide later in his life.

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For reference:
• World Health Organization's website : http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr10/en/index.html
• Professor Brian Morris's website : www.circinfo.net
• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians policy statement on circumcision : http://www.racp.edu.au/
• Why circumcision is a biomedical imperative for the 21st century - BioEssays abstract : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

Decaffeinated Coffee is No Safer than Caffeinated Coffee for Pregnant Women

Just drank my cup of coffee for today. Loves the smell of strong black coffee. It has been way too long I've stopped drinking coffee, all were due to being pregnant and breastfeeding back then. My gynae told me though, that I could still take 1 cup of coffee, tea, or chocolate each day. But I didn't want to take any risks by drinking these beverages. It was very hard to part from coffee as I used to drink at least 5 cups of coffee every day. I was really addicted to coffee. But again, since coffee is not that good for pregnant woman, I really didn't drink coffee for full 16 months.

My friends though, they kept on drinking coffee, 1 glass per day. They had decaf coffee, which was thought to be safer than caffeinated coffee.

Oh I gotta tell you fellows who are coffee addicts and are pregnant now, this doesn't hold true. Decaffeinated coffee is NOT any safer than caffeinated coffee.

It has been known though, that coffee drinking in early pregnancy is linked with miscarriage. Coffee drinking later in pregnancy is associated with low birth weight of the baby.

The current study by Danish researchers, was performed on preggars drinking caffeinated and decaffeinated instant coffee from about 20 weeks of gestation. The results showed that there is no differences in birth weight or prematurity, despite the fact that the caffeinated coffee group had about 180mg of caffeine more per day. And for preggars who drank caffeinated coffee and smoked, they had smaller babies.

So, to all my pregnant friends, please steer clear from coffee. Also avoid tea or chocolate whenever possible. Subsitute with fruit juices instead. Do the best we can do as a mom, and we will have nothing we could regret about in the future

Condolences to Victims of Padang Quake and Samoan Tsunami

My deepest condolences go to the victims of quake in Padang, Indonesia. Also for victims of tsunami in Samoan islands.

The tremor from quake in Padang, Indonesia, which happened on 30 September 2009, could be felt as far as in Singapore and Malaysia. I was inside my apartment on 17th floor, and I felt the building is shaking. It wasn't as bad as reported in some other parts of Singapore where it was so shaky that people escaped from the building.

The quake was 7.9 in magnitude and causing buildings, hospital, shopping malls, houses to collapse. Fire was also broken out in some area.

This quake was only few hours apart from 8 magnitude quake that caused tsunami waves in Samoan islands. This caused at least 113 people dead.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Padang has reached more than 1,100 people and is still rising as of today.

Together let's extend our helping hand to the victims, pray for the victims and families left behind. Let's open our heart and donate for these people in needs.

List of Foods Having Aphrodisiac Qualities

Apart from satisfying our hunger and taste buds, foods also have fringe benefits to them. Some foods are claimed to be able to increase arousal in both male and female. Here are the theories behind the aphrodisiac potential foods.

Arousal for Men
There are some components in oysters that have aphrodisiac qualities. For one thing, oysters contain varying levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects the arousal center in our brain. The effect is straight away. Secondly, oysters contain high level of zinc, that is important in raising level of testosterone in men. The effect, though, is not immediate.

Arousal for Women

Parsley and truffles may have aphrodisiac potential, as these food smell like that of androsterone, a pheromone usually responsible for men's musky body smell. This smell can influence arousal in women.

More Arousal
Ginger, cayenne pepper and garlic also can stimulate the arousal centers in the brain. Garlic which has anti-clotting properties can affect libido by increasing blood flow to brain and sex organs.

The smooth texture of chocolate and the cocoa's serotonin creating chemical, tryptophan, contributes to chocolate's aphrodisiac potential.

Happy experimenting potentially aphrodisiac foods! Best served with soft dimmed light or maybe during candlelight dinner. Do share stories of your experiences with these food (^-^)

Can Milk Consumption Increase Mucus Production

Milk has been long blamed for increasing mucus production. New studies concluded that there was no link between milk consumption and increased mucus production or asthma.

In one study, participants infected with the common cold virus reported symptoms of increased in mucus production after drinking milk, but when their mucus production was actually measured there was no statistical difference. In another study, there was no difference in the sensation experienced between drinking soy milk and cow's milk.

Many people also wrongfully claim mucus-milk phenomena as an allergy. The fact is that true cow's milk allergy is rare in adults. Children who have allergy to cow's milk usually outgrow the allergy when they are teenagers or even earlier. The symptoms are severe, rather than increased mucus production. The symptoms include rashes, vomiting and breathing difficulties. These symptoms appear within first 15 minutes to an hour after consumption.

On the other hand, lactose intolerance, causes diarrhoea, nausea or bloating. But lactose intolerance doesn't cause rashes or mucus. Lactose intolerance is caused by lack of enzymes required to process the sugar lactose.

Any suspicion on food allergy has to be confirmed by dietitian. Exclusion of milk in babies will cause unmet needs of nutritions, and lack of calcium in adults.

Poisonous Houseplants

My baby has just started to crawl around pretty quickly. She's been trying to crawl since last 2 months ago, not too much improvements since then, but she is one patient girl and keep on trying despite how many falls she had. All with no signs of frustation.

It is now the high time to start clearing away objects that are hazardous in nature when she can really crawl smoothly. Not only objects that can be hazardous, some houseplants are also potentially hazardous. Some poisonous houseplants include but not limited to the following:

- Azalea
- Bird of paradise flower
- Lily of the valley
- Caladium
- Mistletoe
- Morning glory
- Daffodil
- Philodendron
- English ivy
- Holly
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Wisteria

Diet During Pregnancy Affects Your Child's Puberty

It is becoming a common knowledge that kids nowadays tend to have early puberty. Quite a lot of them start puberty as early as 7 years old! Young girls start menstruating at this age and their body start to change to become more womanly. Gosh. I remember back in my days, puberty starts around 10-12 years old. What a huge difference.

Apparently, what a pregnant mother eats during her pregnancy, and also lactation, affects her child's puberty. Researchers from Auckland University, New Zealand, found that the offspring of rats given high-fat diets started puberty significantly earlier compared to those rats given healthy diets. The same thing applies for rats given a calorie restricted diet.

The disadvantages of having early puberty would involve:
- changes in mood disorder
- increased prevalence in depression in adolescence
- increases in sexual activity in teenagers
- early puberty and early menopause in female
- link between early first period and breast cancer in female
- increased aggressive behaviour and risk taking behaviour in male

This study has just been published in the online journal PLoS ONE. Further research is needed though to replicate the study using different strains of rats, because different strains behave differently to diets and hence its impact.

Green Tea Benefits

I love drinking Japanese green tea, just because it taste nice. I have read many about the benefits of green tea.

However, a recent study published in Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the benefit of green tea is reduced chances of death from heart disease, but not cancer.

In order to benefit from green tea, men have to drink 5 or more cups a day. As for women, 3-4 cups a day.

Go drink more green tea today!

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For Reference
Journal of the American Medical Association
http://jama.ama-assn.org/

Smell Good for Better Mood

I have always been a girly girl. Name it, from wearing dresses, handbags, accessories, even to smell of perfume. Love the smell of soft and sweet, or flowery perfume. My big time favourite is Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. The smell is so nice that it never fails to elevate my mood everytime! Hence, my motto Smell Good, Feel Good.

Not a big fan of fresh smelling perfume. It would be a good change once in a while, but not for my everyday use. And definitely, a big NO for strong smelling perfume. It gets me dizzy everytime I smell people using strong smelling perfume. Let alone if I have to use it on myself. But anyhow, this is all a matter of personal preference. We use what best suit our mood on that particular day.

Scent.net online perfume has a good range of perfumes that I love. They carry many great perfume brands, both for men and women, all at very good prices. So, get the perfume which smell can improve your mood, spray it on every morning and carry it in your bag (this is so me!) for more spraying later on in the day, and have a nice day, everyday.

New Strain of HIV

All these times, it has been known that there have been separate transmissions of different HIV strains into human from chimpanzees. But now scientists have found that new strain of HIV virus has been transmitted to humans from gorillas.

The new virus subtype in a woman who migrated to France from Cameroon in West Africa. The researches are still unsure how the woman contracted the HIV virus from gorillas.

Apparently this new finding shows that the virus can jump easily between species.

Praising to Build Baby Self Esteem

Building self esteem in baby is very important to ensure that your baby grows up to be a secure and confident person. You can start by as simple as, giving praise to your baby whenever he achieves something. For example, when he reaches his toys, although it took him few hours to get to the toys. You still give him a praise, and this will let him believe in himself.

Be more specific when giving praises, such as "you did a good job in getting that ball". This will let him know that you are really paying attention.

Amino Acid Supplements and Bodybuilding Supplements

It has been 7 months since I gave birth to my daughter. From day 1 postpartum, I had 12 kilograms to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And because I delivered my baby by way of caesarean, I had to wait until 3 month postpartum in order to get green light from my gynae to get on to my fitness plan. After 3 months have passed, I was very much back into my exercise regime, ready to get all fit and back in shape.

When exercising, taking amino acids is important as they are the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by our body, and hence, is important part of our nutrition. However, due to our busy and tight schedules, it is very easy to overlook our food intake and its nutrition. Taking amino acid supplements is thus the best and easy solution.

Besides the fats that I have to lose, I have always like having slight and lean muscles. I also took protein powder supplement, as protein is the building blocks of muscles.

Nutraplanet has a huge complete range of bodybuilding supplements. I can find all the supplements I need in their website, from amino acids, protein powder to fat burner supplements. Order can be easily made by calling their hotline number or buy online. The level of their service is excellent. The extent of their service even includes shipment tracking available at their website, and also forum where one can find and share information about the products.

And now 7 months postpartum, I have lost 10 kilograms. All thanks to my hardwork and supplements bought from Nutraplanet.

Watch Your Waistline, Do Watch Your Drink Intake

If you are trying to lose weight or simply maintain your weight, don't just watch your diet, but also your drink intake.

For example, soft drinks are extremely high in kilojoules. Even for diet soft drinks, they still ocntain high level of sweetener. And since drinks do not make us feel full, we could end up drinking a lot, and hence high kilojoules.

There is no exception for fruit juices either. 1 glass of apple fruit juice made of 4 apples has the same kilojoules as same sized glass of cola.

So if you feel thirsty, just go for plain water. Free of kilojoules and it is cheap!

Starving Yourself To Prevent Jet Lag

If you often find yourself have jet lag after long-haul flights, thank God there is something you can do now to prevent jet lag.

The trick is to starve yourself before your long haul flight. As easy as that! This is due to body's natural circadian clock in our brain dictates when to wake up, eat, and sleep. These are all in response to light.

But a study by Harvard Medical School has shown that mammals have a second body clock. This second body clock takes over from primary circadian clock when they starve. A period of 16 hours of starving is enough to engage in this second body clock. So, do not eat any plane food, and only eat once u land. This could help you avoid the jet lag. Although this study has not been proven to work in human, this worth a try.

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Reference:
Journal Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/

What Your Baby Can Do in Week 8

At week 8, baby starts to store memories. For example, your baby might already associate a bottle or nursing pillow with being fed. As in my case, I always feed my baby in sleeping position. So when I turn her body sideways, she already knows that she is going to be fed very soon. It is amazing how baby starts learning things this fast.

And baby will become stronger in the order of head to toe. The muscles to hold his/her head will develop stronger, before your baby is able to use his/her arms. The last muscle group to gain strength is his/her legs.

Oral Hygiene for Your Baby

My baby is now 8 weeks old! Time flies so fast. It felt just like yesterday I gave birth to her. And now she's all about cooing and smiling with toothless gums.

Even though baby is still toothless, you should keep your baby's gums healthy and clean by wiping it with wet clean soft cloth every day. It is recommended that when your baby's teeth comes in, you should start brushing her teeth with baby sized toothbrush and water only. Do not use toothpaste until your baby understands to spit out. Usually this occurs around 3 years old.

And when more teeth comes in, start flossing once a day.

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Watching Too Much Television Increases Risk of Asthma

Again, parenting tips for fellow parents. Please watch the hours your child spends in front of television. British study published in the journal Thorax, shows that children who watch tv for more than 2 hours a day double their risk of developing asthma.

The study suggests the link between breathing patterns and sedentary behaviour, resulting in developmental changes in the lungs and wheezing illnesses in children.

If your children do suffer from asthma, allow them to swim more. Swimming is a particularly good form of exercise for children with asthma as it is less likely to trigger asthma symptoms than other forms of exercise. In fact, regular swimming can increase the volume of the lungs and help develop good breathing techniques.

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For reference
Journal Thorax : http://thorax.bmj.com/

Atopic Dermatitis

My baby has been diagnosed having allergy by paediatrician. The so-called term is atopic dermatitis. The symptoms is white and red rashes on her body. So for my dear fellow moms, whose baby is also diagnosed with this term, please note the following things that you should keep your baby away from.

1. Smell : includes perfume, smoke, aromatherapy, etc. Keep your baby away from anything that has strong smell. Mom and people who take care of the baby should not use body lotion with strong smell.
2. Dust : do not sweep floor when your baby is around. You may want to vacuum instead.
3. Feather : never give your baby fluffy toys.
4. Cold : keep your baby's room at room temperature, i.e. 27 degrees Celcius.

What will happen if you do not avoid the above is that your child could easily suffer from cough, flu, and phlegm.

Relocating to Arizona

It has been raining almost everyday here in Jakarta. Flood is everywhere. Even without flood, the traffic jam here in Jakarta is very bad. The jam just can’t get any worst with the flood.

At these times, I wish I am staying in Arizona. With its hot weather, flood-free, great parks, dining places and nightlife, it makes both me and hubby wanting to move to Arizona even more. Especially, my hubby’s cousins live in Arizona, and they love staying it there.

I know you might hate the idea of moving to new places. Been there done that. However, if you are interested in moving to Arizona, moving is made easy with services provided by Arizona relocation services. They offer complement services to make your relocation as smooth as possible. So, Arizona, shall we?

Baby 7 Weeks Old

My baby daughter is almost 7 weeks old now. So for my dearest fellow new moms, do note that at this week, your (and my) baby’s movements become more voluntary and less jerky. You could also notice that he/she is gaining control of his/her neck.

Your baby would start batting and kicking a lot. He/she would be interested in bright objects. So read your baby simple books which have pictures of bright objects, animals or faces.

Preventing Short-Sightedness

I have just realized that my eyesight has become poorer. I cannot see clearly even with my glasses on. I am becoming more short sighted now, maybe due to spending too much time on reading and staring at computer.

How ironic. Myopia or short-sightedness, could occur because a person did not spend enough time outdoors in his or her childhood, as study published in Optometry and Vision Science. Myopia has become increasingly common now, as a result of children spending more time indoors now, and their eyes do not learn to focus on faraway objects during the stage of eye development.

So do not allow your children to watch tv or play computer games for a long time. Allow them 2 to 3 hours a day playing outside, as this is the recommended amount.

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For reference
Optometry and Vision Science

Stem Cell Therapy

I had just given birth to a beautiful healthy daughter by way of caesarean. My husband was not allowed into the operating theatre. He had to wait outside and was called only when our baby was already put inside incubator. He didn’t have the chance to cut the umbilical cord like how he had always imagined. All he got to do with the umbilical cord is to sign agreement papers to release the umbilical cord to the hospital.

Little did we know, the umbilical cord is actually very important. It is used in stem cell therapy to treat many diseases. There are varieties of stem cell therapies or treatment to treat range of diseases, such as lung, liver, neurological diseases to mention a few.

Biostemcellgenetics provides its patients with high quality alternative healthcare options. At MSC Health, the stem cell therapy or treatment program is catered to each individual based on his specific condition, thus resulting in finest treatment and care for each and every patient.

Their excellence also derives from their constant consultation with reputable scientists and researches worldwide, aiming to develop more effective medical treatments. This enables MSC to provide its patients with most updated clinical trial results and benefits of their various alternative medical treatments. Undoubtedly, patients could expect only the best out of MSC treatments.

So, contact MSC Health today for best possible treatment for your condition.

Sexual Positions To Improve Chances of Pregnancy

Efforts to conceive can be both exciting and anxious experiences. It would be exciting at first, when the wife's period schedule is late for few days. Anxious if the home pregnancy test kit shows disappointing results. If this cycle repeats for few months down the road, it would be rather depressing experiences. Though you shouldn't be worried about anything if you have only been trying to conceive for several months. Couples are considered having fertility problems if they have been trying for more than a year without any results.

But before you head out to reputable IVF clinic that will definitely cost a fortune, you should know the basics first, that there are certain sexual positions that you should adopt to increase your chances of pregnancy.

The sexual positions that may encourage pregnancy are:

• Missionary Position
  This is the oldest and most traditional sexual position. The man is on the top. This position allows sperm the right entrance to the cervix. The woman might want to put a small pillow under her hips, so after ejaculation, she can tilt her hips and let gravity works its work.

• Doggy Style
  The woman is on her knees, and he enters from behind. This position allows for deeper penetration.

• Spooning Position
  Lying side by side, he enters her from behind. Also use a pillow under her hips after ejaculation.

There are certain positions that should be avoided.

• Woman on Top
  Ladies, despite how tempted you are for this position, do avoid this position as this only cause most of sperm to slide out when he separates himself from you.

• Standing Position
  Same reason as above.

Please note, though these 2 positions are less favourable for successful conception, these positions do not prevent pregnancy. With these positions, sperm can enter uterus with the force of ejaculation and contraction of uterus usually followed after orgasm.

Good luck!