FOODS AND BEVERAGES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY

Caffeine

Pregnancy can leave you feeling extra tired and fatigued. Unfortunately caffeine can cross the placenta, so it’s best to avoid or limit the amount of caffeine you drink. For pregnant women, caffeine should be limited to less than 200mg per day. One cup of coffee contains about 95mg of caffeine, while one cup of tea contains about 47mg.
Where is Caffeine Found?
Though most of us associate caffeine with tea and coffee, it is also found in a number of other foods and beverages, including:
colas
hot chocolate
chocolate
various nuts
Caffeine is also found in certain medications, particularly those for migraine headaches, and in some dietary supplements.
What are the Effects of Caffeine?
If you notice yourself feeling jittery after you have has a lot of coffee or tea, there's a good reason for it. Caffeine can cause a number of physical side effects, including:
increased heart rate
increased blood pressure
increased sweat production

 

Alcohol

Alcohol can be damaging to your baby’s tiny developing organs including the brain, and can lead to a whole host of disorders called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so in this case eliminate all alcohol use while pregnant.

For decades, researchers have known that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects. But the potential effects of small amounts of alcohol on a developing are not well understood.

Now you're going to be a Father

One dad’s story

Max is 30. His wife Sharon is 27 and they were married two years ago. Their baby Chloe is two months old. Max describes his feelings when he first knew about the pregnancy.

“I can’t say the baby was planned or that it wasn't planned. We never really gave much thought to having kids because we were having such a good time together. All our friends are couples. None of them had babies. Sharon hadn't been feeling great for a couple of weeks. We assumed she had some sort of fever. When the doctor told her she was pregnant I was stunned.

“I wanted to tell her I was excited and happy and all the sorts of things you see in movies. I didn't go all misty-eyed. The exact opposite happened. I just couldn't envision myself as a dad, up to my neck in baby cloths, soapy water and dusting powder. I’m not good at that kind of thing. Then there was the money to worry about. We had enough to live the way we wanted to, and the drop in income when Sharon would stop working filled me with dread.

“Chloe was born a few months ago and it’s hard to imagine that I ever had any doubts. She’s so perfect. I’m learning how to be a dad as we go along. The money side hasn't been as much of a problem as I feared. We saved some cash in the months before the birth and we go out less now because we are so busy with the baby. I’d reassure any first time dad that everything turns out all right in time.”

Wow, what a feeling! You've just discovered that you are going to be a dad. Sure, there’s still plenty of time to go before your new baby arrives, but that doesn't

 stop your mind from racing ahead. There are so many thoughts and feeling running through you at this moment and you may struggle to make sense of them all.

Don’t worry-you are not alone. Every first time father runs the whole gamut of feelings when the news hits him. Relax, take as long as you need to get used to the idea. There’s no immediate hurry.

VISION GAVE US A WAY OUT

Dina and I agreed to marry at a very young age. I was 27 and she was 25, this was during my final defence in the university while she was in her 300 level. We were young vibrant and fond of each other. We loved our dreams in life and respected each other’s even they were totally different.

We had decided to marry immediately after my graduation but we knew it was going to be an uphill task. There was no job in view and Dina was still in school. I graduated and we got married. It was a quiet wedding held in front of both families and close friends in our local church during a Sunday service with light refreshment afterwards.

Soon after the wedding, the job I was doing fell apart, the company had issues and declared redundancy and I was among those that were let go. Things suddenly took a difficult and windy turn. Feeding was almost a struggle and it was at this point that Dina became pregnant. The whole situation rocked us, our relationship and the family life, it stretched us and we began to see strains in our relationship.

One night we were sifting through our box of school books looking for a particular textbook for Dina’s school research work the next day and we stumbled upon this picture  of us in the school cafeteria. We paused and started talking about the day we took the picture. It was a date we talked about our vision for marriage and family life. This was before we got married.

We had a vision which included a statement of how to deal with any challenge or crisis that comes. It was an eye opener for us that evening and we agreed to go back to our vision to deal with the circumstances at the moment. We put it right before us afresh; the next day as we got ready to go out we talked about the vision again. We kept this on for a week and gradually life began to make sense all over again. The fondness in our relationship came back and we loved life and marriage all over again.

Vision at this point was the bomb that did the magic in our marriage. Through our vision we realized that there was something I could do if I am not employed. Today I am an employer of labour, smiling to the bank regularly.

Being a family gave us an opportunity to have a vision, and this vision keeps us going and alive every year. My message to fellow young couples: As You Are Going to Be Family, catch a vision and never let it go, it’s a fire that never goes out.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE HE PROPOSES?

How Long Do I Have to Wait Before He Proposes?
The question is: what are you waiting to do if he doesn't propose? You kind of sound like you have options and you are waiting to accept any of them that comes forward first...hmn that's too bad!
There are a few things a man looks for before he pops the question:
1. Your respect for him, his time, money, family, and honest reasons.
2. Your confidence in handling issues both within and beyond your control.
3. Your ability to be confidential with his weaknesses among your friends and family members.
4. Your strength and organisational ability in the home.
(There could be more but let's rest it here for now).
Usually  men tend to wait before poping the question not because they are not sure of themselves or finances but they are waiting for the lady to be ready.
My advice will be:
Be yourselve and be confident about who you are.
Do everything possible to be good to your man of choice. You must have considered him worth all the stress to be your choice. When you do, you will find out that you are not even waiting for him to propose but will be finding fulfilment together which will eventually lead to marriage.
I will advice you remove the time limit you will have to wait and be open to opportunities. Improve your worth while waiting and when the man you will find worthy comes along, give him a shot. Trust me girl, you deserve it.