An ultrasound scan involves transmitting high frequency sound waves through the uterus. These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby’s position and movements. Hard tissues such as bone reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image and soft tissues appear grey and speckled. Fluids do not reflect any echoes so appear black. It is the contrast between these different shades of white, grey and black that allows your sonographer to interpret the images. Parents look forward to the scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The sonographer will probably give you a printout of your baby as a keepsake, although some hospitals charge for this. The main purpose of the scan is to check that your baby is growing and developing normally.

The poll of 3,000 parents revealed that more than 62% of dads who took part in the survey claim their ideas were completely dismissed by their partner, with 8% of those saying that every single suggestion they made was ignored!
31% of dads polled admitted defeat and accepted a name which was not their favourite. An amazing 36% of all dads admitted they did this just to have an easy life! However,15% felt that giving in to their partner’s wishes would mean that they would get to choose the name of any future children.

Baby showers are relatively new to the UK. However, the tradition has been popular in the United States for some time. The baby shower is essentially a party where guests give gifts to an expectant mother. The presents are items that the parents will need when the baby arrives, such as clothes. Some people only hold the shower once the baby is born, believing that it is bad luck to hold a baby shower before that.
Originally baby showers were intended only for the first born child and were attended only by women, but both of these traditions are being overturned. It is generally considered appropriate to hold a baby shower for any pregnancy, although it is still relatively uncommon to have male guests attend. It is more common at showers that are largely for family members. Some people will hold showers for both parents.
A baby shower is usually organised by someone other than the mother-to-be. As well as gift-giving, there are often games and activities, such as baby shower bingo, guess the birth date or guess the baby food flavour.
In the last ten years, baby showers have become increasingly popular in this country and that trend looks set to continue.

Men can sometimes feel a little sidelined when their partner is pregnant. This feeling can derive from a sense that they aren’t as involved as they might be, but this needn’t be the case. There are a number of things that a man can do to support his partner. Indeed, there are a number of things that a man should do to support his partner.
At times it’s necessary to take a long-term view of the pregnancy, which can be difficult for your partner for whom everything is so immediate. The man can bring this sense of perspective as he is more removed from the process.
There are a lot of things that the couple can do together which will keep the man involved and will also allow him to support his partner. He can go with her for scans and can attend antenatal classes. All of these things will help him remain informed, allowing him to share the worries and contribute to the learning process.
The man can also try and take over more of the everyday tasks around the house, perhaps taking more of the workload involved with looking after older children, if there are any. If the woman suffers morning sickness, perhaps he can make a special effort to help out more at this time of the day.
Most importantly, the couple should talk. This will help ensure that the pregnancy is a shared experience and things will hopefully go that much smoother as a result.

It is important to maintain a certain level of exercise when you are pregnant. It doesn’t need to be particularly strenuous, but you should remain active.
Many swimming pools offer special antenatal swimming sessions. Swimming is a good activity for when you’re pregnant. Yoga is another option. Get a book from the library or attend special stretching or yoga classes for pregnancy.
More strenuous exercise than this can affect your baby. If you get hot, your baby gets hot and if you get out of breath, your baby’s heart rate will increase. Ordinarily the heart rate will return to normal quite soon afterwards, but if there are any problems with the pregnancy, it could beat slowly for a short time afterwards.
If you suffer from any sort of medical condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or any specific issue relating to your pregnancy, it is advisable to consult your doctor before embarking on any sort of exercise regime.
Tell the doctor what sort of activity you are planning and also outline what sort of exercise you’re used to. After assessing the risks and benefits, the two of you will be able to decide what would be suitable for you. As was mentioned at the start, walking, swimming and yoga are suitable for almost all women.