Trusted Information for Healthy Pregnancies
Things You Should Know About Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Sep 3rd
There are three classic signs of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH), also known as Gestational Hypertension and they are: a blood pressure of not lower than 140/90 mmhg., presence of protein in the urine and presence of generalized swelling or edema (only edema of the lower extremities is normal, edema of the face and hands is considered generalized edema).
If you observe these three signs, you will require special management to prevent the complications that can be dangerous to both you and your baby.
What exactly causes PIH is unknown, but there are factors closely associated with it that places you at greater risk of developing one.
A first time mom with no history of previous pregnancies is at risk especially if your age is below 18 or above 35 years old. If in your family, your grandmother, mother or sister had PIH, there is a higher risk that you may also develop the condition.
Mothers who have twin or multiple pregnancies that poses a greater demand on her cardiovascular system may also develop PIH. Lastly, women who have a history of kidney disease or history of high blood pressure at any time before the pregnancy is at risk of developing PIH.
There are dangerous complications associated with PIH like:
- Preeclampsia, a condition when the blood pressure reaches as high as 160/110 mmhg. That predisposes the woman to having a seizure.
- Eclampsia is when the woman had even one episode of seizure.
- Severe eclampsia is when the woman experiences several episodes of seizure (this stage is already very dangerous and can be fatal to both mother and baby).
- HELLP syndrome stands for: Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelet. This condition will end up in a severe bleeding episode and may result to death of the mother if not managed immediately and distress or death of the baby.
PIH is a serious condition that should not be ignored; working close with your health provider is a must. PIH may develop at any stage of the pregnancy from the first trimester even after the delivery of the baby.
Christina Applegate Tells You What Not To Do During Pregnancy
Sep 3rd
TV sitcom celebrity Christina Applegate and her pregnancy cravings are well known and well documented and now she is confessing to other pregnancy transgressions as well. She has been indulging unhealthy pregnancy food such as red velvet cup cakes and fried cheese, according to a report.
The TV star may be really rocking her baby bump and by all accounts is doing well as her pregnancy progresses, but her lead is not what should be followed by other pregnant women, warn doctors.
Being overweight during pregnancy is not good for a number of reasons: it significantly increases the chances of producing a big baby, who may grow into an overweight child.
The chance of this happening doubles among overweight mothers. Also, being overweight increases chances of pregnancy complications. And then there is the fact that putting on too much weight during pregnancy will make it much more difficult to get rid of the flab after the arrival of the baby.
In fact, doctors recommend that women of childbearing age should develop the sort of healthy lifestyles that can help them achieve a healthy weight before they even get pregnant.
When it comes to pregnancy nutrition, the thumb rule is about 300 extra calories in a day and food that is as nutrient dense and unrefined as possible.
Considering A Home Birth? Some Reasons To Do So
Sep 2nd
Parents strive to connect with their unborn child and also try to do the best they can for a health development while still in the womb as well as at the time of birth. The home birth could be a wonderful and intimate option.
Couples recognize that pregnancy can be a time to build on a relationship, to help create a healthy, stable and loving setting for a child to be born into and also prefer to eschew the option of a sterile hospital birth in favor of a home birth.
Experts agree that babies fare best when parents make the effort to strengthen their relationship during the time when they prepare for the arrival of the newborn.
Planning for a home birth can be significant in that it creates the opportunity for a couple to work together as a team towards a mutually important goal.
Good communication is fostered and health outlets for stress will enhance that process.
Parents describe the decision of a home birth as “the beginning of (our) parenting” and can set a template for future parenting. A home birth may mean going against the norm, but who knows it could just be the right choice for you?
An Unexpected Pregnancy – Choose The Option That Is Best For You
Sep 1st
An expected pregnancy could occur to any of us; whether it is a young fresh woman, an older mother, a married couple.
An unexpected pregnancy could happen to anyone and may well have the potential to upset the course that a person may have charted for their life.
The fact is that birth control methods are not infallible and in the event of an unexpected pregnancy, a decision as to which option one wants to pick has to be taken; and taken quickly.
There are of course the three basic options to choose from: (a) becoming a parent or parents, (b) abortion and (c) adoption. Whichever is the option that you choose, keep the following in mind when making the decision and make sure that it is the one that is really right for you:
If you decide to become a parent (s): The challenges of being a single mother are many and are obvious. There will be economic problems, those of logistics and care giving, emotional difficulties.
However, it is also important to remember that it is possible to raise a child single handedly, with some support from friends, family and support groups.
However, the decision should be taken based on all the different factors, taking into account what will, in the end be the best solution given the challenges.
While couples in a stable relationship are likely have the benefit of two people and better resources, emotional, logistical and economic, raising a baby is still a 24 hour job and therefore do not make a mistake about it.
It is important to understand the toll that a new baby may take on time, financial resources and even a relationship. Parenthood is not something to be entered into lightly and again, all factors have to be considered prior to taking any decision.
Considering Adoption: For many women, the possibility of having a child and then giving it up for adoption is the scariest scenario faced with an unexpected pregnancy.
The thought of nurturing a life for 9 months and then handing it over to others to raise can be quite simply frightening. The thought also that once an adoption is complete, it is permanent and that one cannot then change their mind, also makes one feel powerless.
Going in for an independent adoption or through an agency, is another question that is to be decided upon. Really consider what your feelings will be at the time of giving birth when deciding on this option.
Abortion: There are of course many moral and ethical issues that are attached to the issue of abortion.
However, it may be that the time and place in your life is not the right one either for you to become a parent or it is an unsuitable time for a baby to be born into your life for reasons of financial situation, age, health issues, or any other circumstances.
It is important to make a decision not only based on one’s moral or religious views but also the circumstances that surround you.
Remember the decision that you take now is something that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Take the decision that will be easiest for you to live with. Some personal stories here may provide some helpful insights.
The First Month Of Pregnancy Demystified
Sep 1st
All future moms enter the pregnancy talk sooner or later and if most of the forums discuss personal experience some online articles or info may walk a first time pregnant woman from joy to dread.
So here is the first step in the world of pregnancy explained so the future mothers would understand in plain words what is going on in their body.
Once the pregnancy test has shown the reality and the visit to your gynecologist has stated that you are expecting a little one, the first month of pregnancy is on.
It is pointless to say that you will have to be very careful because all women know this but the first month is actually most important as nutrition goes.
The right way to go is eat rationally and eliminate from your diet all food elements that are normally bad for grownups because they will be even more dangerous for your baby.
As body changes come you will not experience significant changes other that breasts’ sensibility and sometimes cramps.
There are cases when women can experience mild bleeding known as “pregnancy spots” which may appear when the embryo implants in the uterus wall.
Getting back to the food part, during this first month you will have to eat mostly fruit and vegetable and of course food rich in protein.
You should eat Chicken, Meat, Fish, Beans and Soya but also consider a B vitamin intake that will prevent congenital malformations.
You will have to be extra careful about how the food is cooked because you must avoid raw meat, raw eggs, milk that is not pasteurized, random medications, drugs, tobacco and drugs.
Now comes the part where all women are starting to calculate the delivery date.
You have to be realistic about the matter and understand that predicting the exact date is pretty difficult. Still, you should know that it will be in the 226th day after conception.
Of course here comes the problem because most couple can’t say for sure when the conception took place.
A hint would be that at the women with a cycle of 28 days the ovulation takes place in the 14th while at those with a cycle of 22-24 days the conception probably took place in the 8th or 9th day. So provided you know the type of cycle you have you can start calculating using one of the above methods.
Considering the conception date will help you see the approximate development of your pregnancy.
You should know that after 14 days the embryo has the size of a needle point and the division process will continue rapidly in the first 4 weeks.
This being the beginning of the 9 months journey, you as a future mom should know that you are starting a wonderful adventure where the only mystery is the miracle life growing inside you.
Dare and think of the first month as being the best way you can experience the start of a new stage in your womanhood. You are the way life found the power to create. Be proud.
The Importance of Proper Dosing of Antidepressants during Pregnancy
Aug 30th
Pregnancy and the postpartum period is a time of increased risk for depression. Therefore, women who are treated with antidepressant medications must consider whether or not to stay on medication during pregnancy. Despite reassuring data regarding the reproductive safety of various antidepressants, a woman may prefer not to continue medication during pregnancy due to concerns [...]
How To Prepare For A Twin Pregnancy?
Aug 30th
A twin pregnancy is no longer rare these days; a couple can opt for an in-vitro fertilization or take medications like Clomid that can help increase sperm cell production and multiple ova maturation.
Twin pregnancies can either be identical or fraternal. Identical twins are exactly alike and of the same sex orientation while fraternal twins do not exactly look alike and may be of different sex orientation.
If the twin pregnancy was not your choice, here are the possible factors that have caused them: you are 30 to 40 years of age, where studies show an increased incidence of twin pregnancies;
you are of greater height and weight, which means you have the capacity to house more than one infant; you have had several previous pregnancies and yours or your husband’s families have twin pregnancies.
If you are pregnant and not had a diagnostic test to confirm a twin pregnancy, but suspecting one, here is a checklist to help you determine the possibility of it.
- You became pregnant via in vitro fertilization or with the aid of medication
- You or your husband have twins in the family
- You have an extremely big appetite all time of the day
- Your weight is way beyond what is expected for your gestation period
To prepare you and your family you must be aware of the first signs of a twin pregnancy like;
- Noticeable rapid weight gain and large sized abdomen
- Sudden development of anemia
- You feel movement all around your abdomen
- You hear two distinct heart beats
- Pelvic ultrasound confirms the presence of two gestational sacs
Now other than the usual things you need to prepare for a single infant delivery like baby clothes, prenatal records, toiletries, credit card and cash, who and where to go when the day arrives; here are other things you need to have ready before your date of delivery;
- Be ready earlier than the two weeks expected date of delivery because premature labor is common with twin pregnancies.
- Express your feelings and concern to your support system (partner, relatives, support group, health provider).
- Discuss with your Obstetrician regarding options for vaginal delivery and c-section much earlier than the due date.
- Even if vaginal delivery is possible, you should be prepared physically, emotionally, psychologically even financially for a c-section in case untoward circumstances arise.
- Discuss early with the family regarding child care.
Being prepared for what is to happen lessen the stress for you and your family giving you more time to prepare for the day of delivery. A less stressed woman also results to a less stressed infant.
It May Be Possible To Predict C Section Requirement
Aug 30th
A new test has been developed in Sweden, which may help predict whether a woman will need a C section or not. This offers hope for all those women, who labor hard and long in the hope of a natural or vaginal delivery, and then be subjected to a C section in the end.
In many cases, women hold out for as long as possible in the hope that a vaginal delivery may be possible, so they undergo a long and grueling labor. However, in the end, an urgent or emergency Cesarean section is performed to protect the life and health of both mother and baby.
This is like having the world of both worlds; the pain of labor involved in a natural delivery as well as the post operative recovery pain and risks involved in a C section.
In the test, which is available in many European hospitals, the lactic acid level in the amniotic fluid is measured. When high levels of this acid are found to be present in the amniotic fluid, it decreases the chances of the mother delivering the baby vaginally.
It was seen that the muscles of the uterus, like other muscles, when they work hard, produce lactic acid. However, when the lactic acid reaches a certain level, it starts to inhibit contractions, and a C section may then become necessary.
Some Pregnancy Myths You Probably Did Not Know About
Aug 27th
Pregnancy myths abound, but there are some which are rather better known than others. Have you heard of these and are they true?
* If you took a while to get pregnant, you’re having a boy. Not always true but if had a hard time conceiving due to thick cervical mucus, then it is likely you’re having a boy. The male sperm swim better in thick mucus!
* Use saliva as a lubricant to improve your chances of getting pregnant. This one is a myth, because saliva kills sperm as so a lot of lubricants and massage oils. It is best not to use anything at all if you are trying to get pregnant.
* Laptop use is bad for a man’s sperm production. This is true, because using a laptop while holding it in the lap, causes the area to become warm which is bad for sperm. So laptop use is bad for a man’s swimmers for the same reason as tight underwear!
* Men don’t have a biological clock. This one is false. Though women have a much easier to read and easier to feel biological clock men have one too. As a woman’s egg quality can deteriorate over time, so can a man’s sperm quality. Though men may be able to contribute to baby making till quite late in life, the quantity as well as quality does indeed go down.
Researchers Studying Morning Sickness Relief
Aug 27th
Among the most common of pregnancy symptoms, which can occur at any time of the day or at any time during the pregnancy, can be mild for some, but may be very severe for many women.
Pregnancy sickness is often shrugged off as something that happens to everyone and a normal part of carrying a child, but Canadians researchers want to find a way around it.
Researchers in Toronto, at the Hospital for Sick Children’s Motherisk Program, are trying to see how to prevent morning sickness or all day sickness, and how to prevent the situation getting severe.
The researchers are trying to make the treatment pre emptive, adopting ways used to combat motion sickness, cancer treatment etc. by starting treatment from before.
In the study, women who had a history of severe nausea and vomiting during their earlier pregnancy, were started off on Diclectin (approved for use by pregnant women), as soon as the women became pregnant again.
It has been found that those women who were started on anti emetics such as Diclectin very early on in their pregnancy benefited from this, as they found their nausea and morning sickness not to be as severe as it was in previous delivery/deliveries.