Trusted Information for Healthy Pregnancies
Herpes Drug May Be Safe In Early Pregnancy
Aug 26th
There is always the tendency to err on the side of caution when it comes to taking any kind of medication or pharmaceutical drugs during pregnancy for the apprehension that it may result in birth defects in the baby. Now, however, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that certain antiviral medications for Herpes may be safe to take during early pregnancy.
Until now, it was unclear whether medications used to treat Herpes and shingles such as antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir were safe for use during pregnancy.
New research has shown that women may be able to take some of these antiviral medications for herpes and shingles without the fear that this will harm their baby or cause birth defects.
According to the researchers there was no significant link between these anti herpes drugs and any major birth defects.
It was also recommended by the researchers, that the drug that was more widely prescribed antiviral for herpes Acyclovir should be the drug of choice if anti herpes medication was required to be prescribed during early pregnancy.
However, the same reassurance was not given about the other anti herpes drugs Famciclovir and valacyclovir since data regarding these was deemed insufficient.
Nutrition During Pregnancy – Some Dos And Don’ts
Aug 25th
Though every pregnancy is vastly different and while one woman will have certain cravings and aversions that others simply do not, nutrition during pregnancy is something that should be paid close attention to.
Nutrition during pregnancy is important not only because it provides valuable nutrients to the baby and mother; it is also important because the right kind of nutrition during pregnancy will help to alleviate some of the discomforts of pregnancy.
While weight gain is inevitable and actually required during pregnancy it should be within the prescribed parameters of weight gain. Excessive weight gain will again cause problems.
If a woman is of normal weight prior to getting pregnant, she should gain anywhere between 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. This is normal.
So while a woman does need to eat more than she would otherwise, she only needs to add about 300 calories to her normal intake.
What is even more important about nutrition during pregnancy is the source of the extra calories consumed. 300 extra calories does not mean an extra fried snack.
Rather the extra calories should come from good quality protein such as lean cuts of meat, fish, eggs, low fat milk products, nuts, legumes etc.
These provide not only proteins which are known as the building blocks of life, but also provide several vital nutrients that are required for the proper growth and development of the unborn child’s body and brain.
One question that women often ask is, if the baby is going to be about 7 pounds upon birth, why is it necessary to gain as much as 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy?
Proper nutrition during pregnancy contributes not only to the baby’s development, it also takes care of several other things: the body lays down some stores of fat that will come in handy for the rigors of childbirth and will then go on to sustain successful breast feeding.
The breasts themselves gain as much as two pounds and a woman may find herself going up several cup sizes in preparation for giving the newborn sustenance of mother’s milk.
The placenta that nourishes a baby through the pregnancy weighs about a pound and a half. The uterus puts on weight and then there is the extra weight of the amniotic fluid to factor into the weight gain.
Even the circulatory system of the body has been stepped up, there is more blood circulating in the mother’s system than before.
Nutrition during pregnancy is not just about weight gain and nourishment. Certain foods may also cause an aversion for which substitutes may have to be found.
For instance many women may be revolted at the smell of milk when pregnant. However, milk protein and the calcium contained in it is important for the mother to ingest so substitutes such as yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese etc could be tried.
Further, some foods should be avoided because they may cause heartburn and acidity and even nausea which could be common complaints during the final stages of pregnancy.
Antibiotics Advised 1 Hour Before C-Sections
Aug 24th
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, infection is one of the common complications that occur due to Cesarean section deliveries, in an estimated 10 to 40% cases. This risk is less than 3% for natural deliveries and there is now an attempt to redress this imbalance.
Whereas antibiotics are usually given to the mother soon after the delivery, it is now advised by a new obstetric guideline in US that the antibiotics be administered before the C section surgery.
The administration of the antibiotics is usually done after the delivery in order that any brewing infection in the newborn baby could be spotted and not masked by the antibiotics administered to the mother, which may pass over into the baby’s blood stream.
However, now it is understood that antibiotics can be administered to the mother about an hour before the C section, quite safely, without any risk to the baby.
According to this new guideline issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists elective C sections should have the antibiotics one hour before surgery, emergency C sections should have the antibiotics as soon as possible. Women who are already on antibiotics for some other reason are exempt.
Massage Therapy for Depression
Aug 23rd
There are currently 100 clinical trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov using massage as a treatment. Six are listed for the indication of depression. A small minority are focused specifically on treating depression or anxiety, while in many the effects of massage for patients with serious medical conditions are being explored. Infant massage is also under study [...]
What Is A Sympathetic Pregnancy? Do Dads-To-Be Get It?
Aug 20th
Simply put, a sympathetic pregnancy is not really being pregnant but having many of the symptoms and discomforts that are associated with it, particularly when someone really close to you is actually and really pregnant.
And yes dads-to-be can also get sympathetic pregnancies or a condition called the Couvade Syndrome, one that isn’t as rare a condition as you may think!
He can find that he feels queasy and nauseous the same way his pregnant mate does, he may be assailed by strange food cravings in the same way and may develop aversions as well.
He may feel back pain, cramps in the same way and may also find himself feeling more fatigued and have a spell or two of fainting!
And it may not just end there; he may find that he is actually ending up eating for two and even actually putting on weight!
The reason for this may be the fact that a man may be so keenly attuned to what his partner thinks or feels or experiences that they themselves develop this range of pregnancy symptoms themselves.
And it is not about getting some of the attention for themselves either. The sympathetic pregnancy may actually help a man become more empathetic and prepared for the upcoming job of parenting.
Health Visitors Can Help ‘Stop Baby Blues’
Aug 19th
Psychological support for new mothers is very important according to a new study and when support from a specially trained health visitor is made available, this helps to keep away the baby blues.
Visits from Specially trained health visitors can greatly help new mothers since they are able to offer psychological support and also help to asses mental health problems.
In the study, some of the women were given normal care from a health visitor, whereas the other group got support from specially trained health visitors and the latter group had a 30% less chance of developing depression related to child birth than the first group.
Even women who had no depression symptoms were seen to benefit from the support offered by these specially trained health visitors. The psychological approaches that were seen to be particularly effective were those based on listening techniques and cognitive behavioral techniques.
Factors such as trust and confidentiality play an important part in determining the benefit that new mothers get from visits of the health worker and time spent together can mean a reduction in depressive symptoms. Post Natal Depression is thought to affect about one in 10 women.
Later Symptoms Of Being Pregnant – What Are They?
Aug 18th
We often discuss the early symptoms of being pregnant; since the novelty of being pregnant is so exciting and women look for those early signs with some anticipation.
Perhaps less is said and written about the later symptoms of being pregnant, which can be as interesting to look out for, as an indicator that all is progressing well with the pregnancy.
Knowing about the later symptoms of being pregnant will also reassure the pregnant woman that she is not alone in her experiences; that women the world over undergo much the same.
As a pregnancy progresses to the third and final trimester, the following symptoms of being pregnant may manifest themselves:
Shortness of breath: It isn’t just the fact that the baby is growing in size and putting pressure on the diaphragm thereby affecting breathing.
It is also the fact that the heart has grown in size and is having to work harder than ever before to provide nourishment for the entire body as well as the baby.
In the final stages of the pregnancy, when the baby’s head settles down into the pelvis in preparation of the birth, what is known as lightening, women may experience some relief from this symptom.
Backaches: As the belly grows larger along with the baby, and the woman continues to put on weight, her center of gravity changes and she will find that backaches become apparent.
It is important to maintain a good posture while sitting and avoid standing for too long as this will exacerbate this symptom of being pregnant. Use chairs with good back support, get a massage and use a heating pad or icepack to relieve the pain.
While high heeled shoes are a bad idea, even completely flat shoes may not be very comfortable. Low heeled shoes with good support may be best at this time.
Braxton Hicks contractions: These are practice contractions that are a preparation for actual labor. Although these start from near the beginning of a pregnancy, they make themselves felt fully only towards the third trimester. Typically weak contractions that come and go will be felt, and are nothing to worry about in most cases.
Fetal movement: During the third trimester, one of the most thrilling symptoms of being pregnant is feeling, even seeing the baby move.
While earlier the baby’s movement could be felt only by the mother, it can now be felt by anyone placing their hand on the belly. The tummy is even seen to undulate as the baby moves its limbs and changes position.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, a woman may see a lessening of this activity as the baby has less space to move about and stretch. No movement at all however may be a cause for concern and should be reported.
Breast changes: In preparation for breast feeding the breast gets bigger, and in many cases may gain as much as two pounds. They may also start leaking colostrums, a yellowish discharge that is so important for a newborn to consume.
Music For Your Unborn Baby
Aug 18th
These Bellybuds, Pregnancy Belly phones could be a great thing for those of us who know that music can benefit even the unborn baby.
Many mothers to be are able to tell that their baby seems to quiet down and become calm upon hearing music and even when in the womb, may display a preference for one piece of music over another.
This product is not one of those that have music pre programmed for baby, but is basically just a pair of headphones or rather belly phones. So you can pick the kind of music you want to have the baby listen to.
The phones are required to be placed on the mother’s belly, to be heard only by the baby. They come equipped with hydro gel rings that help affix the phones and keep them in place.
Also if the baby is listening to the kind of music that is your favorite as well, mother can listen to it. There is an audio splitter that lets the mother, or any other person listen to the music as well.
Link Found Between Schizophrenia And Exposure To Flu
Aug 16th
Recent research has found that those babies, whose mothers had the flu while pregnant, are more likely to have schizophrenia later in life.
It was explained thus by Temple University psychologist Lauren Ellman – when a woman catches flu when pregnant, she produces certain immune proteins in response to the flu, and this raises the exposure of the unborn baby to those proteins, consequently raising risk of certain abnormalities of the brain, which could lead to schizophrenia.
This is not to say that all women who had the flu when pregnant had schizophrenic babies, but the risk is seen to rise.
Earlier this link between flu infection and schizophrenia was not fully understood, because for the most part, infections do not cross over from the placenta to the baby. Now it is understood that it isn’t the infection, but rather the maternal reaction to it that has the negative impact on the fetal brain.
So this is one more reason for pregnant women to practice good hygiene that is frequent hand washing, keeping away from infected people and practicing proper immunization protocols.
What Is The Need For Different Diagnostic Tests During Pregnancy?
Aug 16th
Pregnancy is an important phase in a woman’s life, so everything is done to ensure the woman’s safety and the baby’s health at its best.
To do this, there are diagnostic tests you have to undergo to check every stage of development during pregnancy to determine possible complications.
Diagnostic and screening tests are both medical and laboratory procedures to identify any abnormalities.
A diagnostic test tells you if you or your baby has a particular existing health problem, while a screening test will tell you if you or your baby might develop a risk of developing a certain disorder or health problem during the course of the pregnancy.
Routine diagnostic tests are done to you during your first prenatal visit which includes:
- Pregnancy test, although you have done this at home there is a need to do this to determine if you have an abnormally high count of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) which can be a sign of a possible case of H-Mole.
- Complete Blood Count, this test is done to determine if you have a possible anemia that should be corrected early in pregnancy. This test will also identify a possible infection as shown by an increased white blood cell count.
- Blood type, to determine your blood type in case the need for transfusion arises.
- Blood Test for RH factor, Rh screening is done after a history of 3 consecutive abortions to determine the need for administration of RhoGam.
- Urine Test, to determine a possible urinary tract infection and presence of sugar or protein that could be a sign of a health risk for diabetes or eclampsia.
- Sonogram or Ultrasound, to determine the developing placenta’s location.
- Oral glucose tolerance Test, to determine if you have possible diabetes.
- Screening test for HIV, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases which you can pass on to your baby or put the baby’s health at harm.
- Amniocentesis or Chorionic Villus Sampling may be requested by your health provider if you are at high risk of having a baby with certain health and genetic conditions like Down ’s syndrome and Trisomy 18.
These tests are done during your first prenatal visit, but this does not mean that’s all into it.
You are just one step closer, what’s important is to visit your health provider regularly during your second and third trimester for a regular physical exam, because problems that were not there at the start may later develop as you progress with your pregnancy.