About Pregnancy & Childbirth: What NOT to Say When Your Partner is Pregnant

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

What NOT to Say When Your Partner is Pregnant May 31st 2012, 10:58 I was pretty sure I was pregnant when I took my first pregnancy test.  We'd been trying for almost a year and my period was several days late and I felt just awful.  Being worried that I would not be pregnant, I opted to take a pregnancy test alone, to save myself the embarrassment if I wasn't pregnant. Well, I wasn't wrong, I was pregnant. When I told my husband, he looked shocked and  said, "What?" I burst into tears. His reaction was so not what I expected. I don't know why that simple word drove me over the edge, but it did. Over the years I've heard some crazy responses from dads to pregnancy announcements, enough that I can say with confidence, don't say these things. What was your partner's response to your pregnancy? Was it just right? Lacking? Or down right offensive? Related: What NOT to Say to a Positive Pregnancy Test Readers Share: What did your partner say to your pregnancy announcement? Photo © Stockbyte/Getty Images What NOT to Say When Your Partner is Pregnant originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 at 10:58:23. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Did you try any of these fertility aids?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Did you try any of these fertility aids? May 30th 2012, 09:07 When you start thinking about getting pregnant, you probably want to be pregnant RIGHT NOW. Even when you aren't on a time table, there is so much information about fertility awareness around that you most likely had some clue about when you were ovulating, even if was just a plain ovulation calculator. That said, the world of fertility aids has exploded. From apps and beads to high tech motors that you use on a daily or continuous basis - it's pretty amazing. Did you use some type of fertility aid to help you determine when you were ovulating or when to be get pregnant? Related: Fertility Aids Conception Quiz Things to Think About Before You Get Pregnant 25 Pregnancy Signs Home Ovulation Prediction Kits Photo © Shutterstock Did you try any of these fertility aids? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 at 09:07:28. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: An Ergonomic Pregnancy Test

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

An Ergonomic Pregnancy Test May 29th 2012, 09:01 If you've ever taken a normal pregnancy test that requires you to actually pee on the stick, you know that the design is certainly not conducive to actually doing anything constructive, other than hitting your hand.  So when I ran across an ad in a magazine that touted the Clearblue Plus Ergonomic Pregnancy test (these are not digital), I was intrigued.  Have you tried it?  Does it really help?  Or do you simple pee in a cup and dip your pregnancy tests to avoid the need for an ergonomic handle? Related: Pregnancy Test Facts Top Pregnancy Tests The Rabbit Died: A History of the Pregnancy Test 10 Reasons Your Period is Late Photo © Getty Images/Sean De Burca An Ergonomic Pregnancy Test originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 at 09:01:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Pregnant at the Picnic

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Pregnant at the Picnic May 28th 2012, 10:08 Yum!  This weekend's celebrations certainly open up for the summer food season.  There are some great foods that are best found in the hottest months of the year.  One of my favorites its watermelon.  While this food doesn't hold a lot of potential for illness, that's not true of other picnic foods, particularly when you're pregnant. There are some pregnancy rules of picnic food they will hold true no matter what type of picnic you're at.  But in addition to the food, think about safety from the point of the sun and heat as well.  Drink to thirst and try to keep a cool glass of water nearby, remember that caffeine can cause you to dehydrate.  You will also want to stay out of the direct sun for long periods of time and to wear sunscreen. What are your Memorial Day plans? Related: Foods to Avoid Harmful Cravings in Pregnancy Surviving the Summer Heat Summer Pregnancy Comfort Tips Photo © Steven Errico/Getty Images Pregnant at the Picnic originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, May 28th, 2012 at 10:08:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Side Stretch in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Side Stretch in Pregnancy May 25th 2012, 15:45 The side stretch can be very helpful in pregnancy.  One thing I noticed that it really helped with was a feeling of having more room in my chest and sides.  Before I would stretch I felt "cramped" and "full of baby."  I'm sure anyone post about 30 weeks gestation knows what that feels like.  So I'd do these stretches, even just sitting on the couch or in a chair would work.  Then I'd feel like I had more room to do fun things like breathe.  I also think I had fewer issues with round ligament pain when I did this exercise more often. Do you feel like you have more room after doing the side stretch? More Fitness Friday: Side Stretch Round Ligament Pain Staying Fit in Pregnancy Newsletter 10 Reasons to Exercise in Pregnancy Exercise in Pregnancy Great Pregnancy Exercises Photo © iStockPhoto Side Stretch in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, May 25th, 2012 at 15:45:46. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Cesarean Born Babies More Likely to be Obese

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Cesarean Born Babies More Likely to be Obese May 24th 2012, 14:57 A new study suggests that babies born via cesarean section are twice as likely to be obese as their vaginally born counter parts. This was true, even after accounting for what mom weighed, gestational age and breastfeeding.  The theory is that the bacteria in the gut of a baby born via c-section is different than other babies. What they found in another study was higher numbers of Firmicutes bacteria and lower numbers of Bacteroides bacteria in the intestines. It is also known that overweight and obese people tend to have higher numbers of the Firmicutes bacteria.  Though this is only one theory for why these babies were at a higher risk of obesity. The important take away here is that if you are considering an elective surgery, you may want to include this in the risk category, along with a higher rate of asthma and allergies for cesarean born babies, when trying to make your decision. Related: Cesarean Section Risks Tips for a Safer C-Section Can someone stay with me for a cesarean? What will I feel during a c-section? Why would I need a scheduled c-section? Doulas and C-Sections Anesthesia for C-Sections Readers Share: What I felt during my c-section... General Anesthesia Epidural Anesthesia: Step by Step Susanna Y Huh, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, Chloe A Zera, Janet W Rich Edwards, Emily Oken, Scott T Weiss, Matthew W Gillman. Delivery by caesarean section and risk of obesity in preschool age children: a prospective cohort study. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 23 May 2012 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2011-301141 Photo © Riggs Cesarean Born Babies More Likely to be Obese originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, May 24th, 2012 at 14:57:24. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Free Printable Birth Announcements & Candy Bar Wrappers

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Free Printable Birth Announcements & Candy Bar Wrappers May 23rd 2012, 14:15 If you've got a baby coming or are trying to get ready for a baby shower, you've probably seen the adorable candy bar wrappers.  I did it for one of my children years ago, but it was expensive. Our Desktop Publishing Guide has created some templates for download! Related: Video Pregnancy Announcements Video Birth Announcements How to Share Your News Add Your Pregnancy Announcement Idea © Jacci Howard Bear; licensed to About.com; Cork, notes, and push pin images by fuzzimo.com Free Printable Birth Announcements & Candy Bar Wrappers originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 at 14:15:27. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Push for Your Baby

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Push for Your Baby May 22nd 2012, 11:45 Lamaze International has a new campaign starting today called Push for Your Baby. The idea behind the campaign is that women and families need to know how to get the safest and best care for their baby. They have an amazing video of birth stories, a section on childbirth challenges, how to spot the best care and even a blogging contest. In doing this launch they've also launched their new parents website: http://lamaze.org as well as a new site for the Lamaze Professionals: http://lamazeinternational.org While you are there, be sure to sign up for the week by week email and take a tour. You can even find a childbirth educator in your area. Related: 6 Myths About Childbirth Class Which Childbirth Class is Right for You? What does a good childbirth class look like? Childbirth Class Options Online Childbirth Class Overview Do you need a childbirth class if you want an epidural? Childbirth Class: The Second Time Around Bradley Class Overview What do moms say about Bradley Classes? Lamaze Class Overview What do moms say about Lamaze Classes? ICEA Class Overview What do moms say about ICEA Classes? Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Facebook Finding a Class in YOUR Area Find a Lamaze Class Find an ICEA Class Find a Bradley Class Find a CAPPA Class Find a Birthing from Within Class Find a Hypnobirthing Class Find a Hypnobabies Class Photo © Lamaze International Push for Your Baby originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 at 11:45:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: What's the most popular baby name where you live?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

What's the most popular baby name where you live? May 21st 2012, 09:45 It's all well and good to talk about what baby names rank well nationally, but the lists that are by state are a bit ore local and sometimes look vastly different than the national lists.  This happens for a variety of reasons.  The most obvious reason is that when you have a huge state with lots of births, their preferences for names will give boost to a name that isn't popular in other areas.  The flip side of this is that a state with fewer births will not influence the end result very much at all. Related: Popular Baby Names by State Most Popular Baby Girl Names Most Popular Baby Boy Names Most Popular Twin Name Combinations Baby Names by Decade Photo © Fotolia What's the most popular baby name where you live? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, May 21st, 2012 at 09:45:30. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Calf Stretch

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Calf Stretch May 18th 2012, 15:45 I'd read about women having leg cramps and I didn't have a single charlie horse until my fourth baby. I was actually at a conference and sharing the room with another pregnant mom when it happened. If she hadn't been pregnant too she might have thought I was dying I was screaming and hopping around. If leg cramps bother you in pregnancy, or if you're worried about that dreaded charlie horse, try the calf stretch. Doing it just before bed can help you prevent leg cramps from waking you up in the middle of the night howling in pain. Have you been spared from the dreaded charlie horse? More Fitness Friday: Calf Stretch Leg Cramps in Pregnancy Staying Fit in Pregnancy Newsletter Great Pregnancy Exercises Exercise in Pregnancy 10 Reasons to Exercise in Pregnancy Photo © iStockPhoto Calf Stretch originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 15:45:53. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: How common is your birthday?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

How common is your birthday? May 17th 2012, 11:29 Do you know what day of the week you were born on? And did you know that people actually track those types of data. In fact, check out this cool infographic of all the birthdays during the year ranked by popularity. Where do you fall? Do you notice that there are certain days that are lower than others? Like the Fall and Winter holidays? Did you notice that all of the top ten birth dates are in September? Did you try to plan conception to give birth at a certain time? Related: What day of the week were you born? Pregnancy Due Date Calculator Birthday Calendar for Celebrity Babies Fun Birthday Facts Zodiac Birth Signs Photo © barneyboogles - Fotolia.com How common is your birthday? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 11:29:06. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Benjamin's Birth

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Benjamin's Birth May 17th 2012, 08:35 My son turns 19 today.  At this point, I'd been in labor for a very long time, more than 45 hours by the time he was born.  His birth was amazing and changed my life forever. How would you describe your births in a word or two? Related: Benjamin's Birth Share Your Birth Story Read Birth Stories Questions About Home Birth Is home birth safe? Home Birth Birth Stories Home Birth Supply List Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Facebook Benjamin's Birth originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 08:35:30. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: What causes twins?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

What causes twins? May 15th 2012, 20:47 Mariah Carey. Jennifer Lopez. Angelina Jolie. Julia Robert. Celine Dion. Marcia Cross. Rebecca Romijn. Molly Ringwald.  What do they all have in common? Twins! I was reading a blog post the other day that had a long list of celebrities with twins.  It was talking about how these celebrities had probably used fertility drugs and didn't want to talk about it.  Most people were of the belief that these celebrities had used some sort of help to get pregnant with twins. Though the one thing that wasn't pointed out was that there could also be a logical explanation - as you get older, it becomes more likely that you'll have twins. There are some other things that can increase the likelihood of having twins, including: Breastfeeding when you conceive. Be a twin. Being older when you get pregnant. And more... Related: Am I Having Twins? Quiz Labor with Twins Questions to Ask About Twins Baby Names for Twins How Twins are Made Twin Maternity Clothes Photo © iStockPhoto What causes twins? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 20:47:08. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Go Ahead, Swear in Labor

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Go Ahead, Swear in Labor May 15th 2012, 17:02 There are a lot of things that you could say in labor to help ease the pain. I spend some time in childbirth class telling my students that vocalization in labor is really good for helping to ease pain and feel "on top" of a contraction. In my practice as a doula, there are always some women who swear in labor. Usually you will hear a simple expletive here and there. According to a study, swearing may actually help increase your pain tolerance. So before you think you need to chant the F bomb to get any benefit, the good news is that any word that you choose as your swear word seems to work. I know that in one of my labors I chanted the words "60 seconds" over and over. But I do know that with my 7th baby, she was in a funny position and it hurt a lot more than I had remembered and it was a fast labor. I said a choice word. I opened my eyes and looked up and thought, "Maybe I shouldn't say that word." Next contraction, said it again. Maybe it was working for me. Thankfully the baby was born a contraction or two later. Think it would work for you? Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Facebook Source: Swearing as a response to pain. Stephens, Richard; Atkins, John; Kingston, Andrew NeuroReport. 20(12):1056-1060, August 5, 2009. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32832e64b1 D5A2XKQ8MRER Photo © April's Grapevine Photography Go Ahead, Swear in Labor originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 17:02:49. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Hyperemesis in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Hyperemesis in Pregnancy May 15th 2012, 10:01 Hyperemesis is a severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that is diagnosed when a mother experiences rapid weight loss, dehydration, and malnutrition. The Hyperemesis Education & Research (HER) Foundation has declared May 15th to be the first annual Hyperemesis Day. Over 285,000 hospitalizations occur every year due to hyperemesis, that's about 0.5-2% of the pregnant women will be affected. We don't know what causes or why it happens. Though there is some evidence to say that once you've had hyperemesis you have about a 50% chance of hyperemesis happening again in a future pregnancy. Have you experienced hyperemesis or know someone who has experienced it? Related: Hyperemesis - Severe Morning Sickness Morning Sickness Products 5 Ways Your Partner Can Help When You're Sick & Pregnant The Science and Reality Behind Severe Morning Sickness Photo © iStockphoto Hyperemesis in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 10:01:25. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Have you ever had a D & C?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Have you ever had a D & C? May 14th 2012, 09:57 A D & C is an surgery that is usually done on an outpatient basis. It may be done after a miscarriage or sometimes for other issues having to do with your menstrual cycle.  I was just talking to someone the other day about her D & C.  We were comparing stories.  The common theme?  Neither of us felt truly prepared for the surgery or the recovery, physically or emotionally. Have you had a D & C?  What advice do you have to give? Related: What is a D & C? Readers Share: What is your experience with a D & C? Which treatment is better for a miscarriage? Miscarriage Menstrual Cycle Basics Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Facebook Photo © iStockPhoto Have you ever had a D & C? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 09:57:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Most Popular Baby Names

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Most Popular Baby Names May 14th 2012, 10:16 The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the top baby names from the 2011 birth certificates across the United States.  Unlike other lists of most popular baby names, these are  actually the most popular baby names based on the entire birth certificate data. Is your baby's name on here?  Does that change how you feel about the name? Most Popular Baby Girl Names Most Popular Baby Boy Names Photo © Jamie Grill/Getty Images Most Popular Baby Names originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 10:16:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: No Mothers' Day

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

No Mothers' Day May 13th 2012, 16:32 One woman dies every 90 seconds from a complication due to pregnancy or childbirth. That's 358,000 women a year. Christy Turlington Burns started Every Woman Counts as a way to increase the awareness of maternal mortality. She is also the filmmaker behind No Woman, No Cry. This year on Mothers' Day she's asking that we do our part to raise awareness by disappearing as a part of No Mothers' Day. There are some ideas listed on her site. This includes being silent, changing your profile photo, talking to others about the important of raising awareness about maternal mortality. Other places to find information on this: Every Woman Counts Facebook No Mothers' Day originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 16:32:48. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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