Wednesday, July 31, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Truly Fun Baby Shower Games

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Truly Fun Baby Shower Games
Jul 31st 2013, 09:50

Baby Shower Gifts

I will admit it, I'm not a game player. I really don't like baby shower games, and some baby shower games suck. (And I'm not so secretly competitive about them!) Though there are a few games that really bring out the best in people and truly get people laughing and having a good time. Here are a few of those games:

I think what makes these fun is that the playing field is level. You don't have to have known the mom-to-be the longest, or know where her hidden tattoos are located.  You simply have give it a try and enjoy yourself.

What's your favorite baby shower game?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Olha K - Fotolia.com

Truly Fun Baby Shower Games originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, July 31st, 2013 at 09:50:58.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Do you care Kate Middleton may have experienced a natural childbirth?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Do you care Kate Middleton may have experienced a natural childbirth?
Jul 30th 2013, 11:56

Kate Middleton and Prince William in pregnancy

So various media are reporting that Kate Middleton gave birth to baby Prince George without the use of medications, choosing instead to be surrounded by midwives and possibly have taken a hypnosis based childbirth class and/or had a water tub. I can't say if any of this is true.  What I can say is that for whatever reason, some people find celebrity babies, no matter the country of origin, to be interesting. There are others who could care less.

I tend to report on it because many people are interested and take a bit of flack for mentioning it.  I think it's like reading birth stories. Most pregnant women can't get enough birth stories and the birth stories of famous people are like reading best selling novels compared to lesser known works. I think every birth story counts. The ones you enjoy, the ones you don't. The birth stories that you want to resemble your own, and the ones you hope to avoid. Every mother who is self-less enough to share their birth story, to open herself up to share this unique and special time, deserves to be heard.

What are you thoughts?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Do you care Kate Middleton may have experienced a natural childbirth? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 at 11:56:15.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Sunday, July 28, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Ultrasound Tech Offers Advice on Gender Disappointment

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Ultrasound Tech Offers Advice on Gender Disappointment
Jul 28th 2013, 08:26

22 Week Baby Girl Ultrasound

Every day lots of moms write me to share their stories of disappointment at the results of their ultrasound in regards to the sex of their baby.  This is known as gender disappointment.  While there are also many mothers who don't understand the feelings discussed, I thought that this note from an ultrasound tech, someone who deals with this on a daily basis, was particularly nice:

"I'm an ultrasound tech and I totally see so many women who feel the same exact way as you ladies every single day.  Sometimes they are pregnant with #4 or 5 only to get the same sex.  The only thing that gets you going is knowing that once you get this baby in your arms you will feel, 'Wow, I can't picture my life without you!'" -Baz

Do Baz's words comfort you?

Related:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Varney

Ultrasound Tech Offers Advice on Gender Disappointment originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, July 28th, 2013 at 08:26:08.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Saturday, July 27, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Telling Your BFF About Your Pregnancy First

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Telling Your BFF About Your Pregnancy First
Jul 27th 2013, 10:24

Telling Your BFF You're Pregnant

Lately, I've been hearing a lot more people admitting that they told their best friend about their pregnancy before they told their significant other.  I actually can totally see this as being a good thing. While we have this romantic notion of the moment we share this big news, the truth is, it's pretty overwhelming to find out that you are expecting a baby. Even if you've been planning a pregnancy for ages, the moments when the two lines show up, your stomach lurches, your head spins, your heart races... in short, it's overwhelming.

Talking to your BFF gives you a chance to calm yourself down a bit and gather your wits. It lets you practice saying the words. It also gives you a bit of time to plot a fun way to share the pregnancy announcement. This is a great way to try to have that memorable experience that you may be hoping for when you try the announcement on for real.

A case in point, my husband and I had been trying for baby number three for a very long time. While we'd been pregnant, we'd had numerous miscarriages and basically been told that it was probably pretty hopeless for us to conceive after a nasty ectopic pregnancy and abdominal surgery. We didn't want to believe them and tried again anyway.  So I find out I'm pregnant a mere three days before Valentine's Day. I really wanted to wait and to make it special. I knew if I talked to my BFF, she'd help me plan something amazing. My plan to delay telling my husband lasted all of about five minutes.  As soon as I saw him, I blurted it out.  The words I said, were not words I normally would have chosen, my husband heard it negatively and responded in kind. It was not a nice memory. We quickly both realized what had happened and apologized, but we couldn't get a do over. It was done. Had I waited a few minutes and talked to my friend, I would have at least had a line or two to say that wouldn't have been misconstrued in my urgency to share. Today, we laugh it off as the grief we were both feeling. I joke that I'm glad I didn't wait and spoil Valentine's Day. It's all good, but I still wish it would have been different.

So, did you tell your BFF or someone else first? Did that wind up being a good thing or a bad thing? Does your partner know?

Related:

Photo © PhotographyByMK - Fotolia.com

Telling Your BFF About Your Pregnancy First originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, July 27th, 2013 at 10:24:20.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Friday, July 26, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Kids Feeling the Baby Move

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Kids Feeling the Baby Move
Jul 26th 2013, 11:15

Baby Kicking Pregnant Belly

A friend of mine posted today that her son felt her 20 week belly and was able to feel the baby kicking. She described how much she enjoyed watching her son experience the fetal movement. This is certainly one of the better things about being pregnant for the second or more time.

Though sometimes there is the issue of an uncooperative baby. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to let someone feel the baby move, only to have the baby go from kick boxing super star to silent submarine mode. I always feel quite foolish when it happens. I stammer, "I swear the baby was just moving all over the place a moment ago." Remember, all babies do this, I like to explain it as baby is playing a game and we have to be patient.

Have you ever experienced this game?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Fotolia

Kids Feeling the Baby Move originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, July 26th, 2013 at 11:15:33.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Thursday, July 25, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Vaginal Ultrasound Best for Finding Tubal Pregnancies

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Vaginal Ultrasound Best for Finding Tubal Pregnancies
Jul 25th 2013, 11:08

Tubal Pregnancy

Tubal pregnancy, also known as an ectopic pregnancy, is a very scary and potentially deadly situation. While normally found in the first trimester, the sooner it can be detected and taken care of, the less likely the mother is to require surgery and suffer from the loss of her Fallopian tube. The problem is, sometimes an ectopic pregnancy is difficult to find, particularly very early in pregnancy. This can be complicated because of slower than normal rises in hCG levels and the ability to visualize what's where in regards to the pregnancy. (Most ectopic pregnancies are in the tube, but there are other locations that they can be as well.)

If you have symptoms of pain and vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy, you may be having a miscarriage, an ectopic or just a complicated pregnancy. Many times a simple history and physical may miss an ectopic pregnancy. But if they do a transvaginal ultrasound, which shows much more detail, and a serum (blood) hCG test, it can help to rule out an ectopic pregnancy or confirm it. Though there are still times that you will have inconclusive findings. This means that you will need to follow up with your practitioner around the 48 hour mark. This will allow another round of testing that should show more detail or give a better indication of what's going on with the hCG.

Early treatment options include medications like methotrexate which help many moms to avoid surgery and thus save the Fallopian tube. Or it can prevent the rupture of the tube with a timely removal, which can lower the risks of infection and major complications.

Have you had a tubal pregnancy scare?

Source:

Crochet, J, et al "Does this woman have an ectopic pregnancy?" JAMA 2013; 309:1722-1729.

Photo © A.D.A.M.

Vaginal Ultrasound Best for Finding Tubal Pregnancies originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 25th, 2013 at 11:08:27.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Decongestants Increase the Risk of Certain Birth Defects

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Decongestants Increase the Risk of Certain Birth Defects
Jul 24th 2013, 11:16

Sick Pregnant Woman

Decongestants are medications used to dry up your sinuses, like phenylephrine and psuedoephedrine. These are found in some oral and intranasal decongestants, like Sudafed, found over the counter in nearly any drug store. This means you may not even think twice about taking these medications or might not think to ask your doctor or midwife before using it. But multiple studies have looked at the use of these decongestants, particularly in the first trimester, and have found a variety of birth defects that are related to their use.

Some of the birth defects effected the baby's heart or limbs, others caused issues like pyloric stenosis. Either way, the risk of having baby with a major birth defect is about 2-3% of all pregnancies. This study estimated that some of the risks increased eight fold, depending on the medication and the timing. Here's the trick to deciding whether or not to take an over the counter medication in pregnancy - don't. Talk to your practitioner first. Ask what pregnancy category the medication is in to look at potential safety concerns.  Look at what the alternatives are for your condition. An example for the need to use a nasal decongestant might be a humidifier, saline nasal spray or even a neti pot. If after looking at all this information, you and your practitioner decide that the risks are outweighed by the benefits, you have an answer.

Also realize that timing plays a huge role in what harm is brought to a pregnancy by anything. The first trimester is a known sensitive period and everything about your baby is growing and changing.  There are typically fewer risks to many medications after the first trimester. This is not true of everything, but as a general rule.

What medication decisions have you had to make in pregnancy?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Source:

Yau WP, Mitchell AA, Lin KJ, Werler MM, Hernández-Díaz S. Use of decongestants during pregnancy and the risk of birth defects. Am J Epidemiol. 2013.

Photo © Dreamstime

Decongestants Increase the Risk of Certain Birth Defects originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, July 24th, 2013 at 11:16:06.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Jersey Shore Hospitals Seeing Post-Sandy Baby Boom

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Jersey Shore Hospitals Seeing Post-Sandy Baby Boom
Jul 24th 2013, 02:31

Newborn Nursery Full of Babies

It has been nine long months since Super Storm Sandy ravaged parts of the East Coast. I was actually lucky enough to spend a few hours at one of the beaches last week and saw how the recovery was going. Interestingly enough, now we are seeing a recovery of another sorts - a baby boom!

Yes, what's a couple to do with no power and a storm raging outside?  Well, you know... And when you do that and you had been planning on watching TV instead, let's just say you've got a case for more babies than you might normally have and that's exactly what some of the hospitals are seeing in Ocean County, New Jersey. While they are working on ensuring that there is plenty of staff, the hospital also talks about how they built more postpartum rooms for the occasion, having nine months to plan.  Next up? Preparing for the oversized kindergarten numbers in five years!

Do you have a good story to tell about the conception of your baby?  Big storm? Power outage?

Photo © Howard Berman/Getty Images

Jersey Shore Hospitals Seeing Post-Sandy Baby Boom originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, July 24th, 2013 at 02:31:29.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: The Newest Prince Leaves the Hospital

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
The Newest Prince Leaves the Hospital
Jul 23rd 2013, 15:18

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Son Leaving the Hospital

Prince William and Kate left the hospital today with their new baby, less than 48 hours after giving birth. They paused for some photos in front of the Lindo Wing of the hospital for a few photos. Kate, the new mom, looked great! I loved the matching blues of her dress and the Prince's shirt. Even more impressive was her normal looking postpartum belly.

The Prince got into the car and put the baby, third in line for the throne, into his car seat before the couple drove away to their home. Prince William drove. I remember driving my first baby home form the hospital, I felt like the whole world had changed. How did you feel or do you think you'll feel?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Scott Heavey/Getty Images

The Newest Prince Leaves the Hospital originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013 at 15:18:36.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Monday, July 22, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Kate Middleton and Prince William Welcome a Baby

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Kate Middleton and Prince William Welcome a Baby
Jul 22nd 2013, 15:57

Kate Middleton and Prince William in pregnancy

Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed a baby boy today at 11:24 am local time. He weighed in at 8lbs 6 ozs. It is said to have been a normal birth, which means various things to various people. The birth was announced via twitter.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate Middleton and Prince William Welcome a Baby originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, July 22nd, 2013 at 15:57:55.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Sunday, July 21, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Waity Katy and the Royal Due Date

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth 
Waity Katy and the Royal Due Date
Jul 21st 2013, 07:10

Kate Middleton and Prince William

A few years ago, before Wills and Kate were even engaged, I had a friend who was living in England. As rumors began to fly that Prince William was planning to pop the question, I asked her what she knew about it. She laughed and said that the couple had been together for so long that the folks in England had dubbed Kate Middleton, Waity Katy.

As I've been watching the news coverage stir up into a frenzy the last few weeks, I couldn't help but think of this title given to Kate. The truth is, this is what due dates do - they make you wait for it. So, here are some things to know about the Royal Due Date:

  1. Due dates are merely guesses about when a baby may be born. Less than 4% of babies are born on their due dates.
  2. Most babies are born two weeks before or, and here's the kicker, two weeks after the due date.
  3. Even Royal babies can't read calendars.
  4. Due dates can change. (Though it's usually not a great idea to change a due date.)
  5. There is also the possibility we've been given a misleading due date for whatever reason.

So before panic sets in over Kate's due date and the lack of a prompt baby, let's remember how hard the end of pregnancy can be for a non-Royal with only their friends and family watching and multiply that times the millions of people watching as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge prepare for their baby, regardless of the due date. (So don't say rude things to overdue women!) In the meantime, I hope Kate is enjoying herself in these last days of pregnancy. There are a ton of things she might be doing with her time.

Was your baby born on its due date?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo @ Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Waity Katy and the Royal Due Date originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, July 21st, 2013 at 07:10:13.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Friday, July 19, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Avoid Labor Waiting Room Stresses

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Avoid Labor Waiting Room Stresses
Jul 19th 2013, 08:20

Hospital Waiting Room

I am not a huge proponent of people sitting around in a waiting room while mom labors.  That said, sometimes people choose to go, some even wind up camping out for days. When that happens, you're bound to run into one of the seven types of people you'd rather avoid. These people can make your stay in the waiting room hellish. Which ones do you recognize?

Related:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © Ambrophoto - Fotolia.com

Avoid Labor Waiting Room Stresses originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, July 19th, 2013 at 08:20:20.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Thursday, July 18, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Shift Workers May Have More Pregnancy Complications

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Shift Workers May Have More Pregnancy Complications
Jul 18th 2013, 10:09

Fertility Chart - Basal Body Temperature

It has long been thought that women who worked shift work or flexible shifts, shifts that move around, had changes in their menstrual cycles and fertility. A large retrospective look at the reproductive history of over 100,000 women was presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference this month. While these findings still need to be looked at in other studies because of a multitude of factors, it gives us some guidance as to where to start looking.

Some of the findings included that women who worked irregular hours had a 33% greater chance of having menstrual disruption. This would be shorter or longer periods, anovulatory cycles, etc. This would cause issues with conceiving when they were trying to get pregnant. Their findings showed an 80% higher chance of subfertility, meaning less than ideal fertility levels.

For women who worked night shift, they didn't appear to have the same irregularities, but they did have a higher rate of miscarriage than their day working counter parts. While this study doesn't prove that working at night causes miscarriages, it does show something to be studied.

So what do you do if you work rotating shifts or work at night? I'd recommend that you start by charting your menstrual cycles.  This will give you an idea of if you're having irregularities. I would recommend this even if you are not yet trying to become pregnant. It can only provide you with valuable information.  If you're working at night, it's harder to say what a good recommendation would be. Things we don't know include: Does changing to day shift help? Or would the change in work patterns be even more stressful to your body and thereby potentially more harmful to your baby? Talking to your practitioner and seeing if new studies are out being a great place to start.

What's your work cycle like?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © ShutterStock

Shift Workers May Have More Pregnancy Complications originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 18th, 2013 at 10:09:54.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: How a Doula is Like a Wedding Planner

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth
How a Doula is Like a Wedding Planner
Jul 16th 2013, 09:19

Two doulas helping a couple in labor

Some of the most important days in the life of a woman and family are both wedding and birth days. Women spend a lot of time planning wedding details like food, flowers, decorations and a caterer. Sometimes the options become overwhelming or they simply want help navigating the choices for the best price or experience. For many women this makes the process of the wedding much more enjoyable and relaxing. They know that they have an experienced professional who can help them. It typically isn't their mother or sister or even best friend (unless they are professionals in the field).

While you can't plan birth, it is helpful to enter pregnancy and labor prepared and knowledgable about choices that you will have to make. A doula can help you to do that. The role of a doula during your pregnancy and birth is exactly the same as the role of the wedding planner leading up to the big day. She will help you find the right classes and people to meet the needs you have set forth in your ideal birth.

A doula will help you when you need to deviate from what you wanted, they can be a good listener, provide recommended resources, alleviate stress, and help everything go smoother. If you wouldn't just wing it without a wedding planner on your wedding day, why would you choose to wing it at your birth?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © BB&Co

How a Doula is Like a Wedding Planner originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 at 09:19:48.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Monday, July 15, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Stripping the Membranes

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Stripping the Membranes
Jul 15th 2013, 09:08

Vaginal Exam

Stripping the membranes that is something done at the end of pregnancy to try to lessen the chances of you going to a full 42 weeks of gestation and hopefully decreasing the risk of having an induction of labor. It is done during a vaginal exam and most women find it fairly uncomfortable to very painful. Most moms say they would be okay with the stripping of the membranes, if they were asked about it before it was done.  Though there are some practitioners who do discuss the risks and benefits of this procedure, some also fail to mention it all together until after the woman has had a painful exam with no understanding of what's being done to her cervix. So if she then has some bleeding or irregular contractions afterwards, she might not understand why and be frightened.

So, as you go to your last few prenatal appointments, if your practitioner is going to do a vaginal exam, ask about stripping the membranes before you take your pants off!

Have you had your membranes stripped? Did your practitioner talk to you about it before?

Related:

Source:

Boulvain M, Stan C, Irion O. Membrane sweeping for induction of labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000451. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000451.pub2

Photo © Mark Scott/Getty Images

Stripping the Membranes originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, July 15th, 2013 at 09:08:41.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Sunday, July 14, 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Combination Fatigue and Insomnia: a Cruel Joke in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Combination Fatigue and Insomnia: a Cruel Joke in Pregnancy
Jul 14th 2013, 13:30

Sleeping in Pregnancy

Fatigue is one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. I remember waking up after a full nights sleep and only being able to stay awake for a few hours before requiring a nap. I'm not using the word requiring lightly here, it honestly felt like I was going to go mad if I didn't sleep. (And I am not a napper by any stretch of the imagination!) It was a really rough time in my early pregnancy.

That went on for a few weeks and I thought that this was going to be as bad as it got.  But, being my first baby, I'd come home from work and go to bed without a problem.  That is until I was about eight weeks pregnant and I started to get insomnia on top of everything else. It was a cruel joke that I was so tired, had the time and yet could not sleep. Some nights I'd fall asleep but wake up to go to the bathroom and not get back to sleep.  Other nights I simply couldn't fall asleep.  This let up in the second trimester, but it did come back with a vengeance in the third trimester.

Have you had any of this type of combo-pregnancy symptoms when it came to sleep? How did you cope?

Related:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join the conversation!

NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER

FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Photo © iStockPhoto

Combination Fatigue and Insomnia: a Cruel Joke in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, July 14th, 2013 at 13:30:04.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions