About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Holiday Weight Gain and Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Holiday Weight Gain and Pregnancy Nov 28th 2012, 08:45 Okay, so it's fairly well known that the holidays is a time for gaining weight.  All the parties, the good food, the meals with family and friends - who can help but to pack on a few pounds?  The question is, how does this effect pregnancy weight gain?  Are you watching what you eat during the holidays to avoid gaining extra weight in pregnancy?  Or are you saying - to heck with it all, let's party? Related: Pregnancy Weight Gain Readers Share: How much weight did you gain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © iStockPhoto Holiday Weight Gain and Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 at 08:45:36. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Babywearing has come a long way!

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Babywearing has come a long way! Nov 27th 2012, 09:49 This is the photo I took this weekend at my local Target store. I was flabbergasted to realize how many babywearing options they now offered. When I had my first baby, nearly 21 years ago, there were so few options. And they options that they did have were hard to find and even harder to use. As I've had my other kids, I've noticed along the way the mom-to-mom sharing of babywearing finds. What works and what didn't as well as shopping tips and tricks.  Finding all of this available at a mainstream store like Target, only goes to show you just how normalized babywearing is becoming in the United States.  Way to go! So what's your babywearing favorite? Related: Infant Carrier Choices Reviews of Baby Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © REW Babywearing has come a long way! originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 at 09:49:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: More Studies Needed on Sterile Water Injections

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

More Studies Needed on Sterile Water Injections Nov 26th 2012, 08:37 One non-drug methods of dealing with back labor that has been becoming more popular because of the perceived lack of risks, due to the fact that is does not contain medications that could be passed along to baby, are sterile water injections. These are four small injections of sterile water placed on the lower back, just under the skin during labor. When I have seen this done, on multiple occasions in many settings, I see moms reporting that it really stings for a minute and then not only does the stingy go away, but the pain in the lower back goes away.  This allows mom to deal with only the contractions and not the added pain of the back ache. The Cochrane Database finally took a look at what the research is out there for the Sterile Water Injections and found, well, not much of anything. I assumed that they would call for more studies, but they really didn't find much of anything, good or bad. Anyone up for a trial of sterile papule injections at your facility or practice? What's your experience been with this technique? Related: Managing Back Labor Occiput Posterior Position of Baby Labor Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source: Derry S, Straube S, Moore RA, Hancock H, Collins SL. Intracutaneous or subcutaneous sterile water injection compared with blinded controls for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD009107. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009107.pub2 Photo © Fotolia More Studies Needed on Sterile Water Injections originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, November 26th, 2012 at 08:37:37. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Didn't Know She Was Pregnant

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Didn't Know She Was Pregnant Nov 25th 2012, 19:37 I had to laugh, literally out loud, when I saw the contest Jill from Baby Rabies is running called the Inappropriate Elf Contest.  For some background, the Elf on a Shelf is designed as a way to encourage your child to behave in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Every day, you move the elf so that you can prove to your child that Santa is watching his or her every movement. While some want to argue cute or creepy about the elf, others don't pay much attention at all. But as a way to keep parents laughing about this tradition, came the pregnancy inspired inappropriate elf, straight from the I Didn't Know I was Pregnant TV show. So was it too many frosted cookies or simply a delayed period that caused this misunderstanding? Once the kids go to bed, head on over and check this out for yourself. Perhaps you've got a naughty little elf in your home! Related: Readers Share: I Didn't Know About Pregnancy Dangers of Not Knowing You're Pregnant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © Jill at Baby Rabies Didn't Know She Was Pregnant originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, November 25th, 2012 at 19:37:10. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Use Waze to Find Your Best Hospital Route

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Use Waze to Find Your Best Hospital Route Nov 25th 2012, 11:56 I've talked about finding your way to the hospital before when you're in labor. It usually involves finding the fastest route, or at least the usually fastest route. But now there is a social media GPS app called Waze that might be of assistance when it comes time for that potentially tricky drive. Personally, where I live, there are a couple of hospitals that have periods of time during the week or even seasonally, that make them more difficult to get to than others. Waze uses normal GPA functions to select routes but also tells you what's up along each route because of user input, other Waze users. So rather than risk that mad dash to to the hospital and pick the shortest drive with the longest wait, you can now have the foresight to know which route really is the fastest. The above images are two various screen shots, one showing you different routes (right) available, and one asking you if you're ready to go after pre-selecting the shortest route. Have you tried it yet? What other apps and tricks are you using? Related: 10 Tips for the Hospital Ride Hospital Pre-Registration GPS Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © REW Use Waze to Find Your Best Hospital Route originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, November 25th, 2012 at 11:56:32. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: My doctor won't let me...

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

My doctor won't let me... Nov 24th 2012, 19:27 I've been mulling around this phrase for awhile now, trying to figure out how to talk about it, "My doctor won't let me..." I heard it recently from someone in a childbirth class I was teaching in regard to letting the baby come when labor started on its own. The sad fact is that this isn't the first time I've heard it uttered, nor is it the most recent, nor will it be the last. The Guggie Daily talked about this today in terms of a controlling birth attendant. While most of us don't want to think of the person that we've hired to help us have our baby as controlling, the sad fact is that most of the birth attendants out there, doctors and midwives, can behave this way. And we let them. Yes, we actively hire people to boss us around. Can you imagine if our car mechanic talked to us that way? "I might let you change the air filter, but do you really know how long it's been since you've changed it?" The grocer: "Do you need more milk and bread? Didn't you just buy some last week?" The baker: "Chocolate cake? I don't care if it's the favorite in your family, we only serve vanilla around here, with orange filling." It may sound really over done and goofy, but essentially it's the same concept. But wait, you say, "We're hiring someone who has expertise in assuring our safety, shouldn't we listen to what they say and then do it?" Absolutely, if what they are saying is evidence based, individualized and well thought through. I think when you start hearing things like this, it ceases to apply: "I always induce everyone who we think has a big baby." "No one goes past 40 weeks in this practice." "But we've always done it this way and it's fine, no matter what the research says." Now, before you think I'm telling you to revolt and fire your practitioner, I'm not (Though you could decide that was in your best interest.). What I am saying is try to find someone who is supportive of you being a partner in your care. Ideally this happens when you choose your practitioner early on, before you're pregnant or just after. You find someone who can show you what the evidence says, help you weigh options that are best for you and pertain to you and your baby, as well as someone who can adequately provide that safety net without it being a one size fits all. If you have a lot of issues with your practitioner, there are things you can do: Talk to them and explain what's important to you and why. Share your research with them. Discuss alternatives and options with them that help satisfy both of you. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion. What won't your doctor let you do?  (And what are you going to do about it?) Related: Mistakes Women Make When Interviewing OBs 4 Signs You've Got the Wrong Doctor 7 Tips for Birth Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © iStockPhoto My doctor won't let me... originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, November 24th, 2012 at 19:27:35. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Don't be too rigid.

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Don't be too rigid. Nov 23rd 2012, 13:55 I just read a pregnancy book that offered this as advice when it came to considering natural childbirth. It occurred to me as I read it, as I have before, that we never say this about women who are adamant about using pain medication. It would never be uttered to a mom who said she was thinking about using an epidural to not be too rigid in her planning - why is that? Obviously, about 60% of moms are using epidurals for labor pain relief, so it would be more socially normal in some situations, particularly in areas where that number is higher. But that said, wouldn't this advice be just plan great advice for all pregnant women? Certainly there are reasons why you might want, but not receive, an epidural. Though the same is true for moms who want to go without medications and decide that medication is the appropriate response to their labor. My advice? Everyone needs some flexibility when it comes to labor. Don't tell moms who want to avoid meds they may change their minds, just as you shouldn't tell moms who say they do want to have medications that it will absolutely happen that way. Parenting is about flexibility, labor should be too. Having some idea of what tools you might use is always a good idea, but back up plans area a great idea, just like that extra set of baby clothes in the diaper bag... Related: 7 Reasons You CAN'T Have an Epidural Is it ever too late for an epidural? Guide to Natural Childbirth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © Fotolia Don't be too rigid. originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, November 23rd, 2012 at 13:55:26. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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