About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Stress and Stillbirth

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Stress and Stillbirth Mar 29th 2013, 17:06 Every year about 1 in 167 pregnancies will end in the stillbirth of the baby. That means that after the 20th week of pregnancy, the baby dies before birth. A new study was done to see if stress in pregnancy contributed to the rates of stillbirth.  Using a CDC questionnaire from Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), over 2,000 mothers who had experienced a stillbirth were asks about stress risk factors. These included things like abuse, financial situation, etc. Having two of these events increased the stillbirth rate by 40% and if a mother had more than 2.5 times the risk of stillbirth.  Don't panic. This doesn't show the cause and effect relationship, so at this point we can't really say any more about it than there appears to be a connection, but we don't know what that means. I would also encourage you to look at the questionnaire. Figure out what you can do to decrease the amount of stress in your life. And remember, all stress is not the same. If you feel that you are at a greater risk, talk to your midwife or doctor about this issue during your prenatal appointments. They may have some helpful advice. Source: Hogue, Carol J. R., Parker, Corette B., Willinger, Marian, Temple, Jeff R., Bann, Carla M., Silver, Robert M., . . . Group, Human Development Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network Writing. (2013). A Population-based Case-Control Study of Stillbirth: The Relationship of Significant Life Events to the Racial Disparity for African Americans. American Journal of Epidemiology. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws381   Photo © Dreamstime Stress and Stillbirth originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, March 29th, 2013 at 17:06:22. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Readers' Choice Award Winners 2013

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Readers' Choice Award Winners 2013 Mar 27th 2013, 08:51 I am so excited to announce the winners of the Readers' Choice Awards this year, you can find them here: 2013 Readers' Choice Award Winners Thanks for hanging in for this long but fun process. We will see you again next year for 2014! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Readers' Choice Award Winners 2013 originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 at 08:51:56. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Easing Back Into Postpartum

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Easing Back Into Postpartum Mar 26th 2013, 09:56 Pregnancy is nine very long months - if you ask someone in the first or second trimester. But by the time you have made it to the third trimester, you're perhaps wondering if maybe you didn't need a bit more time to prepare, even when you're physically over being pregnant. That said, postpartum is much the same. Before a baby, it can be easy enough to think of it as a six week vacation. The truth is that postpartum really is about easing back into life as well as physically recovering from your birth. A sad fact of life is that many moms don't give themselves this time to really recover - they are in a hurry to get back to the real world and don't take the time they need to truly recover. Remember, you're doing all of the above on limited sleep! So here are a few ways to ease back into the real world and maximize your postpartum time, including my appendectomy rule. What would you add? Related: 4 Ways to Ease Back Into Life After Postpartum What is a baby moon? Postpartum Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © April's Grape Vine Photography Easing Back Into Postpartum originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013 at 09:56:51. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: When NOT to Exercise in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

When NOT to Exercise in Pregnancy Mar 24th 2013, 14:23 I know that I spend a lot of time talking to you about how to have a healthy pregnancy. This might mean that sometimes you have to back off of something that might be healthy for other individuals. While the many pregnant women don't get enough exercise, there are a number of women who need to avoid some, if not all, forms of exercise in pregnancy. The problem is that many of them may not even know it. One day I had a conversation with a woman who was married to an OB/GYN. She told me that in her second pregnancy, her doctor (not her husband) had told her that she shouldn't "play tag." She told me that she now feels foolish for not understanding that he meant cut the fitness routines out. She thought he meant tag. Her husband took it to mean no sex. What's a mom to do? Ask questions. Talk to your midwife or doctor specifically about exercise. What should you be doing, how often and what signs say you should stop. Did your practitioner bring this up in your prenatal appointments? Related: 9 Reasons Not to Exercise in Pregnancy 7 Reasons Not to Exercise Postpartum Photo © Istockphoto When NOT to Exercise in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, March 24th, 2013 at 14:23:34. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Does your belly get in the way?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Does your belly get in the way? Mar 21st 2013, 09:28 Having a big bump for a pregnant belly sounds like it will be a lot of fun. One of the most frequent questions I get is: "When will I show?" Having a big round belly, preferably without stretch marks, is something most pregnant women look forward to getting. It's fun, until it's not. Now I'm not complaining terribly, but having a big belly certainly gets in the way. There is the whole spilling your food all over your belly. Serious, when I am pregnant, I think I should use a bib with all the food that I drop down my shirt. (After the baby is born, I usually spill food on the baby!) I've also been known to bump my belly into things, not realizing how big I was. So in what crazy ways has your belly gotten in the way or been annoying? Related: When will my belly show in pregnancy? Photo © Steven Errico/Getty Images Does your belly get in the way? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, March 21st, 2013 at 09:28:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Signs You're Miscarrying

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Signs You're Miscarrying Mar 20th 2013, 12:15 When you're early in pregnancy, every twinge can send you panicking to the bathroom to check for blood. Spotting or bleeding are the signs that most people know to look for as a symptom of miscarriage. The problem is that there can be other signs or even no signs. This can make it difficult to tell when something is wrong with your pregnancy. Sometimes cramping or low backache can be a sign that you're miscarrying. This is to be thought of like contractions. Though sometimes cramping and backache aren't signs of anything other than cramping and backache. This can be terribly confusing. So the trick is to put it out of your mind as long as possible. I remember telling one OB that I wished I could sleep the entire first trimester away. She told me that was silly, but I'm not sure she understood how frightening every twinge was for me. In the end, I wound up trying to remember that I had no control over it. I couldn't wish away the symptoms, I couldn't prevent a miscarriage. And for the most part that's true of every pregnant woman. So while we can't stop the worry or the twinges, we can choose how we respond to it.  That response can be trying to calm yourself down or seeking the advice of your midwife or doctor to help calm yourself. What worked for you? Related: Signs of Miscarriage What to do if you're having a miscarriage... One Man, One Miscarriage: A Man's Story of Miscarriage Gifts for Pregnancy Loss, Miscarriage and Stillbirth Remembering Baby Pregnancy Loss "We're Pregnant!": Can we share the title? Miscarriage Guide Photo © Dreamstime Signs You're Miscarrying originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 at 12:15:39. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Taking Your Fertility for Granted

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Taking Your Fertility for Granted Mar 17th 2013, 13:23 I spend a lot of time talking to women about their fertility.  Many times women who want to talk about their fertility are coming to me after many months of trying to conceive.  They are concerned about their ability to get pregnant.  Thankfully the majority of these women simply need to make some minor modifications like better timing for sex, figuring out when they ovulate, etc.  Many women just need more time. The lack of patience with our fertility is something that is frustrating for everyone.  I think it largely comes from being told all our lives that, when we didn't want to be pregnant, it would only take "once" to get pregnant.  While that is true, the proverbial once is the statistical anomaly. But it lulls us into a false sense of security about our fertility.  That "one time" fallacy is waiting for us when we're ready to conceive.  This leads us to panic when we've had sex way more than one time and we still aren't pregnant. So what can you do to not take your fertility for granted? Chart your periods Know when you ovulate Ask questions of your practitioner during routine exams Have a preconceptional health appointment Know your medical history Know your family history Get help if you think you have a problem Talk with your partner openly Be honest with your practitioner All of this is designed to protect your fertility and to help you identify problems early on.  This is one of the best ways to not take your fertility for granted. Related: 5 Signs You're Ovulating Before You See the Fertility Doctor How long does it take to get pregnant? Infertility Guide Conception Quiz 25 Signs of Pregnancy Pregnancy Announcements Ovulation Primer Can I get pregnant if... Photo © Shutterstock Taking Your Fertility for Granted originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, March 17th, 2013 at 13:23:34. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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