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 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

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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 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? 6 Reasons to Plan Conception How long does it take to get pregnant? 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

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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 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? Kate Middleton and Prince William Welcome a Son Kate Middleton Hospitalized for Pregnancy Complications Kate Middleton's Due Date Announced Waity Katy and the Royal Due Date Princess Diana's Birth Announcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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

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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 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

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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 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: Due dates are merely guesses about when a baby may be born. Less than 4% of babies are born on their due dates. Most babies are born two weeks before or, and here's the kicker, two weeks after the due date. Even Royal babies can't read calendars. Due dates can change. (Though it's usually not a great idea to change a due date.) 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

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Avoid Labor Waiting Room Stresses

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Avoid Labor Waiting Room Stresses Jul 19th 2013, 08:20 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: Hospital Waiting Room Etiquette Best Hospital Waiting Room Stories Worst Thing You've Seen in a Waiting Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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

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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 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

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