Archive for June, 2009
The First Stage of Labor, What to Expect
Posted by: | CommentsOnce labor begins, you’ll need to prepare yourself mentally for the day. For some women, especially after a first child, this is a very easy task. For others, anxiety builds and builds. The best way to relieve that tension is to find out what to expect on that golden day.
During labor the cervix will dilate to about 4 cm (1.5 in) and contractions begin lasting 30 to 60 seconds about five minutes apart. This stage can last anywhere from a couple of hours to all day, so be prepared to go a little hungry. Eating during this time is not recommended.
The baby’s head is waiting at the inner end of the cervix.
As labor progresses, cervical dilation will increase from 4 cm to about 8 cm (3 in) and the contractions will come quicker, about two minutes apart. Time to kick into mental gear and make use of that training you spent so much time to acquire and practice. Breathing properly will help oxygenate your tissues and minimize pain.
The baby’s head, assuming a ‘normal’ (not breech) birth, moves forward toward the birth canal.
At the hospital, you may feel cold. That’s probably not just because they keep the place well air conditioned and you are in a flimsy gown. Hormone changes can also produce this. It’s normal. Don’t worry about a sense of loss of control. You’ve got plenty of people to help you and you are the center of attention.
Your physician will check your status, along with that of your baby. They’ll examine heart rate, and ensure that everything is positioned normally. Hospitals will often use some form of electronic FHR (fetal heart rate) monitoring for half an hour after you’re admitted. They’re looking for a baseline to measure against changes that will come soon.
If your membranes have ruptured, they may choose instead to monitor internally. If so, they’ll insert a small electrode through the vagina. They may also insert a catheter in the uterus to measure contractions. Not to worry! It’s safe for you and your baby.
Continuous monitoring is necessary only in those rare cases where there’s a problem. Discuss with your physician in advance of labor about removing the devices as soon as possible to maximize your comfort.
Now your baby moves into position and your abdomen ‘drops’. This is sometimes called ‘lightening’, since you feel lighter. The baby has moved away from the diaphragm, which makes breathing easier. Your doctor may report that you are ’100% effaced’, which means your cervix has dilated to about 10 cm (4 in). Contractions are longer and coming rapidly now, almost together.
Time to get ready to push.
Real Alternatives to Abortion 8
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Post-Natal Depression IS Treatable
Posted by: | CommentsAnywhere from 5-25% of women who give birth get some form of post-natal depression. One reason for the wide range in the numbers is the difficulty of pinning down exactly what it is. But women who have had it know too well what it feels like.
Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after giving birth, some women will feel ‘the blues’, a moodiness that seems unrelated to external events. It may last only a few days, or as long as a couple of weeks. Longer depressions may be a sign of something more fundamental. Here again, one difficulty in discussing the condition is the widely varying time period that women experience.
Symptoms vary, too. Spontaneous crying may be more common and a general malaise may linger. Women may experience an inability to take pleasure in otherwise enjoyable activities. The new mother may have trouble sleeping and feel fatigued during the day.
Women suffering from post-natal depression commonly become obsessively worried about the health of the baby, an exaggerated reaction to a normal concern. She may have a loss of appetite or impaired concentration. Wide mood swings are a normal part of the condition – feeling elated one minute and extremely sad the next. A sense of worthlessness is not uncommon.
In some extreme cases, she may have suicidal thoughts. In severe cases, women have considered killing their infants in order not to leave them helpless after her suicide. Sometimes these go beyond the normal postpartum depression into a condition called postpartum psychosis. Having a thought, no matter how troublesome, is no cause for alarm. Taking steps to act on it may indicate a more serious problem.
The causes are not known with certainty, but they’re almost certainly (at least in part) the result of rapidly changing hormones. Both estrogen and progesterone increase considerably during pregnancy, then drop rapidly back to non-pregnant levels within 24 hours after birth.
But, that is also a reason to be optimistic. When hormones change rapidly, the body has a remarkable ability to bring things back into equilibrium. Expectant mothers can take comfort in knowing that the condition is (usually) short-lived and that it rarely interferes with her ability to care for her baby.
The condition has been widely studied and there are a number of approaches to treatment. Some new mothers benefit from mild anti-depressants for a short while to get them over the period when the symptoms are most severe. Talk therapy is often helpful. Being with not only a professional, but hearing the stories of women who have gone through similar experiences often helps.
Knowing that the condition is normal, short-lived and treatable gives women reason to persist through a difficult time. It’s important that women not feel embarrassed to report her symptoms to a spouse or even a professional. Seeking help is the first step to recovery.
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Pain Control Options
Posted by: | CommentsMothers report that few things are as painful, or as rewarding, as giving birth. How much pain, for how long and when varies enormously among individual women. But expectant women, especially when giving birth the first time, may want less pain in order to better enjoy the reward. For them, there are many choices.
Most experts and women agree that the less medication taken or anesthesia given the better, both for mother and child. When used the amounts are so low that problems are very rare, but anything that enters a woman’s bloodstream will affect the child during delivery. Training can help minimize the need.
Preparation well before the onset of labor is the first step. Lamaze or Bradley training is helpful, in order to learn good breathing and relaxation techniques. It’s difficult to focus on the process rather than the pain when you’re in the moment, but training can get her part way there. Attending with a partner is particularly helpful.
Some training involves learning focusing techniques – zeroing in on the need to push or the progress, rather than the discomfort. Others may emphasize distraction – counting, remembering a specific event clearly and so on. Those who have practiced yoga may find many of the ideas familiar. Several weeks practice before labor begins is a minimum, but there should be no substantial gap in time. Train up to the day.
Physical comfort can be enhanced by a variety of methods. Hot or cold packs can ease cramping. Sipping warm tea or ice water is sometimes helpful. That will need to be kept to a minimum, though. If general anesthesia has to be given, doctors will require minimal liquid intake beforehand. Anesthesia can produce nausea and vomiting. Disgorging under anesthetic is potentially dangerous, since it can lead to choking.
Some hospitals will use tubs of water or even showers to maximize physical and mental comfort during labor. A good soak can ease back tension and aid a sense of well being. Techniques like these don’t require any training or practice, just the ability to remember to use them when needed. A partner can help here, too.
Adjust your body as needed during the process. Talk over with your physician in advance his or her working needs and your options. Working together during the process is less stressful if things have been talked out ahead of time.
Pregnant woman killed by policeman
Posted by: | CommentsThe death of a pregnant woman in a hit-and-run accident involving a police officer, as a reckless driver who simply drove off without rendering any help. … death pregnancy woman accident police officer driver help
Labor, Signs and Actions
Posted by: | CommentsExpectant mothers, especially those pregnant for the first time, often have doubts about when labor begins and what it feels like. That’s natural. Only experience can inform a woman exactly what it is, and even then one childbirth will vary from another. But being prepared by acquiring guidance can help ease concerns.
False labor is one of the trickiest issues pregnant women have to deal with. Packing the car, rushing to the hospital, disrupting a mate at work and more are all normal parts of delivery. Not generating false alarms is going to be high on anyone’s wish list.
The first step is simply to accept an inescapable fact: no one can predict with certainty when labor begins (yet). A due date is nothing more than a best estimate. Those estimates have improved with the greater accuracy of early pregnancy tests, but they are still not 100% reliable.
Only about 5% of women who carry their babies to term actually deliver on the estimated date. Dates vary from a few days to a few weeks before or after. That doesn’t mean that delivering early is necessarily delivering prematurely. There is simply a natural variation in how long pregnancy lasts. Due dates are specified for the average, that’s all.
There are some signs to look for that labor has begun, however.
During a first pregnancy, babies will often move slightly into the birth canal two to three weeks before the onset of labor. An attentive mother can detect that movement. It may be easier to breathe, due to the shift away from the diaphragm. At the same time, pressure on the bladder may increase, leading to more frequent urination.
Past the first child, this movement may be less pronounced, and will tend to occur much later, sometimes only a few hours before labor begins.
Throughout pregnancy, it’s normal to experience contractions. The baby moves, your muscles react. Hormonal changes induce neural events that lead to contraction. These random events don’t indicate much. But as the third trimester advances, they can increase in frequency and intensity.
As they come more often and stronger, mothers report they experience heightened energy and may feel compelled to take on projects around the house. Working off some of that energy is a healthy thing, particularly since (as the day approaches) they often just ‘want it to be over’.
A small mucus plug that sealed the cervix during pregnancy can stretch and break apart, even before ‘water breaks’. This pinkish mucus is a normal discharge. Deep red fluid or blood should be investigated at once as a possible sign of tearing of the placenta from the uterus.
Now is the time to get prepared for the final stages.
4 weeks pregnant – June 2, 2009
Posted by: | Commentsfound out i’m pregnant yesterday! four weeks, so excited 
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Exercise Tips for Future Moms
Posted by: | CommentsMany women enjoy a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a good diet. It can be tough to maintain that lifestyle when she becomes pregnant, especially during the later stages. But it is possible, and in fact preferable, to maintain an exercise regiment at least up until the last month.
Pregnancy brings many changes. Hormone levels go wild, you gain weight and (later) movement becomes increasingly difficult. Changes in the level of progesterone, estrogen and others produce softening of the ligaments around joints. Strain on internal organs, the back and legs is inevitable. At the same time, you’ll put on almost 30 lbs. Go easy.
Sometimes a general malaise sets in. Regular, appropriate exercise can help relieve much of that and help put your body in the best shape possible for labor. That optimizes your comfort and your growing baby’s health.
The first step is to adopt a kind of Hippocratic Oath of Pregnancy: First, Do No Harm. That ancient principle from the Greeks is still valid, more so during pregnancy. Some women are used to running five miles, doing every station at the weight machine or performing Pilates an hour a day. That will have to change fairly quickly.
But maintaining a good exercise regimen is still possible, just change your workout to fit your changing body. Eliminate crunches or any other form of exercise that stresses the abdominals or back. Go with lighter weights. Avoid jerky movements and forego squats which can separate the placenta from the uterus.
Breathing properly during exercises performed while pregnant is essential. Correct breathing technique anytime is important, but you’re now breathing for two. The baby receives oxygen through the umbilical and keeping the blood fully oxygenated is imperative.
Keep in mind that your resting heartbeat will increase by about 8 beats per minute during the first few weeks. Blood volume increases substantially as you progress. Factor that in when you consider any cardio exercise.
Hydrate at an appropriate amount throughout the day. That means small sips over a longer time frame, rather than large intake at a given time. Eating should follow the same pattern – four to five small meals per day is preferable to three larger ones.
Before beginning a workout, warm up gently. Perform easy stretches and be prepared to rest often for a few minutes at a time. Light cardio is the key to a healthy circulatory system, so important during these months.
Pregnancy shifts your center of gravity forward, stressing the spine and back muscles. To ease that aching back, swimming is one of the best forms of exercises. It also gives a very low stress but active cardio workout.
Yoga is a favorite for many. It helps achieve peace of mind and provides gentle movements that provide the needed stretching, while building good leg and arm strength. It gives also low impact on the back.
With a good program, you’ll reduce cramps, improve circulation and increase energy. You’ll lower your resting heart rate and keep fit.
If you feel any dizziness, swelling or experience any kind of vaginal bleeding or discharge discontinue at once and consult a medical professional.
Before beginning any exercise regimen it’s vital that you talk with your physician. It’s great to get more than one opinion, but your OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist) can help you devise a program that is great for you and your baby.
