Archive for February, 2009
If you are walking a bit like John Wayne with bedroom slippers, here is a tip for your healing. Are you are sore from the episiotomy that you weren’t going to have, or from the hours of pushing that left you with aches in your legs from muscles that were never before a part of your body? You may find relief in a sitz bath. The sitz bath allows you to soak in a tub of warm water increasing the circulation, thereby promoting healing, to the vaginal area (perineum). The hospital may have sent you home with a disposable sitz bath – a plastic oval basin with holes at one end and a bag and tube similar to an IV setup. You probably took one look at it and added it to the pile of stuff in the back of the bathroom closet that might be useful once you have some free time, perhaps when your child goes off to college.
The idea behind the IV setup is that you place warm water in the bag, somehow manage to hang it up in your bathroom, and snap the end of the tube into the basin. As you sit in the basin, and unclamp the tube leading to the bag of warm water, there is a continual flow of warm water into the basin. This allows you to sit for an extended period of time surrounded by warm water.
Well, this sounds great, but was definitely not designed by a new parent. I have yet to meet the new mom who has time for such complex endeavors. If she manages to use the toilet without interruption, or without feeling guilty for having abandoned her child for five minutes, she feels a great sense of accomplishment.
Instead, keep the basin next to the toilet, along with plastic pitcher or container that will fit under the sink faucet. After each use of the toilet, place the basin in the toilet, (pull the seat up first) and use the pitcher to fill the basin with water. Sit in it for a few minutes, stand up and pat yourself dry. Empty the water into the toilet and you are done. The increased circulation generated by this process can improve the healing in this area. There is a flip side, however. Increased warmth can also increase the swelling, which may well be present. At least half an hour after doing the sitz bath, or the next time you use the toilet, place a row of witch hazel pads (Tucks, or the drugstore generic) on your sanitary napkin. Keep the Tucks in the refrigerator, or in the bathroom in a container with an ice pack. This allows you to alternate the warmth for increased circulation with the cold for decreased swelling. If you find that the sitz bath increases swelling or makes you uncomfortable, try getting into the bath tub, or using ice more often. Now may also be a good time to get out the ice packs you squirreled away as you left the hospital.
Most pregnancies are healthy and troubled by few if any complications, but sometimes there are problems. In some cases, complications arise during the course of the pregnancy that makes it a high risk pregnancy. In other cases – when the woman has an ongoing medical condition, for instance – a pregnancy might be considered high risk even before conception. It’s important to get an earl diagnosis to not put you or the baby at risk.
The first thing couples experiencing a high-risk pregnancy should realize is that most babies born of high-risk pregnancies are born healthy.
When Is a Pregnancy High Risk?
A pregnancy is considered high risk when some kind of medical complication – in either the mother or the fetus – is likely to affect the pregnancy and its outcome. What follows is a list of some of the conditions that are likely to make a pregnancy high risk.
Pre-existing, ongoing medical conditions:
• Infections – AIDS, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital warts, fifth disease, Lyme disease, rubella, toxoplasmosis, trichomonas, hepatitis B, chicken pox or measles
• Blood disorders – Rh incompatibility, blood type incompatibility, sickle cell anemia or immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Endocrine disorders – diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or migraine headaches
• Cancer – breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer or lymphoma
• Arthritis conditions – rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
• Maternal PKU – a metabolic condition
• Inflammatory bowel disease or gallstones
• Gynecological conditions – endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or uterine fibroids
• Cardiovascular disorders – mitral valve prolapse and hypertension
• Asthma
• Epilepsy
• Urinary tract infection
• Psychiatric disorders
• Any genetic disorder
• A history of miscarriage
Medical conditions caused by pregnancy:
• Multiple gestation – twins, triplets or more
• Gestational diabetes – a condition in which levels of blood sugar are not properly regulated
• Preeclampsia – a disease characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling of face and hands
• Placental abruption – when the placenta separates from the inner wall of the uterus
• Placenta previa – when the placenta lies low in the uterus and partly or completely covers the opening of the cervix
• Intrauterine growth retardation – when the baby is not growing as rapidly as it should
• Incompetent cervix – when the cervix begins to dilate and efface before the pregnancy has reached term
• Premature labor – when contractions cause the cervix to start opening before 37 weeks
If Your Pregnancy Might Be High Risk:
Genetic counseling is available to couples who think they might be in the high-risk category. A genetic counselor’s job is to help a couple understand the nature of their risk or complication and what it could mean to the pregnancy. If possible, seek genetic counseling before you begin trying to conceive if you:
• Have a pre-existing, ongoing medical condition,
• Know of any genetic disorder in your or your partner’s family or
• Have had a previous high risk pregnancy.
If Your Pregnancy Is High Risk:
When you learn your pregnancy is high risk, you might feel worried and overwhelmed. Talk to your doctor or midwife about your concerns; write questions down as you think of them and bring the list to your next appointment. In the meantime, here are some things you should know:
• About 90-95% of high risk pregnancy babies are born healthy. The earlier the problem is detected during pregnancy, the better the chances for a healthy baby.
• The outcome for mothers with high risk pregancies is very good, especially if the condition is detected early.
• About 5-10% of all pregnancies are considered to be high risk. The rate is much higher in hosptial which specialize in high risk pregnancies.
• Prenatal care will be different with a high risk pregnancy. Depending on the condition, you could be referred to an obstetrician or perinatologists who are professionals who have had two or more additional years of special training to specifically deal with high risk pregnancy situations. Whoever you are referred to should fully explain what your condition is and give you an idea about how common it is and tell you what you can most likely expect for the remainder of your pregnancy.
What You Can Do:
Try not to be frightened by the words high risk pregnancy. Instead, learn as much as you can about your condition. Read up on the subject and ask your doctor questions. The more you know about your condition, the more in control you’ll feel.
Join a mom to be support group for high risk pregnancy. Ask your doctor if he or she can recommend one.
Do avoid alcoholic drinks at least to some extent, if you are a light consumer of alcohol or light-moderate – in the first trimester. Cut back to one drink, two or three times a week – or no drinks, rather than one or two every day, or several times a week.
Probably, it is especially wise to avoid whiskey, brandy, and other refined or stronger drinks that contain concentrated byproducts as many of these drinks do.
But the most important idea is to avoid heavy drinking totally. The result, fetal alcohol syndrome produces permanent brain damage in babies. If you cannot drink without drinking heavily, don’t drink!
I’ve personally known enough women who drank wine or beer lightly during pregnancy and who had healthy babies, so to recommend against drinking alcohol entirely is sending the wrong message, in my honest opinion.
The main message I would want to get across to any soon to be mother is that cigarette smoking, many prescription drugs, and recreational drugs, heavy alcohol consumption, not taking a multi-vitamin or eating too lightly is very much discouraged. You need to take good care of yourself.
When it comes to eating, you can eat just about as much as you are hungry for of unsalted crackers – especially nonfat ones, cereals, fresh fruit, nonfat dairy products like skim milk and nonfat yogurt, corn and many vegetables. And if weight issues are not a problem – or heart or diabetic disease, full fat cheese and butter in moderation are also O.K.
So make sure to take care of the important dangers during a pregnancy. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, at least do it for the health and welfare of your baby.
There is no parenting guide you are given with your first child. All you can do is try your best and have yout baby’s best interests in mind. We wish you well with your baby!
You’ve chosen the crib and stroller. The dresser is packed with clothes and receiving blankets. And you’ve tested out the rocking chair – many times. Then, suddenly, it dawns on you: How is this baby going to actually come out? It’s time for childbirth education class.
Childbirth classes are offered by hospitals, HMOs, midwives and independent childbirth educators. It pays to investigate the options in your area, since classes vary in both cost and approach. As far as cost is concerned, be prepared to foot the bill yourself; few insurance carriers cover the cost (often $100-$125) of childbirth education classes. Also, be sure to investigate classes and sign up for a program early in your pregnancy because they often fill up, and you’ll want to be sure to get a space.
Where to Find Childbirth Classes
• Hospitals – Most hospitals with birthing facilities offer childbirth classes, often taught by the hospital’s labor and delivery nurses. You’ll learn the statistics about that hospital and the practices generally followed there. Hospital classes also include a tour of the birth facility. If you’re not attending the birthing classes offered by your hospital, arrange to have a tour before you go into labor.
• HMOs – Childbirth classes offered by HMOs are usually held at the center you go to for prenatal care and are taught by the nurse practitioners you see during your appointments. HMOs are affiliated with several hospitals, so the classes probably won’t be hospital-specific.
• Midwives and independent childbirth educators – Midwives usually include childbirth education in their standard prenatal care. Independent childbirth educators generally conduct a variety of classes, including ones geared toward conventional hospital births and home births. Some may include a spiritual or holistic element not found in most hospital and HMO classes.
What You’ll Learn
Your childbirth preparation class is likely to cover:
• body changes during the third trimester
• the stages of labor
• breathing and relaxation techniques to use during labor
• tips for your partner on being a labor ‘coach’
• types of anesthesia and analgesia
• possible labor and birth interventions
• pushing techniques
You’ll probably also see videos of vaginal and cesarean births, learn about nutrition during pregnancy and get some tips on selecting a pediatrician.
There are also classes on breast-feeding, vaginal birth after a cesarean birth (VBAC), twins and multiples, and refresher courses for parents who have been through it before.
It’s important to realize that no childbirth class can fully prepare you for the act of giving birth. Every woman’s experience is different, and every woman’s threshold of pain is different. Childbirth classes can only tell you generally what to expect.
Your goals in attending a childbirth class should be to learn about the birth process, to prepare yourself (and your partner) physically and emotionally for childbirth and to get all your questions answered. Picking a childbirth educator you feel comfortable with will help you accomplish those goals.
Pregnancy can be hard on a woman’s physique: Ligaments and joints loosen, abdominal and pelvic-floor muscles stretch and posture changes to accommodate extra weight. However, moderate exercise can help you feel and look better, both during pregnancy and afterward. Women who exercise during pregnancy usually find that they have an easier time carrying the baby, have better posture and have greater endurance in labor and delivery.
Always check with a health-care professional before engaging in an exercise regimen during pregnancy. Find out what he or she suggests. If you were exercising regularly prior to becoming pregnant, you can continue most activities – like walking, jogging, swimming and floor exercises – as long as you feel comfortable. Likewise, it’s not necessary to stop sexual activity, unless your practitioner has advised you to stop.
Activities to avoid during pregnancy include skiing, roller skating, ice skating, horseback riding, weight lifting using abdominal or back muscles, marathon running and any activity that might cause you to lose your balance.
Whether or not you engage in “active” exercise, such as swimming or jogging, it is also important to keep your abdominal and pelvic-floor muscles in shape. Strong abdominal muscles help you maintain good posture and alignment, while strong pelvic floor muscles prevent incontinence, lower the risk of tearing during delivery and promote quicker healing from episiotomies and stretched perineum. Exercising these muscles doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. Ask your health-care provider which abdominal exercises he or she suggests. You can strengthen the pelvic-floor muscles by doing kegel exercises.
Finally, it is important to avoid getting too exhausted or out of breath during exercise. Don’t let your heart rate exceed 140 beats per minute. Exercise no more than three times a week, for 20 minutes or less each time. Drink plenty of water and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Above all, listen to your body; if you feel fatigued, short of breath, nauseated or dizzy, stop!
Pregnancy is a happy experience to every mom. You might think about your previous shape and better looks after delivery. It may not be possible by overnight. But if you try to make a plan and workout, you can get it. These few tips might be useful to you.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding helps to reduce your body weights, as you will be losing around 200 to 500 calories everyday due to your breastfeeding. This encourages you as well as your baby. Keep continuing your breastfeeding while doing other activities to reduce your weight.
Abdominal Exercise
Generally all kinds of exercises are good for health. You may concentrate more on abdominal workouts. Do not strain yourselves. You can start your exercise for ten minutes after allowing at least six weeks after vaginal birth. It will help you to improve the abdominal muscles to recapture their muscle tone efficiently. Yoga and brisk walking too improve your muscles.
Adopt Workouts at Your Home
You can start your workouts in your home. You can prefer some yoga exercises and pelvic floor exercises too. This can strengthen your pelvic muscles if they have got their muscle tone reduced. You can bring them back to normal level. It involves in contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles continuously for few minutes. Remember not to strain your muscles; you can increase your time gradually with proper measure.
You also need to concentrate on your food apart from your exercises. Drink plenty of water and take good amount of fruits and vegetables. You can eat steamed vegetables too. This helps you to make your digestion process very smooth. It can also make your blood more purified. You will feel fresh and more active too. You can meet your dietician for good advice and make a list for your diet program.