Tips for Overcoming Sickness

For most women morning sickness disappears shortly after the first trimester, or at about 13 weeks.

Coping With Morning Sickness
If you have morning sickness, fortunately there are many things you can do to cope. Here are some time tested remedies that help relieve some of the symptoms of morning sickness:

• Eat several small meals per day instead of three large ones.
• Have some crackers and soda or water by the bed and try eating a few before you rise in the morning. An empty stomach often results in more nausea.
• Drink lots of fluids. Some women find carbonated water flavored with lemon to be quite soothing.
• Try some ginger or ginger ale, which is well known for alleviating nausea.
• Eat foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates.
• Avoid fatty or spicy foods, which are more likely to cause nausea.
• Get plenty of rest and take prenatal vitamins. If your vitamins make you nauseous, try taking them with meals.
• Avoid strong odors or smells that can induce nausea.
• Avoid lying down immediately after eating.

When morning sickness becomes serious….

Morning sickness can be more than an annoyance. Hyperemisis is a serious medical condition that occurs in some women and requires a visit to your physician. To learn more about morning sickness and hyperemisis, please visit Women’s Health Care Topics – your one-stop source for the best and latest information on pregnancy and women’s health.

Medications During the First Tri-mester: Safe or Out!

Do you take any medicines? 

Is your medicine cabinet baby-proofed? Even though baby isn’t here yet, are the medications you take now safe for the baby you’re hoping for?

Make a list of all medications you take on a regular basis. Be sure to include both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Some medications that are harmless before pregnancy can be quite dangerous to developing babies. So, that over the counter nasal spray or prescription acne medication you use? Ask your doctor now whether or not they’re safe to use during pregnancy. If they’re not, eliminate them from your system now, before you conceive.

Talk to your doctor about replacing current medications with one that’s pregnancy safe or, if possible, consider giving up that particular treatment until after baby is born and done nursing. (Always check with the prescribing doctor before stopping ANY prescribed medications.)

To learn more about the different risk categories for medicines look at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Everything Feels Better When You First Become Pregnant!

Weeks one and two are an extremely exciting and mystifying time for most women. Most women eagerly start calculating their pregnancy week by week as soon as they decide to conceive.

During pregnancy week 1 and beyond you will experience the joy of creating life, which is a life-changing event for most women! This guide will walk you step by step through each week of pregnancy. You’ll find informative information about the changes occurring in your body and in your baby. We’ll walk you through each of the stages of pregnancy, and help you understand what you should expect as your body changes and your baby grows from week to week.

During pregnancy week 1 and pregnancy week 2, you may not even be certain that you are pregnant yet! Many women experience few if any symptoms at all. Weeks one and two are mostly consumed with the process of ovulation and fertilization. During pregnancy week 1 and 2 your body will produce estrogen and progesterone in varying amounts to prepare the body for ovulation, when the ovaries release an egg. If you are lucky, this egg will be fertilized and will travel up the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where it will reside for the next 40 or so weeks.

To learn more about Weeks One and Two of Your Pregnancy, visit Women’s Health Care Topics.

START PREPPING FOR PREGNANCY IN MONTH ONE

At one month pregnant it’is confusing to realize that for the first two weeks you are not pregnant. Doctors start counting from the first day of your last menstrual period and not from the day of ovulation or conception approximately 2 weeks later.

Preparing yourself for pregnancy should start before the first month of pregnancy. Of course you’re thinking about it. That’s why you’re reading this article. Whether your heart is ready for pregnancy and you’re preparing for the rest of your life or, your mind is telling you that this is the best time to become a mom or, your body just told you you’re going to be a mommy, you want to start your pregnancy on the right foot.

A healthy pregnancy is healthy both physically and emotionally. You owe it to yourself, your partner, your family and your unborn to be physically, emotionally and spiritually ready to make a happy, healthy baby. So, let’s go through the list to ensure you’re ready for the first month of pregnancy. Learn more about early pregnancy preperation.

A typical gestation for a pregnancy is somewhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Once a woman carries her baby to 37 weeks doctors consider her full-term. Just because a woman is full-term however, doesn’t mean her baby is ready to make his or her appearance in the world. Most first time moms quickly learn that often pregnancies extend to 41 weeks or more.

One reason the due date may be hard to predict is because one never knows how quickly a baby will grow in the womb. Some babies are ready to deliver early, and others need a little extra time in the oven to “bake.” Besides, it is so warm and cozy in there, why not spend a couple of extra days if given the chance? What are some other reasons a woman’s due date may be a bit off?

No one can perfectly time the date of conception. This has a lot to do with when a woman delivers her baby. Often, a woman’s estimate of conception or ovulation is one or two weeks off. This can sometimes impact a woman’s due date. So what is a woman to do?

Predicting Your Baby’s Birth Date
In times of old, most doctors would not give a woman a definitive due date, but instead provide a woman with an estimated time frame within which her baby may arrive in this new world. If this practice continued today, fewer women would be likely to experience excessive anticipation, worry and fatigue on or around her due date.

Thanks to modern technology however, women expecting babies in modern times do have some hope. New ultrasound technology, including transvaginal ultrasounds conducted in the earliest weeks of pregnancy; often provide a more precise estimate of when a woman is likely to deliver her baby.

Ultrasounds conducted later in pregnancy however, provide a less accurate prediction of when your baby’s due date may be. In fact, ultrasounds performed during the 20th week of pregnancy on can be as much as one or two weeks off the original due date. In rare circumstances, if the due date is off by too much, your doctor may reevaluate your due date and your baby’s growth in the womb.

To lessen your anxiety about your due date, you may find it easier to simply tell people your baby is due “around the end of April” or “near the beginning of March.” Many mothers with children report when they do not focus on an exact due date and do not provide others with such information, they experience much less anxiety about their due date and expectant labor and delivery.

Signs And Symptoms You May Be Close
Perhaps the best news for women is your baby WILL provide you with signs and symptoms once you do finally approach labor. First time mothers for example, often find their babies “drop” or settle lower into their pelvis in the weeks leading up to delivery. For a first time mother this can happen any time between two to four weeks before delivery.

Many second or third time moms realize their babies don’t drop until just before delivery. Delivery for second, third and fourth children is often much faster than for first deliveries. Remember, the body often remembers what to do after the first time.

Some women will lose their mucous plug, a small bloody looking blob of mucous, when they approach labor. This still isn’t a definite sign of labor. You can lose your mucous plug as early as two weeks before you have your baby.

You will notice increasing Braxton Hicks contractions as your body prepares for labor. If these become increasingly painful and rhythmic, watch out, you may be very near your true due date. Regardless of when your due date arrives you will find you are pleasantly surprised and find the wait well worth it once you hold your newborn infant in your arms for the very first time.

What Are Common Sleep Problems During Pregnancy

Ask any pregnant woman what her biggest problem is during pregnancy, and probably four times out of five you’ll find sleep problems among the top five complaints.

Sleep problems are common during pregnancy. During early pregnancy many women have trouble sleeping because their minds are racing with activity and excitement about their new discovery. Early hormone fluctuations can also lead to difficulty sleeping. Still other problems including those associated with a frequent need to urinate are common during early pregnancy, and may contribute to sleep problems during pregnancy.

Sleep Problems During The Third Trimester
Sleep problems during pregnancy are most common during the late second and third trimesters during pregnancy. As a woman enters her third trimester, not only do her hormones surge again leading to sleep difficulties, but her growing uterus continues to place increasing pressure on all her internal organs. This can lead to massive discomfort and problems sleeping during pregnancy.

An unborn baby also moves around a lot during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. For some women, movement occurring late at night can keep them up at night. Other times the baby may move around and press on a woman’s bladder, resulting in a frequent need to pee. This will disturb even the most sound sleeper.

Pregnant women are also more prone to unusual dreams. Even if a pregnant woman gets enough sleep hourly, she may wake feeling less refreshed than she might if she dreamed less.

Solving Common Pregnancy Sleep Problems
Even though you may find it difficult to sleep during pregnancy, it is important you do your best to get as much sleep as possible during pregnancy. Here are some tips for improving sleep during pregnancy:

• Go to bed as soon as you are tired. That may mean going to bed some nights as early as seven or eight at night. Don’t feel embarrassed. I often went to bed hours earlier than normal when pregnant. The important thing to remember is listen to your body. Your body knows what is best for you, and usually that involves going to bed much earlier than normal.
• Drink plenty of fluids during the day, but try not to drink the largest quantities an hour before bedtime. This will help reduce the number of times you have to wake up at night to use the bathroom.
• Invest in a high quality maternity pillow or pregnancy body pillow. This will help improve your comfort at night and provide a more stable foundation for you to sleep on. If you don’t have a pregnancy pillow already, I suggest you invest in one sooner than later. This can also help alleviate backaches and other discomforts associated with pregnancy.
• Set up a bedtime routine. This may include taking a warm shower before bedtime. Turn off the television at least ½ hour before bed to help calm your thoughts and spend some time meditating and bonding with your baby. This can help reduce your fears and anxieties and help promote more restful sleep.
• Take a short nap during the day if you can. Try to nap for 10-20 minutes. A short nap will help revive you without interfering with your bedtime later in the day.
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants during the day. These aren’t good for your baby during pregnancy anyway. Anything taken after 2pm, including coke or chocolate containing small amounts of caffeine, may interfere with your sleep at night.

When all else fails, ask your partner or a friend if they will indulge you in a foot massage. Sometimes it helps to simply relax a little bit before bed. I find a good foot massage is better than any other magic potion when it comes to relaxing well enough to fall sound asleep.

What Are Common Placenta Problems During Pregnancy?

Most of the time pregnancy goes off without a hitch. The vast majority of women will experience few problems during pregnancy, aside from some annoying side effects on occasion.

Some women however, are more at risk for certain complications than others, including placenta problems during pregnancy. Below are some of the more common placenta problems women experience during pregnancy.

Low Lying Placenta
This is a relatively common problem diagnosed in early pregnancy. Typically the placenta implants toward the upper half of the uterus. Occasionally the placenta implants in the lower uterine segment. It is possible that this may result in intrauterine growth restriction or other problems during labor including preterm labor.

Fortunately, most of the time a low-lying placenta is diagnosed before 28 weeks pregnancy it often resolves itself. Generally as the uterus grows upward the placenta slowly migrates toward the upper half of the uterus. Thus, many women will go on to deliver a normal and healthy baby. If a low lying placenta is diagnosed later in pregnant, especially during the third trimester, there is less chance it will migrate on its own.

Placenta Previa
Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta is completely or partially covering the cervix. This is a dangerous condition that may require intervention. When diagnosed early in pregnancy, at or before 20 weeks, some women will find their placenta migrates toward the upper half of the uterus. Many times however a placenta previa will persist during pregnancy. This presents many unique challenges including a risk for hemorrhage during delivery.

There are different kinds of placenta previa including a “marginal”
placenta previa where the placenta is only partially covering the cervix and a complete placenta previa, where the placenta completely covers the cervix. If you have a marginal or complete placenta previa during the third trimester, there is a strong possibility your doctor will recommend a cesarean section between 38 and 39 weeks to help deliver your baby safely ad reduce your risk of hemorrhage during delivery.

Placenta Abruption
This is a rare and life threatening situation for mother and baby where the placenta prematurely separates from the uterine wall. This may result from trauma or injury to the abdomen or for no apparent reason. Some risk factors may include drug use, uterine malformation or scarring associated with previous cesarean deliveries or other abdominal surgery.

When the placenta abrupts a woman may experience abdominal pain and rigidity. She may also experience vaginal bleeding. Hemorrhaging may occur.

Marginal Placental Tear
This can occur if the placenta tears slightly from the wall of the uterus or separates from the uterus only partially. Tears can also occur when a placenta is low lying and part of it comes in contact with the cervix. As the cervix begins to dilate in preparation for labor, open vessels within the placenta may sometimes tear.

Most of the time tears result in spontaneous bleeding during pregnancy. This is usually painless. If accompanied by rigidity a placental abruption may be suspected. Much testing will often ensue if your health care provider expects a placental tear. In some cases a cesarean section may be recommended to preserve the life of mother and baby.

Placental problems during pregnancy are very much a cause for concern. Fortunately most women will not have problems with their placenta during pregnancy. If your doctor does diagnose a placental problem early on, the good news is thanks to modern technology your doctor will be able to monitor your progress and that of your baby to ensure the best possible outcome.

In many cases women with placental problems may have to endure bed rest for a certain length of time  to preserve their health and that of their baby. Ultimately this is a small sacrifice to pay to ensure the health and well being of your loved one. Be sure to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about your placenta during pregnancy!