Apr 27 2008
Exercise is extremely important in promoting health and well-being during your pregnancy. Women who exercise during pregnancy have reduced weight gain, improved moods, improved sleep patterns and most experience a more rapid weight loss after pregnancy! It also will help you to prepare for the physical stress of your labor and delivery.
There are some guidelines to follow when you choose to exercise during your pregnancy:
Apr 26 2008
The last few weeks of your pregnancy can certainly drag by, especially if you feel uncomfortable or are lacking in sleep! You’ll be excited to meet your new baby and anxious to induce labor and delivery. So what can you do naturally to help bring labor on?
Natural Ways to Induce Labor - Walking:
Walking helps regulate your contractions and the natural movement of your hips helps to bring the baby into proper alignment. By being upright you are also using gravity to bring your baby downward. Just don’t exhaust yourself TOO early!
Natural Ways to Induce Labor - Sex:
Continue Reading »Apr 25 2008
The following tests are routine prenatal tests for each visit to your obgyn or midwife:
Blood Pressure:
At each prenatal visit your blood pressure will be tested by armband. A spike in blood pressure can be an indication of preeclampsia - which can cause the placenta to separate from the wall of the uterus.
Urine:
At each prenatal visit your urine will be tested for protein, sugar, blood and bacteria. Protein is another sign of preeclampsia, sugar can signal gestational diabetes and blood or bacteria can signal a urinary-tract infection.
Weight:
Continue Reading »Apr 24 2008
Placenta previa is the implantation of the placenta where it at least partially covers the cervix. It occurs in about one in 250 pregnancies.
Types of Placenta Previa
There are four types of placenta previa:
Apr 22 2008
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. It may implant in the fallopian tube, the uterus, the abdominal wall, or the cervix.
Signs and Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnnacy
What are the Risk Factors for an Ectopic Pregnancy?
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Apr 21 2008
A breech baby is one that is not in the head down position inside the womb. Approximately 3.5% of babies are breech at 37 weeks gestation.
Breech Factors
Factors that increase the chance of having a breech baby include:
Types of Breech Positions
There are three types of breech positions:
Ways to Get a Breech Baby to Turn
There are various ways to attempt to get a baby to turn head first. These include:
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Apr 20 2008
The Ancient Chinese Gender Prediction Chart is to help predict your baby’s gender based on the mother’s age at conception, and the month the child was conceived. As legend would have it, the Chinese Gender Chart was buried in a royal tomb over 700 years ago.
If you were between 18 and 45 during the time of your conception - find your age along the left column of the Chinese Gender Chart and the month along the top column. Where the two intersect you will find the prediction of the gender of your baby 
* Note: Although this chart is said to have a success rate of over 90 percent, keep in mind that this is solely for entertainment purposes.
| Woman Conception Lunar Month | ||||||||||||
| Age | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 18 | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| 19 | B | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | B | G | G |
| 20 | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B | B | G | B | B |
| 21 | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G |
| 22 | G | B | B | G | B | G | G | B | G | G | G | G |
| 23 | B | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | B | B | G |
| 24 | B | G | B | B | G | B | B | G | G | G | G | G |
| 25 | G | B | B | G | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B |
| 26 | B | G | B | G | G | B | G | B | G | G | G | G |
| 27 | G | B | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | G | B |
| 28 | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | B | B | B | G | G |
| 29 | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | B | G | G | G |
| 30 | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B | B |
| 31 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B |
| 32 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B |
| 33 | G | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | G | G | G | B |
| 34 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B | B |
| 35 | B | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | G | G | B | B |
| 36 | G | B | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | B | B | B |
| 37 | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B |
| 38 | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G |
| 39 | B | G | B | B | B | G | G | B | G | B | G | G |
| 40 | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G |
| 41 | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B |
| 42 | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G |
| 43 | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | B | B |
| 44 | B | B | G | B | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | G |
| 45 | G | B | B | G | G | G | B | G | B | G | B | B |
Apr 19 2008
Breastfeeding is best for your baby, and also has added benefits for you. It’s a great way to bond with your baby, can help your uterus contract to its normal size, and can you help you lose your pregnancy weight. Unfortunately the first few days and weeks can be uncomfortable and downright painful. Here are ways to ease your pain.
Apr 18 2008
A birth plan is a non-confrontational way for you to make your labor and birth plans known to anyone involved with you on your special day. You can hand a copy to your mother, your doctor or midwife, the nurses on call, your doula, and even your husband if he wasn’t involved in writing it! Birth plans also help you to think of all possible labor and birth scenarios up front, so that you are not forced to make an important decision in the middle of a contraction or when you are unable to completely focus.
You’ll want to take your birth plan to one of your appointments in the third trimester and get your doctor/midwife to sign off on it. Have them make a copy of it and place it in your file so that if they do not end up delivering you, the doctor on call knows that your doctor signed off on it and is ok with it. (It also helps in case you forgot your copy at home!)
Do keep in mind that you cannot predict everything and just because you want an ideal birth, does not mean you’ll get it! You’ll want to remain flexible in case an emergency situation comes up or your labor is not progressing as planned.
Questions to be Addressed in Your Birth Plan:
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Apr 17 2008
Why a Birth Center?
If you do not want to give birth in a hospital, but you’re too afraid to try a homebirth, giving birth in a birth center might be the solution for you. A birth center can provide you with the environment and surroundings you are looking for, but still offer medical support if needed. Birth centers can be in an independent location, or within a hospital. A certified nurse-midwife will assist you with the majority of your care at the birth center, although a physician is usually on call in case of an emergency.
Benefits of a Birth Center
A birth center offers you a comfortable, relaxed location to have your baby. They are usually more open to allowing you to try various positions and labor techniques, and will not intervene or suggest pain medication unless requested. You will typically labor, deliver, and recover in the same room. You will receive support for your labor, birth, and breastfeeding at a birth center.
Drawbacks of a Birth Center
The drawbacks of a birth center arise if there are any complications during labor or delivery or if your newborn needs any medical attention - you might need to be transfered to a medical facility or to the labor and delivery floor within your hospital (this happened to me during the birth of my first daughter!)
Make sure to contact your insurance about whether or not a birth center is covered under your plan. You may need to make other arrangements for prenatal care and then switch to a birth center for the delivery if the birth center is not covered.