Archive for November, 2009
During pregnancy if everything is all right you may wonder what is the proper method of giving birth, both for you and your baby. Of course it all depends on what happens in the last weeks, if the baby is seated properly and no other complications and so you have the freedom to choose how to give birth or if there are problems then you will be obliged to do cesarean.
If you could choose, here are the following:
Natural birth without drugs. You would be amazed to learn that one time when cesarean became a “fashion”, some women choose this birth, practiced in ancient times.
To have an easy birth is important to not look the birth as a time of stress and tension, but as something natural. If you choose to give birth without drugs, you can choose to born at home, aided by a nurse. Usually, nurses work in collaboration with an obstetrician, whom she can contact in case if complications arise.
Vaginal delivery with epidural anesthesia
This is the option that appeals to most women, because they can give birth naturally, but pain is reduced. This may include birth and labor challenge with synthetic hormones (birth induction), episiotomy (larger incision to the vaginal opening), the expulsion of the fetus with forceps or vacuum extractor.
Caesarean
In this case, the baby is born by a scheduled surgery or is the result of an emergency occurring during natural birth. This can be done under local anesthesia in this case you will be conscious during the entire period of surgery and you will see the baby soon after birth, or general anesthesia. Although caesarean section is preferred by many women, because it saves the pain of birth, it should not be seen easily, because it is a major surgery. Surgical operations are accompanied by risks such as infection and blood clots and you have to get recover from surgery in time to watch the newborn.
Underwater birth
There are clinics , which offers the option to give birth in water. This type of birth is also natural, which is often done without epidural. Water has a calming effect and such pain can be alleviated. The main benefit of water birth, for the child, is to avoid a shock, because he sees little daylight in an environment similar to that of maternal uterus.
Leboyer technique
French obstetrician Frederick Leboyer, author of “birth without violence”, thinks that babies should be treated more gently immediately after birth. Thus, it promotes the obscure lighting and noise reduction in the delivery room. His theory is that babies should not be subjected to unnecessary techniques like nasal suction or eye drops to clean the eyes with silver nitrate immediately after birth, but , to put the baby on his mother s abdomen to facilitate approximation. He believes that one should not cut the umbilical cord just 5 minutes after birth and then the baby should be put in warm water to ease the transition from womb to world.
Labor and birth should not be a violent process for the mother, but an event rich in spiritually and a fulfilled one. This approach refers to the improvement of hospital births, the fact that both mother and baby should be treated gently.
The first sign of birth
Most times, the amniotic membranes rupture (water breaking) is the first sign of the birth. Breaking 
membranes and amniotic fluid disposal means that the protective layer around the child shrinks. Depending on the size of the rupture, amniotic fluid can be phased out or simultaneously. You need to know that breaking the membranes is not accompanied by pain, but if you find at some point in a large amount of fluid leakage and uncontrolled, like water, then it is good to know that the moment of birth has come . Do not confuse this state but with the disposal stopper pulpous. It is pink and may appear accompanied by blood clots Most times it is eliminated before of the commencement of the birth.
However, if you have any suspicion of amniotic membranes rupture you should consult your doctor immediately
What complications can occur?
Ideally, is to break the amniotic membranes during labor. There are some cases when water breaks before labor, but later (after the 37th week of pregnancy) or before labor and before time. In the latter case, the physician should trigger labor, but this is not recommended before 24 hours of water breaking. Usually in this situation, the fetus is left up to 48 hours in the womb, to adjust to external life conditions, just because he do not live surrounded by amniotic fluid. Evolution of a pregnancy more than 48 hours, but with broken membranes, presents a serious risk of complications, especially infection. You will ask, perhaps, why should the baby have to get accustomed to external life, if in case of normal births, the child is removed from the womb of the mother without being given any respite accommodation. Well, must take into account that in the latter case, the fetus is mature and he is adjusting more quickly to the external life of his mother’s womb.
But what are the causes that may lead to rupture of membranes before term? Specialists believe that the most common causes that may lead to rupture amniotic membranes are infections of the cervix or vagina with certain microorganisms (nyco plasma or urea plasma) or viral infections. It is long outdated and ignored the popular option that, if a pregnant woman suffers an accident or is subject to a great physical effort, risks of breaking the water ahead of time.
Signs that show the labor have started
Many women find that when their birth begins with rupture of membranes, followed by the trigger contractions. Contrary to popular belief, this action does not follow exactly these steps each time. Only 15% of pregnant women experience the rupture of membranes on the unprepared. Most mothers feel at first the contractions and only then the water breaks, or doctor cause rupture of membranes.
The doctor will intervene only when labor has started and the water was not broken. In this situation, he is forced to introduce a needle like hooks in the uterus of the pregnant woman in order to break the membranes.
Here it comes the last hundred feet … This quarter will be a difficult from all pregnancy, the most difficult of all , but will culminate with the happiest moment in a woman life: the birth! Over a few weeks you can keep in your arms the long awaited baby. Nothing in life doesn’t compare in intensity to what happens at birth and immediately afterwards. The support of the loved ones is essential in such times. Let them be close to you and help you!
Third trimester lasts from week 28 until birth. You are going to the gynecologist once every 2 weeks until week 36, and then weekly until birth. Although the birth date is set for the end of the 40th week, only 5% of women born at that moment. Most are born between 38 and 40 weeks. Prepare the room and the clothes of the little one, to keep you busy , because you should not go to work, and it is possible to overflow of energy.
Hemorrhoids and varicose veins can occur because the uterus pressure on vessels that irrigate the legs. Unfortunately, they are irreversible. As to prevent the worse you should avoid to stay long in the feet and have to sit with your feet up whenever possible. Rest is very important for your baby’s development. It is also very important that you assure nutritional needs. To do this, you need a varied diet and a large consume of amount of protein, vitamin C, calcium, iron and folic acid.
Symptoms of false labor consist in low abdominal pain, contractions occur at irregular intervals, which
increase in frequency and intensity and then ease when you walk or change position. Also, during these contractions of false labor, the baby moves strengthen . Contrary to these symptoms during a real labor the membranes are breaking and you lose amniotic fluid (not required), the contractions intensified during activity are becoming more frequent and more painful ,lumbar pain is located, possibly with radiation into the system and may be accompanied by diarrhea.
In the 3rd quarter of pregnancy, the baby continues to grow at a stunning pace, preparing the birth. He becomes more rounded as the muscles start to develop and the fat is deposited in layers. Fat deposits will help to regulate their temperature outside your uterus. Your baby will arrive on time at about 51 cm and 3450 grams. 15% of his body is fat and 60-75% is water. Weight infants at term vary greatly, being normal between 2800 and 4200 grams. Boys are usually higher weight and length than girls, and twins are smaller. In the weeks before birth, the cervix becomes softer and thinner, gynecologists you name as being deleted. This is normal and you prepare for childbirth. The baby is down (to hire) in the tank and he expects to meet you. It is very important for you to be relaxed during labor. In stressful situations, the uterine muscles contract and labor becomes more and more painful!
One of the most important gift that a pregnant woman can give to her unborn child is a clear mind, the calm and a relaxed body. All this because your baby receive chemical messages through the blood vessels of the placenta. So everything you feel during pregnancy will be felt by your baby to. If you fell anger or you are upset, your baby will feel the same, will became hyperactive and the risk of miscarriage will increase.
Due to multiple changes that appear during pregnancy, the woman is very often predisposed to stress. A lot of studies have found a link between the stress felt by the pregnant woman and the consequences to the unborn child. The cause which can be responsible for the repercussions on the child, is related to the level of cortisone. These increases proportionally with the level of stress experienced by women and jump to the fetus through the placenta.
The children who have been exposed during pregnancy to a high level of cortisone have a low IQ, hyperactivity and anxiety.
Some tips to reduce stress
-Think positive , be relaxed and optimistic. It is good to keep in touch with your doctor and if you have any worries you should ask him. In that way you would now everything about what is going to happen and so you will be more relaxed.
- Do the things that you like more: go for short walks, listen some good music, chill music is very indicated because it relax both you and the baby, go shopping, make yourself beauty.
-You will feel all the time tired so it is good to rest when you feel the need to do this.
-Tell your partner what you feel. Read about the changes that take place, about life in three if it is the first pregnancy. Tell him about your fears and try to solve them.
-Try to see the beautiful part of being pregnant, not only to focus on the bad moments .Speak to your child, comfort him, be a happy future mother. In that way you will be healthy both physical and mental, and your child will be the most loved in the world.
The flu is perhaps the most dangerous in pregnancy.
It is an acute infectious disease, highly contagious, caused by influenza virus, a virus with many variants but less durable. It is generally transmitted from person to person with a high infectiousness, generating frequent epidemics. The source is a disease send by patients directly, through sneezing, coughing, speaking v
ery slowly and ,indirectly through recently affected and infected articles . It happens that the disease can be contacted and in some animals or birds. Attention: A pregnant woman should take extra care. The virus enters through the respiratory mucosa, there multiply and cause inflammatory and toxic phenomena. Rarely can penetrate into the blood.
Most pregnant women suffering from the flu can lead the pregnancy period and the risk of birth defects, premature birth, intrauterine growth delay, death in uteri, leukemia and schizophrenia later in childhood or adult is small. From existing data up to now is not clear if there is a risk in the occurrence of fetal malformations. Some studies indicate a risk of one per cent, others do not identify any risk for influenza infection during the first trimester. It is said the most likely, if this risk exists, it is very small, especially if you take into consideration that every pregnancy is a risk arising between 3 and 5 percent for congenital malformations. Children born to mothers with chronic respiratory diseases complicated by influenza have low birth weight, more especially if their mothers smoke, and a higher hospitalization in the intensive newborns care .
Methods of prevention and treatment
You should prepare in advance the body resistance to infection, before of the coming cold season. And even if you contract the virus, it can occur in a milder form. Therefore you must eat healthy, with as many vitamins, especially C and E, minerals like selenium, zinc, etc.. You should eat garlic, is a very important article in preventing influenza. Make sports daily. Avoid crowded places and contact with patients, especially during epidemics. Watch out as you can of fatigue and stress (especially during pregnancy), they reduce immunity and create good environment for the flu.