Birth and Babies

Induction is the term used for artificially starting the labor process.  This is used for babies that are “post dates” or “late”, are expected to get too large before the expected due date, are experiencing certain complications (either mom or baby), or for moms who want to plan the date of their baby’s birth.  As with everything that changes the course of nature, induction certainly has its side effects.

As a general rule, induction should only be used when absolutely necessary to protect the mother and baby.  It carries serious risk and can create additional problems.

There are a variety of ways labor can be induced.  It is a great idea to study up on induction while pregnant so you are aware of your options and the process should this happen to you.

Here are some questions you should ask, when faced with the suggestion of an induction from your care provider:

Questions to ask before an induction: 1.   Why is this being recommended?2.   What are the benefits of inducing labor and what are the possible risks?3.   Is this something that I need to make a decision about now or can I have time to think about it and discuss it with my partner?4.   Are there ways that I can get more information about how my baby is doing? 5.   What is my time frame?6.   If I did agree to the induction, how would it be done?7.   If I did agree to the induction, would I be able to use a telemetry unit?  Would I be able to move around, use the shower or get into the labor tub?

8. If Pitocin is used, would we be able to turn it off once the labor got active and see if I could continue laboring without it?
9. What are my options?

            As a husband or birth partner, you are probably wondering what you can do to comfort and help the laboring woman.  As an expectant mom, you’re probably wondering what you might like during your labor!  There are far too many things to list for every possible condition, but here are a few ideas to get you started.             If the mother is tolerant of you touching her, experiment with different rubs, touches, squeezes and the like. 

• Prayer
• Communication: Talk with the woman and find out what she would like at the time – she is the best way to learn how to comfort her!  Ask questions (though not during a contraction) to make sure certain things aren’t bothering her
  • Are the lights too bright or dim?
  • Is the room to hot/cold?
  • If lying in bed – Would you like the bed up/down?
  • Advocate for her if that is her desire
• Massage
• Touch Relaxation
• Imagery – did she bring a few pictures to look at to help relax her? 
• Visualization Relaxation – do you have a tape or a script to read for visualization exercises?
• Hot/Cold washcloths on the forehead/face
• Keeping the hair out of her eyes, put her hair back in a ponytail
• Bring a rolling pin and pad it with a towel, use that to help massage her back.
• Back scratching, lightly scratching the arms and legs can also bring relaxation
• Offer drinks and snacks
• Encourage her, tell her she’s doing a great job
• Encourage her to get up and stay up and active, change position often
• Match her mood – when she becomes serious and quiet, her birth partner(s) should too
• Give the mother undivided attention
• Breathe with her           
• Encourage vocalization through the contractions
• Encourage the mother to change position, use a birth ball, take a shower
• Counter pressure
• Hot and cold compresses in areas of tension – neck/shoulders, back, groin
• Bounce and sway on a birth ball, kneel on the floor and lean over the birth ball
• Have your favorite music available
• Change scenery often, walk indoors and out
• Aromatherapy
• Affirmation
• Pelvic Rocking
• Showering
• Show dancing

Certainly I think by now we all know that for most mothers and babies, breastfeeding is the most complete nutrition and healthiest form of free babyfood anywhere.  It can take some getting used to, it may take a lot of practice and time to get it right - but in the end, its worth it.

What we may not realise, is that we are subjecting our babies to problems if we choose not to breastfeed.  Here is part of an article I hand out in my classes, which shows some of these side effects and how they can effect a non-breastfed child its whole life!

Gastrointestinal Illness   At least 400 infants die annually in the United States from diarrheal disease; an estimated 250-300 of these deaths are attributed to not being breastfed.  Other gastrointestinal disorders such as
Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac  are minimized  in people who were breastfed.

Respiratory Illness. Between 500 and 600 infants die annually in the United States from acute respiratory disease attributed to not being breastfed. The risk of fatal or nonfatal respiratory infections is two- to fivefold higher among
formula fed infants.

Otitis Media occurs more frequently in infants who are not breastfed. Bacteremia and Meningitis  There is a fourfold higher risk of bacteremia and meningitis among babies who are not breast-fed.

Juvenile Diabetes  More than 100 studies indicate that breast-feeding can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes in  children said Dr Cadwell.

Malignant Lymphomas  A six- to eightfold increase in the risk for developing lymphomas among children younger than 15 years has been found in children who were not breastfed for at least 6 months.

Breast Cancer  Having been breastfed as a child  reduces breast cancer risk in women over 40 by more than 25%.

Pediatric News 33(1):37, 1999

Some great articles on health, nutrition and more for pregnant and nursing moms, as well as women in general!  Spend some time on this gem of a site, you’ll be sure to learn a LOT!

We’re looking for a few good people – maybe one, maybe several – who would be interesting in helping us develop a really good parenting Web site. We have a print publication called Monroe Parent, with a companion Web site, Monroeparent.com. We’re working on improvements to the print publication and want to dramatically improve the Web site, too (if you go to it now, you’ll see that it’s mostly broken, awaiting its rebirth).There are a lot of good “Mom” or “Parenting” Web sites developing around the country, and we’d like for ours to be right there with the best. One thing it needs is a “champion” or a group of “champions” who would give it the care and nurturing it needs. This person or persons would lead a blog or forum discussion, surf the net for useful links to good articles and Web sites, and work with our staff to pull the best content from our print publications.The idea is to give parents a place to exchange ideas – maybe in a slightly more orderly way than on MonroeTalks – and find good information. The “discussion leader” would need to be knowledgeable enough to pose good questions and steer the conversation, but would not have to be an expert with a degree in child development. The work could be done at home at any hour.We’re not talking about a full-time job – just a few hours a week. We haven’t decided yet what we’ll pay, if anything. It depends on how many people show interest and how much interest and how involved they get in the site, beyond just blogging/discussion leading.

Anyone who is interested should contact Dan Shaw at danshaw@monroenews.com or at 734-240-5749.

Everyone has their own personal favorite when it comes to babywearing.  Here are some of mine and some observations I have picked up over the years.

• Slings: One of the most versatile carriers around.  The sling will carry your newborn up to toddlers in a variety of comfortable positions.  The sling takes a little practice to learn how to adjust and snug your baby up to you, but once you have the idea they are very easy to use.  Most are very adjustable, allowing you the option to adjust the side rails and the depth of the sling.  You can nurse hands free and the tail doubles as a light cover to shield your baby from the weather or keep yourself covered while nursing.
• Wraps: Wraps are probably THE most versatile.  I can’t even count the carriers (or positions) you can use with a wrap on BOTH of my hands.  These work great for newborns up to toddlers.  The only downsides to wraps are their length (often around 5 yards), and the learning curve.  It takes a lot of practice to learn a few carries and it takes a lot of practice to be able to wrap your baby in a store or in a parking lot without having the ends touch the dirty ground… But their versatility outweighs any downsides, I think!  Using a wrap I find my baby is MOST secure on my body, and there is no hardware to worry about.  I can also wrap my baby so snugly that he or she can fall asleep and their head is so supported that I could essentially do jumping jacks and my baby would never move.  It’s not too tight - just very snug and conforms to their little bodies.
• Mei Tai: These are great carriers to use if you want easy.  They’re essentially a square peice of fabric with straps that you use to tie your baby on.  Your child sits on the square, which becomes a seat and back.  The straps usually criss cross under your baby’s bum and between his or her legs to create a no-slip chair.  Then two other straps typically go under your baby’s arms and the back of the ’seat’ reaches to their armpits.  I have seen mei tai’s that have headrests for young babies and for toddlers who fall asleep, but I’ve never used them.  I prefer the mei tai for a baby who has good head control, when it’s not close to naptime so there is no worry of a baby or child falling asleep without head support.  These are great to use on your front or back (or even side) and very user friendly!

First Prenatal Visit:

Usually the first visit is the busiest in which you and your partners health history is taken, blood is drawn for the prenatal panel, urine is collected (to check for infection or other problems), estimated due date is calculated, your weight/blood pressure is checked and sometimes the heart tones are detected via a doppler.  During this visit you may also have a full physical and pap smear.  This is a good chance to ask your care provider important questions concerning your care, and bring up any concerns you may have.

Health History

A health history is taken on you and your partner to determine special needs you may have during your pregnancy and to prevent complications.  Your care provider will want to know about your past pregnancies, bad habits, work environment, health, surgeries, etc.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring a copy of your health record with you to this appointment!

Prenatal Panel

The blood drawn during this appointment is called your “prenatal panel.”  This is used to detect infection, collect basic information (such as your blood type), and to determine a ‘baseline’ to compare against future results should a complication arise that this information will help benefit.  The following tests are usually performed (and you do have the option to refuse them):

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): This blood test determines how efficiently your blood can carry oxygen, whether you are anemic, have an infection, allergies or the possibility of leukemia. The CBC measures the volume of red and white blood cells and platelets in the blood, and compares them to statistically normal range values.  If tests show a problem, your care provider will then treat accordingly.
• Hepatitis B Virus Screen: This test determines if you carry the Hepatitis B virus.  If you do, there is a chance that your baby may become infected.  If you test positive, special care will be taken after your baby is born.
• HIV: This test determines if you have HIV.  There is a risk that the virus may be passed on to your baby. If you test positive, there are several ways in which your care provider can try to prevent the spread of HIV to your baby. 
• Rh Titer: This test is done to determine if you have antibodies to rhesis factor.  First your blood will be tested to determine if you are rhesis positive or rhesis negative.  If you are Rh- (rhesis negative) your blood will then be tested to determine if antibodies are present in your blood, which will attack your baby seeing it as an ‘intruder’ of sorts. If you are Rh- and have not produced antibodies, you can be given the ‘Rh immunoglobulin injection’ around 28 weeks of pregnancy to prevent your body from producing antibodies, should your blood mix with baby’s.  If you have already produced antibodies (and are said to be ‘sensitized’) additional screening and care will be given depending upon your needs and status. Typically, if this is your first pregnancy and you haven’t yet had any invasive tests (like an amniocentesis) nor any trauma that could cause your baby’s blood to mix with your own, there generally will not be an issue.
• Rubella Titer Screen: This test determines if you have rubella, or German Measles, antibodies present in your blood.  While this virus causes few problems in adults, it can cause serious problems with your fetus.   
• Syphilis Screen: This test is done to determine if you are infected with the sexually transmitted disease called syphilis.  If left untreated, it can cause serious congenital malformations during pregnancy.  Syphilis is usually easily treated with antibiotics once it has been discovered.
• Additional tests may be performed if deemed necessary.  Ask your care provider for a list of tests that will be performed according to your specific needs and background.

Urine Specimen

Estimated Due Date

Your due date will be calculated forty weeks from the date of your last menstrual period.  This date is just an estimate, and it is perfectly normal to go into labor up to two weeks before or after your estimated due date.

Weight Check

Weight gain is healthy and to be expected during pregnancy.  Your initial weight will be noted, you will be asked for your pre-pregnancy weight, and then your weight will be checked at each additional appointment to ensure proper weight gain.  You should not diet during pregnancy.

Blood Pressure Check

Your blood pressure will be checked at each appointment to ensure it is not too high.

Doppler

Heart tones can be heard early in pregnancy using a Doppler.  This works by reflecting small, high frequency sound waves from fetal heart. These signals are picked up by the Fetal Doppler and processed then amplified so that they are audible.

Physical

A complete physical may be performed to check your health and assess the progression of your pregnancy.

Pap smear:

This is a test performed to check for any abnormal cells in the cervical area. These cells are tested to determine dysplastic, precancerous or cancerous cells.  Pap smears do return a decent number of false-positive tests, so if your test comes back positive, additional testing will be performed.

First Prenatal Visit:

Usually the first visit is the busiest in which you and your partners health history is taken, blood is drawn for the prenatal panel, urine is collected (to check for infection or other problems), estimated due date is calculated, your weight/blood pressure is checked and sometimes the heart tones are detected via a doppler.  During this visit you may also have a full physical and pap smear.  This is a good chance to ask your care provider important questions concerning your care, and bring up any concerns you may have.

Health History

A health history is taken on you and your partner to determine special needs you may have during your pregnancy and to prevent complications.  Your care provider will want to know about your past pregnancies, bad habits, work environment, health, surgeries, etc.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring a copy of your health record with you to this appointment!

Prenatal Panel

The blood drawn during this appointment is called your “prenatal panel.”  This is used to detect infection, collect basic information (such as your blood type), and to determine a ‘baseline’ to compare against future results should a complication arise that this information will help benefit.  The following tests are usually performed (and you do have the option to refuse them):

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): This blood test determines how efficiently your blood can carry oxygen, whether you are anemic, have an infection, allergies or the possibility of leukemia. The CBC measures the volume of red and white blood cells and platelets in the blood, and compares them to statistically normal range values.  If tests show a problem, your care provider will then treat accordingly.
• Hepatitis B Virus Screen: This test determines if you carry the Hepatitis B virus.  If you do, there is a chance that your baby may become infected.  If you test positive, special care will be taken after your baby is born.
• HIV: This test determines if you have HIV.  There is a risk that the virus may be passed on to your baby. If you test positive, there are several ways in which your care provider can try to prevent the spread of HIV to your baby. 
• Rh Titer: This test is done to determine if you have antibodies to rhesis factor.  First your blood will be tested to determine if you are rhesis positive or rhesis negative.  If you are Rh- (rhesis negative) your blood will then be tested to determine if antibodies are present in your blood, which will attack your baby seeing it as an ‘intruder’ of sorts. If you are Rh- and have not produced antibodies, you can be given the ‘Rh immunoglobulin injection’ around 28 weeks of pregnancy to prevent your body from producing antibodies.  If you have already produced antibodies (and are said to be ‘sensitized’) additional screening and care will be given depending upon your needs and status. Typically, if this is your first pregnancy and you haven’t yet had any invasive tests (like an amniocentesis) nor any trauma that could cause your baby’s blood to mix with your own, there generally will not be an issue.
• Rubella Titer Screen: This test determines if you have rubella, or German Measles, antibodies present in your blood.  While this virus causes few problems in adults, it can cause serious problems with your fetus.   
• Syphilis Screen: This test is done to determine if you are infected with the sexually transmitted disease called syphilis.  If left untreated, it can cause serious congenital malformations during pregnancy.  Syphilis is usually easily treated with antibiotics once it has been discovered.
• Additional tests may be performed if deemed necessary.  Ask your care provider for a list of tests that will be performed according to your specific needs and background.

Urine Specimen

Estimated Due Date

Your due date will be calculated forty weeks from the date of your last menstrual period.  This date is just an estimate, and it is perfectly normal to go into labor up to two weeks before or after your estimated due date.

Weight Check

Weight gain is healthy and to be expected during pregnancy.  Your initial weight will be noted, you will be asked for your pre-pregnancy weight, and then your weight will be checked at each additional appointment to ensure proper weight gain.  You should not diet during pregnancy.

Blood Pressure Check

Your blood pressure will be checked at each appointment to ensure it is not too high.

Doppler

Heart tones can be heard early in pregnancy using a Doppler.  This works by reflecting small, high frequency sound waves from fetal heart. These signals are picked up by the Fetal Doppler and processed then amplified so that they are audible.

Physical

A complete physical may be performed to check your health and assess the progression of your pregnancy.

Pap smear:

This is a test performed to check for any abnormal cells in the cervical area. These cells are tested to determine dysplastic, precancerous or cancerous cells.  Pap smears do return a decent number of false-positive tests, so if your test comes back positive, additional testing will be performed.

Doing pelvic rocks during the later part of your pregnancy can relieve backache, tone muscles, improve circulation and help improve poor fetal positioning.  Early in pregnancy you can do pelvic rocks on your back, however, during the second half (or earlier, if it feels better), you should be on your hands and knees.  To do them, have your arms straight, knees hips-width apart, let your head hang loose and keep your back straight.  Then, arch your back as high as it is comfortable for you and hold it for a moment, then slowly straighten your back and arch it again.  As you arch, bring your chin to your chest and stretch out your neck, also.

Try to make this a daily routine, or do then whenever you feel the need!

What are your favorite things about babies?  What stage is your favorite?  The part of a baby’s body you feel is the most precious thing?  To my grandmother, spit-up is to be considered precious (my husband got spit up on, to which my grandmother replied “oh, but it’s precious!”)  Not too sure I’d agree?

My favorite things about babies: Those adorable fingers and toes! The smell of a newborn.  The toothless smiles.  The scrunch-squeal-stretch of a brand new newborn (then the look of pure contentment). The warmness you feel in the hands and feet of a sleeping baby.  The nose!  The feeling of a little body cuddled close, who trusts you completely and relies on you totally.  The raspberries and coo’s (that produce a LOT of drool).  The sight of a happy baby rolling, stretching, scrunched and throwing arms and legs around as it plays with toys on the floor.

My youngest is almost six months old.  I can’t believe it.  I’ve been doing a lot of baby watching lately, taking it all in, enjoying every minute,  knowing that tomorrow she’ll be another day older and will never be the age she is today ever again.

Man those babies grow up way too fast.  This is our third and you’d think I’d be used to the whole growing up fast thing by now.  Nope.  Gets me every time!  My oldest is about to turn 4 this month also.  I find myself thinking about her baby days a lot also, trying to imagine how that itty bitty 6lb baby turned into this beautiful little girl.

Alright future and current moms-to-be listen up: Caffiene (as little as two cups of coffee per day!) can double your miscarriage risk.  Caffiene is counted in pop, tea, and other drinks too, of course.  We’ve always known that lots of caffiene is no good but now we’re faced with: should we stick with a little in moderation, or stop all together?  Certainly, to be on the safer side because caffiene is no good for anyones body, stopping intake all together is great.  But for some pregnant moms, drinks and food that contain caffiene are sometimes ‘comfort foods or drinks’ or an object of a craving.

If you can stand it, nix the caffiene all together!  If you are trying to concieve, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to detox before you get pregnant.  Usually it’s a lot easier to stop bad habits before you become pregnant, so if stopping caffiene intake is something you want to do, your best bet might be to stop it before you do get that positive pregnancy test!

Read more here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22718279/