Pregnancy & Childbirth

Posted by Brenda Lane

Fascinating research is showing that there may be correlations between the mother's diet and whether she conceives a boy or girl.

Over 700 first time mothers participated on the study. Results showed that 56% of the highest calorie intake group at the time of conception gave birth to males, while only 45% gave birth to sons in the lowest calorie group.

In terms of survival, researchers say that this makes sense.

"If a mother has plentiful resources then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter. However, in leaner times having a daughter is a safer bet," researchers report.

So if a mother skips meals or is on a diet when she conceives, her body may read that as a sign that food sources are low since it lowers her levels of blood sugar.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

Today is a day that we recognize the role our mothers have played on our lives. These are the amazing women who sacrificed much over the years, from the loss of sleep to making sure we had new shoes for school in the fall.

Some of us may have had a special relationship with an older woman who acted as a mother to us. Many of these women dedicated their time to helping us in any way we might have needed support.

All of these wise older women in our lives have taught us, shaped us, encouraged us and loved us.

If you have someone special in your life who was either your own mother or acted as a mother to you at any point in your life, be sure to contact her today to say "thank you" for everything she has done for you.

To all of the amazing and wonderfully wise women and mothers out there,

"Happy Mother's Day!"

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

Are you on an exercise program during your pregnancy? Perhaps you are wondering if it is safe for you and your baby to continue to exercise.

Not only does exercise benefit you in terms of toning your body for the long hours of labor, but it can have added benefits to help prevent preterm labor and birth.

This new study done was conducted over a six year period with over 80,000 mothers. About 1/3 of the mothers in the study reported that they engaged in low inpact exercise such as swimming, walking, hiking or bicycling during their pregnancy.

Researchers discovered that the mothers who did have regular exercise were less likely to give birth preterm than those that did not.

Be sure you are carefully following exercise guidelines especially if you are very active during pregnancy.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

A case report in the April 2008 issue of the American Journal of Obstretrics and Gynecology describes that injuries can occur to the baby as a result of the use of vacuum extractors during a cesarean.

An online abstract of this case report is as follows,

"The use of a vacuum device as a routine procedure at the time of repeat cesarean delivery was associated with major fetal intracranial hemorrhage. In the absence of clear evidence of benefit, the routine use of vacuum extraction at the time of cesarean delivery is not justified, given its potential for serious fetal injury."If you expect to have a cesarean or you want to avoid the risks associated with a vacuum extraction due to an unplanned cesarean, please consult with your primary provider to share your concerns with them prior to having your baby.

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

As women progress in their pregnancies and become more bulky and uncomfortable, wearing a seat belt can become more restrictive. Mothers may even admit that they can't stand the tightness of the seat belt around their tummies in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

However, now there is good reason to keep those seat belts fastened around you during your entire pregnancy! New research published in the April issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has shown that in car collisions, not wearing a seat belt increased the risk of death to the unborn baby.

Findings showed that if a mother wears her seat belt and she is in a severe motor vehicle accident, she can reduce the chance of her baby dying by 50%.

For all of us who have been in severe car accidents, including myself, wearing a seat belt all the time whether pregnant or not, clearly saves lives.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

There is a common myth among pregnant women that having a cesarean is safer for both mothers and babies. Rather than go through the unpredictable hours of labor and giving birth vaginally, a cesarean is a controlled and safer option with little short-term or long-term risk.

The truth is that cesareans are major abdominal surgery. In fact, it is more likely for the mother to suffer from minor complications as well as major health risks after having a cesarean.

New research in the latest issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has indicated that mothers increase their chances of having a stroke within the first year after having a cesarean.

The risk of stroke after a cesarean was 1.67 times greater after 3 months, 1.61 times greater within 6 months and 1.49 times greater within 12 months after having a cesarean.

Researchers concluded that a cesarean was an independent risk factor for stroke.

If you are considering having a cesarean without an indicated medical risk, please talk to your care provider about the possibility of vaginal birth.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

If you give birth to a preterm baby, scientists have discovered that you are more likely to have higher cholesterol later in life. New findings were presented at the 2008 meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation in San Diego.

Dr. Janet Catov, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, reports that it is hard to say if the high cholesterol triggers the preterm birth or if something in the pregnancy or the preterm birth triggers the cholesterol problem.

Results showed that mothers who gave birth prior to 34 weeks gestation, had a 2.3 times greater chance of having a cholesterol over 240mg/dl which is a level considered to be high risk by the American Heart Association.

Researchers believe that this study indicates that a woman's previous medical history, including her pregnancy, provides a window into her future risk for heart disease.

If you have had a preterm birth and now have high cholesterol, it is recommended that you have regular follow-up every year with a complete physical.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

A Norwegian study published in the British Medical Journal is showing that there may be a genetic component to having a baby in the breech position during pregnancy.

Researchers examined over 2.2 million births over two generations to see if their hypothesis was correct (that both men and women who were breech themselves at birth were more likely to have a child who was also in a breech position.)

In fact, what the study showed was that both men and women who were breech themselves, were more than twice as likely to have a child delivered in a breech position. The strongest recurrence were found with men and women who were delivered vaginally in a breech position. Passing this "breech tendency" down to their offspring only occured with participants who reached full term at birth.

For related information see Turning Breech Babies and Vaginal Breech.

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

I just recently completed a 3 day workshop in preparation for becoming a postpartum doula. It was exciting to be a learner after having been involved in the field of pregnancy and birth for nearly 18 years as a childbirth educator, birth doula and birth doula trainer.

The workshop, coupled with recent experiences helping families during the postpartum period, made me realize that this is an especially challenging time in the life of each new family. More parents are waiting until they are older to have children. That translates to having older grandparents of the baby and in some cases, the grandparents might be at an age where they might be limited in how they can help out their own children. Not to mention, more and more families are moving away from their relatives, which makes it harder to have support.

Let's face it. Postpartum is exhausting for the mother. She is still recovering from the birth and now she is up every 2 hours day and night feeding her baby. And meal preparation and laundry will not simply get done on their own. If the father returns to work right away, the demands on the new mother could be overwhelming for her if she does not have additional support.

I love the concept that postpartum doulas represent such a simple yet effective way to guide the family through this time. WIth an experienced helper to walk them through baby care, breastfeeding, preparing a nutricious meal or just being a listening ear, it's a win-win for mother, baby and the entire family!

For more about finding a postpartum doula or training to become one, visit DONA International.

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

Years ago the only time a woman would have a cesarean would be there were risks to either her or her baby. In fact, the cesarean rate in the 1970's was only about 5% of all births. Now nearly 30 years later, cesarean rates across the world are climbing, with the cesarean rate in the US very close to the top of the list at 30%.

We can no longer assume that cesareans are being done due to strictly emergency situations. The most common reasons for a cesarean are for a stalled or non-progressing labor or because of a previous cesarean. Only a small handful of mothers are choosing or electing to have a cesarean without an indicated risk. And very few cesareans are currently performed because of emergencies.

What if you are pregnant and getting close to your due date and your doctor recommends that you have a cesarean? Perhaps the size of the baby is measuring big due to a recent ultrasound. What dhould you do? Here are some questions to ask your provider should he or she recommend that you have a cesarean without a medical reason:

1. If a cesarean is recommended due to the baby's size, how accurate is an ultrasound to measure the baby's weight?

2. Is it possible to consider an induction prior to doing a cesarean?

3. Would the provider be patient for you to have a long labor or use a variety of pushing positions if the baby is larger?

Remember that how you give birth not only affects your recovery but also how you give birth to your next baby.

Brenda