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“Can I have sex during my pregnancy?” It is the question lingering in the back of every woman’s mind (or most anyway!) while they sit on the examine table in their doctor’s office, but few get up the nerve to ask. Remember you aren’t the first to ask this question and you certainly won’t be the last.
So is sex OK during pregnancy? In most cases yes. If your pregnancy is proceeding normally and you haven’t had any problems or complications, and your doctor hasn’t advised you that you should abstain from sex, you are probably fine. You should ask your doctor during one of your early prenatal visits and again if anything comes up that you think may change his/her response.
The other side of the question, of course, is do you want to have sex during pregnancy. That is only something you can answer. For some woman their sexual relationship with their husband will remain pretty much the same during pregnancy as it was pre-pregnancy. For others it will either increase or decrease. It all depends on how you feel physically and emotionally, and how your husband feels about sex during pregnancy.
During the first trimester you may find that the nausea, fatigue, and the ever changing hormone levels may decrease your sex drive. A nap suddenly sounds much better than anything else, especially sex! Most woman do feel pretty good during their second trimester (often called the honeymoon trimester) and an increase in blood flow to your vaginal area will likely bring that sex drive back. The third trimester, with all the weight gain and the return of fatigue, often means your sex drive will decrease again.
Remember that every woman is different, and every couple is different. Listen to your own body. If you just don’t feel like it that’s OK. If you do, well that’s OK too. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or are concerned that it might not be OK for you to have sex during your pregnancy.
Your doctor may recommend that you avoid sex if:
- You are at risk of preterm labor or are currently experiencing preterm labor.
- You have any unexplained vaginal bleeding.
- You are leaking amniotic fluid.
- You have cervical incompetence (premature opening or weakening of the cervix).
- You have placenta previa (placenta is partially or completely covering the cervix).
- Any other complications where sexual intercourse may cause further complications.
(source: Mayo Clinic, Fit Pregnancy)
Summer is a time for kids to unwind, relax and enjoy being a kid. However, kids do lose a lot of the knowledge they gained during the school year if learning doesn’t remain part of their everyday life. For example, on average children will lose approximately 2.6 months of their grade level equivalency in mathematics. Teachers typically spend the first 4-6 weeks of a school year re-teaching what the children learned the previous year and lost during the summer.
No child (or parent for that matter) wants to spend all summer feeling like they are still in school. It is important for parents to come up with creative ways to keep their children learning but still having fun at the same time. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on expensive summer camps and programs. Summer learning can be inexpensive or even free!
Here are a few ideas for some fun summer learning:
- Use your local library. Most libraries have free (or very inexpensive) children’s programs. Or you can just simply create a family summer reading challenge.
- Create fun learning activities for your children such as scavenger hunts.
- Use your local zoo, science center and museums as fun learning environments. Come up with little games or learning activities for your children before you head out. For example count the number of mammals we see at the zoo, find the space area of the science center and learn something new to share with the family at dinner tonight.
- Find some kid-friendly online websites that use games to help kids learn math skills, language skills, reading, etc. These can be great for rainy days!
- Check with your local school board to see if they offer any summer programs.
Those are just a few of the ideas I came up with. Get your kids involved in the process. They will have fun thinking up fun, learning-rich activities for the summer. The key is to make learning fun so they don’t even know they aren’t just playing!
The umbilical cord that supplied your newborn with all the nutrients he needed while he was developing inside of you is pretty valuable even after your baby is born. The umbilical cord blood has been found to contain the same blood-forming stem cells as bone marrow. These blood-forming stem cells can be invaluable if your child has to fight childhood diseases such as cancer and immune system diseases.
Beginning in the 1970s researchers picked up on the value of the blood found in the umbilical cord and began collecting it and storing it in those cases where the parents gave permission. Today, cord blood is still being collected, and because of the advances of modern medicine, the uses for the stem cells found in cord blood continue to grow. Some parents opt to donate their child’s cord blood for public use, while others choose to have it collected and banked for their own personal use.
How does cord blood collection work if you choose to bank your cord blood? After your baby has been delivered you will deliver your placenta. Attached to the placenta is the remains of the umbilical cord. One of the nurses or the doctor will drain the remaining cord blood from the umbilical using a collection kit provided by the cord blood bank of your choice. The cord blood will then be transported to the cord blood bank and cryogenically (frozen) stored for you.
So is cord blood banking the right choice for you? That depends. It is hard to imagine something terrible happening to your child as you hold your brand new little baby in your arms for the first time, unfortunately it does happen sometimes, but remember the odds remain pretty low. The blood-forming stem cells found in your baby’s umbilical cord may help her win a battle against childhood cancer, blood disease, or immune system disease (and many more I’m sure). Having the piece of mind that her cord blood has been stored “just in case” may be important to you. It is important to do your research, talk to your doctor, and decide what is right for your family.
Cord blood banking is not without its disadvantages of course. Not the least of which being the expense. The average cord blood banking will cost you $1000-$2000 up front plus additional yearly fees usually in the range of $100/year. In some cases you may also have to pay for the collection kit, which can cost several hundred dollars. Also, the cord blood has only been found to be useful in children and young adults so far as the older (and larger) you get the more stem cells you need for a successful transplant. The amount collected from the umbilical cord just isn’t enough for an adult transplant. So, the cord blood you bank will not be useful forever.
It should be noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend cord blood banking for those families who do not have a family history of the diseases cord blood can help fight. In those cases where there is no family history cord blood donation is encouraged and recommended.
This is just another decision for you to make while you are anticipating the arrival of your little bundle of joy (as if there aren’t enough decisions already!!). Just like with everything else it is important to do your research, talk to the professionals including your doctor, and make a decision that is right for your family based on the facts.
Here are a few links that you may find helpful in your research:
- American Academy of Pediatrics Cord Blood Banking FAQ
- American Pregnancy Association
- Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Banks
(sources: AAP, Kidshealth, WebMD)
Every woman has been there so don’t worry you’re not alone. Often during early pregnancy women experience bloating which can make your clothes feel a little tight even though you aren’t showing yet. Also, women who have been pregnant before will often experience a much earlier “popping” of their belly. No matter what the cause it can make you feel quite uncomfortable throughout the day. Early pregnancy can be uncomfortable enough without adding to the grief!
It may not feel like it is quite time for maternity clothes but you definitely need something more comfortable than squishing into your regular clothes. So what can you do? Here are a few suggestions on how you can handle this early bulging in your middle.
- Purchase clothing a size larger than you normally wear. Some woman will tell you this is a great idea since you’ll probably need the larger clothes after the baby arrives any way.
- Purchase “Belly Band
“, which allows you to where your regular jeans throughout your pregnancy (basically covering up the fact your have your pants undone!!).
- Buy some maternity clothes, but go for the ones with the expandable waist (many maternity clothes have these now). That way the clothes will grow with you.
- Wear your most comfortable and stretchiest clothing.
- Wear your husbands clothes (not my cup of tea, but may work for some of you).
The key is to be comfortable without having to expand your wardrobe unnecessarily. I found the expandable maternity pants were the best purchase I made. I was able to wear them all throughout my pregnancy and they were comfortable no matter what. They can also be useful immediately following your delivery if you don’t walk out of the hospital small enough to fit into your old clothes!
Some where around 7-9 months old your little one will begin to show an interest in feeding himself. You may notice that he grabs for the spoon more often when you are trying to feed him or will start grabbing for food of your plate. It is around this time that your child is beginning to work on her pincer grip, using her thumb and forefinger to pick up objects. Finger foods are a great way to help her work on this new milestone and begin to teach her how to feed herself.
When you think your child is ready for finger foods you can begin by giving her a few small pieces of finger food on her high chair tray. At first you may find that she tries to rack the object into her hand and bring it to her mouth. However, slowly you will see her start trying to pick them up using her thumb and forefinger.
Some foods that make great “first” finger foods include:
- O-shaped cereal or the puffs made by the baby food manufacturers.
- Small pieces of lightly toasted bread.
- Well-cooked pasta cut into small pieces.
- Small pieces of well-cooked vegetables such as carrots, peas or potatoes.
- Small pieces of rice cakes or crackers.
- Chunks of bananas.
- Pieces of slightly cooked apples or pears.
- Pieces of soft peach.
Really anything that is considered OK for a baby to eat and is cut up into small enough pieces will make great finger foods. My daughters absolute favorite is the puffs made by Gerber, as well as pieces of peach or other fruits. Experiment to see what your child likes and dislikes. Remember to never leave your child unattended while they are eating finger foods due to the possible choke hazards.
If you have questions about what your child is ready for and what kinds of food are OK for your child to eat, talk to your pediatrician.