Or, subscribe via email
Supporting
Life is full of sweet sounds. Sounds that become music to our ears. Sounds that warm our hearts, make us smile, make us giggle or just simply make us sigh. The other day I got to hear what I consider to be one of life’s sweetest sounds, the sounds of a tiny baby heart beating in utero. That lovely whoosh, whoosh, whooshing. A sound that warms my heart and instantly calms me. A sound that reminds that there is an actual baby growing in there. I still remember hearing Maya’s heart beating away for the first time.
On Tuesday I had my 12 week follow up appointment with my obstetrician. It was the first appointment that I was far enough along for him to use the doppler to hear that baby’s heartbeat. I’ve heard that heartbeat a couple of times already through the ultrasound machine, but there is just something about hearing for the first time on the doppler that makes the pregnancy feel more real. I can’t wait until my next appointment so I can hear it again.
Everything checked out great at my appointment. I was actually able to put on a half a pound in the last 4 weeks. Both my doctor and I were very impressed given how horribly nauseous I have felt and that I’ve was vomiting almost daily for most of that 4 weeks. So, I’m very proud of that half pound my body was able to add on.
Now that I’m almost out of the first trimester I’ve actually been starting to feel a bit better. Some days are still really bad, but most days this week I’ve been able to avoid the nausea until about 4pm in the afternoon and I haven’t vomited in almost a week now. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks the nausea will go away completely and I’ll start feeling more and more like myself.
Many pregnant women don’t think about their dental health. The focus is on the growing the baby and the physical symptoms being experienced. Your teeth probably aren’t front and center in your mind. However, keeping on top of your dental hygiene during pregnancy is very important. Many of the changes in your body that are causing the symptoms you are experiencing are also causing some problems and changes in your mouth as well. Those pregnancy hormones are responsible for a whole lot of crazy things during pregnancy.
The hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy cause pregnant women to become more susceptible to the gum disease gingivitis and increase tooth sensitivity. Those rage hormones can also cause your gums to bleed more easily, your teeth to become slightly loose and increase acidity in your mouth which causes tooth decay. As a result of these changes taking place in your mouth it is important to take good care of your teeth during pregnancy.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft bristled tooth brush. Ideally you should brush after each meal if possible.
- Floss your teeth at least once a day. You may need to take extra care when flossing as your gums may bleed more easily.
- Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash twice a day.
- If you vomit as a result of morning sickness during pregnancy be sure to rinse your mouth very well afterwards as the increased acidity in the mouth can lead to tooth decay.
- Visit your dentist regularly during pregnancy.
- If you develop any dental issues or problems discuss them with your prenatal care provider and your dentist.
If you have questions about dental health during pregnancy be sure to discuss them with your dentist and your prenatal care provider.
In the early part of pregnancy the idea that a small little person is growing inside of you can be difficult to imagine. The baby inside is still very surreal. You can’t see him or her (unless you have an ultrasound, of course), you can’t touch him or her and you can’t yet feel him or her moving inside of you. Hearing the baby’s heartbeat at a prenatal visit or seeing his or her fuzzy image on an ultrasound monitor are your only real glimpses of the life being created. Feeling your baby move for the first time is such a magical time of pregnancy. It is those first faint kicks, those little flutters that tell you someone is in there. Those little flutters that will become large, sometimes uncomfortable kicks, are your connection to the baby.
When you feel those first faint movements will vary widely from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. Often times women will be able to recognize the faint flutters of movement earlier in second and subsequent pregnancies since they already know what to look for. On average a pregnant woman can expect to feel her baby moving sometime around the 15 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The baby begins moving as early as 7-8 weeks but since it is still so tiny at that point you won’t yet be able to feel the movements. Your size can also impact when you feel the first movements. Larger women often don’t feel the first movements until closer to the 20th week of pregnancy or later. While petite women may feel the baby move earlier. When I was pregnant with Maya I felt her move for the first time during my 14th week of pregnancy. It felt like tiny little flutters, sort of like popcorn popping inside my tummy. It is definitely a very cool feeling.
As the baby continues to grow and take up more space inside your abdomen you will begin to feel stronger more regular kicks. You’ll begin to recognize your baby’s cycles. There will be certain times of the day when the baby is very active, like just after you’ve eaten or when you are relaxing or trying to sleep. Other times of the day the baby will be very still. Recognizing these patterns will help you identify if something is wrong. If you haven’t felt the baby move at his or her regular times you’ll know to call your doctor. A general role of thumb for fetal movements is at least 10 distinct movements in no more than 2 hours. You don’t need to constantly count the movements but occasionally, during a regular active time for your baby, sit quietly or lay on your side and time how long it takes to feel 10 movements. Call your doctor if you do not feel 10 movements in 2 hours.
Feeling those movements, even though they can sometimes be uncomfortable or keep you awake at night, is the best feeling. Those little hands and feet moving away inside giving you a glimpse of the person you will meet on delivery day. Enjoy those kicks, they are definitely one of the things you will miss about being pregnant.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are at all concerned about your baby’s movements.
Infant mortality is a difficult subject to talk about. No one wants to think about the bad things that can happen. It is often easier to sugar coat the statistics and pretend like it is something that only happens to other people. However, in order to combat problems like preterm births and stillbirths we have to talk about them. We have give those tiny babies and their families a voice so that hopefully one day it won’t happen at all.
Globally, 13 million babies are born premature and approximately 3.2 million stillbirths occur. Preterm birth accounts for approximately 1 million infant deaths yearly and is the leading cause of infant death worldwide. Though preterm births and stillbirths are more common in low and middle income countries they are growing problems in higher income countries, like the United States. In the US approximately 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely and the health care costs associated with preterm births accounts for more than $26 billion annually making it the 7th leading healthcare expense in this country.
The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirths (GAPPS) recently funded a study conducted by maternal and child healthcare experts from around the world that looked at the causes of both premature and stillbirths and the possible interventions that could be used to help combat preterm and stillbirths globally. The study found that not enough is known, globally, about what causes most preterm and stillbirths and calls for action, particularly in the area of research. The more people know the greater the chances of preventing both stillbirths and preterm births will be.
However, researchers lack access to quality tissue samples in order to conduct the research necessary to determine the most common causes of preterm and stillbirths and ultimately what measures can be taken to help prevent them. As a result, GAPPS is partnering with hospitals, research labs, universities both here in the United States and around the world to establish a tissue repository. The hope is collect a large cross sample of specimens from pregnant women and newborns from around the world so researchers have access to the date they need.
Infant death is a tragic and heartbreaking issue that we need to talk about, think about and address. The more we know the better off our children will be. I hope one day we know enough to prevent these tragedies from occurring so every pregnant woman will know the joy of holding her healthy infant in her arms and every baby gets the best start at life.
Taking good care of your teeth during pregnancy is very important. The hormonal changes caused by pregnancy increase your risk of developing gum disease. As your hormones change during your pregnancy your can lead to additional swelling and bleeding of your gums. Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk of premature labor and birth.
It is, of course, always important to practice good oral hygiene, but, given the risk that gum disease poses to your pregnancy it is even more important during pregnancy. Making sure you brush and floss regularly, visit your dentist for regularly scheduled cleanings and check ups and avoiding sugary snacks and carbonated sodas that can lead to tooth decay are all ways that you can maintain good oral health.
Many women are concerned about visiting the dentist during pregnancy. Regular dental care, such as regular check ups and cleanings, cavity fillings, etc are all safe during pregnancy. It is safest to get dental work done during your second trimester due to comfort levels for you, as well as decreasing any potential risk on the growing fetus.
During the first trimester many women experience the ugly pregnancy symptom know commonly as morning sickness. This feeling of nausea and sometimes vomiting make you want to avoid brushing your teeth, especially since the taste of toothpaste can often trigger the nausea and vomiting. However, it is important to still continue brushing your teeth regularly, especially after vomiting as the acid in vomit can lead to tooth decay. There are bland tasting toothpastes on the market that may making the deed of brushing your teeth during the early months of pregnancy that much easier.
Good oral hygiene and regular dental check ups during pregnancy are vital, however, there are a few things you should avoid during pregnancy. They include: routine oral x-rays (unless necessary to deal with a dental emergency), dental procedures like fillings should be avoided during the first trimester and later half of the third trimester, although oral anesthesia is safe you should avoid high doses of the anesthesia so be sure to talk to your doctor and your dentist before having any dental treatments done that require anesthesia.
So, the bottom line is, brush, floss, check in with your dentist on your regular schedule and take care of those teeth.
If you are concerned about whether something is safe or not be sure to discuss it with your doctor and your dentist before proceeding.