Or, subscribe via email
Supporting
The US government announced a new national campaign today called Text4Baby that will use cellphones and text messaging as a means to get healthy mother, healthy baby tips out to millions of expectant mothers all over the country. The campaign is being sponsored by several organizations and companies including the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Wellpoint and Blue Cross Blue Shield; and wireless carriers have agreed to waive all charges associated with receiving these text messages.
The goal of the campaign is to reach as many expectant mothers as possible and to use these periodic “healthy pregnancy” text messages to keep women informed about the things they should and shouldn’t be doing during pregnancy in order to help keep themselves and their babies healthy. The hope is that through these text messages women will be encouraged to eat healthier, exercises more and seek proper prenatal care, as well as provide encouragement and support to quit bad habits like smoking and drinking during pregnancy. A woman who has a healthy pregnancy and partakes in a healthy lifestyle during her pregnancy is much less likely to give birth prematurely and is more likely to have a healthy baby.
In the United States over half a million babies are born prematurely every year and every year almost 30, 000 babies die before their first birthday. Sadly, the United States ranks 30th worldwide in infant mortality, falling behind many other developed nations. The hope is that programs like Text4Baby will help women, especially low income women and those without health insurance, get the information they need to keep themselves and their babies healthy during pregnancy which will hopefully translate into fewer premature births and a fewer infant deaths.
The program is completely free to sign up for, and as stated above most cell phone carriers are waiving the fees associated with receiving these text messages. Visit Text4Baby.org to learn more about the program and sign up.
You wake in the middle of the night with incredible cramping pain in your legs. Ugh, leg cramps.
Pregnant women are very susceptible to leg cramps, particularly during their second and third trimesters. Leg cramps are a sudden tighten of the muscles that can cause intense pain. When you are awoken in the middle of the night by this intense pain it can quickly make leg cramps one of the most aggravating complaints during pregnancy. There are several things that cause leg cramps including:
- A lack of fluids
- Staying in the same position for too long
- Blood not circulating properly in the area
- An injury to the muscle, such as a muscle strain
Doctors are unsure what the exact cause of increased leg cramps during pregnancy, however, it is thought to be caused by a combination of the following:
- Changes in blood circulation during pregnancy
- Additional stress on the leg muscles from carrying the extra weight caused by the pregnancy
- The pressure of the growing baby and uterus on the nerves and blood vessels leading to the legs
Whatever the exact cause of leg cramps in pregnancy there are several things you can do in order to help prevent leg cramps and alleviate those that do occur.
To help prevent leg cramps pregnant women are encouraged to:
- Stretch. Including stretching before, during and after exercising, stretching before bed or if you have been sitting in one position for long periods of time. When stretching your legs you should avoid pointing your toes and stretch heal first.
- Exercise. Keeping your muscles moving and in shape helps with the blood circulation. Always be sure to consult your doctor and get the okay before exercising during pregnancy.
- Change position frequently. Don’t sit or stand still for too long. Staying in the same position, be it sitting or standing, increases the likelihood of leg cramps. Every so often get up and move around, stretch, take a little walk.
- Stay hydrated. When your body is lacking fluids your muscles are more likely to cramp. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
If leg cramps do occur there are a few things you can do to help alleviate the cramp, including; massaging the affected muscle, stretching the muscle by pushing your heal down (do not point your toes as this causes further cramping), and applying heat to the affected muscle.
Leg cramps are no fun, but when added to all the other common complaints of pregnancy they become that much more annoying. I was lucky enough to avoid leg cramps during my pregnancy (I count my lucky stars). During my pregnancy I tried to exercise everyday and stretched my muscles often and I also drank plenty of fluids. Taking care of yourself during your pregnancy is a great way to avoid many of the common complaints of pregnancy, including leg cramps.
If you suffer from leg cramps and they are being too bothersome or affecting your sleep too much be sure to talk to your doctor to see if there is anything you can do to alleviate your leg cramps.
Did you suffer from leg cramps during your pregnancy? What helped you alleviate your leg cramps?
When we are pregnant we love to dream about what our baby will look like, whether it will be a boy or a girl, what your birth experience will be like and what it will be like to bring that beautiful, perfect little baby home. A majority of pregnancies are normal and end with a healthy baby. However, about 3-5% of pregnancy will result in a child with some sort of birth defect ranging from minor defects like an extra two or finger to major defects like spina bifida. It isn’t part of the fantasy we all have in our mind but it is a reality. During your pregnancy your doctor will discuss your prenatal screening options with you. These screening tests will happen at various stages of your pregnancy and are designed to identify your baby is at an increased risk of certain birth defects.
The conversation with your doctor will likely take place fairly early in your pregnancy. Your doctor will likely just simply provide you with your options and then advising on their recommendations on whether the test would be beneficial to you or not. The actual decision on whether the testing is done is completely up to you. Many things need to go into your decision including what you would do with the information. For example, if you know that under no circumstances would you terminate the pregnancy than you may opt out of the screenings, or if you are one who feels better being prepared for what may be to come you may want to having the screening done so if you happen to get a positive on the screenings you can prepare for a special needs child. Take the information your doctor provides you, ask lots of questions and discuss your choices with your partner. There is no right or wrong decision, you have to do what is right for you.
There are a few different types of screening tests, some during your early pregnancy and some later in pregnancy.
During your first trimester your doctor may recommend an early ultrasound and some blood work. Both these are used to determine if your baby is at and increased risk of having Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18 (another chromosomal defect).
Later in your pregnancy, during your second trimester, your doctor may recommend a triple or quad screening. These are blood tests that look for three or four substances in your blood. The measurements of these substances in your blood are then used to determine your baby’s risk of having Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Second trimester ultrasounds are also used as screening tools to determine the health of the baby and any risk of health issues or birth defects.
The results from the above screenings are not 100% and are often used to determine if further testing, such as an amniocentesis, should be done. Your doctor will discuss the results of your screenings in detail with you and what your options are. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are unsure about what screenings you should have done or if you are unsure of what the screenings are for.
Coming down with something like a cold or the flu during pregnancy is probably the last thing you want. Since you are likely already dealing with annoying pregnancy symptoms likes morning sickness, exhaustion, back pain, heartburn, you name it having a cold can just make you feel down right terrible. And, because you are pregnant it isn’t as easy to treat your cold either. You can’t just pick up any old over-the-counter cold medication to help alleviate your symptoms. When you’re pregnant you have to be careful and only take medications that are safe to use during pregnancy.
There are a few things you can do to help get you through bug and feeling better again:
- Get lots of rest. It is something you should be trying to do during your pregnancy anyway, but when you are feeling under the weather it is even more important to get enough rest.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Keeping hydrated will help your body fight the cold virus.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet. Chicken soup can do wonders for a cold since it provides a lot of nutrition and added fluids.
- If congestion is a big problem be sure to sleep propped up at night to help your sinus drain. You could also try using a saline solution to help clear out your sinuses, some people swear by it, but it doesn’t work for everyone (you should not use over-the-counter nasal sprays). You could also try Vick’s Vapor Rub or something similar.
- Stay home from work. If you can, take a few days off to make sure you can get plenty of rest and aren’t over doing it.
- Take a hot shower or a warm bath to help relax your aching muscles and clear out your sinuses.
- If you feel like you need to take over-the-counter medication to help alleviate your symptoms call your doctor to find out which medications are safe to use.
There isn’t a lot you can do other than ride out the bug. It will go away eventually. The most important thing to remember is to rest and drink plenty of fluids, they are the best thing you can do for your body to help it fight the infection.
A healthy baby starts with a healthy pregnancy. Staying healthy during your pregnancy isn’t always within your control. Sometimes complications happen that you can’t control. The things you can control include your diet, exercise, and prenatal care. It can be hard to stay on top of all the recommendation during your pregnancy. Here is information on a new recommendation regarding prenatal supplements.
Research has found that iodine is important to the neurological development of a growing fetus. Iodine is a necessary component for producing thyroid hormone, a key building block for neurodevelopment. A deficiency in thyroid hormone can cause mental retardation.
The American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant and nursing mothers take a vitamin supplement that contains 150 micrograms (mcg) of iodine to help them reach the recommended daily intake of 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for nursing mothers. You can read the full write up from the ATA here.
Pregnant and nursing mothers will need to read the label of their prenatal vitamins careful as studies have found that only about 51% of prenatal vitamins contain the recommend amount of iodine. This, of course, may change now that the ATA is out with their new recommendations. If you are unsure if the prenatal vitamin you are taking contains the recommended amount of iodine talk to your doctor, and be sure to also talk to your doctor if you have questions about the recommendations.