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The Institute of Medicine is out with new recommendations regarding weight gain during pregnancy. The new guidelines were developed by a group of doctors, nutrition experts and public health officials. These new weight gain guidelines are the first in almost 20 years.
The new pregnancy weight gain guidelines for women carrying a single fetus are:
- Underweight: 28-40 pounds
- Normal Weigh: 25-35 pounds
- Overweight: 15-25 pounds
- Obese: 11-20 pounds
If you are carrying multiples you should talk to your doctor about what the weight gain is appropriate for you given your weight before becoming pregnant and how many fetuses you are carrying.
The IOM also recommends that women schedule a prepregnancy consultation with their doctor to discuss their prepregnancy weight (among other things) and if it is safe to begin a pregnancy at their current weight. Overweight women are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and are more likely to need a c-section. Your doctor may recommend that you begin to manage your weight with a healthy diet and exercise before you attempt to become pregnant.
The new guidelines are similar to the previous recommendation from the IOM with the exception of the recommendations for obese and overweight women. The new guidelines show that women going into pregnancy already overweight need to take extra care during pregnancy to avoid excessive weight gain.
As any pregnant woman will tell you it can be difficult to maintain a good, healthy weight gain. Excercise during pregnancy (if permitted by your doctor) is a great way to both control your weight gain and stay healthy during pregnancy. Practicing healthy eating habits is a great way as well (although it isn’t always easy to turn down that extra donut or that whole bag of cookies!!!).
Depression during pregnancy, or antepartum depression, affects 10-20% of women, and 25-50% of these women will suffer from major depression. Antepartum depression, just like clinical depression, is a mood disorder. It affects not only your mood and thoughts but your physical body as well. Because of all the hormone changes during pregnancy and the mood swings women often experience it isn’t uncommon for depression to go unnoticed or undiagnosed. Many women, their partners, and their health care providers may just attribute the mood changes to pregnancy hormones and leave it at that. Depression during pregnancy can cause harm to both mother and baby so it should not be left untreated. If you think you might be suffering from depression during your pregnancy be sure to talk to your health care provider.
So what are the signs of depression? You may have depression if you experience some of the following for more than 2 weeks.
- Persistent sadness
- Loss of concentration
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities
- Recurring thoughts of death, suicide or hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Feelings of guilty or worthlessness
- Changes in your appetite
- Loss of energy
Women with a personal or family history of depression are at greater risk of suffering from depression during pregnancy, however, there are other risk factors as well, including:
- Problems in your relationship with your spouse or partner
- You had infertility treatments to conceive the pregnancy
- Prior loss of pregnancy
- Stressful life events
- Pregnancy complications
- A history of trauma or abuse
As stated earlier, depression during pregnancy can cause harm to both the mother and the baby if left untreated. There are many treatment options available to women. Talk to your health care provider about your options and choose a treatment plan that works best for you. Some of your treatment options include:
- Private psychotherapy
- Support groups
- Medication
There are medications that have been used during pregnancy with no adverse effects. Talk to your doctor about what, if any medications are right for you. You may want to try talk therapy first, or your depression may be severe enough to warrant immediately going on anti-depressants. It is a good idea to involve the health care provider who is treating during your pregnancy, your therapist, and even your child’s future pediatrician in your care. By involving all parties you can ensure the best treatment for you with the best outcome for both you and your baby.
The most important thing is to talk to someone about your symptoms and how you are feeling. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your doctor find someone who you trust and who can help you. The longer your depression goes untreated the bigger the risk to you and your baby.
Sources and other helpful websites:
I frequently get comments on my posts, Early Signs of Pregnancy and What to Do if You Think You Are Pregnant, from teens who think they may be pregnant. The girls asking questions often sound lost, scared and they don’t know where to turn. Teen pregnancy is on the rise here in the United States, and in many western countries. It is a topic that often goes under discussed, particularly with the group of people most impacted, teens. Teens who find themselves pregnant need to know where to turn for help. As parents we need to have open communication with our teen daughters and encourage them to come to us no matter what.
Teens who find themselves pregnant can often feel alone and have no idea where to turn. It can be especially scary for those teens who don’t feel like they have an adult they can turn to. I thought I would compile a list of helpful websites and support groups where teens can turn for help, support, information, and guidance.
- The Alliance
- Gravity Teen
- KidsHealth (great site for parents of pregnant teens to find resources and help)
- MDJunction.com
- Pregnant Teen Help
- Planned Parenthood
- Teen With Child
- Girl Mom
- Daily Strength
If you are a teen and think you maybe pregnant remember you are not alone, there are many people out there to help you. The first thing you need to do is determine for sure if you are pregnant. Find an adult you can trust, go to your doctor or go to a clinic that provides pregnancy tests and advice. There is support out there for you.
We all know how important it is to choose the right doctor or midwife for our pregnancy care, but choosing the right hospital to deliver in may have just as big, or bigger, an impact on the quality of your birth experience and your chance for complications during delivery. A new study released by HealthGrades found that women who gave birth at top-rated hospitals had significantly fewer complications during both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.
Study Findings:
- Women having a vaginal delivery in a top-rated hospital were 51% less likely to have complications versus women having a vaginal delivery in a poorly-rated hospital.
- Women having a cesarean delivery in a top-rated hospital were 76% less likely to have complications than women having a cesarean delivery in a poorly-rated hospital.
When you have the opportunity to choose which hospital you will deliver in, choose wisely. Do your research. Talk to your doctor, other moms, and research the hospitals in your area. Choosing the right hospital can greatly improve your overall childbirth experience and minimize your chances of suffering complications.
Some useful online resources for research hospitals in the United States:
Falls are the most common cause of minor injury during pregnancy. Most falls during pregnancy fortunately do not result in serious injuries to mom or baby. As your body changes and your center of gravity changes during pregnancy falls become more likely. It is important to take extra care and caution while navigating through your daily activities and to avoid activities or sports that require a lot balance. Most often it is mom that injured in a fall and not baby. The baby is very well protected in her little nest. The amniotic fluid, your pelvis, and abdominal wall provide protection and cushioning too the baby in the event of a fall.
If you do take a fall during pregnancy call your doctor. Often your doctor will want to examine you to ensure there has been no harm to the baby and to make sure you are alright as well. Your doctor will definitely want to hear from you if you experience any spotting, unusual swelling, contractions, you don’t feel the baby moving after your fall, or any other unusual symptoms. Even if you think the fall was nothing and you weren’t injured it is still best to call your doctor. If your fall was serious and you think you suffered a more serious injury like a broken bone, or your fall resulted in your water breaking and the onset of contractions head to the hospital right away.
The best approach is to do your best to prevent a fall by slowing down, watching your balance, watching where you are going, and not participating in activities that increase your risk of a fall. However, no matter what you do there is still a chance of a fall. Always consult your doctor after a fall, treat your injuries as necessary under the advice of your doctor, avoid x-rays if possible, and take it easy.