Giving birth to a baby is an unforgettable experience — both because it means bringing a new life into the world and because it can involve a lot of pain and anxiety. Some mothers-to-be opt to give birth in a pool or tub of warm water. They believe it is a much more natural and less stressful experience for them and their new baby. There is also the idea that a water birth gives women more control over their own delivery by letting them choose something other than the traditional bed delivery.

Water birth is still considered an alternative birthing method, and not every doctor is convinced that it is safe. However, more and more hospitals are beginning to offer water births as a delivery option.

Braxton Hicks Contractions: True or False Labor?

What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like?
Braxton Hicks contractions can be described as tightening in the abdomen that comes and goes. These contractions do not get closer together, do not increase with walking, do not increase in how long they last and do not feel stronger over time as they do when you are in true labor.

What Do True Labor Contractions Feel Like?
The way a contraction feels is different for each woman and may feel different from one pregnancy to the next. Labor contractions cause discomfort or a dull ache in your back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis. Some women may also feel pain in their sides and thighs. Some women describe contractions as strong menstrual cramps, while others describe them as strong waves that feel like diarrhea cramps.

Related to pregnancy

Braxton Hicks (false labor) contractions, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, prenatal tests, pregnancy complications, C-section, twins, triplets, and more, midwives, inducing labor, fetal movement, prenatal vitamins, folic acid, pregnancy and drug use

What is Water Birth?

A water birth is, as the name implies, giving birth in water. The idea is that the warm water replicates the feeling of the amniotic sac that has surrounded the baby throughout the nine months of pregnancy. A water delivery can be done in a bathtub, hot tub (with the temperature turned down), or other pool of water. You can have a water delivery at home, in a birthing center, or in a hospital.

During a water birth, both you and your baby should receive monitoring and medical care, just as you would in a hospital bed. While you are in labor, a special underwater Doppler device will monitor the baby’s heartbeat. You can also receive medications through an IV while you are in the water.

Some women labor and deliver in the water. Others prefer to come out of the water for the actual delivery. If you deliver in the water, the midwife or nurse will gently lift the baby up to the surface and take the baby out of the water.
What Are the Benefits of a Water Birth?

There haven’t been many well-designed studies to confirm the benefits of water births. Some people, however, believe that water is a more comfortable and soothing surrounding in which to deliver.

Here are some of the potential benefits of a water delivery:

• Water provides natural buoyancy, which makes the mother feel lighter.

• Water relaxes the mother, allowing her to concentrate on the birth.

• Water relaxes the mother’s muscles, enabling her to move into different positions.

• Water eases the baby’s transition from the womb to the world.

• Water reduces tearing to the perineum — the area between the vulva and anus — and, possibly, to the vagina and labia, thus helping the mother avoid an episiotomy or stitches.

• A water birth shortens the first stage of labor and reduces the need for anesthesia.

What Are the Risks of Water Births?

There hasn’t been much high-quality research done on water births. Of the studies that have been done, a few cite some rare risks. Others find that water births are just as safe as (if not safer than) bed births.

Here is a summary of the potential risks with water birth that studies have identified so far:

In rare cases, the baby may gasp while still in the birthing tub and inhale water. Although it was thought that babies’ primitive reflex prevents them from breathing in until they are exposed to the air, some animal studies suggest that their bodies can override this instinct. Doctors in New Zealand reported in the journal Pediatrics about a handful of cases in which babies breathed birthing pool water into their lungs and nearly drowned. Breathing in water can also lead to too little sodium in the blood — a condition called hyponatremia. However, at least one study that included thousands of water births reported no cases of babies breathing in water.
There have been rare cases in which the umbilical cord snapped during a water birth and the baby needed a blood transfusion because of uncontrolled bleeding.
If the water in the pool is not clean, there is a possible risk of infection. There have been isolated reports of newborns catching infections after coming into contact with contaminated water during a water birth. Other studies, though, have found no additional risk of infection.

If your vision is short of perfect, it can be easy to have you seeing clearly in a matter of hours. Thanks to the power of technology today, it is possible to throw away your glasses and contact lenses and within a few hours, have 20/20 vision once again. LASIK is a breakthrough in the care for the eyes. It is a super-advanced surgical procedure that utilizes a special laser that cuts through and reshapes the cornea to bring back its focusing ability. This refractive surgery is one of the today’s most recommended treatments for common eye disorders such as near-sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia) and even astigmatism. However, if you are pregnant and having vision problems, can you undergo the procedure? This article explains vision changes during pregnancy and why an expectant mother may have to hold off on vision procedures until after she has given birth, and perhaps even after she has stopped nursing.

Vision changes during pregnancy

Changes in eyesight are not one of those big-a-deal adjustments that a pregnant woman has to learn to live with. It’s not like swelling breasts and back pain – it is less noticeable, so women often don’t know that their vision has deteriorated, or if they do, they may not link the vision problems to their pregnancy per se.

During pregnancy and lactation, a woman’s body produces large amounts of hormones to support the fetus, and even milk production. These hormones also affect the eyes – they cause fluctuations in the refractive state. These fluctuations may be the reason behind incorrect readings during refractions. Simply put, a woman who doesn’t really have eyesight problems may present with some during pregnancy, and the degree of the vision problem may be read inappropriately.

These pregnancy hormones cause more fluid retention in the body, and the eyes are no exception to this change. The lenses of the eyes swell due to fluids, so the result is astigmatism, or sometimes, a higher grade of nearsightedness. This rise in hormones will keep up months until the baby has been born and months after a mother has stopped lactating.

Is Vision Correction Surgery like LASIK Safe During Pregnancy?

Ironically, even though the lenses fill with fluid, the external part of the eyeball becomes ultra-sensitive and dry, so women who are contact lens-wearers often complain of contact lens intolerance. Dry eyes are painful, and applying contact lenses will only hurt them and dry them out even more.

Why LASIK is contraindicated during pregnancy and nursing

Because of the changes mentioned above, pregnant women must avoid any refractive surgeries while pregnant or breastfeeding. If they undergo a LASIK procedure, or any refractive surgery, and their vision doesn’t improve, there will be no way of telling what caused the “still-blurry-after-the-surgery” outcome – was it the pregnancy itself, or the surgery? Because of fluctuating readings for prescription, a doctor won’t even have baseline details for the woman’s current grade. This will make the procedure close to impossible, and pointless.

The LASIK procedure will require mild sedation using some medication It will also require antibiotics and cortisone eye drops after. These drugs pass through membranes and can get absorbed by the bloodstream. These drugs could have a negative impact on the fetus, especially if LASIK is performed during the first trimester. In short, the procedure itself is not harmful to the child, but the medications that come with it are.

During pregnancy, we must keep our eating patterns, what we eat will affect our own babies. Therefore we need to know the foods that are healthy and useful for our baby’s growth during gestation. A healthy pregnant women who will produce a healthy baby as well.

Pregnant women should be, “Do not eat the fish” A lot of women! not have all the facts related to the possible dangers of eating fish during pregnancy or who are safe to eat a certain amount of fish that cause damage to their babies.

The danger in eating fish comes from ingesting too much mercury during pregnancy. Some studies, including a recent one done in Korea, conclude that high levels of mercury in a woman’s blood stream during pregnancy can be transferred to her unborn baby through the umbilical cord, causing birth defects, and in some cases, premature birth. In fact, women with high levels of mercury found in the cord blood are 3-5 times more likely to deliver a baby prematurely, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy, than women without mercury in their cord blood.

However, many experts disagree if the warning about eating fish includes ALL fish, or if certain types of fish are okay to eat occasionally during pregnancy. Some believe that salmon and other small fish are okay to eat during pregnancy while all bigger fish like tuna, swordfish, mackerel and shark should be avoided. The study in Korea concluded that “woman who never had fish during pregnancy had 4.6 micrograms of mercury per 1 liter of blood, while the mercury level of women who consumed fish more than four times per week had an average mercury level of 8.3 micrograms” although it never stated what type of fish the women ate, or commented on what kinds were considered safe during pregnancy.

Mercury risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies can also be found in other places too. There are also dental procedures that involve the use of amalgams that can put an unborn baby at risk. A dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent of the compound. Mercury is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard, and durable filling that is used to fill cavities in your teeth. Because of the high amount of mercury, it is suggested that you not get fillings during pregnancy unless absolutely necessary, and that if you have to get fillings, that you try to avoid getting more than three until after your baby is born.

Many people don’t realize it, but there is actually a large percentage of mercury in the air that we breathe in daily in many parts of the world. Air pollution makes it very hard to steer clear of mercury and more effort may be needed in staying away from all fish and avoiding the dentist’s office during pregnancy, Take as many precautions as you can when it comes to mercury, in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, and to help avoid a premature delivery of your baby

The thought of giving birth used to scare me, but now I can hardly contain my excitement! We had our five month scan a few weeks ago now, and ever since we were told that the baby is by all measures doing great, I have just been so excited! To be honest with you I actually think that I have been too excited if anything, and I really need to calm down! I am worried that I am going to give myself high blood pressure or something, or somehow harm the baby, because I am literally running round the house screaming with excitement every so often!

I decided that I would take some very light exercise classes and I am also going to classes to learn some breathing techniques. These are of course to aid with the birth of the child, but I think I am going to need to control my breathing long before I reach labour! I have always been an excitable person, but now is just not the time. Luckily for me my husband is a very calm person, and he knows just how to calm me down, he has had to do it for many years now!

Now that I am 25 weeks pregnant there is not too long to go, but it is still the small matter of about three months! I am going to have to breathe, stretch and sleep myself through the next three months!

With over 4 million births in the United States and between 128 and 138 million births in the world every year, the need arises for proper care during pregnancy. Here are some tips for taking care of yourself during your pregnancy.

Get Prenatal Care

The number one most important thing you can do to insure you have a healthy baby is to get prenatal care from a reputable doctor. Regular prenatal checkups can detect potential problems early, determine whether a c-section may be needed, determine the sex and just insure things are going smoothly. A prenatal checkup will generally include blood and urine tests to check for bacteria, blood sugar problems, high blood protein levels, iron levels and other typical complications of pregnancy. Your blood pressure and weight will also be checked. Ultrasounds may also be done to check the growth of the baby and its position in the womb.

Eating Right

In addition to prenatal care, it’s essential that you eat right. Balanced meals are crucial, as you are now feeding your baby, as well as yourself. A diet with plenty of whole grains, high quality proteins, fruits and vegetables and dairy is usually recommended for most expectant mothers. It is also recommended that you avoid some items like too much caffeine, artificial sweeteners and any raw or not fully cooked foods like eggs, fish or meat. Also not recommended are soft cheeses and unpasteurized dairy products as these can contain bacteria that could cause an infection. Some types of fish contain higher levels of mercury, which should be avoided, these fish include tuna, shark, swordfish and mackerel. Only two or three servings of fish are recommended for most pregnant women. Above all, drink plenty of fluids, especially water, during your pregnancy.

Vitamins & Supplements

In recent years, studies have found that the B vitamin, folic acid, helps to prevent birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Doctors recommend you take 400 mcg every day. Your doctor may also recommend a multivitamin formulated for pregnant women as well. Many women also take other vitamins and supplements during pregnancy, but be sure to let your doctor know what other supplements you’re taking. Consulting a nutritionist or naturopath can be beneficial and they can customize a supplement plan for your specific health needs.

Exercise

In general, most pregnant women can do the same types of exercises that they did while they weren’t pregnant. Though some types of weight lifting, very strenuous exercise, as well as certain yoga poses and pilates movements aren’t recommended for pregnant women. You should do your research to make sure you are doing safe exercises for your baby. Generally, swimming and walking are excellent, lower impact exercises for pregnant women and are therefore most recommended.

Dealing With Morning Sickness

Vomiting and nausea are the two most prevalent symptoms of morning sickness in pregnant women. Some ways to alleviate morning sickness include eating more small meals throughout the day instead of 3 larger ones and also eating less greasy or fatty foods.

Prevention Of Complications

Taking care of yourself from the moment you are pregnant can not only protect the health of yourself and your unborn baby, but it can also prevent post birth health complications, including postpartum depression. Postpartum can be prevented by getting proper physical and mental health care during pregnancy, but if after birth, you still come down with a level of postpartum depression, it can be dealt with by using medication or counseling, including an innovative online counseling method, called eCounseling. eCounseling provides effective counseling services by certified counselors, for treating postpartum depression right in your own home.

Remember to take care of yourself during pregnancy, since you’re not just taking care of yourself anymore, but also another living being.

Lydia Quinn writes for Tranquil Counseling, a leader in eCounseling services. Bringing professional counseling to you in your home. Offering effective, private treatment for postpartum depression and other mental health issues.

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase of a woman’s life wherein she feels proud of the fact that she is nurturing a life inside her. Many women take this fact quite seriously and start eating for two adults; this results in excessive weight gain. Experts believe that to provide nourishment to the growing foetus, women need just about 300 calories extra during pregnancy. This can easily be sufficed through extra nutritional food. You don’t need to eat for two adults. While little indulgence on chocolates and ice creams can be fine occasionally, excessive calories should be avoided.

Extra weight gain during pregnancy can be risky for both mother and her child. Obese pregnant women are at a risk of developing complications like child birth defects, miscarriage and other life threatening complications like pre-eclampsia. Obesity during pregnancy also increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. Women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labour and delivery. They are also at higher risk of Cesarean deliveries.

Tips to prevent obesity during pregnancy

Discussed below are a few tips to help prevent obesity during pregnancy.

• Eat a well balanced diet, rich in nutrients and vitamins
• Satisfy your urge for snacks with dry fruits and a bowl of fresh fruits instead of going for junk food
• Don’t take pregnancy as an excuse to turn into a couch potato; being physically active is important to avoid obesity during pregnancy
• Go for daily walks
• Many experts recommend yoga for pregnant women as it helps them stay fit and also experience a deep sense of calm and relaxation
• If you enjoy swimming, go jump in the pool; it will help to strengthen muscles in your upper and lower body and keep your weight in check
• Before doing any exercise consult your doctor and instructor. Avoid exercises that involve twisting or inversions. Also avoid lying on your back for long periods of time
• While some exercise is important, don’t strain yourself to lose weight. Some weight gain is inevitable and necessary during pregnancy

How to prevent obesity after pregnancy

Soon after delivery, don’t expect to get yourself into the pre-pregnancy stage instantly. It will take about 6 months to get back into shape. Many women often feel anxious when they see themselves in the mirror and feel that they still look a few months pregnant. Experts believe that there is no reason to fret. It takes about four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size. During this period, you lose about 8 to 20 pounds as the body gets rid of all that extra fluid. Mentioned below are a few steps that you should take to prevent obesity after pregnancy and help yourself get back to your normal weight and shape.

• Go for breast-feeding. Contrary to what many women feel, breast feeding does help you lose weight and get back in shape. It consumes 500 calories from you a day, helping you to reduce some of the fat you gained during pregnancy. In addition to being the most comprehensive nutrition for your baby, breast-feeding also accelerates your metabolism, consumes redundant fat, reduces fat accumulation under the skin and prevents obesity after delivery.
• Even while you are breast feeding you can exercise. Consult your doctor and instructor before starting with any exercise routine. Suitable exercises after delivery will help boost your metabolism and avoid caloric accumulation.
• Take appropriate balanced diet avoiding high-fat and sugar laden diets. While you are breast-feeding, ensure that you include dairy products, vitamins, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Ask your doctor if you can use the belly belt. It will help you lose several inches, eliminate gestation lines as well as prevent bowel droop and loosening of the skin.
• Do not take slimming pills while you are breast feeding.

Recent studies have suggested that antenatal depression is in fact more common than postnatal depression; indeed some research has suggested that as many as 1 in 10 women will experience antenatal depression. This is a fact that’s hardly surprising when you take into account all the hormones flying around your body when you’re expecting!

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience and therefore quite a lot to contend with, as you face both physical and emotional changes. Although it’s quite normal to experience mood swings and emotional highs and lows during pregnancy, if these symptoms are prolonged or if you suffer from any of the following symptoms, you could be suffering from antenatal depression.

What are the symptoms?

There are certain symptoms to look out for which might indicate antenatal depression. These include:

*an inability to concentrate
*feelings of irritability and/or anxiety
*feeling particularly low or sad and crying excessively
*a general lack of interest in anything
*sleeping problems: either a desire to sleep all the time or difficulties in sleeping
*compulsions, such as constantly washing your hands or cleaning things
*issues with food – either a loss of appetite or a tendency to comfort eat
*low self-esteem
*feeling isolated and not wanting to mix with others
*low energy levels
*feelings of guilt and/or panic
*agoraphobia – finding it difficult to leave the house or developing a fear of open spaces
*pessimistic feelings. If these develop into thoughts of a suicidal nature you must talk to your GP immediately

What are the causes?

Pregnancy, for many, is an incredibly exciting time and mums-to-be with antenatal depression may wonder why they’re suffering from this condition, when having a baby is meant to be such a joyous experience. There is no way to predict who will or won’t experience antenatal depression, but there are some contributing factors which are attributed as causes:

* If you’ve decided to take on another major challenge, such as moving house or a new job, then this is likely to add to your stress levels.
* Financial difficulties can also add to your worries, as you may have concerns about how you will provide for your child.
* If you’ve suffered from depression in the past or have a family history of depression, you might be more likely to experience this condition during pregnancy.
* The more complicated your pregnancy, the more prone you might be to antenatal depression; if you’ve been suffering from extreme bouts of morning sickness.
* You might have an increased likelihood of suffering from antenatal depression if you have recently experienced a bereavement.
* Pregnancy can be a stressful and worrying time, especially for first-time mums, as you don’t know what to expect. You may find yourself particularly anxious if it’s taken you a long time to conceive or if you’ve previously experienced a miscarriage.
* It’s important to have a good support network during pregnancy; it’s a time when you really need your friends and family around you, as you will be experiencing a range of physical and emotional changes. If you don’t have this support, it can lead to feelings of isolation which can contribute towards depression.
* You are also more likely to suffer from antenatal depression if your pregnancy was unplanned, as it may take you some time to adjust to the idea of being pregnant – especially if you’re going it alone.
* If you have ever been the victim of abuse you are also more likely to suffer from depression.

Is antenatal depression linked to postnatal depression?

There is no direct link between antenatal and postnatal depression; just because you feel depressed during pregnancy it doesn’t mean these feelings will continue once your baby is born.

What can I do to help?

The best course of action to take if you think you might be suffering from antenatal depression is to consult your GP or midwife immediately. You will be given a proper diagnosis and you may be referred to a counselor. Your doctor might prescribe anti-depressants, depending on the severity of your case.

Eating a healthy diet and taking gentle forms of exercise can also help to boost your self-esteem and mental well-being during pregnancy. Read our feature on Diet for a healthy pregnancy and Exercises recommended through pregnancy to learn more.

It may sound silly, but opening up to your friends and family members can help. This is often easier said than done when you’re feeling depressed, as all you want to do is cut yourself off from the rest of the world, but it’s never a good idea to bottle things up. It doesn’t matter whom you talk to; it could be anyone from a best friend to a neighbor. It’s the very act of talking; the other person is there to listen and help to relieve your burden. You might also find it helpful to chat to other pregnant mums – some of whom may be feeling the same way as you. Joining a pregnancy yoga group and attending antenatal classes are both great ways to meet other mums-to-be; your midwife should be able to recommend groups and classes in your local area.

Most importantly, you should never feel guilty for feeling depressed or low; this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. The earlier you seek the help of a professional, the better, as the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you will be on the road to recovery;you can then begin to enjoy your pregnancy and start to look forward with excitement and anticipation to the birth of your baby.

Munich – Sexual intercourse during pregnancy is normally harmless to the health of the foetus right up to delivery, according to Germany’s association of gynaecologists.

“Parents-to-be can do everything they enjoy in bed,” said Christian Albring, president of the Munich-based association. The child is lying well-protected in the water of the amniotic sac. As long as the cervix is still tightly closed and no amniotic fluid leaks out, there is no need to reduce lovemaking.

Sexual activity shortly before the estimated due date can, however, have birth-inducing effects, said Albring. Couples therefore are cautioned if there is a tendency toward premature birth or miscarriage, if the mother has had early labour pains or if the placenta is lying directly over the cervix. Doctors advise against sexual intercourse in these cases.

Experts also say that genital hygiene is especially important during pregnancy. Before intercourse men should wash their penis with soap, pulling back the foreskin if they are uncircumcised. Women, however, shouldn’t use soap or lotion in the vaginal area during pregnancy. Couples should also remember that condoms protect the mother and unborn child from infection.