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Pregnancy Complications

From Pregnancy To Baby — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:41:46 +0000

Pregnancy Complications

How to handle a high risk pregnancy

If you find out that your body is not functioning as it should be during pregnancy, your first response will likely be one of panic. Is your pregnancy in danger? How is this affecting your baby? What can you do to fix it? Unfortunately, certain complications can come out of the blue and may demand immediate changes to your lifestyle for the remainder of your pregnancy. On the other hand, not all pregnancy complications are equally severe, nor are they treated in the same way. Learn about some relatively common issues that can affect your prenatal health, and how to manage them for the months ahead.

Placenta Problems

The placenta is a crucial organ in pregnancy, and it’s also the site of some of the most common complications. If it does not form correctly, does not implant in the right place or does not work properly at any given time in pregnancy, your baby and your life could be in danger. Luckily, there are often warning signs to watch out for, and the quicker you can seek treatment, the better.
Generally, placental problems are discovered in the second half of pregnancy, and they almost always increase the chances of a premature birth. There are similar risk factors for different placental problems, which include:
• Cigarette smoking
• Pregnancy after 35 years old
• Carrying twins, triplets or more
• Cocaine or other drug use
• Certain abnormalities of the uterus
Placental abruption, which occurs in about 1 of every 100 pregnancies, is when the placenta begins to peel away from the uterine wall before delivery, which interrupts the transfer of oxygen and nutrients from your body to your baby. Heavy bleeding after week 20 could signal a problem, and if an abruption is suspected, you’ll need to have an ultrasound to confirm. Slightly less common but still serious, placenta previa involves a low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the cervix. This condition is particularly dangerous when labor begins, as you could start bleeding heavily once the cervix begins to dilate, endangering you and your baby.

Treating Pregnancy Complications

There’s no one universal treatment for placenta, blood, metabolic or other complications, but fetal monitoring is often the first step to resolving the problem. Unless you’re near term (at or around 37 weeks), your doctor or midwife will probably work to prolong the pregnancy until your baby develops enough to survive outside the womb. Depending on how severe your complication is, you may be monitored electronically or ultrasonically in the hospital and then sent home shortly after. More advanced placenta abruption or placenta previa may force you to stay in the hospital for the rest of the pregnancy, or perhaps you’ll be told to go on bed rest.
In cases where delivery cannot be postponed without endangering the life of mom or baby, you may need to give birth right away by cesarean section. Although babies born before 37 weeks often struggle with their breathing, there are some ways to increase a premature infant’s chances of survival and healthy growth. Drugs called corticosteroids will help to rapidly mature the lungs, and they will the best course of action in very premature deliveries.
Pregnancy doesn’t always go smoothly, but keep in mind that medical advancements have increased premature infant survival rates enormously. Furthermore, a mother’s chances of dying during delivery have dropped dramatically, especially when giving birth in the hospital. The best things you can do for your pregnancy and your unborn baby are eat well, stay fit and avoid harmful substances throughout pregnancy to give your baby the best start possible. If complications do arise, take comfort in the fact that swift response and good medical care will most likely help you out of danger.

Please Note: If you are ever experiencing any pregnancy complications you should notify your doctor immediately.

Technorati Tags: Baby, preg, Pregnancy, pregnancy complications

Skin Changes During Pregnancy

From Pregnancy To Baby — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:42:41 +0000

Many women find some kinds of skin changes occurring during pregnancy. While these changes may be annoying, they are perfectly normal. If you are unsure whether a change is normal or not, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or midwife. They can check it out for you and advise you once they examine you.

Glowing Skin

Pregnant women are often told they are “glowing.” This is due to an increased blood flow to the small vessels just beneath the skin surface. Hormones released in pregnancy also increase the oils that are produced by skin glands that may create a bit of a shine.

Chloasma

This is also known as the “mask of pregnancy.” Some women experience this phenomenon. During pregnancy, a slight darkening appears on the face on the forehead, temples and center of the face. These areas may get darker when exposed to sun. After the birth, these marks usually fade.

Acne

Hormones often cause pregnant women to experience break outs, while women who normally get acne may find it improves during pregnancy.

Itchiness

It is common for the skin on the belly to become itchy during pregnancy as it stretches to accommodate baby’s growth. It may also affect the breasts.

Linea Nigra

This is a dark line that develops from the belly button and runs downwards. This is extra pigment. After the baby is born, the line will fade.

Nails

For some women, pregnancy may cause their nails to become more brittle or soft than usual, or to grow faster.

Rashes

Pregnancy causes many women to perspire more than usual, and this can result in heat rash. Some women also find they get itchy red bumps on their belly, arms, legs and buttocks in late pregnancy. This is not dangerous, but it is itchy and can be uncomfortable.

The Palms

Increasing levels of estrogen may cause red, itchy palms. Some women also experience this on the soles of their feet. This also disappears after the birth.

Swelling

In late pregnancy, you may notice increasing swelling around your ankles, hands and face. This is usually harmless. If you experience swelling along with sudden weight gain and increased blood pressure, get tests done to rule out complications like pre-eclampsia.

Skin Tags

Skin tags are small growths of skin that protrude from the surface of your skin. They normally occur on the neck, breasts or armpits. They are thought to be cause by hormones released during pregnancy. They do not go away after the baby’s birth, but they can be removed by a dermatologist.

Stretch Marks

Probably the most famous of all pregnancy skin changes, stretch marks occur on the belly and breasts. Fresh stretch marks are usually pink, red or dark brown, depending on a woman’s color of skin. Stretch marks can also appear on the buttocks, hips or thighs. Stretch marks are caused by tiny tears in the underlying tissue. There is no real way to prevent stretch marks, but it may help to keep well hydrated and to moisturize your skin. Stretch marks will fade with time to a less noticeable silver.

Spider Veins

Spider veins are small red spots with lines branching out. These are tiny blood vessels that become noticeable because of more blood volume. They fade after the baby is born.

Technorati Tags: acne, Preganacy, Skin changes

Pregnancy Stretch Marks

From Pregnancy To Baby — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:00:59 +0000

One of the most dreaded aspects of pregnancy is stretch marks. Stretch marks are lines that appear over the belly and sometimes on the breasts, hips, or buttocks during pregnancy. They mean the skin has been stressed by stretching. Between 75 and 90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks. Stretch marks can appear red, pink, purple, reddish-brown or brown, depending on your skin color. If you are pregnant with multiples, your chances are higher for developing marks due to the extreme stretching your skin goes through.

The chances that you’ll develop stretch marks during pregnancy depend on many things. If your mother or sister developed them, chances are that you will too. Genetics are thought to play a part in whether a woman gets stretch marks or not. It also depends on how much weight you gain and how quickly you gain it.

There are a few things you can try to prevent them, though if you are genetically predisposed, they may show up anyway. Luckily, all the things you can do to prevent stretch marks are also good for you and the baby, so they will be beneficial no matter what.

Eat sensibly. A nutritious, varied diet will provide everything you and your baby needs without adding excess weight. The recommended amount of weight gain for the average pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. A good diet not only makes a healthy baby, it keeps your skin strong and healthy. If your baby grows steadily, your skin may be able to keep pace without damage.

Massage your belly. This increases the circulation in your skin, which may be helpful in preventing stretch marks. It feels good, too.

Be sure you drink enough water. Soda, coffee and other beverage choices are not as wholesome as plain water. You need to keep your body hydrated to make sure your blood volume can expand enough for a healthy pregnancy, and a fully hydrated body is critical to skin health.

Take your prenatal vitamins. They will make sure you get the nutrients that may be missing from your diet. This will keep you, your baby and your skin as healthy as possible.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Begin in early pregnancy and continue through postpartum. Shea butter is a natural moisturizer that has been proven to have healing qualities. Some herbal oils are also very beneficial to the skin. Find one you like and use it liberally. This will support the skin and possibly reduce your chances of developing stretch marks.

Take care of yourself after the baby is born, too. You lose a lot of weight very quickly when the baby is born. The baby, the placenta, the amniotic fluid and other bodily fluids that are lost during birth add up to a substantial amount. Make sure you get enough rest and nutritious foods to support your body through this dramatic change.

Even if you still get stretch marks, they will fade with time. You might want to consider them a badge of motherhood. Wear them proudly.

Early Pregnancy

From Pregnancy To Baby — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:30:51 +0000

Early pregnancy can be a time of uncertainty, anxiety and worry. You may spend time wondering if you’re actually pregnant. Many women worry over every possible symptom. Does it mean you’re pregnant? If you know you’re pregnant, you may worry about a lack of certain symptoms. Does it mean you’ll miscarry?

Early pregnancy is also a time to come to terms with being pregnant. It is normal to feel apprehensive or ambivalent about it, even if you really want the baby. Having a baby is life changing. It is not unusual to have some cold feet about something that will change your entire life.

There are various signs and symptoms that many women experience in early pregnancy. It is perfectly normal for you to experience all of them, none of them or some amount in between.

Tender Breasts
Many women experience this symptom to some degree. The breasts may be tender, tingly or sore. The nipples become very sensitive to the slightest touch… even from the shirts you wear. This is due to increased hormones that help prepare the breasts for feeding your baby.

Fatigue
While you don’t look pregnant yet, your body is working hard to develop your baby. During early pregnancy is when your baby is making the most progress. This takes a lot of energy, and consequently you will feel tired. Try to get as much rest as possible. Progesterone, which is excreted in large quantities at this time, may also cause sleepiness.

The Vanishing Period
The most obvious sign to most women is when their period does not arrive as expected. While this can be caused by other issues than pregnancy, it is easy enough to find out by taking a pregnancy test.

Implantation Bleeding
Some women experience a little spotting about a week before their period is due. This is usually caused by the fertilized egg implanting into the uterine lining. Some women never see any implantation bleeding. Cramping may also be felt at this time, with or without the spotting.

Morning Sickness
Many women experience some degree of morning sickness, though not all women do. Some only get nauseous, while others spend long days in the bathroom, trying to keep something in their stomach. Morning sickness can actually occur at any time of day. Sometimes nausea can be triggered by odors or movement. Foods can also trigger these feelings. The most common foods to watch are coffee, spicy foods, fried foods, dairy products and meat.

Frequent Urination
You may feel you spend more time running to and from the bathroom than anything else. Changes in your uterus put more weight on your bladder, triggering the urge to go. Don’t worry… this will get better once the uterus grows large enough to grow out of the pelvis. It will come back in late pregnancy.

Raised Body Temperature
For those who take their basal body temperature each morning, you’ll notice that your temperature remains high instead of the usual plunge it takes before your period comes. According to those who practice this, 18 high temperatures after ovulation is usually indicative of pregnancy.

Skin Changes During Pregnancy

From Pregnancy To Baby — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:07:22 +0000

Glowing Skin
Pregnant women are often told they are “glowing.” This is due to an increased blood flow to the small vessels just beneath the skin surface. Hormones released in pregnancy also increase the oils that are produced by skin glands that may create a bit of a shine.

Chloasma
This is also known as the “mask of pregnancy.” Some women experience this phenomenon. During pregnancy, a slight darkening appears on the face on the forehead, temples and center of the face. These areas may get darker when exposed to sun. After the birth, these marks usually fade.

Acne
Hormones often cause pregnant women to experience break outs, while women who normally get acne may find it improves during pregnancy.

Itchiness
It is common for the skin on the belly to become itchy during pregnancy as it stretches to accommodate baby’s growth. It may also affect the breasts.

Linea Nigra
This is a dark line that develops from the belly button and runs downwards. This is extra pigment. After the baby is born, the line will fade.

Nails
For some women, pregnancy may cause their nails to become more brittle or soft than usual, or to grow faster.

Rashes
Pregnancy causes many women to perspire more than usual, and this can result in heat rash. Some women also find they get itchy red bumps on their belly, arms, legs and buttocks in late pregnancy. This is not dangerous, but it is itchy and can be uncomfortable.

The Palms
Increasing levels of estrogen may cause red, itchy palms. Some women also experience this on the soles of their feet. This also disappears after the birth.

Swelling
In late pregnancy, you may notice increasing swelling around your ankles, hands and face. This is usually harmless. If you experience swelling along with sudden weight gain and increased blood pressure, get tests done to rule out complications like pre-eclampsia.

Skin Tags
Skin tags are small growths of skin that protrude from the surface of your skin. They normally occur on the neck, breasts or armpits. They are thought to be cause by hormones released during pregnancy. They do not go away after the baby’s birth, but they can be removed by a dermatologist.

Stretch Marks
Probably the most famous of all pregnancy skin changes, stretch marks occur on the belly and breasts. Fresh stretch marks are usually pink, red or dark brown, depending on a woman’s color of skin. Stretch marks can also appear on the buttocks, hips or thighs. Stretch marks are caused by tiny tears in the underlying tissue. There is no real way to prevent stretch marks, but it may help to keep well hydrated and to moisturize your skin. Stretch marks will fade with time to a less noticeable silver.

Spider Veins
Spider veins are small red spots with lines branching out. These are tiny blood vessels that become noticeable because of more blood volume. They fade after the baby is born.

How long after conception can I take a pregnancy test?

From Pregnancy To Baby — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:03:51 +0000

Pregnancy tests pick up the presence of hCG in the urine. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the hormone produced by the placenta. It starts to be produced as soon as the fertilized egg implants into the lining of the uterus. Since this happens 6 to 12 days after conception, any time you test too early, you will see a negative result because there is not enough hCG in your system yet.

The most sensitive pregnancy tests can detect 20 mIU of hCG. This level may be detected as early as 6 to 8 days past ovulation, but most women will still get a negative result this early. On average, most implantations occur between 8 to 10 days after ovulation, so you may be testing and your baby hasn’t even implanted yet. The closer you are to when you expect your period, the better luck you’ll have getting an accurate result.

Even if you get a negative result, if you still miss your period, retest. By the day after a missed period, 90% of women will get a positive result. The remaining 10% will still test negative even though they are pregnant. In that case, you may want to go to your care provider and get a blood test done. Blood tests can pick up extremely small amounts of hCG, but even they cannot confirm a pregnancy until at least a week after ovulation.

How long after conception do symptoms appear?

From Pregnancy To Baby — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:36:10 +0000

When you’re trying to conceive, it is easy to begin obsessing about everything. What symptoms should you look for? When can you get an accurate pregnancy test result? How soon will you know for sure? It can be all-consuming! Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now that you’ve relaxed a bit, here’s what you need to know.
Pregnancy symptoms will vary from one woman to another… in fact, they can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy in the same woman. While the most obvious symptom of pregnancy is missing your period, there are some other early symptoms you may want to watch out for. All early symptoms can possibly be signs of other issues by themselves, but when you have several, you can be reasonably sure you’ve conceived.
One if the first symptoms experienced by some women is implantation bleeding. This is one of the earliest symptoms that can be detected. Unfortunately, it doesn’t occur for everyone. Spotting and sometimes cramping will occur sometime between 6 to 12 days after conception, when the embryo implants into the lining of the uterus.
You may notice that your breasts feel swollen or tender. This can begin as early as a week or two after conception. This can also be a sign of an impending period, so unless this is accompanied by other symptoms, it may not mean anything.
You may find yourself feeling a lot more tired than usual. Fatigue is normal in early pregnancy. This can begin as early as a week after conception and may last into the second trimester, when most women begin to feel better.
Around two weeks after conception, you’ll miss your period. This is the most obvious sign to most women. A few will continue to bleed during early pregnancy, but the period should be shorter or lighter than normal.
Morning sickness can strike at any time, not just in the morning. Nausea and vomiting varies… some women don’t experience it at all, while others feel it so bad they require hospitalization. Luckily, most women fall somewhere in between. Morning sickness can start any time between 2 and 8 weeks after conception. Most women who get morning sickness will start to feel relief by the second trimester.
Headaches can be caused by the sudden rise in hormonal activity in your body in early pregnancy. Be sure you check with your care giver about what medications are safe to take just in case you discover you are pregnant.
A dull low backache can be an early symptom for some women. While backache is a common complaint throughout pregnancy, it can also be an early symptom to watch for.
If you find yourself making a lot of trips to the bathroom, chalk up another symptom. About 6 to 8 weeks after conceiving, your uterus will have increased in size enough to put a little extra stress on your bladder.
Skin changes may also clue you in. If you notice the areolas around your nipples darkening, this is a good sign of pregnancy.

Is morning sickness stopping a sign somethings wrong with the baby?

From Pregnancy To Baby — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:00:59 +0000

I am about 6wks prego and I had morning sickness for about 4-5days and now I just feel queezy. I am likeing foods I didn’t before and not likeing my usually favorites. I am peeing like crazy and I am hungrey all of the time, plus my pre-prego jeans I can’t even zip up. I can’t see the doctor until Wed morning. This is my fourth pregnancy. My morning sickness has gotten better with every pregnany so far.
No it’s not a sign at all your baby should be fine. Morning sickness is very common early in a pregnancy. It tends to go away later in pregnancy, and it’s almost always gone by the second trimester (the fourth month). But there isn’t a set time for it to stop because each woman is different, and each pregnancy is different.

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Pregnancy Questions – What will labor be like?

From Pregnancy To Baby — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:00:59 +0000

Labor can be a very intense experience. Some women get through it just fine, and others need a little help. Before you automatically sign up for your epidural in the parking lot, take some time during labor to find out where you fit into the scheme of things. It is possible that labor won’t be as bad as you fear. By moving around the way your body tells you to, you can reduce some of the pain and make your contractions more effective. If you do opt for an epidural, make sure you know the side effects before you go to the hospital. Epidurals usually result in maternal fever, a drop in blood pressure and the baby can have depressed respiration and reflexes.

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Pregnancy Questions – When will the baby be born?

From Pregnancy To Baby — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:58:36 +0000

Most first-time babies initiate labor around 41 weeks gestation, give or take a few days. Many care providers suggest inducing as early as 39 weeks. While it may be tempting, unless there is a real medical reason to get that baby born, it is best to let your baby determine its birth date. Unless the baby and your body are both ready at the same time, induction will fail and you’ll end up with a cesarean section. Babies are not late just because they miss their due date. That date is only an estimate. Babies are considered on time as long as they are born anytime between 38 and 42 weeks gestation. However, inductions may be performed when the dating of the pregnancy wasn’t accurate, resulting in the birth of a premature infant.

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