Ask questions about any prenatal testing. Some tests are non-invasive like the urine tests you do at your prenatal appointments. If your doctor or midwife suggests more invasive testing, ask why they are concerned before you automatically say yes. Just because a test is available doesn’t mean you should necessarily get it. Chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis, for example, have a 1 – 2% risk of miscarriage associated with them. You should weigh benefits you get with the risks you take and see what that the risks are worth taking. If they are, go for the test. If they’re not, turn it down. The AFP, or triple screen test is a blood test to check for alphafetoprotein. This is used to check for neural tube defects and other birth defects, among other problems. This test is somewhat controversial because there are a high percentage of false positives associated with this test. Up to 80% of positive results (says there is a defect or problem with the baby) are false and the baby is actually perfectly healthy. This can cause a lot of stress and worry for parents-to-be as they undergo more invasive testing to either confirm or deny the findings. Ultrasounds are also routinely done, even though there are some questions about its long term effects due to the strength of the sound waves used and the heating of the tissues that occurs.
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The best thing you can do to make a healthy baby is to eat a variety of nutritious foods. Cut down on caffeine and sugar, they provide you empty calories. Make every calorie count by eating the best foods you can afford. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats from avocados and nuts can go a long way in growing a healthy baby. Drink plenty of fresh water. You need it to give you enough fluid to help with your increasing blood volume. Exercise on a regular basis, even if it is just taking a walk around the block.
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For the vast majority of pregnant women, sex is perfectly safe during pregnancy. The baby cannot get hurt. The baby also can’t see what is happening, and won’t be traumatized. You’d be surprised how many people wonder about that! You may need to get more creative during love making as your belly grows, but besides that, sex during pregnancy can be enjoyable for both partners. Women get more blood flow in their privates during pregnancy, which can increase their sensitivity. Other couples may find sex during pregnancy is very freeing… they don’t need to worry about either avoiding pregnancy or trying to conceive, so they can just relax and enjoy it. Some of the issues that may preclude sex during pregnancy would be a broken bag of waters, an incompetent cervix (usually repaired with a cerclage stitch until late in pregnancy), premature labor symptoms, placenta previa (the placenta is covering the opening of the cervix), unexplained vaginal bleeding, cramping, sexually transmitted infections or an active herpes outbreak.
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This is a common question that women may find themselves asking throughout pregnancy. In the first trimester, it can be especially troubling because you can’t feel the baby move yet. Most of the time, if there is something wrong, you’ll have symptoms. Cramping and bleeding are the most common signs that something may be wrong. Your care giver can do an ultrasound to find the heartbeat during the first trimester, or if you are between 10 and 12 weeks, they may be able to pick up the heartbeat on a Doppler. Later in pregnancy, feeling your baby move is a good indication of health and well-being for your baby. You will get acquainted with your baby’s habits. A regular growth of your belly is also a good sign that your baby is growing well. By late pregnancy, kick counts are a good way to keep track of baby’s activity.
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Pregnancy can give you more questions than answers, especially if this is your first time experiencing it. Luckily, there are many places like this one that can help answer those questions and calm your fears. Pregnancy is a natural function of your body. It knows how to grow a baby; you need only let it do its job.
Over the next couple of weeks we will address the top questions that most women have when they become pregnant.
1. Am I pregnant?
This is one of the most important questions a woman faces when she thinks she may be pregnant. There are many home pregnancy tests available. Home pregnancy tests are likely to be the most accurate on the day you expect your period to arrive, which may be 12 to 16 days after you ovulated. If you wait until the following week and your period still hasn’t arrived, test again. If you are still getting a negative result, contact your doctor for a serum blood test. For a very few select women, the home pregnancy tests just don’t seem to measure the hcG.
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By ANN DOUGLAS, NEWS CANADA
Confirming a pregnancy as soon as possible isn’t just about satisfying that overwhelming urge to know, powerful as that may be. It’s also important for a woman to find out if she’s pregnant or not so that she can continue to take the best possible care of herself and her baby-to-be.
Most moms-to-be know that maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle during pregnancy improves their odds of giving birth to a healthy baby. What many may not realize is a woman’s nutrition and lifestyle choices before she conceives affect her baby too. The College of Family Physicians of Canada says it’s best to start acting pregnant before you actually are. The days and weeks before you know you are pregnant are critical weeks for the developing baby. The baby is most sensitive to developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, two to eight weeks after conception when the brain and spinal cord are developing. This is also the time when facial features and organs, such as the heart and kidneys, are being formed.
The sensitivities of the baby in the early stages of pregnancy also indicates another important factor in ensuring a healthy pregnancy is finding out as soon as possible. Women are still waiting longer than necessary to test for pregnancy — a possible throw-back to an era when pregnancy tests weren’t so sensitive and it wasn’t possible to test so soon. A recent survey showed that 65 per cent of women waited for a skipped period before testing. Testing can be even more of a challenge for the 30 percent of women who have irregular menstrual cycles. Fortunately, the newest generation of pregnancy tests allow them to get the answer to the big question (“Am I pregnant?”) sooner, allowing a woman to ensure she is making the best decisions for the health of herself and her baby.
When choosing a test kit, look for one that features ultra-sensitive technology that provides test results up to five days before your period is due — for example, the First Response Early Result pregnancy test kit. Not knowing how that test is going to turn out is stressful — and anything you can do to reduce your anxiety and start enjoying your pregnancy is good news for you and your baby.
* Ann Douglas is an award-winning author and creator of the internationally bestselling “The Mother of All Pregnancy Books” and co-author of “The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby.”
 
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You are absolutely ecstatic; your day couldnt have gotten better, you just saw the little pink plus sign on your home pregnancy test (HPT). Youre going to have a baby! What can be better than that? This is something you and your husband have been waiting for over 6 years. Now, what do you expect now that you’re expecting?
A Little More of You to Love
You have just passed through the early stages including the nausea, the constantly exhausted phase of your pregnancy, and you have now entered the craving ice cream and pickles phase. With all of that Chunky Monkey passing through your lips, its going to end up somewhere.
Pregnancy weight gain is natural. Not only are your constant cravings working against you, but that little bundle joy growing inside of you is also adding to your slowly growing girth. Your baby is gaining weight, and your uterus is filling with water so your body is putting on a little extra poundage. Not only is your baby adding to your weight, but your own body is secreting hormones that are causing this beautiful pregnancy weight gain.
Pregnancy weight gain is not just an excuse to get a whole new wardrobe; it is also a bulge of pride that you can carry with you wherever you go. It is an invitation to people to come and talk with you, and ask you when you are due. You do not however have to let them touch your tummy if you dont want them to, feel free to tell them all no, if that is what you prefer.
Keeping Active
Just because you are pregnant that does not mean you have to just sit around and allow yourself to get unnecessarily fat. Even if pregnancy is an excuse for getting all the ice cream you want, you can still get out and be active.
Despite the fact that you are going to gain weight no matter what you do, you dont have to let it go too far. Keeping active during pregnancy will help keep that pregnancy weight gain in check.
I’m not saying that you should go out and run a marathon, I’m saying that you can get out and take a short walk a couple of blocks to pick up your own ice cream. You can do pregnancy calisthenics, or pregnancy yoga. Even though serious, heavy exercising isnt recommended for pregnancy you can still get out and get active.
Being pregnant can make it very uncomfortable to be too active, but keep in mind that being healthy during pregnancy is very important for you and for your baby. So if you are dealing with pregnancy weight gain dont worry too much about, its natural. Just stay active, and you and your baby will be thankful for it.
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All Rights Reserved. Source: American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Released: Fri 31-Oct-2008, 13:00 ET
Embargo expired: Sat 08-Nov-2008, 18:30 ET Printer-friendly Version Rural Women are at Higher Risk of Blood Pressure Disorders During Pregnancy
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Description Several factors, such as older age and high weight gain, are known risk factors for pre-eclampsia and other pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. Now a new report suggests that social factors including living in a rural county may also increase the risk of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Newswise Several factors, such as older age and high weight gain, are known risk factors for pre-eclampsia and other pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. Now a new report suggests that social factors including living in a rural county may also increase the risk of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Our study showed an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia and PIH associated with living in a rural area,” comments lead researcher Rebecca Moore, MD, of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado. “The reason for this increased risk is unclear, but may possibly be associated with maternal poverty and social deprivation.”
Using birth certificate data on infants born in Colorado from 2000 to 2006, the researchers analyzed risk factors for pre-eclampsia and PIH in more than 362,000 mothers. All of the women were free of chronic medical conditions at delivery. Women with pre-eclampsia develop rapid increases in blood pressure, along with kidney damage. Pre-eclampsia is a very common condition and the third most common cause of maternal death in the United States. The cause is unknown and there is no known cure, although the problem usually resolves after delivery.
The overall rate of PIH/pre-eclampsia was 3.3 %. The study confirmed the known risk factors, including age over 35 years, first pregnancy, multiple gestation (twins or more), and gaining more than 30 pounds during pregnancy. Smoking was associated with a lower risk of pre-eclampsia (but smoking increases the risk of other pregnancy complications).
After adjusting for all of these factors, the researchers identified some intriguing new risk factors for PIH/pre-eclampsia. Women living in rural counties were at increased risk: 56 percent higher than for women in other areas.
There was also a link to education, with a 19 % increase in risk for women who had some college education (compared to a high school education). Although the rate of PIH/pre-eclampsia was also higher for women with more than a college education, the difference was not significant. “These novel risks were independent of other risk factors, including adequacy of prenatal care,” Dr. Moore adds.
The new information linking PIH/pre-eclampsia risk to the mother’s social characteristics is an important first step to toward identifying new, nontraditional risk factors. “Although traditional risk factors for pre-eclampsia and PIH are well recognized, these diseases remain enigmatic, and there is no known effective way to reduce their incidence,” says Dr. Moore. “Nontraditional risk factors may be of great importance in the design of future interventions to prevent the occurrence of PIH and pre-eclampsia, but data regarding these risk factors are scarce.”
The data provided in the study were all self-reported, and are therefore subject to bias. Also, the study database did not include information on some potentially important factors, including the women’s body weight and income level.
The study abstract, “Relationship between Novel Risk Factors and the Development of Pre-Eclampsia and Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension in Women without Pre-Existing Medical Conditions,” (SA-FC408) will be presented as part of a Free Communications session on the topic of Clinical Aspects of Hypertension in Kidney Disease on Saturday, November 8, at 5:36 p.m. in Room 105 of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
ASN is a not-for-profit organization of 11,000 physicians and scientists dedicated to the study of nephrology and committed to providing a forum for the promulgation of information regarding the latest research and clinical findings on kidney disease. ASN Renal Week 2008, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for 11,000 nephrologists to discuss the latest findings in renal research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Renal Week 2008 will take place November 4 November 9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
© 2008 Newswise. All Rights Reserved.
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I just found out that I am pregnant but I don't feel anything like morning sickness. I do get a little nauseous but no vomiting.
Nausea is one of the first signs of pregnancy and is very common in the early stages. It starts somewhere between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy and is therefore one of the first pregnancy signs. For most women, morning sickness will disappear by the 14th to 16th week. Some women experience NVP throughout their entire pregnancy. There are several factors at play including pregnancy hormones and higher sensitivity to odors.
ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2008) A study in rats shows that exposure to a high-fat diet during pregnancy produces permanent changes in the offspring’s brain that lead to overeating and obesity early in life, according to new research by Rockefeller University scientists. This surprising finding, reported in the Nov. 12 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, provides a key step toward understanding mechanisms of fetal programming involving the production of new brain cells that may help explain the increased prevalence of childhood obesity during the last 30 years. See also: Health & Medicine Obesity Diet and Weight Loss Nutrition Cholesterol Pregnancy and Childbirth Birth Defects Reference Saturated fat South Beach diet Nutrition and pregnancy Zone diet
“We’ve shown that short-term exposure to a high-fat diet in utero produces permanent neurons in the fetal brain that later increase the appetite for fat,” says senior author Sarah F. Leibowitz, who directs the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology at Rockefeller. “This work provides the first evidence for a fetal program that links high levels of fats circulating in the mother’s blood during pregnancy to the overeating and increased weight gain of offspring after weaning.”
Research in adult animals by Leibowitz and others has shown that circulating triglycerides stimulate brain chemicals known as orexigenic peptides, which in turn spur the animals to eat more. Scientists also have shown that obese and diabetic mothers produce heavier children and that exposure to fat-rich foods early in life leads to obesity in adulthood. These studies suggested that food intake and body weight may be programmed during fetal development. But little was known about the mechanism underlying this programming.
Leibowitz and her colleagues have identified mechanisms in the brain that explain this programming. They looked at the effects of feeding pregnant rats a high fat diet for two weeks compared with a balanced diet containing a moderate amount of fat. The researchers found that rat pups born to mothers who consumed the high fat diet, even after the diet had been removed at birth, ate more, weighed more throughout life, and began puberty earlier than those born to mothers who ate a balanced diet for the same two week period. They also had higher levels of triglycerides in the blood at birth and as adults and greater production of brain peptides that stimulate eating and weight gain.
Leibowitz and her colleagues then looked at the pups’ brain development during the last week of pregnancy. They examined the number and types of neurons being born and made a surprising discovery: The pups from the mothers fed high fat diets had, in utero, a much larger number of neurons that produce the appetite-stimulating orexigenic peptides – and they kept them throughout their lives. During gestation, the mother’s fat-rich diet also stimulated the proliferation of neuronal precursor cells and their differentiation and migration to obesity-promoting centers in the brain. In rats on a balanced diet, these neurons were much fewer in number and appeared much later after birth.
“We believe the high levels of triglycerides that the fetuses are exposed to during pregnancy cause the growth of the neurons earlier and much more than is normal,” says Leibowitz.
The researchers hypothesize that because the mother must prepare her embryos to survive on her diet, they need to be born with the brain mechanisms that allow them to eat and metabolize it.
Leibowitz believes similar mechanisms may be operating in humans.
“We’re programming our children to be fat,” she says. “I think it’s very clear that there’s vulnerability in the developing brain, and we’ve identified the site of this action where new neurons are being born. We now need to understand how the lipids affect these precursor cells that form these fat-sensitive neurons that live with us throughout life.”
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This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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