BABYssentials » Pregnancy

Pregnant Women Get More Cavities

Amy — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:08:16 +0000

According to Science Daily, women get more cavities than men. What’s more, if you’re pregnant, you’re even worse off. This information comes from a study done at the University of Oregon, which showed that women’s dental health has declined more rapidly than men’s over the years.

You see, with pregnancy comes raised estrogen levels, which causes cavities and changes in the diet. In addition, pregnancy also brings changes in your saliva composition. This means there are less components in the saliva to prevent cavities. Add to this the sugary and fatty food cravings, and you have a disastrous combination for your mouth.

The only way to reduce your chances of cavities during pregnancy is by brushing and flossing every day and taking calcium supplements.

New Rules for VBAC

Amy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:05:46 +0000

If you’ve ever had a cesarean birth (C-section), you may have experienced difficulty in getting a doctor to agree a vaginal delivery for subsequent births. However, new medical guidelines put in place by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) may make that a thing of the past.

These new guidelines gives mothers more of a say in whether they will have a vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC). The new guidelines consider women with past C-sections, women expecting twins, and women with C-section scarring candidates for vaginal deliveries. Current statistics show that 90% of women who have had previous C-sections have C-sections for later births.

While the new guidelines are a step toward a mother’s right to choose, Lamaze International believes the language surrounding these new guidelines regarding the risks of uterine ruptures may still prove to be a limitation. However, the hope is that the new recommendations will change the minds of those doctors who don’t offer VBACs because of medical liability risks, in addition to lowering the ever-rising C-section rates (currently, 1/3 of all US births are C-sections).

Photo Credit: Tammra McCauley

New Technique Increases IVF Chances

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:38:14 +0000

The world of the designer baby has just taken another step closer to reality. Changing the world with the first IVF baby, also known as the test-tube baby, more than 30 years ago and then again last year with the first “breast-cancer-free” baby, today they have provided another scientific breakthrough with the first egg-screening baby. British scientists have just created the technology enabling doctors to check eggs for chromosomal defects before fertilization.

Oliver is the first baby ever produced using Array Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (Array CGH). This advancement is quite an achievement and will be welcomed by fertility doctors. Defects in eggs and chromosomal aberrations in embryos are responsible for many miscarriages and failed IVF attempts.

During ovulation, the egg has to remove duplicate copies of its chromosomes to give space for the male sperm chromosomes during fertilization. The discarded egg chromosomes are contained in a small cell called a polar body. Sometimes, something goes awry, producing an egg which has too many or two few chromosomes. Down’s Syndrome or trisomy 21 is due to an extra 21 chromosome in the fertilized embryo. About 50% of female eggs have defective chromosomes. This increases dramatically as the woman ages and could be up to 75% by the time she reaches 39.

In an IVF cycle, embryos are pre-screened before implantation, usually through visual screening under the microscope. However, this pre-implantation screening method does not seem to increase IVF success. Enter Array CGH. Array CGH performs an “inventory” of the chromosomes in the polar body counting them to determine whether the egg has the right number of chromosomes. This method is much more reliable than simply looking at the embryo. The test takes 1 to 2 days to complete after which only the chromosome defect-free embryos are used and implanted. It is estimated that the chances of success during an IVF procedure are increased two- fold. What is interesting is that the scientists who develop the method reported that healthy, defect-free eggs are not necessary the “best looking” when viewed under the microscope, casting further doubt on visual egg screening.

Oliver’s mom is 41 years old and is of advanced maternal age through no fault of hers. She had three miscarriages and 13 failed IVF attempts. Late last year, the doctors screened 8 of her eggs using, Array CGH and only 2 were found to be normal. One of those eggs was fertilized, implanted and produced Oliver. It is truly amazing what technology can do. Be prepared to see more advancements and wider use of this technique.

Doula Duty

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:44:55 +0000

Not everyone knows what a doula is. Let us break it down for you. A doula (pronounced doo-lah) is a Greek word for a woman who helps women. She lends support to women and their families. She also provides information and encouragement through pregnancy, labor and birth. Notably, a doula is not trained to actually deliver your baby.

In the United States, a very small portion of births are overseen by doulas. Some guestimates are as low as 1%. These numbers, however, are increasing due to more and more evidence of the benefits.

Here are some statistics. A scientific study found that with continuous support of a trained doula, epidural use decreased by 60%. The number of C-sections dropped 50%, oxytocin use decreased 40%, forceps use decreased by 40%, and the average length of labor decreased by 25%.

There are postpartum advantages as well. Mothers who have the support of a doula breastfeed more successfully than new moms without a doula. There is also evidence that doulas help decrease anxiety and depression after pregnancy. To learn more check out Fit Pregnancy’s doula info.

Have any of you had any experience using a doula? We’d love to hear!

Does Size Matter?

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:51:19 +0000

When you’re pregnant, it can sometimes seem like you’re never big enough. And if you are big enough, people can make you feel guilty for being “too big.” Very few expectant mothers feel like Goldilocks – just right. We’ve heard of women lying about their due dates because they felt they had to justify how big their belly was. On the same token, we’ve encountered women who have been criticized that they aren’t big enough considering how far along they are.

Rest easy! There is no “one size fits all” pregnancy. A lot of one’s size depends on whether it is your first pregnancy or a subsequent pregnancy. Then there’s always good ‘ole genetics – I am always amazed when I see those cute pregnant women who can wear a bikini and look adorable while pregnant.

Other factors that factor in how big you’ll get include both how much you weighed before you conceived and how appropriate your weight is for your height. The Institute of Medicine in May, 2009 indicated that if your pre-pregnancy weight was a “healthy BMI” (body mass index) of 18.5 – 24.9, you should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. That means 1 – 5 pounds in your first trimester and about 1 pound per week throughout the rest of your pregnancy.

If you were underweight before conception, then you should gain between 28 – 40 pounds. If you were overweight for your height, you should gain between 15 and 25 pounds. Finally, if you were considered obese, with a BMI of 30 or more, you should gain between 11 and 20 pounds.

These rules are not hard and fast, and of course, they all change if you are having twins. If twins are on the way, you should expect to gain between 37 and 54 pounds if you started out with a normal BMI, between 31 to 50 pounds if you were overweight, and between 24 to 42 pounds if you were obese.

How closely do the Institute of Medicine’s guidelines match your experiences?