The 32-week old preemie

Today I visited a client of mine who gave birth by c-section to a 32-week gestation preemie.  Patient's BP had begun to sky-rocket and she was seriously retaining fluid.  When she went in for her routine visit on Thursday, they decided that baby would probably be safer out than in.

Baby weighed 2 lbs, and 13 oz and is now in a incubator but doing well ...for a 32-week preemie.  Mother and baby are doing kagaroo-care and all is well in terms of the bond taking place. 

Mom old me when I visited that her milk is beginning to come in and she is pumping every few hours.  Of course I took her my "Lullabies for Mother-Baby Bonding" and she was so excited about learning these lullabies to sing as well as playing the CD for babies calming and sleeping needs!  If you haven't gotten this CD or download yet, be sure click on the link on this page and order yours now!

The Use of Early Pregnancy Sonograms

Today we have a fascinating guest post by Susan White.

Pregnancy is a time of great joy and anticipation; while you’re bursting with happiness most of the time, there are apprehensive moments too as you wonder about the health of your unborn child and pray that there are no unforeseen complications. To this end, the ultrasound scan is a boon in the field of obstetrics. It is safe for both mother and child, and from the fourth week of pregnancy, can be used to determine information and eliminate undesirable conditions.

In the early stages of pregnancy, between the fourth and seventh weeks, ultrasounds confirm the pregnancy through the presence of the gestational sac, the yolk sac and the fetal pole (the heartbeat of the fetus). They also rule out ectopic pregnancies (when the fetus is in the fallopian tube) and molar pregnancies, and in the presence of vaginal bleeding, can tell if there is a risk of miscarriage using the rate of the fetal heartbeat.

As the pregnancy progresses, ultrasound scans are used to determine the size and weight of the fetus, and based on these, calculate the date of conception. They’re also very useful in determining if there are any anomalies or abnormalities in the fetus. Some conditions are preventable by intervention at the right time while others raise the question of whether to terminate the pregnancy or continue with it and raise a child who may have health problems all their life. It’s a decision that only the parents can make, but ultrasound scans help them prepare for what they can expect in the future.

When it comes to determining the sex of the baby, an ultrasound helps only after the 17th week, and even then, the position of the fetus plays a large role in being able to accurately determine if it is a boy or a girl. Some people are anxious to know the sex beforehand because it gives them an opportunity to choose names and prepare for the arrival of the baby. Others are not concerned one way or the other. But there are some countries where determination of the sex of the baby through an ultrasound scan is illegal because female fetuses are aborted immediately.

China and India are notorious for this practice – in the former, the strict one-child policy enforced by the government forces couples to wait for a boy because they want to continue their family lineage; and in the latter, the girl child is seen as a burden in middle and lower class families because they have to shell out large sums of money as “dowry”, a kind of fee paid to the groom’s family, during her marriage.

Isn’t it ironic how something that was invented to make pregnancies easier and safer is also being used as a reason to kill?

By-line:

This article is contributed by Susan White, who regularly writes on the subject of rad tech schools. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: susan.white33@gmail.com.

Guided Imagery Reduces Prenatal Stress

Here's the latest from http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/!

Monday, 24 May 2010

Researchers from University Hospital Basel in Switzerland compared the immediate effects of brief guided imagery and relaxation exercises - two active and one passive 10-min relaxation technique - on prenatal stress in a randomized, controlled trial with 39 healthy pregnant women.

Subjects were assigned to one of two active relaxation techniques, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or guided imagery (GI), or a passive relaxation control condition.

Measures were self-reported relaxation on a visual analogue scale (VAS); the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S); scores on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (cortisol and ACTH); and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system activity (norepinephrine and epinephrine). Additionally, measures were taken of cardiovascular responses, such as heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Scores were measured at four points before and after the relaxation exercise.

New Moms Get Lonely Too!

This article was found on (http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-17/new-mom-on-the-block.aspx)
Feeling isolated with a new baby? Here's how to seek out other new mommies near you.

Sure, you adore your little one (Who wouldn't? Those eyes! Those cheeks!), but sometimes you might find yourself craving a grown-up friend who speaks actual words rather than sputtering raspberries at you (as adorable as that can be!). It's pretty common for new moms to feel isolated since they have little time for licking a stamp, let alone chitchatting with their (perhaps single and baby-free) gal pals. So how can you find a real-life connection? Let your baby be your guide!
One way to satisfy your craving for adult conversation and spend quality time with your roly-poly baby is to find other new moms. Mommy-and-me type groups can be found in just about every city and town these days; you just have to know where to look. Whether it's a designated time in a park, or a baby-friendly coffeehouse, or even someone else's living room, your outing can be gratifying for both mommies and babies.
So where to start? Well, the playground and your pediatrician's office are like singles bars for moms seeking moms. You can also check out the bulletin boards at your house of worship, local library, or maybe chat someone up at the supermarket (Hey, babies make great conversation starters!). At the very least, or in addition to finding actual friends-in-the-flesh, you can establish some pretty rewarding relationships with other new moms online.

If you haven't already discovered them, the What To Expect First Year Message Boards are full of amazingly supportive and welcoming women who know exactly what you're going through and share your interests precisely (who else is happy to comment on the color of your baby's poop?). Who knows? You may meet a mommy who's just two towns over! So reach out and touch someone, either in person or virtually. You just might make a friend for life.

"Lullaphones" to the Rescue!

Someone very near and dear to me gave birth last Friday!  We had talked about her using the headphones and she wasn't sure she wanted to, but when she found out that women who have C-sections don't have their own private room, she changed her mind.  It seems that there was at least one very loud woman just a few feet away on the phone with her husband and this woman was not a bit happy with him.  My patients wasn't feeling that great and decided to put on the headphones to block out all the hostile vibes around her and said it absolutely did the trick! 

These pre-programmed headphones are absolutely sonic medicine with no side-effects!  Let's get the word out!

Preemies and Mozart: What the research says

Listening to the music of the master seems to help the babies grow. Exposing the infants to 30 minutes of Mozart's music daily appears to calm them, report researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel. This is good news, because the less agitated the preemies are, the less energy they'll expend and the faster they’ll gain weight - that boosts their immunity to infections and other illnesses and enables them to go home from the hospital. The researchers measured the physiological effects of the music on the babies and compared the "after Mozart" results with earlier measurements. Why Mozart? The Israeli researchers suggest that unlike the compositions of Beethoven or Bach, Mozart's music has a melody that is highly repetitive, perhaps similar to the rhythm of the heartbeat they would hear in the womb, which the investigators speculated may affect the organizational centers in the babies' brains. The Israeli study is part of an international effort to determine what environmental effects promote the health and survival of susceptible infants. Next, the Israeli team plans to expose premature infants to other types of music to see what evokes a similar response. One of them suggested "rap" as a type of music that is also highly repetitive. What would Mozart think of that?

source:  http://www.drweilblog.com/

The Bradley Method of Childbirth: I did it and it works!

I have given birth three times.  Each time I had a healthy baby girl that weighed between 7.5 and 8.1 lbs, but the labors were all different!  The first two time I used the "Lamaze Method" of breathing and childbirth where the breathing is different depending on what phase of labor the woman is in.  With my third daughter I used the Bradley Method, which I had learned about at La Leche League meetings in Louisville, KY.  I could not believe how easy and effective it was.  Simply beginning the slow, steady, rhythmic breathing at the beginning of each contraction got me through each contraction without feeling that I was losing control or being swept away with pain.  I was hooked up to a monitor for the last 6-8 hours so once the contractions were coming regularly, my husband would wake me up and start breathing with me and I just did what he did!  Things were going so well that at one point my OB asked if I would be willing to allow some residents to come in and observe me.  I was happy to do that, but strangely, when I begin talking with them, my labor came to a complete stop for a brief period so I had to bid them good-bye. 

I highly recommend the technique though and feel that it is the easiest and the most effective!



What is the Bradley Method?

Dr. Robert Bradley developed this method in the late 1940s. This Bradley method emphasizes an extremely natural approach, with few or no drugs and little medical help during labor and delivery. Almost 90 percent of women who use this method are able to deliver their babies without medication. Stressing good diet and exercise during pregnancy, it teaches deep relaxation techniques to manage pain, and educates a woman's husband or partner so they can be an effective coach.



Some parents find the method empowering. For other parents, the method may not be right.(See Even though the courses aim to teach you how to avoid unnecessary pain, some women prefer to have pain medication as an option. But many are attracted by the idea of giving birth to a baby who is unexposed to drugs, and consider the Bradley method for that reason.



What to expect in a Bradley course?

Typically eight to twelve weeks long, it is taught by certified teachers. To make sure the classes are comprehensive and also personal, no more than eight couples as a rule make up a session. You will spend alot of time practicing coaching techniques (often included are videos you and your partner can take home). You will also learn during these courses:


• Natural childbirth


• Active participation by the husband as coach


• Excellent nutrition (the foundation of a healthy pregnancy and baby)

• Avoidance of drugs during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, unless absolutely necessary

• Training: "Early Bird" classes followed by weekly classes starting in the 5th month and continuing until the birth

• Relaxation and NATURAL breathing


• "Tuning-in" to your own body and trusting the natural process

• Immediate and continuous contact with your new baby


• Breastfeeding, beginning at birth provides immunities and nutrition


• Consumerism and positive communications

• Parents taking responsibility for the safety of the birth place, procedures, attendants, and emergency back-up

• Parents being prepared for unexpected situations such as emergency childbirth and cesarean section

Copyright © Angelia Fenton. Permission to republish granted to Pregnancy.org, LLC.