Saturday September 4, 2010
As the fall approaches, so does flu season. While there is a lot less hype about the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu virus of 2009, pregnant women will still be given the option of receiving the regular flu shot. It is currently recommended that all pregnant women be given the seasonal flu shot by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nasal vaccine is not recommended.
Pregnancy can lower your immune defenses and make you more susceptible to the flu. But it can also cause you to become more ill if you do get the flu. The flu shot will protect you and your baby from the flu. Your baby's immunity will last up to six months after birth.
As with any treatment or immunization, you should talk to your doctor or midwife about the specifics for you. There are some reasons, like allergies to ingredients in the flu vaccine, that you may not wish to take the flu shot. The conversation with your midwife or doctor will help you make the best decision for you and your baby this flu season.
Other things that you can do to help avoid the flu:
- Wash your hands often
- Avoid people who are ill or have flu-like symptoms
- Breastfeed your baby as your immunities pass to baby
- Wear your baby, so that others aren't able to touch baby
If you do think you're ill, contact your provider. Keep your fever down with medications and stay well hydrated. Don't try to push through it. Rest and take care of yourself to avoid complications like preterm labor and pneumonia.
Related:
Friday September 3, 2010
I'm noticing a trend and I wonder if you see it too - people who are really upset when they don't get pregnant the first month or so that they are trying to conceive. Don't get me wrong, I get why they'd be upset pregnancy-wise, but realistically and statistically, conception doesn't work that way.
Part of it is, in my opinion, that we spend so much time worrying about avoiding pregnancy and thinking about birth control, that we honestly believe that one time we don't use birth control we'll get pregnant. If it works that way when you don't want to get pregnant, surely it works that way when you do want to get pregnant.
The current recommendations are that you should seek help after twelve months of trying to conceive with well timed intercourse. (This number drops to six months if you are over 35.) I certainly think that there are times when you could be seen sooner and certainly I'd advocate that everyone who wants to get pregnant should start with a preconception check up. That would be a great time to talk about ways to identify when you ovulate so that you can do your part for the well-timed intercourse portion.
Certainly infertility is a problem, but you're not infertile if you've only been trying a month or two. My best guess is what you need to start with is some advice on charting your menstrual cycle to pinpoint ovulation. The good news is that having this information will help you get pregnant sooner, or be more prepared when you see someone about your cycles.
What do you think is causing us to be so anxious?
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Thursday September 2, 2010
One of the important reasons that many families list for breastfeeding is that it is free. This is a true statement. But I'm here to offer you some advice. Set some money aside for breastfeeding costs. You might use this money for a lactation consultant, a nursing bra, a breast pump... And yet these costs might come as a budgetary shock if you haven't planned for it. Worst case scenario, you budget the money and don't use it. Then take the money and go get a massage or spend it on yourself in some other pampering way.
Related:
Thrifty Thursday from About.com Parenting
Wednesday September 1, 2010
