Tuesday February 9, 2010
About 1 in every 125 babies born has congenital heart disease (CHD). Many of these are not known prior to birth and some are not known until later in life, sometimes, only after a tragedy has happened. The problem is that you can't just look at a baby and know if they have congenital heart disease. Does the baby above have a CHD? Notice how half of her face is darker than the other half? Or what about this beautiful baby with her lovely, even skin tone and clean bill of health? Consider talking to your practitioner about screening your newborn for congenital heart disease
Tuesday February 9, 2010
When Elizabeth Hasselbeck welcomed her one son, she was asked if she got an epidural for pain relief in labor, she says "I did but I think I'm immune to the epidural, because it didn't work for me. That's a problem." This is why many anesthesiologists recommend taking a childbirth class, even if you're planning on an epidural.
No matter how you feel about epidurals, you still need to have some information about them. I've seen lots of women decide before labor that epidurals were exactly what they wanted only to find out they couldn't have one. Don't get left in that rough spot. Epidurals are the most popular form of medicinal pain relief in labor and birth. But there might be reasons why you can't have an epidural. Find out what you need to know before labor.
Related:
Photo (c) iStockPhoto
Monday February 8, 2010
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, you may be waiting to find out if you're pregnant. Have you considered waiting for this special date to share your big news? Lots of women choose to make pregnancy announcements on special occasions. In fact, we have a few stories to share of
Valentine's Day pregnancy announcements. If you get a big fat positive (BFP) on your
pregnancy test consider doing something special!
Sunday February 7, 2010
Many people can tell you that they know that folic acid can prevent certain birth defects, like spina bifida. What most people can't tell you is who should be taking the folic acid and for how long. Experts have long said that women need to take the folic acid for at least three months prior to pregnancy to reap the benefits. The problem is that many women hear the call for women of childbearing age and don't do anything because they think that they are not ready for a baby or they believe that they will simply start taking supplements as soon as their pregnancy is diagnosed. This is not sound.
Any woman who is having sex and capable of becoming pregnant, even if you are using birth control, should be taking folic acid, such as those found in prenatal vitamins. When did you start taking prenatal vitamins?
