Things to know about the health of you and your baby.

The most important thing you can do when you have decided to have a baby is to take good care of yourself.  The parental period is a time to build a strong foundation for you, your baby and your family.

One of the best things you can do for you and your baby is to eat healthy. Making smart nutritional choices will help promote your baby’s growth and development.

Pregnancy Nutrition

During pregnancy a balanced diet is the most important part of good health.  Pregnancy Nutrition is the only source of nutrients for your baby.  You will need to learn how to make good food choices for you and your baby as well as the nutrients your baby will need.  You have to avoid things that can be harmful like alcohol, drugs,smoking cigarettes.  These things are very harmful to you and your baby.

Emotional Changes

We all think of pregnancy as an exciting time and you think mostly of how your body will change.  Some of us don’t realize the emotional changes that occur.  Feeling sad or worried about every little thing is normal and is usually due to changes in hormone levels.  The following represent some of the most common changes even though every woman’s pregnancy is unique to them.

• Hormones – Mood swings are very common because of these hormone changes.
• Self Image – You will start feeling bad about yourself that you are fat and unattractive.  Instead you should feel proud of the signs of your fertility.
• Anxiety about the health of the baby – You will feel and worry about the health of your baby. Talking with other mothers will help.
• Concerns about Labor – It’s very normal for mother’s to worry about childbirth, the pain, if you will embarrass yourself are common.

Although you will have ups and downs in your emotional crises most will be perfectly manageable.  Just remember that all the emotions you feel are felt by most pregnant women.

Pregnancy Complications

As we have mentioned before how important it is to visit your doctor on a regular basis to make sure you are on top of any complications with your pregnancy.  There are tests done in the beginning stages and some screenings later in pregnancy to help prevent these problems.  It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice so you have a safe delivery and a health baby.

Here are a few complication that could occur:

• Gestational Diabetes
• Ectopic Pregnancy
• Hepatitis B
• Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)
• HIV Infection
• Placenta Previa
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Toxoplasmosis
• Listeriosis
• Fetal Problems
• Premature or Pre-term Labor
• High – Blood Pressure
• Placental Abruption
• Post-partum Depression
• Mastitis

Complications of pregnancy are the symptoms and problems that are associated with pregnancy.

There are both routine problems and serious, even potentially fatal problems. The routine problems are normal complications, and pose no significant danger to either the woman or the fetus. Serious pregnancy complications can cause both maternal death and fetal death if untreated.

Most women have normal, uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries.  Unfortunately there are some women that experience some pregnancy complications during their pregnancy.

Here are some of the best known pregnancy complications to be aware of…

Ectopic Pregnancy

A ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. Even though this could happen to any women pregnancy you are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy if you have had a pelvic inflammatory disease or other sexually transmitted disease. It could also happen if you had an ectopic pregnancy previously or have had some previous tubal surgery.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes affects the way your body uses sugar (glucose) which is your body’s main source of fuel.  Good news is it can be managed during your pregnancy by eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and in some cases taking medication.  Blood sugar levels typically return to normal soon after delivery.
Hepatitis B

HIV Infection/Sexually Transmitted Diseases

According to the March of Dimes, there are about 6,000 to 7,000 women infected with HIV give birth every year.  The bad part about this is the mother can give HIV to there child.  HIV transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding is called prenatal transmission. Prenatal HIV transmission is the most common way children are infected with HIV.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)

HG is a severe form of morning sickness, with unrelenting, excessive pregnancy-related nausea and /or vomiting that prevents adequate intake of food and fluids. The serious , and sometimes fatal complications of HG are almost always avoided with aggressive treatment.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is a loss of the fetus before the 20th week and sometimes sooner by the tenth week.  About 10 to 30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes.    Listeriosis is relatively rare and occurs primarily in pregnant women, newborn infants, elderly patients, and patients who are immunocompromised. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasjmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondjj.  The infection is most commonly acquired from contact with cats and their feces or with raw or undercooked meat.

Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are infections in the bladder, kidneys, ureters (the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder) or urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body). UTIs are caused by bacteria. If not treated and you have a kidney infection it could cause early labor in your pregnancy. If your doctor treats a urinary tract infection early and properly, it won’t hurt your baby.

Placenta Previa

Placenta previa is an uncommon pregnancy complication that can cause excessive bleeding before or during delivery. It’s when the placenta has attached to the uterine wall close to or covering the cervix.

Placental Abruption

This is when there is a separation of the placenta from the uterus. It can cause heavy bleeding in the mother and can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients.  Placental Abruption should be treated quickly before it puts both mother and baby in jeopardy.

High-Blood Pressure/Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a disorder is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and will effect both the mother and baby.  It is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.

Premature or Pre-term Labor

Premature labor, also known as preterm labor, is a very serious complication of pregnancy. This is defined as labor that begins prior to 37 weeks gestation.  Early detection can help prevent premature birth and possibly enable you to carry your pregnancy to term or to give your baby a better chance of survival.

Post-partum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD, also called postnatal depression) is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, after childbirth. Postpartum depression can make you feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless.  Symptoms typically last from a few hours to several days, and include tearfulness, irritability, hypochondriasis, sleeplessness, impairment of concentration, isolation and headache.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling and redness of the breast. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding, although in rare circumstances this condition can occur outside of lactation.

Fifth Disease

Fifth disease is caused by a virus called parvovirus B19. It commonly infects children and typically causes a mild rash that may resemble a “slapped-cheek”. Other symptoms that can occur include joint pain (arthralgia), fever and general flu-like symptoms.