Water childbirth is becoming very popular. Many women are finding that is a great way to give birth. They say it is more comfortable, easier, and healthier. Water is known to help ease pain during labor, making a natural birth more bearable. It aids in keeping a steady pulse, stabilizing your blood flow and helps you to be more relaxed. It also helps the baby slip out more easily, helping quite a bit in managing pain and cutting back on labor time.
In order to decide if a water birth is for you, you will want to do some research. Those who are nervous about a home birth should probably decide against a water birth as, currently, water births are not conducted in many facilities. In addition, women who aren’t comfortable working with a midwife are not prime candidates for water birth. For more information, visit waterbirth.org or birthbalance.com.
The next step in planning a water childbirth is to find a midwife. Since water childbirth is still relatively new, many midwifes are not experienced and are reluctant to try it. If you are not able to find a midwife who has experience with water childbirth, try finding one who is open to it. With the proper research, you and your midwife can learn what is needed. Some women choose to deliver without a midwife, but you’ll want to make sure you are 100% comfortable and as educated as you can be if you choose to do this.
The next step in planning a water childbirth is to obtain a birthing pool. You have the option of purchasing or renting one. Renting one will cost a few hundred dollars, while purchasing one will be around a thousand. If you plan to use your birthing pool for multiple children, it is probably more economical to purchase rather than rent. You should purchase a birthing pool that can comfortable seat you and another person. There are also birthing pool accessories available such as booster seats, thermometers and liner patch kits.
Tags: water, child, birth, childbirth, baby, pregnancy, labor, natural, research, birthing, pool, midwife, pain, health
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April 30 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »
The following article delves into the subject of pregnancy week by week. If you have a particular interest in pregnancy week by week, then this informative article is required reading.
Pregnancy is a scary, yet miraculous part of life. Part of the nervousness and anticipation that surrounds pregnancy is a lack of knowledge about what happens to your body during the nine months required to create a new life. Below is a pregnancy week by week list of the changes that will take place while you are pregnant. Remember that every woman is different and the rate at which a fetus develops is varied.
Pregnancy Week By Week - One Through Four:
Week one starts with the date of your last menstrual period. During week four, fertilization of the eggs occurs and the process of creating a new life begins.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Five Through Eight:
You have missed a period and you may begin to suspect that you are pregnant. At this stage, a pregnancy test will be accurate for most women. During the sixth week your baby’s heart starts to beat. Week seven may be the beginning of morning sickness, and by week eight the rapidly developing fetus has small arms and legs.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Nine Through Twelve:
During this stage of pregnancy, your body continues to grow and adjust to accommodate the growing fetus. Your baby should start to move inside your body although you may not notice at this point. By week twelve, morning sickness should begin to subside.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Week By Week Thirteen Through Sixteen:
It is possible to determine the baby’s gender by week thirteen, but with only a moderate degree of accuracy. Week fourteen should be the week in which you can hear the baby’s heartbeat during your visit to your obstetrician. You will most likely be able to feel your baby move during this period as the baby’s bones begin to harden.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Seventeen Through Twenty:
The best time to learn about pregnancy week by week is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable pregnancy week by week experience while it’s still free.
By this time your baby’s internal organs are starting to develop rapidly and the fetus is covered in fine hair called lanugo. An ultrasound performed during this time should accurately determine your baby’s gender.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Twenty One Through Twenty Four:
At this stage of pregnancy, your baby will begin practicing breathing in order to be ready for this job when he or she is born. You may feel slight contractions during this time as your uterus begins preparing for the task at hand. By week twenty four, your baby begins to develop fat deposits in order to regulate body temperature after birth.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Twenty Four Through Twenty Eight:
Your uterus will begin to get crowded at this stage of pregnancy and your baby’s movements will slow down. Your baby can now sense light and darkness and will be able to hear sounds from the outside world. The sounds your baby hears will resemble the sounds you would hear while swimming under water.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Twenty Nine Through Thirty Two:
Your baby’s head is growing rapidly in proportion to the rest of its body. The brain and the eyes are almost fully developed during this stage of your pregnancy. By week thirty two, the only organs not almost fully developed are the lungs
Pregnancy Week By Week -Thirty Three Through Thirty Six:
During week thirty three, your baby can close and open it’s eyes and the fingernails grow to the end of the fingers. It is possible that your baby’s nails will need to be cut soon after birth. By week thirty six, the baby could weigh up to four pounds and be up to sixteen inches long.
Pregnancy Week By Week - Thirty Seven Through Forty:
Your baby’s major organs have been fully developed for a while now and the lungs continue to develop in preparation for birth. The baby could be born at any time now. The actual delivery date for your baby could be as much as two weeks before or after the expected due date. The time has come to prepare for the imminent arrival - good luck!
There’s a lot to understand about pregnancy week by week. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
Ken Austin is the webmaster at My Pregnancy , a pregnancy resource site.
For more great pregnancy articles, please visit The Pregnancy Resource Guide .
Tags: pregnancy week by week,
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April 29 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »
Pregnancy is a trying time for all women. The added stress, the complicated health issues and the additional weight can be overwhelming for many. But when you add in severe health problems like Crohn’s disease, the stress levels can reach unhealthy levels. So, what effects does Crohn’s disease have on pregnancy and what does this mean for the health of the baby?
Studies have shown that most women or couples who have an active case of Crohn’s (they regularly get flare-ups) may have trouble even conceiving. A common drug used to treat Crohn’s called sulfasalzine may render men temporarily infertile. There are less common medications available for men who are looking to conceive so consult your doctor to get switched to a treatment that won’t damage your sperm count.
Most women who have Crohn’s are able to carry their baby to a full-term pregnancy and have a healthy boy or girl, but there are some direct links between Crohn’s disease and problems which could potentially crop up. Since Crohn’s is responsible for causing ulcers and abscesses in the body, women who may have these in the birth canal or in the vagina may need to have a caesarean section birth. Crohn’s has been linked to a higher rate of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth at a rate of two to three times. There are also links between a worsening of symptoms directly after becoming pregnant and during the first trimester. Some women also experience a severe flare-up immediately after giving birth. The one thing to keep in mind is that every case of Crohn’s is different and every pregnancy is different, as well. There is no link at this time that says if you have severe Crohn’s related symptoms during one pregnancy that you’ll have them during your next one, too.
One of the most important aspects to having a healthy baby is eating a proper diet. As everyone knows, a woman’s diet changes dramatically during pregnancy, but diet can be a main trigger to Crohn’s flair-ups. So how to rectify the two? The best thing to do is to consult your doctors and remember, if you are treating your Crohn’s with sulfasalazine, take folic acid to help prevent birth defects. Most likely, your doctor and obstetrician will recommend a few special foods and an increased vitamin and mineral supplement plan.
There is a debated genetic link associated with Crohn’s. Some studies have shown no real link, while others have shown that if someone in your family has Crohn’s, there is a 10 times greater chance of developing it, and if that person is a brother or a sister, the risk jumps to 30 times. Targeting the actual genes that cause it has been extremely challenging since it appears that more than one gene affects Crohn’s disease. The main consensus on this controversial area is that there may be some genetic link, but it’s all about the environmental risk factors associated with it. Don’t smoke, try to eat right and keep the stress down and you don’t have to worry about passing Crohn’s disease onto your newborn baby.
Tags: Crohn’s disease
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April 28 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »