Once again…worth the wait!

I’ve posted this before, but I love this article!  So, for your reading enjoyment, 40 reasons to go the full 40 weeks!

Pregnancy can be very challenging.  Morning sickness and extreme fatigue during the first trimester, that wonderful glucose tolerance test, blood draws, ligament pain, Braxton Hicks, shortness of air as your belly grows, apprehension about delivery…the list goes on an on.  I can’t tell you how many patients I see that are ready to have their baby as early as 34 weeks and ask if they can be induced because they are “tired of being pregnant.”  Sorry, ladies, “tired of being pregnant” isn’t an acceptable medical diagnosis that will warrant an induction prior to 39 weeks.

This article was originally published on www.health4mom.org.  It’s one of my favorite pregnancy sites.  Here’s 40 reasons to allow pregnancy to run it’s course and let your little one come when he or she is ready.  Enjoy!

Your baby needs a full 40 weeks of pregnancy to grow and develop. While being done with pregnancy may seem tempting, especially during those last few weeks, inducing labor is associated with increased risks including prematurity, cesarean surgery, hemorrhage and infection.

Labor should only be induced for medical reasons—not for convenience or scheduling concerns. Baby will let you know when she’s ready to emerge. Until then, here are 40 reasons to go at least the full 40 weeks of pregnancy:

Finish Healthy & Well

1. End right by starting right—keeping all of your prenatal appointments helps ensure a healthier ending
2. Savor the journey—soon you will meet your baby
3. Let nature take over—there are fewer complications and risks for both you and baby through natural birth
4. Recover faster from a natural birth than cesarean, which is major abdominal surgery that causes more pain, requires a longer hospital stay and a longer recovery
5. Birth a brainier baby—at 35 weeks your baby’s brain is only 2/3rds the size it will be at term
6. Set her thermostat—baby will better regulate her temperature when born at term
7. Boost breastfeeding—term babies more effectively suck and swallow than babies born earlier
8. Delight in those kicks and flips—marvel at the miracle of the life inside
9. Enjoy your convenient excuse for every mood swing and crazy craving
10. Nourish your body—diets don’t work but breastfeeding will help you return to your pre-pregnancy size
11. Let others carry the groceries, mail, packages just a while longer
12. Indulge in “we” time before you’re a threesome or more
13. Sport your bump—as your belly increases, so do your chances of getting a great seat almost anywhere

Manage Your Risks

14. Eat healthfully—indulge occasional cravings without remorse
15. Give baby’s development the benefit of time since you may not know exactly when you got pregnant
16. Let baby pick her birthday—if she decides to emerge after 37 weeks there’s no need to try to stop your spontaneous labor
17. Skip an induction—which could lead to cesarean—by waiting for labor to start on its own
18. Reduce your baby’s risks of jaundice, low blood sugar and infection by waiting until he’s ready to emerge
19. Build your baby’s muscles—they’ll be strong and firm, and ready to help him feed and flex at term
20. Maximize those little lungs—babies born just 2 or more weeks early can have twice the number of complications with breathing
21. Ignore people who say an induction is more convenient. Nothing is convenient about a longer labor and increasing your risk of cesarean
22. Respond to requests to speed baby’s birth with the facts that inductions often create more painful labors and can lead to cesarean surgery
23. Let others do the heavy lifting—and the extra housecleaning
24. Splurge on pedicures—or ask a friend to do them for you, especially when you can’t see or touch your feet
25. Relish in the fact that right now you’re the perfect mom—your healthy pregnancy habits are growing baby the best possible way
26. Finish well—more time in the womb usually means less time in the hospital

The nurses of AWHONN remind you not to rush your baby—give her at least a full 40!

Enjoy This Time

27. Relax! Babies are usually so much easier to care for in the womb
28. Shamelessly wear comfy, stretchy clothes
29. Postpone changing the eventual 5,000+ diapers baby will use
30. Be out and about without having to buckle, unbuckle, rebuckle baby into her car seat or stroller while runningerrands
31. Carry your most stylish purses especially the ones too small to hold diapers and wipes
32. Relish parenting—right now you know exactly where baby is and what he’s doing
33. Snooze when you can—what sleep you’re currently getting is actually quite a lot compared to the interruptions ahead
34. Massage remains a must—ask your partner to help ease the aches
35. Enjoy nights out without paying for a babysitter
36. Indulge in shopping without the added responsibilities of baby in tow
37. Redecorate your house around your nursery’s theme
38. Prop up your paperback—your burgeoning belly peaks at just the right reading height
39. Make the best-possible birth experience; don’t rush it
40. Write your own healthy reason—if it gets baby a full 40 weeks of pregnancy it deserves to be on this list

Pregnancy tips

Trying to get pregnant?  Pregnant already and about to pop?  Here’s thirty five tips all about pregnancy!

1. Make a visit with your HCP (health care provider) before becoming pregnant.
2. Start making good food choices now and start exercising (providing your HCP approves).   A healthy fit start to pregnancy usually makes for an easier pregnancy.
3. Again, exercise!  By starting an exercise program now, you lower your risk of miscarriage, start a habit that will help you stay in shape during your pregnancy, and has even been proved to help reduce labor complication and length of labor.
4. Trying to conceive?  Track your menstrual cycles.  Not every woman has the standard 28 day cycle.  Some average closer to 31.  Using an ovulation calendar, which can be found all over the world wide web, you can get a fairly accurate idea about when you’re ovulating and are most likely to conceive.  But don’t stress if you don’t get pregnant right away.  Only an estimated 25% conceive within their first month of trying.  Most couples will experience conception within the first 12 months of trying, although for some it may take up to 18 months. Most practitioners will not intervene in the conception process unless it has been more than 12 months since the couple actively began trying to conceive.  Give it time.
5. Start doing your research.  Educate yourself. Ask friends and family, read books, google stuff.
6. Check out a book about pregnancy.  My personal favorite, The Pregnancy Countdown Book.  The information is brief, too the point, and presented in the most conversational way.  It breaks your pregnancy down into weeks as opposed to months.
7. Stop the bad habits, especially smoking.
8. Take your prenatal vitamins.  There are a wide range of prenatal vitamin options to choose from, and you can easily get them over the counter.  If prenatal vitamins are hard on your stomach (or just hard to choke down) consider taking a children’s chewable multivitamin.
9. Practice good dental hygiene, such as brushing your teeth daily.  Try to make a dental appointment before getting pregnant. That way, your teeth can be professionally cleaned, your gum tissue can be carefully examined, and any oral health problems can be treated in advance of your pregnancy.  Why, you ask, is this important?  Pregnancy causes hormonal changes that increase your risk of developing gum disease, which in turn, can affect the health of your developing baby.
10. Do you have cats?  Stop changing the litter box.  Leave that to your significant other.  There is a slightly nasty parasite, toxoplasmosis, that could potentially be found in the cat’s fecal matter.  If exposed while pregnant, the parasite could result in miscarriage, early delivery, poor growth or stillbirth. A child born with this parasite may get eye problems, convulsions or mental disabilities. However, some infected babies do not develop anydisease at all.  So, avoid the kitty litter.
11. Avoid any other potentially harmful chemicals or substances.  Act pregnant.  Think pregnant.  Harmful substances include illegal substances, alcohol, or chemical exposures.    Now, if you have a drink and later find out you were pregnant, don’t fret.  It happens, and usually there aren’t any long term effects.
12. Once you find out your pregnant, relax.  Take it easy.  Rest when you can.  The first trimester can be exhausting as your body is working in overdrive to develop your little one.  Rest, rest, rest!
13. Announce your pregnancy when you are ready.  Some people like to wait until week 12(ish) or after their HCP has been able to doppler the baby’s heartbeat, at which point in time the risk of a miscarriage has dropped significantly.  Others announce minutes after their positive pregnancy test.  Neither is right or wrong.  It’s your baby.  Share the news when you feel comfortable.
14. Don’t be disappointed if everyone doesn’t exude uncontainable excitement about your pregnancy.  Maybe you tell your girlfriend, who, while excited for you, is also a little bummed or even jealous that she’s not having a baby.  You never know.  Just remember, while your family and friends might not react the way you envisioned them reacting to you announcing your pregnancy, most of the time they are really happy for you and will later share your excitement.
15. Consider starting a pregnancy journal or even a blog.  You will remember the big things (the day you first hear your baby’s heartbeat, your first ultrasound, etc.), but the little milestones could fade from your memory quickly.  There’s this thing called “pregnancy brain.”  Pregnancy brain is a condition that affects expectant mothers, usually during the first and third trimesters. Sometimes known as placenta brain or baby brain drain, the condition is usually characterized by short-term memory loss or forgetfulness. Some medical experts say thatpregnancy brain is a myth, but evidence shows that many women have experienced this condition.  Bottom line, you’re not going to remember every moment of your pregnancy, and it might be a fun project to jot down the little things.  Like the first time a stranger congratulated you on your pregnancy and wished you well, or the day you went from looking like maybe you’ve just gained weight and now look like you’re expecting.
16. Hydrate!  This important throughout the pregnancy for an abundance of reasons.  Drink 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water per day.  Not sodas, tea, or coffee.  Water.
17. Keep your prenatal appointments with your midwife or doctor and be certain to communicate any concerns you might have to them.   Keeping your scheduled appointments when help to ensure any problems that you might have are hopefully caught early and treated appropriately to ensure an uncomplicated as possible pregnancy.
18. Write your questions, comments or concerns for you HCP down because inevitably, when you have your appointment, you will forget them.
19. Be prepared for nausea, heartburn, constipation and some major fatigue.
20. Consider taking prenatal classes throughout your pregnancy.
21. Bump up your calorie intake to approximately 300 during your second trimester and 500 extra calories per day during your third.
22. Take a tour of your birth facility options (hospital or birth center).  Obviously, if you plan for a home birth, you can skip this step.
23. Be aware of preterm labor signs and symptoms.  They can be pretty vague (i.e., back pain or pelvic pressure), but error on the safe side.
24. Planning for a natural childbirth?  Get prepared!  Take classes, read books, develop a plan and make sure you have a strong support system.
25. When decorating your little one’s nursery, leave the painting to someone else if possible.  There are paints that are low VOC (volatile organic compounds), but it’s still better to let someone else do the painting when possible.  Ensure adequate ventilation (i.e., open the windows, etc) and stay out of the nursery until it’s aired out.
26. If your BFF just had a baby, see if she’ll let you babysit for a little so you can get some first hand new born experience.
27. Thinking of breastfeeding?  Take a class to help you prepare for the realities of breastfeeding your newborn.  It can be a learning process for you and your baby, so be prepared for ups and downs.
28. Leg cramps?  Be prepared for potentially breath-taking cramps in your legs.  They are not fun.  They hurt.  Try extending and flexing your foot before getting in and out of bed to stretch the legs.
29. Even if you have to slow down exercising with your growing belly, continue exercise if your HCP approves.  There are plenty of studies indicating moms who stayed fit during their pregnancy had easier and shorter labors and easier and shorter recoveries.
30. Have a birth plan.  There are lots of examples on line of what you can include in your birth plan.  Your plan may be to get an epidural as quickly as possible.  It might be to labor with minimal medical interventions.  Develop your plan early on in your pregnancy and make sure to share it with your HCP and your support persons.  You want everyone to be on board with your plan to help facilitate the best possible delivery for you.
31. Even if you know you want an epidural as soon as your physically able to get one, prepare to feel contractions.  You never know what’s going to happen once you’re admitted.  Some doctors won’t write for epidurals until “active” labor (3-4 centimeters, broken water and/or cervical change).  Some hospitals only have one anesthesiologist that may be tied up in another case.  There are conditions in which epidurals aren’t an option (some blood clotting disorders and medications, deviations in the spinal cord, HELLP syndrome).  There are IV pain medication options, but they don’t necessarily make you pain free.   Again, even if the plan is for an epidural, it’s in your best interest to have some breathing/coping skills down before you go into labor.
32. When you pack your hospital bag, make sure you have your insurance cards, picture ID, any pre-registration forms, your camera, phones, chargers, and birth plan.  There are plenty of websites out there with printable checklists for packing your hospital bag.
33. Get familiar with the signs and symptoms of labor and be prepared for these signs and symptoms to go on for…a while.  A potentially really long while.  Days.  Some times weeks.  Early labor, unfortunately, can last a long time.  If this happens, don’t get discouraged.  Your baby will come when he/she is ready.
34. Enjoy your pregnancy while it lasts.
35. Don’t feel bad if you’re miserable and “just want this over with”.  That doesn’t mean that you love your baby any less than the woman next to you talking about what a wonderful experience pregnancy is.  Pregnancy can be tough and it’s not all rainbows and sunshine every day.  You won’t be pregnant forever, and your baby is well worth the wait.

I love this book. It's great for a laugh.

The Deal with the Due Date

For most women, after the positive pregnancy test, the next order of business is figuring up their due date.  For some, the due date is highly coveted, revered even.  They can now start counting down the day when they can hold their little bundle of joy for the first time.  And while pregnancy is a wonderful, joyous, miraculous event, it’s a long event of life altering experiences.  Nausea.  Vomiting.  Constipation.  Fatigue.  Sleepless nights.  A changing figure.  Constant body aches.  For some women, the due date is the light at the end of the tunnel, a reminder that pregnancy won’t last forever.

Figuring out your due date

There are dozens upon dozens of web sites out there to help you to figure your due date based on your last menstrual period (LMP).  This would be the easiest route.  Or, you can do it the old fashion way with paper and pencil and a slightly whacky formula.

• Figure out your the day your LMP began (example, November 20th)
• Take this date and subtract three whole months (putting us at August 20th)
• Add seven days-why seven, I don’t know.  That’s just how it is, and that date is your due date (in this scenario, August 27th).

If you don’t have any idea when you last had a period, or if your periods are very irregular, calculating the due date becomes even more difficult. On the other hand, if you were undergoing treatments for infertility, you may have an exact conception date and this will make calculating the due date easier.

Again, there are so many due date calculators online, and that’s just as easy.  They work on the same basic principal as the formula above, but they can be fun. Some offer additional information such as the estimated conception date. For this information, you will be asked to enter the length of your typical cycle. The reason for this is that ovulation generally occurs fourteen days before the date of your next menstrual period. For a 28 day cycle, this would be on day 14. For a 30 day cycle, it would be on day 16.

Even easier, make an appointment with your doctor or midwife.  It’s becoming general practice to do ultrasounds as a part of your first office visit (or sometimes a few days after the initial visit depending on the availability of the office ultrasonagrapher).  This initial ultrasound, especially if done within the first 10 weeks or so of pregnancy, will give you your most accurate due date.  Measuring the baby is most accurate for confirming the due date in the early weeks of pregnancy. as the baby grows, there can be some difficulty in getting an accurate date, since babies range in size from small to large.  You’ll hear about women who get ultrasounds later in their pregnancy and suddenly have a new estimated due date based on that ultrasound.  The OB doesn’t go by that due date.  They go by the original due date.  A baby that will be born large may be mistakenly estimated as older than the actual gestational age. The same mistake can be made with a baby that will be born on the smaller side, making that baby appear younger than the gestational age. In the first seven or eight weeks of pregnancy, all babies are approximately the same size and this makes dating the pregnancy easier than it will be later in pregnancy.

LMP’s are a great start, but women can ovulate later than would be expected based on the LMP, sometimes up to a week late.  Some women say they know when they actually conceived (women like me), but the reality is, with the potential late ovulations and the fact that sperm can potentially survive up to a week in a women’s body, the conception date isn’t always the date the pregnancy begins.  This is one reason there are so many women insisting they’re further along then the due date they’re given by their OB.

The Due Date “Lie”

The truth?  Us medical people refer to the due date as EDD, estimated delivery date.  Estimated.  Only about five percent of babies are actually born on the due date. This means there is a ninety five percent chance that your baby will not be born on that date. Most babies are born in a range of two weeks either before or after the date.  Perhaps it would be more helpful to think, rather than due date, due month.  Typically, babies will come when they’re supposed to.

That being said, sometimes inductions are medically necessary for the well being of the baby or the mom.  Severe preeclampsia, infections of the amniotic fluid, severe intrauterine growth restriction (when the baby doesn’t grow for whatever reason), just to name a few, all indicate the need for delivery.  “Tired of being pregnant” is not a medically warranted induction.  Sorry.  Many hospitals follow AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses), which advise to not induce under 39 weeks unless there is a medical indication.  When I first started as a labor and delivery nurse, anyone 37 weeks and greater was considered “term” and could be induced.  The thought process now is 37 and 38 weeks are “early term” and typically will do well if born at this gestation.  Spontaneous labor at this gestation is more than fine, but most OBs will not induce you at 37-38 weeks because you’re tired of being pregnant.  Sorry.

40 Reasons to Go the Full 40 Weeks

Pregnancy can be very challenging.  Morning sickness and extreme fatigue during the first trimester, that wonderful glucose tolerance test, blood draws, ligament pain, Braxton Hicks, shortness of air as your belly grows, apprehension about delivery…the list goes on an on.  I can’t tell you how many patients I see that are ready to have their baby as early as 34 weeks and ask if they can be induced because they are “tired of being pregnant.”  Sorry, ladies, “tired of being pregnant” isn’t an acceptable medical diagnosis that will warrant an induction prior to 39 weeks.

This article was originally published on www.health4mom.org.  It’s one of my favorite pregnancy sites.  Here’s 40 reasons to allow pregnancy to run it’s course and let your little one come when he or she is ready.  Enjoy!

Your baby needs a full 40 weeks of pregnancy to grow and develop. While being done with pregnancy may seem tempting, especially during those last few weeks, inducing labor is associated with increased risks including prematurity, cesarean surgery, hemorrhage and infection.

Labor should only be induced for medical reasons—not for convenience or scheduling concerns. Baby will let you know when she’s ready to emerge. Until then, here are 40 reasons to go at least the full 40 weeks of pregnancy:

Finish Healthy & Well

1. End right by starting right—keeping all of your prenatal appointments helps ensure a healthier ending
2. Savor the journey—soon you will meet your baby
3. Let nature take over—there are fewer complications and risks for both you and baby through natural birth
4. Recover faster from a natural birth than cesarean, which is major abdominal surgery that causes more pain, requires a longer hospital stay and a longer recovery
5. Birth a brainier baby—at 35 weeks your baby’s brain is only 2/3rds the size it will be at term
6. Set her thermostat—baby will better regulate her temperature when born at term
7. Boost breastfeeding—term babies more effectively suck and swallow than babies born earlier
8. Delight in those kicks and flips—marvel at the miracle of the life inside
9. Enjoy your convenient excuse for every mood swing and crazy craving
10. Nourish your body—diets don’t work but breastfeeding will help you return to your pre-pregnancy size
11. Let others carry the groceries, mail, packages just a while longer
12. Indulge in “we” time before you’re a threesome or more
13. Sport your bump—as your belly increases, so do your chances of getting a great seat almost anywhere

Manage Your Risks

14. Eat healthfully—indulge occasional cravings without remorse
15. Give baby’s development the benefit of time since you may not know exactly when you got pregnant
16. Let baby pick her birthday—if she decides to emerge after 37 weeks there’s no need to try to stop your spontaneous labor
17. Skip an induction—which could lead to cesarean—by waiting for labor to start on its own
18. Reduce your baby’s risks of jaundice, low blood sugar and infection by waiting until he’s ready to emerge
19. Build your baby’s muscles—they’ll be strong and firm, and ready to help him feed and flex at term
20. Maximize those little lungs—babies born just 2 or more weeks early can have twice the number of complications with breathing
21. Ignore people who say an induction is more convenient. Nothing is convenient about a longer labor and increasing your risk of cesarean
22. Respond to requests to speed baby’s birth with the facts that inductions often create more painful labors and can lead to cesarean surgery
23. Let others do the heavy lifting—and the extra housecleaning
24. Splurge on pedicures—or ask a friend to do them for you, especially when you can’t see or touch your feet
25. Relish in the fact that right now you’re the perfect mom—your healthy pregnancy habits are growing baby the best possible way
26. Finish well—more time in the womb usually means less time in the hospital

The nurses of AWHONN remind you not to rush your baby—give her at least a full 40!

Enjoy This Time

27. Relax! Babies are usually so much easier to care for in the womb
28. Shamelessly wear comfy, stretchy clothes
29. Postpone changing the eventual 5,000+ diapers baby will use
30. Be out and about without having to buckle, unbuckle, rebuckle baby into her car seat or stroller while runningerrands
31. Carry your most stylish purses especially the ones too small to hold diapers and wipes
32. Relish parenting—right now you know exactly where baby is and what he’s doing
33. Snooze when you can—what sleep you’re currently getting is actually quite a lot compared to the interruptions ahead
34. Massage remains a must—ask your partner to help ease the aches
35. Enjoy nights out without paying for a babysitter
36. Indulge in shopping without the added responsibilities of baby in tow
37. Redecorate your house around your nursery’s theme
38. Prop up your paperback—your burgeoning belly peaks at just the right reading height
39. Make the best-possible birth experience; don’t rush it
40. Write your own healthy reason—if it gets baby a full 40 weeks of pregnancy it deserves to be on this list