There are generally accepted signs and symptoms of fetal distress, though there are often false positives of distress that may be noted in electronic fetal monitoring as well, which is one of the chief criticisms against this monitoring and the fact that unnecessary medical interventions may result when relying on these.

Fetal distress is characterized by a deprivation of oxygen to a baby’s brain which is usually detectable by monitoring of the fetal heart rate.

Anomalies in the heart rate of the baby are usually the indicator relied on to detect such oxygen deprivation that could be the cause of neurological damage and which may be cause enough for the baby to be born immediately, even if it means medical intervention ranging from induction to a cesarean section.

There are two heart indicators of the healthy fetus, (a) that the heart rate should be below 160 beats a minute and above 100 to 120 beats a minute and (b) the heart rate should be steady and not irregular.

There is a view that says electronic fetal monitoring say that this actually increases the risk of a C section or an instrument aided vaginal delivery and even infection and cerebral palsy in premature babies. However the indications of fetal distress that can be watched out for are:

• The pregnant women should be keeping an eye out for decreased fetal movement, which could be due to fetal distress.
• Meconium could have been passed before birth in which case this could be mixed with the amniotic fluid, which if ingested is toxic to the baby.
• Tests that medical professionals can carry out to determine fetal distress can include the collection of a tiny sample of blood from the baby’s scalp through the open cervix during labor. This could indicate elevated fetal blood lactate levels and could be a more reliable indicator of fetal distress.

Fetal distress could result from a number of different causes such as abnormal presentation or position of the fetus, breathing problems, multiple births, umbilical cord prolapse, placental abnormalities or abruption, shoulder dystocia, nuchal cord, or premature closure of the fetus’s ductus arteriosus.

Sometimes it can manifest itself by way of the mask of pregnancy; also known as Chloasma or Melasma. This is usually a butterfly shaped patch on the face and it may also manifest itself on other parts of the body such as the arms. Chloasma can get worse with successive pregnancies. 

Many women experience hyper pigmentation in the form of the linea nigra that forms in the middle of the abdomen during pregnancy. The linea nigra originates at the navel and extends down to the pubic bone, seems to bisect the abdomen into two perfect halves.

The pigmentation of darker areas of the body will become more concentrated during this time. So, if a woman has freckles or moles, she will find that these markings will become darker and more prominent at this time.

Even those women who do not experience noticeable conditions like Chloasma will most often notice a darkening of the nipples and aureoles as well as the genital area during pregnancy. 

Most forms of hyperpigmentation fade and disappear soon after childbirth and are nothing to worry about.

In the study, pregnant monkeys were examined, some of whom had mild influenza and some of whom were fully healthy. At birth all the baby monkeys appeared to be perfectly healthy and their birth weight normal as well. Their size at birth was normal as well as with normal behavioral and neuromotor activity.

However, when done a year later, differences were seen in the brains of those babies whose mothers had flu and those whose mothers had not.

The brains of those monkeys whose mother had the flu were noticeably smaller and had reduced areas of white and grey matter.

The changes that were seen in the flu group were similar to those observed in patients with schizophrenia.

Though the findings do not apply directly to humans, the researchers suggest that having a flu shot may prevent flu which in turn may prevent possible brain damage of the child.

Source: Examiner

VBAC

In recent times, there is an alarming trend that has women being dismayed by the lack of hospitals and doctors willing to let a woman deliver naturally if she has had a previous C section. It is seen that:

• VBAC is safe for all those women who have had a horizontal cut low on the uterus in their previous C section delivery.
• 70% of women who have had a previous C section are good candidates for a VBAC.
• Between 60 to 80% of those that try for a normal delivery after a c section also succeeds.
• Because this tendency of repeated C sections, the national average of C section births is going on rising and is up to nearly one in three births.
• The rule of “Once a C section always a C section” actually does not apply anymore, since in 1980 it was declared to be safe for the mother to try for a natural delivery even after a previous C-section.

Source: NY Times

This study is likely to explain to us, how diet of the mother around the time of conception can and does affect human babies.

It was found that eating breakfast and a high fat diet was more likely to result in the conception of a baby boy.

The aim of the study was to find out how the mother’s diet impacted the activity of genes in the cells of the placenta which is the source of the baby’s nutrition when in the womb.

The study also looked at how the diet could affect the future health of offspring. The study found that there was a tendency for more of the offspring to be female when the mother mice were fed low fat and high carbohydrate food.

Findings of this study do not necessarily carry over into the way things work for humans, but this could go a long way in determining how early environment shapes the future of a fetus.

Source: NHS News

There is of course need to worry sometimes, particularly strange colored or foul smelling discharge; but more often than not, discharge during early pregnancy may be nothing much to worry about.

Implantation Bleeding: This is one kind of early pregnancy discharge. This happens a few days after the fertilization of the egg by the sperm, when the fertilized egg or embryo is implanted in the lining of the uterus to connect to the circulatory system of the body. This is not experienced by all women, however many women may experience this kind of implantation bleeding that is lighter or darker colored than regular blood.

One needs to watch out for any fresh appearing blood or bleeding that is accompanied by cramping or pain. Also, if this bleeding carries on for more than a day then it is cause for worry.

Other than implantation bleeding, any bloody discharge of early pregnancy or even at any later stage of pregnancy could be a cause for worry, and would be required to be reported to the health care provider.

It is true that in rare cases, some women have their period throughout their pregnancy and then go on to produce perfectly healthy babies in the end.

However, any unusual bleeding at any time during pregnancy which is accompanied by pain and cramping should always be reported to the doctor.

White Discharge or leucorrhoea: Due to increased blood circulation in the pelvic region during pregnancy and also because of increased hormone production, there is a production of white discharge from the vagina during pregnancy which is known as leucorrhoea. This is normal and is nothing to worry about so long as it is somewhat milky in appearance and mild smelling.

Even whitish slimy mucous that has the consistency of egg whites is usually perfectly normal. These varieties of discharge of early pregnancy could continue throughout pregnancy and could also increase as the pregnancy advances; all perfectly normal.

If the pregnancy discharge seems rather more or feels uncomfortably moist, use a panty liner to soak it up. Do not use a tampon for pregnancy discharge; it increases the risk of infection.

Also do not douche. This disturbs the balance of flora that lines the vaginal walls and could be actually detrimental also because it increases the risk of an air bubble entering the blood stream through the vagina.

Keep the genital area dry and clean, avoid tight clothing and underwear. Also avoid cosmetics such as deodorants, perfumes and bubble baths.

Unhealthy Discharge during pregnancy: A yellowish or greenish discharge during pregnancy, or if it is frothy in nature, particularly that which is foul smelling is cause for worry because it may indicate the presence of an infection.

Also if the discharge is normal looking and smelling but if it is accompanied by itching and inflammation of the vulva these may indicate a yeast infection and is required to consult a doctor.

Watery discharge: This could be an indication of leakage of amniotic fluid and must be reported immediately to the doctor.

As pregnant women are advised to guard against salmonella by being careful about raw meats, cat litter and the like, so also they have to be careful about listeria.

Listeria monocytogenes is the name for bacteria found in soil, food, stream water, plants and sewage etc. and usually the body’s defense mechanism is able to prevent infection that results in listeriosis. The kinds of foods that are likely to cause this infection are hot dogs, raw or uncooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, deli meats, etc.

In particular, soft cheeses such as those which contain live bacteria could be sources for listeria. Blue-veined, or Mexican-style “queso blanco” Brie, Camembert, Feta, are the kind of cheeses best avoided when pregnant.

Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get a listeria infection than others. A third of all such infections are seen among pregnant women and can cause miscarriage or premature labor, and even birth defects among new born babies. Hearing loss or brain damage could occur in case of the baby whereas adults could even suffer cardio respiratory failure.

Source: newsinferno

A familiar and comforting environment: Hospital environment can be stressful, noisy and less relaxing when compared to one’s own home. When one is at home, not only is the setting more comforting for the mother, she feels more in control of a situation that is her home turf so to speak.

There are no hospital rules and regulations to be followed. She is able to move about and assume the sort of positions that she finds comfortable rather than follow the guidelines of the hospital.

The birthing process is more able to be determined by the mother herself. The mother is free to eat and drink what she requires which is not the case in a hospital where her movements are more circumscribed.

Greater Privacy: She has the added benefit of the privacy of her own home, and she is not subject to the checking and scrutiny of a number of medical professionals who traipse in and out of a typical hospital birthing environment.

In a home birth, the mother is familiar with the individuals that are helping her, such as the midwife, the doula etc, and she already has a level of trust and familiarity with those professionals which can be very comforting.

Less chance of a medical intervention: There are higher chances of a medical intervention resulting in a hospital, and the mother is less likely to undergo a Cesarean section when she opts for birth at home.

Also in a home birth setting, the rates of infection are seen to be the lowest of all; whereas in a hospital setting, there is a higher chance of getting an infection.

Birth plan and Pain relief of choice: When undergoing a home birth, a woman may choose to have a water birth or a silent birth, or decide to have a combination of one or more birthing processes, as she may wish.

She and her midwife may decide what kind of pain relief is suitable for the mother, without any artificial aids.

 These contractions of the uterus actually start to happen as early as 6 weeks gestation, however they may be quite undetectable by the mother until the second, or most typically the third trimester.

Not every pregnant women experience Braxton Hicks contractions. These kinds of contractions are unusually painless, irregular, sporadic and infrequent.

These are the contractions that are thought to prepare the uterus and the body for the actual imminent birth of the baby. Here, the muscles of the uterus tighten for a minute or two before relaxing and are thought to be helpful in effacing the cervix in preparation of the birth.

Things as simple as a full bladder or sometimes more serious situation such as dehydration can trigger these contractions. They can be helped by proper hydration and regular emptying of the bladder. These contractions can be helped by certain breathing exercises, and lying down in certain positions.

Strong Braxton Hicks contractions, particularly when they occur closer to the time of delivery can often are mistaken for real labor. However, these can be distinguished from real labor by the fact that they are painless and that they are less noticeable during exercise, unlike the onset of real labor.

Pregnancy food cravings

While some women crave salt, others long for sweets; yet others salivate at the sight or smell of pickles!

If Halle Berry famously craved pickles and foot massages during her pregnancy and supermodel Heidi Klum wanted ice-cream, then Angelina Jolie wanted dark chocolate bars with cinnamon and Mexican chili and Nicole Ritchie apparently had all her pregnancy food cravings in the middle of the night!

Similarly each pregnant woman one comes across will probably have a similar story about their unusual cravings at some very unusual times!

What causes the cravings? It is thought by scientists that some pregnancy food cravings could be due to hormonal factors while others could be due to actual nutritional requirements.

Women require more number of calories to be consumed when pregnant and in the event it is likely that they may be attracted to calorie laden items such as cakes, sweets, fried food etc. So if a woman has a high sodium requirement she may crave salted snacks such as chips and pizzas etc.

What causes the aversions? On the flip side of the coin are pregnancy food aversions. Certain bitter foods taste even bitterer and a pregnant woman may develop an aversion.

Some favorites may become unpalatable; even cause her to become nauseous. This may be the body’s protective mechanism kicking in.

For instance, a woman who usually enjoys her drink may find she is averse to beer, wine etc when pregnant. This may be the body’s instinctive way of avoiding any damage to the growing fetus.

There is also the fact that a woman’s sense of smell and taste are altered during her pregnancy. Owning to this, she may develop these pregnancy food cravings as well as aversions.

What is Pica?

This is a rather unusual condition that pregnant women experience during pregnancy, when they have the craving for strange and inedible stuff, such as paper, chalk, soap, wood, dirt, clay paint chips, toothpaste, broken crockery, cigarette butts, baking soda, laundry starch etc. This is a potentially serious condition and can be toxic or even fatal in very rare cases.

Even the more common or garden varieties of pregnancy food cravings, such as fried and/spicy food that so many of us probably experience, may not be a good idea to give in to.

It is important to eat health and nutritious food when pregnant, which imparts nutrients to the mother and her unborn baby’s development. This is not necessarily high calorie food, which may actually end up being unnecessarily accumulated in the body as fat and may be very difficult to dislodge when the baby arrives, also fried food may be more difficult to digest, causing problems such as heartburn.

Acid reflux is another problem that pregnant women face and in the event limiting spicy foods or pickles is a good idea, lest they add to and compound the problem. Rule of thumb should be, Indulge the craving, so long as it is healthy for you and baby.