How to choose a practitioner

Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, of About.com has some good suggestions for choosing an OB. Her article is called, Mistakes Made When Choosing an Obstetrician or Midwife. If you've ever been in the position of wishing you had done this differently, you will understand how important these things are. One good suggestion is that you should look at the entire office. If you have a cranky gatekeeper or a grumpy medical assistant who won't let you through to your doctor or midwife, you won't be happy with your experience.

If you are not comfortable with the provider you have chosen, you may change at any time in your pregnancy. Sure, it's a bit of an inconvenience, but that relationship is critical to your well-being during the pregnancy and when it comes time to deliver that baby. A good fit is essential!

Kick Counting

The MISS foundation encourages this...

What is kick counting?

An expectant mother can distinctly perceive her baby’s specific movement pattern by 24 weeks. Some babies tend to be more active at night, others in the morning or afternoon. Kick counting can be started at 28 weeks in normal pregnancies and as early as 24 weeks for complicated pregnancies. All expectant mothers should discuss kick counting with their healthcare provider.

There are different methods of kick counting and ACOG [American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology] recommends that expectant mothers note the time it takes for their baby to complete ten movements, at approximately the same time each day when the baby is usually most active. Movements include kicks, jabs, rolls, twists, and turns. Each baby and every pregnancy is different. Understanding that babies have sleep cycles can alleviate mothers’ anxiety toward kick counting. In general, healthy babies should complete ten movements within two hours and most babies achieve this in less than 15 minutes. The healthcare provider should be alerted immediately of changes in the baby’s normal pattern or if the baby takes more than two hours to complete ten movements.

Click the post title to see the full article from MISS (Mothers in Sympathy and Support who work to prevent stillbirth). Their website is here.

What happens at prenatal care visits?

(You may want to pause the background music on the left sidebar so you can hear)
March of Dimes has created these videos about what to expect at prenatal care visits.





WeeCare Note:
I noticed they mention the extra 300 calories needed in pregnancy. Keep in mind this is if you are already eating only what you need to maintain your weight. Most Americans overeat and in that case you would not need to add 300 calories. Achieving appropriate weight gain in pregnancy is important but difficult sometimes. The most important thing is to make every calorie count. Highly nutritious foods such as vegetables, low-fat milk products and lean meats result in a big bang for your buck. Empty calories found in cookies, cakes, sodas and deep fried foods will only add fat; not important nutrients, so they should be avoided in a healthy pregnancy.

AFP Testing

During your pregnancy (between 15 and 17 weeks), your doctor will offer you a screening to estimate risk of certain abnormalities. There is usually not much information shared with you at that time. The doctor asks if you want it, says they can test for conditions like Down Syndrome and most women opt to have the testing done, thinking they will get a definitive answer. What they may not realize is that a screening is not the same as testing and there are many false results that cause a great deal of worry and stress in a pregnancy that is very likely normal. A positive screen leads to an option for amniocentesis or other follow-up that is more reliable. This is more invasive and can lead to complications in the pregnancy, including miscarriage and infection.

If your provider offers this test, ask questions. What will it actually tell me? What is the next step? What are the risks and benefits? How will this help me have a healthier baby? And, ask yourself: Would I opt for the more extensive testing, even if it might add risk to the pregnancy? Would I choose to abort if the amnio indicates the baby is not perfect?

You don't have to have this screening unless you want it. Many women opt out based on these questions. We have seen women become very nervous following an abnormal screen; not able to relax and enjoy their pregnancies until they were certain all was well with the baby. In most cases, the baby is fine, but it can help you to determine some genetic defects in advance and with the additional testing may help the mother to deal with the circumstances better.

The important thing is to understand this is your decision to make. Click on the post title for some additional comments on this subject, including some reader responses regarding their own experiences. About.com also discusses prenatal testing here.

Read about one mother's experience with a false-positive screening here.

Well-nourished moms & healthy babies

In the news (click the blog title to read the full article in today's Tribune):

Researchers at the University of Utah link baby's well being with mom's nutritional status during pregnancy. [Am I the only one who says, "duh!"?] "The new epigenetics has taught us how nature is changed by nurture," said the organization's editor-in-chief, Gerald Weissmann, director of New York University's Biotechnology Study Center. "Prenatal care is far more important than anyone could have imagined a decade ago."

Want to learn more about epigenetics? Click here