News Moms Need

Join us on Twitter for a chat about premature babies. Moderated by @USNewsHealth, experts on the chat will be from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the March of Dimes.

Do you have a preemie? Share your experiences in the NICU and when you finally took your baby home. Join us on Twitter this Thursday, May 23rd and 2 PM ET.  Let’s discuss the topic and learn more. To join the conversation, simply follow the hashtag #Preemie.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has designated May 2013 as the first National Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Throughout the month, several organizations educate about preeclampsia, a serious and common complication of pregnancy and the postpartum period. This condition is dangerous to both the mother and her unborn baby. Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, and can also include signs and symptoms such as swelling, headaches and visual disturbances. It’s so important for pregnant women to keep all their prenatal appointments and to alert their health care providers if they have any of the symptoms.

The Preeclampsia Foundation has launched a month-long campaign of education including infographics, Twitter chats, blogs and more. Learn as much as you can to help keep yourself and your baby as healthy as possible.

How old were you when you had your baby? Today, 1 in 5 women in the US has her 1st child after age 35. Halle Barry currently is pregnant at age 46! The good news is most have healthy pregnancies & healthy babies. There are, however, a number of challenges and concerns. 

Join us on Twitter Tuesday May 14th at 1 PM ET for our next pregnancy chat. Learn about these issues and things you can do to help start a family when you’re no longer in your 20s. Join in the conversation by using #pregnancychat.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’d like to offer expectant moms one more tool to help promote a healthy pregnancy. Here’s a quick introduction to elective deliveries. Find out why the latest research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and  information from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes all suggest that women wait until at least 39 weeks of pregnancy to deliver unless medically necessary.
 
What is the safest point in my pregnancy for my baby to be born?

The baby’s brain, liver, and lungs continue important development in the womb until 39 weeks. Unless health risks to the mother or baby require earlier delivery, it is best to wait until at least 39 weeks to deliver and, if possible, to let labor begin on its own. This extra time improves outcomes for mother and baby.

What to ask your health provider before you decide to deliver before 39 weeks of pregnancy:
   • Are there any medical indications that suggest I should induce labor early?
   • What are the potential complications of elective early delivery for my baby?
   • What are the potential complications for my own health?
   • How do you tell when my body is ready for labor?
   • How might inducing labor affect my future pregnancies?

Just a couple weeks can make a big difference for your health and the health of your baby. As you approach the last few months of your pregnancy (or if you’re already there), keep the questions above in mind as you talk to your doctor or midwife about your delivery options. Write them down. Print them out. And watch this video from the NIH on why waiting just a few extra weeks to deliver can be critical for you and your baby.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning women and their health providers that Valproate products, a group of medicines normally used to treat seizures, is unsafe for pregnant women to use to treat migraines. A recent study found that the products may harm brain development in babies, leading to lower IQs than healthy babies later in life. FDA also says women who aren’t pregnant and are using Valproate products should use birth control.

Valproate products are usually used to treat epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes you to have frequent seizures, and bipolar disorder, a serious mental illness that leads to unusual mood changes. FDA says that Valproate products may still be used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder in pregnancy, but only if no other treatment is suitable.

If you’re pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, talk to your health provider about any medicines you take. Some medicines you take can hurt your baby. Once you’re provider knows what medicines you take, she can tell you which ones are safe and which ones you need to stop taking.

Learn more about the FDA announcement on Valproate.

As you think of Mother’s Day coming up, give the gift of health and knowledge to the moms-to-be. Invite them to this FREE webinar on May 6 at 1:00 PM ET to learn about exercise during pregnancy with March of Dimes medical advisor Dr. Siobhan Dolan. 

Some women think that pregnancy is a perfect time to sit back and put their feet up. Not so! For most women, it’s important to exercise during pregnancy and offers many health benefits. But how much exercise should you get and what’s safe? Join us on Monday – you’ll learn a lot.

We are grateful to Community Health Charities for making this webinar possible and available to everyone. Click on this link and register now!

Asked about back labor, Dr. Siobhan Dolan answers the question in her new March of Dimes book, Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby.

“Babies are usually face-down (looking toward the mother’s spine) as they move into the pelvis. But sometimes a baby is face-up (looking toward the mother’s belly) instead. This can cause intense back pain during labor and is called back labor. If you’re having back labor, your provider may try to rotate your baby by having you change positions, although that doesn’t always work. Sometimes babies rotate (either in response to a mother’s changed position or on their own), and sometimes unrotated babies are delivered face-up.”

Dr. Dolan’s book includes a section on coping with pain through relaxation techniques and with pain medications. It’s good to know about both options. You can read more about the book at this link.

Some infections can harm you and your baby during pregnancy. This is why vaccinations are so important. They help protect your body from infection, and you pass this protection to your baby during pregnancy. This helps keep your baby safe during the first few months of life until he gets his own vaccinations. 

Vaccinations also protect you from getting a serious disease that could affect future pregnancies. You probably got vaccinations as a child, but they don’t all protect you for your whole life. Over time, some childhood vaccinations stop working, so you may need what’s called a booster shot as an adult. Plus, there may be new vaccines that weren’t available when you were young, like the flu vaccine, recommended each year, or the Tdap vaccine that is recommended during each pregnancy. Talk to your health care provider to make sure all your vaccinations are up to date.

Not all vaccinations are safe to get during pregnancy. Here’s a link to a chart to help you know when you can get certain vaccinations if you need them. It includes the latest recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and from the CDC. Talk to your health care provider about vaccinations you need before, during or after pregnancy.

Most of us have heard that Halle Berry is pregnant at the age of 46. Wow, you go girl!  And did you see the recent episode of Call the Midwife where a first-time pregnant woman (a twin) in her 40s gave birth to twins of her own? Some women are asking us “If they can, why can’t I?”  Good question, complicated answer. 

Women over age 35 may be less fertile than younger women because they tend to ovulate (release an egg from the ovaries) less frequently. Certain health conditions that are more common in this age group also may interfere with conception. These include endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes and fibroids.

If you are over 35 and haven’t conceived after 6 months of trying, make an appointment to see your health care provider. Studies suggest that about one-third of women between 35 and 39 and about half of those over age 40 have fertility problems.  At age 47, most babies are conceived with some form of fertility treatment.  This can be time consuming and expensive and there is no guarantee the treatment will work.

Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester for women of all ages, but the risk of miscarriage increases with age. Studies suggest that about 10 percent of recognized pregnancies for women in their 20s end in miscarriage. The risk rises to about 35 percent at ages 40 to 44 and more than 50 percent by age 45. The age-related increased risk of miscarriage is caused, at least in part, by increases in chromosomal abnormalities. 

The good news is that women in their late 30s and 40s are very likely to have a healthy baby. However, they may face more complications along the way than younger women. Some complications that are more common in women over 35 include: gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, placental problems, premature birth, stillbirth.  About 47% of women over age 40 give birth via cesarean section. You can see why it’s so important to keep all appointments with your health care provider.

All these things taken into consideration, many women who do conceive in their late 40s, either on their own (unlikely but not impossible) or with some fertility treatment, do manage to have healthy babies.  The important thing to remember is to have a preconception checkup and early and regular prenatal care. Know the signs of preterm labor, and give your doc or midwife a call whenever you have a question or concern.

Exciting news - our iPhone app CineMama is Parenting Magazine’s App of the Week! 

Cinemama is an iPhone app that lets you turn daily photos of your belly into a fun movie momento of your pregnancy. You can record memories and milestones in a diary while staying informed with weekly tips.

Track your growing belly with pictures organized by day and month in an easy to view calendar mode.  The more photos you take the better your movie will be. Customize it with titles and one of our soundtracks for a great effect. You can keep it private or share it with friends and family.

It’s cool, it’s fun, it’s free!  Check it out!