You should expect everything to go fine.]]> Podcast Transcript: Vaginal Delivery
Having a baby is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Yes, it is a lot of work, but you will be able to do it. As you know, babies can be born vaginally through the birth canal. This is how your body was designed. We know that there are some times when a baby is best delivered by a c-section. For the most part, those decisions on how the baby is eventually born are made when you are in labor.

You should expect everything to go fine. You will have a team of doctors and nurses who will be watching you very closely. It can always be a little bit scary, even if you have had babies before. It is natural to worry because it is such an important day.

Since it is your special day, you need to remember to try your best to relax and enjoy it. When you are in labor let everyone help you.

The length of your labor will depend on many different things. If you have already had a baby, all of the stages of labor might be faster. If your cervix, which is the mouth of your uterus, is already a little bit soft or open, then your labor might be shorter.

Early on you may want to walk around a little. At some point most patients want to lie down in a bed. Sitting in a rocking chair or a big bouncy ball sometimes feels good. There are different types of monitors that the team will use to watch your health and the baby’s health. It might feel like they are in the way, but it is best to keep a close watch on your labor process.

To have a good vaginal delivery your baby’s head needs to be down and the baby will need to enter the birth canal. Your contractions will open up and thin out the cervix. Your uterus is a strong muscle that works to push the baby down and out. Believe it or not the baby will find the best way through the birth canal.

Always remember that this is what your body is designed to do. If there was no one around it would still happen on its own. The nurses, doctors, friends, and family with you are there to help make it safe and memorable.

No matter how you have a baby, it is a natural process. It is up to you and your doctor to decide how that will happen. You can choose to not have an epidural - which is a special tube placed carefully into a space in your back to give you pain medicine. This is fine, but it is a decision to discuss with your doctor ahead of time. You want to make sure you plan ahead. It is quite possible to not need an epidural, but it requires preparation and support.

An epidural, of course, is a way to lessen some of the labor pains during the moments leading up to delivery and the actual delivery. Epidural medicine is good, safe technology. It lets you relax a bit more in the earlier stages of labor. You really need to make sure you have some good energy when the time comes to start pushing. When it is time to push, the epidural lets you focus and concentrate. The most important person in that delivery room is you. Again, it is hard work, but you will be able to do it.

You want the birth of your child to be a good memory, so remember to take extra good care of yourself during your pregnancy and the days leading up to delivery. Make sure you are rested as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctors and nurses questions. And do not be afraid to take charge. Your pregnancy and your new baby are the most important gifts you will ever get.

Once the baby is delivered, there is another team of doctors and nurses who will look at the baby to make sure the breathing efforts are good and the heart rate is strong. It is not uncommon for them to give the baby some oxygen and stimulation. When you are finished, the doctors and nurses will fix you up so that you can hold your new baby. Remember to remind someone to take some pictures. You will be very proud and you will have a new best friend.

The third trimester begins with the seventh month. During this month, your baby’s eyes begin to open and shut. All of the bones have fully developed now, but some are still soft and flexible. Your baby can now see, hear, smell, taste and feel touching. Your baby may be moving more strongly now, and others may notice the movements if they put their hand on your growing belly.]]> Podcast Transcript: The Third Trimester
During your pregnancy, you may wonder about how your baby is growing and changing. Let’s begin…

The third trimester begins with the seventh month. During this month, your baby’s eyes begin to open and shut. All of the bones have fully developed now, but some are still soft and flexible. Your baby can now see, hear, smell, taste and feel touching. Your baby may be moving more strongly now, and others may notice the movements if they put their hand on your growing belly. By the end of this month, your baby is about 3 and a half pounds. Your body is now preparing to give birth. Be careful how you sleep. Sleeping on your back slows blood flow to the baby. It can also affect the flow of blood to your heart. This will cause your legs and feet to swell and back pain to worsen. You will improve the blood flow to your baby if you sleep on your left side with one leg crossed over the cover. Leg cramps can be very painful and usually happen in the middle of the night. Putting your feet up on pillows and eating calcium rich foods such as milk products, cheese or yogurt can help make the cramps better. Support stockings can help lessen leg cramps and swelling.

In the eighth month of your pregnancy, your baby is growing and getting ready for life outside your body. He or she sleeps most of the time now, but is very active when awake. By the end of this month, your baby weighs 5 to 6 pounds. As the baby grows, you may find yourself making more trips to the bathroom. Up to half of pregnant women get hemorrhoids. They are a group of veins at your anus that can cause itching or be painful, sometimes bleeding after a bowel movement. Blood on the bathroom tissue after a bowel movement can be scary. It does not mean something is wrong with the baby, but be sure you tell your doctor.

We are now in the ninth and last month of pregnancy. Your baby continues to get ready to be born. By the end of the month, he or she is around seven to eight pounds and 19 to 21 inches long. You can help your doctor monitor your baby’s movement by counting kicks. The best time to count is in the evening when the baby is most active - between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Let your doctor know if your baby kicks less than 10 times in a 2-hour period. As you get closer to your baby’s birth, you may feel more emotional. It is normal to be excited and a little scared. Let your doctor or case manager know if you are having trouble coping because help is available. You may notice a yellowish substance leaking from your breasts. This is called pre- milk. Your breasts are getting ready to make milk for your new baby.

Visit your doctor even if you feel fine. Expect to see your doctor once every 2 weeks during the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy and every week from the beginning of the ninth month until your baby is born. Get your rest, see your doctor, exercise and eat right-that should add up to a healthy pregnancy.

The second trimester begins with the fourth month. Your baby is now completely formed. He or she can now hear your voice and other sounds around you. The baby’s body is covered by very fine hair and there are very tiny fingernails visible. By the end of the fourth month, your baby is about six inches long and about the size of the palm of your hand. You may experience some back pain.]]> Podcast Transcript: The Second Trimester
During your pregnancy, you may wonder about how your baby is growing and changing. Let’s begin.

The second trimester begins with the fourth month. Your baby is now completely formed. He or she can now hear your voice and other sounds around you. The baby’s body is covered by very fine hair and there are very tiny fingernails visible. By the end of the fourth month, your baby is about six inches long and about the size of the palm of your hand. You may experience some back pain. Headaches are also common, due to changes in hormones and stress. Talk with your doctor before you take any medication for pain. This includes medications you buy at the store without a prescription. You may feel a fluttery feeling in your abdomen. This is the baby moving. Many women do not feel the baby move until 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

In the fifth month of your pregnancy, your baby’s muscles have become stronger, and he or she starts to move around and kick a lot. The eyebrows and eyelashes as well as the teeth are beginning to form. Your baby now weighs about one pound and is about ten inches long.

Next is the sixth month of pregnancy. Your baby’s brain is developing rapidly, and real hair and toenails are forming. The bones are hard. Your baby is almost completely formed, but the lungs are not ready to work yet. A baby born at this time would not be able to live outside of the mother without very specialized medical care.

Your baby now weighs about one and half pounds and is about 13 inches long. You may notice some shady spots on your breasts, face and belly. These spots on the sides of your face are called the “mask of pregnancy.” They usually go away a few months after your baby is born.

Remember to take a prenatal vitamin every day to keep you and your baby healthy. Watch your weight. Gaining too much weight can put you and your baby at risk. It can put you at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. And it is much harder to lose the weight after you deliver your baby. Go to your doctors visits, even if you feel fine. Prenatal care is the medical care you get when you are pregnant and it is important. Your baby is three times more likely to be born too small if you do not get prenatal care- and this can mean problems for your baby. Expect to see your doctor once a month during the first six months of pregnancy, every 2 weeks during the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy and every week from the beginning of the ninth month until your baby is born. Your doctor may order an ultrasound for you. It is a very safe and painless test that is usually done around the 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. It may also be repeated later in your pregnancy if your doctor thinks it would be helpful. It is done by first covering your belly with a special gel and then rubbing a wand over it. Sound waves will “echo” off your body and create a picture of your baby on a computer screen. The ultrasound is used to find out how your baby is growing and developing. It can also help verify the expected date of delivery. Sometimes an ultrasound can be used to predict if your baby is a boy or a girl.

At your prenatal visits, your weight and blood pressure will be checked. Your baby’s heart rate will be checked. At 22 weeks, your doctor will measure your abdomen to see how your baby is growing. Your urine will be checked for sugar and protein. Also see your dentist early in your pregnancy. Pregnant women with gum disease are seven times more likely to have a baby too early.

Get your rest, see your doctor, exercise and eat right-that should add up to a healthy pregnancy.

Some c-sections are done as an emergency, so you may not know you are having one.]]> Podcast Transcript: C-Section
The natural way for a baby to be born is through the mother’s vagina or birth canal. If you or your baby have certain problems before or during labor, natural birth may not be possible. Cesarean section or C-section is the delivery of a baby by surgery. This is a major surgery and should be done only when the health of the mother or baby is at risk. Most cesarean sections go well for both the mother and the baby.

Some c-sections are done as an emergency, so you may not know you are having one. If your labor goes too long or the baby or you start to have trouble, a c-section will be done. But many times your doctor knows in advance that you will be having a c-section. If you have had a c-section with your previous pregnancy, you might automatically have another. This is a talk you should have with your doctor. If your doctor thinks the baby is too big to go safely through the birth canal or if the baby is turned the wrong way with its feet or buttock entering the birth canal first, your doctor will most likely want to do a c-section.

The surgery involves your doctor carefully moving through the different layers of skin and tissue to get to the womb. Then your doctor makes a cut in your uterus and brings the baby out. Next the doctor will just close up the layers.

Following the operation, you will be watched very closely. You will get fluids through your veins. And you will have a catheter in your bladder to collect urine. You can eat ice chips at first, but then you can eat more as you feel up to it. While you are recovering, you can hold, care for, and breastfeed your baby. Pain medicine will be given through a special tube that has been placed carefully in a space in your back. Medicine goes through the tube and calms the nerves that supply your uterus. When it is removed, pain pills should ease your pain.

You will need to move around, get out of bed, sit in a chair, go to the bathroom, and walk up and down the halls. Make sure you have a nurse or family member help you when you get up, you can be unsteady on your feet. You will be asked to take deep breaths or to use a breathing device that encourages you to take deep breaths. If staples were used on your skin, they’ll be removed before you go home. If Steri-Strips or little bandages are put on after the staples are removed, they may stay in place for a week. If they fall off on their own, that is okay. You don’t need to replace them. You may shower with them. You can use water and a mild white soap over the incision area. Baths, douching, tampons, sex, and exercising should be put on hold until after your six-week post-op checkup. At home, don’t lift anything heavier than your baby. Try not to go up and down stairs. You should eat, drink lots of fluids, rest as much as possible, and continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Several weeks after your c-section, your doctor might want to look at the incision area to see how it is healing. Recovering from a c-section takes a little longer than recovering from a vaginal delivery, but you should still be able take care of your baby.

Your baby’s life begins when an egg and a sperm join together, and this is called fertilization. This very tiny fertilized egg divides many times forming a ball of cells. These cells grow to become your baby’s body. At the end of the first month your baby is about the size of a pea.]]> Podcast Transcript: The First Trimester
During your pregnancy, you may wonder about how your baby is growing and changing. Let’s begin the story.

Your baby’s life begins when an egg and a sperm join together, and this is called fertilization. This very tiny fertilized egg divides many times forming a ball of cells. These cells grow to become your baby’s body. At the end of the first month your baby is about the size of a pea. The joining of your egg and the dad’s sperm happens without you even knowing.

At five weeks, your baby’s brain and spinal cord as well as all the body systems start to develop. The heart also begins to beat. Your baby’s face, ears, eyes and mouth also are forming during this month. Even though you may not realize you are pregnant, your body is changing. These changes can make you sick to your stomach, and make you feel tired. It is very common to be moody and cry. Your breasts may become more full and tender.

By the sixth week of pregnancy, you most likely have missed your period and a pregnancy test will be positive. By the end of the eighth week of your pregnancy, your baby is about one inch long and weighs less than an ounce.

During your third month of pregnancy, your baby’s bones begin to harden. The eyes are big and open and the ears have formed. The sex organs have also formed. Your baby can swallow, squint, and smile. Your baby also moves quite a bit, but you probably won’t be able to feel it yet. At the end of the first thirteen weeks, your baby is about the size of a walnut.

Here are some important things to remember during these early days of your pregnancy. Your body will feed your baby through the placenta, a special body part that allows you to feed and support the growing baby inside your womb. Anything you put in your mouth— food, drinks, over- the counter medications, cigarettes, drugs—can affect your baby. Taking a prenatal vitamin every day is very important to keep you and your baby healthy. And watch your weight. Gaining too much weight can put you and your baby at risk.

Go to all your doctor’s visits, even if you feel fine. Prenatal care is the medical care you get when you are pregnant and it is important. Your baby is three times more likely to be born too small if you do not get prenatal care- and this can mean problems for your baby. You will see your doctor once a month during the first six months of pregnancy, every 2 weeks during the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy and every week from the starting of the ninth month until your baby is born. See a dentist early in your pregnancy. Pregnant women with gum disease are seven times more likely to have a baby too early.

Get your rest, see your doctor, exercise and eat right–that should add up to a healthy pregnancy.

All information in this podcast is provided to you as general, educational information only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the counsel of your physician or healthcare provider who is familiar with your own unique needs and circumstances.

Most pregnant women will have their morning sickness disappear by the 13th or 14th week of pregnancy. Unfortunately, some will have it much later into pregnancy.]]> Podcast Transcript: Morning Sickness
Morning sickness refers to nausea and sometimes vomiting or throwing up that usually begins in the first months of pregnancy. While it usually occurs in the morning it can actually occur at any time of the day. Almost all pregnant women have some amount of nausea, and about all of them have vomiting.

Most pregnant women will have their morning sickness disappear by the 13th or 14th week of pregnancy. Unfortunately, some will have it much later into pregnancy. It is important that your doctor makes sure there are no other reasons for feeling sick, like an infection of your bladder or stomach.

To feel better–avoid having an empty stomach by eating 5 or 6 small meals a day rather than three large ones. Try to drink liquids such as water, milk, and juices between meals and not during meals. When you are sick to your stomach, eat plain foods like crackers, broth or gelatin. Caffeine free Ginger-ale or mint tea sometimes helps. Do not eat spicy or fried foods- this can make the nausea much worse.

Ask your doctor about a different prenatal vitamin because sometimes certain kinds may be causing your nausea or making it worse. Increase your total Vitamin B-6 intake by eating more whole grains (whole wheat bread, oatmeal), nuts, seeds, and beans. You can ask your doctor about a vitamin B-6 supplement. There are other medicines that you can take by mouth that are safe in pregnancy.

If you can not keep any water or food down for a whole day you should call your doctor. If you cannot do anything but lay in bed all day you should call your doctor. And, if you throw up any blood you should call your doctor.

All information in this podcast is provided to you as general, educational information only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the counsel of your physician or healthcare provider who is familiar with your own unique needs and circumstances.