Author name: Diane

If you’re a first-time mom, you may not have expected sleep problems to arise before your little one was born. Sleep problems are common in pregnancy and can affect even the most resilient women. The key is to remember that any discomfort you may be feeling is short-lived, with the result of welcoming your new baby. Staying comfortable as your belly grows is probably the most common sleep problem during pregnancy, with frequent bathroom breaks, changes in temperature and weird pregnancy dreams being some of the other culprits. Here are some of Cherokee Women’s suggestions on getting a good night’s sleep while pregnant. Finding a Comfortable Sleeping Position As your belly continues to grow, you won’t be able to sleep on your stomach or on your back, leaving side-sleeping as the only option in those last few months. Back sleeping isn’t advised after your first trimester, since being flat on your back can put unnecessary pressure on blood vessels. More than likely, it won’t be comfortable anyway, as the weight of your uterus and baby pressing up against you will make it difficult to sleep. Sleeping on your side is easier on your circulatory system, and the left side is preferred because it allows for maximum blood flow. Stock up on Pillows To help make sleeping on your side more comfortable, especially if you’re a tummy or back sleeper, stock up on pillows. Some pregnant women find relief by putting a pillow between their legs. You can also place one under your belly and behind your back. There are also custom-fit full-body pillows specifically designed for pregnant mamas that cradle all these areas, aiding in a better night’s sleep. Of course, if you wake up in the middle of the night and realize you’ve shifted to your stomach or back, don’t panic. More than likely, it was your body’s way of telling you to shift positions, or you’re waking up to use the bathroom, again. To help you make the most of your pregnancy sleep cycles, avoid caffeine after lunchtime, curb your liquid intake after dinner (to keep you from those frequent bathroom breaks), and make sure you’re getting plenty of exercise (but avoid exercise right before bed). You can also take a warm bath or practice relaxation exercises to help you drift off easier. If you’re not getting enough sleep or have concerns about sleep positions during pregnancy, talk to your doctor the next time you’re at our Canton or Woodstock office.

During your pregnancy, you are no doubt taking every step to keep yourself and your baby as healthy as possible: you are abiding by the foods-not-to-eat list; you are not drinking any alcohol; you are limiting your caffeine; and you are making sure you are drinking plenty of water. So, what about being active? While this is not the time to start training for your first marathon, exercise during pregnancy leads to healthier moms and babies. The Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy Exercise has already been proven to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes as well as improve the endurance of the mother, resulting in an easier delivery. Not to mention, you more likely to get back to your pre-baby weight faster than if you were not active. While we know that pregnancy fitness is beneficial for the mom, new studies indicate that maintaining a regular fitness regime during pregnancy will actually lead to a healthier baby, too. Studies show that women who exercised regularly during the second half of their pregnancy were more likely to give birth to babies with a lower birth weight. While a lower birth weight might not seem preferable, it actually is healthier since a too high weight is an indicator of childhood obesity. How to Exercise Safely During Pregnancy Now that you know the many benefits to staying active during your pregnancy, you need to make sure you are not doing anything too strenuous that could result in injury. So, here are a few guidelines to safely exercising during your pregnancy: Consult your doctor – It’s a great idea to discuss your fitness regime with your obstetrician and get his/her approval first. While it is healthy to continue exercising, your body is different now and some activities may not be conducive to your pregnant state. Don’t Overdo It – This is not the time to try for a personal record in the upcoming 5K or to push yourself to tackle a new goal. You are growing a human being, and that takes a lot of effort. As a result, your body may need more recovery time in between workouts and you may need to reduce the intensity of your workouts – like switch to power walking or swimming instead of running. Be Aware of Your Pregnant Limitations – Your growing belly comes with a few restrictions in regards to activity, like avoiding any exercises that require you to lie on your back. Also, your balance is not what it used to be, any activities that pose a high risk of falling, like rock-climbing and water skiing, are off-limits, too. Cherokee Women’s Health encourages you to remain active during their pregnancy, as long as you get the go-ahead from your obstetrician. Don’t hesitate to contact our office with any questions you may have about exercising or pregnancy in general.

When you are trying to get pregnant, waiting to find out can be excruciating. Wouldn’t it be great if there were something that could tell you “Yes, you are pregnant” the moment you conceive? Well, unfortunately these things do not exist, so we rely on the home pregnancy test. These days, home pregnancy tests are extremely accurate, as long as you understand how they work and when to take them. How Does a Home Pregnancy Test Work? Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), also known as the pregnancy hormone. The hormone is excreted as soon as the fertilized egg implants into your uterus, and your levels of this hormone double approximately every 48 hours from then on. Yet, they really are not high enough to detect in your urine until at least two weeks after conception. Just to give you an idea of what the levels are like each week and how they increase, here is a guideline of hCG levels in weeks from your last menstrual period (LMP) : 3 weeks LMP: 5 – 50 mIU/ml 4 weeks LMP: 5 – 426 mIU/ml 5 weeks LMP: 18 – 7,340 mIU/ml 6 weeks LMP: 1,080 – 56,500 mIU/ml 7 – 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 – 229,000 mIU/ml Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml Remember that this is just a general guideline. As every women’s pregnancy is different, their levels of hCG can rise differently as well. When to Take a Pregnancy Test In order to get the most accurate result from an at home pregnancy test, read the instructions and follow them precisely. Many times they will tell you to take it first thing in the morning, as this is when your urine is most concentrated. As far as when into your cycle should you take a test, your hCG levels should be high enough to get an accurate result when you expect your period to start. False Negative Pregnancy Test Now that you have a better understanding how pregnancy tests work, I think you can figure out why false negatives are so common. In fact, it isn’t really even a false negative; it just means that your levels of hCG were too low at the time for the test to detect. So, if you think that you are pregnant and get a negative result, just try again a few days later. As each brand of pregnancy test is different, and they each have a different calibration for detecting hCG  levels – some are more sensitive than others. The more sensitive ones would be able to give you a positive test earlier, and some brands even claim to detect pregnancy before your missed period. Positive Pregnancy Test It is extremely rare to get a false positive result on a pregnancy test, but it can happen. But usually, no matter how faint the line, plus sign, words, etc. may be, if you can see it at all, then it is likely a positive pregnancy test result. This would be the time to call your obstetrician or midwife and set up your initial prenatal appointment.

As the big day approaches, you have no doubt planned everything: your birth plan; your hospital bag; out of town guests secured; help for when you get home with the baby and travel plans to and from the hospital. Yet one detail that you may have overlooked is who you will have with you in the delivery room. Unless you are having a C-section where only you and the baby’s father are allowed in the delivery room – along with the medical staff – then this decision will take some consideration before the big day. Selecting only a few individuals to be with you while delivering your baby does not mean that you are excluding everyone from coming to the hospital to experience this amazing event with you. Bear in mind that labor, typically speaking, is a long process. So, you may choose to  have visitors come in and out of the delivery room at your discretion throughout the entire time. You may want to ask that once you start pushing, these visitors respect your desire for privacy and wait in the waiting room until after the baby is born. Then, once you are comfortable, you may then want to welcome visitors back into the room to meet the new baby. In the Delivery Room So, who do you have with you? Truthfully, only you can answer this question. It’s a personal choice that is completely up to you. There are some factors you should consider to help decide: Do you want someone there specifically to take pictures? The nurses and obstetrician/midwife are there to medically help you deliver your baby and care for your baby once he/she is born. If your significant other is there to support, you may want to include someone else to take photos. Do you want to share this magical moment with extended family and friends? There is absolutely nothing that can compare to the first time you meet your baby, and this statement is also true for grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends. However, you need to decide whether you want this first meeting to be a moment that you share with just you and your baby’s father or if you want it to be the whole family. Frankly speaking, labor is not a time for you to worry about modesty. So, if you don’t want anyone other than medical professionals to see so much of you, then it might be a good decision to keep the delivery private. Take time to think it over, but make sure you establish the rules before you get to the hospital so that everyone will know what to expect and you can have a more relaxing delivery. If you have any questions about labor or your pregnancy, please call our office at 770-720-7733.