Classes begin Wednesday, January 5th. This series is ideal for April and May due dates.
These are some of our favorite resources for pregnancy.
New students have access to our extensive collection of books, magazines and DVDs.
We are always striving to improve our educational offering, therefore course outline, materials, fees and schedules may be subject to change at discretion of instructor.
Cleaning was something I was always concerned about while pregnant. At first it bothered me because my ultrasensitive pregnancy nose was a super smeller and smells, household cleaners in particular, could drive me out of a room. It was later when standing in the tub, brush in hand, bleach water surrounding my feet and my big pregnant belly right on top of it all that I began to wonder….is this safe?
While most women are aware that they need to stay clear of harsh chemicals while pregnant, they overlook just how toxic their every day cleaning supplies are to their health and the health of their unborn baby. A study in Britain showed a link between exposure to household cleaners during pregnancy and asthma in children. Specifically, the study found that households that used the most chemical-based products during pregnancy were two times more likely to have children with asthma. Greenpeace found that chemicals in cleaning products can cross the placenta. Your baby is not in a super womb, the placental barrier cannot protect your baby from everything, including harsh household chemicals.
So why then do you go to APA and they state, “Most cleaning products are safe to use during pregnancy”?? Even within the same article they advise, “If your partner is around, have him do the cleaning!!!!” Interesting that they say it’s safe and yet don’t want the pregnant woman to do the cleaning. They also recommend natural cleaners “using baking soda and vinegar.” Perhaps they’re not fully committed to their own safety claim.
Still not convinced? Go to United States Department of Health and Human Services, Household Product Healthy and Safety Items at http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/index.
There is no better time than pregnancy to go green.
(Fathers-To-Be Disclaimer: Convincing your husband he has to do the cleaning and/or hiring it done doesn’t eliminate the problem either. The harmful fumes from cleaning products linger in the air, long after the cleaning itself is done. Sorry gals.)
So today was my annual women's appointment. After you have a baby trust me you just laugh that this ever bothered you. While at my appointment I asked the OB several questions including one I've always wondered about, and I'm thinking you're probably wondering too. Is it okay to have a PAP when pregnant? Is there a pregnancy exclusion from these little bits of womanly torture? What does he reply? Pregnant women are not excluded, beyond that, it's considered routine at the first prenatal appointment.
Understanding a little more about the PAP. The PAP smear requires a scrape taken from the walls of the cervix to be examined in a lab. The purpose is to look for changes in the cells of the cervix which might indicate STD, cervical cancer or other cancerous conditions. A negative result means your cervix is normal. A positive result indicates the presence of abnormal cells for which further testing or examination may be required.
Advocates: Obstetric model of care
The reasons for a pap in pregnancy - 1) For many women it's their first, and they may not have otherwise received one. 2) It is believed that cervical cancer "grows" quicker in pregnancy, due to pregnancy hormones.3) The pap can identify infections that, if left untreated, may be harmful to you or your baby.
Opponents: Midwifery model of care
Midwives generally don't agree with manipulation of the cervix at all during early pregnancy. Their general disagreement with PAPs in early pregnancy - 1) Belief that initial pregnancy is a vulnerable time for women and can be uncomfortable. 2) The cervix changes so much in pregnancy, there is a higher rate of false positives. Abnormal results could prompt additional invasive procedures: colonoscopy or cervical biopsy. 3) It is EXTREMELY rare to have a cancer that is so fast spreading that it is risky to pregnancy.
Bottom line, get educated. Before you're in the office, feet in stirrups, spreading your legs, decide whether you're willing to get a PAP while pregnant.
Catching up after a busy weekend I ran across this article Woman Gives Birth To Twins Right On NYC Street. Come on now – does this stuff really happen? This title is only slightly misleading, apparently she was (at least partially) in her SUV when she delivered her twins. Could they have at least transferred her inside before the second twin was born – she was just outside the hospital? What gets me is that even though she had a spontaneous, natural delivery she is still admitted and separated from her sweet babies – I certainly hope this was medically necessary and not just ‘recommended.’
Back to unexpected birth places - it was just back in March I saw an article about a woman who gave birth in her car in front of the Kentucky State Police Station. In my own childbirth class we spent maybe 10-15 minutes (tops) on emergency birth preparation. Definitely not enough to prepare us for this type of emergency and then there are so many classes that don’t cover it at all. I remember thinking – does this really happen? This is just something that happened in the ‘old days’ right? Not only is it happening, but it seems to me that it’s happening more and more frequently.
Okay so here is the exact reason I became a childbirth educator and exactly what I hoped I could help students avoid. A local teacher in our area emailed me the following and in SHOCK I pass it on to you. With one thought: this is a real story, this is really happening and it could happen to any one of us – be aware of what your care provider is doing!
“I had a mama email me, very upset, because her care provider did a VE and stripped her membranes without telling her. Seriously? Care providers think they can just put their hand up a woman's vagina and mess with her cervix without bothering to tell her? This really irritates me. I warn my students about this, and they don't believe me.
And why on earth are NST's starting at 35 weeks? Really? I thought they were supposed to check near the end (40+ weeks) to verify placenta is working well and all - but to start doubting everyone's health a month before baby could be born? Is this just an attempt to get as much money as possible from insurance companies? AAargh!!
I'm just really angry with the mentality shown in these cases. <irony> Care providers can do whatever they want to moms without saying anything, so of course the care provider should be trusted. And mom's bodies are going to kill their babies if they aren't constantly monitored. So moms can trust themselves as well. <irony> *sigh*”
Did anyone see this article? Breastfeeding May Fight Heart Attacks. Knowing I’d be interested in this for my childbirth education classes my mother in-law forwarded me this article. How awesome! Among the many benefits of breastfeeding: fewer dental cavities, higher IQ rates, fewer illnesses, reduced risk of allergies. Researchers are now expanding on their list of breastfeeding benefits for the mother. No longer are we limited to a reduced risk of breast cancer now we’ve conquered the leading cause of women: reduced risk of heart attacks. The study found that “women who had breastfed their babies for more than a year were 10 percent less likely to have had a heart attack, stroke, or developed heart disease than women who had never breastfed.”
What I enjoyed most about the article was that it discussed something few others dare to touch on – longevity of nursing. Finally a publication which discusses not just breastfeeding benefits but benefits that increase when nursing longer than 12 months. We’ve all heard the APA recommendation "exclusive breastfeeding" is advocated for "approximately the first 6 months after birth" and continuation of breastfeeding "for at least 12 months and thereafter for as long as mutually desired
Rarely do we read about their statement “there is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychological or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.” I think there is a general stigma that breastfeeding ends at 12 months of age and after that if you’re weird enough to want to keep breastfeeding you fall into the minority. Often condemned or mocked like that woman we heard about on CNN in January. In fact, you’ll find most of us become closet nursers (exclusively nursing at home – in many cases not even around family). Why?
Finally, here is a study that is not only praising the benefits of breastfeeding to the mother, but exclusively addressing the longevity of nursing being its greatest strength. Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz’s goes so far as to say,”The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them."
GO BF MOMS GO!
Watching the news this morning getting ready for work I heard this story: Pregnant woman, Ashley Swendson, hit by a car while running from a bear. She was approximately 5 months pregnant at the time of the incident. The extent of her injuries is unknown but she and baby are doing fine. DOW did put the bear down.
http://www.cbs4denver.com/
This leads me to think about a common topic – injuries during pregnancy. So often woman are fearful of continuing their previous exercise regime, thinking they could slip/fall and injury the baby in fact many women don’t even want to start exercising in fear they might injure the baby. We can all think back to that famous Gone with the Wind Scene – Scarlett falls down that magnificent staircase lands at the bottom and the fall apparently causes a miscarriage. What if I fall during pregnancy, can I injure my baby?
Your baby grows in the amniotic sac, surrounded by amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid levels generally are about 800ml through pregnancy. This fluid cushions hard blows and jolts to your belly, protecting the baby and allows your baby to move, developing muscles. Now in the case of a rare pregnancy condition, oliohydramnios (too little amniotic fluid) the baby could be at greater risk because lower levels of amniotic fluid protect the baby in utero. For the most part that amniotic fluid will cushion minor falls. Two close friends of mind experienced minor incidence during pregnancy without negative result: one fell down a flight of stairs (tripping over the dog) and one in a roll-over car accident.
Don’t worry your uterus is specifically designed to protect and keep baby safe while he grows.