Postpartum Candy Gifts

From Obstetrics and Gynecology, via Neonatology on the Web, comes this July, 1993 study: A Prospective Study of Postpartum Candy Gift Net Weight: Correlation with Birth Weight. I'm still deciding if it's a joke or not.

**Update 10/31/05** Well, almost certainly a joke. Check out more funnies here.

28 Week Update

For some reason, I don't feel quite as "big" as I did last week. I guess I had a little growth spurt and needed to "catch up" to myself. I have a ton of energy right now, and am trying to get as many things done (cleaning, organizing, holiday planning) as I can before I hit that late-pregnancy big 'n tired stage.

I have this recurring dream where the whole family is at my house for Christmas. I am cooking a turkey. I realize that I am in labor, and I need to call my midwife and perhaps go lay down on the bed for a while, but first I have to take the turkey out of the oven. I don't want anyone but my husband to know I am in labor, because then folks might feel they ought to leave or something, and I want them to continue to enjoy the festivities. Only hitch; how to sneak the midwife in the front door without anyone catching on. Usually the dream ends with me successfully getting both the turkey and the "bun" out of the oven. If I remember correctly, I had a similar dream three years ago - that's what I get for having January babies.

Little Champion's transition to sleeping in the same room with his brother has gone remarkably smoothly. Actually, LC has slept in his own bed all night two nights in a row, and it is his big brother who has been crawling into bed with us in the wee hours. We are all set to go on the potty training; just need to pick a day or two to dedicate to the task.

From BabyCenter.com:

By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes - which now sport lashes - and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

Next up: Midwife appointment next week, when I will have the glucose challenge test. And I am working on getting my Baby Registry/wish list in good shape and will post details soon.

Incontinence Tied to Lifestyle, Not Mode of Delivery

The Ob.Gyn news reports on a study that shows that the mode of delivery has no bearing on incontinence in older women:

"Body mass index, smoking, and hormone replacement therapy remain bad news for the pelvic floor," said Kaven Baessler, M.D., who conducted the study at Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the International Continence Society, Dr. Baessler, who has since moved to Charité University Hospital in Berlin, said neither age nor mode of delivery was associated with incontinence in her study population of 443 women aged 40–80 years.

The data were analyzed based on three delivery modes: women who'd had no births, women with a cesarean delivery, and women who'd had either a spontaneous or instrumental delivery. This analysis showed no association between any of these three categories and incontinence.

Other studies which have shown a link between vaginal deliveries and incontinence have not differentiated between spontaneous and instrumental (forceps, episiotomy) deliveries.

27 Week Update

"In every day, in every way, I'm getting bigger and bigger."

People no longer ask me if I am pregnant. They are safe to assume that I am. I have stopped "growing into" my maternity clothes and started "growing out of" them. At least it feels that way. I have a lot of growing left to do, though.

We just got back from visiting DH's parents in Iowa - on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. More about our trip is posted here. Airplane flights with the boys went fine. They are pretty easy to travel with at their age. It was not fun to return to temperatures in the 90s, but we are scheduled for some cooler weather this week, but still no rain.

Baby is active and strong. At this point, I can feel body parts sticking out occasionally - can't tell which ones, but they are knees or feet or elbows or something.

From BabyCenter.com:

Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with assistance - if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

Bed Rest for Pregnancy Hypertension Ineffective

Via BloggingBaby, a new study shows that "routine recommendation of bed rest for pregnant women with hypertension is not strongly supported by the limited available research." Bed rest may additionally cause physical, emotional, and financial problems for pregnant women and their families.

Mother Given Wrong Baby in Hospital

Something that just doesn't happen in home births...

'Mix-up' baby given DNA test.

VBACs After 40 Weeks

A new study shows that attempted VBACs after 40 weeks gestation are no more risky, and only slightly less successful, than VBACs which occur at or before 40 weeks:

The researchers found that 69% of women who attempted VBAC at or after their estimated date of delivery were less likely to be successful compared with 78% of women who delivered before their estimated date of delivery. ... Researchers said there was a small increase in "absolute risk" of operative complications and adverse effects among women who attempted VBAC at or beyond 40 weeks' gestation compared with those who chose repeat c-section delivery. However, the differences disappeared once other factors were taken into account. Therefore, the "risks of a VBAC attempt are not increased simply because the due date has passed," the researchers said.

Source: Reuters via Kaiser Network

26 Week Update

Not much new to report. Pretty much the same as the 25 Week Update, only a little bit more so. My DC says that my rib cage is starting to spread.

BabyCenter's Week 26:

Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

We'll be out of town this week, so blogging will be light.

The Mommy Blawg - reminder

If you are interested in the legal aspects of birthing, make sure you are reading The Mommy Blawg - for instance, my recent piece on Cerebral Palsy litigation and Electronic Fetal Monitoring.

Quit yellin', it's only childbirth

The New York Daily News reports on the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes pregnancy, from the standpoint that Scientology, which Cruise practices, encourages silent childbirth:

Practitioners of Scientology are against drugs but insist on "silent birth" because they believe it's traumatic for babies to hear their mothers groan or cry.
...
Scientologists also favor seven days of silence for newborns so their first week on Earth is trauma-free.

Um... has anyone ever told them that the womb is a very noisy place? I mean, I'm all for a calm, gentle birth, but a newborn is more likely to be shocked by the silence than disturbed by the noise.

25 Week Update

The baby's growth now is such that the top of the uterus is pressing against my diaphragm - which means occasional shortness of breath and very mild, transient heartburn. I'm not exactly feeling nausea, but I will say that my stomach is not as joyfully happy and welcoming as it has been for the last month or so. More like a premonition of things to come. Have you seen those diagrams of how a woman's internal organs get squished and rearanged during pregnancy?

The baby is quite a bit stronger now. Occasionally, I can see my tummy move when he kicks. Enjoy it now before it becomes painful.

Midwife report: Just when I was marveling at how closely my fundal height measurements track my calendar, this week I am measuring a whopping 27 1/2 cm! And while only gaining 2 lbs. this month. Some sugar in my urine but my blood sugar is 84. Hemoglobin at 11.3.

From BabyCenter.com:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

Little Champion has done great with transition to sleeping in big brother's room. Now ... what to do with the toddler bed in our bedroom until we need it again? Next project: paint. The 95- 99 degree days are getting me down; can't wait for the cold front that moves though tomorrow. We may barely get to 70 degrees on Thursday. I might even get to break into my fall/winter maternity clothes! Cooler weather means more baking, too.

Breastfeeding Down Under

Two interesting stories from Australian papers this week. The Mercury reports that babies who are breastfed grow into more beautiful adults, according to Dr. Brian Palmer, a US dentist who spoke at a conference in Tanzania:

"I believe the best chance for an individual to have a beautiful natural smile -- no need for orthodontics -- with a nice occlusion is if that individual was breastfed as an infant," he says.

The Australian discusses extended breastfeeding in Price of Premature Weaning. In particular, the article discusses the social stigma faced by those who are breastfeeding a toddler:

A number of women taking part in an online chat at the parenting website essentialbaby.com.au to mark World Breastfeeding Week last month told of their negative experiences feeding babies of all ages in public and unwelcome reactions from family and friends.

"My sister-in-law has a beautiful, healthy breastfed one-year-old and she has been bombarded with (comments such as) 'Gross', 'When are you going to stop that', 'What a disgusting thing to be doing at her age'," one said.

This despite the World Health Organizations' reccomendation that babies be breastfed until the age of two.

Breastfeeding rates in Australia are higher than those in the US and the UK, but still fall far short of the goal. For instance:

A 1997 study estimated that $11.5 million could be saved each year in Australia if the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at three months was increased from 60 per cent to 80 per cent (Breastfeeding Review 1997;5(1)).

Norway has the highest breastfeeding rates among the Western nations, with 80 per cent of babies still breastfed at six months.

Pregnancy Blogging

Amalah is still pregnant, but from the looks of things, not for much longer.

Sarah at 40 Weeks is now 38 weeks.

Leery Polyp has gotten around to posting her birth story, and wow is it something. It was very, very difficult but she did it. Not for the faint of heart. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Part 4. Here is an excerpt:

"What I want to do is have the c-section," I whine. "But I feel like I have to keep going. I know it's better, but I don't want to do it. But I'm going to." It's important to get the tone right: whiny toddler, maybe. I am not accepting my duty stoically; I am complaining all the way, proceeding with much resistance. But proceeding, nonetheless. I am not what you would call gracious.

24 Week Update

I feel great. Hip pain bearable. Appetite good. Energy good. I'm thinking about all the things I need to get done in the next 3 months. At this point, the thoughts are still motivating and not overwhelming.

I bought some training pants for DS2 this week, but we will be out of town in October so I think I will wait until after that to start potty training. He also spent the last two nights sleeping in his brother's room - the first night after a bout of the stomach flu. I did not want him throwing up in our room, but I slept in the other room with him. So, that transition was accomplished easily, though the next step is to get both boys sleeping in the same room and rearanging their bedtime schedules to accomodate that. And getting the room fixed up.

DS4 said to me the other night, "I love you, and I love your baby too." Isn't that cute!

What's going on this week, according to BabyCenter:

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

'Mothering the Mother' During Childbirth, and After

The New York Times has a good article on the role of doulas - focusing on post-partum doulas.

23 Week Update

A lot of women breathe a sigh of relief when they hit the second trimester, as the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after that point. Not me. Maybe with the first, but my nausea is so bad, I figure these kids aren't going anywhere (in fact, they like to cook an extra week or so).

Anyhow, this week is a different milestone of sorts. Babies born prematurely after about 22 or 23 weeks do survive. Granted, we are talking months in the hospital, feeding tubes, possible life-long birth defects. But at 23 weeks and over 500 grams, the hospital would treat Sweet Pea should he and I become prematurely separated, and he would have a fighting chance at survival. But please, little one, we're not in any hurry.

Baby is kicking and moving all over the place now. I think the kicks can probably be felt from the outside but I haven't confirmed that with anyone else. I'm eating well. I'm up to 120 pounds, three more pounds this month, and fundal height is 22 1/2 cm. (at 22 1/2 weeks). Blood pressure good.

At BabyCenter this week:

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

And oh! I love shopping for maternity clothes on Ebay. But I'm done. Really. I bought a lot of 6 t-shirts this week for $20 (that includes shipping). In great condition, too. Just in time for the weather to get cooler... :)

Birth Photo

SouleMama has posted a photo of her seconds-old daughter - a home waterbirth. What a gorgeous photo - and a gorgeous baby!

Risk of cow milk allergy increased after c-section

A new study published this month in Allergy shows that children born via c-section have twice the risk of developing an allergy or intolerance to cow's milk than children born vaginally.

The thinking is that compared to infants born normally, children delivered by c-section are exposed less to maternal bacteria and their digestive tracts are consequently not colonized in the normal way. Their immune system in turn overreacts to allergenic substances.

The study also shows that children born via c-section were less likely to become tolerant to cow's milk after having been previously diagnosed with an intolerance (i.e. they were not as likely to overcome their allergy with time).

Link: Risk of cow milk allergy Increased after c-section

22 Week Update

Had a burst of energy yesterday. Cleaned out the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Raked some leaves in the back yard. Started eyeing those dust bunnies in the corner.

We've been talking about potty training. Just talking about it, though. I showed DS2 the Thomas the Tank Engine and Nemo underwear I had saved for him, and he got really excited. He put on a pair, and did a little dance. He and DS4 (who was changing at the time) compared underwear, and DS4 gave him a little talk about how he would get to wear big boy underwear when he used the potty. Precious.

I feel big. I look at my belly and try to imagine how much bigger it is going to get. I can still see my feet, but I tried to shave my bikini area today and gave up due to lack of visibility.

BabyCenter.com says:

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Hip pain still present but bearable. No other major complaints. Appointment with the midwife later this week; will update then.

Photos

Baby's first photos. The first one is the baby's foot; the second is the baby's face (on it's right side, looking at you).

Fat Content of Breast Milk Increases with Time

Researchers have analyzed the fat content of breastmilk from mothers who had been breastfeeding for over a year, and found it to have significantly more fat compared with that of mothers who had been breastfeeding for only two to six months:

"This is a nicely done study which looked at a question that really needed to be answered," added Dr. Ruth Lawrence, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and a member of the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics' section on breast-feeding. "I think many people's general impression is if you continue to breast-feed beyond a year, probably the nutrient value drops, and this is quite different information and very important."
...
"We showed that the milk of mothers who breast-fed more than a year had a very high fat content," [study co-author Dr. Ronit] Lubetzky said. "That contradicts the claim that breast-feeding at this stage has no nutritional contribution. On the other hand, the long-term effect of such a high-fat intake has not been studied."

"The constituents of fat and human milk are very different than what we provide in formula today. One of the most important constituents of human milk is cholesterol. Formula does not," Lawrence said. "There are many people who think that probably one of the problems with cholesterol today occurs because infants have not had any cholesterol in the first few months of life; perhaps the body doesn't learn to deal with it. There are studies that show that young adults have much lower cholesterol levels if they were breast-fed than if they were bottle-fed."

Link: Fat Content of Breast Milk Increases with Time

It's a ...

For the record, DH wants to make it "my three sons", DS4 wants a sister baby, though he understands, quite solemnly, that "God decides"; and when asked, DS2 apparently doesn't understand the question, as he answers "red lego guy". As for me, I have mixed feelings. From a practical standpoint, it would be easier to have another boy. And I am generally a practical person. But something deep in me wants a girl. Maybe not this time, but eventually...

Check the comments for the answer.

21 Week Update

A busy week here in babyland. Today I had an adjustment AND a massage from my wonderful DC/RMT. Hot rocks and everything. Just back and shoulders, though. And tomorrow is our sonogram, which means we should know what flavor of baby we are having. As well as a confirmation (but more likely a separate, third opinion) of my due date.

This week I checked out at the library Journey Into Life: The Triumph of Creation which I hoped would have a good birth scene (to help prepare the kids, mostly). However, it was a little dissapointing. The scenes of the birth were very short (no labor, no placenta, just "head, shoulders, here's the baby"), and most of the 30-minute video was a discussion on cell mitosis and meiosis and chromosomes and such. Interesting, but not what I wanted. However, if you want to see something really funny, get a birth video and watch the part where the baby is born backwards. Hilarious.

What does Baby Center say about 21 weeks? "Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night."

Will post the big news tomorrow.

Some More Great Blogs

While working on my Blogger profile yesterday, I found some great blogs. First up is the Human Lactation Information blog. It is written by Ali Crehan Feeney, who is a breastfeeding counselor, and is filled with all kinds of wonderful and useful information about breastfeeding. She links to La Leche League's Emergency Breastfeeding Resources and recent press release When an Emergency Strikes Breastfeeding Can Save Lives. It seems all too obvious to say that some of those babies stranded in New Orleans last week without formula would still be alive had their mothers been breastfeeding.

Next are three blogs by doulas: Aspiring Midwife, Andi Stracner's Doula Blog, and Milliner's Dream. Check them out when you get a chance.

July babies don't get hospital's "A" game

Via Blogging Baby, a Canadian study indicates that babies born in July tend to have lower Apgar scores, and their mothers, while 20% less likely to have an emergency c-section, had three times the risk of undergoing a caesarean hysterectomy. The news article explains:

Certain times of year, such as the beginning of the academic year and the summer months, might have less experienced staff on duty. Infants born in the first quarter of the academic year had lower one-minute Apgar scores than those born in other quarters.

Link: July babies don't get hospital's 'A' game

News Briefs - C-sections

A couple birth-related items I spotted on BloggingBaby.com this week, regarding the increased risk of c-sections:

From HealthScout, C-Sections Linked to Higher Cavity Risk in Babies.

Li [the lead author] suspects that vaginally delivered infants, because of exposure to a greater variety and intensity of bacteria from their mothers and the surrounding environment at birth, develop more resistance to the cavity-causing germ than do C-section babies, who have less bacterial exposure at birth.

From MacLeans.ca, C-section linked with increased clot risk.

For vaginal deliveries, the odds of developing a blood clot were less than one in 30,000. But for caesarean births -- in which the baby is delivered through a surgical incision in the abdomen -- the risk increased to just under one in 1,800. Emergency C-sections came with a higher risk for blood clots than did elective C-sections.

20 Week Update

Wednesday was my appointment with the chiropractor. I had never ever seen a chiropractor before, not even with all the hip and back pain of my first two pregnancies. Let me say, it was just incredible. I felt a difference immediately. Though the doctor warned me that I might be sore for the first day, and I was, it was still in less pain than before the adjustment. The second day a little less, and today, hardly anything, though my hips do occasionally remind me that I am still pregnant. I no longer waddle when I walk - or, at least, I waddle like a 20-week pregnant woman, not a 40-week pregnant woman. I no longer feel like my hips are out of whack. It's amazing, you don't even realize that there is something wrong with the way that you walk until you can walk normally again. And bonus: our chiropractor employs massage therapists, so we can get massages for the same co-pay as an adjustment. Yipee!

The big news is... little champion has not nursed for nearly a week. So I guess we can consider him "weaned". Although he asked once or twice, he didn't seem upset when I said no or distracted him. It was all about changing his bedtime routine, since he had dropped all nursings except the before-bed and before-nap ones. He's a big boy now. I think next week I will move his toddler bed out of our room and into his brother's room. He will like that. Next on the agenda: thinking about potty training.

From BabyCenter.com (no fruit analogies this weel):

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel... A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid... Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid.

That's all for now. I think I had more to say but I can't remember it (pregnant brain). May do 2 updates this week since I skipped last week.

Battle lines drawn over C-sections

From USA today's website comes this article: Battle lines drawn over C-sections

'Mothering the mother'

CNN.com has a nice article about Doulas today.

Blawg Review #20

I'm hosting Blawg Review #20 this week over at The Mommy Blawg. It's a round-up of what happened this week in the legal blogging world. Come take a look!

For information on past and future Blawg Reviews, check out Blawg Review.

If you are visiting from The Mommy Blawg via Blawg Review, welcome! This is my online pregnancy journal, which includes weekly updates as well as helpful information and links. You can read more in my introductory post.