Enjoying Your Pregnancy Guide to Understanding - Brigham and ...

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24 Your Prenatal Guide support bra. You should consult with your obstetric care provider before you begin any new exercise routine. You should stop any exercise if you develop shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue, or dizziness. Notify your obstetric care provider of these syptoms and call immediately if symptoms persist. IN ALL CASES, YOU SHOULD APPLY THESE SENSIBLE GUIDELINES: • Avoid impact exercise • Avoid stresss to your low back area • Limit the intensity of your exercise program to the same levels as you set when you weren’t pregnant • Exercise for shorter periods of times and rest frequently • Reduce weight-bearing exercise (running, weight machines) in favor of non-weight-bearing exercise (bicycling, swimming) • Avoid getting your heart rate more than 140 beats per minute • Avoid doing full situps and raising both your legs while lying flat If you experience certain complications during your pregnancy, you and your baby would probably benefit from a sedentary activity level with little or no exercise. We recommend this to you if you are expecting twins or have high blood pressure, an incompetent cervix, or a condition in which it appears that your fetus is not growing properly. Common sense, good judgment and listening to your body’s signals are the main guides to exercising during pregnancy. REST Rest is essential. Don’t let yourself get worn out during work or play. Remember, you may be more tired than usual in the early stages of pregnancy. That’s just your body trying to tell you something - “Rest.” Get a good eight to 10 hours of sleep each night and don’t feel guilty about an hour’s nap in the middle of the day. Toward the end of your pregnancy, you may even feel like taking two or three naps a day. If you’re working, try to arrange for extra 10 to 15 minute breaks and space them throughout the day. SEAT BELTS Seat belts are a safety device that protect you and your baby in important ways. It’s best you wear both the shoulder and lap belts if possible. Place your lap belt under your abdomen, across your hips and thighs. Wearing your safety belt makes you 60 percent less likely to be injured or killed in an accident. Most fetal injuries relate directly to the seriousness of the mother’s injuries, rather than to those caused by the seat belt itself. CLOTHING Comfort is the word in clothing. Wear a supportive bra because your breasts will be getting larger and heavier. You can buy a maternity girdle if you like. If you do buy one, make sure it’s supportive, not tight! If you plan to wear hose, buy pantyhose instead of knee highs. Just be sure to buy pantyhose that allow your crotch to breathe. You’ll want to allow as much circulation to your legs as you can. Support hose may help your legs if they’re feeling tired or if you suffer from varicose veins. Wearing a good pair of shoes that is secure and comfortable is only sensible. Needless to say, buy for comfort in all your maternity clothes and shoes. DOUCHING There’s rarely a need to douche during your pregnancy. If it becomes necessary, we’ll give you specific instructions. CARING FOR YOUR BREASTS We’ve already mentioned the need for you to wear a proper support bra during pregnancy and while nursing. This is for your comfort. You may notice a slight leakage of fluid (colostrum) from your nipples. Toward the end of your pregnancy you may secrete quite a bit more, requiring you to cleanse your nipples more frequently than normal. Use warm water, but no soap, and dry well. If you have inverted nipples or develop them as your breasts enlarge, consult with your obstetric care provider about exercises that draw out your nipples. Milk cups or breast shields worn in the bra the last part of the pregnancy may also help inverted nipples. Please check with your obstetric care provider first, especially if there is question of preterm labor.
Your Prenatal Guide 25 INFANT FEEDING: BREAST OR FORMULA The ideal food for your newborn is mother’s milk. There are many advantages of breastfeeding. First of all, the process is simple, economical, convenient and presents less feeding problems for your infant. Also, breast milk is more nutritious than formula and offers protection from infection for your newborn by transferring your immunity through your breast milk. Breastfed babies tend to have less allergic diseases such as skin rashes and asthma. There are also fewer occurrences of diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders and ear infections for your baby. Breast milk may protect against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), diabetes, allergic disease and lymphoma. Breastfeeding also promotes something very special –– mother-infant bonding. Breastfeeding mothers may also notice a faster postpartum recovery and weight loss. A reduced risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, and protection from osteoporosis is possible for women who breastfeed. Check with the hospital for breastfeeding classes. Even though breastfeeding is a natural method of feeding your baby, it is a learned process. Classes can assist your breastfeeding experience and help it get off to a good start. Even though there are many advantages to breastfeeding, formula feeding is an acceptable alternative for many mothers. There are a few mothers who should not breastfeed their babies. If you’ve had breast reduction surgery and your nipples were removed, you most likely won’t be able to breastfeed. Virtually all medications you take are transferred through your breast milk to your feeding infant. Therefore, if you’re on cancer treatment drugs, certain antibiotics such as tetracycline, or antidepressants such as lithium, please consult with your obstetric care provider. In the end, how you feed your baby is your choice. What’s important is for you to feel comfortable with how you feed your baby. TEETH Proper dental care is very important. Don’t hesitate to see your dentist for dental problems that occur during your pregnancy. Just make sure your dentist knows you’re pregnant so the proper precautions can be used when taking x-rays or prescribing medications. Frequent brushing, dental flossing and proper diet can minimize your dental problems during pregnancy. Swollen and bleeding gums are common problems for pregnant women. You can minimize bleeding by using proper oral hygiene (frequent brushing and dental flossing.) IMMUNIZATION Talk with us about immunizations you think you might need, especially those required for foreign travel. Some booster shots like tetanus are okay during pregnancy. Others are not. You definitely do not want to be given live virus vaccines such as mumps, measles or rubella (German Measles) during your first three months of pregnancy. These are potentially harmful to your developing unborn child. Ideally, you should be immunized before you’re pregnant. This allows a certain amount of immunity to be passed on from you to your child without the harmful effects a live virus might cause. INSECTICIDES AND HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS You should avoid heavy or prolonged exposure to as many household chemicals as possible. They can absorb into your system right through your skin, or through tiny cracks in your skin. If you must use strong household cleansing aids, wear gloves and work in well-ventilated areas. Also avoid insecticides, pesticides, and weed killers. If you’ve had your house sprayed for bugs, allow it to air out before you return. Give up using aerosol sprays and use mechanical pump sprayers instead. Exercise the same caution for hair dyes and permanents. We’re just beginning to understand the potentially hazardous affects many chemicals have on pregnant women and their unborn babies. When you start thinking about painting your new nursery, be sure to use latex paint if at all possible. Do not use lead-based paint because it is harmful to your baby. Although oil-based paint and organic solvents like turpentine and lacquer have not been proven to be harmful, they do produce strong fumes that you should probably avoid. Keep the room well ventilated. The best bet is to have someone else paint the nursery.
Page 1 and 2: Specializing in care for a lifetime
Page 3 and 4: Congratulations! You're Pregnant! Y
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents 3 CARING FOR YOUR
Page 7 and 8: INITIAL PRENATAL CARE INITIAL OFFIC
Page 9 and 10: Your Prenatal Guide 7 • GENETIC A
Page 11 and 12: Your Prenatal Guide 9 Conversely, a
Page 13 and 14: First Month During your first month
Page 15 and 16: Your Prenatal Guide 13 MORNING SICK
Page 17 and 18: Your Prenatal Guide 15 movements li
Page 19 and 20: Fats, Oils, and Sweets Use sparingl
Page 21 and 22: Things You Should Know Before Havin
Page 23 and 24: Prior to admission: Please ask your
Page 25: Your Prenatal Guide 23 APPROPRIATE
Page 29 and 30: Your Prenatal Guide 27 EXERCISES FO
Page 31 and 32: Your Prenatal Guide 29 disorders ma
Page 33 and 34: Your Prenatal Guide 31 PROBLEMS DUR
Page 35 and 36: Your Prenatal Guide 33 RH DISEASE A
Page 37 and 38: IS THIS REALLY LABOR? Your Prenatal
Page 39 and 40: UTERINE INCISIONS Transverse Incisi
Page 41 and 42: Your Prenatal Guide 39 YOUR OWN CHA
Page 43: 75 Francis Street Boston, MA 02115

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