Pregnant women are very scared of vaginal bleeding.  Vaginal bleeding like a period is never normal, at anytime during pregnancy, and a visit to the emergency room is warranted.  Vaginal spotting can come from a few things.  A recent vaginal exam can cause spotting when wiping with toilet tissue.  Intercourse can cause spotting for 48-72 hours afterward.  Both of those are due to the increased blood flow to the cervix.  The new life growing requires an increased blood supply & the vessels surrounding the uterus, cervix, and vaginal swell.  Tissue on the cervix becomes more friable or in other words bleeds more easily when rubbed during intercourse or an exam.  Sperm can cause mild cramping due to the prostin, a hormone, it contains.  The mild cramping can last 24-48 hours.  Intercourse should never make you double over in pain.  Read the rest of this entry »

I often get a phone call from a pregnant woman in panic, she begins to tell me she is 18 weeks pregnant, and she felt a sharp pulling pain on the side of her abdomen.  I ask if it happens if she gets up too fast and she tells me, “Yes.”  I ask if it happens when she walks too fast or rolls over in bed.  She empathically says, “YES!’  Read the rest of this entry »

There are three types of miscarriages:  Complete, Incomplete and Missed. 

> A complete miscarriage is also called a spontaneous miscarriage or SAB.  All of the fetus and placenta come out of the uterus. 

>An incomplete miscarriage means that some of the fetus and placenta has not come out of the uterus.  Prolonged vaginal bleeding or heavy vaginal bleeding is signs of this.  Treatment for this is a D & C (dilatation and curettage). 

>A missed miscarriage may cause no bleeding or light spotting occurs, but the fetus does not come out of the uterus on its own. Treatment is a D & C for a missed miscarriage.

How do you know you will need a D&C after a miscarriage?

Serum (blood) pregnancy hormone levels are drawn every 48 hours.  If the pregnancy hormone level does not drop and remains the same or rises slightly then  a D&C is indicated.  An ultrasound is always done first to verify a fetal heart rate is not present.

Miscarriage of a desired pregnancy causes such heartache and disappointed dreams.  You feel as if you must have done something to cause the loss.  Maybe God was getting even with you for a misdeed you had done.  Maybe it was the one drink you had prior to knowing you were pregnant.  Maybe it was… you fill in the blank.  Whatever you fill, the blank with it is not true.  Not one word of it, do you hear me!  Blame, guilt, anger, rage, is all normal reactions of miscarriage no matter if you were 5 weeks or 19 weeks.  The emotions are the same.  Read the rest of this entry »

Nausea in pregnancy is very common.  When the pregnancy hormone rises, it can cause nausea.  Not all pregnant women are affected, but when it happens, all you can do is lay down.  Here are some tips that can help and why.

–Eat small frequent meals-

Coating your stomach will actually help keep nausea away.  Keep a baggy of dry cereal or crackers with you at work to snack on during the day.  The longer you go inbetween meals the more nauseated you will be.

–Pour some clear pop or Coke a Cola in a cup and stir out the bubbles and sip-

The syrup from the soda pop can help some stomachs settle down and feel better.

–Eat what sounds good to you-

If it sounds good and it stays down -Great! Unless, it is Hot Sauce…LOL.

–Put a can of pop, a straw and some crackers by your bed before you go to sleep.  When you wake up in the morning, do not sit up.  Roll over and open the pop and sip with the straw.  Eat a cracker. Wait 10 minutes before getting out of bed-

Why?  Nausea can begin the minute a woman sits up in the morning.  When she sits up her stomach goes..Whoomp-Instant nausea.  If you coat the stomach before sitting up you might be able to lessen the nausea.  It works for some pregnant woman. Try it and let me know.

 Hope that helps,

Bonnie 

Planning a pregnancy is an exciting time in a womans life. It is also often felt to be overwhelming at times . Here are some tips to help you in your goal of creating the healthest new life possible.   What is your BMI?  Body Mass Index.  This chart tells whether you are a healthy weight.  Starting at a healthy weight helps to make a pregnancy go smoother.  Read the rest of this entry »

Hello World!  This is my new WordPress Blog.  In fact, it is my first post of my first blog.  I hope to provide you with useful information on pregnancy, childbirth, infant care, infant nutrition & other related topics.  I bring to you 20 years experience in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology as a Registered Nurse.  I will do my best to find references to back up my knowledge and to let you find more on the subject of a post.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon,

Bonnie