Girlfriend Guide To Pregnancy

C-section In many instances, there is a significant chance that during childbirth a woman will deliver by C-section, or Cesarean section, which is a surgical incision made in the abdomen and then into the uterus to deliver the baby or babies. Circumstances vary greatly and can be quite different with each pregnancy, and vary from woman to woman. Each woman’s individual medical and reproductive history is taken into consideration during the prenatal period, and is continuously evaluated throughout the pregnancy by the obstetrician. If warranted, a C-section will be scheduled to take place before actual labor begins, though this doesn’t necessarily mean that a woman won’t go into labor spontaneously before her scheduled delivery date. A history of certain medical conditions may require a C-section When the baby, mother, or both are in distress, a C-section is the fastest way to deliver the baby without further complications. Developmental abnormalities or fetal anomalies require delivery by C-section, as do breech or transverse fetal positions. Other indicators for a C-section delivery are irregular or decreased fetal heart tones, prolonged labor or labor that has failed to progress, a very large baby, baby unable to pass through mother’s hips, prolapsed umbilical cord, separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus (placenta abruption), blockage of the birth canal by the placenta (placenta previa), or maternal illness, such as chronic medical conditions, pregnancy-related conditions (pre-eclampsia), HIV infection, or active genital herpes. A C-section is usually performed under regional anesthesia, allowing the mother to be awake and witness the birth of the baby. However, some types of emergency situations may require general anesthesia putting the mother completely asleep. Despite the fact that a C-section is major surgery, it is relatively safe and has a low rate of complications. There is still a certain level of risk involved, as with any surgical procedure; bleeding and infection, injury to the bladder or urinary tract, or even injury to the baby could occur. Prenatal classes are offered to expectant mothers and their significant others, and cover everything from vaginal delivery versus C-section, to how to select a car seat and bathe the baby. Even if a C-section delivery is not anticipated, physicians should discuss it with their patients prior to labor and delivery, to lessen their anxiety and promote a positive birth experience in the event a surgical birth is required. The expectant mother needs to feel comfortable with her prenatal care provider and trust in the level of care that is provided, and in the recommendations made to ensure that the pregnancy results in a happy healthy baby.

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Mid Life Crisis

We are seeing a shift in the mid life crisis today. The New York Magazine has coined the phrase “grups” to describe the current middle aged population that tries to fill the generation gap. There is a sound reason for the generation gap. We probably shouldn’t try to fill it. The term grup is derived from an episode of Star Trek in which Captain Kirk and his crew find themselves on a planet run by kids. There are no adults in sight. (By the way if you know the episode I’m talking about you may be having a mid life crisis yourself). In the episode the kids create the term “grup” to refer to the adult crew visiting their child-filled planet. The word is a clever combination of the term “grown-ups” that seems to be a popular way to help us look at ourselves differently. The individuals entering the mid life crisis age are currently referred to as grups because of their inescapable desire to hold on to technology. Nothing is more aggravating than an adolescent who can show an adult how to run an ipod. (If you are wondering what an ipod is then you may be having a mid life crisis of a different kind). However, the younger generation is basically wired to work these kinds of gadgets. You may know a grup. You may even be a grup without knowing it. I got my wake-up call when I was expecting my daughter. The doctor mentioned something about advanced maternal age and I almost smacked him. How dare he? This is my first pregnancy from my first marriage. Okay, so I married when I was 34 but, still. I didn’t realize that I would be the oldest mom at daycare. I didn’t know that I was supposed to be tending to teens instead of toddlers. I was not aware that I should be in mid life crisis. Maybe this is the problem. Maybe my late start in married life is my mid life crisis. I should be sporting a “soccer mom” necklace but the idea makes me totally gag. For real. I guess that I should be listening to the oldies station but it depresses me. When did Elton John enter the realm of the oldies? Oh well, the mid life crisis has snuck up on me. I probably should forget going to the System of a Down concert I’ve been looking forward to attending. I should also back away from the ipod, too. I don’t know how to work those things anyway.

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Acne Care During Pregnancy

Acne and acne care have long been part of adolescence and the teenage years. We’ve all heard the stories about some poor girl waking up to a horrible blemish on her nose the day before a big date. But acne strikes adults too, and acne care can actually become more difficult in adulthood. Acne is caused by clogged pores, which are often the result of oily skin. Adults are more likely to have combination skin types ranging from dry or normal to oily, and this can make acne care a challenge. Acne can also be caused by irritation to the skin from confining clothing, chafing or even shaving. Hormones are also a contributing factor, which is one of the reasons why acne is so prevalent in adolescence and why pregnant women can find themselves dealing with outbreaks and acne care. While there are many causes of this relatively harmless but nonetheless frustrating and often painful skin condition, the guidelines for acne care are pretty much the same across the board. Cleaning the affected area with a mild soap or cleanser is an important part of acne care. When suffering from acne, there is often a temptation to use astringent cleansers. Such products are generally not recommended for irritated skin. An important component of acne care is to avoid irritations to the skin which might cause new outbreaks. Oily hair should be washed regularly and be kept pulled away from the face and forehead areas when dealing with facial acne. Careful shaving is also an important component of acne care. Women who are dealing with outbreaks are often tempted to hide them with makeup. This can worsen the situation and counteract the positive effects of an acne care regimen, particularly if an oil-based makeup is used. While concealing acne with makeup can temporarily help deal with embarrassment or self-consciousness, it can hinder the healing process, so avoiding putting foundations or other makeup on the irritated area is the best bet. People who are dealing with acne are often tempted to pick at or “pop” pimples or blackheads, either because they have a misconception that this is part of effective acne care or out of a simple desire to get rid of blemishes. This temptation should be avoided at all costs, since doing so only aggravates the situation and can also lead to scarring. Even when these general guidelines are followed, even mild cases of acne can sometimes require a visit to the dermatologist. Professional acne care can include a variety of treatments including topical medications or pills. Acne can take several weeks to heal and ongoing acne care habits are encouraged to minimize future outbreaks.

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Special Baby Gifts

My niece is pregnant with her first child. She and her husband have tried to get pregnant for several years, so they are very excited about getting their family started. I was invited to a baby shower. I knew that my niece had been doing a great deal of shopping for the baby already; so I wanted to purchase special baby gifts that she had not already purchased or seen. The department stores did not offer any special baby gifts; they had items that have been around for years. I mentioned to one of the sales clerks that I needed special baby gifts for my niece’s baby. She stated that the store did have a line of infant things that can be personalized with the baby’s name. This sounded intriguing to me so I asked to see what was available in this line of merchandise. The clerk had several items in stock that she was able to show me. She showed me bibs that were embroidered with the infants name on them. She showed me a baby blanket that was embroidered with not only the baby’s name, but the date of birth and weight and length at birth. Each of these special baby gifts needed to be special ordered and would be available in a week to ten days after the order was placed. The clerk also showed me several items in a catalog including diapers that were personalized with the baby’s name. I did like the unique aspects of these special baby gifts; however the shower was going to be held prior to the baby’s birth so I would not have the information that was needed to have the items personalized. I found a small store that was filled with special baby gifts. This store had many of the same things from the department store, but they have a local seamstress that will complete the personalization within a day. I decided to purchase several of the special baby gifts. I bought the baby blanket that could have the baby’s personal information embroidered on. I also bought a picture frame that had a place to engrave the baby’s name. The picture frame also had space to frame the birth certificate next to the baby’s photo. I had the clerk wrap the gifts and she included a card with the shops name and telephone number so that my niece could have the embroidery and engraving completed once the baby was named. The shop charges a flat rate for the embroidery and engraving, which I paid for at the time of purchase. My niece would not have to pay anything to complete the personalization. My niece was very happy with the special baby gifts. She knew where the shop was, but had not gone into it. We made plans that I would go with her during her maternity leave to have the special baby gifts finished off.

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Prevent Acne Problems in Pregnancy

We have all heard that prevention is the best medicine and this idea holds true even for people who are plagued with acne. This simple approach is wonderful in concept, but the difficulty lies in finding out how to prevent acne. What steps do we take to keep from finding those annoying blemishes from appearing when we can’t take medication? My sister has been having horrendous breakouts lately. Her adult acne is so bad that her entire face is covered in blemishes. The marks on her face lead her to consult her doctor about the possible causes of acne as well as ways to prevent acne breakouts in the future. I watched my niece while my sister went to her appointment, hoping that there was a solution to her problem. When my sister arrived home, she looked wide-eyed and a little pale. She said that the doctor told her that the cause of acne in her case was bacteria. Unfortunately, she said that there was no way to treat the bacterial infection right now even though a simple antibiotic could prevent acne in this case. This didn’t make sense to me at first, then my sister added, “With me being pregnant and all.” This good news wasn’t dampened a bit by the inability to prevent acne breakouts but it did pose a challenge. The doctor suggested that my sister stay away from harsh soaps, especially antibacterial soaps. This came as a big surprise because one would think that an antibacterial soap would prevent acne that was caused by bacteria. It turns out that the opposite is true. When we use harsh soaps that kill bacteria, we often make ourselves vulnerable to pimples because we kill good bacteria that battle the bad. Yes, there is a war going on and our skin is at stake. The doctor suggested that my sister’s best approach to prevent acne would be to use a very gentle cleanser and to only cleanse twice a day. My sister was washing her face every chance she got. It has only been two weeks since her visit to the doctor. My sister’s complexion is not crystal clear and it probably won’t be until she is able to treat the acne with medication. However, she is able to prevent acne from getting the best of her. She uses a gentle cleanser twice a day and she thinks about her new baby. A little adult acne is such a small price to pay.

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Planning a Baby Shower

My niece is pregnant with her first baby. We have always been close so I let her know that I would help her with any thing she needed help with in getting ready for the baby. There are many things to do in getting ready for a baby. We needed to prepare a room for the baby as well as purchase items that are needed when adding a baby into the home. I told my niece that I wanted to have a shower for her and her husband. I encouraged her to register at a number of local department stores for things that were needed for the baby. Planning a baby shower takes some time. The major time factor was coordinating things with my niece. In planning a baby shower I wanted to make sure that I was including everyone that she wanted to invite. I was taking extra care in this because when my sister had a baby shower for a friend she had invited people that the mother to be did not want at the shower. This made for an uncomfortable time for everyone. The other part of planning a baby shower that is difficult is deciding when the shower is to take place. My niece wanted to wait until after the baby arrived so that the people attending the shower could see the baby. This was fine, except that some of the items on her gift register were for things that are needed as soon as the baby arrives home. My niece mentioned that one of her co-workers was also planning a baby shower for her. I got the name of the co-worker so that we could coordinate the two baby showers to best fit with my niece’s wishes. When I spoke with the co-worker planning a baby shower I found out that she was planning on having the shower the last day my niece was scheduled to work before the beginning of her maternity leave. I explained that I was planning to have a shower after the birth of the baby. We decided that we would tell the guests this so they could pick out their gifts accordingly. I would be including relatives and she would include co-workers, so people would not be invited to two showers. When planning a baby shower you can get cards from the department stores where the mother has registered to place in the shower invitations. Having these cards to insert cuts down on the amount of information you need to write on the invitations. Planning a baby shower should include as much input from the new parents as possible. Try to include the new dad also so he is not feeling left out of the process. The baby shower should concentrate on celebrating the new life of a child.