Be careful where you go!

Even when you are pregnant life just goes on doesn’t it? Travel can be such a fun thing but sometimes we don’t have much choice. Now you are look a little worried. Let’s check our main options…

Air travel is a big concern. Lets look at it. Obviously you don’t want to travel too late and risk your waters breaking on the flight! Ouch… This sort of thing actually happens. This is why airlines have rules in place, although they usually operate on the honor system and rely on you being truthful :-).
The airlines may want to know your due date, especially for your return flight. Don’t risk flying if you are due in a week or less. It is wise to ask your doctor for a ‘permission to travel letter’ within 72 hrs of your flight.

Some air tips include

• be wary of any drugs and medicines
• getting an aisle seat, so trips to the bathroom are easier
• wear your seat-belt low and under, rather than across your belly
• be aware of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and remember to stretch your legs and exercise somewhat
• minimize walking in the aisles as turbulence can knock you over
• drink plenty of fluids
• check the terms on your travel insurance
• avoid travel to developing nations - too many problems with this
• take a medical kit and discuss the contents with your doctor; you should include-
  • constipation thrush and hemorrhoids treatments
  • hydration suppies
  • good multivitamins
  • urine dipsticks for measuring glucose

Car travel
You should always wear the seat belt snugly, without slack, but still comfortably as you can. The belt should be fitted underneath your belly, as low as possible and the upper strap should be worn comfortably across the body.
Some women worry about air bags. There seems to be little evidence that they cause harm to baby in the womb. The advice however is to move the front seat as far back as practical.

Remember to drink fluids and have plenty of stops.
Take care and good luck with your travel my lovelies!

Well ladies, lets forget about all that damned freedom shall we! Pregnancy has more rules than a stimulus package. OK lets kick off the Spanish inquisition.
Fun! NOOOOOOOOOOooooo, lets deal with the good things you will miss if you are anything like me.

• Alcohol although lets not get totally carried away, my Mum had the odd wine carrying me and I turned out a fat little baby. However if you are tipsy the baby is probably unconscious (as it is smaller) Avoid.
• Coffee, Caffeine, Energy Drinks, this includes Redbull. Caffeine has been linked to miscarriage, birth defects and SIDS,
• Artificial Sweeteners You are going to have to read the label here. They are found in soft drinks, deserts, chewing gum and lollies. Avoid completely.
• Fish and Seafood Opinion varies a little here but my advice is to avoid it. Omega3 are excellent for the baby so I would consider supplements for this. If you are really determined to eat some fish research the possible mercury content and ensure it’s well cooked. Especially avoid sushi and sashimi.
• Chamomile and other herbal teas can have harmful effects on the baby
• Peanuts Eating these is thought to possibly make baby allergic, best to avoid
• Raw or undercooked meat Enough said.
• Soft cheeses, goats Cheeses, unpasturized milks or cheeses It hurts me to include camembert brie and blue veined.
• Liver No Pate for you. Vitamin A can be especially dangerous.
• Honey Actually its quite OK. But don’t feed it to the baby later as there is a small risk of infant botulism
• Deli Foods These are problematic because of listeria bacteria.
  Processed and sliced meats salami, smoked meats are a NO NO. Skip any foods served from open containers.
• Pre-prepared salads Eat fresh and make your own
• Uncooked eggs such as found in hollandaise sauce. Avoid.

Ok thats a big list.. I warned you your civil liberties would be grossly infringed
Eat carefully comrades.
{+}
Cheers

This guy turned out ok

Pros and Cons
The “C-Section” or Caesarean birth is getting more and more common and is no longer just an emergency procedure. What attitude should you take towards it? Some women are strong as an ox and others are more sensitive and frail. Which are you? Our view on this depends on whether we see the world as too medicalized. Others strongly recommend the home birth, midwife, natural scenario. Considerations of pain and vaginal tone drive many women’s decisions. It also used to be that once you have given birth with this method you have to stick with it.
The procedure has a long history. Our infamous friend, Julius Caesar, supposedly entered the world this way, possibly providing the name.
Undoubtedly it has also gotten safer over time. What is involved? There is a horizontal incision across the lower portion of the uterus.
A modern caesareans’ scar is below the “bikini line” cosmetically. There is obviously a lot less trauma to the vagina in a C-section birth. Caesar babies tend to be prettier. You probably would be too if your head wasn’t squashed.

Recovering from labor and delivery is somewhat different if you undergo a cesarean section. There are the same pains as your uterus contracts back down to normal size. Usually you are up and walking within 24 hrs. This is uncomfortable but helps relieve the gas build-up. You might expect 3-5 days in hospital. The pain usually fades during this time and you get pain medication.

You shouldn’t lift anything heavier than your baby until you recover.

My sister-in-law claimed she could easily “spit out” an average weight baby. While my sister had two children both caesarean - she wanted to avoid the pain of labour. Don’t forget, with all the advice, in the end its up to you.

Not recommended

Hi Girls!
Maybe limbo dancing is out for now but….
You tell me… how much exercise did you do before you were pregnant?
Carrying a baby is a pretty physical thing. Many wonder ….what about my body afterwards?
If you are a supermodel, fine. when the baby’s born the nanny can take full care while you concentrate on the body beautiful. Going to the gym, the beautician, and the cosmetic surgeon if necessary.
Reality: try to eat right and look after yourself emotionally while trying to deal with 3am screaming demands for feeds, a magic laundry basket that seems to never empty.

Ok there are several conditions that can totally mess with exercising:

• Multiple pregnancy
• Vaginal bleeding
• Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Incompetent cervix
• Intrauterine growth retardation
• Ruptured membranes
• Headaches
• Chest pain

Yes it’s a good idea to check any exercise program you are considering - Is it appropriate for a pregnant woman.
If not, big deal - take a walk, best with a friend , low impact and keep the gossip flowing and the pace reasonable.
Face it - you’re pregnant , expect that maybe you don’t have the energy. But do try to keep fairly active and in contact with your own interests - just don’t overdo it!

Aunty's favorite, more fun than fish and chips

Aunty Stretchmark’s Tips and Reminders
One way to check that you are not exercising too hard is: Can you still talk freely? If not ease up.
Don’t let your blood sugar fall too fast. This means easing up on processed foods that can cause a quick crash after an early boost.
I hope you’re eating a well-balanced diet. Usually, pregnancy increases your requirements by 300 calories a day, exercise even more.
Avoid jarring and risky sports. Overheating yourself is also a big no-no. This is another reason I like water aerobics so much.
Oh.. and yes, drink lots and lots of water.

SEX: NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS

Ok here is a big one… Sex during Pregnancy. Da chicken and da egg.  Most of us like sex. Especially me.  That’s how we get pregnant. Make sense?

Hormones make us want to have sex and you have  plenty of these when you are pregnant. Many of us feel a LOT hornier about now. We also feel a bit guilty and wonder if it can hurt the baby. By the way the penis does not come into contact with the fetus during sex. You baby is safe in the the amniotic sac and protected by strong muscles around the uterus.

So hey, if your pregnancy is a normal one, you can keep doing the bad bad thing right until those waters break.

The second trimester can be the best for sex. The extra blood flow works a bit like viagra.  Guys can be a bit wierd about pregnant sex. Some feel uneasy and others like it, well,  just a bit too damn much. Perverts!

Should we go all Kama Sutra on you? We could draw kinky diagrams on butchers paper. If you have been a plain-vanilla-missionary type of a girl it might be a good time to experiment. You might try on the side or on top or semi supported or oral.  A pregnant girlfriend of mine had her first multiple orgasm the other day.

Some of us arent so lucky. There are conditions that interfere with sex. These can include

• recent vaginal bleeding or cramping
• preterm labour
• placenta praevia, an oddly positioned placenta
• incompetent cervix,  with a risk of miscarriage or premature delivery
• multiple fetuses

But for most of us, just like the sex pistols say, lets see a bit more Anarchy in the UK.

tell dad to jam it

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
No, stop, be serious - I know you are really. Whats a girl to do?

Has his dad had the chop? Most men in the world haven’t. Hmmm. Circumcision  is still the most common, surgical procedure in the world.

Yet if I make a wild, wild guess about how it became popular in the west:
LITTLE BOYS WERE PLAYING WITH THEIR FORESKINS. Simple.
Public health and all that. Yeah. Hee hee.
There are religio’s that still insist. Some even want to chop girls.
SAVE ME.
Doctors used to advise people to smoke to improve their health.
Apparently, we are talking about 70 metres of nerves, and more than 20,000 nerve endings. That must hurt and be missed.
There are good points about circumcision
In the past there was an ongoing problem. Boys didn’t take care of their genital hygiene properly. Studies seemed to show this was far less of a problem when the boys were circumcised. Uncircumcised boys have rather poor access to the area under the foreskin. Trapped bacteria could give off an offensive smell and most people consider smegma to be unclean.
Oddly women get some health benefits when their partner is circumcised.

• cervical cancer
• breast cancer
• HIV
• chlamydia
• herpes

All of these conditions seem to somewhat reduced by circumcision of the male partner.
From the male health perspective, there are reductions in

• penile cancer
• syphilis
• balanoposthitis
• phimosis

All of the above have been studied and confirmed.
However, most of this seems to turn on hygiene considerations.
I was going to write a long piece and list many of the arguments on each side but really. Skip it I say… and tell dad to jam it.

Probably by now, everyone from the David Hasselhoff to your Mum has told you about Folate.
Good sign, your friends love you. They’re right, its one of the most important additives to your diet.

Lets backtrack, Folic acid is a B vitamin and its needed really early on. Take it at least 4 weeks before conception and for at least 12 weeks after. 400 micrograms of Folic acid is a common daily supplement.
The contraceptive pill can muck it up so talk to your medic.

Weird Fact:
It was discovered in green leafy vegetables, HEY IT’S NAMED AFTER THEM! (Foliage…get it)

Hey its super important in avoiding spina bifida, anencephaly and neural tube defects.
Cereal, bread, rice , pasta and other grains usually contain some folate.
Make sure to add orange juice and green vegetables as well.
My favourites are avocados, broccoli and kiwifruit.
Its important for non-preggers human people as well so spread the love.
Peace

Back pain is the real bitch

Isnt it blah that the time you are actually in pain you cant take most painkillers! Back pain can turn a nice girl into a grump at the the speed of light. This has been experimentally verified by the occasional husband to his peril.

More than 2/3 of pregnant women suffer back pain. Pelvic pain is a tad less common thankfully.
So what can you do other than swill pills like a drunken sailor. Acupuncture is really effective and water gymnastics is recommended. Your doctor might suggest Tylenol (acetaminophen) in certain cases. Careful posture and avoiding extensive walking can be useful.
Best wishes my suffering sisters.

ferragamo

We are talking a real crisis. An existential one. A warm , picture-book day and now those Ferragamo heels cut into your swollen ankles like piano wire.
God I feel fat all over. My fingers feel like sausages.
Really disgusting this time…enough self loathing, what to do?
Oedema! She said, whispering the name of the beast.

The short answer: put your feet up and eat celery.
Get it checked if your face or your hands are too puffy, but put those feet up, raised, on a pillow.
And try to lie on your left side to free your vena cava.

Crisis fading… fading… Did I say drink lots of water?
Yes, and wear trainers.

Vampire with morning sickness not very scared of garlic

Yes, its morning sickness. Dont make me smell that bacon… urgghh too late.
I have heard of some pretty nutty remedies for this in my time.
Some of these might be still be useful to you, especially if you’re the type who believes garlic protects against vampires.
Ok here we go:

• Magnetic Seasickness wrist bands
• Tongue pulling (A yoga thing)
• Licorice
• Tim-tams
• Lemon tea
• Almost anything on an oil burner
• Audio CDs

One of the newer treatments that looks like it reduces the severity of the nausea is pyridoxine (vitamin B6).  You can get it here.

And drug-wise you can ask your doctor about Zofran.

You are still having trouble with solid food?….hmmm
Consider taking a dog poo bag and peppermints in your purse- handy when the urge strikes.
And dont forget to grab yourself a blender. You can make smoothies and juices to keep your energy going.
The good news is morning sickness often fades by week 14.
Good luck girls.