Pregnancy - Parents Precinct

THE QUESTIONS YOUR'E TOO EMBARRASSED TO ASK

Hi, I'm a midwife of many years experience and I'd like to offer some "insider" information and advice. Over the years I have been asked many questions and some become more repetative than others. I have worked in a tertiary level public and private hopital in Melbourne since graduating in 1999 and have also had the "birth experience" twice personally. My work ranges over the whole spectrum of maternity (birth suite, antenatal clinic , post natal and home visits)
Would you like to hear some of the most commonly asked questions and hear them answered truthfully?

Q1. Will it hurt? Yes
Q2. Will my 'bits' ever look the same? Yes and Yes(my husband has no complaints, besides I just turn the lights off!)
Q3. Can I request an epidural straight away? Yes, but be prepared for a lecture.
Q4. Can they really ask me to remove my recently manicured fushia pink nail polish? Yes, but it is for a valid reason.
Q5. Can I breastfeed(BF) straight away after the birth? Yes, it's encouraged but check if the maternity unit you're attending provides assistance to BF in the recovery room after a ceasarian, this is often not the case!
Q6. Can I request some liposuction while I'm in theatre having a ceasarian? NO, not in public hopitals anyway!
Q7. Am I too posh too push? With that set of childbearing hips, never!
Q8. Am I expected to shave my pubic hair? No, it's a personal choice. Remember a midwife has seen more fur than Tiger Woods!
Q9. Can I request a single room? Sure, but don't expect to get it. Generally the softly, softly approach works best. ie. "the lady in the other bed is snoring relly loudly and my wife does'nt want to complain but I see she's about to break"
Q10. Can I request a female doctor/midwife ? Yes and yes there are male midwives.
Q11. Can I say no to students? Yes you can. Some hospitals are a learning centre for student midwives and doctors but your birth experience takes priority.
Q12. How long can I stay in hospital? Public hospitals are led by the Department of Human Services (Goverment) and they want you out in about 2-3 days. If you've had a ceasarian you stay longer (5 days). Private hospitals will often have longer stays, but of course you've payed for the privledge.

Remember, you are always entitled to a second opinion during your pregnancy and birth. It's never too late, even if your legs are up in stirrups! (sorry, didn't mean to scare you) The doctor could be junior or from a different hospital where they practice differently. And the midwife is there to be your advocate so ask our opinion too! You have rights in hospital, lose the "patient"mentality and assert your rights. Definitely do your homework. It may not alter the outcome and it won't even guarentee you a pain free birth but it will facilitate you in having a birth experience that is positive with few regrets.

Over the coming months, if the interest is there, I'm hoping to cover many topics. I'd be interested to hear your questions. Some future topics might be pain relief options, all about the "downstairs bits/business end", ceasarians, breast feeding, Obstetricians and understanding of the medical/midwifery terms used. Talk to you again soon!

From the Modern Midwife

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Posted By: Ryana - Category: Pregnancy

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Pregnancy - Whats really going on?

October 15th 2008 00:21

For women becoming a mother is a reality long before she is even showing. Suddenly blotchy marks are appearing on the skin, or you may feel so sick even chocolate is unappealing. And tired....so tired.

What causes all these feelings? Well there is a battle going in inside you, as your developing foetus ensures it has all the resources it needs to survive, leaving you to manage on what is left.

Getting Comfortable

Within two weeks of conception, the embryo clamps itself firmly to its mother’s uterine walls. After that, your darling sends out hormones that cause your artery walls to thin and your arteries to expand, this ensures they get all the nutrients they need delivered fast. Unfortunately, for you it means burst blood vessels and haemorrhoids (nobody ever explains those to you before you get pregnant).

Being good mothers that we are, our body also turns down our immune system to stop it from attacking the foreign bundle of cells developing in our uterus. For the baby it means they are not expelled from our bodies. For us it means we are more susceptible to every illness going around.

Oestrogen levels are on the rise, stopping our stomach from emptying too quickly, this is thought to be the cause of morning sickness. Good news is nausea is a very good sign of a viable pregnancy.

A friend of mine reckons that nausea is worse if you are carrying a girl vs. a boy, due to the oestrogen in the female foetus as well as your own increased levels. I am not sure if this is true, only having had one, so let me know if this has been your experience.

Gestational Diabetes

Why do some women suffer gestational diabetes? This is because your developing baby sends out proteins, which makes you resistant to insulin. You know what his means; your body has difficulty breaking down sugars, providing an absolute feast for your baby. Most women’s bodies automatically increase the levels of insulin they produce, but for those that cannot the result can be gestational diabetes. The good news is it can be tested for and treated, and it usually disappears after your darling is born.

High Blood Pressure

Well before those tantrums start, your little darling to be is already causing your blood pressure to rise. The developing foetus has such low blood pressure they need to rely on their mother to have high blood pressure to ensure they get the nutrients they need.
To do this, they send out a hormone called SFlt1, which makes it difficult for your body to repair old blood vessels, and create new ones. With all that additional blood flowing around and not enough vessels to carry it, your blood pressure starts to rise.

Smart kid, but not smart enough, women’s bodies respond by making a protein, which promotes blood vessel growth. However, for some women, usually those who are obese or already had high blood pressure or a possible genetic defect the result can be pre-eclampsia.

Your doctor will check your urine for proteins if they find it, it could be a sign your blood pressure is rising. If this happens they will monitor you closely, they may even suggest early delivery.

So there you have it, when you get pregnant you know that your little darling is going to take everything can from you, and all you can do is make sure you eat enough of the healthy stuff to ensure both of you get what you need throughout the pregnancy.

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Posted By: Sara Dobson - Category: Pregnancy

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