Pregnancy and Childbirth
Pregnancy
- First Trimester (0-3 months)
- Zygote Period - (Weeks 1-2)
- Most people don't know they are pregnant
- Embryo Period (Weeks 3-8)
- Most critical period for teratogens
- Must be critical about what is going into the body
- Fetus Period (Weeks 9-12)
- Baby develops fully
- Second Trimester (3-6 months)
- Baby grows rapidly, movements detected, wax protects skin from anionic fluid - all neurons in brain produced, eyes sensitive to light
- Third Trimester (6-9 months)
- Lungs develop, baby's brain and CNS are developing, baby gains weight
- If baby is born at 38 weeks they are considered full term
Sensitive Periods of Prenatal Development
- First 8 weeks are critical for growth of the baby
Foods to Avoid
- Raw food
- Processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meats...)
- Unpasteurized dairy (brie, feta, etc...)
- Fish
- Supplements (this does not mean prenatal vitamins)
During Pregnancy
- If mother is at a healthy weight before pregnancy she should gain 1 pound per week
- If mother was overweight before pregnancy she should gain 1/2 pound per week
- Mothers only need 300 extra calories a day to maintain baby's nourishment during pregnancy
- EAT HEALTHY
- Pregnant women can do anything they did before pregnancy - but they shouldn't really start doing anything intensive that they didn't do before pregnancy
Childbirth
- Contractions - thin the cervix, dilate the cervix, push out the baby, expel the placenta
- 3 Stages of Labor
- Stage 1 - cervical effacement and dilation of cervix
- Stage 2 - pushing and birthing of baby
- Stage 3 - delivery of placenta
3 Concerns
- Infertility
- Being unable to get pregnant after 1 year of unprotected sex
- How to address:
- Talk with my spouse about adoption and decide together if we feel that is right for us
- Look into the causes for infertility
- Female:
- Hormonal imbalance, ovum not produced, ovum not viable, blocked fallopian tubes
- Male:
- Hormonal imbalance, not enough viable sperm, improper body temperature, blocked vas deferens
- Do treatment for infertility
- Medication, Intrauterine insemination, assisted reproductive technology
- http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/
- Family Dynamics after Child is Born
- Have husband help doing housework for 6 weeks after baby is born (where possible) and I will help where I feel I am able during that time (In-class lecture, Nelson, 2018)
- Keep open communication between me and my husband up to the birth of the baby and afterward about how we both feel in our relationship together and our relationship with our baby
- Understand that I will be different after the birth of a child and that I need to accept help where it is offered and ask for help where it is needed (In-class lecture, Nelson, 2018)
- Use Epidural or Not
- Understand the risks involved with epidurals
- 5% fail to block the pain
- Associated with decrease of release of oxytocin
- Longer labors
- Higher rate of instrumental delivery use
- Sudden drop in mother's blood pressure
- Can cause spinal headache
- Be open to the possibility of doing epidural or not when going into childbirth and mentally prepare myself for both possibilities
- Being unable to get pregnant after 1 year of unprotected sex
- How to address:
- Talk with my spouse about adoption and decide together if we feel that is right for us
- Look into the causes for infertility
- Female:
- Hormonal imbalance, ovum not produced, ovum not viable, blocked fallopian tubes
- Male:
- Hormonal imbalance, not enough viable sperm, improper body temperature, blocked vas deferens
- Do treatment for infertility
- Medication, Intrauterine insemination, assisted reproductive technology
- http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/
- Have husband help doing housework for 6 weeks after baby is born (where possible) and I will help where I feel I am able during that time (In-class lecture, Nelson, 2018)
- Keep open communication between me and my husband up to the birth of the baby and afterward about how we both feel in our relationship together and our relationship with our baby
- Understand that I will be different after the birth of a child and that I need to accept help where it is offered and ask for help where it is needed (In-class lecture, Nelson, 2018)
- Understand the risks involved with epidurals
- 5% fail to block the pain
- Associated with decrease of release of oxytocin
- Longer labors
- Higher rate of instrumental delivery use
- Sudden drop in mother's blood pressure
- Can cause spinal headache
- Be open to the possibility of doing epidural or not when going into childbirth and mentally prepare myself for both possibilities
Supplemental Resources
- http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/epidural.html http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/epidural/index.php
References: All research and information found on this post were given in a lecture by Laura Walker and lectures given by Larry Nelson.
(L. Walker, Pregnancy and Childbirth Lecture, SFL 240, Fall 2019)
(L. Nelson, In-Class Lecture, SFL 210, Winter 2018)
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