Does anyone else think the traditional oral glucose tolerance test to screen for gestational diabetes, is enough to put anyone in to a diabetic coma? For regular healthy women who are conscious about what they eat, this test is highly … Continue reading
Out of all the embarrassing pregnancy, birth and post partum issues women love to talk about – gas, excess sweating, varicosities, pooping while pushing, leaky boobs, this one hardly ever makes it to the coffee table. Incontinence is a huge issue that affects more women that you think. Around 25% in fact. That’s 1 out of every 4 of your mommy friends. While we all sit around forgetting to do our kegels and hoping it will never happen to us. For many women this is a very real reality.
When I was approached by the Public Outreach Department at DrugWatch.com to see if I was interested in hosting a guest blog regarding this issue, I was happy to accept. Below is their post. Whilst doing my own research on the topic, I came across another fantastic blog post from fellow blogger CrapAtPregnancy, ‘Nobody wants to be ThatWoman‘.
Childbirth is a joy in many ways, as any mother knows, but some of the effects it can have on the body aren’t always quite so joyful, such as incontinence. If you are one of the many women who feel the need to keep the incontinence pads just as handy as the Kleenex when cold and flu season arrives, joy probably isn’t the term you’d use to describe that particular problem. The good news is you probably won’t have to live with the threat of flash flooding when you cough or sneeze forever, since most women can reduce or eliminate incontinence with treatment.
If you have a tendency to get a little moist “down there” when you laugh or sneeze, what you have going on is a common condition called stress urinary incontinence, or SUI, which often has its roots in the strain that pregnancy and childbirth place on the pelvic floor muscles. It affects about 25 percent of women at one time or another — during pregnancy, soon after childbirth or around the time of menopause.
Causes
SUI happens when the pelvic floor has been weakened or stretched to the point that it lacks the strength to hold back urine flow when pressure is placed on the bladder, resulting in that annoying dribble that can happen when you laugh or cough. Pelvic floor weakness is most often caused by pregnancy and childbirth, but there are other factors that can contribute, such as obesity, heavy lifting, chronic coughing or frequent straining due to constipation.
Treatment
Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for SUI and has helped many women. Since the pelvic floor muscles are the ones at that are at the root of the problem, therapy typically involves Kegel exercises to strengthen and tone the pelvic floor, often with the addition of biofeedback to monitor muscle function and specialized weights and other tools to enhance results. Many therapists also use other exercise techniques in SUI therapy, such as yoga and Pilates, which aid in strengthening core muscles as well as the pelvic floor.
If you’re carrying around a few extra pounds, losing weight can help, since that extra weight puts pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor. Adjustments to your daily diet can help control your moisture problem too, such as limiting foods and beverages that can irritate the bladder. So cut back on coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine, and avoid spicy and fried foods. Constipation can worsen SUI symptoms, so make sure you have plenty of fiber in your diet, and make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals every day to support muscle function and healing.
Surgery
If non-invasive treatments don’t help, surgery is an option that has helped many women. However, you should know that procedures that use vaginal mesh implants, such as bladder slings, to treat SUI are riskier than traditional surgeries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released safety alerts on these products due to a drastic increase in reports of serious complications over the past few years, such as mesh erosion, organ perforation, mesh shrinkage and infection. These complications have caused many women severe pain. Thousands have sought justice through the filing of a transvaginal mesh lawsuit. Since most SUI cases can be resolved without mesh, talking to your doctor about procedures that don’t use mesh is probably your safest bet.
Elizabeth Carrollton writes to inform the general public about defective medicalI came across this on Facebook, and it struck me as a fascinating topic, and one in which I’d say affects the majority of women in some way after the birth of their children.
Why is it that we have come to accept our pregnant bodies as a thing of beautiful which is celebrated and praised, yet we are so ashamed as a society of our post birth body.
Why is this subject never talked about?
Margaret Lazarus‘ film BirthMarkings explores our post-birth bodies, and how our self-image changes after giving birth. BirthMarkings reframes the concept of beauty and motherhood, raises important questions about body image, and reveals the incongruity of western standards of beauty with the natural process of pregnancy and childbirth.
How do you feel about your body since giving birth?
Related Topic – ‘Beautiful Whatever’
You’re a midwife?? That’s cool, I wanted to do that when I was a kid. What do you make?” “WHAT DO I MAKE?” I make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you’re scared, i can make your baby breathe when they stop. I can help you to survive a postpartum haemorrhage, I make myself get out of bed at 5am, so I can care for you and your partner on one of the most important days of your life, and am privileged to do so. I make my family wait for dinner, until I know your family is taken care of. I make myself skip lunch so that I can ensure everything I did for you today is documented. I make myself work weekends, nights, and holidays, because people don’t just birth babies 9-5 Monday – Friday. Today, I might save you, or your baby. I make a difference, what do you make?” REPOST if you are a very proud midwife. I am!
‘Looking for a way to decrease the length of your labour, reduce your need for pain medication, decrease your chances of needing a forceps delivery or a Caesarean, and leave you feeling satisfied about your birth experience? What you need is a Doula—the birthing world’s equivalent of a fairy godmother’.
By Ann Douglas
A wonderful article promoting the use of Doulas in the labor and birth world, highlighting the amazing benefits these experienced women can bring to your birthing journey.
I’m really excited as a Midwife and a Doula, and someone who loves all things birth, about the launch of this new project. I’m equally excited that the 2 front runners of this project are Brits!! 2 wonderfully passionate film … Continue reading
An article published in the Los Angeles Times, last month, really left me feeling deflated. It brought me back down to earth with a bang as I remembered just how big a job it is to create awareness and change … Continue reading
During pregnancy it is not uncommon to find yourself as a human magnet. You will find that without realizing it, you have entered in to a new ‘members only’ club. Women of all ages will smile at you in the street, random people will stare at your belly in awe, doors will be held open for you, and total strangers will feel the need to put their hands on your bump. People love to tell you all sorts of things when you are pregnant. They will relish in telling you the joys, the horrors, the hells, the triumphs of their pregnancy and birth experiences. People will tell you ‘you should never do this’, and ‘definitely do that’, whether you ask for their opinion or not! You will hear things from your mother, your mother in law, your aunty, your cousin, your best friend, your boss’s wife, the elderly lady down the street, people on the bus, mom’s in the park, and it is likely that they are all saying completely different things. All this advice can become overwhelming and confusing, and is often not based on anything more than old wives tales. So I wanted to set a couple of common pregnancy myths straight.
The common pregnancy myth about ‘eating for two’, is just that-a myth. Although you want to nourish yourself during your pregnancy, you do not want to over eat. In reality, we only require an additional 100 calories in the first trimester, and 300 extra calories during the second and third, which when you think about it really isn’t a lot. During pregnancy your body becomes more efficient at absorbing nutrients from the foods you eat. Eating twice as much does not double your chances of having a healthy baby. Have you ever wondered why pregnant women are so prone to constipation? Unfortunately, constipation affects approximately half of all women at some point during their pregnancy. Although it may be annoying, it does have its purpose. The passage of food through the gut is slowed down due to the effects of pregnancy hormones progesterone and relaxin. The hormones relax the muscles of the intestines, which takes the body longer to move food along. The longer the food sits within the intestines, the more time the body has to absorb its nutrients needed to grow a healthy baby. Unfortunately, this can lead to constipation. The best ways to avoid constipation is by increasing your fiber intake, drinking plenty of water (around 2-3Ls a day) and by doing regular exercise.
Make healthy choices during your pregnancy. Your baby’s health is directly related to what you eat before, during and after pregnancy. Nutrition is key to a healthy pregnancy and birth and is the biggest and most valuable tool you have for avoiding discomforts and complications, such as nausea and vomiting, heartburn, leg cramps, high blood pressure and swelling. Overall, healthy moms have healthy babies.
Think quality over quantity. Nutrition is one of the only things you have complete control over. So make every bite count. Eat nutrient rich, organic whole foods whenever possible. Avoid processed and refined foods, artificial sweeteners and preservatives. This is important throughout, but especially during the first trimester, as many women will experience ‘morning sickness’, (which by the way is another myth, morning sickness can occur at ANY time of the day!) where it may be difficult stomach a lot of food. If you are throwing up, you want to be sure that the food you are getting is the best it can be, and full of all the vitamins and minerals you need for your baby.
It is normal to gain between 25-35lbs during pregnancy, but remember that weight gain is individual. If you start off with a BMI (body mass index) slightly lower than average, you may find your put on a little extra weight-don’t be alarmed! We put on weight for a reason, and it is normal. Do not try to diet or loose weight whilst pregnant. It is dangerous and can lead to a number of complications. Also, don’t expect the weight to just fall off once you’ve given birth. Although breastfeeding does help to loose some of the weight put on during pregnancy, our body does still need additional calories and weight whilst nursing. Be kind to yourself. Remember that the pregnancy weight took 9 months to put on, and it is perfectly acceptable for it to take 9 months, if not longer, for you to return to your normal weight again. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t just ping back in to shape the moment we give birth. Don’t be put off by stories of celebrities or even friends, returning to their pre-pregnancy skinny jeans 3 days after stepping foot outside of the hospital doors! This is not a reality, and we should not adopt these unrealistic expectations. It is not healthy for anyone!
Myth number 2 ‘fats will make you fat’ is another common misconception, not just in pregnancy but in general too. Avoiding fats will not stop you from gaining weight. Gaining weight is inevitable during pregnancy. In fact eating the right kinds of fats will actually help you burn fat, control your moods, and fight fatigue.
For years nutritionists and doctors have preached from the low-fat bible, claiming that cutting fats will aid weight loss, prevent heart disease and manage cholesterol. But eliminating fats entirely from our diets is not the answer. In our culture we are obsessed with fat-free, dairy-free and low-fat alternatives, we forget that certain amounts of fat are essential for our bodies to function effectively. Fats are crucial for the nervous system and the development of the baby’s brain. It is not about the total amount of fat in our diet, it is about the type of fat that we eat. We have to remember that not all fats are equal.
A walk through the aisles of Albertsons or Ralphs provides us with many supposedly ‘guilt free’ alternatives: Fat free ice cream, low fat candies, cookie and cakes. When you come to browse the shelves for milk, for example, it is pretty hard to come across a carton of whole, or full fat milk. The array of low-fat and fat-free alternatives are all around us, but they do not take the importance of essential milk fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (A & D) in to consideration. Today most people think they are doing a good thing by drinking low-fat milk, but most of these commercial milk products are completely deficient of these vital nutrients. These products are marketed to our nation’s insecurities surrounding body image and weight gain. The low-fat label is a marketing tool, and a good one at that. One that’s had us fooled for many decades. If you think about it another way, 2% milk still has a very low fat content-2%-that’s 98% fat free!
The truth is, pregnancy is not the time to be doing fat-free anything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating bingeing on nothing but cheesey fries with lashings of ranch dressing, Twinkies and chocolate sundaes, but the key is seeking out the ‘good’ fats. Ones which really are healthy for us. It is about cutting out the bad fats and replacing them with healthier choices to promote optimum health.
Remember what your mother always told you, ‘You are what you eat’.
Click here for my Top Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy Diet
‘Pre-pregnancy diet affects health of future offspring’-Science Daily, July 4th 2011
Eating Habits Programmed During Infancy-Healthy Child Healthy World
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“Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” -Hippocrates, ancient Greek physician
We have all heard the phrase, ‘You are what you eat’, but now according to an article in Time magazine, ‘We are also what our mothers eat’!
Your baby’s health is directly related to what you eat before, during and after pregnancy. ‘Healthy Mothers have healthy babies’, as Robin Lim states in her book, ‘Eating for Two’. Nutrition is key to a healthy pregnancy and birth and is the biggest and best tool you have for avoiding discomforts and complications, such as…
Since around 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, living a healthy, eco-conscious lifestyle may be the best thing you can do to prepare your body for having children, planned or not.
It is important to focus on good nutrition as soon as you can. Eat wholesome organic foods whenever possible. Remember that good nutrition is like an investment-You have to pay upfront to get the desired result. The majority of birth defects occur in the first three weeks of pregnancy, often before many women know they are pregnant. It is therefore important that you already have your nutrient reserves boosted. If you are currently trying to conceive, now is the perfect time to make changes to your diet, to ensure you are getting the essential nutrients for your pregnancy. Often perceived ‘infertility’ can be resolved through dietary changes and/or alternative therapies, such as Acupuncture. Start taking a prenatal multivitamin (even if you are not pregnant yet). This acts as an ‘insurance policy’ for anything you may be lacking in your diet. In our modern world, unhealthy farming practices, such as spraying crops with chemical fungicides and insecticides, rob our soil and therefore our foods of vital nutrients, which is why I would recommend taking a prenatal vitamin, even if you already have a healthy diet. However, simply taking a multi-vitamin, is not enough by itself. Supplementation should not take the place of food. It is always better to get nutrients direct from food sources rather than from a synthetic source, as your body will be able to digest and absorb them more readily.
If you are already pregnant, don’t worry-it is never too late. You may find completing a food diary helpful. Jot down everything you are eating over the course of a week (and be honest). It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you will find you pay more attention to what you’re eating, and you’ll be more cautious about your food choices when you know you have to write it down. Show it to your healthcare provider, to see if they have a recommendations. It is also important to remember that the benefits of eating wisely during pregnancy are not just confined to the womb, it lays a strong foundation for our children’s future health and their eating habits for the rest of their lives. 
As some of you may already realize, Folic Acid, or Folate, is one of the important nutrients a woman needs during pregnancy (especially in the first 3 months) to prevent against Neural Tube Disorders, such as Spina Bifida, but how many of you know that Folic Acid is great to take PRE-pregnancy too? Folic Acid can be depleted by oral contraceptives and is helpful for enhancing fertility in both men and women. Think, leafy greens, nuts, green beans, asparagus, legumes, lima beans, wholegrains and oranges for healthy sources of Folic Acid.
Below are my 2 favorite Prenatal Multi Vitamins. There are both organic whole food based supplements, rather than synthetic versions. This means the nutrients are more easily broken down, processed and absorbed by the body (bio-available), and you are highly unlikely to get any allergic reactions or unpleasant side effects.
New Chapter Organics-Perfect Prenatal
Rainbow Light-Certified Organic Prenatal Vitamin
Related Article - ‘Ten tips to prepare for your pregnancy’ – Healthy Child, Healthy World
