What you Need to Know About the Second Trimester
What you need to know about the second trimester will give you the confidence to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and prepare you for the arrival of your progeny. This period gives you an eagerness to learn about your changing body and find a way to embrace it. It’s the time you’ll relish the comfortability you feel in comparison to the rest of the pregnancy. By this time, you’ve accepted the pregnancy and put some semblance of order back into your life. You have more energy, feel hungrier, more clear-headed than you’ve been, and may even have a lighter mood. At some point between 16-21 weeks, you will no longer be “guessing” if you felt a kick and will likely cherish these odd sensations. Maybe you’ve even announced your pregnancy or perhaps had a gender reveal party at some point in this stage. These weeks feel most awkward since you aren’t quite showing until the end of this trimester. Only you and your partner are fully aware of the changes your body is going through. Second Trimester Tips: Now is the time to re-evaluate your prenatal care decisions. Sometimes when we find out we are pregnant, there isn’t much thought put into where to get the best care. We want someone to confirm the pregnancy and tell us it’s healthy. So consider these; Who are you going to pay for their expertise in maternity care? Physician or midwife? Have the first few visits with your caregiver been helpful, accepting, informative, supportive, friendly, and comfortable? Will they teach you what you need to know about your second trimester or any trimester? Or will you have to learn on your own? How about the office? Nurses, secretaries, and medical assistants can give off good or bad vibes as well. Have you had to sit in the waiting room for extended periods? Are you more than a number in their practice? Have they called you the wrong name or had the wrong chart information? Do you feel like you could ask your attendant anything that is on your mind? Have you checked out the birthplace or taken a tour? Will you deliver at home, birth center, or hospital? It’s your prerogative to chose whomever and wherever to have your baby, even if you change your mind a few times. This decision will probably be the most critical step in preparing for a less stressful delivery. 2. An obstetrician or midwife is not the only specialist needed. Start putting feelers out for an expert that you’d like to bring baby to, a pediatrician, or family doctor. It could take weeks to interview a few prospects and make a decision. You’ll likely ask fundamental questions like these; What insurance they accept The days & times they’re open Whether they have separate rooms for sick children What emergency plans they have in place If they have privileges at the facility you are delivering Consider bringing a list of far-reaching questions and take notes. Examine the parenting philosophies that you and your partner have discussed. Decide how vital those key points are and talk to the prospective pediatrician. You’re paying their salary, so be critical. Start with some of these; How do they help with breastfeeding questions or problems Talk about the circumcision decision Vaccination schedule and the pros and cons What procedures are a necessary part of this practices routine Whether they do bloodwork in the office Educate Yourself 3. Take time to research a quality prenatal birthing class. Ask around for recommendations. While online courses, videos, and chat groups can give useful information, you’ll have a clearer picture of labor & birth in a class “off” your couch. For one thing, when we pay for a class that forces us to attend at a specific time and day, we listen and absorb the content and get our money’s worth. Secondly, having tangible props and physical exercises to practice together can be a game-changer. Be honest, are you and your partner going to practice breathing and squatting at home? Third, there is something to be said for meeting other couples and sharing the same journey. Creating long-lasting friendships on your break at the water cooler during a birth class can make your transition into parenthood even more fulfilling. In a world full of technology, let’s keep birth at the old fashioned level. 4. If you haven’t started a pregnancy exercise program, now is the time. With more energy, you can gain more benefits. A specific prenatal exercise class will have an instructor who is able to teach you what you need to know in the second trimester and all of the trimesters. If a class is not your thing, try swimming, dancing, walking, hiking, yoga, etc. Make sure to build your quads for birthing and upper body for munchkin holding. By creating your stamina and muscles, the third trimester should be a breeze, and recovering from childbirth will be even smoother. 5. Kegel, kegel, kegel: if you’re not aware of this exercise, practice stopping the flow of urine the next time you’re in the bathroom. Get familiar with this muscle and make it stronger by holding it longer and longer. Compose a habit of doing 100 per day. By making a conscious effort to keep this part of you healthy, you secure a quicker postpartum recovery. Try my favorite 10 rule to live by; ten in the shower ten on your way to work ten at break time ten at lunch, ten at break time ten on your way home from work ten while exercising ten at dinner ten while lounging ten before bed. Teamwork in the Second Trimester 6. Consider who you’d like on your birth team, outside of the birth attendant. How do you picture your birth? Is your partner squeamish? Do you want another family or friend there when you’re delivering? It’s essential to have an advocate with you every step of the way. Your partner or family can be too emotionally involved to be objective in decision making, so start looking
What you need to know if you’re trying to get pregnant
What you need to know if you’re trying to get pregnant and may have fertility questions. *By definition “fertility is the natural capability to produce offspring.” FERTILITY: Such a beautiful word! The image one might conjure up in his or her mind is of something lavish. After all, some of the synonyms associated with this word could be: abundant, arable, fruitful, lush, productive and rich. All of which bring allurement to consciousness. Close your eyes and try imagery with this word. Impossible to think of anything gloomy. Now try this exercise in relation to humans and conception. First thoughts may have been a beautiful, perfect, angelic baby or some of you may have given in to thoughts of the activities involved in producing this angel. Both are pleasing symbolisms. It’s assumed throughout a woman’s childhood that she will be able to reproduce someday. She likely spends a lot of time dreaming of what her children will look like in the future. Maybe she’s even explored her ancestry and or that of her love, fantasy partner. Even men presume his sperm will do what’s needed to bring life into this world. Neither male nor female child will have reason to consider the unthinkable: INFERTILITY. Unless a person is told otherwise, there really is no argument to contemplate a different outcome. Innocence is bliss. Infertility *By definition “the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after 12 months of trying to conceive through unprotected intercourse.” The word “infertile” conjures up somber thoughts. Feelings of inadequacy, impotence or sterility may come to the heart, even when the word does not pertain to you. There is likely nothing anyone can say or do to help alleviate those grim feelings when you are the couple given that diagnosis. Statistically speaking, approximately 6.1 million or 10% of couples between the ages of 15 and 44 will encounter this conversation with their caregiver. A third of the issues are female, a third are male and the final third is a combination of the two. With the right support and knowledge more than ¾ of those families will go on to give birth to their own offspring. Let’s start at the beginning: A Love Story Egg= Maiden Sperm= Knight in Shining Armor Approximately every month an egg (maiden) will mature and be released from the ovary and travel into the fallopian tube to wait for her “knight in shining armor” (sperm). After ejaculation takes place inside the vagina, it’s a race to the “maiden”. A true “fight to the finish”. The vagina is a potentially hostile environment and can kill off weaker “knights” by the millions. This acidic territory is prepared to fight off invaders to prevent infections. Only the strong “knights” will make it to the cervix where the habitat is hospitable. Once he makes it past the enemy territory, the “knights” have a long, arduous journey to find their “maiden.” Assuming she (egg) is waiting for him (sperm), the “knight” will have to keep up his stamina to enter the “maiden” before the other robust “knights” (sperm). If he (sperm) is strong enough to penetrate his love (egg), fireworks go off in the form of a blastocyst and they will multiply and divide millions of times. Together they will continue the journey into the lining of the uterus (and live happily ever after), which has thickened to prepare for this fertilization. Once implanted, you have officially achieved pregnancy. Incidentally, if the knight and his maiden (sperm & egg) don’t make it, the lining and blood will shed. This is called menstruation. Who knew there were love/war stories inside our bodies every month? Read on for basic facts to consider: Females: Each woman is born with millions of immature eggs that are awaiting ovulation to begin. Ovulation can be affected by stress, illness or disruption of normal routines. The health of the woman determines the health of her egg and the chances of a viable pregnancy. The egg can only live 12-24 hours after leaving the ovary. Normally, one egg is released each time. Implantation of a fertilized egg normally takes place 6-12 days after ovulation. Some women will experience pain or aching near the ovaries during ovulation called mittleschmerz or “middle pain”. Some women may experience light blood or spotting during ovulation. A menstrual period can occur even if ovulation has not occurred. Ovulation can occur even if a menstrual period has not occurred. If an egg is not fertilized, it disintegrates and is absorbed into the uterine lining. Males: A single sperm is tiny, invisible to the naked eye. Millions of sperm will be released with just one ejaculation. The health of the male determines the health of his sperm and chances of impregnation. If sperm hit the air, they die within minutes. Sperm must be strong and vibrant to make the journey. Sperm must stay energized to swim from one end of the womb to the other. Sperm must move in a forward-moving manner for success. Most sperm will not make it to the awaiting egg due to exhaustion. Some sperm look for their maiden (egg) in the wrong fallopian tube. Some sperm may have been neutralized by natural antibodies or hostile cervical fluids. Hundreds of sperm will compete to enter the outer layer of the egg and only one will win the prize. Putting all of this into perspective, keep in mind that there is a very small window of opportunity to have the Knight and his Maiden unite. Odds are low if you’re a betting person. Achieving pregnancy may take more than throwing away your condoms or birth control pills. If you are new to this, start simple: change your lifestyle to bring out the healthiest forms of you and your partner. It takes at least a cycle of 4 months to replenish egg and sperm. This should give you enough time to optimize their vitality and ensure the love story has a happy and healthy ending. Don’t forget
How to Find Your Mom Tribe
Every woman should have a mom tribe. Even if you’re not pregnant yet, start gathering information to use later when the time is right. Finding a mom tribe is integral to your well being! Here’s a possible scenario: You’re a few days late with your period and decide to pick up an at home pregnancy test. Once in the store, you’re overwhelmed with the options available. Is the price predictive of a more accurate reading? Which one has better reviews? Is one stick easier to pee on than the other? Will you be able to understand the process and how to interpret? With so many questions you may turn to Siri, google, YouTube etc. instead of a friend or family member because you want it to be a secret. Once you buy one and use it, you will likely have many other questions, regardless of the outcome. If the stick shows negative, you may wonder why you’re NOT pregnant. Is something wrong with you- why is your period late- how you dodged the bullet etc. On the other hand, if it’s positive, picking a pregnancy test from the store will seem effortless. Life is about a series of puzzles to figure out. Always looking for the right answers behind each door. So, navigating the labyrinth of pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding can be rather complex on your own. Hiring the right professionals with the appropriate education, knowledge, experience and passion for your birth should be of paramount importance. Like building a house or managing a sport team: you hire each team player or worker with a special skill set. In those instances, you would make sure the pitcher was pitching- not the short stop or the electrician did the lighting- not the plumber. That’s why an expertly picked team is needed when that pee stick is positive. Deciding where to birth your baby, with whom as the professional, which classes to take, who will be your rock through labor, what labor looks like to you, how your partner fits in and how private the event will be, can be all encompassing. It’s a fallacy to think that you only need to find the right obstetrician or midwife and everything else will fall into place. By taking the time to hand pick the best worker bees during your perinatal period, you will likely reduce most of the anxiety surrounding this exceptional time of your life. Take the Time Now to Gather Your Mom Tribe So, when your period is late and you feel overwhelmed with all the decisions: STOP, take a deep breath and relax. Retreat into your cocoon to sift through the garbage information in your brain and seek quality material relevant to your concerns. Find one confidant (besides your partner) to share your news so you don’t explode. Ask for referrals for a doula from reliable, experienced friends that have similar philosophies. This doula will guide you to finding the physician, midwife, hospital, birth center, birth classes, prenatal exercise classes and alternative birth workers (chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncture etc). In most cases she will help you with pregnancy related questions as well as where to buy cost effective maternity clothes or supplies. Think of her as your tangible, reliable, educated, experienced, trained “google” for the perinatal period. Once you have the doula in place you can sit back and enjoy the pregnancy ride. Happy Parenting to be!
