KIN 123 1st Edition Lecture 6 Pregnancy Background information o Pregnancy is measured in weeks beginning with the first day of the last menstrual period o Estimated due dates are typically at 40 weeks o Ovulation typically occurs 2 weeks after LMP so for weeks 1 and 2 you are not really pregnant o It takes another 6 12 days after ovulation for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus which is when hCG begins being produced by the body Pregnancy Tests o Pregnancy tests detect the hormone hCG o hCG levels begin to rise after implantation o recommendation is to test no earlier than 7 10 days after ovulation o false negatives are common if you test too early o false positives are very rare o at home pregnancy tests come in many different varieties but they all work the same way what causes a twin pregnancy o 1 egg 1 sperm identical twins generally share a placenta but different amniotic sacs o 2 eggs 2 sperms fraternal twins Separate placentas Health problems with mother involved in carrying multiple children o Each additional fetus increases mother s risk o Increases risk of premature or low weight babies o Puts additional physical stress on mother o Common for twins to come early and triplets to come even earlier Ages of pregnancy in women o Peak age being 20s to 30s o 35 is cut off point where one is considered to be in a late maternal stage Determining sex and genetic disabilities of the baby o 10 weeks test for down syndrome sex and other genetic conditions by isolating fetal DNA from mother s blood usually only offered to women of high risk o 10 12 weeks CVS sampling tests tissue from placenta chance of causing a miscarriage o 11 13 weeks ultrasound combined with blood tests screen for risk of down syndrome and some other birth defects o 15 20 weeks amniocentesis tests amniotic fluid change of causing a miscarriage o 18 22 weeks anatomy ultrasound screens for physical abnormalities These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Exercising while pregnant o Avoid activities with danger of falling o After 20 weeks one may want to avoid abdominal exercises and those that require lying on back o Listen to your body o Monitor intensity o Stay well hydrated Symptoms of pregnancy o Depending on the women all of these or none of these may occur Fatigue Dizziness upon standing Sleep problems Nausea Constipation or other digestive irregularities Breast nipple tenderness Increased breast size Missed menstrual period o Morning sickness Not all women experience this but it s very common Ranges from none mild severe Some pharmaceutical treatments are available Can result in dehydration o Mood swings Crying more and over nothing is common Vary upon individuals Trouble sleeping o In late pregnancy it can be difficult to get comfortable o It s common to wake up multiple times a night to use the bathroom o Varies greatly with indivuduals When do you start showing What affects this o Most commonly between 3 5 months o May be earlier with subsequent pregnancies o May depend on body type baby s position and clothes o Noticeable to the pregnant woman herself before it is noticeable to those who do not know her well Effects of various substances during pregnancy o Alcohol Causes physical and mental disabilities Most severe form is called fetal alcohol syndrome Currently some controversy on if just a little alcohol is ok o Marijuana Prevents oxygen and food from getting to the baby Impairs baby s growth and brain development o Tobacco May cause miscarriage still birth or infant death o o o o o o Increases chances of premature delivery dangerously low birth weight and childhood asthma respiratory and ear infections Anti depressants Some risk of birth defects including malformation of limbs heart and lungs Some are safer than others must balance risks and benefits Caffeine Limit to less than 200mg per day Large doses may increase risk of miscarriage and effect baby s heart rate Pain killers Tylenol is considered safe Aspirin is relatively safe but may cause maternal and fetal bleeding NSAIDS such as ibuprofen may increase risk of birth defects particularly if taken late in pregnancy Morphine codeine and similar have not been linked to elevated risk of malformations but there may be neonatal withdrawal symptoms What foods are good to eat and what should be avoided Healthy fruits veggies whole grains protein calcium Risky same things that would be unhealthy for us but it s important to be more careful because small amounts that wouldn t normally affect you will affect the baby eating for 2 not two adults 1st trimester 100 extra calories per day 2nd and 3rd trimesters 300 extra calories per day Miscarriages still births why do they happen and can they be prevented Many possible answers Hormone levels Smoking or other unhealthy behaviors Chromosomal defect Bad luck Avoid unhealthy behaviors get prenatal care but recognize that most of the time there is nothing that could have been done Development of the baby 5 weeks heart begins to beat 10 weeks finger and toenails forming vital organs start to function 14 weeks kidneys producing urine waste released into amniotic fluid 19 weeks baby can hear your heartbeat sounds from outside 28 weeks baby may be dreaming has eyelashes and eyesight is improving Childbirth How early late can a baby be born o See chart in ppt o Commonly between 38 42 weeks How painful is childbirth o Painful o Can mitigate pain through Breathing techniques Relaxation techniques Epidural very popular very common not completely without risk Can slow down labor Other medications Which directions do babies come out o Ideally head first o Breech presentation head is last Complete breech Incomplete breech Frank breech How long does it take to deliver a baby o Minutes hours or days o Fastest with c sections o Usually slower for first time mothers Early labor may last 6 12 hours Active labor may last up to 8 hours Pushing baby out may take a few minutes or several hours Delivery of baby is followed by delivery of placenta considered 3 rd stage of delivery Cesarean section o Reasons Doctor thinks vaginal delivery would be dangerous to mom and or baby Could be many different reasons for this Labor is not progressing Baby reacts poorly to stress of labor o Can use general anesthesia epidural or spinal block for pain relief