Sex after pregnancy: Set your own timeline

Sex after pregnancy might be the last thing on your mind. Understand what to expect and how to renew intimacy with your partner.

Sex after pregnancy happens. Honestly. First, however, vaginal soreness and sheer exhaustion are likely to take a toll. Whether you're in the mood or sex is the last thing on your mind, here's what you need to know about sex after pregnancy.

After the baby is born, how soon can I have sex?

Whether you give birth vaginally or by C-section, your body will need time to heal. Many health care providers recommend waiting four to six weeks before having sex. This allows time for the cervix to close, postpartum bleeding to stop, and any tears or repaired lacerations to heal.

The other important timeline is your own. Some women feel ready to resume sex within a few weeks of giving birth, while others need a few months — or even longer. Factors such as fatigue, stress and fear of pain all can take a toll on your sex drive.

Will it hurt?

Hormonal changes might leave your vagina dry and tender, especially if you're breast-feeding.

To help ease any discomfort during sex, take it slow. Start with cuddling, kissing or massage. Gradually build the intensity of stimulation. If vaginal dryness is a problem, use a lubricating cream or gel. Try different positions to take pressure off any sore areas and control penetration. Tell your partner what feels good — and what doesn't.

It's also important to focus on the moment. Keep your mind on yourself and your partner — not the diapers, laundry and other household chores.

If sex continues to be painful, consult your health care provider about possible treatment options.

Will it feel different?

After a vaginal delivery, decreased muscle tone in the vagina might reduce pleasurable friction during sex — which can influence arousal. This is usually temporary.

To tone your pelvic floor muscles, try Kegel exercises. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're stopping your stream of urine. Try it for five seconds at a time, four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. Once you've got the hang of it, do at least three sets of 10 Kegel exercises a day.

What about birth control?

Unless you're hoping to become pregnant right away, sex after pregnancy requires a reliable method of birth control — even if you're breast-feeding.

At first, your health care provider might recommend barrier methods such as condoms and spermicides. These are available over-the-counter and are safe to use at any time. You might also consider birth control methods that contain only the hormone progestin, such as the minipill or Mirena, a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD). You can begin using the minipill and other progestin-only contraceptives immediately after childbirth.

Birth control methods that contain both estrogen and progestin — such as combined birth control pills or NuvaRing (vaginal ring) — pose an increased risk of blood clots shortly after delivery. For otherwise healthy women, it's OK to begin using combined birth control pills and other types of combined hormonal birth control six weeks after childbirth.

Although birth control methods that contain both estrogen and progestin have long been thought to decrease milk supply for women who are breast-feeding, recent research suggests this might not be true. If you're breast-feeding and want to take birth control pills, ask your health care provider to help you choose between combined birth control pills, which contain both estrogen and progestin, and the minipill, which contains only progestin.

What if I'm too tired to have sex?

Caring for a newborn is exhausting. If you're too tired to have sex at bedtime, say so. This doesn't mean your sex life has to end, however. Consider making love early in the morning, while your baby naps, or while your baby spends a few hours with a trusted friend or loved one.

What if I'm not interested in sex?

That's OK. There's more to an intimate relationship than sex, especially when you're adjusting to life with a new baby. If you're not feeling sexy or you're afraid sex will hurt, share your concerns with your partner.

Until you're ready to have sex, maintain intimacy in other ways. Spend time together without the baby, even if it's just a few minutes in the morning and after the baby goes to sleep at night. Share short phone calls or send text messages throughout the day. Look for other ways to express affection. Rekindle the spark that brought you together in the first place.

If communicating with your partner doesn't help, be alert for signs and symptoms of postpartum depression — such as intense irritability and anger, overwhelming fatigue, lack of joy in life, and difficulty bonding with the baby. If you think you might be experiencing postpartum depression, contact your health care provider. Prompt treatment can speed recovery.

What can I do to boost my sex drive?

Most sexual concerns associated with pregnancy or childbirth resolve within a year. In the meantime, concentrate on ways to promote your physical and mental health. For example:

• Set reasonable expectations as you adjust to parenthood.
• Appreciate the changes in your body.
• Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of fluids.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine.
• Rest as much as you can.
• Ask your partner, loved ones and friends for help.
• Join a support group for new moms.

Remember, taking good care of yourself can go a long way toward keeping passion alive.

Postpartum Bleeding
Love, Lust and Little Ones: 8 Things They Never Tell You
Postpartum Depression

C-Sections

 A C-section is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through a mother's abdomen. Nearly one in three women in the U.S. deliver their babies by C-section, either for elective reasons, or because of a risk to mother or child.

• Risks of C-Section:

A C-Section is a major surgery, so of course there are risks involved, as with all surgical procedures. The procedure involves an incision through the skin, abdomen, muscle, and then into the uterus. From start to finish, including pre- and post-op, a typical C-section lasts 3-4 hours. As a result, there could be damage to the surrounding organs, excessive bleeding, or an infection. For women who have had more than 3 C-Sections, risks are significantly higher. The placenta could be deeply attached to the uterus because of scarring from previous C-sections, and it could be difficult to get out, which means heavy bleeding, therefore a higher chance of needing a blood transfusion, or needing hysterectomy just to save the mother's life. That is why it is extremely important to only have them if it is medically necessary. 

Risks to Mother:
1. Inflammation and infection of the membrane lining the uterus. 
This condition — known as endometritis — can cause fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge and uterine pain.

2. Increased bleeding. 
You're likely to lose more blood with a C-section than with a vaginal birth. Transfusions are rarely needed, however.

3. Reactions to anesthesia. 
Adverse reactions to any type of anesthesia are possible. After an epidural or spinal block — common types of anesthesia for C-sections — it's rare, but possible, to experience a severe headache when you're upright in the days after delivery.

4. Blood clots. 
The risk of developing a blood clot inside a vein — especially in the legs or pelvic organs — is greater after a C-section than after a vaginal delivery. If a blood clot travels to your lungs (pulmonary embolism), the damage can be life-threatening. Your health care team will take steps to prevent blood clots. You can help, too, by walking frequently soon after surgery.

5. Wound infection. 
An infection at or around the incision site is possible.

6. Surgical injury. 
Although rare, surgical injuries to nearby organs — such as the bladder — can occur during a C-section. If this happens, additional surgery might be needed.

7. Increased risks during future pregnancies. 
After a C-section, you face a higher risk of potentially serious complications in a subsequent pregnancy — including bleeding and problems with the placenta — than you would after a vaginal delivery. The risk of uterine rupture is also higher. With uterine rupture, the uterus tears open along the scar line from the prior C-section. Uterine rupture is a life-threatening emergency.

Serious complications are unlikely, but include:

• Admission to intensive care, which happens to about nine in every 1,000 women.
• An emergency operation to remove the uterus (hysterectomy), which happens to about eight in 1,000 women.
• The need for further surgery at a later date, which happens to about five in 1,000 women.
• Injury to the bladder, the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), or to the bowel. Though this is rare, and happens to about one woman in 1,000.

If you've had a serious complication during the caesarean, you may need a blood transfusion. Some of the rarer complications of a caesarean can be life-threatening, but the risk of this is very small. 


Risks to Baby:
1. Breathing problems. 
Babies born by C-section are more likely to develop transient tachypnea — a breathing problem marked by abnormally fast breathing during the first few days after birth. C-sections done before 39 weeks of pregnancy or without proof of the baby's lung maturity might increase the risk of other breathing problems, including respiratory distress syndrome — a condition that makes it difficult for the baby to breathe.

2. Surgical injury. 
Although rare, accidental nicks to the baby's skin can occur during surgery.

• Benefits of C-Sections

Having a planned caesarean means you know when your baby will be born. You won't have the contractions, or feel the pain between your vagina and back passage (perineum) that happens with a vaginal birth. For some time afterwards you will have a very sore wound and tummy, but this can be managed effectively with pain relief. 

• Recovery after a C-Section

The typical hospital stay for a C-section is four days, compared to the two that new moms need after a vaginal birth. Immediately after the procedure is over, you'll still have a catheter in, the effects from the regional anesthesia will linger for a few hours -- which means you'll be numb from the waist down -- and you'll need narcotics for the pain. By the next day, the catheter will come out and you will have regained feeling in your legs, but you will still need the narcotics for pain. Recovery does not end once you leave the hospital. Once you're out of the hospital, you can't lift anything heavier than baby for the first couple of weeks, no driving for about two weeks, no exercise for 4-6 weeks, and no sex for six weeks. You shouldn't expect any great miracles before 3-4 weeks, and many women will go up to three months to be 100% back to normal.

Ways to help recovery go smoother:

1. Take it easy. 
Rest when possible. Try to keep everything that you and your baby might need within reach. For the first couple of weeks, avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby.

2. Support your abdomen. 
Use good posture when you stand and walk. Hold your abdomen near the incision during sudden movements, such as coughing, sneezing or laughing.

3. Seek pain relief. 
Your health care provider might recommend a heating pad, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or other medications to relieve pain. Most pain relief medications are safe for breast-feeding women.

4. Drink plenty of fluids. 
Drinking lots of fluids can help replace those lost during delivery and breast-feeding, as well as help prevent constipation.

5. Look for signs of infection.

Check your C-section incision for signs of infection. Contact your health care provider if:

• The incision is red, swollen or leaking discharge
• You have a fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
• You experience increasing pain around your incision

While you're recovering from your C-section, remember that you're also recovering from pregnancy. Here's what to expect:
• Vaginal discharge (lochia). Expect a bright red, heavy flow of blood for the first few days after the C-section. It might contain a few small clots. The discharge will gradually taper off during the first month postpartum, becoming watery and changing from pink or brown to yellow or white. Contact your health care provider if you have heavy vaginal bleeding, discharge with a foul odor, or you have a fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
• Contractions. You might feel contractions, sometimes called afterpains, during the first few days after the C-section. These contractions — which often resemble menstrual cramps — help prevent excessive bleeding by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus. Your health care provider might recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever. Contact your health care provider if you have a fever or if your abdomen is tender to the touch. This could indicate a uterine infection.
• Sore breasts. Several days after the C-section, your breasts might become firm, swollen and tender (engorgement). To ease discomfort, nurse, use a breast pump, apply warm washcloths or take a warm shower to express milk. Between feedings, place cold washcloths or ice packs on your breasts. Over-the-counter pain relievers might help, too.
  If you're not breast-feeding, wear a firm, supportive bra, such as a sports bra, to help stop milk production. Don't pump or rub your breasts, which will cause your breasts to produce more milk.
• Leaking milk. If your breasts leak between feedings, wear nursing pads inside your bra to help keep your shirt dry. Change pads after each feeding and whenever they get wet.
• Hair loss and skin changes. During pregnancy, elevated hormone levels increase hair growth and put normal hair loss on hold, creating an extra-lush head of hair. After delivery, however, hair growth decreases and your body begins to shed the excess hair all at once. Hair loss typically stops within six months. At the same time, stretch marks typically fade from red to silver. Skin darkening that can occur during pregnancy, such as dark patches on your face, will also slowly fade.
• Mood changes. Childbirth can trigger mood swings, irritability and anxiety. Many new moms experience mild depression, sometimes called the baby blues, which typically subsides within a week or two. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Ask for help and support. If your depression deepens or you feel hopeless and sad most of the time, contact your health care provider.
• Postpartum depression. If you experience severe mood swings, loss of appetite, overwhelming fatigue and lack of joy in life shortly after childbirth, you might have postpartum depression. Contact your health care provider if you think you might be depressed, especially if your signs and symptoms don't fade on their own, you have trouble caring for your baby or completing daily tasks, or you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
• Weight loss. After your C-section, you'll probably feel out of shape. You might even look like you're still pregnant. This is normal. Most women lose more than 10 pounds during birth, including the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. During your recovery, you'll drop more weight as your body gets rid of excess fluids. After that, a healthy diet and regular exercise can help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

This blog entry is not intended to scare you in any way. It is simply intended to inform you of the risks, benefits and recovery dealing with a C-Section. Ideally, everyone would be able to have a vaginal delivery, but sometimes that is not medically possible which is why C-Sections are there. Please always do what your physician feels is best and safest medically for you and your little one. 

Sources: Web MD, What To Expect

Epidurals
11 Things NOT To Say To A Woman In Labour
Nipple Stimulation – 7 Steps To Encourage Or Speed Up Labour

Folate – Why You Need More Folate BEFORE You Get Pregnant

By now, you may have already heard that folate is an essential nutrient for pregnant women. It is indeed a very important vitamin for women who are trying to conceive and expecting a baby, for very good reason. While we may get away with not having enough folate in our diets from time to time, nowhere is the need more emphasised than when a woman is pregnant, when the growing foetus creates extra demands on the woman’s body, drawing on our stores of folate – should we have enough.

What is Folate?

Folate (from the Latin word ‘folium’ or leaf) is a water-soluble B vitamin, otherwise known as vitamin B9, or in its synthetic form, folic acid. As the name implies, folate is naturally occurring in green, leafy plants.

What Does Folate Do?

Folate is a co-enzyme (a helper molecule that binds with protein) that enables the DNA to replicate. In other words, without folate, cells cannot divide. The body’s demand for this vitamin steeply increases when cell division happens at a fast rate, especially in conception and the early stages of pregnancy. Lack of folate further means that red blood cells continue to grow without dividing, making it difficult for the body to properly absorb oxygen.

Why Is Folate So Important?

Given the critical role of folate in cell division, inadequate amounts of the vitamin prior to conception – and especially during the first trimester – could lead to birth defects. A cluster of foetal abnormalities is known as Neural Tube Defects (NTDs). This developmental congenital disorder affects the brain, the spinal cord, and the thin membrane covering these organs.

Two of the most common NTDs are spina bifida and anencephaly.

• In spina bifida (which is Latin for ‘split spine’), during the first month of fetal development, the lower part of the neural tube that will eventually become the spinal column does not close, leaving the spinal cord vulnerable. As a result, the nerves that control the lower spine and the pelvis are malformed, leading to paralysis of the legs and loss of bladder and bowel control. These are often lifelong disabilities that may or may not be remedied by multiple surgeries.

• In anencephaly (sometimes called by its Latin name, cranium bifidum) which is the less common form of spina bifida, the upper part of the neural tube which will become the cerebrum (the forebrain that controls voluntary actions) does not close. When other parts of the brain do not fuse, it results in encephalocele. A foetus with encephalocele will have a groove down the middle of the skull, in the back of the skull, or in the region between the forehead and the nose. In any case, babies with these neural defects die a few hours after birth.

When Is It Most Important To Increase My Intake Of Folate?

We need to have adequate levels of folate throughout our lives, hence, the importance of leafy green vegetables in our diet. Women of child-bearing age need it more than the average population and pregnant women need it most.

It is crucial that women planning to get pregnant already consume enough folate or take a supplement, because the body will utilise it right upon conception, before tests might confirm that you’re pregnant. The need for folate continues throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, however it is most important in the first trimester, when the foetus’ brain grows.

The best supplement to take is folinic acid rather than folic acid, especially if you have had issues with recurrent loss or miscarriage. Why? The MTHFR gene mutation is a common mutation which effects 1 in 4 people seriously and nearly 1 in 2 people mildly. Those who have the MTHFR variant called C667T have a 40% to 60% decreased ability to produce the body’s most active form of folate called methylfolate (a critical nutrient, affecting neurotransmitter production, DNA regulation, immunity and more). So having this mutation can play a big role in complications during pregnancy.

How Can I Get Enough Folate?

Folate can be taken naturally (from folate-rich plant-based sources as listed below) or in supplements (folinic acid tablets).

What Foods are Rich in Folate?

While supplements can provide adequate levels of folic acid, naturally occurring folate is ideal, and has the added benefit of other vitamins and nutrients such as iron, potassium, phosphorus and calcium already pre-packaged. Some folate rich foods include:

• Lentils
• Spinach / Other Leafy Greens
• Sunflower seeds
• Asparagus
• Kelp (sea weed)
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Corn
• Eggs
• Berries
• Cauliflower
• Beets
• Brussel sprouts
• Lima, black and kidney beans
• Chick peas
• Leek
• Oranges and orange juice
• Parsley
• Bran flakes, wheat germ and whole-grain bread
• Tomato Juice
• Peanuts

Lean red meat, chicken and fish are also good sources of folate.

How Much Folate Do I Need?

Bearing in mind measurements are in micrograms: 1,000 µg = 1mg.

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends 520-600 µg per day of folate for pregnant women. For lactating mothers, the recommended dietary intake (RDI) is between 450-500 µg a day.

While they have not found any adverse side effects of taking folate in its natural form, in its synthetic form, folic acid, they recommend 800 µg-1,000 µg for pregnancy and during lactation.

Folic acid supplements, which are readily available in health food stores, pharmacies and supermarkets, contain an average of 400 µg per tablet. Be sure to check the label before you buy, because other supplements (especially in multivitamin form and not in purely folic acid) contain only 200 µg.

For all other adults 18 years of age and above, 320 µg ” 400 µg is sufficient. Males below 18 need 400 µg; females, 300 µg. Children below 8 years old need 150 µg – 200 µg.

What Happens If I Take Too Much Folate?

When folate is consumed from plant-based sources, the NHMRC has not found any adverse side effects. Too high folic acid levels however can result in adverse neurological effects (insomnia, irritability, nervousness).

So, Are You Consuming Enough Folate?

While its true that other vitamin deficiencies could lead to a host of problems for an unborn child, none could be as serious as a lack of folate in the mother’s diet. So go ahead, embark on a green, leafy adventure, and your journey will surely be rewarded ” with a healthy bundle of joy in your arms.

A healthy balanced diet

Vitamin D

A Timeline of Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Fertility is no Joking matter (1 of 3 Parts)
Fertility is no Joking Matter (Part 2 of 3)

Natural Killer Cells – A Reason Behind Recurrent Miscarriage?

Growth Spurts and Babies

Most babies go through several growth spurts, also known as frequency days, during the first twelve months of their lives. Just when you think you have settled into a normal routine, BAM!! This is a good, natural, normal thing because it just means your baby is growing as they are suppose to. It can be bittersweet as well, because it means your baby is growing and we all wish they could stay little just a while longer.

Although growth spurts can happen anytime during the first year, your baby will most likely have his initial spurt between one and three weeks; and another between six and eight weeks. After that, you can expect more at three months, six months, and nine months. The good news: A baby's growth spurts usually last only a couple days, so your baby (and your life) should get back to normal soon. 

• Signs Your Little One is Going Through a Growth Spurt:

1. Baby will be up all night or either sleep more often.
In the day or so before a big growth spurt, some babies sleep more than usual.  Don’t wake baby for feedings unless it’s within the first week and advised by your care provider. They need their rest. Babies do not know how to starve themselves so they will wake up to eat when they are hungry.

2. Baby will be hungry.
Some babies prefer eating to sleeping during a growth spurt. Even if baby is sleeping long periods of time through the night, they may suddenly start wanting to eat around the clock again. 

3. Baby will be cranky. 
Frequent fussiness is common during a growth spurt. It can seem dramatic and aggravating at times but lots of cuddles can help soothe baby during this time.

Most growth spurts only last a couple of days (some can last up to a week), so if you feel that a growth spurt may not be the issue, other things to consider are baby may be getting sick, starting to teethe, or just needing extra comfort if there has been a shift in their daily routine. It NEVER hurts to call your baby's pediatrician if you are concerned or unsure if it is a growth spurt or some other issue.

• What Can I Do To Soothe Baby During This Time?

Unfortunately the only thing you can do is have patience and cuddles. It is a trying time for a parent but it is even harder on the baby. Just remember that it will pass.

Sources: What to Expect, Today's Parent

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What is prenatal care and why is it important?

Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth. Getting early and regular prenatal care improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy. This care can begin even before pregnancy with a preconception care visit to a health care provider.

Preconception Care

A preconception care visit can help women take steps for a safe and healthy pregnancy before they get pregnant.

Women can help to promote a healthy pregnancy and birth of a healthy infant by taking the following steps before they become pregnant:

• Develop a plan for their reproductive life.
• Increase their daily intake of folic acid (one of the B vitamins) to at least 400 micrograms.
• Make sure their immunizations are up to date.
• Control diabetes and other medical conditions.
• Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.
• Attain a healthy weight.
• Learn about their family health history and that of their partner.
• Seek help for depression or anxiety.

Prenatal Care

Women who suspect they may be pregnant should schedule a visit to their health care provider to begin prenatal care. Prenatal visits to a health care provider include a physical exam, weight checks, and providing a urine sample. Depending on the stage of the pregnancy, health care providers may also do blood tests and imaging tests, such as ultrasound exams. These visits also include discussions about the mother's health, the infant's health, and any questions about the pregnancy.

Preconception and prenatal care can help prevent complications and inform women about important steps they can take to protect their infant and ensure a healthy pregnancy. With regular prenatal care women can:

• Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. Following a healthy, safe diet; getting regular exercise as advised by a health care provider; and avoiding exposure to potentially harmful substances such as lead and radiation can help reduce the risk for problems during pregnancy and ensure the infant's health and development. Controlling existing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, is important to avoid serious complications in pregnancy such as preeclampsia.
• Reduce the infant's risk for complications. Tobacco smoke and alcohol use during pregnancy have been shown to increase the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Alcohol use also increases the risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can cause a variety of problems such as abnormal facial features, having a small head, poor coordination, poor memory, intellectual disability, and problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones. According to one recent study supported by the NIH, these and other long-term problems can occur even with low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure.
  
  In addition, taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily reduces the risk for neural tube defects by 70%. Most prenatal vitamins contain the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid as well as other vitamins that pregnant women and their developing fetus need. Folic acid has been added to foods like cereals, breads, pasta, and other grain-based foods. Although a related form (called folate) is present in orange juice and leafy, green vegetables (such as kale and spinach), folate is not absorbed as well as folic acid.
• Help ensure the medications women take are safe. Certain medications, including some acne treatments and dietary and herbal supplements, are not safe to take during pregnancy.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pregnancy/conditioninfo/Pages/prenatal-care.aspx

Epidurals
A timeline of early pregnancy symptoms
Rib pain during pregnancy
10 Things All Pregnant Women Worry About
Folate – Why You Need More Folate before You Get Pregnant
C-sections
11 Things NOT To Say To A Woman In Labour
Thrush During Pregnancy – 11 Tips To Fight Thrush
Nipple Stimulation – 7 Steps To Encourage Or Speed Up Labour
Diet for a healthy pregnancy
Braxton hicks
Is constantly craving and chewing ice a sign of anemia?
Migraines: causes and treatment during pregnancy
Heartburn during pregnancy
Round ligament pain
14 Things That Get Harder When You’re Pregnant
Relaxation techniques during pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia 
10 Tips to Relax During Pregnancy
Things Pregnant Women Hate to Hear

10 Things All Pregnant Women Worry About

You may have noticed now that you’re pregnant, the pregnancy and baby seem to dominate your thoughts. You probably find yourself daydreaming through meetings, trying to imagine what your baby will look like or how it will feel to hold him for the first time. As your bump grows, the kicks and nudges are a constant reminder that life is about to change, and you may find yourself constantly somewhere between nervous and excited, or both.

With all of the reading you’re doing, you’re probably finding at least three new things to worry about each day. In many ways, worrying is unavoidable during pregnancy. After all, you’re carrying some very precious cargo!

Worrying about and during your pregnancy is completely normal. Keep talking with your partner to let him in so he knows that you’re worried and help ease your fears and concerns. Chances are, he’s worried, just like you!

Here are just some of the things you’ve probably found yourself fretting over while you’re pregnant:

#1: That You’re Not Really Pregnant

Until you have seen that ultrasound scan with your own two eyes, you can be excused for worrying that the entire pregnancy may be nothing more than a figment of your imagination. It’s hard to trust something that you have to wee on to make it work, and so you will probably spend the first trimester at least slightly terrified that you misread the test, and then began a phantom pregnancy with morning sickness but no baby.

#2: That The Scan Will Bring Bad News

Scans are a double edged sword. While you are beside yourself with excitement at the prospect of seeing your baby, you may also find yourself feeling worried that something will show up on the scan. Everybody wants their baby to be healthy and happy, and most pregnant women worry that their baby may face problems or have health issues even before the birth.

#3: That You Will Miss Working

No matter how long you’re planning to take off on maternity leave, you can be forgiven for worrying that you will miss your job. After all, you’ve worked all these years to get where you are today, and the thought of not working is probably a scary one. You may be worried that you’ll miss the job, but also that you’ll forget how to do it after a long break and will return to the workforce a little fuzzier and less capable than you are today.

Or on the other hand, maybe you’re more worried that you wont want to go back!

#4: That You Have Become A Baby Bore

Baby, baby, baby. It’s all you can think about, so it’s probably all you’re talking about too. You might feel worried that you’re hogging the conversation, yapping on about morning sickness, birth choices and the limitless wonders of YOUR baby. You might find yourself worried that all of your friends secretly meet up without you so they can talk about normal things like t.v. and what’s happening in the big wide world out there.

#5: That Your Partner No Longer Desires You

As your body changes during pregnancy, you may have noticed your confidence taking a bit of a bashing. As your bump begins to grow and stretch marks descend on your belly, you may worry that your partner no longer finds you sexy. You probably don’t feel much like yourself at the moment and may worry that your partner sees you as a different person – a mother, perhaps, instead of the gorgeous woman he fell in love with.

#6: That You Won’t Know When You’re In Labour

All through your pregnancy you are preparing for a marathon. But it’s a weird marathon and no-one will tell you what it’s like. It’s pretty much the best kept secret, and though you keep thinking it might be about to start, you are reassured by friends and medical professionals alike that ‘You’ll know when it’s labour’. But what if you don’t? What if you give birth on the bus to work, or in the supermarket, because you didn’t know it was labour, and you thought it was just another twinge?!

Oh, and here is BellyBelly’s article on 7 signs of early labour.

#7: The Birth

What is birth like? But what does it feel like? How much worse than period pains are contractions? How long will it last? Will it hurt? These are all great questions. Good luck finding answers for them. The best you can hope for are vague non-committal statements about birth in general, but there will be nothing specific to your impending birth. For that, you’ll have to wait and see.

#8: That You Will Suck At Motherhood

It’s too late to back out now, that bun is well and truly cooking in the oven. And yet, on some days you find yourself filled with fear that you may not be cut out for motherhood. What if you don’t have enough patience to be the perfect mother? What if you forget your baby and accidentally leave him abandoned on a park bench one day? What if you can’t stop swearing and your toddler ends up with a potty mouth?

#9: That You Won’t Love The Baby

When you hear people talk about the love they have for their children, the way that it smacks you right in the chest the first time you see them, you wonder if you will be able to feel a love like that. What if you don’t feel it? What if you look down at your baby and you feel nothing? What if you are indifferent and cold? What if you do not have that loving maternal instinct that all mothers seem to have?

#10: That You Worry Too Much

If you’ve said yes to all the above, then most likely, you do!

If there’s a chance that your worry is more than just pregnancy nerves, be it anxiety or depression, sharing with your worries with your care provider is a good first step to getting help. Your baby will thank you for being courageous and getting support when you need it. Always.

What Else Did You Worry About?

Can you add anything to this list? Or do you feel that this list is pretty accurate for you? Share your experiences and feelings in the comments section below!

Last Updated: March 21, 2015

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When Should My Child Have Their First Dental Appointment?

Most American children don’t see their family dentist until they are well over 2 years old, far later than is recommended by both dental and medical professionals. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts. 

• Why so young?

Even though baby may not have many teeth at this age, it is very important to keep primary (or “baby”) teeth in place until they are lost naturally. The primary teeth are important for many reasons including:

• Helping children chew properly to maintain good nutrition.
• Involvement in speech development.
• Helping save space for permanent teeth.
• Promoting a healthy smile that helps children feel good about the way they look.

• First Visits

First visits are mostly about getting kids used to the dentist's chair and educating parents about how to care for baby's teeth. If your child has transitioned from the bottle to cup and doesn't snack or drink in the middle of the night, you get a one-year pass, until age 2. That's when the standard every-six-month dental visit recommendation kicks into gear. When your child is between ages 4 and 6, expect your dentist to take a first set of X-rays to check for cavities lurking between the teeth.

Prevention is the name of the game between ages 6 and 12, when baby teeth give way to permanent teeth. Your child's dentist will probably suggest a sealant, a plastic resin that bonds to teeth's chewing surfaces, between ages 7 and 9. Cavity-prone molars are the most likely site for treatment. The resin keeps cavity-causing bacteria from getting into the grooves and valleys of teeth.

Also, when your child is around age 7, his dentist will likely suggest an orthodontic evaluation. Most kids will wait until their early teens for braces, but orthodontics is about modifying jaw growth, so identifying skeletal causes of crooked teeth early helps ensure a beautiful smile later on.

In the end, it's the basics -- brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and getting regular dental checkups -- that have the most impact on a kid's smile.

• Helping to calm dentist visit jitters

If you begin taking your children to the dentist around the time the first tooth erupts, then they are probably too young to be nervous. But if you’ve waited until your child is older (for example, 2 years), then he or she may have some anxiety at the time of the first visit.

What’s the best way to prepare your child for the whirring machinery, sharp instruments and a stranger telling him or her to “open wide”?

• Give your child a sneak preview. Take your child with you for your next checkup to see you having your teeth examined and cleaned.
• Learn more about it. Lots of books and online resources are geared toward teaching children more about dental health and dentist visits. Delta Dental’s children’s web site www.mysmilekids.com has stories and fun activities to help children learn about their teeth.
• Play around. Take turns being the dentist and the patient with your child. Examine each other’s teeth with a mirror or use your fingers to count each other’s teeth so that your child will be familiar with the feel of a dentist examination.
• Timing is everything. Plan plenty of time so that the dental visit isn’t rushed, and make sure your child is well-rested before the visit so that he or she feels relaxed and comfortable.

Sources: Delta Dental, Web MD

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