Facts About Pregnancy & Delivery
Expectant mothers and fathers are right to wonder about the facts of pregnancy and delivery; there’s so much hype and misinformation being distributed, even at the doctor’s office. Knowing the facts can make it easier to take charge of your medical care and provide the safest pregnancy and delivery possible. Don’t count on the advice of ill-informed friends and family. Research the facts about labor and delivery for yourself and your baby.
History
Many people like to refer to the time before medical technology intervened in childbirth as “Back when women died in childbirth.” But unfortunately, a higher percentage of women are dying in childbirth in the United States because of medical interventions that prevent normal childbirth.
In fact, according to the United Nations, a woman’s chance of dying in childbirth in Ireland is 1 in 48,000 whereas in the United States, it is 1 in 4,800. The fact about death in childbirth is that when practitioners began washing their hands before childbirth, death from infection was reduced greatly. Interventions that violate the La Leche League’s Six Practices for Protecting Normal Birth tend to heighten the odds of an unfavorable outcome, including surgical birth.
Nutrition and Weight Gain
Nutrition cannot be measured on the scale, although weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable. The Brewer Diet for pregnancy centers around genuine, regular nourishments for handled nourishments. Dietary regulations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology contain dietary limits and restrictions, stating that women should, for example, drink no more than three cups of coffee per day, and advocates the use of chemical sweeteners and low-protein foods that have been proven to contribute to toxemia and hypertension.
The Brewer Diet, by contrast, advises women to eat plenty of real wholesome foods and salt food to taste, and doesn’t demonize things like ice cream, stressing an attitude of intelligent moderation in all things.
Exercise in Pregnancy
It isn’t necessary to stop exercising while pregnant. In fact, a healthy, strong body fares better during labor and delivery. Women with strong back and abdominal muscles tend to report less back pain later in pregnancy as well.
Caregivers used to recommend that women not begin a strenuous exercise regimen during pregnancy, but it’s been found that mild to moderate exercises like walking, swimming and prenatal yoga do a fantastic job of keeping women strong and healthy during pregnancy. Additionally, exercise helps the brain release seratonins that can prevent depression, contributing to good mental health.
Sex During Pregnancy
Generally speaking, sex during pregnancy is not only safe, it can be beneficial. Toward the end of pregnancy, the prostaglandins in semen can help ripen the cervix, helping labor along. During the middle of pregnancy, the vaginal contractions of sex may stimulate Braxton Hicks contractions, which can help women practice breathing for childbirth, tone the uterine muscles and help the baby adjust to the regular, rhythmic contractions of labor. In some situations, sex is not allowed.
When a woman’s body is showing signs of early labor, sex should be avoided. In cases where the water bag has broken, sex and internal examinations should be avoided in order to prevent infection. Imminent dads are now and then scared of having intercourse to their accomplices. In fact, increased blood flow to the vagina can make an expectant woman feel extremely amorous. Its OK; go for it. If sex is contraindicated by medical conditions, you will be notified.
Misconceptions
Although comedically treated like a medical emergency by the media and mainstream American culture, pregnancy and delivery are perfectly natural and normal events that your body is designed to execute expertly. Pregnancy isn’t an illness or disease, and childbirth isn’t a medical emergency. Learn as much as you can about the physiology of labor and childbirth; knowledge is power.
The Bradley Childbirth method teaches early pregnancy classes that help expectant mothers prepare for a natural pregnancy, using nutrition and exercise to prevent common pregnancy ailments and ensuring a healthy, safe delivery.
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