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Healthy Pregnancy Motherhood

When Heartburn Has You Down: How To Deal With Acid Reflux During Pregnancy

“I had acid reflux so badly by the end of my twin pregnancy that I couldn’t lie down at all for the last six weeks,” says Kelly Smith, a mom of two in Minneapolis. “I ate Pepcid every couple of hours and ‘slept’ in a reclining treatment chair from my acupuncture practice. My stomach was so displaced that I could only eat three or four bites of food at a time (like every hour), and often had to choose between eating—since I was always starving (twins)—or drinking water because I had the thirst of a trillion deserts.”
Ah, pregnant life with acid reflux. Why is it so, so horrible? And what can you do about it?

What is acid reflux and what does it feel like?

A hot, burning feeling in your chest. The constant need to burp. A feeling of pressure around your throat. An inability to eat or drink without burning in your chest or the feeling of wanting to hurl: This is what acid reflux feels like. Unfortunately, it’s very, very common.
“Acid reflux woke me up in the middle of the night,” says Sarah Tucker, mother of one in Los Angeles. “I had to sleep propped up on a wedge pillow my husband called ‘the ski slope.’ Not comfy!”
“With my second pregnancy, I took so many Tums I started twitching and having charley horses multiple times a day, and still I got no relief,” says Ashley Patronyak, who lives in New York City with her two boys. “The nurse at my doctor’s office told me there were no other options and to take even more Tums, so I went to Dr. Google for a second opinion, then went to Duane Reade that same afternoon and bought the biggest box of Zantac they had.”
“I felt awful all the time, and didn’t want to eat anything because I thought it would make the sensation worse,” recalls Becky Weiss, a physician in LA. “The heartburn was worse at night and I tried not to eat too much at dinner because if I got into bed too soon afterwards, I would feel the acid in my chest.”

What causes acid reflux?

Acid reflux occurs when the acid in your stomach—which should stay in your stomach!—travels back up into your esophagus. This happens because pregnancy causes the body’s musculature, including the esophageal sphincter, to relax.
Acid reflux can be particularly bad if you lie down soon after a meal, and it occurs for two main reasons. The first is that your level of progesterone is much higher, which slows digestion down and makes you feel fuller faster. There’s also a basic anatomical reality to it: There’s a lot of pressure on your stomach.
“It’s both hormonal and structural,” explains Jocelyn Brown, a licensed and certified professional midwife in Los Angeles. “A woman can make all the lifestyle adjustments in the world, but sometimes they just have to ride it out, and it’s miserable.”
For some women, acid reflux is particularly acute in the first trimester, when hormones begin slowing digestion down (so that the fetus can absorb the nutrients in your food). For many women, though, acid reflux begins or noticeably worsens in the third trimester because of the baby’s size and its effect on your stomach’s ability to take in and digest food.

Will acid reflux hurt me or my baby?

The good news is that neither the acid nor the Tums hurt the baby, says Brown. But there is a risk for you: overdoing it on the antacids.
“Women go to Tums because it’s easy and they are miserable, but antacids neutralize the hydrochloric acid in your stomach,” she explains. “When the drug wears off, the feeling of heartburn gets worse because your stomach actually needs acid to digest your food. As a result, your body will overproduce it.” This causes a vicious cycle.
Sometimes women have this reaction in 20 minutes—they’ll feel great and then instantly worse—or it’ll happen over the course of a few weeks. “If a woman is 39 weeks, I say, ‘pop all the Tums you want.’ But if she’s 24 weeks, I’m worried that the antacids will backfire over time and we look for another solution.”
Rachel Sinex Graves, MD, who works in family medicine and obstetrics in Portland, Oregon, agrees that lifestyle changes are always the first approach to treating acid reflux, but she doesn’t think women should suffer unnecessarily by staying away from medication: “There’s enough suffering in pregnancy,” she says. “Acid reflux can add one other thing that can really weigh on people. Women get depressed about their acid reflux! They can’t eat or drink anything, which makes them feel terrible.”
Graves also points out that Tums can be an incredibly useful tool for women who feel awful and assume it’s morning sickness. “If a woman is miserable—not sleeping, so uncomfortable she can’t eat; if she’s vomiting or gaining weight—she usually assumes she has morning sickness or hyperemesis, but it might just be acid reflux.”
There’s no harm in using Tums to make your life a little easier. Graves says that acid reflux usually goes away right after the baby is born, so taking something for six months to make your life manageable is not the same as taking Tums indefinitely for the rest of your life. One adverse effect it can have, however, is to make you constipated, which can exacerbate the reflux.

Tums don’t work for my acid reflux. Is there anything stronger?

“If women are munching on Tums several times a day, and still symptomatic, then I look at medications,” Graves explains. These medications come in two categories: histamine-2 (H2) blockers, like Zantac, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as Nexium, Prilosec, or Prevacid, which should only be taken with a prescription.

Will acid reflux medications hurt my baby?

There is very little research on most matters related to medication and pregnant women because pregnant women are usually unwilling to enter a randomized control trial—no one wants anything terrible to happen to their baby!
“With all medication, we minimize use as much as possible and don’t use it if we don’t need it,” explains Graves. “But a woman’s level of suffering is really important to take into consideration. Maternal suffering is not good for baby either.” The research shows that if you’re taking a PPI for your acid reflux once a day so you can sleep, the potential for harm is very low.
A very recent study published in Pediatrics suggests that acid reflux medications—such as PPIs like Prilosec and Prevacid and H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) such as Pepcid and Zantac—can be linked to childhood asthma. “Overall, pregnant women who used PPIs and H2RAs were 45% more likely to have children with asthma than women who didn’t use these drugs during pregnancy,” the study concludes.
If you’ve been tossing back the Tums, don’t panic just yet: “Tums are just calcium carbonate,” explains Brown, “so they don’t fall into this category, but some of my moms will graduate from Tums to the PPIs and I can no longer say, ‘don’t worry about it!’”
Speak to your doctor before considering more intensive medication.

Reducing (or Preventing) Acid Reflux During Pregnancy

“What is magical for one woman might not work for another woman,” says Brown. “It’s a crapshoot.” As a result, there are a laundry list of things you can try before popping the antacids.

  • Avoid triggers in your diet, says Amanda Broomell, a certified holistic health coach. These include acidic citrus drinks (like orange juice and lemonade), carbonated beverages (even La Croix; sorry!), grains and processed foods (breads and cookies), tomatoes and tomato sauce, and anything with hydrogenated oil. It can also be helpful to avoid eating too much meat. Other triggers: chocolate (boo!), onions, garlic, mint, caffeine.
  • Instead, Broomell suggests, consume easy-to-digest foods: organic fruits and veggies, bone broth, and organic meat.
  • Avoid greasy, fried, or spicy foods. If you eat something spicy, pair it with a cooling food, like cucumbers, avocado, melon, or coconut.
  • Eat smaller portions. Remember Kelly with the twins? She could only eat a bite or two an hour. You may not be that desperate, but it’s best to go easy. The more food in your (already cramped) stomach, the harder it will be to digest it.
  • Get some protein in. Make sure you get protein in every meal—and even with snacks (almonds are a great one).
  • Chew, chew, chew. Broomell recommends chewing 30 to 40 times with every bite. It’s easier to process if the food has already turned to liquid when it gets to your stomach.
  • Suck on hard candies. Lemon and ginger can be especially helpful.
  • Chew gum. “I couldn’t go anywhere without Tums and Orbit gum,” says Megan Heuer, a mom of one in New York City. (For natural gum, we love Simply Gum.) This can be particularly helpful right after a meal.
  • Try drinking organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (it must be organic, raw and unfiltered). Broomell suggests 1 tablespoon in a cup of water 10 minutes before a meal. “Apple cider vinegar supports the digestive system, has natural probiotics, as well as acids and enzymes that restore a natural pH,” she explains. Try it by itself for a week—just so you can be clear about whether it’s working—then add in other remedies over time so you can figure out what’s really working.
  • A digestive enzyme can be super helpful. It can boost the digestive process. We need hydrochloric acid to digest meat, and this can move that process along.
  • Take a probiotic. This can help maintain good gut flora, but there is some controversy over how effective it is for acid reflux in pregnancy because nothing can change the fact that you have an 8-pound baby pressing on your stomach! But there’s no harm in taking one. If it’s too costly, Graves recommends either eating good yogurt with active cultures or taking ¼ teaspoon of baking yeast.
  • Food relief: Try raw almonds, coconut water, aloe vera juice, ginger tea, fennel tea (steep for 10 minutes), and papaya.
  • Sleep propped up or on your left side. Stack pillows, or sleep in a La-Z-Boy if you have to. Lying on your right side actually positions the stomach higher than the esophagus, which can cause even worse heartburn.
  • Eat pickles! There’s a reason women often crave them, explains Brown. They are very acidic and help with digestion—so do all pickled foods. “A woman’s body usually craves what she needs in that moment,” she says. (Tell that to anyone who side-eyes you for your third chocolate shake of the week.)
  • Wear loose-fitting clothing. Wearing tight bras or waistbands that squeeze can also make acid reflux worse.
  • Breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on your breathing; you may be surprised by what breath exercises can do for you.
  • Go for a short walk after eating to stimulate the digestive system (exercising heavily after meals, however, may contribute to heartburn).
  • Try an herbal tea. Teas that contain even trace amounts of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root, and catnip can help the stomach lining repair itself and improve digestion.

Can I use essential oils for acid reflux during pregnancy?

Essential oils aren’t a cure for acid reflux, but Broomell says that they can help support healthy digestive functioning. “Essential oils are one component of overall lifestyle shift,” Broomell explains. “If people are consuming acidic food and drinks, it’ll be hard to slap on essential oils and feel great.”
You should always consult your doctor before using oils during pregnancy. Broomell advises women in the first trimester to stay clear of ingesting them, but even smelling or diffusing them can make a difference if you’re really suffering. The most powerful oils for digestion are ginger, cardamom, and peppermint. You want to dilute these with fractionated coconut oil (FCO)—1 drop of each oil in 4 to 5 drops of FCO—and you can apply them to the back of your neck, behind the ears, or inhale it.  
Dealing with acid reflux is never fun, but when you’re pregnant it’s even worse. Hang in there, mama. Soon you’ll have your sweet babe in your arms—and hopefully no more acid reflux to boot!

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More Than Mom Motherhood

Do You Have Postpartum Depression? Here's What To Watch Out For

Rachel Cannon doesn’t wait for a pregnant woman to deliver her baby to start looking for signs of postpartum depression. Like most practitioners in her field, the Boston-based OB-GYN and instructor at Boston University begins screening for postpartum depression before a woman is anywhere near the postpartum period.
She wants to know if her patients have a history of depression or anxiety. She asks what their support system is like. She makes inroads at every prenatal visit.
Cannon isn’t trying to police the thoughts of moms-to-be, and she’s not being judgmental. She is trying to treat postpartum depression before it starts. What’s more, she’s aware that just 14 percent of postpartum depression sufferers actually seek and receive treatment in America, an unfortunate reality that comes down to a multitude of factors—from moms’ fear of judgment and recrimination to societal attitudes that make asking for help a taboo for hundreds of thousands of women every year.
For new parents in America, the fight for postpartum depression treatment isn’t just one of awareness. Moms need to feel safe recognizing the symptoms in themselves and to feel secure saying, “hey, I need a little help.”
Whether you’re expecting a baby soon or already delivered…if you’re wondering what’s part and parcel of the life changes that come with bringing a new one into the world and when it’s time to put up the white flag, here’s what the doctors say.

Postpartum Depression or Just the Baby Blues?

If you had a dime for everyone who told you that the days after you welcome a child are different, you’d be living it up like Bill Gates by now. But guess what: All those clichés that come at you during pregnancy come at you for a reason. You might as well be Dorothy waking up in Oz after you give birth.
Your life has just changed. Your body has been through the wringer. And your new baby has no idea how to do much of anything without you, save for sleeping and sounding out a cry-fueled alarm that they’re hungry, tired, or have a diaper full of yuck.
So it stands to reason that you might feel a little down and out in the days after having a baby, and that’s perfectly okay, Cannon says.
“Every woman, her life is going to change,” she notes. “Her sleep, her appetite, her libido is going to change, and that’s normal.”
And with all that change comes a plummet in mood. The American Pregnancy Association estimates that anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of new moms have these feelings, which usually hit them within a week of birth. You might feel tired. Weepy. Anxious. Unmoored. Usually dubbed the “baby blues,” this period of feeling very un-you doesn’t necessarily mean you have postpartum depression.
It could just mean you’re a new mom trying to figure out a whole new life, and those feelings will go away as you adjust to your new routine.  
So how do you know if you have postpartum depression? It’s when the symptoms of the baby blues stick around that you need to seek an evaluation by your doctor for something more serious.

How to Know if It’s Something More: Diagnosing Postpartum Depression

For 1 in 7 women, the baby blues don’t end, at least not without help. They still feel down and out of sorts well past their baby’s arrival, even as they fall into a routine of diapering and feeding and swaddling. For some, the feeling won’t even show up right after baby’s born. Postpartum depression can begin to rear its ugly head as long as three or even six months after baby’s arrival.
But before they can get help, many women face a host of misinformation that they need to wade through. In one BabyCenter poll, 77 percent of women confessed that they thought having postpartum depression meant you were a risk to your child’s safety.
It’s a myth perpetuated by alarmist headlines about desperate moms who have hurt their babies. And sadly it does happen. But causing harm to your baby or yourself is just one of the possible symptoms, and it’s one that’s experienced by fewer women than other issues that are still difficult for moms, such as insomnia or anxiety. No matter how minor you may feel your issues are, they are absolutely worth a follow-up with your physician.
The truth is, if you’ve gone two weeks with any of the following symptoms of postpartum depression (as outlined by the National Institutes of Health) it’s time to make that call:

  • Feeling sad, hopeless, empty, or overwhelmed
  • Crying more often than usual or for no apparent reason
  • Worrying or feeling overly anxious
  • Feeling moody, irritable, or restless
  • Oversleeping or being unable to sleep even when the baby is asleep
  • Having trouble concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
  • Experiencing anger or rage
  • Losing interest in activities that are usually enjoyable
  • Suffering from physical aches and pains, including frequent headaches, stomach problems, and muscle pain
  • Eating too little or too much
  • Withdrawing from or avoiding friends and family
  • Having trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with the baby
  • Persistently doubting her ability to care for the baby

Not sure if you fit the bill? Many doctors use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as an assessment tool, and the questions are available online. Although the test should not be used to self-diagnose, the 10 questions can help you make sense of what you’re feeling.
If you’ve had thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, it’s particularly important that you don’t wait to make that call, Cannon says. You may be experiencing something called postpartum psychosis. Although it’s much rarer than postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis is the leading cause of maternal death in a baby’s first year. Postpartum psychosis can result in complete psychosis, cognitive impairment, and grossly disorganized behavior. The good news is, as with postpartum depression, there is treatment—but a mom and/or a loved one has to identify the problem and get her help.  
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The Risks of Postpartum Depression

The postpartum depression symptom list is a long one, and it’s one that many moms say makes them feel inadequate and scared even to broach the topic of postpartum depression with their healthcare providers.
For many, it’s something they’ve never felt before. For half of all postpartum depression sufferers, this is the first time they’ve ever experienced these feelings, which can quickly feel like a ding on their brand-new parenting record.
But postpartum depression isn’t a mom’s fault. It doesn’t mean she’s failing or that she’s ill equipped to be a parent.
It comes down to our own bodies and how they’re affected by pregnancy and motherhood, says Mayra Mendez, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist and program coordinator for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health services at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California.
“Postpartum depression is a condition resulting in emotional dysregulation impacted by hormonal and chemical imbalance associated with pregnancy,” Mendez says. “The condition impairs decision making, interferes with perceptions, [and] may impair relationships and disrupt daily living routines.”
In that way, postpartum depression is much like clinical depression. Moms who struggle with postpartum depression show signs that are markedly similar to those of non-parents with depression. But a number of scientists surmise that postpartum depression differs from classic depression in large part because of the hormones that take control of a mom’s body. Although a pre-pregnancy depression diagnosis will increase a mom’s risk of developing depression postpartum, some moms have no history of depression and after treatment never experience symptoms again.
If you’re feeling like you need a little help—or a loved one has picked up on the cues—you can start at your OB-GYN’s office. And there’s no need to wait for your six-week postpartum checkup. Call your doctor’s office and explain that you’d like a postpartum depression screening.
Regardless of whether you’re feeling postpartum depression symptoms, the experts maintain that risk factors rest largely on genetics and societal factors.
Women who have a history of depression are at higher risk than their peers, as are moms who deliver a pre-term baby, moms who lack a support system, and moms who are under other undue stressors during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. Some science even indicates that women who give birth during the winter and spring months are at higher risk than those who have summer and fall babies.
Although exact causes have yet to be determined, doctors like Cannon keep a keen eye out for moms who are expressing anxious feelings during pregnancy, as postpartum depression is not singular to the days after a woman gives birth. Symptoms are as likely to crop up during pregnancy or even months after a baby’s arrival.

Help for postpartum depression is on the way.

It’s because of this that postpartum depression treatment may begin well before the postpartum period, especially for women who come into pregnancy with a previous mental health diagnosis.
As many as 20 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy, and it’s been linked with adverse obstetric outcomes such as low birth weight and premature birth.
That alone could be reason enough to remain on an antidepressant for the nine months of pregnancy, but doctors have also found that a pre-pregnancy depression diagnosis is one of the leading indicators that a mom may suffer from postpartum depression. These days that’s enough to leave the barn door wide open on the topic, with doctors weighing a mom’s well-being against unknown risks to her fetus.
Although it was once customary for women to suspend taking antidepressants during pregnancy, an increasing number of doctors advise moms to stay the course if they feel they need the medicine in their system.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of data,” Cannon says of the safety of antidepressants for moms-to-be.
But what data they do have indicate that some formulations of medications are safer than others, and your OB-GYN may suggest a change to a specific medicine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that “the use of a single medication at a higher dosage is preferred over multiple medications, and those with fewer metabolites, higher protein binding, and fewer interactions with other medications are also preferred.”
And while studies continue to present a variety of factors for moms, recent research has shown that fears that antidepressants may hike a child’s autism risk are unfounded, as are fears that it will cause attention deficit disorder.
If you’re debating whether to start (or restart) antidepressants during pregnancy, be aware that antidepressants may need to be started at 36 weeks of pregnancy to get adequate blood levels in a woman’s system to ward off uncontrollable emotions once the baby is born.
That said, antidepressants aren’t the only tools in a mom’s arsenal if she’s fearing she may develop postpartum depression. Sherry Ross, an OB-GYN at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, suggests adding visits with a therapist to your prenatal plans if you have concerns, as they can not only help you take control of your emotions during pregnancy but also help craft plans for the postpartum period. They’ll also suggest how other important people in your life—from a friend to a sibling to a partner—can provide you support.
“It’s important to establish a support team who will help you be successful avoiding the dark days associated with depression,” Ross notes. “The team should include your partner, therapist, and healthcare provider. Women suffering from this type of depression need to acknowledge and be communicative on how they are feeling and use their support team regularly.”
If you’ve already given birth when you start to experience issues, you may be in new territory, but it’s never too late to get help.
Symptoms for postpartum depression may crop up as long as six months after a woman gives birth, but treatment is out there.
“Symptoms associated with postpartum reactivity are usually temporary and responsive to treatment,” Mendez says. That treatment can include cognitive or behavioral therapy with a therapist and/or medication.
For moms who are considering breastfeeding, there’s even good news: Studies on moms with postpartum depression found that some antidepressants are safe for breastfeeding. What’s more, research on moms who stopped taking antidepressants versus those who stayed on the meds showed a direct link between staying on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and extended breastfeeding.
Regardless of your medical treatment plan, there’s physical support out there too. Postpartum depression support groups exist across the country, and they’re all just a phone call away.

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Mom x Body Motherhood

Movement For Moms-To-Be: Prenatal Yoga Benefits And Best Practices

Prenatal yoga classes are the best. Part yoga class, part therapy session, it’s basically a time for a bunch of pregnant ladies to get together and commiserate about everything they’re struggling with—insomnia, indigestion, back pain, hemorrhoids, fear of the birth, etcetera—and all the joy and anticipation coming their way.
Oh, and you get to do some yoga, too! It’s a win-win.

What is prenatal yoga? And how is it different from other types of yoga?

“The main difference between regular yoga and prenatal yoga is that the focus is more on maintaining—over improving—flexibility and range of motion,” says Rebecca Conant, founder and owner of Om Births in Watertown, Massachusetts.
“Asanas are performed with an eye to the hormonal changes that are occurring in the prenatal body, specifically the increased relaxin and progesterone, which leave the body more flexible and at risk for over-stretching.” This means that certain postures, like pigeon, should be done with additional hip support to avoid straining the pubic or sacroiliac joints.

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The other difference in emphasis is more subtle. “In prenatal yoga, the idea of being present, or working with the mind, has a more direct application,” says Conant. “Being present to the physical changes, being present and calm with intense sensations—which can be applied towards the intensity of labor—and being present to the changes in identity that accompany the journey into motherhood.”
Conant’s classes often end up being part yoga, part childbirth education. Postures, pranayama, and meditations all take on a birth-related focus, and ultimately that ability to work with the mind has a dramatic impact on the experience of pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum.
Here are some other features of prenatal yoga that are slightly different from traditional yoga classes:

  • Gentle is often the name of the game. You’re not going to find crazy vinyasas, closed twists, or backbends.
  • The focus is on strengthening the pelvic floor and on breathing. Both can help you tremendously during labor.
  • Some poses are off limits. Pregnant women should not lie on their bellies or do closed twists (open twists are okay and can be great for back pain). Some women also don’t like to invert during pregnancy and should avoid lying on their backs for long periods of time.

A lot of focus is paid to the baby. In ordinary yoga classes, you don’t sit around with your hands on your belly sending loving vibes to your…stomach. But prenatal yoga gives you the chance to slow down and connect with your baby and your changing body.

How safe is prenatal yoga?

Here’s how you gauge whether your exercise regimen is pregnancy safe: What were you doing before you conceived? Chances are you can continue doing whatever it was—unless you were going to spin class or hot yoga, or running marathons (as always, check with your doctor). In other words, if you were practicing yoga, keep at it! If you weren’t, this is a perfect way to strengthen and stretch your body, and, most importantly, to connect with your changing self, both mentally and physically.

Why is prenatal yoga good for me?

Pregnancy is a time of tremendous change, and yoga gives you a chance to be present with it all—to simply be with your body as it grows a human. Here are a few of the wonderful benefits of this practice specifically:

  • Unlike at the gym, where you can work out while watching TV or listening to a podcast, yoga asks you to be with your body (and baby!) in each moment on your mat.
  • You practice breathing and working with challenging sensations. This will be vital during the birth! When pain or discomfort arise, you always have access to the breath. This is what you practice on a small scale during class (say, in Warrior I, when your quad is burning!) that can be applied later on to labor.
  • Stronger muscles can help you stay healthy during your pregnancy and through labor and delivery.
  • It helps with circulation, discomfort, and tight muscles.
  • You tap into a community. “This isn’t just a place to come work out,” Conant says. “This is where you meet other moms and the sangha aspect gets encouraged.”

Three Prenatal Primer Poses

NB: It’s always best to try these with the help of a teacher first.
[sol title=”Malasana” subheader=”Garland Pose”]
This is a squat, but you want to put block under the hips so you’re not putting too much pressure on your joints and ligaments. Squat with your feet 6 to 10 inches apart and a block under the pelvis. You can also put a rolled up blanket under your heels if they don’t touch the ground.

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Bring your hands together at your heart in prayer pose, and press your elbows into the insides of your knees. Stay here or reach the torso forward between the thighs and breathe into your back.
[sol title=”Prasarita Padottanasana” subheader=”Wide-Legged Forward Bend”]
Stand with your feet about 4 feet apart on your mat. Your feet should be parallel and your weight evenly distributed on the four corners of the feet. Engage the thighs and bring your hands to your hips. Inhale and lift your chest up, then exhale and fold over your legs with your hands reaching for the floor.

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NB: Do NOT let your arms hang out in space. Make sure they are on the floor, a block, or a chair. You should not be struggling to reach something, so use props as needed.
[sol title=”Baddha Konasana” subheader=”Bound Angle Pose”]
Sit with your back against a wall. Make sure you’re sitting up on a blanket or two so your pelvis isn’t rolling under you and making your spine collapse in a C shape.

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Draw the soles of your feet together and spread your knees apart. If you can hold onto the big toe (or feet), great. If not, you can use a belt around your ankles. Allow your thighs to relax down as you breathe.
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Healthy Pregnancy Motherhood

The Proper Sleep Positions During Pregnancy (And More Tips For Getting Better Sleep While Expecting)

It was surprising to me how nerve-racking pregnancy felt from the start. That first pregnancy, during those very early weeks, my human chorionic gonadotropin (a hormone commonly referred to as hCG) levels were low. Apparently this is the sign that the pregnancy might not be viable, and my doctor told me to prepare myself for that. So, I spent those first few weeks waiting and obsessing between each blood draw.
When I finally saw her little heartbeat fluttering on the ultrasound screen, I breathed a sigh of relief. Even so, knowing things were going well didn’t relieve me of my obsessing about keeping her healthy while she grew. I worried about what I ate and just about every other decision I made. I slept poorly for weeks, tossing and turning, dreaming about losing the pregnancy well into my second trimester.

When it comes to sleep during pregnancy, there is plenty to talk about. Being sleepless is par for the course during pregnancies; some women, like me, are anxious about their baby. Others have heartburn or general discomfort keeping them awake at night. Here’s what you need to know about sleeping safely, comfortably, and soundly from the time of your [linkbuilder id=”6730″ text=”positive pregnancy test”] until your baby’s birth.

The Safest Sleep Position for Pregnancy

Good sleep during pregnancy is about so much more than simply getting a good night’s rest. For expecting moms, it’s important to understand the research around safe sleeping practices. The right sleep position during pregnancy protects the health of both mom and baby.
As a newly pregnant mom, I was told more than once to sleep on my left side. It wasn’t really explained why, but you better believe I was following the rule. It wasn’t until my second pregnancy that I really understood why sleeping on your left side is important—and that there are some exceptions to this rule.


“Laying on your left side provides optimal blood flow to your uterus which in turn gives it to your baby,” explains Paige Rowland, CNM, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Einstein Medical Center.
More specifically, this sleeping position plays a role in maintaining optimal blood flow because of the location of a major artery in the body.

“That displaces the uterus off a major vessel in the body called the vena cava,” explains G. Thomas Ruiz, OB-GYN at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “It allows for better return of blood flow to the heart and, with better return of blood flow to the heart, [it] allows you to better perfuse the placenta.”
As it turns out, all of my obsessing about my proper sleep positions early on was unnecessary. Since sleeping on your left side is about displacing the weight of the growing baby off of your vena cava, this isn’t something moms need to concern themselves until around six months, according to Rowland. At this point, the baby, and the uterus, are just becoming large enough to place significant pressure on that artery.

Because the liver is located on the right side, sleeping on the left side is ideal to avoid the pressure of the uterus on this organ. However, if sleeping on your left side isn’t comfortable, there are other options to choose from.
The main recommendation across the board is that women avoid sleeping flat on their backs. And women who are most comfortable on their back can use pillows to prop themselves up in bed, displacing the weight of the uterus. And they can sleep on their right sides.

Falling Asleep When Dealing You’re Dealing with Discomfort

Once you’re sleeping safely, you can start to address the [linkbuilder id=”6727″ text=”pregnancy symptoms”] that tend to keep you from dozing off or staying asleep all night. As your baby grows and your body changes, it’s pretty normal to experience some discomfort while trying to get some rest. Many moms report spending much of their night tossing and turning or walking around the house, especially as they reach the end of their pregnancy.

“I never sleep well pregnant,” confesses Chaunie Brusie, mom of four. “By my last pregnancies, I just learned to stop fighting it. I tend to wake up at least twice a night when I’m pregnant and just would think of it as training for those nighttime feedings.”
Moms who find themselves struggling to get comfortable at night can try a few different tactics for catching some shut-eye. First, Rowland suggests using a body pillow between your legs and to support your belly. If that doesn’t working, try moving around some or sleeping in a recliner or propped up on the couch.

Getting Rest When You’re Dealing with Insomnia

For moms of many like Brusie, insomnia during pregnancy is something they’ve come to expect. Some moms tell me that after experiencing insomnia in their last pregnancies, they stopped trying to fix their sleeplessness and started learning to live with it. I can identify. In my own pregnancies, there were many nights when I never got into bed, assuming I’d have to [linkbuilder id=”6731″ text=”fall asleep”] on the couch in the early morning hours.

Gretchen Bossio, a mother of four, scheduled a midday nap everyday in hopes of catching up. Brusie simply gave up, distracting herself with social media when she couldn’t sleep. Personally, I took to propping up both my swollen feet and my heartburn-ridden abdomen on the loveseat each night, where I would replay Almost Famous until I finally dozed off for the night.
Experiences like these are incredibly common. Between 66 and 94 percent of women report experiencing problems sleeping during their pregnancy, according to research published in the journal Obstetric Medicine. As early as 10 weeks, moms-to-be may notice they’re having trouble winding down or tossing and turning, and these symptoms often worsen as the pregnancy progresses.

As it turns out, you don’t have to suffer through insomnia. Whether it’s anxiety or pregnancy hormones keeping you awake, there is medication you can take, an old faithful, that is very safe and effective for managing prenatal insomnia.


“One of the safest things is … Benadryl,” says Ruiz. “It’s an antihistamine, and at 25mg dosage, most people get really drowsy. You can take 50mg and it doesn’t hurt the baby. It’s non-addictive.”
For his patients experiencing insomnia, Ruiz recommends taking 25 to 50 mg of Benadryl 30 minutes before bed. This allows the medicine to take effect, so they’re feeling good and drowsy when they’re ready to go to sleep.

Outside of medication, there are also practices moms can embrace to help ease their anxiety so they can wind down more easily before bed. These can be tried before medication or used in combination with medication. Don’t give up: Try a few different things before you pull out your smartphone and give up on sleep for the night.
“Start with a little meditation,” says Rowland. “Every time you lay down to go to sleep … visualize that everything will go well. Think about your baby’s fingers and toes and how amazing your body is for growing this little one. We are constantly being bombarded with more things to be worried about—take this time, every night, to visualize the good.”

Additionally, Rowland recommends magnesium, like the brand Natural Calm, to mothers-to-be dealing with anxiety. Magnesium is a supplement that is safe for use during pregnancy.

Dozing Off When You’re Facing Killer Heartburn

Heartburn during pregnancy is incredibly common, with between 17 and 45 percent of expecting moms reporting this uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptom, according to research published in the journal Clinical Evidence.
Heartburn is typically the worst late in the pregnancy, when the growing uterus actually pushes up on the stomach, forcing acid into the esophagus. One of the big keys to dealing with heartburn is prevention. If you’re dealing with heartburn, Rowland advises avoiding eating and drinking for at least 30 minutes before laying down.
“The second trick is to not lie flat on your bed; use a few pillows or those fancy wedge pillows to prop up the upper half of your body,” she adds. “Make sure you are avoiding spicy and acidic foods, and [eat] several smaller meals and not three big meals.”

If these initial steps don’t work, Ruiz recommends over-the-counter medication, starting with Tums.
“Women very rarely get enough calcium during their pregnancy,” says Ruiz. “So, whenever you feel heartburn you can take a Tums, one or two of those every four hours.”
 
Tums are typically really helpful in reducing heartburn, but if that doesn’t work, Ruiz also recommends over-the-counter heartburn medication like Pepcid AC. However, he does warn that mothers should avoid Prilosec. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is still unsure of whether it can harm your unborn child.
Ultimately, moms should feel confident advocating for themselves and their baby during their pregnancy. If you feel the symptoms of your pregnancy have become abnormally disruptive to your sleep, don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor. Together, you can brainstorm about whatever it is that is keeping you awake, whether it be anxiety over the future, back pain, or heartburn, so that you can get the rest you need.
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More Than Mom Motherhood

The State Of Motherhood In 2018: The Best (And Worst) Countries For Moms Around The World

For the first month after Charlotte Edwards gave birth, she was confined to her home. No computer. No stepping outside. No doing laundry. Her father-in-law grocery shopped and washed her baby’s clothes (by hand). Her mother-in-law cooked and helped with the baby’s every need.
No, Edwards didn’t land in in-law heaven. This is tradition in China, where zuoyuezi, which literally means “sitting a month,” is observed by every mom…and in-laws are typically the ones who pitch in to make it happen.
And yet, when policy experts tally up various facts and figures, China doesn’t take the prize for “best place in the world to be a mom” (that honor goes to Iceland). Nor is it at the top of the best places to raise kids ranking (another Scandinavian country grabs that distinction).
We’re not going to steal work from the policy wonks out there who draw up these lists every year, but we wondered if there wasn’t something to learn from the way parenting is done and mothers are treated around the world.
Can we improve motherhood right here in the U.S. by picking and choosing some of the offerings from other countries? Or simply attain more appreciation for what we have?
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From the looks of the parenting books pushed out of publishing houses in recent decades, that’s exactly what an increasing number of moms are trying to do.
Amy Chua’s controversial 2011 parenting memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother gave us a how-to for parenting like a mom from China does. Though Chua herself is American—born in Illinois to parents who immigrated to the U.S.—her guide was quickly followed by tomes on how kids around the world get their smarts, tutorials on raising better eaters by pretending to be French, and, most recently, a German parenting waltz that shares its name with a hit U2 album.
As Brooklyn-based writer Catherine Crawford, whose adventures in parenting her two daughters like a French mom inspired her book French Twist: An American Mom’s Adventure in Parisian Parenting, tells HealthyWay, “The fact that we have so many ideas and approaches to borrow from is both lucky and unlucky. Choice is wonderful, but it can be overwhelming.”
So how do you choose? How do you know if you’re buying into the notion that the grass is always greener or truly finding inspiration in the right places? Let’s dive in.

Pregnancy Around the World

The parenting journey starts with pregnancy. Whether you give birth to your children or adopt, someone somewhere has to get pregnant.
Living in the land of the free and the home of the brave has its drawbacks here. A recent State of the World’s Mothers report by the charity Save the Children puts the United States dead last on a ranking of maternal health for moms in developed countries. Here in the U.S., a woman expecting a baby faces a 1 in 1,800 risk of maternal death.
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The best places to live if you’re expecting a baby? If you can handle the winters, Scandinavia is the perfect place to gestate your little one. Norway takes the top spot on the Save the Children list, followed by Finland, Iceland, and Denmark, with Sweden rounding out the top five.
The hardest places to be pregnant are all on the African continent, with Somalia ranked at the very bottom, just below the Democratic Republic of Congo. In countries on that end of the spectrum, Save the Children estimates an average of 1 in 30 women will die from a pregnancy-related complication.
So what makes it so much harder to be a mom in one area of the world versus another?
Poverty and wealth play clear roles. The countries where moms struggle the most also tend to be some of the poorest in the world.
But what countries on the higher end of the spectrum all have in common is a focus on prenatal care, which ensures they have not only healthy moms but healthy babies.
Norway, for example, boasts one of the best healthcare systems in the world. (And you don’t have to take the Norwegians’ word for it: The World Health Organization agrees.)
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The land of fjords, trolls, and Norse mythology is also home to svangerskapskontroll, also known as regular prenatal check-ups that are covered in full by the country’s universal healthcare. Norway also offers a maternity leave plan that extends for 49 weeks at full pay (or 59 weeks at 80 percent pay). Moms can choose between a midwife or an obstetrician, and their choices during their graviditet (Norwegian for pregnancy) guide the entire nine months. If a mom doesn’t want a test done, she says no.
Moving down the list a bit is New Zealand, which lands at No. 17 on Save the Children’s index. Kiwi mom Margo Marshall tells HealthyWay that midwives care for moms with regular (not high-risk) pregnancies from the time pregnancy is confirmed through week six postpartum.
“Prenatal care is as non-invasive as possible,” Marshall says. “So whilst we do refer for standard scans at 13 weeks (for chromosome abnormality detection) and at 20ish weeks (for anatomy scan) that’s all the routine scans that are offered unless clinical needs suggest otherwise.”
Not surprisingly, midwifery care has been linked by a number of studies to improved outcomes for moms, which is reason enough for this to be considered a perk of living down under, but Marshall says there’s another advantage, too.
“All of this is free to the mother, courtesy of global health care,” she notes. “It’s possible to opt to have an obstetrician look after your care, but only a small minority do so. This usually comes with a couple thousand in extra fees (because unless referred for a clinical reason, it’s considered ‘going private’), and the general feel is that an obstetrician in charge of maternity care for a normal, straightforward pregnancy is overkill.”
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Wondering where else you can have a dream-like pregnancy (or not)? Here are some of the wins and hits moms take in other countries:

  • In Japan, the mysteries of pregnancy aren’t left to the parenting books. The government offers women a special pregnancy handbook, which guides them through the process. Each expectant mother also receives a Maternity Mark, a special emblem moms can carry on keychains or bags that signals to society that they’re gestating and should receive kind treatment.
  • In Tanzania, maternal mortality rates are among the world’s highest, with 454 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. One of the biggest problems Tanzanians face is inadequate prenatal care. In this East African nation, only 15 percent of women seek out a doctor’s care during their first trimester. To combat that, health workers have created special awareness programs to convince moms to initiate prenatal care earlier. If they do go to the doctor, they’ll find one thing most American moms won’t: The average first-time prenatal visit in Tanzania lasts a whole 46 minutes.
  • In China, Edwards found that moms don’t make prenatal appointments. Instead they line up at the doctor’s office and wait to be seen. “Because of this, we found a friend who would help and see me when she worked the night shift,” Edwards says of her pregnancies. Another concern she noted are Chinese legends surrounding pregnancy: “There are still many old wives’ tales that are followed like it’s the gospel truth,” she notes. “Sex is forbidden during the first and third trimesters because it’s believed to cause miscarriage. Women cut their hair short so the baby gets more nutrition.”

Birth: Who Gets It Right

Even if you’re having a marvelous pregnancy with plenty of pampering, eventually that baby has to come out.
If you plan to give birth in the United States, the numbers allude to an alarming tale. America’s infant mortality rate sits at 5.8 deaths per 1,000 births. That’s more than double the rates in Japan and Sweden, the countries with the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.
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When Save the Children’s researchers took a look at capital cities in high-income countries, Washington, D.C., ranked the highest for infant death risk, with an infant mortality rate of 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. Those figures, which come from 2013, represented an all-time low for our nation’s capital, and yet they’re still three times higher than infant mortality rates in Japan’s capital, Tokyo, or Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. What’s more, they’re not the worst in the United States. Detroit’s infant mortality rate was reported at 12.4. In Cleveland, the figure jumped up to 14.1.
But before you start packing your bags to head out of the country, it’s important to note that infant mortality rates are declining in the United States, as is the number of babies born to teen moms.
What’s more, American moms are still at a vast advantage, as the U.S. comes in at No. 24 on the Save the Children list of best and worst places to give birth. By comparison, Haiti and Sierra Leone are tied for 170th on that list.
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Here are some other birthing practices that impact delivery around the world:

  • Exhausted after you give birth? Join the club. But if you want a little time to recover before you’re thrust into the world with your baby, your best bet is to deliver at a Ukrainian hospital. Moms there spend an average of 6.2 days in the hospital after birth. Egyptian moms, on the other hand, typically check out after just half a day.
  • In Belgium, you can choose any name you like for your child, but beware! The government has the authority to make you change it! The government may weigh in on names that seem to cross gender barriers, sound “ridiculous,” or that an official deems offensive. If parents are dead set on the name, they may wind up in court appealing the official decision.
  • Home birth is illegal in some countries and can even get midwives arrested in some parts of the United States. But if you have your heart set on delivering in the comfort of your own digs, you may want to learn Dutch. The Netherlands boasts the largest number of home births in the Western world, with a third of moms bringing their babies into the world at home.

motherhood around the world

Bringing Up Baby

Like pregnancy and birth before them, moms in different countries might as well be living on different planets when it comes to how they spend the days and months after giving birth.
Edwards, for instance, was at home being pampered by her in-laws. But unlike relatives in the United States who were instructed to head back to the obstetrician’s office for post-natal care within two months, she received no medical postpartum care in China. She also wasn’t expected to take her kids to the pediatrician for what American moms consider traditional check-ups.
That Chinese approach has its drawbacks, Edwards says, but some of the benefits are hard to ignore (including the benefits to a mom’s health).
“As frustrating as it was to not be allowed to have cold things, wash my hair (I did break that rule after a week), go outside, use the computer, it was nice to have the freedom to just rest,” she recalls. “My father-in-law shopped for foods and washed baby clothes (by hand; it’s considered more sanitary) and [my] mother-in-law cooked and helped with baby. All the nutritious meals and sleep helped me to lose all my baby weight—plus another 10 pounds—by the end of the month.”
In New Zealand, moms like Marshall qualify for visits from their midwives after they’re discharged from the hospital, beginning with a practitioner swinging by a mom’s home daily for the first two to three days, then every few days, then weekly until a mom is six weeks postpartum.
After that, Marshall says, many moms qualify for care under Plunket, a government-sponsored program that provides well-child checks with a registered nurse who will answer parents’ questions about everything from infant health to parenting practices.
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Of course postpartum care isn’t just medical. With the exception of the United States, paid maternity leave is guaranteed throughout the Western world, although how much and who gets it varies from place to place. In most countries with paid leave, just 1 in 5 dads gets some sort of benefit, while in places like Australia, it’s just 1 in 50.
Dads in Scandinavia tend to get the best chance at being physically present during their babies’ formative years. A full 40 percent of fathers take time off to relieve new mothers of some of the childcare burden, and they do so with the government’s blessing. In Denmark, for example, moms and their partners can split 32 weeks worth of paid leave so that between them, two parents can cover the first several years at home with a child without having to sacrifice their earnings.
But even in places where fathers are guaranteed leave, they’re not always comfortable making the most of it. Japanese fathers have a full year’s worth of time off that’s protected by their government, but it’s rare for them to take it.
Meanwhile, many moms in the U.S. aren’t even guaranteed a paycheck—nor do all employers have to hold women’s jobs for them if they take time off to give birth and establish breastfeeding routines. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees moms up to 12 weeks off after birth, adoption, or a foster care placement, but it doesn’t require employers to pay moms during that time. It also exempts any company that has fewer than 50 employees, meaning thousands of American businesses can legally fire a woman who wants to take a few days off to recover from birth. As for partners, the FMLA does recognize dads and same-sex partners, but it still lacks teeth when it comes to requiring payment and loses power due to the exemptions it affords a large sector of businesses.
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So what’s that first year like around the world?

  • In China, moms like Edwards practice elimination communication—an infant-led “potty training”—whereby moms hold their young ones over a toilet rather than depending on diapers.
  • In Brazil, strict laws that limit how formula companies can advertise their wares are one of the many ways the government supports moms in breastfeeding. The country also boasts the largest number of human milk banks in the world, offering options to moms who are struggling with breastfeeding or who can’t or don’t want to breastfeed.

Growing Up Globally

So what’s it like raising a child in different parts of the world? Ask any mom, and you’ll get a different story, which can also be true of two parents who live in the exact same town in America but have different income levels, cultural backgrounds, and daily experiences.
Still, there are some distinct country-dependent differences in parenting styles and in how kids are treated. In addition to their considerations of moms and motherhood, Save the Children’s researchers have spent time around the world researching where kids have it best…and where they have it worst.
Countries wracked by poverty and war unsurprisingly fall low on the list, while the Nordic countries, with their focus on healthcare and education for all, are situated near the top. The researchers note that the highest rates of child mortality are found in sub-Saharan Africa, where basic medical care is often unavailable, too far away, or too expensive, and kids are also more likely to be born to mothers with limited education. Lack of education traps people in poverty, hurting moms and kids alike.
But even in the Western world, where kids usually have a more level playing field, there are disparities.
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In the United Kingdom, parents are spending a third of their annual salaries on childcare, with American parents—who spend a quarter of their incomes on childcare—not far behind. Korean moms have it made in the shade on this account, though: Their government foots the bill for daycare.
As for education, U.S. parents have to funnel away a whole lot of dough if we want our kids to see the inside of a college classroom. Our tuition rates are highest in the world, while many Scandinavian countries offer kids a chance at higher ed for absolutely nothing.
Here’s more on what it’s like to raise a kid around the world:

  • In conducting the research for her book, Crawford found that French moms readily assume their role as the boss, rather than allowing their kids to wear them down. “This was huge in cutting down on the negotiating and bargaining that usually just ended up in crying,” she recalls. “When I told my kids that I was the undisputed decision maker and no amount of whining would change that, everyone relaxed. It makes sense. A 35-year-old makes better decisions than a 2-year-old.”
  • Mommy’s Netflix time after the kids go to sleep may be popular in America, but in places like Spain and Argentina, kids typically stay up until at least 10 p.m. in order to spend more time with their families.

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Categories
Healthy Pregnancy Motherhood

Here's How To Choose Between An OB And A Midwife

Obstetrician or midwife? Midwife or obstetrician? If you’ve been waffling on the two, chances are you’re pregnant or planning to grow your family soon. (We know, we know, we’re mind readers, what can we say?)
The truth is, picking between an OB-GYN and a midwife comes down to personal preference. Sure, there’s plenty to consider— What kind of birth do you want? Where do you want to deliver? What are you comfortable with?—but figuring out which questions are the most important (and what the implications of your answers are) can be a touch overwhelming.
We won’t leave you hanging, though. Here’s what you need to know about OB-GYNs and midwives—and how to choose which one should walk you through your pregnancy and delivery.

Opting for an OB

Before you got pregnant, you saw a gynecologist. Now the office nurse says you have the option to see an obstetrician.
Don’t want to change doctors? Good news: Technically, they’re the exact same person.
To become an obstetrician and gynecologist (aka OB-GYN), these individuals have to graduate from medical school with a medical degree, and they have to focus specifically on the medical and surgical care of the female reproductive system and associated disorders. Their gynecology studies are focused on the reproductive system as a whole, but the obstetrics part of their studies is what makes them experts in caring for women while they’re expecting a baby and into the postpartum period.
Most women who choose to have an OB-GYN perform their prenatal care and deliver their baby will see a general OB-GYN: one who can perform surgeries, manage labor and delivery, and take care of routine prenatal and postpartum care. Moms who have high-risk pregnancies are generally referred to OB-GYNs who have an even more in-depth specialty, allowing them to provide top-notch care for the mom-to-be and her fetus that’s based on specific medical considerations.
So how do you know if an OB is right for you? Ask yourself these questions before you decide!

Is your pregnancy “high risk”?

This is a general term that can cover a wide variety of moms, from those who had problems during previous pregnancies to moms carrying multiples to women who have been diagnosed with preeclampsia or other pregnancy-related conditions. They’re generally at higher risk for C-section birth, which only an OB-GYN can perform, and their babies may need additional care from an OB-GYN who specializes in maternal/fetal medicine. Sometimes moms develop complications as the pregnancy progresses. If you start with a midwife and complications crop up, they may direct you to an OB-GYN for more advanced care.
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What kind of birth do you want?

OB-GYNs do not provide home birth care. Some do deliver in birthing centers, however, and some work with moms who want a waterbirth. If you have your heart set on a certain type of birth, ask your OB if it’s something they will do. If the answer is no, find out why. If there’s no medical reason that they’re saying no, you may want to explore your options, like finding a more accepting OB or switching to a midwife.

Do you trust your OB-GYN?

Choosing how to give birth and who to guide you through the process is incredibly personal. If you have an OB-GYN who you have seen for years and who you trust implicitly, that can go a long way toward making you feel more comfortable.

Where do you want your prenatal care to occur?

Most doctors will only meet you in their office, and the frequency of visits will increase as your pregnancy progresses, typically requiring you to visit the doctor at least once a week by the time you’re in your ninth month of pregnancy. Make sure you choose a practitioner whose approach to prenatal care corresponds to your needs.

Making the Most of What Midwives Have to Offer

Midwives have been around for centuries, but don’t let that fool you into thinking midwifery is outdated or old-fashioned. Today’s certified midwives and certified nurse midwives are medical professionals who can (and do!) deliver excellent care to hundreds of thousands of moms and their babies.
These days, some 8 percent of babies come into this world via a midwife’s hands, and the number of people going into the field is on the rise. To get there, a midwife has to attend college at an institution accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).
Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have graduated from an accredited nurse-midwifery education program and have passed a national certification examination. Certified midwives, on the other hand, receive a background in a health-related field other than nursing, but they must graduate from a midwifery education program accredited by ACME and take the same national certification exam.
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Midwives do not go to medical school, and thus they don’t have MD after their names like OB-GYNs do. That said, their studies cover similar content on the care and treatment of women’s health issues, including specialized studies on pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period.
Leaning toward a midwife? Ask yourself these questions:

Do you want to birth at home?

Home birth is on the rise in America, and midwives have been leading the charge. Not only are they the only medical practitioners who will come to your home to help you welcome your baby into the world, the largest ever study of home births found that planned home births among low-risk women with a midwife on hand result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and babies. In other words, if you can birth at home with a midwife, it could mean less risk for you and baby!

What can a midwife do for you?

This may seem like an obvious question, but midwives do not have the same authority as an OB-GYN. Some states limit midwives to deliver only in hospitals and only allow them to see patients under the supervision of a medical doctor, while some limit the sorts of medications they can dispense for both you and your baby. What your midwife can do depends on where you live, so ask!   

What does your health insurance company say?

An increasing number of health insurance companies, including Medicaid, now cover midwives and their services, but the coverage limits vary; some will not cover a birthing center or home birth at all. Talk to your midwife and your insurance company to make sure you know what costs will be covered and can plan accordingly.

Do you want a VBAC?

Short for vaginal birth after C-section, VBAC got the stamp of approval from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists back in 2010, but there are still a number of OB-GYNs who prefer to tell moms who’ve had a C-section before that they need to schedule another one. Midwives, on the other hand, do not perform C-sections and are often more willing to allow a woman to attempt a VBAC.

Do you want a little more one-on-one care?

Not all midwives will make home visits during the prenatal period, but some will! If you’re looking for that extra personal attention, a midwife might be the answer.   

Do you love your midwife?

Midwives don’t just deliver babies. Many of them perform regular care for women, seeing them for other reproductive health–related issues. If you’re already under the care of a midwife you trust, they might be the best person to help you through your pregnancy, too.

Who should you choose?

Let’s face it: There is no wrong answer here.
Keep in mind that choosing one or other at the start of your pregnancy doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the decision. If a pregnancy becomes more complicated, for example, a midwife will refer you to an OB-GYN for medical care. They won’t be insulted that you’re making the change; they want you and your baby to be safe.
On the other hand, if you start off with an OB-GYN and decide at some point in your pregnancy that you’d like a less traditional birth or want a more personalized approach to the delivery process, you may be able to switch to a midwife.
What’s more, many midwives and doctors work together, providing a team approach to prenatal and postpartum care.
Whether you have an OB-GYN or a midwife in the room when you add to your family, you’re with someone who’s had years of professional training to get this right. And ultimately, the type of birth you have (and the medical professional who’s there) needs to be right for your family.

Categories
Motherhood

7 Of The Strangest Things About Pregnancy (And How To Handle Them)

Ahh, the beauty of pregnancy: glowing skin, thick hair, long nails. It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful times in a woman’s life. And it is—for the most part. 
Pregnancy glow aside, we women know we should be realistic. We should expect our ankles to thicken up a bit, and we should accept that we’ll deal with the occasional bout of heartburn. Yes, we know that our feet will eventually inflate (along with everything else).

Still, some aspects of pregnancy inevitably come as a surprise. The fact is, pregnancy changes your body in complex and fascinating ways, and without adequate preparation, some of those changes can come as a shock. Just remember: These adjustments are perfectly natural.

What do we mean? Well, the moms we spoke to wish that someone had warned them about things like…

Constant Sneezing and Difficulty Breathing

Who would think that your nose would be affected by that little love bump? Pregnancy can cause all kinds of problems with your sinuses, and even if you’ve had issues with allergies in the past, you’re probably not prepared for this.
Pregnancy rhinitis can appear at any point during a pregnancy. Doctors still aren’t exactly sure what causes this to happen, but they believe certain hormones are to blame. In any case, this awful condition often manifests with non-stop sneezing, courtesy of your newly swollen serous-mucous glands.

The good news: You can usually treat this problem at home. If you’re suffering from pregnancy rhinitis, try taking a nasal decongestant, applying a nasal dilator strip, or using a saline flush to find relief. Don’t overdo it with the decongestants, though; overuse can lead to a frustrating rebound effect called Rhinitis medicamentosa, which sounds a lot like a Harry Potter curse and feels like one, too.
Even if your sinuses work perfectly, you’ll likely find yourself running out of breath—and no, your weight isn’t (always) to blame. Part of this has to do with your body changing. Your organs, after all, are literally moving to make way for your baby.

Additionally, pregnancy hormones do some pretty ridiculous things to your body. What things, you ask?
Things like telling your body to make extra blood or to make the capillaries and blood vessels in your lungs relax and “grow,” which should allow you to take bigger, deeper breaths more often. Pregnant women need a lot of oxygen, and those hormones are going to make sure they get it, even if that means putting you through some major discomfort.
These changes can make some women feel “air hungry,” which is exactly what it sounds like—you’ll feel like you can’t catch your breath while you’re in a sedentary situation.

If you’re feeling particularly short of breath, check your posture. Standing or sitting up straight will help alleviate any compression on your lungs, allowing you to breathe easier. Regular exercise can also help to minimize breathlessness.
Most of those feelings are normal, but if you can’t catch your breath after resting, if you feel chest pain, or if your lips or fingertips begin to lose color, be sure to seek medical attention right away.

A Super-Powered Nose

A heightened sense of smell during pregnancy is no joke. In fact, two-thirds of pregnant women claim to notice a change in their olfactory abilities in the first trimester, despite scientific evidence on the subject being inconclusive. It’s hypothesized that estrogen is to blame, and that even morning sickness is related to an overly sensitive nose (though more research is needed on the subject).
Candice Straughter, mother of two, had a tough time dealing with scent sensitivity during her pregnancies.

“Nobody told me this was possible,” Straughter tells HealthyWay. “If my windows were down in the car while driving, I would gag every time I stopped near an open sewer grate.  I could smell the sewage as if it was right next to me.”
If you’re struggling with extreme smells, there are a few things you can do to keep that gag reflex at bay. First, if you can, stay away from any known smell-triggers. You can also apply a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a handkerchief and use it to cover your face if you encounter an unpleasant smell. You should probably make the switch to unscented toiletries and laundry detergents, too.

A Little Boost in…Saliva

It’s totally normal for pregnancy to increase your saliva production, so don’t worry if you’ve been waking up in a puddle.
Excessive saliva production is known as ptyalism, and while some women only notice a small difference in their spit, others might need to carry around their own personal drool bucket. Ptyalism isn’t dangerous, but it can be quite irritating. Straughter noticed a difference in saliva production during the first and second trimesters of her pregnancies, she says.

“I started producing excessive amounts of saliva 24/7,” says Straughter. “During the day, I kept a few grocery store bags with me in the car or on the go that I could spit into discreetly. I had to actually sleep with a big cup or container next to my bed at night to spit into during the night.”
Scientists aren’t entirely sure what causes this phenomenon yet, but studies have shown that women who suffer from heartburn or morning sickness while pregnant are also more likely to have increased saliva production.

You can’t turn off your salivary glands, so if you’re dealing with a tsunami of spittle, you’re just going to have to ride it out. Some women find relief by sucking on ice cubes, chewing gum, avoiding spicy foods, and keeping a spit cup nearby. Also, be sure you drink enough water—all that spitting can lead to dehydration.

Sweat, Sweat, and More Sweat

Okay, so pregnancy hormones affect your breathing, your sense of smell, and your spit production. You can also add this to the list: Pregnancy can make you stink.
Physiological changes in the sweat and sebaceous glands can cause your body to sweat not only in places you would expect, like your armpits, but they also cause sweat glands all over your body to go mad as well. We’re talking extra sweaty feet, back, and even your crotch.

Your body temperature also increases during pregnancy, and add the insulation of increased weight gain, and you’ll be wringing your shirt out by mid-afternoon. And you don’t just have overactive sweat gland smells to look forward to…
The influx of progesterone causes your digestive tract to slow down a lot. This gives your body more time to create gas bubbles from the food you eat—and that gas has to go somewhere. As your baby grows, your stomach and intestines shift, becoming more crowded—which explains that  bloated sensation. To top it all off, the muscle-relaxing effects of these hormones cause you to have less control over passing gas.

Changes to the Skin

As rosy and glowing as your skin may initially appear, don’t get used to it. That perk can go south quite quickly! Hormonal changes can affect the biggest organ of your body—the skin—as well.
Ninety percent of women experience some kind of change in their skin during pregnancy. Some of those changes include serious acne, having your legs turned into maps by spider veins, skin tags springing up out of nowhere, and certain, more sensitive areas of your body turning a completely different color. Doesn’t that all sound great?

“I developed skin tags on different areas of my body during all three of my pregnancies,” one mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells HealthyWay.
Another anonymous mom tells HealthyWay about a patch of itchy, red bumps that popped up during pregnancy. She later found out this was a PUPPP rash, an itchy, but non-dangerous, skin disorder associated with pregnancy.
The poor mom was completely unprepared for the arrival of this condition, and it scared her.

“Neither of my midwives mentioned this condition [was possible] during my pregnancies,” she says.   
Another interesting—and unsettling—skin phenomenon associated with pregnancy is called Chadwick’s sign. Ms. Chadwick shows up very early in pregnancy (six to eight weeks after conception) completely changes the color of a woman’s cervix and vulva.

All Kinds of Hair Growth

And we mean everywhere. An influx of hormones, like estrogen, cause your nails and your hair to grow noticeably faster. While a longer, fuller head of hair sounds awesome, this affects all of your hair…on all parts of your body.

Estrogen increases the growth time for your follicles, meaning you shed fewer strands, giving you a thicker looking ‘do. Your hair can also appear shinier or change texture during your pregnancy. Just be prepared: Your body hair goes through these changes, too. Be prepared to see hair pop up on your belly, face, and anywhere else.
Don’t worry about the extra fur. The growth cycle will return to normal, and all excess hair will eventually fall out once your baby is born.

Gum Vulnerabilities

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to gum disease, which can cause bleeding, swelling, and discoloration. Bleeding gums, while unpleasant and gross, are somewhat normal during pregnancy. A combination of hormonal changes and a boost in bloodflow are the culprits for this little gem of an experience.

Keep gum disease on the run by brushing and flossing regularly (we know you know, but we have to say it). You might also try gargling with sea salt and making sure you get enough vitamins A and C. But if things start to get out of hand, go see a dentist. Oh, and like every last item on this list, keep your obstetrician or primary care doctor up to date on the side-effects of your pregnancy.

Ahh, pregnancy. Beautiful indeed.

But the good news is that these symptoms are a small price to pay for the extraordinary, mythic experience of bringing a human being into the world. Pregnancy is nothing if not natural, which can be a nice thing to remember when you’re sweating and drooling.

Categories
Motherhood

The Baby Dance (And Other Possible Labor-Encouraging Methods)

What would you do to encourage labor in a pregnancy that has gone past your due date? Would you join your obstetrician in a dance he choreographed specifically to get things moving along?
As a mom who has always carried pregnancies past their expected due date, I understand the desperation that drives attempts to induce labor. I’ve walked miles a day during my last weeks of pregnancy; I’ve bounced endlessly on an exercise ball; during my last pregnancy, I even turned to the breast pump. And still, I carried late, leaving me doubting that there is any validity to labor-inducing methods.

During my last pregnancy, I found myself four days overdue and searching for options. Nothing I found was convincing, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t willing to try out the suggestions of friends and family (just so long as they weren’t risky). And believe me, there were plenty of anecdotes out there.

The Baby Dance

One obstetrician, Fernando Guedes da Cunha, has achieved internet fame for his unusual approach to encouraging labor—he’s choreographing dances for his patients. In August 2017, he posted a video to his social media featuring one of these dances. Soon after, he shared a picture of the mother with her brand new baby. Since then, his video has been shared hundreds of thousands of times.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXgG3NfDEPN/?hl=en&taken-by=drfernandoguedescunha
I’m having a hard time imagining myself dancing during labor—and there is no proof it will actually induce labor—but keeping moving is can certainly be beneficial to labor and pregnancy.
“I am not aware of any scientific article or properly done research to show that walking in labor—or in this case, dancing—would stimulate labor to make it faster,” shares Daniel Roshan, OB-GYN, “However, I always tell my patients that in the absence of any high-risk issues, the best [option] is to keep moving and walking before they get admitted. I think it eases the pain of labor and prevents the complications that arise from staying in bed.”

Roshan explained that patients who get admitted in early labor will frequently request an epidural and spend a lot of their labor in bed. In some cases, these patients experience a drop of in their blood pressure or fetal heart deceleration.
In fact, it’s good to keep moving throughout the pregnancy, according to Roshan, who said that all women experiencing a complication-free pregnancy should stay home as long as possible and continue moving until they are in the active labor phase. Yet while these recommendations are great for a comfortable and healthy pregnancy and labor, they’re aren’t actually known to induce or encourage labor.

“A lot of times, a woman’s body can be already starting to move into it,” Bailey Gaddis, birth doula and childbirth preparation educator, tells HealthyWay. “The things you hear about food, walking, that can all definitely help…if your body and your baby are ready.”
This is where a lot of confusion exists, and it’s important to understand that encouraging and supporting your body once it is ready for labor is vastly different from trying to get labor started.

It’s difficult to declare the efficacy of one method over the other, simply because it’s difficult to determine if induction attempts really made a difference or if your body was simply ready to get things going. There are, however, a litany of methods that claim to help get things going.

Methods That (Might) Encourage Labor

When it comes down to it, the only scientifically supported method for inducing labor is a medical induction. This is why, when it is medically necessary, most Ob-Gyns fall back on the same song and dance.
The often use dinoprostone (brand name Cervidil), a cervical ripening agent, as a first effort to begin labor. In many cases, oxytocin is then administered after the cervix is ripe to encourage contractions. It is widely effective and safe, according to a survey published in the journal American Family Physician.

Not all mothers want to use medications to induce or encourage labor, and they’ll fall back on more “natural methods” to get things started. Unfortunately, there is a lot of contracting studies on the topic.
For instance, one method that is practiced intermittently by birth professionals is membrane sweeping. Using their gloved fingers, a birth provider gently separates the bag of waters from the uterus. Although this method is widely regarded as safe, there is some disagreement on its effectiveness.

One 2012 study published in The Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics found a decreased need for medical induction in women who employed membrane sweeping compared to those who did not. However, ten years earlier, a study in The International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology declared the practice “safe but ineffective,” and in 2005, a study published by Cochrane did the same.

Because of the safety of the procedure, some women may choose to take the gamble, but they should keep in mind that it is an uncomfortable process and this method has its limitations. It isn’t a good option for women who have an increased risk of infection. Also, a woman’s body still needs to be ready for labor for membrane sweeping to be an option.
“In order to do it, the cervix has to be dilated and effaced,” explains Roshan. “It could be a good choice for patients who had a vaginal birth before and will need to be induced due to their pregnancy conditions.”

Another method worth trying is nipple stimulation using a breast pump. Nipple stimulation is said to encourage contractions and is often used to attempt to speed up labor. A research survey published by the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found this practice to be safe. Additionally, they found that women who employed this method at full term were less likely to remain pregnant after 72 hours.

Methods That Don’t Work

Pregnancy is long enough without carrying past the expected due date, pushing many women (including myself!) to try any safe method for getting contractions started. Unfortunately, most of the common methods employed have very little grounding—including those recommended off the cuff by many doctors.
For instance, women are often instructed by their doctors, friends, and family to enjoy intercourse often to induce labor. This belief is based in the idea that semen contains prostaglandin, which is used in medical settings to induce labor. However, there is no research that indicates semen has the same effect on women.

A study published by the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth concluded that, although perfectly safe in low-risk pregnancies, intercourse did nothing to speed things up. The following year, a study published in the journal BJOG found no difference in induction rates between women who were and weren’t advised to be physically intimate with their partners.
That being said, Roshan does believe that regular physical intimacy is beneficial to pregnant women, saying that frequency appears to lower the risk of lacerations and generally improve the labor experience.

There are a lot of anecdotes about specific labor-encouraging foods, but there isn’t any evidence to back up these claims. In fact, practices like indulging in spicy foods can only make mom miserable, causing heartburn and an upset stomach, according to Roshan.

Lastly, we have the famous suggestion of taking a small dose of castor oil to start contractions. This method may “work” in the sense that it can cause contractions, but that doesn’t make it a safe choice.
“[Ingesting castor oil] leads to bad diarrhea and dehydration and uterine contractions. I believe the contractions are mostly due to dehydration …  [This] method, although it will bring patients to hospital … does not cause real labor.”

The Truth About Inducing Labor

Ultimately, labor induction is something that moms should discuss with their care providers. Personally, by the time my third due date approached, I found myself resigned to the fact that carrying late was just something my body did.
I talked it through with my care provider, and they suggested I have something called a biophysical profile: a detailed evaluation that estimates the baby’s size and measures the fluid in the womb. After assessing the results, they scheduled a medical induction for the following week, but I went into labor after having my membranes swept. I found myself in the hospital with my amniotic sack leaking but needing oxytocin to get contractions started.

It was a hard labor and an experience I likely won’t repeat again. If there is another baby in my future, I’ll probably just let nature run its course.
If, like me, you find yourself experience a pregnancy that continues past 40 weeks, there is one thing Gaddis recommended you can do that will certainly help: Relax! Becoming consumed and anxious about giving birth can rob you of the joy of those final days with your partner and other children before your new baby arrives.

Categories
Mindful Parenting Motherhood

Mommy Beware: 11 Secretly Dangerous Baby Products

Feeling anxious about welcoming your baby? You’re certainly not alone. But before you run out to buy the latest, greatest, and most expensive products for your newborn, be sure to do your research.


“When I was pregnant, I was both surprised and alarmed to find that many products marketed for babies are actually quite dangerous,” says Kelsey Allan of home safety resource SafeWise. We spoke with Allan to find out how to properly vet children’s products—and which products to avoid entirely.  We learned some pretty surprising stuff.

For instance…

1. Bumbo Seats require some oversight.

“No doubt that the Bumbo is appealing to many families,” Allan says. “I know my own daughter would love the Bumbo far more than her restrictive high chair.”
The Bumbo helps babies sit up for mealtime and playtime, and when used properly, they’re safe. However, some models can tip over fairly easily, and many physical therapists dislike the Bumbo Seat’s original design (at least for long-term use).

The original version of the Bumbo seat didn’t keep babies restrained, and it was voluntarily recalled in 2007. Newer versions of the product have a strap to keep your baby in place, but the strap can’t keep the entire Bumbo from falling over with baby still inside. A Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) safety alert cited at least 80 occurrences of babies falling out of their Bumbo seats since the 2007 recall; at least 50 of those falls came when the Bumbo was on an elevated surface, and 21 of the falls caused skull fractures.
Bumbo’s website specifically notes that the seats are designed to be used on the floor—not as a replacement for the high chair. If your child loves the Bumbo seat, make sure to read the instructions carefully and never let your child play in it without supervision.

2. “Jumpers” have a few unexpected dangers.

Although babies may love them, doorway jumpers can put them in serious jeopardy, as improperly secured jumpers can easily cause injury.
Walker-jumpers are not necessarily any safer. After 29,000 jumpers were recalled in 2005, the CPSC issued a notice banning certain walkers that “[have] any exposed parts capable of causing [injury].” The full notice goes into more detail about the types of potential injuries, but we’ll leave the gloom-and-doom stuff out of this article.

That’s not the only reason to limit jumper time.


“In addition to the possibility of head or bodily injuries if a jumper breaks, even when they work properly, they can stunt your baby’s development,” says Allan. “Your child may not be exercising the right kinds of muscles to learn how to walk and may also adopt a different posture if they spend too much time in a jumper.”
Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego notes this as a potential issue, as jumpers “promote movement patterns that are not necessarily useful in normal development, including tiptoe standing and fast, uncontrolled movement.”

3. Sleep positioners can be dangerous.

Ironically, this product is supposed to keep your infant safe as they sleep. Instead, babies can find themselves buried face-first in the foam sides. From 1997–2010, the CPSC identified 12 fatal incidents resulting from infants using sleep positioners.
Parents may use sleep positioners because of the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to put babies on their backs to sleep. However, the AAP also notes that babies can safely roll over or move on their own. Typically, kids don’t need much help to sleep properly, and foam positioners may do more harm than good.


If you’re concerned about your child’s sleep habits, speak to your pediatrician to discuss options. In fact, that’s a good rule of thumb for anything on this list—if something we’ve written doesn’t vibe with your parental intuition, speak to a medical professional.  

4. Car seat toys are okay, but keep this in mind…

Car seat toys may seem like a great way to keep your child entertained, and during longer trips, that’s no small task.
However, safety organization Car Seats for the Littles (CSFTL) recommends only using the car seat toys that come with your baby’s car seat. Car seat manufacturers crash test their seats, and they test them with their toys attached.

Because toys from third parties aren’t tested, there’s no way to guarantee that they would stay attached in a car accident. Third-party toys aren’t regulated, so even if they have labels that say things like “crash-tested,” there is to know that “anything that doesn’t come with the seat will change how it performs during a crash,” reads the CSFTL piece.
If your child insists on an outside toy, make sure they are soft and lightweight.

5. Bath seats don’t necessarily make bath time safer.

“Bath seats [should be] considered bathing aids rather than safety devices,” says Allan.
While bath seats are perfectly safe when used with adult supervision, they may delude parents into leaving their infants unattended in the bath. The product can easily fall over with the baby inside.

Tragically, the CPSC reported 174 fatal incidents and 300 accidents associated with bath seats product between 1983 and 2009. Again, they’re safe with supervision, but that’s an important distinction: No matter how you bathe your child, never leave them by themselves.

6. Co-sleepers, at the moment, are a bad idea.

Mothers around the world have slept with their babies for generations, but that doesn’t necessarily make the practice safe. Bed-sharing can be dangerous, even when using co-sleeping devices, which often use foam fillers (a suffocation risk).


The flimsy foam sides also cannot withstand the weight of a full-grown adult, so they don’t always protect babies. For now, the AAP recommends putting your baby in a four-sided crib with a fitted mattress. While parents can sleep in the same room as their babies, they shouldn’t share a sleeping surface.

7. Crib bumpers seem like a safety feature, but…

Crib bumpers have been popular among parents who have concerns about hard crib bars.

“Bumpers are intended to keep your baby from getting their little limbs stuck between the rails of a crib,” Allan tells HealthyWay. But crib bumpers often do more harm than good.
“In reality, [the bumpers] could lead to suffocation or strangulation,” Allan says.

Many parenting classes warn people about the dangers they pose, and the AAP advises parents not to use them. Some states, including Maryland, have banned crib bumpers outright.
“A safer alternative is a mesh liner that allows breathability and still prevents limbs from getting stuck,” says Allan.
To be safe, though, it’s best to follow the aforementioned AAP guidelines: Put your baby to sleep in a crib with a tightly fitted sheet.

8. Walkers might be popular, but they have serious drawbacks.

A few decades ago, most babies spent at least some time in their walkers. They seem helpful, right?  
“Baby walkers may seem like a great way to get your baby moving faster. But they actually can slow your child’s development,” says Allan. Children can rely too heavily on the walker, which can inhibit their ability to learn to walk.
They’re also potentially dangerous. After a number of reported cases of children falling down stairs while using walkers, the AAP began calling for a ban on the product. The CPSC has estimated that 4,000 children were injured in walkers in 2010 alone.

A better option for your child is a stationary activity center. These products resemble walkers, but children can only spin around in place. Just make sure that the moving parts don’t present a risk for tiny fingers and hands.

9. Drop-side cribs aren’t worth the convenience.

“In theory, a drop-side crib may seem convenient,” Allan says. “Constantly bending over the side of your baby’s crib can definitely be hard on your back. However, dropside rails can easily come loose, causing your baby to get stuck or fall out and suffer serious injury.”
Drop-side cribs have been responsible for 32 infant fatalities since the year 2000. Millions of these cribs were recalled before the CPSC banned them in 2011.

CSPC

If you’re still using a drop-side crib, purchase a newer crib with fixed sides. If you get a used crib, choose one made after June 2011, which is when the stricter standards were put in place.

10. Crib tents pose several serious risks.

“These seem like a good idea when you have a toddler escape artist in the family, but your child could get stuck or strangled in a crib tent—and then the tents can be hard to detach quickly enough in a dangerous situation,” says Allan.

Parents use crib tents to keep their babies from climbing out or to protect infants from bugs and curious pets.

Medium Italic

Again, convenience doesn’t mean much if the product isn’t safe, and crib tents are not safe. Infants and toddlers can get caught in the fabric, which a multitude of injury risks. Some crib tents can also collapse.
“If your child keeps climbing out of the crib, think about transitioning to a toddler bed instead,” Allan suggests.

11. When using changing tables, be careful.

According to Consumer Reports, an estimated 3,000 babies are injured per year in changing table accidents.
Believe us, we get it; you’re not going to stop using changing tables. We’re not going to try to talk you out of it—just exercise some caution.

Whenever you can, use a changing table with four sides. Tables with fewer barriers should have contoured changing pads, which help to keep your baby in place.

Oh, and if your table has a strap, use it. You probably can’t avoid looking away from time to time while changing your baby, but if you take the proper precautions, you won’t have to worry.

Categories
Motherhood

The Science of Tickling: Does Playing "Tickle Monster" Make Parents Monsters?

There really is nothing quite as joy-inducing as the sound of giggling toddlers, and there is no better way to burn off a little energy before bedtime than running around the house. For these reasons, it seems like every family has some version of “tickle monster” they play with their kids. They chase their kids around the house, tackle them, and then tickle them until they scream.
My family plays it, too. Honestly, it has never crossed my mind to question this tradition. My kids laugh ferociously every time we tickle them. Recently, however, I came across research on the science of tickling. 

The main findings of this research, which was conducted in 1997 by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), is that humorous laughter and ticklish laughter share some similarities but don’t share the same psychological experience. Specifically, humorous laughter indicates enjoyment, and ticklish laughter does not.

Tickling: Fun or Torture?

There are big differences between our experiences when we are exposed to something funny and when we are being tickled.
Let’s get the similarities out of the way. The UCSD study (where college-aged test subjects watched something mundane, something funny, and were tickled, all in various orders) found that laughing at humor and laughing at tickling have a positive correlation—people who laugh a lot at humor tend to be more ticklish. This, in part, is what the researchers were trying to find out.

Yet beyond that, the similarities stop. In this study, multiple tests were conducted to examine the relationship between tickling and humorous laughter. What was most interesting (or perhaps obvious) about the results was the revelation that laughing at tickling doesn’t mean the tickle-subject is enjoying the experience.
“Despite agreeing to participate in a tickle study and despite smiling and laughing, most reported that they did not find the experience at all positive,” the researchers wrote. One study participant said she felt like she was being tortured while being tickled, even though she laughed a lot.

The researchers proved this point by measuring the effect of being tickled on the participants’ response to humor. The idea was that, if tickling was truly enjoyable, the participants would laugh more at comedy after being tickled—research shows, after all, that people tend to laugh more at a new humor stimulus if they’ve recently been laughing. They’re already giddy; it’s like they’re primed to crack up at the next funny thing.
This wasn’t the effect tickling had on the participants, however. The people who had been tickled and then exposed to Saturday Night Live didn’t laugh any harder than those who had not been tickled.

“The present results are consistent with tickle and humour responses sharing a final common motor-response pathway, without sharing the same psychological state,” the researchers wrote.
When you really think about it, it makes sense that tickling isn’t all fun and games. It’s easy for laughter to turn into tears after just a few minutes of tickling. There are also stories of young kids enduring “tickle torture.” One mom wrote into The Washington Post asking how to deal with her young child who had begun to dread being alone with his cousins for that reason.

Since then, there hasn’t been a lot of additional research on tickling. Harris, one of the original researchers from the 1997 study, has published followup literature on the topic. Specifically, in 2012 he wrote about the differences between smiling and laughing when amused and smiling and laugh when tickled. Published in The Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, he noted that a smile doesn’t always indicate a positive affect. However, he did clarify that he believes there is evidence that tickling can be enjoyed based on the environment and the relationship between the tickler and the person being tickled.
This brings up interesting questions regarding the prevalence of tickling in parent and child relationships. Should parents banish the tickle monster from their home? Or, because of the trust in the relationship, is tickling fair game?

Picking Up on Your Kid’s Cues

The truth is, it probably isn’t necessary to ban tickling from your home. It is important, however, to think twice before engaging in tickle play. It’s easy to assume that everyone involved is having fun, but parents should pay close attention to their child’s cues. As Jennifer Lehr wrote in Scary Mommy, parents who tickle their kids need to have “ground rules” in place to guide this type of play.
“Follow your child’s lead,” suggests Fran Walfish, PsyD, a Beverly Hills-based family and relationship therapist. “Some kids enjoy tickling while others find it painful. Know your child individually and intimately. Always give affection so that it feels good to both of you, not just the loving parent.”

Children who aren’t enjoying being tickled may be laughing, but they’ll often say “Stop!” or try to escape your grasp. In our family, for instance, we have one little one who yells “Stop!” before coming back for more. In light of what I know now about tickling, we’ve started asking her if she really wants to be tickled before we play tickle monster again. Usually, she says yes. Sometimes, she says no. We honor what she says because we don’t want to risk sending the wrong message.

According to Harris’ research, “A combination of thrill-seeking and pleasure in tactile contact might lead children to seek out what is still an intrinsically aversive situation.” Communication will help you and your child determine just how thrilling—and aversive—tickling is.
In general, Mayra Mendez, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California, believes that parents should allow children to set their own boundaries.

“Smiling or laughing because you’re getting tickled doesn’t mean you’re enjoying it,” she says. “These are sensorial reactions that may not be matching the emotional experience.”
This applies to games like tickle monster, says Mendez, but also to any situation that involves touch, including affectionate actions like hugs and kisses.

This is why it is important for parents to be watching for subtle cues from their children. Some children may ask you to stop or pull away, but others might not be so obvious. Flinching at your touch or grimacing between laughs are examples of more subtle cues that they’re not enjoying the tickling, says Mendez.

Are parents sending kids a mixed message?

In light of recent events, the topic of consent is getting a lot of attention in our culture. Now more than ever, parents are concerned with making sure their children understand that they are in charge of their body and can say no. They’re also having conversations about respecting consent, trying to teach their children to respect any no they hear from friends or family members.
In our family, we’ve been considering how important it is that our actions align with the things we say. We can tell our kids, “It’s your body,” but what message are we sending if we tickle them after they’ve said stop? Or if we pull them in for a hug or kiss when they try to wiggle away? We want to be certain we aren’t just preaching consent. We want to model it at home, too.

As parents, it’s easy to feel like we are the exception to rules about consent. It’s easy to feel that, as their mother or father, we get to smother them with kisses or tickle them whenever we please—that we don’t need our child’s permission to show them affection. The fact of the matter is that this mindset sends mixed messages to our children, says Mendez, who believes that parents need to consider how their actions align with their lessons about boundaries to their kids.
“Parents or caregivers as a whole have a tremendous power over young children,” she says. “Young children rely on learning about social cues, … what is acceptable, and … how to react to social messages from their caregivers.”

Because of this, she says it’s important that parents act in a way that is consistent with what they say to their children. Children will learn more from their emotional experiences than the words their parents say. Pushing, tickling, or hugging resistant children only sends the message that they can’t trust their own instincts. It communicates to children that they can’t trust themselves to decide what they do and don’t feel comfortable with.

What happens at home matters.

It’s important for parents to remember that their children trust them more than anyone. The way parents behave will ultimately influence how they respond to their friends or to strangers.
“If a child really isn’t comfortable with something, and the parent is still doing this action, that is sending the message that it’s okay,” says Mendez. This is confusing, and kids can’t discriminate between a parent who doesn’t respect their boundaries and a family member or stranger who pushes them to do something they’re not comfortable with.

These experiences that children have early in life have a huge impact on how they interact with others and the boundaries they set for themselves. Ultimately, parents need to respect those boundaries. They need to teach their children that they can trust themselves to decide what they are and aren’t okay with; they need to teach them that it’s okay to say no to the things they don’t enjoy. The lessons we teach our children will become the foundations for their interactions later in life.