Communicate to your unborn baby

Your womb is already rich in sound -- the beating of your heart, the rhythmic swoosh of the placenta, even the gurgles of your stomach are music to your baby's ears.

The ear, already functional by the 16th week of pregnancy, is an incredibly sensual organ. Speaking, singing and touching your baby through the womb all provide ways to begin your relationship with your unborn child. Express your love. Your baby is listening (and learning too).

Consider these fun and easy ways to promote your bond with your unborn baby:

1. Talk to your baby Massaging your womb gently and talking softly to your unborn child is not new. Mothers have done it throughout time. Dads, too, can get acquainted with their baby prenatally, by talking through the waters, while gently massaging your belly with cream or oils.
Many mothers report feeling silly, at first, talking out loud to their babies in the womb. But, in private, you will easily overcome your initial embarrassment. Save time to talk to your baby, in the bath, or before you go to sleep. Make it a habit once or twice during the day to say something loving out loud. And why not ask your partner for a "good night" massage and verbal expressions of love and encouragement to your little one on the inside?

2. "Touch" your baby. Push gently on your baby and you will likely get a push back! While there is no need to prod and poke, do gently touch your baby through the womb. In the last month of pregnancy, you are likely to be able to see a heel which ripples across your abdomen. A father can also push gently, to find a foot or shoulder, and the baby pushes back, automatically responding to your touch. Feeling your baby respond to your touch, while in the womb, can be very thrilling, when it occurs!

3. Play music and sing to your baby. Music is thought to be pre-linguistic and contributes to your baby's foundation for language skills. Listening to music yourself, and singing tunes you enjoy can provide healthy stimulation for your child's development.

Your baby is learning to recognize the sounds of your voice and daddy's voice in the last month of pregnancy. When born, your baby will likely turn toward the sounds of your voices over others. Yes, indeed, your baby is listening to you already.

Postpartum Depression

What is depression?

Depression can be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of depression, which your doctor can determine, influences how you are treated.

How common is depression during and after pregnancy?

Depression that occurs during pregnancy or within a year after delivery is called perinatal depression. The exact number of women with depression during this time is unknown. But researchers believe that depression is one of the most common complications during and after pregnancy. Often, the depression is not recognized or treated, because some normal pregnancy changes cause similar symptoms and are happening at the same time. Tiredness, problems sleeping, stronger emotional reactions, and changes in body weight may occur during pregnancy and after pregnancy. But these symptoms may also be signs of depression.

What causes depression?

There may be a number of reasons why a woman gets depressed. Hormone changes or a stressful life event, such as a death in the family, can cause chemical changes in the brain that lead to depression. Depression is also an illness that runs in some families. Other times, it’s not clear what causes depression.

Factors that may contribute to postpartum depression include:

• Feeling tired after delivery, broken sleep patterns, and not enough rest often keeps a new mother from regaining her full strength for weeks.
• Feeling overwhelmed with a new, or another, baby to take care of and doubting your ability to be a good mother.
• Feeling stress from changes in work and home routines. Sometimes, women think they have to be "super mom" or perfect, which is not realistic and can add stress.
• Having feelings of loss — loss of identity of who you are, or were, before having the baby, loss of control, loss of your pre-pregnancy figure, and feeling less attractive.
• Having less free time and less control over time. Having to stay home indoors for longer periods of time and having less time to spend with the your partner and loved ones.
  

Here are some other helpful tips:

• Try to get as much rest as you can. Try to nap when the baby naps.
• Stop putting pressure on yourself to do everything. Do as much as you can and leave the rest!
• Ask for help with household chores and nighttime feedings. Ask your husband or partner to bring the baby to you so you can breastfeed. If you can, have a friend, family member, or professional support person help you in the home for part of the day.
• Talk to your husband, partner, family, and friends about how you are feeling.
• Do not spend a lot of time alone. Get dressed and leave the house. Run an errand or take a short walk.
• Spend time alone with your husband or partner.
• Talk with other mothers, so you can learn from their experiences.
• Join a support group for women with depression. Call a local hotline or look in your telephone book for information and services.
• Don’t make any major life changes during pregnancy. Major changes can cause unneeded stress. Sometimes big changes cannot be avoided. When that happens, try to arrange support and help in your new situation ahead of time.

Fathers are pregnant too

Fathers have a unique role to play in their childrens lives. This begins from the moment of conception, and continues throughout the pregnancy - and of course beyond! Research has shown that the developing human-in-utero is profoundly affected by her environment and by the emotions of BOTH of his parents. Read here about how fathers can start making a difference to and building the relationship they have with their child.... before they are even born!

Get Educated

Once you find out that you are pregnant, the expectant father should - as soon as possible - get educated about what is ahead. Take the time right away to explore the resources that are available online, from your medical professional and from books. The more that you know about pregnancy now, the easier the next months will become.

Support, Support, Support

Providing support is the best thing a partner can do; support in decision-making, in doing extra things within the household and emotional support. Women, when they are pregnant, have a cocktail of hormones surging around in their veins and they can experience heightened emotions so you really have to go with it.
Showing an interest in your partner's day-to-day life and trying to understand what she is going through is equally important. However, she adds that many men also face challenges and fears during this time, so it is important that both partners nurture each other. "Both partners need to be attuned to each other and a lot of the attention does go to the pregnant mother.

The first trimester is a key stage. If there are to be any complications, this is the stage at which they are likely to manifest themselves. Frequently, the first trimester is the worst in terms of morning sickness and nausea. Remember that your partner's body is going through a pretty intense period of time - she is growing a baby. If she is fit, she will soon have to tone down the intensity of her workouts and switch to yoga or Pilates for the duration of the pregnancy. This is the precise time for you to start doing extra things around the house and offering to exercise together. Cooking is a great idea, provided that she can keep the food down and has not developed an aversion to the food she used to adore.

The second trimester is often referred to as the honeymoon phase since most of the first trimester discomforts will have subsided. Your partner's crankiness, fatigue and nausea will likely disappear, thus making this is a great time for a pre-baby vacation. Airplane flight is usually safe, so a surprise vacation might be in order.

The third trimester is generally when the weight becomes burdensome and the discomforts of pregnancy return. By the end of this trimester, your partner may be suffering from swollen ankles, fatigue, constipation and hemorrhoids. She may be uncomfortable with how she looks and with her limited mobility. Everything will become tedious: walking, standing and even sitting. Be patient and pick up the slack by helping out around the house more than ever. This is also the time when nesting begins, which is the powerful urge pregnant women get to clean and prepare the house for the arrival of the baby. Be warned that this urge only intensifies as the due date approaches. Show your partner that you are also excited by impending parenthood and offer to help set up the nursery. Better yet, go shopping with her for all baby essentials. And don't forget to attend every prenatal class and play the role of supportive partner.

Studies show that babies in the womb can hear outside noises (and voices) as early as the fourteenth week. Your baby will be familiar with your partner's voice because she is carrying the baby. There is no reason why you shouldn't spend at least five minutes a day speaking to her womb or even reading a book! This will help you forge a closer bond with your tot months before he or she enters the real world. You'll also note that by this time junior kicks quite a bit - this is truly a wonderful experience that you should take the time to enjoy.

Breastfeeding can do wonders

In addition to containing all the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness.And scientific studies have shown that breastfeeding is good for your health, too.

What Breastfeeding does to you and your baby:

• Breastfeeding protects your baby from gastrointestinal trouble, respiratory problems, and ear infections
• Breastfeeding can protect your baby from developing allergies.
• Breastfeeding may boost your child's intelligence
• Breastfeeding may protect against obesity later in life
• Breastfeeding may protect your baby from childhood leukemia
• Breastfeeding may protect your baby from developing type 1 diabetes
• Breastfeeding may protect preemies from infections and high blood pressure later in life
• Breastfeeding may lower your baby's risk of SIDS
• Breastfeeding helps you lose weight
• Breastfeeding can lower your stress levels and reduce postpartum bleeding
• Breastfeeding may reduce your risk of some types of cancer
• Breastfeeding may protect against osteoporosis later in life

Your Pregnancy: 6 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

The cells that will make up all of your baby's body parts and systems are dividing furiously as her body begins to take shape. Right now she's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through your uterine wall, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where her eyes and nostrils are beginning to take shape. Shallow pits on the sides of her head mark her developing ears, and her arms and legs appear as protruding buds. Her hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but her fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be your baby's mouth, there are small folds where her neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, her tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.)
Your baby's heart (which is starting to divide into the right and left chambers) is beating about 100 to 130 beats per minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to circulate through her body. Her intestines are developing and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where her lungs will be. She's also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, she'll likely start moving her tiny limbs. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to wait until you're several weeks into your second trimester before you get to enjoy feeling your baby's calisthenics.

How your life's changing:

If you haven't already, you may soon find yourself riding pregnancy's emotional roller coaster, feeling moody one day and joyful the next. Disturbing as this may be — especially if you pride yourself on being in control — what you're going through is completely normal and will probably continue throughout your pregnancy. Up-and-down emotions are partly caused by fluctuating and (in many cases) very high levels of hormones. But hormones aside, your entire life is about to change — and who wouldn't feel emotional about that?

Spotting (finding spots of blood on your underpants or toilet tissue after urinating) or bleeding is common in early pregnancy, but sometimes it can be the first sign of miscarriage. If you have any spotting or bleeding, call your doctor right away so she can determine whether your spotting indicates a potential problem.

Your Pregnancy: 5 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — that will later form his organs and tissues. The cells are forming for his major organs, including his kidneys and liver, and his neural tube is beginning to develop. This neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — develops in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue. The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

How your life's changing:

Pregnancy symptoms may surface this week if they haven't already. If you're like most women, you'll notice nausea (and not just in the morning), sore breasts, fatigue, and frequent urination. All are normal, all are annoying, but the upside is that they're all a part of being pregnant and won't last forever. The outside world won't see any sign of the dramatic developments taking place inside you — except maybe that you're turning down that glass of wine with dinner. It's a good idea to avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy since no one knows exactly how much — or how little — alcohol can harm a developing baby.

Your Pregnancy: 4 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until ten weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be the most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.Right now your baby is an embryo consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all her organs and body parts will develop. The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow into so that the developed placenta can provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week. Also present now are the amniotic sac that will house your baby, the amniotic fluid that will cushion her as she grows, and he yolk sac that produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta is ready to take over this duty.

How your life's changing:

This week, you should be able to find out if you're pregnant. How will you know for sure? Take a home pregnancy test; they're no different from the tests used in most practitioner's offices.
If the test is positive, call your practitioner's office and schedule your first prenatal appointment. Many practitioners won't see you until you're at least 8 weeks along, but if you're taking any medications — prescription or over-the-counter — ask now whether it's safe to keep taking them, and alert your doctor to any other issues of concern. You should already be taking a prenatal vitamin, but be sure to start now if you aren't. The next five weeks are critical to your baby's development. The rudimentary versions of the placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already functioning. Your baby is now exposed, via the placenta, to what you take into your body, so make sure it's healthy.

Cord Blood: What it is.

Every day, thousands of parents are choosing to give a powerful gift to their newborns: Cord Blood Banking. The following explains exactly what cord blood is and how, by storing it, you can help protect your baby's future health.

First things first. What is Cord Blood? The blood that remains in your baby's umbilical cord after it has been cut is called cord blood and is rich in stem cells. Stem cells are one of the most promising areas of medical treatment for a number of common illnesses such as heart disease and Alzheimer's. They're the body's "master" cells and can regenerate into the cells that form all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. Many families are now choosing to bank these genetically unique cord blood stem cells for the future health of their loved ones.

More information:

What is cord blood?

Cord blood, which is also called "placental blood," is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. Cord blood is routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord.Your baby's umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family.


What are stem cells?

Stem cells are the body's "master" cells because they create all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body.The stem cells found in cord blood are the building blocks of your blood and immune system and most readily reproduce into:Red Blood Cells - which carry oxygen to all the cells in the bodyWhite Blood Cells - which fight infectionPlatelets - which aid in clotting in the event of injuryThere are three sources where stem cells are commonly found, they are:
Bone MarrowPeripheral Blood (the blood that circulates through your body)Umbilical Cord Blood The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body is a new discovery that holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's.


How are stem cells used?

Currently, stem cells are primarily used in transplant medicine to regenerate a patient's blood and immune system after they have been treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation to destroy cancer cells. At the same time the chemotherapy and radiation destroys the cancer cells in a patient, they also destroy stem cells. Therefore, an infusion of stem cells or a stem cell transplant is performed after the chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. The stem cells then migrate to the patient's bone marrow where they multiply and regenerate all of the cells to create a new blood and immune system for the patient. The promise of using stem cells for medical treatments has been the focus of research projects that are showing encouraging results. Cord blood stem cells have been "triggered" to differentiate into neural cells, which could lead to treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They have also proven their ability to turn into blood vessel cells, which could some day benefit treatments for heart disease, allowing patients to essentially "grow their own bypass."


Are cord blood stem cells different than other types of stem cells?

Yes. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are the "youngest," safely available stem cells and they are the product of another miracle - a live birth. Freezing these cells essentially stops the clock and prevents aging and damage that may occur to the cells later in life. Another source of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, has been at the heart of heated debate. Currently, embryonic stem cells are not being used to treat humans. A third category of stem cells is adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow. Adult stem cells serve very specialized roles in children and adults and are not as proliferative as those found in cord blood.

Importance of folic acid

All women need folic acid. When a woman has enough folic acid before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain or spine.

Be sure to get enough folic acid every day. Start before you are pregnant. Folic acid is needed during the first few weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. And half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned. That is why it’s so important to start taking folic acid each day, even when you are not planning to get pregnant.

Folic acid might also have other benefits for men and women of any age. Some studies show that folic acid might help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.