Trying To Go Into Labor?

Those long nine months have dragged on for weeks and weeks. You cannot take it anymore, you want the baby out and you want it out now. You are like millions of other women that are exhausted of the mere thought of having to go another day being pregnant and wiped out. While this is common, there are a few rules to live by if you want to go down the path of aiming to get your baby out sooner.

First, if you are for example thirty weeks pregnant you have no business trying to get your baby out so soon. You will cause more harm than good and your infant will end up spending months inside a NICU before he or she can even go home. Instead, if you are more toward the later part of the third trimester then you can consider a few options. Some women do nothing but go for a bumpy car ride and poof, they break their water. Others, have to do everything short of run a marathon to get that process going and even then it may not be enough. Do not go to the extreme of going to drink castor oil or doing mopping the kitchen floor ten times, as you may end up hurting yourself instead. You have to remember that your baby will eventually come out when he's ready, your impatience is all that is the issue right now. Certainly pregnancy can be very uncomfortable and even on the good days, you still can't wait until it's over in most cases.

Some safer options to try out if you are close to your due date is to walk, drink or eat something spicy or as many would claim having intercourse has helped them give mother nature a boost. Walking is good for Mom and the baby, just don't overdo it. If you were fairly active throughout the pregnancy, you should be able to walk a fair distance toward the due date without any issues. Spicy foods have a tendency of waking up the digestive system, in doing so the baby moves around and eventually some say they break their water or begin having contractions.

Let's say you have made it to what you assume is the real deal and you think you have dilated and are ready to head to the hospital for the big show. Upon getting there, you may realize that there are a few things doctors want to see occurring before they allow you to start pushing. For instance, if you are before 37 weeks you may very well be sent back home. You could literally be three centimeters dilated and they will tell you to go home and come back when your contractions are around five minutes apart and you can time them for one whole hour. Millions of ladies contract, but no dilation and in these cases the doctors can give you medications to prevent further contractions and stop the labor. If your water breaks and you are close to the 37 week period or beyond it, then they should induce you and get the baby out as it is very bad to have the baby in there with no amniotic fluid. Use caution, and even though it may seem impossible try to hang on as long as you can to ensure your baby will be healthy and strong.

Possible Concerns Regarding Adoptions And Foreign Births

 

As I may have mentioned before, I was born in Guam. My father was stationed there for the Navy, and my sister started school there. Despite the fact that Guam is an American territory and has been for over a century, I've had my citizenship questioned several times  This was mostly when registering in school, but it raises an interesting question-what happens if a child is born outside the home country of her parents? Would she still be a citizen? What kind of hoops, if any, would you have to jump through? Also, what if you and your baby's father are from different countries? Could your child be a citizen of both countries? In this post, I'm going to attempt to answer this very complicated question. Even though I can only speak for the US, it can still give you some food for thought.

The answer is-yes and no. Most of the time, the US does not allow someone to be a citizen of more than one country except under certain circumstances.

For instance, it is possible for a child born to parents of different nationalities to automatically be granted citizenship of both countries. I once worked with a man whose father was from Denmark while his mother was from the US. Until he was older and joined the military, he was a citizen of both countries. Denmark just happened to allow this, but other countries may not. Since a dual citizen is often subject to the laws of both countries, it's up to you to decide if this is really something you want to deal with.

If your child is born in the US, s/he is automatically a citizen. The same goes for a child born abroad to American parents, like me.  It doesn't matter where a child is born; if she is born to American parents who are there as Americans (for instance, military or diplomatic families), she's a citizen.

To make things even more convoluted, it's possible for a child to have citizenship of a whole host of countries. A child born in the European Union to be a citizen of all EU countries, although they may not have the same rights in all countries.

If you adopt a child from another country, the citizenship of the child depends on the other country. In 1980, The Hague Convention was enacted to regulate international adoptions for the purposes of the child's protection and citizenship. It was started primarily to combat child abductions across international borders and facilitate the child's return home, but it also works with a large number of countries to match children with loving families. If a child is from a country that subscribes to the Convention, there are special guidelines the parents must follow to ensure their child's entry and residence in the country. It's possible to adopt a child from a country that does not subscribe to the Convention, but there may be different processes. Unfortunately, some countries might not process international adoptions at all. For more information about The Hague Convention, visit http://immigration.about.com/od/immigrationbasics/a/Inter_Adopt.htm.

As you can see, the subject of a child's citizenship can be pretty complicated. These are only basic guidelines, so you'll want to do your homework when it comes to the particular countries you're dealing with. I know this seems like an odd thing to think about, but it's becoming more and more relevant as the different countries of the world interact with each other. For more information, visit http://immigration.about.com/od/uscitizenship/f/DualCitizenship.htm.

Is It Post-Partum Depression?

 

A lot of new mothers will tell you that they feel a sense of anxiety and unease regarding their babies. After all, there's this whole new, tiny person that is completely dependent on you for her every need. He's fragile, so klutzy people like me are extra nervous because we fear we'll unintentionally hurt him with our 'butterfingers'. When you consider how many hormones a woman who has just had a baby has going haywire, it's no wonder that she might feel sad or have strange mood swings. The fact that new mothers rarely get a full night's sleep and that your mother-in-law is probably driving you crazy doesn't help matters any! But how can you tell if what you're feeling is a medical problem as opposed to 'normal' hormonal shifts? How can you recognize and treat postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis? While only your doctor can truly diagnose and treat you, here are a few warning signs.

• A change in your regular sleeping and eating patterns that causes problems and lasts for more than 2 weeks
• Depression or anxiety that lasts more than 2 weeks and/or interferes with your ability to care for yourself or your baby
• Thoughts of doing harm to yourself or your baby
• Lack of interest and pleasure in things you used to like
• Negative feelings toward/lack of interest in your baby
• Continuous thoughts of suicide or death in general

In addition to these, some signs of postpartum psychosis are-

• hallucinations
• strange behavior
• rapid mood swings
• confusion

If you feel you may have postpartum depression, see a doctor. There is also a related disorder called postpartum psychosis that, while rare, requires emergency treatment. Some of the more high-profile cases involving mothers harming their children (Andrea Yeats, etc) are examples of the dangers of postpartum psychosis.

The chances of developing either of these disorders are higher if you are younger than 20 when you have your baby, have stress in other areas of your life or had mixed feelings about the pregnancy from the beginning. The chances are also higher if you or a family member has had postpartum depression before or currently suffers from depression or bipolar disorder.

Keep in mind that the symptoms of postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis don't always show up right away. While it usually starts soon after birth and develops over a few months, it can also come on suddenly and after several months have already gone by. It can also happen after a stillbirth or miscarriage.

Some treatment options for postpartum depression include therapy and medication. There are, however, other things you can do for yourself at home that can help. Enlist the help of your significant other, family and friends in caring for the baby so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Do something just for yourself each day, even if it is as simple as a walk around the block. Get help with other things like household chores. But, above all else, give yourself a break! No one expects you to be supermom. If they do, well, ignore them because you're only human. Just take care of yourself and you will be better able to care for your baby.

Help! How Will I Know I'm Dilating?

The age old question...how will I know I'm dilating? Well ladies, the ugly truth of the matter is, you won't. You may lay in bed having some contractions for hours and assume that certainly you must be opening that cervix away by now right? It's not a reality many like to discuss but it does happen more often than not. No two cervixes are the same and that means no doctor can candidly tell you why your cervix contracts, but doesn't dilate itself. Let me give you an example, myself for instance. I'm pretty healthy, in my thirties pregnant with my 4th yes my 4th son...yes I am done ha! My first son, he had to be induced at 35 weeks due to being duress, had his cord wrapped around him so pitocin was used. Second son was a preemie, my water broke but no dilation at a scary 32 weeks (he's a healthy 9 year old now!) they administered pitocin yet again to get him out as he had no fluid in there to survive. Third baby, now he stayed in there until 38 weeks yeah! Get to the hospital after about an hour of decent pains, and I was 4 cm at that time. Once again, they let me try to dilate on my own, and my cervix was sleeping on the job as usual...pitocin all over again. Currently, I've been 3 cm for weeks now and I'm 37 weeks along. So there you have it, by the time I can deliver (which hopefully it will be sooner than later since I've had so many complications this pregnancy) I will probably need pitocin yet again to dilate! As you can see, some ladies can dilate all on their own with very little if any complications or medications needed from the hospital. Others less fortunate like myself cannot. It becomes all too frustrating when you know you have been contracting and cannot get dilated. If you are not at least 35 weeks along, you should contact you doctor as something serious such as preterm labor may be onset. After the 35 weeks women seem to experience these contractions more frequently and it isn’t as severe with the baby so close to being term. The baby is considered term at 37-38 weeks. Even though you stay pregnant for 40 weeks, he or she can be born during this time usually with very little complications. If you were in true labor, you could certainly be induced in most cases once that 37 week marker has hit. Is your doctor going to induce you simply because you are uncomfortable, not a chance. If you do have valid concerns such as the baby is measuring too big, you have high blood pressure, or any other ailment during your pregnancy they can induce you if they feel it is deemed medically necessary.

Questions To Ask Before Giving Birth

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There's no doubt that giving birth can be a life-changing experience. Some people say it's a beautiful way to see nature's miracles or a treasured memento about the child. I guess that's one reason why some fathers insist on filming the delivery! Other people say it's the most painful, scary and frustrating thing they've ever had to go through. I can't say which I would agree with most, but I definitely think the days and weeks (and in some cases, minutes!) leading up to the actual birth are fraught with questions and anxieties many of us didn't think about before-and You can, however, ease this tension if you know the right questions to ask your doctor well before the event! Here are a few of the important questions to ask your doctor before you go into the delivery room.

1. Who will be doing the delivery? Your own doctor, a midwife, another doctor?
2. Should I call when labor begins? Or can you just come to the hospital and have someone else call?
3. What exactly happens during a delivery? Do they use forceps or a vacuum if need be? Will they give an episiotomy? How often (and at what point) do they give a C-section? Do they monitor the baby's heart rate during the entire procedure? Will you be given IV fluids?
4. How many people can be in the delivery room with me? Who will be allowed? Some hospitals will only allow one person with the mother, while others will allow more. Some will only allow adult family members while others will let the mother bring anyone she wants. It all depends on the doctor and hospital.
5. Are you comfortable working with other professionals? Some women like to work with midwives, doulas or other kinds of 'coaches' during labor and delivery. If you have one, will your doctor allow them to be in the room with you? Does the hospital have any available if you decide you want one after you arrive?
6. Will I be allowed to walk/drink/eat/shower during labor if I want to?
7. At what point do you induce labor? Some doctors will induce labor if they have reason to believe the baby is not getting the proper nutrients from the placenta, such as a pregnancy that has lasted 42 or more weeks. Labor is also induced if the mother has preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by protein in the urine and high blood pressure. There are also cases where labor is induced if the labor doesn't start within 24-48 hours of the water breaking.
8. How late in labor can I get an epidural? Some people will intend on having a completely natural childbirth but change their minds once the worst of the pangs come. Does your doctor have a 'time limit' after which you will not be able to get an epidural?
9. Will someone be available to help me breastfeed? Many hospitals have lactation coaches if you want someone to show you how to breastfeed.
10. What will happen if there are complications? Will your child be transferred to another hospital? If not, what kind of care will be given? How long will your child be in a NICU (if this happens), and will you be able to see her while she's there?

These are just a few of the questions you should ask your doctor before the time comes to deliver your baby. I know there are probably a million things going on in your head right now, but it helps to have an idea of what is going to happen before you find yourself in the delivery room.