Johdeen La Rocque

She’s finally here at 6lbs 14ozs I delivered my baby girl naturally at 4:26am on Sunday. It was a wonderful experience.

Yes, with millions of toys recalled over the past few months, deciding what to buy your child has become an increasingly difficult decision for most parents. But don’t panic! Here are some tips to help keep your child safe and healthy:

You don’t need to childproof your entire home when your infant first arrives, but you do need to implement simple measures to keep your baby safe and healthy. Here are some precautions to take when preparing your home:

Well, week thirty-eight and week thirty-nine have come and gone and now you are up to week forty. Remember that your actual amount of time you are pregnant depends upon when you told your healthcare practitioner your last menstrual period was. If you were a little off on the date of your last menstrual period your due date may be a little off as well. Do not sweat it, that baby will eventually come out!

By this time your baby is about seven and one half pounds, his or her crown to rump measurement can be anywhere from fourteen to fifteen inches. That measurement does not include your baby’s legs, if you add them in his or her length jumps to about twenty-one to twenty-two inches long. Well, you may have noticed that your baby does not move as much. This is not because anything is wrong it is just because he or she has no room to move! Your uterus can be located anywhere from six and one half inches above your navel to about eight inches above your navel!

Remember that every due date is an estimate and that every baby is born at his or her own pace. If you believe that there is a problem with the length of your pregnancy ask your healthcare provider about your concerns. He or she will tell you that your pregnancy will be to term from any where between thirty eight and forty two weeks and that anything over forty two weeks may become a concern. Only about five percent of pregnancies last past forty-two weeks.

If your pregnancy lasts about a week past your due date your healthcare provider will check you and your baby with more frequency. He or she will look to see if your baby’s heartbeat is regular and strong using an electronic fetal monitor, one or two times a week. Your healthcare practitioner may even perform an ultrasound to see the amniotic fluid and the position of your baby and how much your baby is moving. If you feel that your baby is not moving enough you should tell your healthcare provider. Sometimes, a baby’s movements slow down due to lack of oxygen. Your healthcare provider will also begin to check your cervix to see if it’s dilated and thinned for your labor. If your cervix is closed and is not favorable for inducing labor and all of the tests of your baby are completely normal, some doctors will allow the pregnancy to go on for one more week. Ask your healthcare provider what he thinks is best.

If your health care provider feels that any of these tests are abnormal he or she may choose to induce labor. Labor is induced to avoid complications such as fetal distress or a baby that will get too large to deliver easily.

Fetal distress occurs when the baby doesn’t get enough oxygen. The baby’s heart rate drops, and the baby cannot tolerate the stress of labor. Ask your healthcare practitioner what he or she will do if you are past your due date. How long will he or she wait to induce labor and what should you expect?

Your healthcare provider may induce your labor by using medication. This medication will cause your contractions to begin within one or two hours. You may even have your labor induced by having your water broken. This is done through a pelvic examination where your healthcare provider ruptures your membrane, thereby allowing the amniotic fluid to escape. This may also begin your labor. It is best to discuss with your healthcare provider what is the safest method for you and your baby. Remember that having knowledge and being prepared will make your labor and delivery easier in the long run. Good Luck!

Well, its week 40 of my pregnancy and I’m doing great, but the doctors think that my baby should be here already and want in induce labor. I was very uncomfortable with that idea, so I asked if there was something wrong and the doctor said no everything is fine.

So then I’m wondering why the induction, and I was told that after 40 wks of pregnancy delivery doesn’t happen naturally they with help it alone. Now they want to give me until Sunday, if by then I don’t deliver naturally they’ll will induce, and they already made the appointment for Feb 6th just in case.

At this point and time I’m just hoping for a big change between now and Sunday so that I can avoid the induction stage labor.

One of the most effective non-drug methods of pain relief is something very simple: water! A shower or bath is very effective and becoming common and popular in many labor units. A warm shower or bath feels great, and although it won’t take away the pain completely, it is distracting, calming, and soothing. Many hospitals are incorporating tubs as a routine part of their labor and delivery suites. No special preparation is needed to use a tub or shower. Hypnosis is also becoming very popular during labor, and many childbirth classes offer this in addition to the regular schedule of instruction. The downside of hypnosis is that several sessions and specific preparation are needed for best results.

Another non-epidural method is a narcotic injection. This may take some of the edge off the pain, but will not give the same degree of relief as an epidural. In addition, both you and baby may feel a bit sleepy or nauseated as a result of the injections.

When it is time for your partner to have your baby you will know it! It is a time that many men remember for the rest of their lives. It will seem as if you have so many things to do in a very short period of time when the reality is that the first stage of your partner’s labor is relatively long, sometimes many hours and sometimes days. Some women cruise through the first stage of labor without knowing it, only to proceed directly into the second stage of labor. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars!

Whatever way your partner begins her labor there is a good chance that it will be your job to call the doctor and your job to pack the car and your job to drive to the hospital or birthing center. Just remember that it is your job to stay calm and relaxed, it is not your partner’s job to keep you calm and relaxed!

The best way to be calm and relaxed is to be prepared although being prepared will not keep you from thinking, “Gee, has it been nine months already? I’m not ready for this!” One of the first things that you should do is to make sure you have your “Daddy Bag” packed. Yes, a “Daddy Bag”. This is not the same bag that your partner will bring to the hospital with her but your very own bag with your very own things in it. This is because there will be a good chance that you may need a change of clothes, toothbrush and anything else that you may need for your personal hygiene. Remember that labor can take a long time and you will be there for the duration. Make sure it has comfortable clothing and shoes and maybe even some snacks and something to drink. You can always get ice in a hospital but a cafeteria is not always available so be prepared. You may even want to bring a good book to read when your partner is resting, that is if you don’t fall asleep as well! If your partner is reading a book you may even want to bring that along and read it to her; it may take her mind away from the pain. Another good thing to bring is you and your partner’s favorite music. Bring along a personal CD player as well as a regular one so that both of you can enjoy the music.

One of the best things that you can do for your partner and your baby is to be relaxed and calm, at least on the outside. If you have a bag that is filled with things that are familiar it will be easier for both you and your partner to settle down and get to the business of having your baby.

Yesterday was the worse day throughout the 9 months of my pregnancy. All day I was walking around the house or trying to walk around the house as if my baby was ready to come out. If I sit on the bed it took all of 15 minutes to get up. If I try to lye down on my left side it took all of another 15 minutes to role over on the right and all because of the cramping and pressure I’ve been feeling. It was so frustrating I couldn’t even thing straight nor have anyone around me for that matter, I just wanted to lay up in bed and be by myself.

As for last night? lets just say I felt like I was going out of my mind, I couldn’t even sleep. So I decide to take all my pillow on the bed - all 5 of them - and rest them against the bedhead so that I can sit upright. The I put the pregnancy support pillow around me so that I can be cushioned and laid back to watch the TV.

I guess thats all i needed to do earlier in the night because when I finally caught myself it was around 5 or 6 which meant that I got some sort of rest; while sitting up.

Got up this morning and I was still in discomfort just not as much as I was yesterday.

How many times have you heard yourself say just that sentence after a hard day at work? Plenty! Well, until you are pregnant for the first time you have no idea how much and how important the words, “I want to relax” are. Pregnancy is a naturally stressful time for you and those around you. It is a time of changes; changes in your body, changes in your mind, and changes in your relationships both at home and at work. Not only are you working outside your body but you are working inside your body as well. This sounds funny, but not only are you accomplishing your everyday activities but your body is also working very hard to grow a baby!

It is during this time when you may really want to consider taking some time just for just you. It need not be an hour, or even a half an hour, it could be as little as fifteen minutes. What is important is that the time you choose is all your own. You are to have no interruptions! No, it is not impossible! Turn off the phone, tell your partner to watch some sports and find something that you really like to do. If you like to nap, nap. If you like to read, read. If you like to take a bath, take a bath. This time is all yours to do what ever you like. The best thing for you to do is to choose the same time everyday. Whether it is the morning, afternoon, or evening. Once you have a routine it will be easier to adhere to your schedule.

It may be difficult at first to decide what to do with your time. Let’s face it, before you became pregnant you did not have the time or the necessity to relax. Although, now that you are pregnant you really do not have the time, but as your pregnancy progresses you will realize that you will accomplish more if you are rested and relaxed.

One of the sure fire ways to relax is to take a bath, that is unless the tub is dirty, and then it is just aggravating. Anyway, the tub is clean, the lights are out, you have candles lit around the room, and your favorite CD is playing in the background. This can be a wonderful way to relax. If you want to read, do not forget the book! Oh, have your partner clean the tub when you are done!

Whether you are pregnant or just had a baby there are going to be times when you will find that you can not sleep. Maybe your belly is uncomfortable or your back hurts or the baby has just awakened you for the umpteenth time. Either way, you can’t sleep and you find it frustrating that you are lying awake, knowing that you will have to get up in a few short hours. That in itself is a sure-fire way to keep you from falling asleep. The best thing for you to do is to find something to take your mind off trying to get to sleep.

The first thing for you to do is to try and use some of your relaxation techniques that you may have learned during childbirth class. What, you didn’t learn any? Well, here is one way to relax. Lie flat on your back or on your side, any way that you are comfortable, and close your eyes. That’s the first step to sleeping anyway. You should begin to concentrate on each one of your body parts and begin to relax the muscles, do not keep them tense. If you can’t identify them with just your mind tense the muscle then slowly relax it. You should begin at the top of your body and work your way down to your toes. Remember to concentrate on nothing else, only relaxing your muscles. By the time you are down to your toes you should be ready to fall asleep.

Another technique that you may want to try is using a CD or tape of sounds that you find relaxing. There are many of these tapes out there. Some are of birds, some are of the ocean, and there are some that are just white noise. White noise is the sound you get when the radio or television is not on a station. It has been found that these sounds help to calm the mind and relax you. Just be aware that using these tapes may make you fall sound asleep. You may even want to drink warm milk and read a book. It has been found that warm milk contains a substance that helps you to sleep.

Whatever way you choose to fall asleep the key is to be relaxed. If you can’t fall asleep get up and do something else; you may find that in twenty minutes or so you will be ready for bed.

At each visit, your midwife or doctor will do an abdominal exam to check your baby’s growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether you’ve started effacing (when the cervix thins out) or dilating (when the cervix opens).

If the week passes and your baby stays put, don’t panic. Only 5 percent of babies are born on their scheduled due date. And your baby can’t make you wait indefinitely for his arrival. If you go past your due date, your provider will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it’s safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don’t go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you’re between one and two weeks overdue.

Pregnant women on television sitcoms always have their water break dramatically — in the middle of a crowded room, of course — just before going into labor. Don’t worry about a similar scenario happening to you. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in less than 15 percent of pregnancies, and it’s not normally an enormous gush — usually a small gush or a slow leak. In any case, if your water does break (or you even suspect you might have a leak), call your doctor or midwife right away, but stay calm — it may be hours before your first contraction. (If you’re a GBS carrier, you’ll be asked to go to the hospital so you can start getting IV antibiotics and will likely be induced at the same time if you don’t start contracting on your own.) Also call your practitioner right away if you notice that your baby’s movements have slowed, whether or not you’re leaking fluid.

There are more common signs of impending labor than water breaking. You may notice your mucus plug — the small amount of thick mucus that blocks your cervical canal — in your undies or in the toilet. It might be tinged with a small bit of brownish, pink, or red blood (which is why it’s called “bloody show”). (If you have vaginal spotting or bleeding other than mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood, call your caregiver without delay.) Labor usually starts within a day or two of seeing the mucus plug. Another sign of labor is contractions at regular — but increasingly shorter — intervals. If you’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions, you’ll now realize that these were just practice. Your doctor or midwife will tell you when to give her a call, but it will likely be once your contractions last about a minute each and arrive every five minutes for about an hour. (Time the contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next one.) If you’re unsure about your progress, go ahead and give your practitioner a call.

Your practitioner may have you count fetal movements. Even if you aren’t asked to formally count movements, call her immediately if you notice a decrease in your baby’s activity. Your baby should remain as active as ever right up to delivery, and a decrease in activity could be a sign of a problem — meaning that you need to deliver now rather than later.

I had my doctors appointment today and my health care provider informed me that all was well with me and my baby. She also mentioned that I still have a long way to go before my baby decides to enter the world, so I’m still in the waiting game.

Next week will be week 40 for me in this pregnancy and if my baby doesn’t come by then the doctors will have to induce labor - at least that’s what they will like to do - but I’m ruling against it. I strongly believe that babies come along when they are suppose to, so I’m betting that my child will come when she is ready without the help of the doctors. Besides inducing labor just increases the pain, so I will really like to avoid that as well.

Labor or delivery can begin anywhere from the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy up through and including week number forty-two. Your due date is determined by the date of your last menstrual cycle. If you are correct about that date your healthcare provider will be able to give you a pretty good estimate of when you may go into labor.

You may have notice that you have had one type of cramping or another through out your pregnancy. You may even have has Braxton Hicks contractions where your uterus contracts and relaxes, getting you ready for delivery. You may even by this time have had false labor. An irregularity in contractions or just cramping in the lower abdomen may determine false labor. True labor begins at the top of the uterus and spreads through out the uterus and sometimes into the lower back. Your healthcare provider may tell you if your contractions last for at least one minute, are five minutes or less apart, and continue for at least 1 hour, you are most likely in labor.

Labor has three stages. The onset of labor or the first stage, is begins with contractions of the uterus. These contractions are cramplike pains in the abdomen or lower back. It may feel as if you are beginning your period. These contractions will continue every ten to thirty minutes and last about forty seconds. They will increase in frequency until they occur about every two minutes. Every time you have a contraction your cervix, or the neck of your uterus, will dilate until it reaches about for inches or ten centimeters. This will be wide enough to allow the baby’s head to emerge.

In the second stage of labor your baby will pass through the birth canal. Usually your baby’s head will be first. Sometimes though, a baby is born with the rear end first, this is called a breech birth. The effectiveness of uterine contractions in this stage is enhanced by the bearing-down abdominal contractions of the mother.

The third stage of labor occurs about fifteen to thirty minutes after your baby is born. Thought you were done, didn’t you? This is when the placenta is separated from the uterine wall and is delivered, almost like the baby.

The total time of labor averages between thirteen and fifteen hours if this is your first pregnancy and eight to nine hours for women who have already had children.

There are signs other than contractions that may alert you that your pregnancy is coming to an end and you labor is beginning. One thing is called a mucus plug. This is a collection of secretions that block the opening of the cervix. When your cervix thins the plug is discharged. It will look be blood tinged and mucous like. If this happens contact your healthcare provider.

You may also find that your water has broken. This usually only happens to about five percent of the women who are pregnant so do not stress about causing a mess in public!

You may find that you are cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Yes, this is a sign of imminent labor. Sounds silly, but it is called nesting and humans and animals have been doing for eons. Getting ready for baby!

Unfortunately you may find yourself with diarrhea. This is nature’s way of emptying your intestines to make room for your baby’s journey through the birth canal.

These are just a few signs of upcoming labor. Do not worry, just relax, and all will be well. If you have any questions or concerns ask your healthcare provider.

Its week 39 of my pregnancy and I’m feeling so heavy  and big that its making me very hard to walk properly most of the time. I’m also feeling lots of pressure as if she’s ready to come out. At this point I’m feeling very impatient; in that I can’t wait to have this baby and continue from there.

I honestly must say though that I’m a lot nervous about going into labour and having my baby. For one thing I really don’t know what its gonna be like and I don’t know how I’m  going to deal with it all; then again it’s my first child so I guess my reaction to all of this is normal.

I would also be very much on the uneasy side if she turns out to be a boy, only because I’ve given her a name and everyone’s shopping for girl - which means a lot of pink - as appose to shopping on the unisex side. It’s true that pink is not my favorite color, but i would have really like for the pinks to start coming once I’m absolutely sure that she is a girl. Well, I guess I’ll have to deal with it all in due time.

Well, I went to my appointment yesterday and everything went well. My baby measured perfect length from head to foot and my pressure, pulse etc; was the way it should. I’ve actually started to experience irregular contraction and has now began dilating by 1cm.

My baby is very active, moving around morning, noon and night. It’s such a wonderful and great feeling so much so that if I don’t feel any movement in me I’ll be very worried and start panicking.

Well, for the rest of the day I’ll be taking it easy - that is, after I’m finish cooking and cleaning.

Today I go in for my doctors appointment schedule for 3pm. Just looking for to hear the progress my baby have been making inside of me. I could only imagine just by the way I’m feeling especially at nights - lots of pain as if she’s ready to come out.

Right this second my baby is moving inside of me left, right and center. I’m feeling so heavy at this point and time I myself can’t wait for her to come out, but I guess I just have to sit tight and wait until the time is right.

At this point and time I’m feeling so depressed and lonely that I can’t even think straight or what I should do next and its not a good feeling at all. I feel this way ever so often and sometimes there is this friend that I can call and talk to or he’ll call to see how I’m doing and it always help in making me feeling better. Except for last night I couldn’t get him so I had a very restless night, but I guess thats all in the game.

Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about these uneasy feelings but deal with them. Maybe if I had someone here with me to comfort me and make me feel good then I might more be at ease, but thats not the case so I just have to deal with the situation as it is.

But hey, I’ve been told that I’m a very strong black woman and I’ve done well so far so I’m pretty sure ‘ll be able to make all the way to the end without any problems - at least I’m hoping. Now I’ll be going to get me something to eat before I head out.

I’m sick of being pregnant! Is something wrong with me?

Nope, it’s perfectly normal to feel that way. Many women get tired of being pregnant during the third trimester, and some even earlier. What’s exciting and new during the first few weeks and months of pregnancy can become pretty tedious by the sixth or seventh month. Let’s face it, there’s nothing particularly thrilling about having to roll out of bed sideways, groan every time you stand up, and pee 20 times a day. Sure, you always get offered a seat on the train, but you also face little delights like hemorrhoids and heartburn. It’s enough to wipe the rosy glow from even the most excited mom-to-be.

However, if your pregnancy ennui starts to feel more like persistent blues or anxiety that’s affecting your ability to function, talk to your prenatal care practitioner. Although mood swings are common in pregnancy (especially among women who suffer from PMS), feeling chronically bored and listless could be a symptom of depression. Postpartum depression gets more attention in the press, but at least 10 percent of women have bouts of depression during pregnancy. Untreated depression isn’t good for you or the health of your baby, so it’s important to get treatment. Fortunately, most cases of pregnancy-related depression can be treated by a supportive therapist and with antidepressant medication if necessary.

Dealing with others

On top of your physical discomfort, you may find yourself enduring endless questions and comments from others about your pregnancy. “Once I started showing, no one at work ever talked to me about anything but being pregnant,” recalls Susan Greer, an accountant and mother of one from New Hampshire. “By the sixth month, I wanted that baby out and my body and identity back.”

And then there are the unsolicited comments — and hands — on your physique. “I’m always getting ‘Wow, you are so big!’ comments, advice I didn’t ask for, and people touching my stomach,” a mom-to-be writes on our bulletin boards. “As if I’m not already annoyed because of how uncomfortable I am!”

Many women get tired of conversation that focuses on their burgeoning physical state. Try steering conversation back to nonpregnancy topics — even if it’s just the weather or the latest reality TV show. Feel free to tell your family and close friends that you need a reprieve from pregnancy talk, and you’re back in the market for conversation that has nothing to do with food cravings and not seeing your feet.

Also, give yourself permission to vent when you feel the need. Although family and friends (and even life partners) can sometimes get worn down from a verbal catalogue of pregnancy woes, you can count on finding a sympathetic ear in other pregnant women. Commiserate and trade advice with other women due the same month as you or women on any of our many pregnancy-related bulletin boards.

This means that if my baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though my due date maybe three weeks away.

How your life’s changing:

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some “bloody show” (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less. (If you have heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.) Also be sure to as