Pregnancy and Health Care

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You are at the end of your pregnancy, you lose water or you experience painful contractions and close it’s time to leave for maternity. From your arrival at the facility in your room with your baby, this is what happens.

The arrival at the maternity

Upon your arrival, a midwife is your constant (voltage, temperature) and considers the cervical dilation. She puts on your arm a catheter to be used in cases of infusion and install two sensors in your stomach that monitoring records uterine contractions and the baby’s heart.
The early work

You are then installed in work room. You can get up and do exercises with a ball.

Every hour, a midwife measure cervical dilation and takes your constants. Of regular monitoring can estimate a healthy baby.

Gradually the contractions become more frequent and painful.

Namely: if the expansion is too slow, your baby may suffer. The wise woman you are given a product to accelerate the frequency and intensity of contractions. The contractions can cause vomiting.
Epidurals

The cervix is dilated to 3 cm: it offers the epidural you will give birth without pain. An anesthetist practice then a sting in your back, place a catheter into the spine and injects the anesthetic: your pain fade in 10 minutes.

Once the epidural placed, you can not move, eat or drink. You are under continuous monitoring.

Namely: You can request the epidural until 7 or 8 cm dilated. Make up your time!
Expulsion

When the cervix is fully open, it fades away undertakes baby and you feel an urge to push. This expulsion.

The midwife then install the brackets at the end of the bed to elevate your legs.

You should push strongly to the rhythm of contractions. This stage lasts about half an hour. The portion of the head is the hardest, then the body comes alone. Sometimes you make an incision of the perineum (episiotomy) to prevent tearing.

Namely: the gynecologist obstetrician is called in case of complications, if any need to use forceps or suction cups to help your baby out.

The issue
Your baby is born but it is not finished: it is the placenta. This phenomenon usually occurs without effort 20 to 30 minutes later.

Baby First Aid
Immediately after birth, your spouse can cut the cord.

A medical team takes care of your baby and unclog his airway by suctioning the mucus in his nose and mouth. Your baby is weighed and examined from every angle! Hips, genitals, shoulders, abdomen. The midwife then took his temperature and it takes a few drops of blood.

Once dressed and his ID bracelet in place, your puppy may find your arm.

Namely: we often measure the baby the next day.
And the mother?

Meanwhile, you are not forgotten! The most important thing is to check that all the placenta was expelled. The stitches are made in cases of episiotomy. After two hours of monitoring, you regain your room with your baby.

These are: the average labor lasts 12 hours for women giving birth to their first child and 8 hours for others.

Barely out of your belly, your baby must learn to feed himself. But his digestive system, not mature, needs a little time to get started properly. Crying, discomfort, discharge, constipation here … digestive disorders that can meet your baby, and most importantly, how to fix it.
Infant Colic

Baby twists, stretches out his legs and crying while emitting gas. This is probably colic, bloating, abdominal pain.

These symptoms usually disappear into the 4-month baby.

Colic is not a disease but a sign of immaturity of the baby’s digestive system (ie digestion is not very mature).

How about it?
There is nothing to do against colic, besides creating a calm and serene around baby to help get this painful time. A soft light, soft music, rocking the baby by stretching the stomach in your arms.

If you are breastfeeding, avoid eating onions, cabbage or peas.
ConstipéBébé baby is constipated

We talk about constipation if baby is less than 3 stools per week, hard balls and it’s hard to issue them. A baby who has only one stool every day or two days is not constipated!

How about it?
- Enough to give baby to drink;
- Do not over-Measure out his bottle of milk powder;
- As a remedy for constipation baby, replace the water bottles of Vittel by or Hépar;
- If she is larger and has a varied diet, give him some orange juice, foods high in fiber such as vegetables or wholemeal bread;
- Never use a laxative without medical advice;
- Of course, if constipation persists, consult a doctor.
Baby has diarrhea

It speaks of diarrhea if baby makes frequent watery stools, jet. It should not be confused with a soft stool.

Do not worry if your baby has one or two loose stools, but be careful because a baby is dehydrated quickly in case of diarrhea.

If diarrhea persists, consult a doctor.

How about it?
- Among the largest, 90% of diarrhea due to diet too rich. Give them mashed carrots, rice, ham, mashed banana and cooked fruit. Avoid dairy products, green vegetables, raw fruits and juices, except bananas. Everything should be arranged within days;

- Always drink your child to prevent dehydration;

- Consult a doctor if diarrhea persists and the child loses weight and suffering.
Beware if your child is under 3 months

As a result of diarrhea (due to gastroenteritis for example), a baby can become dehydrated very quickly, it must be hospitalized.

Your physician may advise to remove the milk. You then give your baby a special milk.

It is normal for a pregnant woman want to moisturize his skin during pregnancy. But be careful, because some products are not recommended for pregnant women. Essential oils are even used with care!

Cosmetics and pregnancy

During pregnancy, hormonal changes affect your skin. It may become more oily or dry, you may be tempted to use cosmetics. But your skin is also during this period, more fragile and reactive. The allergic risks increase. And you can even develop new allergies.

Most cosmetics contain active ingredients or chemicals. These penetrate the skin. Some of them may be harmful to you and the fetus. Limit So to maximize the use of cosmetics during the pregnancy. And opt for products softer and neutral as possible.
Chemicals to avoid

Although nothing has yet been proved scientifically, caution is needed. Pending the creation of a logo “Pregnant women should not” (currently in draft), it is preferable not to use cosmetics containing:

- Of paraben (propylparaben, butylparaben, etc.).
- Phthalates (DBP and DEHP);
- Aluminum;
- Artificial musk;
- Phenoxyethanol or glycol ether;
- The méthylisothiazolone.

Make sure your product does not contain formaldehyde if you make a hair dye. Also prefer waxing to discoloration or laser hair removal hairy areas.

Important: The cosmetics containing vitamin A in amounts (often present in the oral treatment against acne) can be harmful to the fetus. It is important to proscribe.
For or against bio for pregnant women

At the bio and address this list of products to avoid, you’re tempted to look to products labeled “natural”. Again, however, you’ll need to follow some safety rules.

Firstly, the cosmetics contain fewer anti-allergenic. And are therefore more likely to cause allergic reactions. If you decide to use an organic product, always do a test on a small area before using spreads throughout the body.

Also, always make sure the product label. For a few drops of essential oil are sufficient to affix the word “organic”. Thus favors the trustmark as BDIH, or Cosmebio Nature & Progress for more security.
Beware of essential oils

Many cosmetics, including organic, contain essential oils or plant. Vegetable oils (argan, olive, coconut, etc..) Outside of their allergenic potential, do not hazard specific. The sweet almond oil and shea butter are advised to avoid even the appearance of stretch marks.

Essential oils, however, be used with caution. These oils are very potent active agents that may especially irritate or burn skin.

It is very important:

- Never use pure;
- Does not apply directly to the skin;
- Dilute dose in a small neutral moisturizing cream or vegetable oil.

As some essential oils, it is simply best to outlaw:

- Sage and peppermint which can have abortifacient effects;
- Eucalyptus or lemon oils, especially in early pregnancy;
- Oregano, rosemary, cloves, Ceylon cinnamon or thyme with thymol.

If the stomach or chest attest to this change, hormones, blood flow or organs are also in full swing.

During pregnancy, hormones are at work

During pregnancy, your hormones are working. And this hormonal change has an impact on your body. It may cause some inconvenience of premenstrual syndrome (fatigue, irritability, mood swings …). But also, in some women:

- Of acne;
- Shiny skin;
- Excessive hair growth, etc..
The blood volume increases during pregnancy

During your pregnancy, your body produces more blood. Double Your blood volume and blood flow is directed mostly toward the uterus. This makes the heart work harder and therefore cause a slight increase in heart rate (20 beats / min on average).

In some women, it also causes:

- Bleeding nose or gums,
- Varicose veins or hemorrhoids,
- Dizziness.

Finally, anemia, frequent during pregnancy, is also due to the increased volume of blood.
The uterus starts up

To make room for your baby, the uterus stretches and soften the ligaments. This can cause pain and cramping. The uterus, stretching, will gradually push some of your organs:

- The bladder, which increases your need to urinate;
- On the stomach, causing heartburn or gastric reflux;
- The diaphragm, causing shortness of breath (accentuated by the fact that your oxygen requirements increase 10 to 15% during pregnancy).
The belly swells

Your stomach will gradually grow round. A brown line appears generally. Called the “birth line”, it diminishes or disappears after childbirth.

Your center of gravity changes as your belly grows. And during the 3rd quarter, your abdominal muscles separate to make room for the baby. You can observe a small bulge on your tummy.
Chest prepares lactation

The breast undergoes major changes. Early in pregnancy, she begins to grow and grow. Then you might experience some inconvenience following:

- Your areolas darken;
- The veins become more visible;
- Small protrusions appear ( “Montgomery tubercles).

A yellowish fluid, called colostrum, may even take your breasts during the 2nd quarter. Rest assured, there is nothing abnormal in any way. Instead, prepare your breasts for lactation.

Finally, the nipples can sometimes crack before the end of pregnancy. Apply at the earliest suitable cream and massage your breasts for desensitization. To all intents and purposes, you can consult our dossier on the cosmetic use during pregnancy.

One factor affecting the success of breastfeeding is linked to the position in which we place the baby in time to perform the process. There are mothers who choose to support the child on one side while others prefer to stay prepared with the baby in her arms.

The election will depend on the comfort they prepare for breastfeeding and the best position to facilitate suckling baby.

We can distinguish three basic positions which are the major chosen by mothers:

- Lying in this case the mother should bring the baby to the breast to the child facing. In general, the mother is rocking and is supported by a pillow on the back for greater comfort and the second pillow in the lap which allows it to be more disordered.

- A session: This position is chosen by many women because they can use it anywhere. Here the child’s head should be relaxed, based on the elbow joint of the mother. Again, the pillows are a great help so you can choose nursing for those of the well located between the baby and the mother’s lap. On the other hand, it will help it to the arm of the mother is not tired.

- Invested: it is a very chosen by mothers of twins because the two children can eat at the same time. On the other hand, it is ideal for mothers with cesarean section. In this case the baby is still below the arms of the mother with the feet toward the back of it. The mother should place a pillow under the baby and support the child’s shoulders and the base of the head with his hand.