Can I drink alcohol while I am pregnant?

The simple answer is NO. The overall consensus is that alcohol is bad during pregnancy. Both the CDC and the WHO strongly advocate complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. There is no safe amount of alcohol and even a single drop is too much.

Alcohol is a social drink and not necessary or essential for the fetus so why muck around with mother nature? There are plenty of studies which have shown that drinking alcohol can increase risk of miscarriage, cause still birth and also induce premature births. Further, heavy drinking of alcohol during pregnancy is also associated with fetal alcohol syndrome which typically presents with malformed facial features, mental retardation, learning difficulties, poor concentration, variable moods with aggression and numerous other behavior problems.

There is also evidence indicating that drinking alcohol during pregnancy may lead to a rare childhood leukemia and decreased sperm count in newborn males.

Despite these frightening observations, women continue to drink. Recent government data in the USA indicate that nearly 8% of pregnant women consume alcohol regularly. These numbers are dwarfed by the Swedish and Russian pregnant women who drink nearly 5-10 times as much Americans.

While some European countries discourage any alcohol during pregnancy, some like the Swiss and British recommend that one drink per day is okay.

It is well established that heavy drinking during pregnancy significantly harms the infant but what about the rare drink on a special occasion? Well, there is no data on small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy but the WHO recommends no alcohol at all. WHO data show that even low amounts of alcohol can lead to mental decline in infants.

This data may appear very discouraging to women who already have to abide by many rules and regulations of pregnancy. But we live in a free society and everyone has choices. The choices are very simple. Drink alcohol, have a jolly good time now and have a handicapped infant or do not drink any alcohol and have an infant who will be your shining star.

What is the best pregnancy test for home use?

There is no such thing as the best pregnancy test. The fact is that all pregnancy tests are sensitive when used to detect HCG in urine after 7 days. 

All pregnancy tests for home use measure the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in the urine. This hormone is made on the very first day the fertilized egg attaches on to the uterus. The levels of HCG double every other day and by days 5-7, most pregnancy tests can detect HCG in urine. All kits involve using a strip and dipping it into the urine for a few minutes. However, there are some tests that are designed to identify the HCG in the urine the very next day after a successful pregnancy.

In general, tests that can detect HCG after 1-2 days are more expensive than those that detect HCG later. 

All manufacturers claim that their kits are the best and most sensitive for detecting early pregnancy. However, this is not true, as the majority do not identify HCG early in the urine. Recent tests indicates that perhaps the best early pregnancy test is the “First responder Early Result Pregnancy” kit. This test kit can pick up HCG within the first 24 after implantation of the fertilized egg. There is no other kit that comes close.

Two other relative fast and reliable pregnancy kits are the “Answer Quick & Simple” and “Clear Blue Easy”. These two tests also produce reliable results and are sensitive at days 2-4.

Women who would like to know if they are pregnant on the first day after intercourse should know that these early detection tests also cost slightly more. The “first responder early result pregnancy” test costs $19 for two tests. Confirms pregnancy test costs $12 but has a very low sensitivity. The two other most reliable so called “best pregnancy test kits” are Answer Quick & Simple and Clear Blue Easy.

However, women should know that all tests have limitations. Moreover, besides the technical limitation of the tests, there are also variations in pregnancies. Some pregnancies may produce only a low amount of HCG and that may not be detected by any home test. In some cases, even after a fertilized egg has implanted it may then fail and consequently HCG levels will be low.

Experts recommend that women who are comfortable waiting, then the best time to check for a pregnancy is at least a week after unprotected intercourse. At this time period, all most all kits have good sensitivity and are easy to use. Always remember that if you test early, then chances of a false negative are high. If you do test positive then it may mean a viable pregnancy or a pregnancy that may abruptly terminate.

Can one become depressed during pregnancy?

Sure, most people tend to believe that depression is only common after pregnancy.  Well, at least 10-20 percent of pregnant women do develop depressive symptoms during pregnancy. 

The depression in some cases can be severe and can affect the well-being of the fetus. Sometimes the depression can be prolonged and can affect interpersonal relationships,  general health and even the quality of the pregnancy. When depression during pregnancy is left untreated, it usually leads to post partum depression. 

If you have depression during pregnancy, you should definitely speak to your doctor and get a referral to a psychiatrist. Do not start on any drug therapy until you see a specialist. General practitioners know very little about psychiatric drugs and even less about depression during pregnancy.

Breast feeding Tips

Breastfeeding tips are often helpful for first time mothers. Most people simply do not realize that breast-feeding is not as easy as it looks. Breast-feeding has many benefits and does provide all the nutrients for the baby. Besides providing immunity, breast-feeding also helps one lose weight and creates a bond between the mother and the baby. However, many mothers do give up breast-feeding primarily because it is time consuming, challenging and requires a lot of patience. From listening to people, it appears that some breastfeeding tips that may help this task a little easy include the following:

It is important that first time mothers seek help or ask questions if they are not sure about breast-feeding. Soon after delivery speak to the maternity nurse or your doctor, or better still speak to your mother or close friends.

Always try to make yourself comfortable first before starting breast-feeding. Support your back, neck with pillows, and learn to cradle the baby close to your breast. You may even need to scratch the baby’s lower lip with your nipple in order to encourage breast-feeding. When the baby latches on to the nipples, you will hear a periodic sucking sound. When breast-feeding is over, you can release the suction by gently inserting your finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth.

Another great breastfeeding tip is to never rush the process. Let the baby set the pace. Most newborns will breast feed every 2-3 hours around the clock. When the baby is hungry, watch for signs like stretching, sucking motions and lip movements. Feed on one breast for about 20 minutes and then burp the baby. Then offer the other breast. If the baby is not hungry, just wait for the next session. Some babies consistently feed from one breast and if this occurs consistently, you may need to pump the other breast to relieve the discomfort and preserve the milk supply.

If you start breast-feeding, keep the pacifier away from the baby for at least 4 weeks. If you give the pacifier too soon, it generally affects breast-feeding.

Other breastfeeding tips include taking care of your nipples and resting. After each feed, change your bra pad and apply an ointment to the nipples to prevent them from cracking or becoming dry. If you have pain during breast-feeding than you are not doing something right- the process should not hurt at all.

Breast-feeding is very tiresome so learn to rest when you get a chance. Drunk ample fluids and eat healthy. If you adopt these easy breastfeeding tips, you will discover that the process is not only fun but also you will have a baby that is more content. Granted that breast-feeding is challenge but do not get discouraged too early. If you invest more time into this natural method of feeding your infant, it will also provide you with a gratifying feeling.

Why do birth defects occur?

Birth defects continue to occur despite good prenatal care. It is estimated that one in every 33 infants born in North America has some type of birth defect. Birth defects can affect almost any part of the body. Birth defects also vary in severity. Some infants may have a simple cleft lip but others may have serious heart defects. Birth defects of the heart can often be life threatening but most of these can be corrected with surgery within the first year of life. 

Unfortunately, in other parts of the world the majority of babies born with even the most simplest of heart defects die because of lack of surgeons. 

Birth defects can also affect the spinal cord. Also known as neural tube defects or spinal bifida, these birth defects affect about 1 in every 1,000 pregnancies. The mildest form of spinal cord defects are only of cosmetic concern, but other spinal cord defects can be life threatening. Even though spinal cord defects are rare, they account for a high number of newborn deaths. One of the ways to prevent spinal cord birth defects is to make sure that you take folic acid supplements during pregnancy.

Some of the most dramatic birth defects include the face. Both cleft lip and cleft palate can be visually unpleasing. These defects of the face occur in every 1,000 births and can be very deforming. Today, surgeons have made significant advances in plastic surgery and can correct even the most complex facial defects without leaving any traces of scar tissue.

Birth defects may also affect the intestine. The infant may have problems either swallowing or defecating. The bowels can be twisted, enlarged or there may be a large defect in the abdominal wall. Today, all these defects can be repaired.

While some birth defects are associated with genetic or chromosomal defects, the majority occur at random due to spontaneous mutations. Babies born with Down syndrome are quite prone to a number of birth defects. Down syndrome tends to be more common in women who conceive at an older age. Women who miscarry often do so because the fetus has severe birth defects and is unlikely to survive. 

While good prenatal care is essential in having a healthy baby, many birth defects occur by chance. Some birth defects are induced by medications or excess alcohol consumptions. Most birth defects occur during the early phase of pregnancy when the fetus is rapidly developing. Today, prenatal ultrasound can help make the diagnosis of birth defect early in pregnancy. In some cases, even surgery can be performed on the fetus. If the birth defect is very severe, then women do have an option of undergoing an abortion.

What is ovulation and when does it occur?

Ovulation cycle is essential for a female who wants to get pregnant. Ovulation is basically the process by which an egg is released from the ovary. Ovulation generally tends to occur on day 14 of the menstrual cycle. However, the exact timing of ovulation is slightly variable among women of different ages and ethnicities; and also may vary from woman to woman.

Even though many signs and symptoms of ovulation prediction have been described, most women never notice them because these features are very subtle. Some of the classic ovulation symptoms include a sudden increase in clear vaginal secretions. The secretions may feel like a viscous liquid and often has the texture of honey. These secretions persist for 1-3 days and then disappear. In some women, these secretions may appear cloudy or sticky but in all cases, the secretions are gone within 24-48 hours.

It is a known fact that the basal body temperature is a useful sign of ovulation predictor. There are specially designed sensitive thermometers to measure temperature during the ovulation cycle. The temperature must be taken at the same time every morning before getting out of bed. When you make an ovulation chart and plot these readings, you will note an emerging pattern. The majority of women will be fertile just 48-72 hours prior to the spike in temperature. Measurement of basal body temperature is frequently used by infertile women as an ovulation calculator when they should have sexual intercourse.

Some women may also develop ovulation pain that may present as mild abdominal cramps and/or bloating. The cramps are usually well-tolerated and last 24-48 hours. For women who are trying to get pregnant, other ways of knowing if ovulation has occurred is to measure the surge of hormones in urine during day’s 12-15. One can record the levels of these hormones on an ovulation chart.

A woman who desires to get pregnant should make sure that she has sexual intercourse at least once day starting from days 12-14. The more frequent the intercourse during this time period, the greater the chance of conceiving. Some women also use an ovulation calendar as a means of birth control- while this is an easy method; it is not one hundred percent effective.

I have just had a baby and have a dark line on my lower abdomen

What you have is called the linea nigra and it is a completely harmless skin condition. Linea nigra is a dark vertical skin line that appears in most pregnancies. The line usually runs below the belly button and ends just above the pubis.

The line is colored due to pigmentation caused by the increased estrogens in the body. This is also the same reason why your nipples are darkened during pregnancy. Why this line develops is not known but is most common in women with dark complexion. The linea nigra appears around the 2^nd trimester and fades away after birth. In some cases, a faint line may persist for a long time. Sun exposure usually causes it to reappear.

As far as treatment is concerned, you do not need any. Even though cosmetic surgeons recommend all sorts of lasers and bleaches, the safest and most effective treatment is to leave it alone. The line is harmless and spontaneously fades in most women. 

If you want to get rid of the linea nigra and have money, the best advice is go and spend it on a vacation rather than a plastic surgeon. If you do not have money and would like to get rid of the linea nigra, do not wear a bikini.