Congratulations, you are now entering your second trimester. Your baby’s amazing growth and development continues. Did you know the intestines which were once housed in your baby’s umbilical cord have now entered the abdomen? Urine is now being produced by your baby and excreted into the amniotic fluid. Now that your first trimester is complete, … Continue reading “Welcome to Your Second Trimester”
Just about all women can and should be physically active throughout pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy is safe and often recommended although some modification to your workouts may be due to natural anatomic and physiologic changes and your baby’s fetal requirements. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) encourages women with uncomplicated pregnancies to engage … Continue reading “Exercise & Pregnancy”
Am I Too Old For That? As I continue my pre-pregnancy research…something unexpected comes up: VACCINATIONS! What? Aren’t those for babies and children? Well, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the best time to receive vaccinations is before you become pregnant. Gulp! Vaccinations will help safeguard my body from infection … Continue reading “From Me to Pregnancy…Am I Too Old For That?”
As you continue on your pregnancy journey, did you know there is a new genetic maternity blood test, the MaterniT21™PLUS, which can be performed earlier than a CVS or an amniocentesis. With no threat of miscarriage, this test may be drawn as early as Week 10. The results will determine if your baby is at … Continue reading “MaterniT21™PLUS”
Pregnant? An amniocentesis, usually done between Weeks 15-20, is a test to check for fetal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, a genetic disorder, or spinal bifida, a neural tube defect, and has been a valuable tool in assessing fetal well-being since the 1970s. If you are at a particular risk for either one of these … Continue reading “Amniocentesis”
Pregnant and thinking about prenatal yoga? Check out Marlynn Wei’s article, Yoga in Pregnancy: Many poses are safer than once thought regarding a “study, published recently in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, provides encouraging results that many yoga poses can be safe even during late stages of pregnancy.” “This study suggests that yoga can be safe during … Continue reading “Yoga & Pregnancy”
It’s time…after years of debating…Lemon (that’s me) has decided it is time. Time to think about getting pregnant… Now what…what’s next? Do I call my mum? Do I call a doctor? I guess I should “google” it. Surely someone in my situation, a healthy 30-something woman has asked about this same topic…so I search “getting … Continue reading “From Me to Pregnancy”
Boss Babes: Passionate Ladies in Action This boss babe tops our list because she’s doing something spectacular that you don’t hear much about, but really should. Charleston local Nicky Swanson’s foundation Project Alive & Kicking (PAK) was born in 2012 (as was my daughter, coincidentally) and nails the bulls-eye of my heart, as I delivered my goose … Continue reading “A Lowcountry Boil, Baby!”