Blog

Strange period- ovulating or pregnant?

I had a weird period that started Wednesday lunch time no pain light had to use tampon through night lasted 7.30hrs then changed 2hrs later then 1.30hr later then 3-4 hrs then lasted through the night again next day 3hrs change then 7.30 hrs then just pad through the night and spotting on sat but no pain my breasts have hurt and tingling still moody and very emotional I just don’t know what’s happen. When should I take another pregnancy test? Or could I now be ovulating early? I am so sorry, but I really cannot comment on this.  Please […]

Pre-eclampsia with first pregnancy – what are the chances of me getting it again?

I had pre-eclampsia with my last pregnancy and I was induced at 36 weeks. I’m now 30 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy and so far I’ve no signs of pre-eclampsia which is great although I’m aware I have a 1 in 8 chance of it happening again. I wondered if there were any tips you could share for anything I can do to improve my chances of not having it this time around? As so far I’ve not come across any. The midwives  have basically said I have to wait and see. I’m taking an Asprin a day, not drinking […]

Do all pregnant women need Vitamin D?

Do all pregnant women need Vitamin D? Probably not , but yes , if you at extra risk. A recent study published in the Lancet has looked the relationship between Vitamin D levels in blood during pregnancy and Bone Mineral Content (BMC) in their children 10 years later. They have studied 3690 women , who were pregnant in the 1990s and correlated their vitamin D levels at all stages in pregnancy with their child’s BMC . They found no significant correlation. They did , however find higher levels in the summer months and lower levels in smokers and non-white mothers. […]

All About Doulas: We’re Doctor’s Daughters Too!

By Rebecca Schiller, Doula UK Spokeswoman, Co-Chair Birthrights, blogs at hackneydoula.co.uk   I have a confession to make. I am also a doctor’s daughter. My father even won the gold medal in Obstetrics whilst at university, though claims he never actually delivered a baby and the prize was won solely on his ability to write poetry. Suffice to say he is now a Cardiologist not an Obstetrician. But, just like the doctor’s daughter who runs this brilliant website, I have become increasingly interested in all things pregnancy, birth and baby related through my own experiences of motherhood. Despite a few […]

2 Vessel Umbilical Cord and Congenital Heart Block

I have recently been in touch about my baby having a 2 vessel umbilical cord…which I didn’t think was proving to be too much of a problem,  but I have just found out he also has heart block to which his heart is beating at 80-90bpm. This scares me to death! We are seeing a paediatric cardiologist next week but in the meantime, can you help us understand what this might mean for our little chappy? Congenital heart block is a rare condition affecting approximately 1 in 20000 pregnancies. Detecting a fetal heart rate of 80-90 is not as serious […]

Does having sex in late pregnancy bring on labour?

Does having sex in late pregnancy bring on labour and avoid induction? After years of advising women in late pregnancy to have sex to try and bring on labour and possibly avoid induction , it appears that doctors and midwives may need to change their message. A recent study of 1200 women in late pregnancy were allocated randomly to either behave normally or encouraged to have sex as a safe method to start labour and to avoid induction. The analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the timing of labour or the chance of […]

Does Secondary Smoking Legislation Affect Prematurity Rates?

Well , it would appear that it does . A recent article looked at the incidence or premature delivery across the whole of  Belgium in the ten years up until 2012. It  looked particularly at the effects of the 3 government interventions on smoking in public places. In 2006 , smoking was banned in the workplace. One year later , it was banned in restaurants , and three years later , in all bars serving food. During the early part of the study (from 2002- 2006), the level remained fixed at 7.4% . This figure includes spontaneous early deliveries as […]

Babies born by Caesarean Section may have increased Allergy Risk

A recent study in America of 1258 newborn Babies has been followed up carefully for up to 2 years to investigate whether the mode of delivery affects their immunity to various allergens (things that cause allergies, like mites, cats , dogs etc) They have detected increased blood levels of certain antibodies called IgE in the blood of infants delivered by Caesarean Sections compared with those delivered vaginally. These IgE immunoglobulins are closely associated with the development of allergic conditions and allergies, and the authors suggest that these infants are therefore at increased risk of developing allergies. There is further supporting […]

Seeing the Dentist Whilst Pregnant – by Dr James Invest

Do I have to pay to see the dentist? Because dental health is considered very important, all pregnant women receive free treatment on the NHS, as long as they are registered as an NHS patient and have a current maternity exemption certificate.   This free treatment carries on until your baby’s first birthday.  However any treatment that is considered cosmetic will be charged for, as well as all forms of private dental care. Is dental treatment safe while I am pregnant? Yes, there is no problem with routine dental treatment.  However if treatment is required it is ideally carried out […]

Pregnancy and Teeth- By Dr James Invest

Gum problems   The hormone levels in your body change while you are pregnant and this can cause the gums to swell, become tender and bleed, this condition is known as “pregnancy gingivitis”. Because of this it is important to keep your teeth and gums clean and visit your dentist regularly.  It is recommended that you also see a dental hygienist for thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, which will reduce or prevent pregnancy gingivitis. Pregnancy tumours or pregnancy epulis In some women overgrowths of tissue appear on the gums, most often during the second trimester.  These are non-cancerous […]