Health & Medicine
Morning Sickness, Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy
Only a woman who has suffered from, or is actually suffering from, morning sickness during pregnancy can fully appreciate the misery one goes through due this constant feeling of nausea and vomiting even when there is nothing left in the stomach to throw up anymore. Why they call it morning sickness is a mystery to you because you seem to be sick all through the day.
It may give you some consolation to know that nearly 80% of pregnant women suffer from nausea and about 50% of them also suffer from vomiting in early pregnancy. After the first trimester (first 12 weeks of pregnancy), morning sickness may not be a problem anymore for most pregnant women, but there are the unfortunate few who continue with this problem till a much later stage or even throughout pregnancy.
Benefits of Breastfeeding – Why it is Good for Mother and Baby
You have been told that breastfeeding is good for you and your baby but you would like to know more. Why is it so – how does breastfeeding benefit you and your baby? In a nutshell, if you can feed your baby exclusively on breast milk for the first six months of his/her life, you are giving your baby an early advantage in life by providing not only the correct amount of nutrition but also the ability to fight infections by increasing his immunity against diseases, and in the process benefiting yourself too.
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Miscarriage Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Outlook
Signs and Symptoms of Miscarriage
The signs and symptoms will depend upon the type of abortion.
- In threatened abortion, the symptoms may be mild such as slight bleeding or abdominal cramping. On pelvic examination, the doctor will find a closed cervical os.
- In inevitable abortion, there is likely to be persistent and severe bleeding along with low back pain and severe abdominal cramps, which may not be reduced even with pain relievers. Rupture of membranes may cause a gush of fluid to come out of the vagina. On examination, the os will be found to be open and much dilated and some products of conception may be visible or felt.
- In incomplete abortion, there will be persistent and severe bleeding but abdominal pain and cramps are less. Some products of conception are expelled by the uterus but some are still retained within it.
- In complete abortion, since all the products of conception have come out, bleeding gradually becomes less and pain ceases too.
- In missed abortion, pain is unlikely. There may be a brownish vaginal discharge but os is closed. A missed abortion may be suspected if there is loss of symptoms of pregnancy or a decrease in size of the uterus.
- In infected abortion, there is likely to be fever, chills, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, and pelvic discomfort or pain.
Miscarriage, Spontaneous Abortion, Types, Risk Factors, Causes
Miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a pregnancy which terminates spontaneously before completing 20 weeks or the delivery of a fetus weighing 500 grams or less (at which stage it is unable to survive outside the uterus). Unfortunately, more than 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage (early pregnancy loss) and in most cases they occur in the first trimester (first 3 months of pregnancy). This is taken to be a conservative figure, with the actual percentage being much more, since quite often in a very early miscarriage, a woman may not even know that she had been pregnant.
Postpartum Depression – Who is at Risk & How to Cope
Who is likely to suffer from Postpartum Depressive problems?
You are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression and psychosis if you are going through the following situations -
- You have a family history of similar problems.
- You have a family history of psychiatric problems.
- You have suffered from depressive disorders in previous pregnancies.
- Unhappy relationship with your partner.
- The pregnancy was unwanted or you were not prepared for it.
- Events such as recent death of a loved person.
- Stillbirth or death of the newborn baby.
- Baby born with congenital defects.
- Severely ill baby.
- You have feelings of guilt that the baby’s death or illness is somehow your fault, even if that is not so.
- If you are suffering from postpartum depression, chances are that you will suffer from the same problem in your next pregnancies.
- You may be going through financial difficulties associated with loss of employment.