Unless you’ve been through it personally, the efficacy of a pregnancy pillow might elude you. Of course, we all like to put our feet up and relax after a hard day at the office. For a pregnant woman it is not so easy to get comfortable. In this case, the proverbial office means enduring another long day with what seem like a heavy tire attached to your belly.

Comfort

First of all, let’s talk a little bit about comfort. What can a pillow, specifically a pregnancy pillow, do for anyone anyway?

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After 9 months of carrying a child, some women may understandably wish their baby could be delivered by UPS or Fed Ex, however, that is not the case and there is no stork that will delivery your baby for you. After nine months of hormonal changes, carrying extra weight and reduced movement many will want to just get it over. But the race is won at the final leg and Lamaze, Bradley or other options can help carry you over the finish line in optimal shape.

Women, obviously, have been giving birth for hundreds of thousands of years. The basic process has changed little over that time. But medical knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds.

During the mid-19th century that knowledge consisted of a growing set of tools and drugs to minimize pain. By the mid-20th century, though, birth was almost something that happened to a woman and her baby, rather than something they did. Contemporary knowledge can help the expectant mother take more active control of her birth and deliver with the highest chances for her baby’s health.

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by Patricia Hughes

Choosing your baby’s doctor is a big decision. You may want to start thinking about it and checking around before your baby is born. This person will care for your baby for well visits and through illness. You need to find a doctor that has a similar philosophy about infant care and that you are able to communicate with comfortably.

Finding a Pediatrician

There are several sources of information about pediatricians. One good place to get a recommendation is from friends or family members. Ask your friends with babies and young children about their pediatricians. Also ask your obstetrician (OB) for suggestions.

If you are new to the area or don’t have friends with young children, you can ask your health care provider for a recommendation. If you are pregnant, you will be asked for the name of your pediatrician in the hospital. If this is your first pregnancy, the time to shop for a doctor is before the baby arrives.

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by Patricia Hughes

If your baby is born in a hospital, testing will begin immediately after the birth. Depending on where you live, your baby may be tested for a variety of disorders. In addition to testing, there are several procedures that are common after the birth of a baby. Become familiar with these procedures so you can make decisions and include these in your birth plan.

The baby’s first test is the APGAR. This is done at one and five minutes after the birth to evaluate the baby’s condition. The test was developed by Dr. Virginia Apgar to assess newborns. The test assess five areas to determine baby’s condition at birth. These are Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance and Respiration. Each area is given a score from 0 to 2. The total possible score is 10. Don’t panic if your baby doesn’t have a perfect score; most babies don’t.

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Will it be a boy or a girl? Women having babies today have an option their mothers and grandmothers didn’t have, they can find out the gender of the baby before it is born. Throughout human history, mothers had to wait until the baby was born to discover the gender. With testing such as ultrasound and amniocentesis, you can learn the baby’s gender while you are still pregnant.

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