- Keep in touch:
- (mis)Adventures in Reproduction: Diagnosing Bad Luck
- Simon Says “Let’s Stop Climate Change”
- (mis)Adventures in Reproduction: An Update
- Expecting Great Things: A Toast to the End of 2010
- Holiday Gifts for the TTC Gal in Your Life
- Holiday Musings from an Infertile
- Life After Miscarriage: How does this story end?
- Life After Miscarriage: Who is that in the mirror?
- Life After Miscarriage: The Place Where Pain & Grief Meet Closure
- Life After Miscarriage: Recovering from Surgery and More
Recent Blog Posts
Testing Your Thyroid Can Be Important During Pregnancy
Your thyroid is the gland that makes hormones that control your metabolism, helping to regulate body weight, heart rate and a host of other factors. During pregnancy, having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may lead to miscarriage, premature birth and pre-eclampsia — and in the case of hypothyroidism, impaired intelligence in the child.
Thyroid porblems can easily go undetected so doctors are debating whether a universal thyroid function test should be standard procedure for a pregnant woman.
Currently, the American Thyroid Association does not suggest a universal thyroid function test for pregnant women however they are holding a symposium this Thursday and Friday in Washington to discuss the most recent research.
According to the New York Times, symptoms of a wayward thyroid can be subtle, and pregnancy can mask them. Fatigue, weight gain and dry skin — all typical in pregnant women — can also result from hypothyroidism, said Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green, an endocrinologist at Touro University College of Medicine in Hackensack, N.J.
The opposite condition, hyperthyroidism, affects roughly 2 in 1,000 pregnancies. But again, its symptoms — poor sleep, weight loss and nervousness after childbirth — could result from other postpartum conditions.
Hypothyroidism, which usually arises from underlying autoimmune disease, is the more frequent and worrisome concern. As many as 10 to 20 percent of reproductive-age women test positive for antibodies that attack the thyroid gland and may eventually destroy it. Their risk of miscarriage is doubled.
Three to five out of 1,000 women of childbearing age suffer from overt hypothyroidism, in which thyroid hormone, or T4, is low and T.S.H. is abnormally high. But the most common thyroid dysfunction is subclinical hypothyroidism, in which T4 is normal but T.S.H. is slightly elevated. That condition affects 2 to 3 percent of women but often goes undiagnosed when it causes no obvious symptoms.
Hypothyroidism may harm fetal brain development. Ten years ago, researchers in Maine analyzed blood samples from 25,216 pregnant women and identified 62 with hypothyroidism. Their children, by then 7 to 9 years old, were given intelligence tests. Nineteen percent of the children born to women with an untreated underactive thyroid had an I.Q. of 85 or lower, compared with 5 percent of those whose mothers had a healthy thyroid. “At about 85 or below, that’s where you begin to have trouble in school and in life in general,” said Dr. James E. Haddow, a pediatrician at Brown University who was an author of the study. But if mothers had their hypothyroidism treated, their children’s intelligence was not impaired.
The Search For Stem Cells Leads To Your Breasts
Yep, your breasts. Look at that pretty picture for a second. Those are cells in human milk. The stem cells are red and blue, and the adult cells are green.
Amazing!
Not only does that have implications for ongoing research into stem cells and how they might assist in treating several debilitating diseases, but it’s further evidence that human milk is superfood for babies!
Dr. Mark Cregan at the University of Western Australia, who made this discovery, says this demonstrates to him how a new mother’s mammary glands take over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled.
Cregan goes on to say…
“(Human milk) is setting the baby up for the perfect development. We already know that babies who are breastfed have an IQ advantage and that there’s a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also believe that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well into adult life.”
That’s pretty exciting, even for someone like me who had supply problems and combo fed (both human milk and cow’s milk formula). Every drop I nursed and pumped mattered! Yay!
For more on how to get ready to nurse your baby, please listen to this Pea in the Podcast:
Breastfeeding: Tips, Hints And Advice To Make It Work For You
AND! Your boobs aren’t the only source of potent stem cells surrounding maternity. Your baby’s umbilical cord blood is a rich source of the stuff!
More info in this Pea in the Podcast:
Cord Blood Banking: What It Is And Do You Need It?
-Bonnie
Vitamin D Deficiency May Boost C-Section Risk
This little article on WebMD immediately caught my attention, because I had a C-Section, and I didn’t want one.
I was the woman who planned a full-on natural childbirth. I was the woman who fought my ob when she wanted to induce my labor because of borderline high blood pressure and borderline gestational diabetes. I knew it would increase the risk of c-section. I was the woman who did about ten hours of induced labor without pain meds (they catheterized me and broke my water, too! Ouch!), hoping my baby would agree to come out the old fashioned way.
I was the woman who couldn’t have a c-section fast enough when labor was becoming too hard on my baby, and we needed to get her out. Right away.
I am also the woman who — should she ever be blessed with another pregnancy — hopes to have a vaginal birth after a c-section.
I’m so thankful for my c-section. I’m so thankful my baby was born strong and healthy. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little wistful, sometimes, that I didn’t share an experience my mother had (four times), and her mother before her (six times), and so on.
My baby and me just after our c-section. I’m swollen, but over the moon!
Here’s what the WebMD article says, quoting a vitamin D researcher (Vitamin D researcher? We didn’t have one of those at my high school career day!)
Vitamin D researcher Michael Holick, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the Boston Medical Center report that women in their study who were severely vitamin D deficient during childbirth were about four times more likely to deliver by cesarean section as women with higher vitamin D levels.
and…
“We are just beginning to recognize that a large percentage of pregnant women are vitamin D deficient and that being on a prenatal vitamin is totally inadequate to bring levels up to where they need to be,” Holick tells WebMD.
There are many ways to increase your vitamin D intake. You could try cod liver oil as your fish oil supplement. Researchers say it can increase your baby’s IQ, like other fish oil supplements, but it has the added benefit of high levels of vitamin D. Nordic Naturals CLO is purified (no, I’m not on their payroll!). It says it tastes good, but I’ve found the texture of CLO kind of nasty. If you hate it, try mixing it in a smoothie! I sneak all kinds of healthy things into my daughter’s morning smoothie.
By the way, research has shown that taking cod liver oil during pregnancy may also reduce your child’s risk of Type 1 (insulin dependant) Diabetes.
The National Institutes of Health has a list of good sources of Vitamin D:
Cod liver oil
Salmon, cooked
Mackerel, cooked
Tuna fish, canned in oil
Sardines, canned in oil
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified
Margarine, fortified
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk)
Liver, beef, cooked
Cheese, Swiss
For the suggested portion sizes for the above listed foods, and much more info on Vitamin D, visit the NIH page on the topic here.
You could also take a Vitamin D supplement along with your prenatal vitamin. Dr. Holick suggests additional 1,000 IU of the vitamin. IU stands for International Units, and will be listed on the bottle.
Now, this article makes clear that more research needs to be done before any kind of official recommendation might be made with regard to Vitamin D and pregnancy, but since research also suggests that many pregnant women are vitamin D deficient, it couldn’t hurt to have an extra egg or two every now and then!
If I get pregnant again, I will. Bring on the VBAC!
Please check out our free podcasts for much more on cesarean sections and vaginal births after a c-section.
-Bonnie
A Past Miscarriage May Put You At Risk For Future Miscarriages
This is a scary one, even though — as the article clearly states — the risks we’re talking about here are small.
It’s scary because miscarriages are gut-wrenching. Even if your baby is unplanned, a miscarriage can turn your heart inside out and upside down. For many women, deciding to try to get pregnant after a miscarriage is akin to deciding to leap off a cliff. They are simply terrified to go through that again.
Then you read this, and you’re saying to yourself, “Thanks, Bonnie. Remember that short pier? Why don’t you go for a long walk.”
I’ve always thought, though, that information can only be good. That’s true here, as well.
Why? Well, remember, I’m NOT A DOCTOR, but I’ve interviewed a couple. I also know far too many women who’ve miscarried, and I’ve taken their stories into my heart.
When I hear about a woman having recurrent miscarriages, my mind immediately goes a couple of places.
1) Hormones
I have PCOS — Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — and have been active in the PCOS community for years. I’ve made some of my best friends at PCOS Place. Miscarriages are far more common in women with this syndrome. A couple of theories about why this might be are suggested here (scroll to the last section at the bottom of the page). It doesn’t suggest low progesterone, but many women with PCOS have had healthy pregnancies after miscarriages with the use of progesterone supplements during the first trimester.
This is controversial.
Many docs I have spoken with say low progesterone is a symptom of an unviable pregnancy, and that progesterone support simply prolongs a pregnancy which will end in miscarriage, no matter what. They suggest that progesterone supported pregnancies that end with healthy babies would have ended with healthy babies, regardless.
But I’ve heard so many stories about women who have had recurrent miscarriages finally having a healthy baby after progesterone support. Go ahead and talk to your doctor about it.
By the way, you don’t have to have PCOS to have hormonal issues, but PCOS is common, and often undiagnosed.
2) Immune Disorders
I have a very good friend who is a survivor of recurrent miscarriages. She now has two beautiful, healthy children after fighting for a long time to find out why her babies were dying. Finally, after becoming suspicious that she had antiphospholipid antibodies, during her next pregnancy, she gave herself shots of blood thinner and took baby aspirin. The results speak for themselves. Hear her story — and others — in this Pea in the Podcast.
So, yes, this is sobering information. But it can also be helpful. If you’ve had a miscarriage, put your fears on the table with your doctor. There may be measures you can take to minimize your risk of losing your next pregnancy. My favorite OB, Dr. Laurie Swaim, talks more about miscarriage here.
…and remember, if you’ve had a miscarriage, the chances of you having another one are so very small.
Be well.
-Bonnie
Pregnancy Brain is a Myth
I don’t believe it! We’ve all comforted ourselves during our more scatterbrained moments of pregnancy with the understanding that hormones were impacting our cognitive abilities. It’s not our fault! It’s pregnancy brain! But a new study out of Australian National University says there is no such thing. No such thing? Phooey! Tell that to a pregnant woman who has just found one of her baby’s freshly purchased onsies in the refrigerator, next to the pepper.
But the team at ANU asked a group of women who had been or were pregnant, in 1999, and then again last year, to memorize sequences of numbers and pairs of words. They were then tested on them. They found pregnancy had no impact on the results whatsoever. Therefore, they conclude, pregnancy brain is a myth.
Other studies — even Australian ones — have come to different conclusions.
What do I think? I think it exists, although not everyone may deal with it, and it’s unlikely a diagnosable condition. But at different points during pregnancy, it may be difficult to impossible for some of you to sleep. Sleep deprivation takes its toll on cognitive ability. You are dealing with hormonal surges, and are awash in that sleepy-weepy hormone progesterone. You may be anxious as you contemplate the meteoric changes that are happening in your body and in your life. You’re having a baby! You’ll soon be someone’s mom! These are all great distractions. I think you are to be forgiven if you lose your keys or forget where you were going on your way to the store.
So I will take this study and put it into the refrigerator, next to the onsie and the pepper. If I were still pregnant, the moment I closed the door, I would forget that it was there!
For everything you need to know about looking a feeling your very best during pregnancy, please click over to our Pea in the Podcast Looking and Feeling Good.
-Bonnie
The Pea in the Podcast Blog!
Wow! That’s all I can say. I am so thrilled that this labor of love, imagined more than two years ago by a woman I am now pleased to call my friend, is now live! I hope it is a welcoming place where women on the most exhilarating, terrifying, often uncomfortable and yet joyous journey of their lives can listen, learn, laugh, relax and bask in the growing love they feel for their baby not yet born.
In this space, I will share all kinds of things with you. The latest news on pregnancy and babies and parenting, expert information and advice on those subjects, and maybe some stories of my own life as a mommy.
Thank you for sharing your journey to becoming a mommy with me. It is awe inspiring, isn’t it? It is my great honor to walk alongside you as you make your way down this road, even if your ankles are swollen and your feet have grown two sizes since this all began!
Let’s continue the journey, now, together, shall we?
Your Fan May Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Yes, your fan. You actually may have heard about this by now, because the idea that a fan can save your baby is — on its face — so absurd. But the folks at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research have done a study that suggests keeping a fan on where a baby sleeps may reduce their risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by an astounding 72%.
Now, this is a small study. Fan use and keeping open window during sleep were compared in 185 infants with a confirmed diagnosis of SIDS versus 312 randomly selected infants. There were several other factors used in this study that led researchers to the conclusion they have reached. Further study is required before anyone can confirm that using a fan can help prevent SIDS. But 72%…that’s quite a number.
I talked with a pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine about this, and she is just as excited about this study as I am. Dr. Karen E. Johnson says despite the fact that, scientifically, this research isn’t as rigorous as one would like it to be before suggesting anyone act on it, the number is so large, and the amount of effort required to act is so small, that adding a fan to your nursery decor is worth considering.
But how would a fan, of all things, contribute to preventing SIDS? Well, it goes back to a theory doctors have about a possible cause of SIDS. They theorize that a baby who rebreathes too much of their own carbon dioxide…well…it kills them. This is why, for nearly 15 years, doctors have recommended you put your baby down on their back to sleep. If a baby is face down, they can bury their face in soft bedding, and their neck muscles aren’t strong enough to allow them to move their head to get a deep breath of oxygen, should they need to. If they are on their back, carbon dioxide disperses. This is also why doctors suggest keeping blankets and stuffed animals, and even those cute crib bumpers out of baby’s bed. They are all adorable little carbon dioxide traps. We want to keep carbon dioxide away from baby.
So back to the fan…what does a fan have to do with putting your baby on its back to sleep or your disappointment at having to put that precious matching bumper into storage? Well, a fan circulates air, and may help circulate carbon dioxide away from your baby. Bingo! 72%.
This is so exciting because SIDS is still the leading killer of infants in the United States. Even though the numbers of babies who die every year have decreased by 50% since the “back to sleep” campaign began in 1992, More than 2,000 babies die of it every year. That’s more than 2,000 too many.
Listen to Dr. Karen E. Johnson talk about fans and SIDS:
So what else can you do to minimize your baby’s risk of SIDS?
Don’t Smoke. Don’t smoke while you’re pregnant, and don’t smoke after the baby is born. I know how hard this is. From experience. But you can do it. Babies who die of SIDS often have higher concentrations of nicotine in their lungs, as well another marker for secondhand smoke exposure, than those who die from other causes.
Breastfeed. This is certainly challenging for some. It was extremely challenging for me, as I’ve had a breast reduction and my baby was cow’s milk protein intolerant, requiring me to eliminate all dairy from my diet. But it is worth facing down the challenge, on so many levels. There is evidence that nursing your baby is linked to a decreased rate of SIDS.
Keep Baby’s Room Cool, and don’t bundle them up. Experts suggest keep the room at a temperature that feels comfortable for an adult in a short sleeved shirt.
Keep Your Baby’s Bed In Your Room For A Year. Right next to your bed, if possible. Studies clearly show that babies are safest when they sleep close to mommy. The American Academy of Pediatrics officially began recommending this in 2005.
Which brings us to………..
To Co-Sleep or Not To Co-Sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics says no. No way. No how. No bed sharing. It’s not safe. Period. OK. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s a little more complicated than that. Pediatrician Alan Greene talks quite a bit about this on his website here. He is one of the many experts who say safe, smart co-sleeping does not increase the risk of SIDS, and, in fact, may decrease it. Here are some tips for safe co-sleeping, if you think that might be the right choice for your family.
Wow, this blog entry turned out to be MUCH longer than intended. Sorry about that. The bottom line is, if a fan may decrease the chances that your baby will become a victim of SIDS, why not run out to the super fan store right now and get yourself set up? Sounds like a plan. 
You can learn much more about Caring For Your Newborn and Baby Boot Camp by listening to our Pea in the Podcasts on the subject at the home page.
The Pea in the Podcast Blog!
Wow! That’s all I can say. I am so thrilled that this labor of love, imagined more than two years ago by a woman I am now pleased to call my friend, is now live! I hope it is a welcoming place where women on the most exhilarating, terrifying, often uncomfortable and yet joyous journey of their lives can listen, learn, laugh, relax and bask in the growing love they feel for their baby not yet born.
In this space, I will share all kinds of things with you. The latest news on pregnancy and babies and parenting, expert information and advice on those subjects, and maybe some stories of my own life as a mommy.
Thank you for sharing your journey to becoming a mommy with me. It is awe inspiring, isn’t it? It is my great honor to walk alongside you as you make your way down this road, even if your ankles are swollen and your feet have grown two sizes since this all began!
Let’s continue the journey, now, together, shall we?
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