During a pandemic, children and pregnant women are at high risk of serious complications and even death if they become ill with the flu, according to the March of Dimes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has developed extensive plans for minimizing the impact of the pandemic flu, and once a vaccine has been developed for the virus causing the pandemic, pregnant women and children from age 6 to 35 months would be given highest priority for receiving it.

For information on how to protect yourself, your unborn child and your young children visit these sites from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Information for Concerned Parents and Caregivers

Guidance for Prevention and Control of influenza in the Peri- and Postpartum Settings

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Swine Flu Precautions for Nursing, Pregnant

Don't wig out. It's non-fermented pinot noir (a.k.a. grape juice)

Four ounces? Is he kidding? If I had four ounces of wine, I’d want more. And more. And more. As someone who has a hard time stopping after just one glass of wine, did I really want to chance it?

I worked for the March of Dimes during the 12 months I was pregnant. I knew what alcohol consumption during pregnancy could do. I heard the sad stories of children born with fetal alcohol syndrome. And then there is the possibility of increased cognitive or behavior problems spurred by the mother’s alcohol use. What my doctor and other perinatal experts told me at the time is that a little wine or beer on occasion was fine, but some women might take that information as license to down bottles of booze and put their unborn child at risk. So it was just easier to say, ‘Don’t do it.’”

Years ago it was not big deal to have a sip of wine or beer while pregnant. It some cases, I’ve heard that doctors even recommended it to women who were a bit high strung. (That would be me.) But the times, they are a-changing. In countries like England where drinking during pregnancy is largely accepted, some groups are pushing to adopt America’s standard of slapping labels on bottles of alcohol warning of possible alcohol-related birth defects. And some pubs are refusing service to pregnant women who order alcohol.

It’s easy to find arguments on both sides of the issue. As for me, my body seemed to make its own choice. I tried sipping champagne or wine on a handful of occasions, but my paranoia was overwhelming. And so, for that year I was pregnant, I refrained.

But rest assured, the minute my baby was born and the drugs wore off, I celebrated with a toast!

Sources:
The Telegraph
Daily Mail

photo, Flickr, Brett L.

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Toast to a Healthy Pregnancy?

I remember when I was pregnant wigging out about being so big and my friend Robin, who is some kind of maternal-child health expert with the March of Dimes, reassured me that even though my child would account for less than a fourth of my weight gain, the rest was not just wads of fat. That weight gain was due to other juices and swelling organs and such. She did agree that I had packed on about 10 pounds more than I should have. According to the March of Dimes, a woman should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Gaining too much or too little can be harmful to baby.

It could have been worse, though. I have a friend who while pregnant topped the scales at 98 pounds over her pre-pregnancy weight. The doctor was scheduling her C-section and my friend demanded the earliest possible appointment because, she said, she refused to pass the 100-pounds-over-pre-pregnancy mark. Can’t say that I blame her for that.

So, what makes up all that weight gain in your oversized pregnant bellies? Here are some approximate breakdowns, courtesy of the March of Dimes.

Blood – 3 pounds
Breasts – 2 pounds
Womb – 2 pounds
Baby – 7.5 pounds
Placenta – 1.5 pounds
Amniotic fluid – 2 pounds
Fat, protein & other nutrients – 7 pounds
Retained water – 4 pounds

(photo, sxc)

JWJourney

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Whatcha Got in That Big Pregnant Belly?

This book contains more than 300 healthy recipes, including options to make vegetarian meals vegan, changes for people with allergies, wheat-free, and soy-free. Some of the recipes are quick and easy, while others are perfect for plan-ahead, re-heat it meals. This handy cookbook also contains complete nutrition information, helpful shopping lists, and time-saving tips.  It’s a great addition to any cookbook collection.

Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook: Whole Foods to Nourish Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and Their Families, by Cathe Olson

Image credit: Barnes and Noble.com

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Vegetarian Cookbook For Pregnant Moms

• Bone abnormalities in the skull
• Inhibition of growth
• Fatal kidney damage

Of 209 infants who were exposed to ACE inhibitors in the first trimester, 18 had birth defects with 9 of these children having heart defects. This translates to 2.7 times greater risk of birth defects in children born of mothers who had taken ACE inhibitors in the first trimester.

What’s the alternative for women who need to take medication for blood pressure control? There’s no clear answer. Most drugs are not tested in pregnant women using the gold standard randomized clinical trial format for ethical reasons. What little observational data available from studying women who unintentionally expose themselves to various drugs during pregnancy leave some room for doubt.

More interestingly, because women are having children later, they are more prone to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and are more likely to be on daily medication. Dr. Jan M. Friedman of the University of British Columbia recommends that “women who have taken ACE inhibitors during the first trimester should have fetal ultrasound scans and echocardiograms at about 18 weeks.”

The New York Times, June 8, 2006

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ACE Inihibitors for Blood Pressure and Birth Defects