Robert asks…
obese wanting a natural delivery?
a friend of mine who is due at the end of august has asked me to be her birth coach. she is opting for a natural delivery despite being severely overweight. she is around 5 feet tall weighing close to 200 lbs pre pregnancy.
will she get tired faster during the delivery? will there be a higher risk of complications? what should i expect. this is her first baby and she is 37 years old. she also has asthma.
Michelle answers:
Being obese does not increase her chances of not having a natural birth. Being low-stamina will. If you have been asked to be her coach, you can help her now by inviting her to do some low-impact regular physical exercise, like walking or water-arobics, to build up her stamina.
Risk of complication does not increase from obesity, but obesity can increase your risk of Pre-E or Gestational diabetes IF your obesity is from an uncontrolled diet.
The asthma more than anything would be my focus. Help her now by, like mentioned before, inviting her to do some type of regular physical exercise, and practice relaxation techniques with her daily, even if it is over the phone. As long as she can remain relaxed and allow her uterus to work efficiently and unhindered during labor, she can keep her asthma ‘out of the equation’.
Relaxation can include: muscle relaxation awareness, guided imagery, poetry, etc…
Good luck and what an honor to be present at your friend’s birth!!!
Laura asks…
newborn skull is an abnormal shape. am curious as to why?
Hi, I have 2 friends with children both whom have miss shaped skulls. Nothing gross just different and Im curious if this is a medical issue or just luck of the draw.
First child is now 10 months old, female and 2nd child. Natural birth and pregnancy with no complications. The infant has a flattened skull on the back right side from centre almost to her ear. Normal development for her age and is a beautiful little girl.
2nd child is a 4 week old boy with a lump shape in the top left hand side of his skull, again nothing to make anyone stop and stare but is visible and more so when you stroke his head. Baby is healthy and the mother had no problems during her pregnancy or delivery.
Neither parent seems worried about their child and Im not either just curious as to what could have caused this or if, in the case of the male child, it will resolve itself.
Thank you
I have 2 children aged 5 yrs and 9 wks i know about the plates in a childs head. Dont mean to sound snappy. The flat spot from sleeping actually makes sense as the mother put the child straight into a cot with standard cot matress. The male child is still under question. Normal vaginal un assisted delivery. 3 hours with 30 min pushing. lump is not to the centre of the head and is firm
Michelle answers:
The first one sounds like it could be plagiocephaly. This is when the baby spends too much time sleeping on one side of the head. The bones in the skull are very pliable and because the fontanel (soft spot) has not yet closed, the bones in the skull shift. In many kids, the pediatrician will send the baby to a neurologist and possibly get fitted for a “helmet” to help the bones shift correctly into place. Repositioning off the favored side can also help the bones shift correctly into shape.
For the second child, it could have been cause during delivery. If vaccuum extraction was used, the child could possibly have a large hemotoma (bruise) that has calcified. If this is the case, it will go away with a little bit of time. My oldest child had a rough deliver and had a lump on the back of her head for a couple of months.
Maria asks…
newborn skull is an abnormal shape, am curious as too why?
Hi, I have 2 friends with children both whom have miss shaped skulls. Nothing gross just different and Im curious if this is a medical issue or just luck of the draw.
First child is now 10 months old, female and 2nd child. Natural birth and pregnancy with no complications. The infant has a flattened skull on the back right side from centre almost to her ear. Normal development for her age and is a beautiful little girl.
2nd child is a 4 week old boy with a lump shape in the top left hand side of his skull, again nothing to make anyone stop and stare but is visible and more so when you stroke his head. Baby is healthy and the mother had no problems during her pregnancy or delivery.
Neither parent seems worried about their child and Im not either just curious as to what could have caused this or if, in the case of the male child, it will resolve itself.
Thank you
Michelle answers:
The older one sounds as if she has a flat spot on her head. Which is probably resolving now that she is 10 months of age it will get better with time..The 4 week old is due to the babies head passing through the birth canal the plates in its head shifted to fit out..again with time it should be normal.
Susan asks…
First time pregnancy questions for mommies…?
Hi,I was just wondering when any of you started to show with your 1st pregnancy phsyical wise. How far along were you when you could first notice an actual difference with your tummies. When I lay down I can feel the difference in my lower stomach, and I appearntly now have the bladder of a 5yr old! When did your jeans start to feel tighter? Mine were actually starting to loosen up but not anymore! What about your weight gain, Ive already gained 3 lbs since August. I always feel like Ive just gotten done with a big meal. From what I gather you start from the first day of your last period, count the weeks from there on out to get a basic time frame on how far you are, for me first day of last period was July 10th, so Tuesday September 11th I should be 9 weeks I guess. I know every pregnancy is different, just doing a general poll. Im doing an unassisted natural birth so any mommies that have been down that path please feel free to leave any advice/tricks/tips. Not worried just curious!
Michelle answers:
I was about 5 months pregnant when I finally began to show. Yeah, you feel kind of “full” all the time, even when you haven’t eaten (and need to), but the running to the bathroom thing didn’t happen to me until the last 3-4 weeks of my first pregnancy. Are you going to have a nurse-midwife present at the birth? I think it’s wonderful to go “natural” but you need to remember that first births can be difficult and some times DO need medical intervention (if you push for too long – like hours at a time – it can cause fetal distress and result in birth defects). I had a nurse-midwife for my second delivery and it was WONDERFUL! I’m glad, though, that I delivered in the hospital because baby’s cord was wrapped around his neck @ birth and he had a bit of meconium in his nose/mouth as well. (He’s now 13, smart, funny and gorgeous!) One bit of advice – do NOT have an episiotomy if at all possible, it hurts like crazy and takes weeks to heal; it makes you walk like a penguin the first week after delivery!
Best wishes to you and your expected one.
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