other tests

Another question you might discuss with your doctor is whether to breast feed or use formula?
As long as we are on the topic of breast feeding, let’s talk about the changes in your breasts and how to best care for your breasts during pregnancy and prepare them for breast feeding, if that is your choice.

Your breasts are going to get bigger over the course of your pregnancy, and your rib cage will get wider to accommodate your growing baby. You may notice tiny blue blood vessels on your chest as your blood vessels dilate and enlarge.

Your nipples and areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) will get larger and darker so that your newborn infant can more easily see them for nursing after birth. Little bump may appear around your areola. These are oil glands that help to keep the area around your nipples clean for nursing. Sometime around your 14th week of pregnancy, your nipples will start to leak a whitish fluid called ‘colostrum’; a rich protein-filled form of early milk that will clear your child’s digestive tract after delivery.

You can buy disposable breast to absorb leaks and keep your skin from getting irritated. Tuck them inside your bra and avoid embarrassing leaks! Be sure you purchase a roomier bra to accommodate your enlarged breasts. You can consider wearing a nursing bra if you’d like. They are comfortable and have a lot of cushioning and stretch. To take care of your breasts as they change, consider these suggestions:

Use clear water to rinse your breasts when bathing so that the protective oils produced by the new oil glands are not washed away.

If you want to toughen your nipples to make the nursing transition easier and less painful, you can use a soft washcloth to rub them so that they get tougher. As you adjust to this texture, you can graduate to something rougher so that your nipples are not quite as sensitive by the time you start to nurse your baby.

If your breasts are swollen or uncomfortable, you can put a cool ice pack inside a wash cloth and hold it against the side of the breast to bring down the swelling or take a warm shower to soothe the tissue.

During your second trimester, your doctor may recommend other tests to monitor the growth of your baby.

Amniocentesis is usually performed between 13 and 18 weeks, sometimes later in the pregnancy depending on the situation. The doctor will numb your abdomen and insert a long needle into the amniotic sac. There is no risk to your baby.

The fluid drawn from the sac can tell the doctor about abnormalities or problems. If you are over 35, your doctor may recommend this test to be sure that your pregnancy is progressing normally.

A percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS, or cordiocentesis) helps your doctor tell if your baby suffers from specific diseases like sickle cell disease and hemophilia. In this test, a needle is also passed through your abdomen, into your uterus.

But in this case, the doctor will draw a small sample of blood from the umbilical cord.

Some time around week 15 of your pregnancy your doctor may suggest an ultrasound or sonogram, to look at the size of your baby and determine whether your pregnancy is on schedule.

An ultrasound is painless, but you do have drink and hold a lot of water, so you may be a bit uncomfortable. The technician will use a handheld device and slide it back and forth across your abdomen, to produce an image of your baby from high frequency sound waves.

If you are still exercising by the end of your 2nd trimester – good for you!
Just remember not to push yourself until you are out of breath or exhausted. Take breaks and allow yourself the luxury of adjusting to your new size and shape.

Avoid exercise that strains your lower back or legs, or exercises that require you to lie flat on the floor. Instead of riding a bike in the street, consider riding a stationary bike so that your balance and shifting center of gravity do not cause you to fall.

You can exercise by scrubbing the floor or taking a power walk to the post office or corner market.

This is also a good time to start your Kegel exercises, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel. Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor and prepare you for delivery, and you can do them anywhere.

Tighten and release the muscles on your pelvic floor as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine.

The name of the muscle you are tightening and releasing is ‘pubococcygeus’ (PC) and it goes from your pubic bone to your tailbone. Pregnancy can weaken this muscle and cause you to leak urine when you laugh, cough or strain.

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