Here are a few tips to keep your body functioning well and help you avoid too much discomfort from BabyCenter.com.

• Ask your caregiver if it’s okay to exercise in place. Doing some simple stretching and isometric exercises with your arms and legs will be good for your circulation and your muscles – and perhaps your mood as well.

• Avoid constipation. Lying in bed a lot can slow down your digestion. Doing exercises in bed can help. Remember to drink plenty of water and get some fiber in your diet.

• Nap, but not too much. Go ahead and sleep, preferably at a regular, scheduled time. If you snooze too late in the day, you may find yourself having a hard time getting good sleep during the night. Try to stick to a normal day-and-night routine to avoid messing up your natural sleep-wake cycle.

I have been negligent in my posts lately, and for my regular followers, I do apologize. I will post more soon. I have decided to go back to work part-time as a HR Consultant.  I am in need of a nanny in the Winnipeg area.  I would love a referral for a live out nanny for our two wonderful boys. Feel free to drop me a line if you know of anyone who may be interested!  We are even considering mom`s who may want to bring their little one in our home to watch our boys and socialize their child at the same time.  Take care!

Over the course of the past few months, I have been reading with interest a correlation between pre-eclamptic women and a greater chance of heart disease and hypertension later in life.  Please review the  article below.  My family has a terrible history of heart disease, stroke and hypertension.  Knowing this and my battle with pre-e during my pregnancies is making me more diligent than ever to ensure that I stay healthy. I walk/run daily, I eat right and try to get as much rest as I can (well, for those of you with two children under two and a half, you understand that sleep is a luxury right now). 

While an article like this would normally worry me, I am using it as a reminder that I need to always take good care of my body, even more so now.

Fri, Jan 30, 2009 (HealthDay News) — Women who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy are at increased risk for future health problems such as hypertension, diabetes and blood clots, American and Danish researchers report.

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy linked to life-threatening cardiovascular disease.

The researchers analyzed data on more than 11 million women who gave birth in Denmark from 1978 to 2007. Among women with preeclampsia, the risks of subsequent hypertension were compounded with each pregnancy.

The findings were presented Thursday at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting in San Diego.

“The only reliable treatment for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby. But while delivery may ‘cure’ preeclampsia in the moment, these mothers are at high risk of chronic hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and blood clots for the rest of their lives,” senior author Dr. Michael J. Paidas, director of the Program for Thrombosis and Hemostasis in Women’s Health in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science at Yale, said in a university news release.

This research contributes to the growing data on the link between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and subsequent ischemic heart disease and death among women, Paidas said. He and his colleagues are conducting ongoing research into the genetic links between pregnancy complications, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

 Source: – Robert Preidt
http://www.babycenter.com/204_preeclampsia-in-pregnancy-boosts-future-health-risks_10307703.bc

I am always on the lookout for new articles pertaining to the management of pre-e.  The link below is an excellent source of information from the AAFP. It contains more detailed information about the 24 hour urine test,  results doctors look in blood and urine tests, and the best treatment options. Please check it out:

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20041215/2317.html

Science is getting real close to determining which women will actually develop pre-e based on blood and urine tests taken at the start of pregnancy. I will post more information about this new discovery within the next few days.

In a previous post, I documented what a virtual assistant is and how they can enable mom’s to work from home.  The Canadian Virtual Assistant Network has  strong resources to assist women who are looking to enter into the profession. Please review detailed information by following the link below:

http://www.canadianva.net/info/path-become.html

The link contains quizzes, and detailed information about how to tell if you are ready to start a VA business and what tools you need to be successful. Check it out!

One of my favorite pre-eclampsia articles is from EMedicine Health, which thoroughly discusses the treatment options. In my case, I was on labetelol and strict bed rest for months.  While most women who are diagnosed with pre-eclampsia are rid of the condition within 48 hours of delivery, some women continue to have problems for weeks or months after delivery. In my case, my blood pressures resolved around 5 month’s post-partum.  I am happy to say now, that I finally have normal blood pressures and am very happy to be feeling symptom free.

 Preeclampsia has no cure. The only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of your baby. However, delivery may not always be the best option at the time. The treatment that you receive depends upon the severity (mild versus severe) of your preeclampsia, what symptoms you have, and how far along in the pregnancy you are (premature versus full term).

• The closer you are to your due date, the more likely your cervix will be ripe (ready for delivery), and that induction of labor will be successful. Sometimes medications are given to help induce labor.

• Earlier in pregnancy (24-34 weeks), there is less chance of a successful induction (although induction it is still possible). It is more common to have a cesarean delivery when preeclampsia necessitates delivery early in pregnancy.

• Sometimes preeclampsia is too severe and/or the baby shows signs of compromise, such as decreased fetal heart rate, and thus an immediate cesarean delivery must be performed.

• If the disease is severe and the baby is premature, you may first be given a medication called betamethasone (a corticosteroid) to help mature the baby’s lungs before the baby is delivered.

• If the disease is more severe and immediate delivery is not required, you may be admitted to the hospital for bed rest and closer observation of you and your baby.

• If the disease is mild, you are early in the third trimester, or both, you may be sent home for bed rest with close follow-up in your health care provider’s office.

• If you are at or near term (at least 37 weeks), expect either that labor will be induced or a cesarean delivery will be performed. The decision to induce labor or perform a cesarean delivery will be made by your obstetrician depending upon your health, your baby’s health, and the condition of your cervix (which is a factor in whether induction of labor is likely to be successful).

• Also remember that a change in either your condition or your baby’s condition can occur quickly. If this happens, notify your provider immediately and expect your management to change as well.

I have posted a few bed rest support links over the past two weeks; BabyCenter also has a bed rest support board for women going through high risk pregnancies that have been put on bed rest.  It is a very good place for fellow bed rest mom’s to go to get support from other pregnant women going through a similar situation. Some of the women are on hospital bed rest and others are at home.  Please follow the link below:

http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a993125/bedrest_club

I am also attaching a link to BabyCenter Canada which has a high risk support board where women can discuss high risk conditions including but not limited to, pre-elampsia, PIH, placenta previa, incompetent cervix etc.  These boards are an excellent way to share thoughts and concerns with other women.

http://boards.babycenter.ca/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcCAHighRisk&_requestid=847003

I hope that they can provide you with the same support that they have provided to me.

Once you have been diagnosed with a high risk pregnancy, additional tests are often performed for Mom’s and their babies usually on a weekly basis depending on the nature of the condition of the Mom.  Some of them include but are not limited to;

1) Home blood pressure monitoring

2) Bio-physical profiles

3) 24 Hour urine tests

4) Non-stress tests (NST’s or fetal heart monitoring)

Listed below is more detailed information about NST’s, how they are performed and what they measure:

NON-STRESS TEST (NST)

The NST is another way of externally monitoring your baby. The NST can be done as early as the 27th week of pregnancy, and it measures the FHR accelerations with normal movement. For this test, you will sit with knees and back partially elevated with a cushion under the right hip, which moves your uterus to the left.

The same monitors described above are placed on your abdomen to measure the FHR and the ability of the uterus to contract. If there is no activity after 30 – 40 minutes, you will be given something to drink or a small meal which may stimulate fetal activity. Other interventions that might encourage fetal movement include the use of fetal acoustic stimulation (sending sounds to the fetus) and gently placing your hands on your abdomen and moving the fetus.

Why the test is performed:Both types of tests are performed to evaluate fetal heart rate and variability between beats, especially in relation to uterine contractions. The tests also indicate the frequency and strength of uterine contractions.

This information is invaluable in determining how well your baby is tolerating the birth process, and if there needs to be emergency intervention.

Normal Values:Normal values indicate that the fetus is not in distress by showing a fetal heart rate between 120 and 160 beats per minute. A variability of 5 – 25 beats per minute from the baseline (normal) fetal heart rate may occur.

The fetal heart rate may drop slightly during a contraction, since placental blood supply is diminished under the compression of a uterine contraction. This is normal as long as the fetal heart rate recovers quickly once the contraction has stopped.

Please remember if you have any concerns to always ask your OB or high risk doctor for advice regarding test results.

Source: http://www.perinatal.com/body_mfm.cfm?id=12&action=detail&aeproductid=Adam2004_1&aearticleid=003405

As you know, I have been evaluating many work from home options; however, I have also been investigating child care options as I look into going back to work in the fall.  After much research, I finally found a great website that offers detailed information about each type of child care from nannies, to home day care, to family care.  It is also unbiased; they do not indicate which type of child care they think is best, however, they do outline advantages of each.

I found the information to be very useful. The site also has calculators that help you determine which type of child care is best for your specific needs and also has information to assist parents in determining if staying home is an option beyond just financial considerations.

As always, I’d love to hear your comments!  Check it out at: http://www.childcareaware.org/en/

I received a recent comment about a surrogate mom who is in a very high risk situation. I added a response back to    in comments regarding how to obtain additional support; however, I also thought I would share the links in case another individual is going through the same situation.  During my pregnancy, I often went to the Medical Pregnancy Worries, Questions and complaints board on Babycenter:

http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a1825105/medical_pregnancy_questions_worries_and_complaints

This board is answered partly by experienced women and by a medical OB with over 25 years of medical practice. He tells it like it is, but he will not provide direct medical advice.  He is great at using his previous experience and calming the nerves of many pregnant women.  The other site I went to was www.sidelines.org, which I have mentioned in previous posts.  They will match up high risk women with experienced mom’s who have gone through an almost identical situation to help them cope. I am a sidelines volunteer and I assist women who are pregnant with hypertension or pre-eclampsia.

If anyone knows of additional support resources, please let me know; I would love to add them!