First Peek Ultrasound Blog

The 3D ultrasound blog of the Chicagoland area

Posts Tagged Pregnancy

Twenty-one Benefits of Prenatal Massage

Dec 16

Posted by firstpeek in prenatal massage | 8 Comments

If you have ever experienced a prenatal massage during your pregnancy, you will know that a prenatal massage feels good.  But did you know that there are many other benefits as well, including many health benefits?

At First Peek Ultrasound, we are proud to now offer prenatal massage in our very own pregnancy spa located inside our ultrasound studio, by our certified prenatal massage therapist.

Here is a list of twenty-one benefits of prenatal massage.  If you can think of any others, please write to us in your comments below.

  1. Helps ease back pain
  2. Helps with headaches
  3. Decreases pelvic pain
  4. Reduces sciatic pain
  5. Increases circulation
  6. Improves digestion
  7. Reduces fatigue
  8. Helps reduce stretch marks
  9. Helps reduce swelling and edema in the legs
  10. Reduces stress
  11. Improves sleep
  12. Prevents post-partum depression
  13. Relaxes and soothes the baby
  14. May prevent ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety in your baby
  15. More likely to touch and smile at your baby
  16. Reduces nausea
  17. Helps with labor pain
  18. Lower rates of prematurity
  19. Can help you quit smoking
  20. Can help improve your sex life
  21. Helps get the baby to move during your 3D ultrasound

 1.  Prenatal massage helps with back pain

Back pain is the number one reason pregnant women get a prenatal massage.  In many surveys conducted, it has been shown that over half of all pregnant women have back pain at some point during their pregnancy.  10% reported to have severe back pain. And the back pain can start even long before you feel like you’re gaining any weight.  This is because the back pain has more to do with the slight shift in your center of balance than with the actual extra weight placed on your back.  That extra little mass, about the size of a pomegranate, can shift the balance enough for you to feel it.

If you’re not scared of physics, please read this. Otherwise skip the next two paragraphs.

Let’s take a closer look.  If a 1 kg force is applied downwards (what you would expect to gain when you’re 4 weeks pregnant), pushing down on your back, about 10 cm in front of your center of gravity (which is where the center of your belly may be), then that would apply a torque of 10 kg-cm, and you would have to apply an equal force of 10 kg downwards, using the muscles around your lower spine, which is located just 1 cm behind your center of gravity, in order to balance out the torque (10 kg x 1 cm = 1 kg x 10 cm), in order to keep you from spinning forward or falling over.  So that little embryo actually puts a total pressure of 11 kg (or 24 pounds) on your lower back, while you are putting constant tension on muscles that are very rarely used.  No wonder you have back pain!  This is also why some women may have back pain before they even know they are pregnant!

But what happens if you just shift your center of balance forward 8 cm.  Now, your little fetus is pushing down 1 kg at a point 2 cm in front of you (or 2 kg-cm), and your lower back muscles are now 9 cm behind your center of gravity instead of 1 cm behind, and so you will have to push down with a force of 2/9 kg (2/9 kg x 9 cm = 2 kg-cm = 2kg-cm), or 0.2kg, about half a pound.  So you would feel a total weight of 1.2 kg on your back and the weight will be better balanced.  Thus, your back pain is alleviate without pain medication and without any weight loss needed.

Prenatal massage helps alleviate back pain by 1) helping shift your center of balance so that you can utilize the physics of torque to your advantage.  Back pain is also caused by 2) the slight external rotation of your knees, which can also be corrected by alleviating fluid buildup through prenatal massage.  As if that is not enough, during pregnancy, you produce hormones that relax some of the ligaments in your body.  One of these hormones, relaxin, is critical in helping your baby come out through the narrow birth canal by relaxing your pelvic ligament.  But before then, the softening of the ligaments can 3) disrupt your posture and the way you walk, which can promote back pain.  Prenatal massage can help reset your posture, thus alleviating your back pain through this third mechanism.  There are many other additional ways that prenatal massage helps back pain as well, including alleviating stress, anxiety, allowing for the relaxation of lower back muscles, improving circulation in your lower back, and even alleviating the inflammation around the nerves of your lower back.

In a randomized study conducted by the University of Miami, pregnant women who were between 7 and 9 months pregnant were given two free prenatal massages every week. These expectant mothers ended up having less back pain as well as a number of other positive outcomes.

Here are some other ways of alleviating back pain during pregnancy.

2. Prenatal massage helps with headaches

Let’s face it. Pregnancy can give you headaches. But there are a lot of causes of headaches, and some may have nothing to do with the actual pregnancy.

  • Different hormones of pregnancy may cause headaches
  • Increase in blood volume that occurs during pregnancy, may cause headaches
  • Pregnancy can slightly alter the shape of the lens of your eye, causing you to have a slight nearsightedness that is virtually undetectable except that you get headaches! 
  • Stress–a major cause of headaches.  What could be causing you so much stress? 
  • Lack of sleep
  • Low blood sugar
  • Dehydration–you’re not only drinking water for two but you also have to keep your amniotic tank full.
  • Caffeine withdrawal–that no coffee rule really starts to hurt right around now
  • Nicotine withdrawal
  • A very mild insidious chronic respiratory failure, caused by a very slight but progressive deficiency of oxygen caused by not getting enough oxygen to your brain, which is caused by decreased blood flow to your brain, due to the weight of your baby resting on your superior vena cava while you are sleeping lying down on your back.  If you wake up with a headache every morning, and it gets better through the rest of the day, this could very well be the cause, and this can be helped by lying down on your left side while you sleep. 

Prenatal massage can help with headaches by alleviating stress and tension, helping you relax, and improving your ability to sleep (your sleep architecture).

3. Prenatal massage helps decrease pelvic pain

Pelvic pain should be distinguished from lower back pain.  Pelvic pain is caused by 1) the actual uterus pushing down on the pelvis, and 2) the effects of hormones on the pelvis and pelvis ligaments.  The hormones relaxin, estrogen, and progesterone, cause softening and widening of the pelvic ligament and pubis symphysis, which can throw off your gait and center of balance and can cause pelvic pain, and then, as a result, the muscles surrounding your pelvis can compensate and then get fatigued or strained, thus causing even more pelvic pain.

Although you may not be able to prevent the normal havoc of the hormones of pregnancy on your pelvis, you can prevent the fallout from the aftereffects from the surrounding muscle.  This is best done by wearing a pelvic belt, much like how you see weightlifters wear in the gym (or on TV, if you don’t go to the gym).  Another thing that helps with pelvic pain caused by this secondary muscle strain is prenatal massage.

Other tips to help with pelvic pain during pregnancy:  Keep your knees together while rolling over in bed by wearing a very large rubber band around your knees (the kind you can get for physical therapy), and taking smaller steps when walking.

On a side note, another cause of pelvic pain in pregnancy can be endometriosis, which may get worse during pregnancy (though it is supposed to usually improve with pregnancy), and some cases may get diagnosed during pregnancy.

4. Prenatal massage can help with sciatic pain

Sciatic pain is a nerve pain caused from swelling, pinching, or some other effect on the sciatic nerve.  This pain can be electrical in nature, but can also be sharp, dull, or throbbing.  The pain is usually intermittent and is worse with walking, but can also be constant, and it may be a combination. For example, someone may have a constant dull pelvic pain, with intermittent sharp pains when standing up from a seated position, with occasional shooting electrical pain originating from the lower back and going down the back of the leg down to the knees or even to the ankles.  Sciatic pain can be caused by prolonged overuse or can be caused by sudden trauma.  In the cases that we are talking about here, sciatic pain can be caused by the weight on the lower back and pelvis from pregnancy and weight gain.

If your weight gain is more than the recommended amount during your pregnancy, then controlling your weight may be the best way to control sciatica.  However, prenatal massage can also help with sciatic nerve pain. 

Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in pregnancy as the uterus pushes down on the muscles of the lower back. The pressure of the uterus adds tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg as well as the lower back, causing the muscles to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves.  These nerves can then get inflammed. Massage therapy helps heal the inflammed nerves by helping to release the tension of the associated muscles and their pressure on the nerves. Many women have experienced significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through regular prenatal massage.

 5. Prenatal massage can help increase circulation

6.  Prenatal massage improves digestion

It’s unknown whether massage helps digestion by increasing circulation, by relaxing the muscles associated with the digestive tract, or by alleviating stress and anxiety.

7.  Prenatal massage reduces fatigue

In addition to being able to get some much needed rest and relaxation, prenatal massage has been shown to improve sleep architecture (the ratio and timing of the different stages of sleep).

8.  Prenatal massage helps reduce stretch marks

There are very, very few things that have been proven to prevent or reduce stretch marks. Yet the stretch mark industry is a multi-million dollar industry.  Cocoa butter and many other creams have been recommended, but they serve more to cover up stretch marks, since lotions and creams generally don’t get to the deep layer of skin, where stretch marks occur.  However, massage has been shown to reduce scarring in general and prenatal massage has been shown to help prevent stretch marks by improving circulation to the skin.  Regular prenatal massage, such as on a weekly basis, before stretch marks occur, in combination with careful weight control during pregnancy, can help prevent or reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

Another great way to prevent stretch marks is to closely monitor your weight gain to make sure that you do not gain too much weight and that you do not gain weight too quickly.  However, stretch marks are also genetic, and sometimes, there may be nothing you can do to prevent them.

Here are some additional ways to prevent or reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

9.  Helps reduce swelling and edema in the legs

Prenatal massage helps reduce swelling in the legs and ankles, called edema, during pregnancy.  This swelling can be caused by poor circulation in the legs, increased blood volume, decreased protein in the blood, and obstruction of the veins that come from the legs due to pressure from the uterus causing a backup of blood flow into the legs and feet.  The edema can also be a symptom of pre-eclampsia.  Whatever the cause, many pregnant women notice at least a little swelling in the feet and ankles. If your shoes are getting too tight, you may want to help alleviate some of the strain by resting and relaxing more and spending more time with your legs elevated.

A prenatal massage by a certified prenatal massage therapist can help reduce ankle and foot swelling.  Prenatal massage helps in more than one way.  First, just the time spent in a relaxed position with your feet elevated, doing nothing else, can help wonders.  Second, prenatal massage can help improve circulation to and from the legs.  Third, prenatal massage can even help lymphatic flow, another factor in leg swelling.  Last but not least, by increasing blood flow and circulation throughout your body and by reducing anxiety, prenatal massage can help make it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout your body and reduce the stagnation of blood in the legs, another cause of swelling.

10. Prenatal massage reduces stress

A prenatal massage not only reduces stress and anxiety by forcing you to relax and calm yourself through the sights, sounds, textures, and smells of the massage experience, but the actual physical act of massage has been shown to increase serotonin levels (the neurotransmitter of energy, happiness, and contentment) and decrease epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels, the hormones of stress.

Also, the prenatal massage therapist can instruct you on ways of continuing techniques to help reduce stress throughout your pregnancy. By improving the efficiency of your sleep, reducing your aches and pains, and by overall providing a comforting and nurturing environment to fall back on during times of high stress, you will find that your overall anxiety throughout your pregnancy, even when you are not getting a massage, will be much better.

Best of all, women who have less anxiety during pregnancy generally will have less anxiety during labor and childbirth, which helps dramatically with a whole slew of medical outcomes.

 11.  Prenatal massage can help improve your sleep

As stated before, prenatal massage helps you sleep and helps you improve your sleep architecture–the proportion of your sleep that is set for deep sleep, light sleep, and REM sleep.  Pregnancy-related insomnia is a common complaint that can become debilitating, and sleeplessness can aggravate stress, anxiety, and even make minor aches and pains more bothersome.

A common cause of sleeplessness is not being able to “get in a good position.”  This is because when a pregnant woman lies flat on her back, the uterus may be pressing down on her veins (the superior vena cava) and block blood flow to the brain.  This can be sensed as discomfort.  But if you spent your entire life sleeping on your back, then no other position will seem right to you either.  Prenatal massage can help retune and reset your comfort zones and can help you feel comfortable falling asleep on your side

Another cause of sleeplessness in pregnancy is poor oxygenation and circulation. Prenatal massage helps with circulation and oxygenation.

Another cause of sleeplessness in pregnancy is anxiety.  When you are under a constant tension, your body will not let you fall asleep.  Prenatal massage helps you relax and fall asleep in a soothing and stress-free environment.  Your body can then re-learn this ability to relax and fall asleep.  Sometimes, one prenatal massage can help you know what the stress-free mode feels like so you can get back into that mode on your own when you need to at other times.

12.  Prenatal massage helps prevent postpartum depression

It’s true.  The following study shows that prenatal massage can help with depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression.

Pregnancy massage reduces prematurity, low birthweight and postpartum depression
Pregnant women diagnosed with major depression were given 12 weeks of twice per week massage therapy by their significant other or only standard treatment as a control group. The massage therapy group women versus the control group women not only had reduced depression by the end of the therapy period, but they also had reduced depression and cortisol levels during the postpartum period. Their newborns were also less likely to be born prematurely and low birthweight, and they had lower cortisol levels and performed better on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment habituation, orientation and motor scales.
Infant behavior & development.   01/08/2009

13. Prenatal massage relaxes and soothes the baby

Prenatal massage not only can help relax you while you are pregnant, but it can help relax and soothe your baby as well. If your baby is “going crazy,” swimming around and kicking constantly, it can sometimes be due to certain stresses and anxiety that you are feeling yourself.  It has happened many times where a prenatal massage will help soothe the baby.

14. Prenatal massage may be able to prevent ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety in your baby

A wonderful article on the benefits of prenatal massage speaks to the amazing effect of massage on the baby.  The following excerpt was taken from Kate Jordan Seminars, and originally appeared in the August 2007 issue of Massage Magazine.

When women experience stress in pregnancy, blood levels of the neurotransmitters cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine surge. Conversely, levels of dopamine and serotonin are suppressed by stress; low levels of these hormones are associated with mood states like anger and anxiety. Not only would Marcy’s continued anxiety fuel more anxiety, it would lead to increased levels of these stress hormones in her body. Recent studies have shown extensive effects on the growing fetus of stress experienced by pregnant mothers. Not only do infants of stressed moms show higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of serotonin and dopamine, they seem to cry and fuss more as babies, and perform less well on such measures of infant development as the Brazelton scale.

Doctors in New York City studied expectant mothers who were in the area of the World Trade Center when it was struck on September 11, 2001. They found that their infants had smaller head circumferences and were more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder.

15.  Women who receive prenatal massage are more likely to touch and smile at their baby

Who knew that prenatal massage can help with bonding of your baby?  The following study, quoted from Kate Jordan Seminars, originally appeared in the August 2007 issue of Massage Magazine. 

Keep in mind that the following study compared two groups, where one group of pregnant women were randomly made to receive prenatal massage. The women did not have a choice as to which group they would be in.  Thus, this can not be explained by reverse causality (as in, maybe the mothers who touch their babies more would have chosen to have more prenatal massage in the first place).

Reva Rubin, a nursing professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s nursing school was able to show that mothers who received what she called “appropriate, meaningful touch” – back stroking delivered by office nurses during prenatal visits – were later able to touch their own babies in a “meaningful, effective and caring” way. Other research has shown that the more touch mothers receive in pregnancy, the more likely they are to stroke, smile, and talk to their infants, and thus to bond with them.

16. Prenatal massage helps with nausea

This may be due to the fact that anxiety has often been implicated as a cause of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and prenatal massage can help with anxiety.  Also, nausea can be caused by impaired digestion, and prenatal massage can help with digestion.

17.  Prenatal massage helps with labor pain

Prenatal massage, or perinatal massage, can help with the pain of labor.  This is due the mechanism of distractive pain therapy.  By stimulating the nerves on a different part of the body, the body is distracted and does not process the pain impulses from the other part of the body.

18. Prenatal massage can lower rates of prematurity

The study already quoted above shows that prenatal massage can help reduce prematurity and low birthweight in babies.  This is an amazing discovery.  The mechanism is not known exactly. However, it may be due to improved placental circulation, improved blood flow to the baby through the placenta, thus providing more oxygen and nutrients to the baby.

19.  Prenatal massage can help you quit smoking!

With First Peek Ultrasound’s proprietary method of prenatal smoking cessation, prenatal massage can be used to help you quit smoking. 

During pregnancy, dopamine levels increase–this is one of the reasons why cigarettes can sometimes taste bad to pregnant women who normally smoke.  Pregnancy is the ideal time to quit smoking because not only do you now have plenty of health reasons to quit for you and your baby, you have the biological processes of pregnancy working in your favor!

Prenatal massage has been shown to increase dopamine levels as well as serotonin levels.  Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for addiction (and many other things), and increases with smoking.  Serotonin is the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, which can be artificially increased with many drugs, including nicotine.

During your prenatal massage, dopamine and serotonin increases in an environment not associated with smoking, thus allowing you to fulfill the craving of cigarettes in an alternative way.  This association of the relief of the craving of smoking with something else besides cigarettes can retrain the body and mind to stop its dependence on smoking.

With our prenatal smoking cessation program, you would come in for your first prenatal massage appointment during a time when you know you will have a craving to smoke.  Basically, you would not smoke during that day and you would come in that morning or afternoon to our 3D ultrasound studio.  You may feel irritable, anxious, nervous, but instead of reaching for a cigarette, you alleviate the nervousness and anxiety with a prenatal massage.  The first time will be the most difficult.  Then, you repeat this step a few more times, either with scheduled appointments, or coming in as a walk-in on Saturdays right at the time that you feel the craving for cigarettes.  The prenatal smoking cessation program comes with four prenatal massage appointments.

Another weapon in our arsenal of the prenatal smoking cessation program is the 3D ultrasound service we offer.  When you see your baby for the first time in 3D, pregnancy will be more real for you.  Some mothers have expressed to us that seeing their baby in 3D ultrasound has helped motivate them to quit smoking.  So the prenatal smoking cessation program also comes wth a Premium 3D/4D ultrasound package.

You will also get a smoking cessation discussion session led by a First Peeker specifically trained in smoking cessation.  This member of our team has a degree in psychology, experience in counseling and stress management, and specifically trained in smoking cessation.  More importantly, she does not talk down to you or lecture you.  Instead, there is a one-on-one discussion on practical ways of changing smoking behavior.  If you require more than one discussion session to complete the conversation and strategies, then this will be included in the total package.

The final weapon that we use is purely behavioral–using reward and punishment.  Our prenatal smoking cessation package will be charged up front at a price of $350.  But if you actually quit smoking, you will get a $50 check back at the end of your pregnancy (two months after your baby is born).  You can use this money to buy diapers, take your friends out to eat to celebrate, or even get a massage with us.  But by this time, you will not want to use the money to buy cigarettes.

In summary, the First Peek prenatal smoking cessation program comes with four prenatal massage therapy sessions, timed specifically to your needs, one Premium 3D/4D ultras0und package, one smoking cessation discussion session (more if needed).  The cost of this total program is $350.  You also will get a $50 check back at the end of your pregnancy, approximately 2 months after your baby is born, if and only if you have successfully quit smoking and have not returned to smoking by that time, so that the total amount you have invested to change your life will be just $300 in total.

You can purchase this package online by visiting our website, www.OakParkUltrasound.com, and scheduling your first prenatal massage online and typing in “prenatal smoking cessation program” in the Special Instructions box.  Or you can call us to set up this package for you, at 708-870-0808.  Due to the investment of setting up the program, the entire payment is due when you first sign up for the program.

Note: We can not prescribe medications as we are not a medical facility.

20. Prenatal massage can help improve your sex life!

The following is taken, somewhat out of context, directly from the blog, Sheknows.com, and the full article can be found here.

The best sex of your life: 4 Tips to improve your sex life

Elizabeth Cullen

Not only do massages feel good, but, as an added bonus, they warm up your skin and connect you with your partner.

Finally, last but not least…

21.  Prenatal massage can help get the baby to move during your 3D ultrasound

At First Peek Ultrasound, when you get the prenatal massage with your 3D ultrasound, if your baby is not in the best position, you can try your 3D ultrasound again after your prenatal massage.  Many pregnant moms say that the prenatal massage relaxes their baby and gets them to shift position, almost like they are getting comfortable.  Sometimes, this is just enough to be able to capture the perfect memento of your baby on 3D ultrasound.

So there you have it.  21 benefits of prenatal massage, courtesy of First Peek Ultrasound.

Is there a benefit of prenatal massage that you have experienced yourself which was not mentioned here?  We would love to hear about it.

Add to this list and get $10 off your next prenatal massage at First Peek Ultrasound.

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Worst gifts for pregnant women

Dec 15

Posted by firstpeek in Gift certificates | 1 Comment

These are the gifts you want to avoid giving your pregnant loved one this Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or winter solstice. 

In the last article, I mentioned some excellent gifts for pregnant women, including a gift certificate for a 3D ultrasound and a pregnancy massage.  Here, in this article, are the worst gifts you can give to someone who is pregnant and why these gifts are so horrible.

  • Breast pump

Unless you know her very well and you know for a fact that she is planning on breastfeeding and pumping, this gift can be in poor taste.  Also, if she is not planning on breastfeeding, this gift can be considered overbearing or offensive if she feels like you are pressuring her to breastfeed.

What can be given instead:  A luxury baby bottle set, which can be used for storing pumped breastmilk or used for bottlefeeding, and is one step removed from the actual secretion of bodily fluids.

  • Gomco circumcision clamp

In addition to requiring a physician license to purchase and use this equipment, a circumcision clamp will not be an appropriate gift for a pregnant woman unless you know that 1) she is having a boy and 2) she plans on having her baby boy circumcised and 3) you know that she is planning on performing the circumcision herself.  Unless she is a pediatrician or ob/gyn physician (or in some cases, a family practice physician), she is probably not qualified to perform her own baby’s circumcision.  Plus, if she is not religiously or culturally inclined towards circumcision, she may object to such a gift and may believe that you are subtly encouraging her towards having her baby boy get a circumcision.

What can be given instead:  A diaper cake makes a great gift regardless of whether your pregnant loved one is having a boy or a girl.  And if she is having a boy, whether her baby boy will be circumcised or not, he will still have to pee.  And for that, he will need diapers.  A diaper cake makes an excellent gift for a baby shower or for the holidays for your pregnant wife or girlfriend, and no blood will have to be lost with this gift.

  • Explicit pregnancy sex book

This is probably not the best gift to get her if you don’t know the pregnant woman really well.  For example, if she is your employee, a friend of a friend, your postal carrier, your dentist, or your next-door neighbor.  This can be considered in poor taste, at best, and sexual harrassment, at worst.  Such books have titles such as, How to Have Orgasms During Pregnancy, and Your Orgasmic Pregnancy: Little Sex Secrets Every Hot Mama Should Know.

Unless you are giving this gift to a girlfriend, wife, partner, or significant other, you may be better off sticking with a safer alternative.

What can be given instead: What to Expect When You’re Expecting, now in its third edition, is still the best selling book among pregnant women.  Other great books for pregnant women are books of baby names and books showing the pregnancy week by week.

If you know nothing about pregnancy, before you give a gift to a pregnant woman, you should find out which things are not generally allowed to be consumed during pregnancy.  The big ones are cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, and sushi.  Also, exotic fish and tuna in large quantities can also be harmful.  Belly creams and other cosmetics should be looked at to make sure they don’t contain vitamin A.  Giving a gift that could harm her fetus would be a major faux pas.

What can be given instead:  Instead of sushi, a gift certificate for ice cream will always be appreciated.  Instead of alcohol and coffee, there are non-alcoholic beverages that are specially designed for pregnant women, such as Preggatinis.  Here is a unique list of non-alcoholic beverages written by pregnant women themselves.

However, a gift certificate or gift card for sushi at Kamehachi or coffee at Starbucks can actually work very well for some pregnant women who can’t wait to splurge on sushi or coffee as soon as their baby is born.

What is the worst gift you received during your pregnancy?  Anything that was in very bad taste or even offensive? We would love to hear from you.

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Perfect Christmas gift for pregnant wife or girlfriend

Dec 14

Posted by firstpeek in Gift certificates | 9 Comments

What makes the perfect Christmas gift for your pregnant wife or girlfriend?

Of course, as the owner of First Peek Ultrasound, the leading 3D ultrasound center in the Chicago area, I am biased by the overwhelming satisfaction I see everyday when pregnant women see and bond with their baby.  So I would say that a gift certificate for a 3D/4D ultrasound at your local 3D ultrasound studio would be the ideal gift for your pregnant wife or girlfriend this year for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or winter solstice.

Another great gift for a pregnant woman is to pamper her with a one-hour pregnancy massage.  In case you are not certified yourself in massage therapy or prenatal massage, you can now get a prenatal massage at our pregnancy spa located within our studio.

Other great Christmas gifts for pregnant women:

  • Rocking chair

Believe it or not, rocking chairs are not just for grandmothers.  As pregnant women progress through their pregnancy, they have an  increasing desire for a comfortable place to sit.  And the rocking chair continues to be useful even after the baby is born as it makes a perfect place to breastfeed your baby.  Where can you get a good rocking chair?  From personal experience, the best way is to shop for a rocking chair off-line.  Yes, actually go to a physical store, such as Baby’s R Us so she can try out different rocking chairs. 

  • Maternity clothes

As her husband/boyfriend, you are in the unique position to know what would look good on her.  While she may have already bought a lot of maternity clothes with one thing in mind–what will be the most comfortable, you can buy something specially catered to what would look great on her.  This can include maternity jeans, maternity sleepwear, maternity lingerie, and other maternity dresses.  Not all maternity clothes have to be large, pink, and baggy.  A sleek fitted black dress that stretches as the belly grows makes for a great gift.

  • Pregnancy pillow

Give your pregnant loved one the gift she craves–sleep!  The pregnancy pillow helps with back pain and helps her find the right position so she can sleep.  Also, she will probably continue to use the pillow after the baby is born as a place for nursing, a rest area, and a play area for the newborn baby.

We want to hear from pregnant women who loved their gifts they received for the holidays on previous years.  What worked and what didn’t?  Any horrible gifts we should avoid?

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Pregnant woman can bring cardboard cutout of Dad to 3D ultrasound studio

Nov 30

Posted by firstpeek in Current events | 1 Comment

So I discovered this new blog, called Babble.com, which is an amazing blog with many very interesting articles for pregnant women.

This article caught my eye.  It’s about a woman who brings in a cardboard cutout of the dad into the delivery room with her when she gives birth to her baby.  Her husband is deployed overseas, and I guess he was not allowed to have leave from his deployment to come home for the birth of his baby.

The article can be found here, and I have included it below.

A woman who went into labor without her husband in town decided he should be there anyway – so she brought a cardboard cutout of the baby daddy into the maternity ward with her.

Her son’s first pictures will include daddy – sort of.

Emily Marsh’s husband is a Marine serving overseas. Flat Darrell is his stand-in, originally sent her way as a joke during their engagement. The sort of tool used by many military families to help their kids bridge the gap while their real parent is gone, the life-size cutouts are also know as Flat Daddies.

But they usually spend time with little kids who are missing their parents. They’re not used to introduce a newborn to said parent.

Fortunately Emily Marsh is not crazy. Just a woman missing her husband who has a good sense of humor. Darrell will get to meet little Walter in June, she told the Charlotte Observer. Until then, he’ll have to make do with pictures – sort of like his son.

The original news story was first reported in the Charlotte Observer.

At First Peek Ultrasound, we have enough space in our ultrasound room to fit 10 to 12 people.  We can also fit up to 10 to 12 cardboard cutouts of  the baby’s dad and his entire military squad who may also want to attend the event of seeing your baby for the first time in 3D.  Now, even his battle buddies in Iraq or Afghanistan will be able to virtually attend this beautiful and breathtaking event.  

If your husband / fiance / partner / boyfriend is deployed overseas with the military, to Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else, feel free to bring a cardboard cutout of your baby’s dad to our ultrasound studio.  Not only will we not make fun of you, your cardboard cutout daddy will be able to “see” your baby live in 3D on our two large plasma television screens while standing comfortably near you.  And you can get an extra CD of pictures to send to your loved one overseas for no extra charge.

At First Peek Ultrasound, we have had quite a few military moms come in, and a few of them have had the dads deployed overseas.   A 3D ultrasound is an excellent way of helping Dad stay connected with the baby and the pregnancy process in spite of him being so far away.  At First Peek Ultrasound, we can provide a DVD of the entire ultrasound session that you can send to Dad.  Also, you can upload your 4D ultrasound movie onto Youtube, so he can see it from anywhere in the world.

Are you pregnant with a Dad who is deployed overseas?  We would love to hear how a 3D ultrasound helped him connect and bond with you and your baby through your pregnancy.

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Ob/gyn Hypocrisy Regarding 3D Ultrasounds-Part 1

Nov 24

Posted by firstpeek in 3D ultrasound | 2 Comments

In what may become a ten part series, I am about to undertake a comprehensive treatise on the inner workings of the mentality of ob/gyn physicians in relation to their disdain and disapproval of 3D ultrasounds.  This disapproval is not unanimous by far.  In fact, since we have started our business in September, 2008, we have found more and more ob/gyn doctors and midwives approving and even recommending our business to their pregnant patients.  This series of articles is solely dedicated to those ob/gyn doctors who have told their patients to not get a 3D ultrasound because it is not medically necessary or that it is unsafe for a slew of other reasons.

Because I know that many of you may not have time to read the entire series of articles, I will just write my final point here:  Ob/gyn physicians do not approve of  3D and 4D ultrasound services only and precisely because they are not the ones profiting from this service. 

Although a few ob/gyn’s are clearly motivated in their discouragment of the practice for this profit motive (and I will pinpoint these ob/gyn physicians at a later date), many ob/gyn physicians do not have such a clear intention in their minds, and their discouragement of the practice may be more unconsciously influenced by the fact that they are not profiting from the service.  This is much the same way as physicians have been found to increase their recommendation of drugs that happen to be advertised on the pens that they write with which have been given to them by drug reps. 

Other ob/gyn physicians simply follow the advice of these aforementioned ob/gyn physicians, until it has gotten to the point where there has developed a culture of disdain for 3D ultrasound services.  This disdain is not rooted on any solid ground, although there are many reasons that ob/gyn physicians have brought up once this disdain has set in.

To further prove the point, a few ob/gyn physicians have opened up 3D ultrasound practices themselves, proving the point that that 3D ultrasounds are bad unless they own the 3D ultrasound facility themselves.

As part of the series, I will explore each of the reasons that ob/gyn physicians hate 3D ultrasounds and often tell their pregnant patients not to get this service, thus depriving these pregnant women of the opportunity to see and bond with their baby in this unique way.

This series of articles is meant to be a controversial, no holds barred, account.  I will definitely anger and upset some ob/gyn physicians.  And for that, I would like to apologize in advance to the ob/gyn physicians who do silently recommend my services to their patients and who have to work with these angry ob/gyn physicians.

In this article, I will attack head on the notion that 3D ultrasounds are wrong because they are elective and not necessary.  I will show that many ob/gyn physicians do not actually care about what is actually medically necessary or not.  When it comes down to it, many ob/gyn physicians will go along with something that is not medically necessary if it provides them more money or more convenience.  This can be seen in the elective C-section rate, which has been increasing steadily.

The following article discusses elective inductions of labor.  Again, elective inductions of labor are, by definition, not medically necessary.  Yet 20% of pregnancies are induced, and 10% of pregnancies are induced electively, by ob/gyn doctors, according to the following article, taken from MSNBC, and can be also seen here.

WASHINGTON – Hoping to schedule your baby’s birth while your mother’s in town, or before the doctor goes on vacation? Labor is becoming less of a late-night surprise, but some hospitals are starting to tighten the rules for elective deliveries — because some babies are being delivered too early.

More hospitals are expected to crack down as regulators begin new quality measurements next spring that aim to reduce too-early elective inductions and first-time cesareans.

Induced labor is on the rise for lots of reasons, some medical and some not. But recent research shows a troubling link between elective inductions and these so-called “late preemies.” These aren’t the dire too-small babies that the word premature conjures, but near-term babies who nonetheless are at higher risk of breathing disorders and other problems than babies who finish their very last weeks in the womb.

 “It was an ‘aha’ moment for me,” recalls Dr. Bryan Oshiro of his visit to a Utah intensive care nursery several years ago, where neonatologists pointed to babies there simply because they’d been induced too soon.

New guidelines will require that a mother’s cervix be nearly ready for natural labor, and limit the hospital beds available for elective inductions.

More hospitals are expected to start enforcing that criteria this spring, when the Joint Commission that regulates health quality will require hospitals to report all elective deliveries and the gestational age to its public database, providing peer pressure for improvement. Hospitals also will have to report cesareans for first-time mothers, too often a result of a failed induction.

“That’s not a good outcome for the baby or the mom,” says Joint Commission President Dr. Mark Chassin. “We believe this will be a very important driver of improvement in perinatal care.”

1 in 4 inductions were before 39 weeks
National guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have long discouraged elective deliveries before the 39th week of pregnancy. But some hospitals that took a close look were surprised. At Utah’s Intermountain Healthcare, for example, 28 percent of elective deliveries were breaking ACOG’s rule in 2001, Oshiro told a March of Dimes meeting on preventable prematurity this month.

Most were being induced in week 37, such a small difference that local obstetricians argued it wasn’t a problem. So Oshiro pulled the medical charts and found those near-term babies had more than double the risk of ending up in neonatal ICU, suffering respiratory distress, even needing a ventilator.

It took several years of policing: Inductions now are allowed only after meeting a checklist of requirements. But today, only about 3 percent of Intermountain’s elective deliveries occur before 39 weeks — and infant hospitalizations have dropped, saving money, too, says Oshiro, now a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Loma Linda University in California. He’s about to pilot a similar program at hospitals in that area.

“If there’s no need to intervene, please don’t intervene,” is Oshiro’s message.

1 in 5 new moms induced
Labor is induced in more than one in five births, double the rate in 1990, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many cases are for clear health reasons, such as a problem with the fetus or a sick mom or a pregnancy that has dragged well beyond the woman’s due date. 

There’s little data on how many are elective. But a Hospital Corporation of America study of nearly 18,000 births at 27 of its hospitals around the country suggests 10 percent of all births are performed electively before the 39-week mark. (That date is considered the point at which doctors can be sure a pregnancy has reached full-term, typically defined as 40 weeks give or take about a week.)

There are many reasons to perform an elective induction, such as if mom lives two hours from a hospital, notes Dr. John Fisch of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Magee-Women’s Hospital.

Patient and doctor preference helped drive the rise in inductions, such as women timing grandma’s arrival to take care of the siblings, or minimizing 3 a.m. deliveries. Then there’s defensive medicine, where doctors worried about litigation induce for minor reasons like a slight uptick of the mother’s blood pressure.

So Pittsburgh also had “a little bit of a hard sell” after discovering nearly 12 percent of elective deliveries broke the 39-week rule in 2004, Fisch says. “It was perceived to be a safe and effective way in delivering a baby — and it is, as long as it meets certain criteria.”

After Magee began strict enforcement — requiring that a mother’s cervix be nearly ready for natural labor, and limiting the beds available for elective inductions — too-early inductions dropped to 4 percent by 2007 and are “effectively zero” today, Fisch says. Overall, elective inductions dropped 30 percent.

When ob/gyn physicians as a whole have been found to perform elective inductions in 10% of pregnant women, as a matter of convenience, whether it is for the physician’s convenience or the mother’s, then they have no basis at all to make the argument that 3D ultrasounds should not be performed because it is not medically necessary.

3D ultrasounds are not performed for the mother’s convenience or simply for entertainment.  3D ultrasounds, along with many other services and products that have been used by pregnant women for centuries, have served to fulfill a deep need of pregnant women and the dads to see and bond with their unborn baby.

It has been shown that 3D ultrasounds increase the bonding between mother and unborn child.  This is probably due to the very real emotional connection that occurs when visually seeing your child.  This should not be trivialized just because it is not medically necessary.  There are many things that are not medically necessary and yet still can fulfill a real need in society, such as weddings and baby showers.  The 3D ultrasound can be yet another rite of passage of pregnancy.

If you are pregnant and believe that your 3D ultrasound fulfilled a need, whether it felt like a biological need, emotional need, psychological need, or spiritual need, we would love to hear your perspective.

Next: Is the 3D ultrasound machine a medical device, and can medical devices only be used for medical purposes?  We’ll see what ob/gyn’s say and what they actually do.

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Eating for two? Maybe you shouldn’t–Battling obesity in pregnancy

Nov 24

Posted by firstpeek in Pregnancy | 4 Comments

Pregnancy has always been a good excuse for gaining weight.  It seems like this is the one time where you don’t have to worry about what you eat or how much weight you gain.  And other people also do not bat an eye at any amount of weight you gain as long as you can look them straight in the eye and say that you are pregnant.  Yet recent studies have shown that maybe pregnancy is the time when women should be the most concerned about their weight and how much weight they gain. 

And women who are already overweight or obese tend to gain even more weight than what is recommended during pregnancy.  This is not surprising. If someone is having a hard time with their weight as it is, it will be even harder to control weight when you add pregnancy plus the stresses that go along with pregnancy with it.  Also, this excessive weight gain may be especially hard to lose after you have the baby.

The solution? Start healthy eating habits, exercise habits, lifestyle habits, and thinking habits long before you become pregnant.

This issue is so important that I have included the recent article from MSNBC news in full below.  You can also find the article here, called Obese and Pregnant?

WASHINGTON – Eating for two? New guidelines are setting how much weight women should gain during pregnancy — surprisingly little if they’re already overweight.

The most important message: Get to a healthy weight before you conceive, says the Institute of Medicine in the first national recommendations on pregnancy weight since 1990. It’s healthiest for the mother — less chance of pregnancy-related high blood pressure or diabetes, or the need for a C-section — and it’s best for the baby, too. Babies born to overweight mothers have a greater risk of premature birth or of later becoming overweight themselves, among other concerns.

Meeting the guidelines could be a tall order, considering that about 55 percent of women of childbearing age are overweight, that preconception care isn’t that common and about half of pregnancies are unplanned.

Once a woman’s pregnant, the guidelines issued Thursday aren’t too different from what obstetricians already recommend, although about half of women don’t follow that advice today.

Among the new recommendations:

  • A normal-weight woman, as measured by BMI or body mass index, should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. A normal BMI, a measure of weight for height, is between 18.5 and 24.9.
  • An overweight woman — BMI 25 to 29.9 — should gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
  • For the first time, the guidelines set a standard for obese women — BMI of 30 or higher: 11 to 20 pounds.
  • An underweight woman — BMI less than 18.5 — should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

What if a mom-to-be has gained too much? On average, overweight and obese women already are gaining five more pounds than the upper limit.

But pregnancy is not a time to lose weight, stressed guidelines co-author Dr. Anna Maria Siega-Riz of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

“It’s not, ‘Hey you gained enough, now you need to stop,’ ” Siega-Riz said. “Let’s take stock of where you’re at and start gaining correctly.”

A pound a week
Indeed, underweight and normal-weight mothers should put on a pound a week for proper fetal growth in the second and third trimesters, the guidelines say. The overweight and obese need about half a pound a week.

Hopping on the scale during prenatal checkups makes for a sensitive moment, especially in a culture that cherishes the stereotype of late-night ice cream-and-pickles snacks.

Implementing the guidelines may take a move “to change the whole culture about pregnancy” and eating, Siega-Riz said. She noted that in studies of the overweight, “most of these women will tell you that they’ve never been told how much weight to gain.”

The guidelines call for increased nutrition and exercise counseling during pregnancy, saying doctors or midwives may need to consult a dietitian to tailor a woman’s care no matter her starting weight. Also, providers should discuss whether a woman plans to breastfeed, which not only is optimal for the baby but helps the new mother shed pounds, too.

“It’s really a teachable moment,” said guidelines co-author Dr. Patrick Catalano, obstetrics chairman at Ohio’s Case Western Reserve University. “When women are pregnant, they may be more accepting” of weight discussions “because it’s also in the best interest of their babies.”

Obstetricians, who have struggled with how to advise heavier women as U.S. obesity rates have soared over the past two decades, welcomed the guidelines — especially the recognition that babies born too large tend to grow into overweight children at risk for their own health problems. Not too many years ago it was rare to see a 9-pound, or larger, newborn.

“Pregnant women should not be eating for two,” said Dr. Ellen J. Landsberger, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center. “You want a healthy baby? On both ends, you have to eat the right amount.”

Nutritional needs
But is it realistic for obese women to gain as little as 11 pounds?

“We think it’s possible. We also think it will be a challenge,” said Cornell University nutrition specialist Dr. Kathleen Rasmussen, who chaired the Institute of Medicine committee.

In the Bronx, Nyree Paten illustrates that challenge: She had been putting on weight for three years and discovered she was pregnant at her peak, just over 300 pounds, seriously obese even for someone 6 feet tall. Her doctor diagnosed diabetes at her first prenatal checkup. Landsberger found Paten, 35, a nutritionist and prescribed insulin for the diabetes. Paten said she’s gained only about 2 pounds by week 24, while regular ultrasounds show her baby is growing well.

“Thank God I’ve been doing good,” says Paten, who feels more energetic because she’s eating better. So is her 8-year-old son. First to go: sugary sodas and juices in favor of water.

“It’s all about knowing and being educated on how to eat,” adds Paten, who’s lined up the nutritionist to help her lose weight once her baby is born.

The guidelines say women expecting twins can gain more: 37 to 54 pounds for a normal-weight woman, 31 to 50 pounds for the overweight, 25 to 42 pounds for the obese. There’s not enough information to set recommendations for triplets or more.

The institute stressed that the guidelines are aimed at U.S. women, not for parts of the world with different nutritional and obstetric needs.

Gaining too much weight during pregnancy is not just an issue of physical appearance.  There are many medical complications for the mother.  But more recently, there have been studies showing medical complications for the baby as well.  The following list has been taken from www.pregnancy-info.net:

Complications For Mom
If you are obese during pregnancy, you are at risk of several serious health complications, including: 

  • Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a condition which causes high blood pressure, fluid retention, and swelling during pregnancy. When serious, preeclampsia can restrict placental blood flow, endangering baby.
  • Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It prevents your body from breaking down sugar and can put your baby at risk for gaining too much weight in utero.
  • Cesarean Section: Women who are obese during pregnancy have an increased risk of experiencing problems during delivery. Labor is more likely to be slow and prolonged, increasing the likelihood of cesarean section.
  • Postpartum Infection: Obesity during pregnancy also makes you more vulnerable to experiencing a difficult postpartum recovery. In particular, if you have had a C-section, you are at risk for developing dangerous postpartum infections.

It is not certain why obesity is associated with pre-eclampsia, although obesity has always been known to be one of the causes of high blood pressure. There is one study that explores this association between obesity in pregnancy and preeclampsia.

Complications for Baby
If you are obese during your pregnancy, you baby is also at risk for developing some dangerous health issues.

  • Macrosoma: Macrosoma is a condition in which your baby puts on too much weight during development. This can complicate labor and delivery, making it difficult for your baby to enter and exit the birth canal. Some large babies have their shoulders injured during birth. This is known as shoulder dystonia.
  • Neural Tube Defects: Babies born to obese mothers are also at increased risk of suffering dangerous neural tube defects during development. Neural tube defects, like spina bifida and anencephaly, are often associated with low levels of folic acid during the first trimester. These defects can frequently be detected early in pregnancy through the use of ultrasound imaging. However, women who are obese often produce poor ultrasounds. Because the ultrasound waves have trouble penetrating extra layers of fat, blurry images are produced. As a result, neural tube defects aren’t always detected in these babies.
  • Childhood Obesity: Studies show that babies who are born to obese mothers are more likely to suffer from obesity by the time they reach the age of four. In one recent study, 29% of children born to obese mothers were also obese by the age of four, compared with only 9% of babies born to mothers of normal weight.

Admittedly, adding neural tubes defect to this list of complications of obesity during pregnancy is a stretch.  The actual issue is that obesity can lead to not being able to get good ultrasound images of the baby, which can lead to a missed diagnosis of neural tube defects, such as myelomeningocele.  Basically, this can lead to an increased risk of having neural tube defects only if you are working on the assumption that if your baby was diagnosed with a neural tube defect, then you definitely would have had an abortion. 

However, this article speaks to the fact that there is in fact a true direct link between obesity in pregnancy and neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate, and hydrocephalus.  This may be due to the association of obesity with other nutritional deficiencies, including a deficiency in folic acid (folate deficiency), which is a known risk factor for neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate, and hydrocephalus.

What is very interesting is the fact that if a woman is obese just during the nine months of her pregnancy, this can effect the entire life of her child!  If she is having a girl, her daughter may end up staying obese until she is pregnant, and then have another obese child.  This can continue on for generations. This shows that in addition to genetic influences and environmental influences, there is this third cause of obesity that can appear to be genetic in origin but is in fact caused environmentally in the womb.

To this list of complications of obesity during pregnancy, you can also add other problems with being obese during pregnancy, including:

1. Congenital heart defects.  A recent study has shown that women who are obese when they become pregnant are 30% more likely to have children born with congenital heart defects.

2. Post-partum depression - A study conducted by the University of Utah in 2008 showed a link between being obese in pregnancy and having post-partum depression.  You can see a summary of the study here. 

This makes a lot of sense, since there are many underlying causes that can lead to both obesity and post-partum depressions, such as negative thinking, poor coping skills, a stressful environment, poor social support, and poor self esteem.  Also, increased fat tissue can itself cause depression in a purely physical way, since fat cells can convert estrogen into testosterone, leading to hormonal and emotional imbalances.  This is the same reason that depression has been associated with women with polycystic ovarian disease.

3.  ADHD – Being overweight or obese during pregnancy may be associated with ADHD in the child, at least the inattentive type.  This article, called Maternal Obesity During Pregnancy Increases Risk for ADHD, is rather convincing. 

4. Autism – The link between obesity during pregnancy is one of a few prenatal factors associated with autism, including having an older mother or father and having a mother being born abroad.  This association was discovered and discussed in a research paper conducted by American researchers in the British Journal of Psychiatry, in July, 2009.  A summary of this intriguing research paper is presented here.  Could the rise in obesity in pregnancy be the real reason for the recent rise in autism rather than the use of vaccines, I wonder?

5.  Blurry 3D ultrasound images.  Yes, obesity in pregnancy can lead to poor, blurry, and unclear 3D ultrasound images.  With the latest craze of 3D and 4D ultrasounds, pregnant women are now doing whatever it takes to get the best 3D ultrasound images for their baby album. If this motivates you to avoid obesity during your pregnancy, then I am all for it!  Not gaining excessive weight during pregnancy can prevent a whole slew of medical problems for you and your baby.  But the beautiful 3D ultrasound images can be a great reward for your efforts.  If you are in the Chicagoland area, feel free to reward yourself for not gaining too much weight in pregnancy by getting a 3D ultrasound at First Peek Ultrasound.

So what can you do as a pregnant woman to avoid obesity in pregnancy?  The following suggestions say it best, taken from www.pregnancy-info.net:

  • Lose Weight Before Pregnancy: If you are planning on getting pregnant in the near future, get your weight evaluated by your health care provider. If you are obese, consider losing weight through proper diet and exercise. Even minimal weight loss can help to radically reduce your risk of pregnancy complications. Those that are severely obese may want to consider obesity surgery.
  • Watch your Weight Gain: Even if you are obese, you should never try to lose weight during pregnancy. Weight loss or changes in diet can prevent your baby from getting the calories and nutrients she needs to grow properly. Instead, focus on gaining weight in moderation. Most obese women need to gain between 15 and 25 pounds, putting on the majority of the weight during the third trimester.
  • Exercise: Exercise should be continued throughout your pregnancy. Talk with your health care provider about exercise levels that would be appropriate for you. Even if it’s just walking around the block a few times, exercise can really help to reduce your risk of potential health complications.

More recently, the suggested weight gain during pregnancy for obese women has been seriously modified than what was even mentioned above.  In the MSNBC article mentioned first, the recommended weight gain for obese women, with a BMI greater than 30, is 11 to 20 pounds for the whole duration of your pregnancy.  In other words, basically, you should just try to not gain any weight at all and just hope that your existing weight rounds off and goes where it needs to go!

Eating for two? If you are obese, then maybe you shouldn’t.

Is anyone out there struggling with obesity in pregnancy? We would love to hear from your perspective.

Also, I apologize in advance if I offended anyone out there who is struggling with this issue of obesity in pregnancy.  Although I am not here to judge, as a pediatrician, I feel I have to speak out on anything that has this much of an impact on children which is preventable.  If you know anyone who can benefit from this article, please forward it to them.

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How to get the best pictures on a 3D ultrasound

Oct 7

Posted by firstpeek in 3D ultrasound | No Comments

Many people ask us how to get the best pictures on their 3D ultrasound.  We have included a number of tips below.

  1. Go at the right time within your pregnancy.
    • If you are just interested in checking the gender, you can go as early as 15 weeks to First Peek Ultrasound.  Any earlier, and the results may not be accurate, leading to an extra coat of paint for your bedroom.
    • If you want to see pictures of your baby, it is not recommended to get a 3D ultrasound under 17 weeks.  In one study, mothers seeing their baby under 17 weeks actually decreased bonding, since the mothers felt that the baby did not look like a baby.
    • To get good pictures, 3D ultrasounds are best performed between 20 and 32 weeks, and the best pictures are between 24 and 30 weeks.
    • Mothers with twins or triplets should come a little earlier, between 22 and 28 weeks.
    • Heavier-set women have a much more narrow window of opportunity to get good pictures, and it is best for them to come between 28 and 30 weeks.
    • If you would like to get a closeup shot of the face, then 28 to 32 weeks is the best time.
    • After 35 weeks, there is less fluid around the baby to work with, which can lead to suboptimal results. Also, after 35 weeks, the baby may have already descended into the pelvis, making getting any view of the baby impossible
  2. Drink plenty of water for 1-2 weeks before your appointment.
    • This means eight 8-ounce glasses a day.
    • This helps clear up the amniotic fluid and
    • Ensures that there is enough fluid around the baby.
    • Start well in advance; it doesn’t do much good to only drink water the night before or the morning of your 3D ultrasound.
  3. Be comfortable.
    • You do not need to have a full bladder, as you would with your medical ultrasound.
    • This is your time, and you want to be comfortable and relaxed so you can enjoy watching your baby
  4. See your baby move in 4D by scheduling your appointment at a time that you think your baby is most likely to be awake and moving.
    • After 19 weeks, your baby is already developing a sleep pattern, and you may be able to predict the time that your baby is most likely to be awake.
    • If your baby is asleep at the time of your ultrasound appointment and you want to make your baby move, try drinking some orange juice. This has been shown to help stimulate the baby to move.
    • For some women, chocolate also works. 
    • Otherwise, try walking around and then come back.
    • Drinking coffee, soda, or other caffeinated beverages may be harmful to your baby and are generally not advised.  In the past, ob/gyn physicians have recommended that pregnant women drink no more than one cup of coffee a day.  More recently, a study has shown that even one cup of coffee a day can have some minimal effect on the baby as well.
  5. Maintain a good weight through your pregnancy.
    • It is a well-known secret among ultrasound technicians that they have a much more difficult time getting beautiful images of the baby on obese pregnant women as well as diagnostic images.  In some cases, obesity has been associated with adverse medical outcomes precisely because of the difficulty of obtaining diagnostic imaging to detect and prevent medical problems.  Obesity in pregnancy can lead to many other problems besides not getting the ideal 3D ultrasound images, such as worsening heartburn, increased back pain, a higher risk of gestational diabetes, a higher rate of C-sections, and even congenital heart defects in the baby.  Also, obesity in the mother during pregnancy has been linked to obesity and Type II diabetes in the child.  If you are already overweight, at least be sure to gain the recommended weight gain of pregnancy, and you will be way ahead of the game, since most obese women gain much more than the recommended weight during pregnancy.  See our full article on obesity in pregnancy here.
  6. Make sure you go to a 3D ultrasound center that allows you to have sufficient time during your appointment. 
    • At First Peek Ultrasound, the Premium Package allows you more than enough time to get really good pictures of your baby and a free return visit if you are not able to get good pictures of your baby the first time.
  7. Finally, have a positive attitude.
    • Not every baby is going to cooperate or be in the perfect position to get good baby pictures.
    • The pictures you get depend on a lot of factors, including the position of the baby, the placenta, and the umbilical cord.
    • Although for some women, the pictures of their baby may not look as clear or as ideal as the pictures on our website or brochure, yet many of these women have told us that their 3D ultrasound pictures are even more beautiful, because it is their baby.
    • Likewise, some babies may have their hands in front of their face.  This actually makes for very cute pictures and even gives you a glimpse into their personality.  I myself was pleasantly amazed when I saw my newborn son repeatedly put his hands in front of his mouth whenever he was laughing.  I then realized that what I saw on his 4D ultrasound was him laughing!

If you have any additional tips, please write them below in the comments.

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Pregnant women struggle to find flu vaccine

Sep 29

Posted by firstpeek in Current events | 2 Comments

A recent article in the news highlights an important problem: Even when a pregnant woman wants to get the flu shot, she may be unable to get one.  Most ob/gyn physicians do not even offer the flu shot.  Many pregnant women only see an ob/gyn physician and have stopped seeing their regular doctor even if they had one.  Also, this is compounded with the fact that many people do not even have health insurance.  The news article even states that pharmacies will balk at filling a doctor’s prescription for a flu shot.

The article can be found on MSNBC here.

Pregnant women struggle to find flu vaccine

Only 1 in 7 are protected; many obstetricians don’t offer the shot

The Associated Press

updated 3:16 p.m. CT, Mon., Sept . 28, 2009

WASHINGTON – It’s hard for pregnant women to escape the message: You’re at extra risk from swine flu — it could trigger premature labor, hospitalize you for weeks, even kill you — so be among the first in line for vaccine next month. But only about one in seven pregnant women gets a flu shot each winter.

While federal health officials are working hard to raise that number this year, repeated swine flu warnings won’t automatically overcome a key obstacle: Many obstetricians don’t vaccinate. And not only are many women reluctant to go hunting for flu shots elsewhere, historically some pharmacists and other providers have been wary of vaccinating them.

“Maybe this year we can change that culture,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s not supposed to happen that you, when you are pregnant, are fighting for your life on a respirator.”

Yet getting simple vaccine information took Charla Bason of Washington, D.C., repeated requests, as she was bounced between her obstetrician’s office and her primary care doctor a few weeks ago.

“I feel like if I hadn’t brought it up, they never would have mentioned it to me,” says Bason, 30, who is seven months pregnant with her first child.

‘Incredibly frustrating’
Bason decided to seek vaccination after watching a CDC Webcast about pregnant women and talking with a physician in the family. But she still has no clear answer about where to get one.

“It’s been incredibly frustrating. There’s a terrible disconnect between the message that was getting out and, once you decide you want it, how do you get it?” she says.

Any kind of flu is risky during pregnancy, and pregnant women have been on the get-a-flu-shot priority list for years. Their reluctance to take any medication during pregnancy is part of the reason for the low vaccination rates.

With swine flu, what doctors call the 2009 H1N1 strain, pregnant women seem at particular risk for complications. Pregnant women make up 6 percent of H1N1-confirmed deaths even though they account for only 1 percent of the population, according to the CDC. They’re at least four times as likely to be hospitalized as other flu sufferers.

Vaccine is a two-for-one deal during pregnancy: It can protect not just mom but the baby, too, for the first few months after birth. The mother’s body makes flu-fighting antibodies that easily cross the placenta to be carried by the fetus, explains Dr. Neil Silverman of the University of California, Los Angeles. That’s important because flu can easily kill newborns, yet babies can’t be vaccinated until they’re 6 months old.

OBs may not get any swine flu shots
Once women get that vaccine advice, where do they get the shot?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no count of how many OBs offer flu vaccine. It’s still considered a minority although recent surveys suggest many more may be starting this year, especially in large cities.

An extra complication: Each state’s health department ultimately will decide who gets to offer the H1N1 vaccine, aiming for locations that vaccinate the most people. Those decisions haven’t been made public yet. Even if your OB requested swine flu shots, he or she may not get any, at least from initial shipments.

So the CDC and ACOG are urging obstetricians to partner with a nearby site — a hospital or drugstore, for example — to guarantee their patients a flu-shot source, a message the government will reiterate Tuesday in a swine flu training seminar for obstetricians nationwide.

Yet providers who don’t routinely treat pregnant women may not understand flu’s risk and the shot’s safety record, says Silverman, who helps set ACOG practice guidelines.

Take pharmacists, expected to be key H1N1 vaccinators. Silverman gets occasional phone calls from women who say a pharmacist won’t fill the flu-shot prescription he wrote.

“They act like the doctor who prescribed it didn’t know what he or she was doing,” says Silverman, who settles the standoff by getting the pharmacist on the phone. For every patient who calls, “I know there are at least two who just say, ‘Well, OK, I’m not going to do this,’ and just walk away.”

Some pharmacists may balk
The American Pharmacists Association is urging its members to follow the CDC’s pregnancy guidelines but can’t mandate that, and a few stores may still balk, says association chief of staff Mitchel Rothholz.

But some are embracing the potential customers. The large Walgreen’s drugstore chain told states that if picked as an H1N1 shot site, it might put get-vaccinated-here signs next to the pregnancy tests, or print vaccine reminders for people who bought prenatal vitamins.

And Louisiana this month lifted its requirement that pharmacists vaccinate by prescription only, making it easier for everyone to get a drugstore flu shot.

Why don’t more OBs vaccinate? Largely it’s the expense and hassle, but it’s not part of routine obstetrician training, says Dr. Stanley Gall of the University of Louisville, an OB and longtime vaccine provider. That’s changing as more stock a different vaccine — against the virus that causes cervical cancer — and decide they might as well offer flu vaccine, too.

Because so few pregnant women even have another doctor, “the OB office should be a one-stop shop,” he says.

 I called the Walgreen’s in Oak Park, IL, and this is what they had to say:  “You don’t even need a prescription.  You can just walk in and get it.”

Yes, but you would have to pay Walgreen’s the $29.95.  How convenient.  But what if you have a health insurance plan that would cover it?

The pharmacist said, “We can run it through and see if the insurance will cover it.  If they cover it, then we can have the insurance cover it.”

So there you have it.  If you’re pregnant and your ob/gyn refuses to give you the flu shot or a prescription for a flu shot, simply walk into the Walgreen’s store near you, show them whatever insurance would have covered the flu shot if your doctor would have given it to you, and then get it from Walgreen’s under your insurance policy.

Next on the 3D ultrasound blog, I will try this out, and we can see if the above statement is actually true.

The Walgreen’s website has specific information for pregnant women who want to get the flu shot.

Can pregnant women get a flu shot at Take Care Clinics?

Yes – Take Care Clinics offer preservative-free flu vaccines to pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimester who present with a note for the flu vaccine from their Ob/Gyn. Our goal is to ensure the safe administration of vaccines to pregnant women in collaboration with the Ob/Gyn, promoting continuity of care. Preservative-free flu vaccinations are available for $29.99/dose.

So is this news article highlighting an actual difficulty?  If you are pregnant and you are finding it hard to get a flu shot, we would love to hear from you.

Note: First Peek Ultrasound serves pregnant women in the Chicago area for the services of the Baby Heartbeat Package, 3D and 4D ultrasounds, and prenatal massage.  We do not offer flu shots.

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Swine flu hits pregnant women especially hard

Sep 25

Posted by firstpeek in Pregnancy | 1 Comment

As to be expected, swine flu has been found to hit pregnant women especially hard, as reported by the CDC. The H1N1 virus affects pregnant women who are already in a state of having a lower immune system.

Normally, the depressed immune system serves to protect the baby. After all, the baby is genetically different from the mother, so there is no reason for the immune system of the mother not to attack the baby and try to get rid of it. So the body has devised a way to lower the immune system during pregnancy so that the mother’s body does not try to fight off the baby. As a side effect of that, pregnant women are more susceptible to a whole host of other diseases, from minor colds to the swine flu.

Here is a good article about it on MSNBC, which can be found here, called Study: Swine flu strikes pregnant women hard. The complete story, without the ads, is here below:

Pregnant women hit hard by swine flu

Expectant moms four times as likely to be hospitalized with virus

The Associated Press

LONDON – Pregnant women who get swine flu are at least four times as likely to be hospitalized as other people with the virus, a new study says.

While experts don’t know if pregnant women are more susceptible to swine flu, they say once pregnant women are infected, they have a higher risk of complications.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the first 34 U.S. cases, including 6 deaths, of swine flu in pregnant women from April to mid-June.

They concluded that pregnant women suspected of having swine flu should be given Tamiflu as soon as possible, even before tests confirm the diagnosis. The experts also recommended that pregnant women be among the first in line when a vaccine is expected to be ready in the fall.

The study was published online Wednesday in the medical journal, the Lancet.

Like the general population, most pregnant women who get swine flu only have mild symptoms like fever and a cough, according to the World Health Organization. Denise Jamieson of the U.S. CDC, the study’s lead researcher, said the agency doesn’t recommend any special precautions for pregnant women to avoid catching the virus.

But if pregnant women do get swine flu, Jamieson said doctors need to act fast, preferably within 48 hours of developing symptoms.

“The message is don’t delay appropriate treatment because she’s pregnant,” she said.

Health officials at WHO have previously reported that some doctors were reluctant to give the antiviral drug Tamiflu to pregnant women. While safety data on Tamiflu use in pregnant women is limited, Jamieson said it appears relatively safe.

Of the six fatal cases in the Lancet study, Jamieson said nearly all had viral pneumonia before experiencing acute respiratory problems, and were put on ventilators before they died. Aside from one woman who had asthma and another who was obese, Jamieson said the women were essentially healthy.

U.S. guidelines list pregnant women as a high-priority group for pandemic vaccines, although that is for vaccines without adjuvants, ingredients used to stretch a vaccine’s active ingredient.

In the U.S., flu vaccines don’t have adjuvants, but in Europe, many do. There is little data on how safe vaccines with adjuvants are in pregnant women.

Cecilia Nwobi, a London-based lawyer pregnant with her third child, said she hasn’t yet decided if she will get a swine flu shot.

“People don’t want to be guinea pigs for something that hasn’t been tested in pregnant women,” she said. “But if I’m faced with a more serious situation later, I might feel differently.”

Advice from European authorities has varied widely — some British and Swiss officials even initially advised that women consider delaying having children until the pandemic ends — even though that might be more than a year away.

Britain’s department of health quickly backed away from that stance, although it still says pregnant women may want to avoid crowded places.

“The most important measures are for pregnant women to observe good hand and respiratory hygiene,” said Dr. Boon Lim, a spokesman for Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “But if the situation worsens, further advice may be necessary.”

If you are pregnant, you are encouraged to get the flu shot and the swine flu vaccine as soon as it comes out. You can see your doctor for it or just go to your local drug store. Walgreen’s and CVS will offer them for free for people who are unemployed and without insurance.

For additional advice and recommendations, here is a very good list of recommendations for pregnant women in regards to the H1N1 virus.

Here is the official government website on what pregnant women should know about the flu.  I found this website very informative and comprehensive.

Follow this link to see what First Peek Ultrasound is doing to protect its customers from the swine flu.

Are you concerned about swine flu during your pregnancy? Please write down your thoughts below.

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Woman pregnant with two babies who are not twins: superfetation

Sep 24

Posted by firstpeek in Current events | 7 Comments

In Arkansas, a pregnant woman gets pregnant again. In this extremely rare twin pregnancy, called superfetation, the baby is conceived on two different days but will be born on the same day. I have heard about this being possible in medical school but I have never seen this before.

This news story probably became more popularized when featured on Yahoo News. Here is the video footage from Yahoo News.

Here is the full story below which can also be found here.

FORT SMITH – A Fort Smith woman’s pregnancy has the medical community shaking their heads in disbelief. She and her husband actually conceived babies at two different times. It’s an extremely rare medical marvel few physicans have ever seen.

5NEWS sat down with the expecting parents for a candid conversation about their surprising situation.

Todd and Julia Grovenburg are like millions of other young couples expecting a baby. They’re moving into a bigger house to accommodate their growing family. They had been trying to get pregnant for several years and were about ready to try adoption. Then, the couple found out that Julia was pregnant, not only once, but twice and at different times.

“We went back June 4th to do our ultrasound and that was a shocking, absolutely shocking experience,” Julia Grovenburg said.

Shocking because, the baby they saw was 11 weeks old. Julia was convinced that she was only eight and a half weeks along.

“I turned around and i looked at him [Todd], and I said well at least we know we’re not having twins!”

Then came the baby bombshell.

“About 2 or 3 minutes later she said and baby #2 has got a healthy little heartbeat, and I just started gagging,” Julia said. “I mean, I was getting sick.” “Both in shock,” Todd agreed. “He’s laughing,” Julia added.

But that was just the beginning. You can clearly see the difference in the babies’ development in this sonogram. Jillian, the oldest is much bigger than her younger brother, Hudson. That’s because they are two and a half weeks apart. Hudson is the baby Julia was expecting to see.

The couple was sent to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock for an expert opinion, but all they were told:

“It is what it is,” Julia shrugged. “But what is it? Tell me.”

The Grovernburg’s believe it to be a rare condition called superfetation. The definition is quite simple: to conceive while already pregnant. A blood test will prove it when the babies are born.

“We were trying to put the timeleines together and everything, and we had known she had had a migraine and been at the hospital and actually had a pregnancy test at the time the one would’ve been conceived,” Todd said. “But I was pregnant,” Julia said, finishing his sentence.

“It’s fun I mean we feel blessed to have something so rare and as of this point they’re perfectly healthy,” the mom-to-be smiled.

In an ironic twist, Hudson, the younger of the two, will likely be born first, whether naturally or by c-section, simply because of where he’s situated in the womb. As if the story couldn’t get any stranger, the babies’ official due dates are in two different years: 2009 and 2010. Both are expected to be born together in December.

Julia’s obstetrician, Dr. Michel Muylaert, says that UAMS confirmed the suspicion of superfetation. Read his statement below:
18 September 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
Mrs. Julia Grovenburg is pregnant with twins and there appears to be a discordant growth pattern, possibly due to superfetation. This is an unusual and rare condition, but the possibility is real. It can only be confirmed after delivery by chromosomal and metabolic studies on the babies. She was evaluated at UAMS in Little Rock for this condition and they confirmed the suspicion of superfetation.
Sincerely, M. Muylaert, M.D.

At First Peek Ultrasound, we would like to be the first 3D ultrasound studio to congratulate Todd and Julia Grovenburg. We would also like to give them the gift of a free 3D ultrasound (Premium Package). Todd and Julia, just call us and schedule your appointment for whenever you will be in the Chicago area to get a look at your two wonderful babies up close in 3D.

At First Peek Ultrasound, your second twin is free when you get the Premium Package (and only $30 extra with all other packages), regardless of when each twin is conceived.

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