Archive for February 2011
Your baby is growing and developing quickly. From the moment of conception, the tiny cells that join together start an amazing and rapid process that continuously works for nine months toward the development of a fully formed human being. This process requires energy and nourishment which a mother’s body provides during the developmental process.
During the first 12 weeks of life, the rapidly growing and changing cells of your baby have no identifiable human form. During this first trimester, the body begins to form as well as all of the major organs. By the time the baby is 8 weeks, the four chambers of the heart have formed. An ultrasound can be used to see the beating of the baby’s heart. By 12 weeks, the baby is fully formed and facial features begin to form. Your baby’s major organs will also start functioning. An ultrasound technician can help you to view your baby with a sonogram.
During the second trimester, from weeks 13 to 27, your baby will grow rapidly at about 2 in each month. Your baby will start to move and can even hear sounds from outside the womb. By the end of this trimester, most of your baby’s systems and major organs will be formed and working. The lungs will not be completely developed until the third trimester.
During the last trimester, your baby is much more active. This will be evident by all of the movement, like kicking and squirming, that you are likely to experience during your pregnancy. You may even notice you baby’s sleeping and waking routine. In many instances your baby may be more active during the evenings when you are resting and sleeping during the day when you are most active. The brain and nervous system become more complex during this last trimester and will continue to develop after birth. The lungs become fully developed by 40 weeks.
Nearly 10 percent of women suffer from pregnancy-induced hypertension. This condition is medically termed preeclampsia. The cause is still unknown but some research suggests it may be related to a malfunction of the placenta.
The symptoms of preeclampsia can vary depending on the severity of the condition. Some women with minor preeclampsia may see an increase in their blood pressure at the end of their pregnancy and a small amount of protein detected in the urine. This can occur in about 1 in 10 pregnant women. Women with more severe conditions may see a large rise in blood pressure and a greater amount of protein in the urine. This type of severity can affect 1 in 50 pregnant women. Some common signs of preeclampsia include sudden swelling, headaches, pain under your ribs, and vision problems. Blood pressure and urine samples are taken regularly during prenatal visits to monitor any changes that could represent the onset of preeclampsia. If preeclampsia is suspected depending on the severity, the mother may be referred to the hospital.
Mild forms of preeclampsia will likely require that the blood pressure and urine be tested more frequently- possibly weekly. More serious forms will require the mother to go to the hospital to be monitored and given medication that can lower blood pressure. If left untreated a very serious condition called eclampsia can develop. Eclampsia can cause convulsions and increase the mortality rate of mother and baby.
Women over the age of 40 years old or who have had preeclampsia before are at greater risk for suffering from preeclampsia again. Chances also increase if a woman has a body mass index over 35; if there is a family history of preeclampsia; if the mother has had diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease before the pregnancy; or if she is carrying more than one baby.
24
Sonography Degree: The Position of Twins in the Uterus
0 Comments | Posted by admin in Uncategorized
There are several positions that twin can have while in the uterus. These positions can determine who the baby will be born. In every case, there will be one twin that is lower or closer to the birth canal. This twin is referred to as twin A. Usually this twin is born first.
The babies can a head down position (cephalic) or buttocks or feet first position (breech). In some instance a baby may be in a diagonal or horizontal position. These are the same possible positions for all babies- single or multiple. Twins can lie in any combination of positions and will likely change positions often through out the pregnancy.
A vaginal delivery is possible if both babies are in a cephalic (heads down) position. In some instances, the first baby is in the cephalic position and the second twin is in the breech position. The obstetrician will likely recommend that the mother have a cesarean instead of a vaginal delivery. Vaginal deliveries are only possible if both babies are in a heads down positions. Any other positions will require a cesarean delivery.
An elective cesarean might be recommended for a twin delivery for several reasons, such as the babies’ position, the mother’s age and health, or the babies’ health. Most elective cesareans are done between 37 and 40 weeks gestation. However, it is possible that an earlier delivery will be scheduled if one of the babies is compromised due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.
New expectant parents are always full of questions. Having a child can be an overwhelming experience. Being an expectant parent of twin or multiple births can add to your anxiety. Here are some questions that many parents expecting twins or more commonly ask.
Can I tell that I am carrying twins before I go for my ultrasound?
Before ultrasound technology was available, a doctor or midwife would suspect multiple babies if the first child was born slightly smaller than expected. Today, most multiple births are expected if the parents used fertility treatment or if the uterus is larger than expected for the gestational age at the initial visit. An ultrasound is usually requested and confirmed for twins or multiple births by 12-16 weeks. This can be evident as early as 5-6 weeks by ultrasound if multiple embryos or gestational sacs are seen.
Besides relying on ultrasound equipment, doctors and midwives are aware of the signs and symptoms associated with twin gestation. In many instances, the uterine size is larger than normal dates would indicate; the 4-marker screen results will usually be higher than usual or abnormal; two heart beats may be heard using the Doppler, the mother may gain more weight than expected; she may experience severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting; anemia is likely; or there may be a lot of fetal movement after 18 weeks gestation.
How likely is it that our twins will be identical?
Having identical twins is not an inherited trait. Nonidentical twins are more likely to occur if there is a family history of twins or if the mother is over the age of 35 at conception. Approximately one third of twins are identical.
Will my twins look identical at birth?
Same sex twins may not appear to be completely identical at birth. Most same-sex twins will appear to be identical by the age of 2 years. Before this age, there are several features that can be compared to determine the likelihood of being identical. The hair and eye color will be the same in identical twins. The shape of the ears, the eruption and formation of teeth and the shape of the hands and feet will be the same for both.
Mothers who are blind or deaf are just as capable of caring for and nurturing their babies as mothers who do not have these challenges. Mother’s with these disadvantages bond with their infants through their senses of touch, smell and intuitive sensitivity.
A mother with a visual impairment may prefer breastfeeding over bottle feeding because it is easier to clean up and there are no bottles to have to prepare or clean. A lactation consultant should ask the mother about the extent of her vision. Most people with vision impairment may have partial vision. Knowing the limitations of the mother’s vision can help you to know how best to demonstrate breastfeeding techniques and positions. The football hold is a common hold that is helpful for mothers who are visually impaired. This hold allows easy access to the baby’s face so that the mother can locate the baby’s nose and lips. Another hold, the cradle or cross-cradle hold can provide better skin-to-skin orientation with the baby’s body.
A lactation consultant may want to use the services of sign language interpreter when meeting with deaf mothers. If a sign language interpreter is unavailable there are other ways to communicate with a deaf mother. The lactation consultant should ask the mother which method she prefers: speaking, writing, signing or e-mail.
Deaf mothers may greatly benefit from watching videos or reading material about breastfeeding. Helpful website and other accessible resources should be shared with her. Most deaf individuals use a telephone system specifically designed for hearing impaired people. Mother’s can use this phone to call lactation consultants if they have questions or concerns.
Healthcare providers rely on a number of people to run efficient quality practices. Besides needing good physicians, most practices rely heavily on help from physician assistants and nurse practitioners. These are medical professionals who are licensed to perform some of a physician’s duties, under the physician’s supervision. Most physician assistant and nurse practitioners have four-year degrees and advanced medical training. However, each state has different licensing requirements that may require more or less qualification.
State law and the overseeing physician establish the types of duties that a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant may perform. Most are permitted to perform general physical examinations as well as order patient tests, write patient prescriptions and treat routine illnesses that are commonly seen in practice.
A medical practice greatly benefits from having physician assistants or nurse practitioners because these team members are able to provide routine healthcare to patients while the physician cares for patients with more serious concerns.
Generally, the physician assistants and nurse practitioners are the first members of a healthcare team to evaluate and assess the condition of a new patient or an existing patient who may be experiencing a new concern. They will evaluate the patient, arrive at a preliminary diagnosis, determine treatment options and present this information to the physician.
Minor illnesses like colds may be simple enough for the physician to approve treatment for without seeing the patient. The physician will rely on the evaluation of the nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Although, the physician may not see the patient, he is still responsible for the patient’s health. In the event that the patient’s illness becomes more serious, the patient’s case should be turned over to the personal care of the physician immediately.
Handling difficult patients should be an expected part of any allied health care professionals job. Not every person you encounter will be easy to work with. Hospital patients are generally experiencing health problems. Having to stay in a hospital may cause them to feel lonely, scared, depressed, or upset. A patient may react negatively toward you when you attempt to obtain a specimen or ask questions. Often patients will become defensive if you ask personal questions, and might even lie rather then give truthful answers. If this occurs it is important to remain calm and professional. Always treat patients in a gentle and caring manner regardless of their attitude towards you. Some patients are deeply afraid of needles or have phobias about medical technology and machines. Some patients will openly admit their fears, but others you may have to read signs. Some of these signs may be extreme apprehension or openly fearful behavior in advance. Any signs of discomfort, fear or phobia should be taken seriously. For example: A person who is needle phobic might experience a shock type reflex during or immediately after venipuncture. The symptoms of this type of shock include paleness, profuse sweating, light headedness, nausea, and fainting. Patients with severe cases of needle phobia have been known to suffer arrhythmia and possibly cardiac arrest. Approximately 10% of the population is estimated to suffer from needle phobia to some degree that they will avoid medical care because of it. Patients who suffer with this fear should be treated with empathy. There are special steps that can be taken to reduce the trauma associated with medical care. First, it is helpful to have the patient lie down during any procedure. Ideally the patient’s legs should be elevated. Next applying gentle touch areas which might be examined can soothe patients. Only the most skilled and experienced sonographers should perform procedures when possible. This will hopefully prevent any unnecessary problems with handling difficult patients.
Misidentifying a patient can be a serious problem that can result in dismissal from employment and possibly a civil lawsuit. Both of these unfavorable actions can be avoided by following several simple identification procedures. Of course, most people are aware of the importance of verifying the patients name against his or her identification wrist band. There are several other steps that can be taken to prevent misidentification by an ultrasound technician.
To avoid potential mislabeling errors or identification errors some inpatient facilities require their employees to do a 3-Way-ID. This procedure identifies the patient in three ways. The patient must state his or her name, the patient’s identification band must be checked, and a visual comparison of the patient’s identification number must be labeled on all specimens collected before leaving the patient’s bedside.
If there are any discrepancies between a patient’s name, medical record number, or the date of birth on the identification band and the requisition form, the patient’s nurse should be notified immediately. No specimen or procedure should be obtained or performed until the discrepancy is fixed and the patient’s identity is verified.
Not every patient will have a wrist band due to swelling that can occur from intravenous lines in patient’s arms. When this happens, the patient’s identification band is usually relocated on the ankle. In this case, ask the patient if you can see if it is on an ankle. It is possible that the identification band is completely removed from the patient and attached to the IV pole next to the patient’s bed. Do not use an identification band attached to an IV pole for verification. If the patient is not wearing an identification band, ask the nurse to attach an identification band before collecting a specimen or performing a sonogram.
Incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine in very small amounts. It commonly accompanies coughing, sneezing, laughing, walking, running, lifting, or any sudden shock or strain to the body. Pregnancy and hormonal changes are two most common causes of stress incontinence in women and our Midwife FAQ is here to give you some more info. about urinary incontinence and the causes of it.
Stress incontinence is the most common cause of urinary incontinence in women after childbearing years. This type of incontinence is most common with women who have had children but can still affect women who have never had a baby, although this is less likely.
Stress incontinence is caused from the weakening of the pelvic floor. This often occurs during pregnancy, when the pressure of an enlarging fetus places extra weight on the pelvic floor muscles. Prenatal exercises can help to strengthen the pelvic floor if they are done regularly and can help to prevent incontinence from occurring. During labor the pelvic floor stretches to allow the delivery of the baby. The pelvic floor can become permanently weakened if it was not strong to begin with or if no prenatal pelvic exercises were performed. If postnatal exercises are also not done, or if they are not done for a substantial length of time, stress incontinence can result.
The pelvic floor muscles can become even weaker after menopause. This is due to a drop in hormone levels which can result in prolapse of the bladder or uterus through the vagina. Women who are the most susceptible to this condition have often had several children, lengthy labors, large babies, large vaginal tears, or a forceps delivery.
Other causes of stress incontinence include weak abdominal tone, excess weight and visceroptosis (drooping abdominal contents). In many instances, incontinence will occur during the later years when the abdominal tone begins to weaken.
Incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine in very small amounts. It commonly accompanies coughing, sneezing, laughing, walking, running, lifting, or any sudden shock or strain to the body. Pregnancy and hormonal changes are two most common causes of stress incontinence in women.
Stress incontinence is the most common cause of urinary incontinence in women after childbearing years. This type of incontinence is most common with women who have had children but can still affect women who have never had a baby, although this is less likely.
Stress incontinence is caused from the weakening of the pelvic floor. This often occurs during pregnancy, when the pressure of an enlarging fetus places extra weight on the pelvic floor muscles. Prenatal exercises can help to strengthen the pelvic floor if they are done regularly and can help to prevent incontinence from occurring. During labor the pelvic floor stretches to allow the delivery of the baby. The pelvic floor can become permanently weakened if it was not strong to begin with or if no prenatal pelvic exercises were performed. If postnatal exercises are also not done, or if they are not done for a substantial length of time, stress incontinence can result.
The pelvic floor muscles can become even weaker after menopause. This is due to a drop in hormone levels which can result in prolapse of the bladder or uterus through the vagina. Women who are the most susceptible to this condition have often had several children, lengthy labors, large babies, large vaginal tears, or a forceps delivery.
Other causes of stress incontinence include weak abdominal tone, excess weight and visceroptosis (drooping abdominal contents). In many instances, incontinence will occur during the later years when the abdominal tone begins to weaken.
