Tough “pregnancy is not an illness”, there is nothing like a pregnancy to drive a perfectly happy couple out of their minds for long months. Every opinion, a scare, or other information can stress you out and make you wander and worry.

To simplify things a bit, here are some known myths. Part of which have some truth to them, but most are untrue and are in fact just myths.

Sushi is banned during pregnancy. True. Since the fish in the sushi is raw, there is a high risk of catching bacteria such as salmonella and listeria, which may cause pregnancy complications, pre term contractions and even miscarriage. The seaweed is safe to eat during pregnancy, as long as it did not touch the same kitchenware the raw fish did.

Vegetarian sushi is banned during pregnancy. Partially true. Vegetarian sushi made at home is allowed when pregnant, as long as it was not made with kitchenware that was used to make raw fish sushi. In a restaurant even vegetarian sushi is banned, since it is made with the same kitchenware as raw fish sushi, which are banned during pregnancy.

Don’t eat fish when pregnant. Partially true. Some fish have high levels of mercury, which can be transferred to the baby via the placenta. High levels of mercury may be harmful for the baby’s neurological development.

Avoid painkillers during pregnancy. Partially true. Discomfort, headaches, muscle pains and back aches are common during pregnancy, and women do take painkillers to relieve the discomfort. Ask your healthcare provider which painkillers are safe for you during pregnancy.

Avoid drinking coffee during pregnancy. Not true. It is OK to consume up to two cups of coffee a day during pregnancy. Through higher amounts of caffeine may lead to complications and even miscarriage. Decaf is OK to drink.

Diet products are prohibited during pregnancy. Not true. There is no proof that diet products containing artificial sweeteners are bad for the fetus.

When pregnant you are eating for two. Not true. Many women think they are eating for two when pregnant, and due to over eating, they end up with dramatic extra weight. There is no need to eat double amounts. A smart and healthy diet is what the fetus needs. More so, women with weight gain tendencies should be extra careful in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy without complications such as gestational diabetes.

Massage is prohibited during pregnancy. Partially true. Avoid massage around your abdomen. It is dangerous during pregnancy. But massage in other parts of the body, such as facial massage or reflexology, are allowed.

Lotions and oils are helpful for stretch marks. Not true. During pregnancy, your belly stretches with the growing uterus, which is the cause for stretch marks. After childbirth these marks remain due to high levels of estrogen in the body. There is no scientific proof that lotions or oils are helpful in avoiding or treating stretch marks.

Hair dyes absorb in the body and are harmful to the baby. Not true. Dying your hair during pregnancy is allowed. The amount of dye that’s absorbed in the body, if at all, is minimal.

Alcohol is completely forbidden during pregnancy. Not true.  Alcohol consumption may lead to serious harm to the fetus, brain damage and even lead to hyperactivity, but there is no harm in having a glass of wine on rare occasions, not more than once a months.

Second hand smoke harms the fetus. Not known. Smoking cigarettes can cause harm in itself and lead to small embryos, abortion, premature births and hyperactivity in older age, but there are still no extensive studies about second hand smoking.

Sex harms the fetus. Not true. Intercourse is allowed during pregnancy. There are, though, cases such as high risk pregnancy, when sex is prohibited. Otherwise it is safe to have sex up until childbirth.

During second trimester libido is heighten. Not true. There are no studies that proof the connection between the two.

Eating strawberries causes birth marks on the baby. Not true. There is no connection between foods you eat during pregnancy and the baby’s skin conditions.

The Truth Behind Pregnancy Myths

Tough “pregnancy is not an illness”, there is nothing like a pregnancy to drive a perfectly happy couple out of their minds for long months. Every opinion, a scare, or other information can stress you out and make you wander and worry.

To simplify things a bit, here are some known myths. Part of which have some truth to them, but most are untrue and are in fact just myths.

Sushi is banned during pregnancy. True. Since the fish in the sushi is raw, there is a high risk of catching bacteria such as salmonella and listeria, which may cause pregnancy complications, pre term contractions and even miscarriage. The seaweed is safe to eat during pregnancy, as long as it did not touch the same kitchenware the raw fish did.

Vegetarian sushi is banned during pregnancy. Partially true. Vegetarian sushi made at home is allowed when pregnant, as long as it was not made with kitchenware that was used to make raw fish sushi. In a restaurant even vegetarian sushi is banned, since it is made with the same kitchenware as raw fish sushi, which are banned during pregnancy.

Don’t eat fish when pregnant. Partially true. Some fish have high levels of mercury, which can be transferred to the baby via the placenta. High levels of mercury may be harmful for the baby’s neurological development.

Avoid painkillers during pregnancy. Partially true. Discomfort, headaches, muscle pains and back aches are common during pregnancy, and women do take painkillers to relieve the discomfort. Ask your healthcare provider which painkillers are safe for you during pregnancy.

Avoid drinking coffee during pregnancy. Not true. It is OK to consume up to two cups of coffee a day during pregnancy. Through higher amounts of caffeine may lead to complications and even miscarriage. Decaf is OK to drink.

Diet products are prohibited during pregnancy. Not true. There is no proof that diet products containing artificial sweeteners are bad for the fetus.

When pregnant you are eating for two. Not true. Many women think they are eating for two when pregnant, and due to over eating, they end up with dramatic extra weight. There is no need to eat double amounts. A smart and healthy diet is what the fetus needs. More so, women with weight gain tendencies should be extra careful in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy without complications such as gestational diabetes.

Massage is prohibited during pregnancy. Partially true. Avoid massage around your abdomen. It is dangerous during pregnancy. But massage in other parts of the body, such as facial massage or reflexology, are allowed.

Lotions and oils are helpful for stretch marks. Not true. During pregnancy, your belly stretches with the growing uterus, which is the cause for stretch marks. After childbirth these marks remain due to high levels of estrogen in the body. There is no scientific proof that lotions or oils are helpful in avoiding or treating stretch marks.

Hair dyes absorb in the body and are harmful to the baby. Not true. Dying your hair during pregnancy is allowed. The amount of dye that’s absorbed in the body, if at all, is minimal.

Alcohol is completely forbidden during pregnancy. Not true.  Alcohol consumption may lead to serious harm to the fetus, brain damage and even lead to hyperactivity, but there is no harm in having a glass of wine on rare occasions, not more than once a months.

Second hand smoke harms the fetus. Not known. Smoking cigarettes can cause harm in itself and lead to small embryos, abortion, premature births and hyperactivity in older age, but there are still no extensive studies about second hand smoking.

Sex harms the fetus. Not true. Intercourse is allowed during pregnancy. There are, though, cases such as high risk pregnancy, when sex is prohibited. Otherwise it is safe to have sex up until childbirth.

During second trimester libido is heighten. Not true. There are no studies that proof the connection between the two.

Eating strawberries causes birth marks on the baby. Not true. There is no connection between foods you eat during pregnancy and the baby’s skin conditions.

In most cases, a breech baby automatically means a cesarean section. That is largely because of the lack of experience of obstetricians in a vaginal delivery of a breech baby.

Most women in this position have little if any choice when it comes to childbirth options. The majority of women with breech babies are offered an elective cesarean section, and most of which choose to go with a scheduled one, rather than waiting for the pregnancy to mature. A very small number of women actually wait for the contractions to start or their water to break. Either way, the majority of women with a breech baby end up having a cesarean section.

A successful vaginal delivery of a breech baby is completely possible with an obstetrician experienced in these types of births. In Frankfurt, Germany, there is a lot of experience in successful breech baby vaginal deliveries in recent years. Their experience shows success in such births especially with the women laboring on all fours. There are vaginal deliveries of breech babies with little medical interference, no constant monitoring, no epidural and no need for stitches.

Most OBGYN offices will give you a Pregnancy Book or Journal, for you to document the development of your pregnancy. Those journals are usually blank so you can insert the appropriate dates, and suggests inserting information such as doctor visits and lab tests, and tracking things such as your weight gain and your uterus height development.

Some pregnancy journals includes information regarding what you can/should expect each week, month or trimester, others leave space for you to write your personal experience.

Regardless of the type of Pregnancy Journal you receive, it is always nice to keep a record as a souvenir for you and later for your child, add your pregnancy photos and ultrasounds. You may use some of the information you documented in this journal in your first baby album, share it with your family and friends, ven use it as a reminder when you are ready for your next pregnancy.

After you take the home pregnancy test and get a positive result, your healthcare provider will send you for a blood work to confirm your pregnancy. After your pregnancy has been confirmed, it could be a few weeks before your first prenatal appointment. In the mean time, you can get familiar with what is ahead of you in this journey.

In most cases, you will have your first ultrasound during this first prenatal appointment. Also, the doctor will look for your baby’s heart and your due date will be calculated according to the size and development of the fetus. This is a good time to start asking questions about what you should expect and symptoms you may already be experiencing.

During your pregnancy, you will see your OBGYN monthly, unless you have a high risk pregnancy, in which case you will see the doctor more often. During the 8^th month you will see your doctor every two weeks, and for the last month you will have weekly appointments. At each visit you’ll be asked for a urine sample, get your weight and blood pressure checked and have your uterus height measured.

Since you will see you OBGYN regularly, make sure you choose a doctor you are comfortable with. And don’t hesitate to ask any question you may have. If you cannot ask your doctor, who can you ask?

At the end of your first trimester (13 weeks) you can be sent to have Nuchal Translucency test which is done using both a blood test and an ultrasound measuring fetal neck thickness, to screen for Down syndrome.

During your second trimester, other than your regular monthly doctor visits, you will have the triple or quadruple screen. This is a blood test that measures your blood level of Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), Estrogen and Inhibin A (quad screen only). If your history shows genetic problems or if the screen indicates the fetus may have a problem, your doctor will suggest to test your amniotic fluid tested (amniocentesis).

Between weeks 24-48, you will be sent for a glucose screen that tests gestational diabetes.

If you have Rh-negative blood, you may have an antibody screen and will receive an injection of Rh immune globulin.

During the third trimester, you can expect more frequent regular doctor visits, as well as hepatitis B, and group B strep screening.

Closer to your delivery your doctor will check to see how far the baby’s head has descended into your pelvis. In the last weeks you may also be checked to see whether your cervix has begun to stretch and open (cervical effacement and dilatation).

When a couple cannot have children the traditional way, they may search for other options. Adoption is certainly one option, but some would go a long way to have a biological child, even if they cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term.

One option for couples with infertility problems is surrogacy. The couple has their egg and sperm combined in a laboratory, and inserted into another woman (that is called gestational surrogacy), for the duration of the pregnancy. If the couple cannot produce the egg, sperm, or both, there are different solutions including using the surrogate mother’s egg (that is called traditional surrogacy), sperm donation, etc.

Surrogacy is not for everyone. It is highly controversial and not legal in all states. Most couples who use the services of a surrogate do so because it is their only way to having a biological child.

It is also costly. Other than the surrogate mother’s fees, there are lawyer’s fees for the agreement between the parents and the surrogate mother, and the fertility specialist’s fees. Total cost can range between $40,000 and $100,000, depending on circumstances.

Infertility treatment depends on the cause for infertility, how long you have had the problem, as well as your age and other personal factors. After you have been through testing and established what the problem is, your fertility specialist will explain the options you have.

Treatments for Women

The first treatment for unexplained infertility problems as well as ovulation problems is usually with hormones, in the form of pills. Clomiphene (Clomid) stimulates the ovaries to release eggs. While there is a 10% chance of having multiples, it is an effective, low risk and low cost treatment.

If your ovulation problems are due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), your doctor may combine metformin with clomiphene.

If clomiphene doesn’t do the trick, the next step is usually hormone shots. Those daily hormone shots start at on the first day of your menstrual cycle, and usually cause side effects including bloating and feeling kick to your stomach.

Along with the hormone shots, your doctor may recommend artificial insemination, in which your partner’s sperm is purified and put directly into the uterus, to increase chances to pregnancy.

After artificial insemination has failed, your doctor may suggest IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). In this procedure, the egg and sperm are combined outside the body in a laboratory, and the embryo(s) is placed in the uterus. This is a complex and expensive procedure, but it does raise your chances of becoming pregnant.

If your infertility is due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, you may be offered to get tubal surgery to try to correct the damage.

Treatments for Men

Semen analysis is done to check for sperm abnormalities and sufficient count. Insemination may be recommended by your doctor if there are any issues with the health or count of the sperm. In this procedure, the sperm are collected and concentrated in order to increase the number of healthy sperm for insemination.

If insemination does not do the trick, you may be recommended to try ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), in which the sperm is injected into an egg in a laboratory, very similar to IVF.

Is your due date really your due date?

Well, your due date is actually called you ESTIMATED due date, so don’t go buying your family’s plane tickets to come for the birth according to it. Though you may actually deliver on your estimated due date, there is only 6% chance it will happen.

Your estimated due date is first established according to the first day of your last menstrual period. That is, if you know it. Otherwise it will be calculated at your first ultrasound.

Your estimated due date may change throughout your pregnancy depending on the size and development of the fetus, established in an ultrasound examination.

While it gives you a rough idea when to expect your baby, you may deliver before or after that day. Some physicians will suggest induction if you have passed your estimated due date by a week. Others may even recommend inducing the day of or before if there is a medical reason (risk to baby, size of baby, etc.).

So remember, it’s an ESTIMATED due date, not an absolute one…