Cesarean Birth (C-section) Delivery & Birth

Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start Part 2

When should I start taking prenatal vitamins?
It's best to start taking prenatal vitamins three months before conception. The baby's neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord, develops during the first month of pregnancy — perhaps before you even know that you're pregnant.

How long should I take prenatal vitamins?
It's best to take prenatal vitamins throughout your entire pregnancy, preferably with water or juice — not milk or soda. Your health care provider may recommend taking prenatal vitamins while you're breast-feeding, too.

Do prenatal vitamins have any side effects?
Some women feel queasy after taking prenatal vitamins. In other cases, the iron in prenatal vitamins contributes to constipation.

If prenatal vitamins seem to trigger nausea:

* Take your prenatal vitamin at night
* Take your prenatal vitamin with a snack
* Chew gum or suck on hard candy after taking your prenatal vitamin

If you're struggling with constipation:

* Drink plenty of water
* Include more fiber in your diet
* Include physical activity in your daily routine, as long as you have your health care provider's OK
* Ask your health care provider about using a stool softener

If these tips don't seem to help, ask your health care provider about other options. He or she may recommend another type of prenatal vitamin or separate folic acid, calcium and iron supplements.

Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start Part 1

Are prenatal vitamins really necessary during pregnancy? You bet! Prenatal vitamins are an important part of pregnancy nutrition. Here's why you need them, when to start taking them and more.
A healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need — but even if you eat healthfully every day, you may fall short on key nutrients. If you're pregnant or hoping to conceive, prenatal vitamins can help fill any gaps.

How are prenatal vitamins different from other vitamins?
Most prenatal vitamins contain more folic acid, calcium and iron than do standard adult multivitamins. It's still important to eat nutritious foods, but prenatal vitamins can help ensure you're getting enough of these essential nutrients during pregnancy.

Here's why it matters:

• Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. These defects are serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord.
• Calcium promotes strong bones and teeth for both mother and baby. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally.
• Iron supports the development of blood and muscle cells for both mother and baby. Iron helps prevent anemia, a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells.
• Prenatal vitamins may reduce the risk of low birth weight. Some research suggests that prenatal vitamins decrease the risk of low birth weight.

Do I need to be concerned about other nutrients?
Standard prenatal vitamins don't include omega-3 fatty acids, which help promote a baby's brain development. If you're unable or choose not to eat fish or other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, your health care provider may recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements in addition to prenatal vitamins.

Vitamin D is important as well — especially during the third trimester, when calcium demands increase. Most prenatal vitamins don't contain optimal amounts of vitamin D, however. In addition to your prenatal vitamin, drink vitamin D-fortified low-fat milk or other calcium-rich foods containing vitamin D. If you don't drink milk or eat calcium-rich foods, talk to your health care provider about calcium and vitamin D supplements.

Do prenatal vitamins require a prescription?
Prenatal vitamins are available over-the-counter in nearly any pharmacy. Some prenatal vitamins require a prescription, however. Your health care provider may recommend a specific brand of prenatal vitamins or leave the choice up to you.

Delivery: Problems with Baby

Your baby is ready to be born - but there can still be problems with delivery. A breech birth, macrosomia, or cord prolapse can all require an emergency c-section. Be prepared for potential delivery problems in advance, by watching this video.

Delivery: Problems with Mom

The mother's body can be the source of delivery complications like placenta previa or uterine rupture. If delivery problems do occur, your doctor can usually help you manage these childbirth complications with medication or an emergency cesarean section.

Pregnancy Symptoms

If you're experiencing pregnancy symptoms, you're probably eager to know if you're actually pregnant — whether you've been trying to get pregnant for months or your pregnancy symptoms came as a surprise.

Early pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, tender breasts and mood swings sometimes indicate pregnancy. In other cases, these classic pregnancy symptoms may be something else — such as an illness or the start of your period. Often, the easiest way to know what's behind pregnancy symptoms is to take a home pregnancy test.

If your home pregnancy test is positive, make an appointment with your health care provider. You may also want to try a pregnancy due date calculator. If you're pregnant, estimating your due date is an important part of your prenatal care.

Getting Pregnant

Fertility:
Getting pregnant can be an exciting time. For some, getting pregnant seems to happen simply by talking about it. For others, getting pregnant takes plenty of patience and perhaps a bit of luck.

Understanding when you're most fertile can make getting pregnant easier. It's also important to consider simple do's and don'ts of conception. For example, maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet and have sex regularly — especially near the time of ovulation. Don't smoke or drink alcohol. Of course, healthy sperm counts, too.

With frequent unprotected sex, most healthy couples conceive within one year. If you have trouble getting pregnant, don't go it alone. A fertility specialist or other health care provider may be able to help. Infertility affects men and women equally — and treatment is available.

Parental health:
Parental health is key to a healthy pregnancy. After all, healthy parents are more likely to have healthy babies. Start with parental health basics, such as updating your vaccines, eating healthy foods, taking prenatal vitamins and exercising regularly.

Parental health takes on additional significance if you have a chronic medical condition that may affect your pregnancy. Work with your health care provider to manage your condition both before and during pregnancy. Remember, taking good care of yourself is the best way to take care of your baby.

Parental health includes genetic considerations, too. Simply understanding parental health — including your family medical history and your partner's family medical history — can provide clues about specific traits or conditions that may be inherited. For more specific information, genetic testing may be an option.