resources & info

Pregnancy Topics

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The new food pyramid website

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:01 -0600

www.mypyramid.gov

A new look on the old food pyramid. Tools to help you improve your nutrition for all stages of life.

Unique site for moms over 40!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:23:46 -0600

Flower Power Mom is an online blog and resource offering support, tips, articles, information and an e-newsletter for women having children after 40.
http://www.flowerpowermom.com.

West Suburban Prenatal Classes/ Breastfeeding Class

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:57:28 -0600

http://www.reshealth.org/yourhealth/wellness_classes_details.cfm?facilityID=19

Here you can schedule a prenatal education class that covers natural birth and medical elements of birth.

If you just need an orientation to the ABC, you can find this schedule here as well.

West Sub offers breastfeeding classes as well.

Babywearing

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:46:48 -0600

You may want to consider using a sling for carrying your infant/toddler. A number of studies have shown benefits for kids and parents like a reduction in crying and being able to respond to your baby’s needs quickly-- It also prevents the lopsided backache from hauling around a car seat carrier-- and it much more portable than a stroller.

http://www.thebabywearer.com/

Attachment Parenting Principles
http://www.attachmentparenting.org/

Slings/ Baby carriers
http://www.ergobabycarriers.com/
http://www.becobabycarrier.com/
http://www.lastellablu.com/
http://www.mykarmababy.com/

Depression/Mental Health

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:34:21 -0600

Mental Health
Illinois Postpartum Depression Network

These are excellent resources from the for women dealing with mental health concerns or interested in prevention of problems after birth.

Pregnancy After 35

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:03:30 -0600

Having a baby after 35 presents its own set of challenges and joys. Here’s a guide of some special precautions for these women during pregnancy. Some helpful information: march of dimes

Adoption

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:01:35 -0600

Adoption information in Illinois

If you are considering not raising your baby--adoption is another alternative to consider. Please see the link for information and assistance in Illinois.

Green Parenting Options

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:59:28 -0600

There are a number of choices parents can make to reduce a child’s exposure to environmental contaminants and reduce the carbon footprint as well. Consider cloth diapers--even part of the time-- it’s easier than you may think.

Chicago Green Parenting Organization
http://www.greenparentchicago.com/

Green Diapering
http://www.kissaluvs.com/
http://nickisdiapers.com/

Diaper Service in the Chicago Area
http://www.bottomsupdiapers.com/

Group B Strep

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:59:27 -0600

GROUP B STREP IN PREGNANCY: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is Group B Strep (GBS)?
GBS is one of many common bacteria that live in the human body without causing harm in healthy people. GBS develops in the intestine from time to time, so sometimes it is present and sometimes it is not. GBS can be found in
the intestine, rectum, and vagina in about 2 of every 10 pregnant women near the time of birth. GBS is NOT a sexually transmitted disease, and it does not cause discharge, itching, or other symptoms.

2. How Does GBS Cause Infection?
At the time of birth, babies are exposed to the GBS bacteria if it is present in the vagina, which can result in pneumonia or a blood infection. Full-term babies who are born to mothers who carry GBS in the vagina at the
time of birth have a 1 in 200 chance of getting sick from GBS during the ﬁrst few days after being born. Occasionally, moms can get a postpartum infection in the uterus also.

3. How Do You Know if You Have GBS?
Five to three weeks before your due date, during a regular prenatal visit, you or your clinician will collect a sample by touching the outer part of your vagina and just inside the anus with a sterile Q-tip. If GBS grows in the culture that
is sent to the lab from that Q-tip sample, your clinician will make a note in your chart and you should be notiﬁed so you can share this information when you go into labor. Using the test results box printed on the back of this page will help you keep this record.

4. How Can Infection from GBS Be Prevented?
If your GBS culture is positive within 5 weeks before you give birth, your clinician will recommend that you receive antibiotics during labor. GBS is very sensitive to antibiotics and is easily removed from the vagina. A few intravenous doses given up to 4 hours before birth almost always prevents your baby from picking up the bacteria during the birth.
It is important to remember that GBS is typically not harmful to you or your baby before you are in labor.

5. Do You Have to Wait for Labor to Take the Antibiotics?
Although GBS is easy to remove from the vagina, it is not easy to remove from the intestine where it lives normally and without harm to you. Although GBS is not dangerous to you or your baby before birth, if you take antibiotics
before you are in labor, GBS will return to the vagina from the intestine, as soon as you stop taking the medication. Therefore, it is best to take penicillin during labor when it can best help you and your baby. The one exception is that, occasionally, GBS can cause a urinary tract infection during pregnancy. If you get a urinary tract infection, it should be treated at the time it is diagnosed, and then you should receive antibiotics again when you are in labor.

6. How Will We Know if Your Baby Is Infected?
Babies who get sick from infection with GBS almost always do so in the ﬁrst 24 hours after birth. Symptoms include difﬁcult breathing (including grunting or having poor color), problems maintaining temperature (too cold or too hot),
or extreme sleepiness that interferes with nursing.

7. What Is the Treatment for a Baby with GBS Infection?
If the infection is caught early and your baby is full-term, most babies will completely recover with intravenous antibiotic treatment. Of the babies who get sick, about one in six can have serious complications. Some very seriously ill babies will die. In the large majority of cases if you carry GBS in the vagina at the time of birth and if you are given intravenous antibiotics in labor, the risk of your baby getting sick is 1 in 4,000.

8. What If You Are Allergic to Penicillin?
Penicillin or a penicillin-type medication is the antibiotic recommended for preventing GBS infection. Women who carry GBS at the time of birth and who are allergic to penicillin can receive different antibiotics during labor. Be sure to tell your clinician if you are allergic to penicillin and what symptoms you had when you got that allergic reaction. If your penicillin allergy is mild, you will be offered one type of antibiotic, and if it is severe, you will be offered
a different one.

Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health • Vol. 47, No. 6, November/December, 2002 495
© 2002 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
Issued by Elsevier Science Inc.

What is Midwifery?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:56:38 -0600

Distributed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
www.midwife.org

Midwifery
What is a Midwife (Volume 51, Number 5)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

General Health Care Topics

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:56:37 -0600

Primary Health Care

✴ Get Moving! (Volume 48, Number 6)
✴ Hepatitis C (Volume 50, Number 4)
✴ Immunizations for Adults (Volume 52, Number 2)
✴ Intimate Partner Violence (Volume 53, Number 6)
✴ Osteoporosis (Vol 48, Number 1)
✴ Staying Healthy on a Vegetarian Diet (Volume 53, Number 1)
✴ Swine Flu (Volume 54, Number 4)
✴ Taking Care of Your Health (Volume 51, Number 3)
✴ Urinary Tract Infections (Volume 50, Number 6)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

Gynecology/Family Planning

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:56:35 -0600

Gynecology

✴ Genital Warts (Volume 49, Number 1)
✴ HPV, Cervical Cancer, and You (Volume 53, Number 3)
✴ Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Volume 48, Number 2)
✴ Natural Family Planning (Volume 51, Number 6)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

Labor & Birth Topics

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:55:13 -0600

Labor and Birth

✴ Am I In Labor? (Volume 48, Number 4)
✴ Choosing Where to Have Your Baby (Volume 54, Number 5)
✴ Cord Blood Banking - What's it All About (Volume 53, Number 2)
✴ Epidural Analgesia (Volume 52, Number 3)
✴ Induction of Labor (Volume 53, Number 4)
✴ Pain During Childbirth (Volume 49, Number 6)
✴ Should I Have a Cesarean Section? (Volume 49, Number 2)
✴ When Does the Bag of Waters Break? (Volume 49, Number 5)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

Postpartum Topics

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:55:09 -0600

Postpartum

✴ Postpartum Depression (Vol 47, Number 5)
✴ Motherhood: The Early Days (54, Number 4)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

Circumcision

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:51:36 -0600

Newborn Care
✴ Circumcision (Volume 52, Volume 5)

Check this link for even more topics as they are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Updated Monthly:

All American College of Nurse-Midwives Information Handouts

Breastfeeding

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:51:34 -0600

Breastfeeding

We encourage and support the choice to breastfeed. We assist in immediate breastfeeding after birth and there is a part-time lactation consultant at West Suburban to assist while staying in the hospital as well. Feel free to bring your baby to our office if you need hands-on help too.
Additionally there is a breastfeeding class at the hospital for first-time feeders or those who need some preparation beforehand.

Bringing Your Baby to Breast: Positioning and Latch (Volume 52, Number 6)
What to Expect in the Early Days of Breastfeeding (Volume 52, Number 6)

This is another great resource on breast feeding.

American Academy of Pediatric Site : http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/breastfeeding.cfm

Parenting help/ assistance?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:51:26 -0600

Parenthesis Parent-Child Center, a community-based, non-profit organization, has been serving area families with young children since 1980. Parenthesis offers parenting education and support programs designed to strengthen family bonds and facilitate the healthy development of parents and young children.

Parenthesis staff work in partnership with all family
members -- parents, relatives, children, and teens -- and collaborate with other professionals to support stable and healthy families. All families can participate in Parenthesis programs, regardless of ability to pay.

West Sub ABC/ Hospital Registration

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:49:33 -0600

This is a registration form for the hospital and the ABC info
(alternative birthing center)
ABC & Registration.pdf

Warning Signs in Pregnancy

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:48:18 -0600

Warning signs in pregnancy: Please be aware of possible signs during pregnancy that would be brought to the immediate attention of your health care provider. If any of these occur, call our office available 24 hours a day:
708-386-2400

✴ Constant vomiting (this is not the same as occasional “morning sickness”)
✴ Vaginal bleeding of any amount with our without cramps
✴ Severe headache and/or dizziness
✴ Excessive swelling of face, hands, eyelids or legs
✴ Abnormal vaginal discharge
✴ Genital sores
✴ Sharp or continuous abdominal pain
✴ Sudden gush of water fluid from the vagina
✴ No urine or small amounts of urine with pain, burning, urgency and/or frequent urination
✴ Chills and/or fever 100.4 degrees F or greater
✴ Severe depression
✴ Blurred or double vision, or spots before your eyes
✴ Frequent uterine cramping or contractions if less than 37 weeks pregnant. May be accompanied by low, dull backache.
✴ Fetal movements that have significantly decreased or no fetal movements
✴ Anything that seems unusual or serious to you.
✴

Common Discomforts

Sometimes pregnancy can be uncomfortable and many discomforts are considered “common” and normal even though you may not be feeling 100%.

If your discomfort is NOT a warning sign (listed above) take a look at these links and see if some of these suggestions can help you manage your discomfort. If these do not help, please let your midwife know at your next visit, or schedule a visit in the next few days.

Medication in Pregnancy.pdf(colds, heartburn, constipation)

Exercise in Pregnancy

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:47:12 -0600

Perhaps exercise is a regular part of your week, and you are wondering which routines you can safely continue now that you are pregnant. Or...perhaps you have not been active but are wondering what exercises are recommended during pregnancy. Research shows that exercising during pregnancy is good for you and good for you growing baby. Regular exercise benefits your recovery following childbirth, both mentally and physically as well.

The following precautions are recommended: check with your midwife/ or MD before starting or continuing any exercise routine. If health complications arise you may need to adjust your exercise. Remember pregnancy is a time to maintain your fitness level, not push to get into better shape.

✴ Drink water before, during, and after each workout
✴ Use the “talk test” when performing any exercise program: if you can’t carry on a conversation, you probably need to slow your pace.
✴ Stop immediately if you feel dizzy or fatigued or experience any bleeding.
✴ During hot weather, workout in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. Avoid mid-day exercise in extreme heat.
✴ When outdoors: remember to wear sunscreen (spf 15 or more) and a hat/ sunglasses
✴ Always wear well-fitting supportive athletic shoes
✴ Some ideas for workouts:
✴ Brisk walking: 30 minutes daily
✴ Running: (only for those who were runners before pregnancy) and alternate with stationary cycling or fast walking when it becomes uncomfortable.
✴ Water activities: swimming, shallow-water aerobics, deep water walking/running (no more than 90 degree water).
✴ Weight training: don’t lie flat on your back after the first trimester, use machines when free-weights become difficult and start slow if you haven’t done weight training in the past. www.fittodeliver.com
✴ Pilates: avoid the “reformer” after first trimester
✴ Yoga: avoid classes in hot rooms (>100 degree heat). Modify downward positions, keep head above your heart.

Nutrition & Pregnancy

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:45:31 -0600

Planning a Pregnancy (pre- conception)
Nutrition in Pregnancy
March of Dimes: Tool Kit

Banking Cord Blood

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:44:34 -0600

Cord Blood Banking : http://parentsguidecordblood.org/

Personal Care Product Safety

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:42:37 -0600

Here is a nifty database that can help you to make more educated decisions about what cosmetics and personal care products present the lowest risk to you, a pregnancy, and the environment. SKIN DEEP

Just type in the product/ brand that you are using or would like to use to see what score it has received. You may be surprised to know how little has been researched on your favorite products. Each product is broken down into a list of ingredients that each having a “hazard score.”

You can also search for a product from a drop down list by category (including baby care items) and look for those with the lowest scores.
Then you can make a more educated decision about what to use during pregnancy or just in your everyday life.

Organic Foods

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:42:34 -0600

Here is a list of the so-called “dirty dozen” put together by the Environmental Working Group: try to buy organic whenever possible for these foods to minimize your exposure to pesticides...
✴ Apples
✴ Cherries
✴ Grapes
✴ Peaches
✴ Nectarines
✴ Pears
✴ Lettuce
✴ Strawberries
✴ Bell peppers
✴ Celery
✴ Potatoes
✴ Spinach

The good news: these items you can buy non-organic and still be OK!
No need to go organic with these foods: 
Fruit:
✴ bananas
✴ kiwi
✴ mangos
✴ papaya
✴ pineapples
Veggies:
✴ asparagus
✴ avocado
✴ broccoli
✴ cauliflower
✴ corn
✴ onions
✴ peas

Brewer Diet

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:34:24 -0600

A nifty resource for women trying to follow a nutritious and well-balanced diet during pregnancy--this website is fantastic and provides checklist sheets for you to get the hang of eating a variety of foods.
It’s call the Brewer Diet.

http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/