Knowing about the risks for preterm birth is important for all moms. Some risk factors should be managed before a woman becomes pregnant or early during her pregnancy. Some moms in the study were not told that having a previous premature birth would put them at risk for it to happen again. 

If you would like to learn more about preterm labor read our past blog posts Risks for Preterm Labor and Preterm Labor Can Happen to You .

Local pregnant women or moms who recently had a baby: when did your doctor or midwife talk to you about preterm labor?  How did learning about preterm labor make you feel?

Source: New Survey Reveals Communication about Preterm Birth is Too Little, Too Late

Think you already know it all? You’d be surprised how helpful the text for baby tips can be even for a mom of 7! Watch the clip below to find out more.

Eye on New York: On Family

 For more information visit www.text4baby.org

 Have you tried this service? What did you like best about it? What did you like least about?

1. Eat regularly and nutritiously and drink lots of water.
2. Rest when you can and when your body needs it.
3. Exercise (with your health care provider’s OK).  Exercise helps keep pregnant you fit, helps prevent some common discomforts of pregnancy (such as backache, fatigue and constipation) and relieves stress.
4. Resist any urges to drink alcohol, smoke or take herbal products or drugs (except those prescribed by your health care provider).
5. Stay away from stressful people and stressful situations, when possible.
6. Consider cutting back on unnecessary activities when you are uncomfortable.
7. Ask for and accept help from people who are close to you. Having a good support network, including your partner, extended family and friends can help relieve stress.
8. Go to all your prenatal care appointments. This will give you the reassurance that everything is okay with your baby or let your health care provider know about a problem while there is still time to do something about it. You’ll feel less stressed because you know you are doing the best for your baby.
9. Relax by meditating, listening to music, writing in a journal, or taking a prenatal yoga class.
10. Take a Childbirth Education class. Some classes teach relaxation techniques and help reduce anxiety by educating parents-to-be about what to expect during labor and delivery.

For a Healthy Pregnancy Class, Childbirth Preparation or Breastfeeding Class, call one of the following locations:

Canton-Potsdam Hospital: (315) 261-5965

Carthage Area Hospital: (315) 493-1005 ext. 2445

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center: (315) 393-5998

E.J. Noble Hospital: (315) 287-1000 ext. 273

Lewis County General Hospital: (315) 376-5602

Massena Memorial Hospital: (315) 769-4349

Samaritan Medical Center: (315) 785-4050

Do you have any healthy pregnancy tips for other moms-to- be? What worked, what didn’t, how did you make it through?

Source: “Stress,” March of Dimes, 2008  “Stress and Pregnancy,” March of Dimes, 2010

Were you self-conscious about your body before you got pregnant? I’m sure the weight gain, enlarged breasts, food cravings, mood swings, and increased fatigue are not helping. It is natural for your body to change during pregnancy to help support the growth and development of your baby. Even though the changes may be tough, especially if you had a low body image before, it is reassuring to know that the changes are happening so you can have a healthy baby! Here are some tips from The National Women’s Health Information Center to help you love and accept your pregnant body. 

1. Concentrate on your baby. Your body is changing in order to help your baby grow and develop. It is a natural process.
2. Express your feelings. Talk with your partner, family, or friends about how you are feeling. Keeping your feelings bottled up will only make you feel worse.
3. Try to get out for some enjoyable exercise. A light swim or walk can help you clear your mind and get the focus off your body.
4. Take up prenatal yoga. Yoga focuses not on how your body looks, but on the link between your body and your mind. Make sure it is yoga that is safe during pregnancy, because some positions can be dangerous during pregnancy (check with your doctor to be safe). 
5. Learn as much as you can about pregnancy. By educating yourself, you will know what to expect and feel more in control.
6. If you are really having serious issues, seek out mental health counseling.

 Sources for entry: Women’s Health, National Eating Disorders Association,

Source for picture:

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/sex-doctor/css/pregnant-couple-embrace.jpg

• Abnormal facial features
• Small head size
• Shorter-than-average height
• Low body weight
• Poor coordination
• Hyperactive behavior
• Difficulty paying attention
• Poor memory
• Difficulty in school (especially with math)
• Learning disabilities
• Speech and language delays
• Intellectual disability or low IQ
• Poor reasoning and judgment skills
• Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
• Vision or hearing problems
• Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones

Some of these effects happen before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Remember FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) are the only birth defects that are 100% preventable.

Have a plan to prevent.  

If drinking alcohol is a part of your social life, what do you plan to do during your pregnancy so you’re not tempted to drink? What will you do to prevent boredom? Who will support you?

I’d love to hear your plan. Maybe your advice will help make it easier for other women.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/facts.html

For more information, you can also call or visit your local public health.

Jefferson County Pubic Health Service

531 Meade Street, Watertown, NY

(315) 786-3720

Lewis County Public Health

7785 North State Street, Lowville, NY

(315) 376-5453

St. Lawrence County Public Health

80 State Highway 310, Suite #2, Canton, NY

(315) 386-2325

Did you even know that there was a Folic Acid Awareness week? For that matter, do you even know what Folic Acid is or why it is important to take? I didn’t know what Folic Acid was until I started working here at NCPPC. If you have ever been pregnant, your doctor should have recommended that you take prenatal vitamins that have Folic Acid in them. Folic Acid is a B vitamin, which in its natural form in foods is called folate. This B vitamin is very important because it helps replace dead skin cells and hair, helps in the production of red blood cells and it may even help reduce the risk of some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and hearing loss as you age. Another amazing benefit of Folic Acid is that it can reduce the risk of neural tube defects, which occur when the brain or spinal cord do not develop correctly in a baby. The most common neural tube defect is Spina Bifida. Folic Acid can actually help reduce the risk of these defects by up to 70%.

Stop right now! This next tidbit of information is crucial.

In order for Folic Acid to be effective in reducing the risk of the neuaral tube birth defects, a woman must be taking it before she is pregnant and during early pregnancy. Not planning on getting pregnant any time soon? Well, neither were 50% of the pregnancies last year. That’s right, every year in the United States nearly half of all pregnancies are not planned. This is another one of those “teachable moments.” I want you to be the smartest person in the room. So, tell your sister, your cousin, your best friends, and any woman of child bearing age you know, that they need to start taking folic acid today!

Sources for this blog entry: Womens Health, Kids Health

There are two areas of health that I feel are often neglected, oral health and ocular (eye)  health. So many diseases can get into the body through these venues. If detected early, optometrists and dentists can save your body from experiencing a full-blown attack of certain diseases and they may even save your life. Did you know that optometrists can detect high-blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and some cancers? Pretty amazing! See they are more than just the people that give you your prescription for glasses. Did you know that poor oral health, especially periodontal disease (chronic inflammation of the gums) may lead to heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and much more. Pregnant women need to be taking good care of their oral health because periodontal disease can lead to preterm labor.

Eating healthy and brushing your teeth are important for good oral health. Regular professional cleanings are very important too. If you haven’t had a recent teeth cleaning, are an adult with natural teeth, and would like a free cleaning, call Bobbi at 315-788-9834. Make sure you mention that you are interested in a FREE CLEANING by a DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENT. You can also make an appointment at childrens-clinic.org. Again, you have to mention the above bolded statement.

Need low-cost or free health insurance to cover your eye exams? Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus and Medicaid cover eye health too. If you live in the tri-county area, contact us at 315-788-8533 to see if you qualify for one of these health insurance programs.

 Have you ever heard of ACOG? ACOG is an acronym for the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. ACOG is the group of professionals who determine safety procedures and practices for the doctors who take care of you during your pregnancy. Do you want to know what they say about alcohol use during pregnancy? They state that “no amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe during pregnancy.” Yes, you heard it folks. The people who tell doctors what they should be doing say that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. Please listen to the majority of professionals who say no alcohol during pregnancy and not the select few who say otherwise.    

Source for this blog entry: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-1.cfm