MY OB & ME Pregnancy Guide Sneak Peak
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my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide Table Of Contents INTRODUCTION 10 THE MEDICAL STUFF – PREFACE (from Shieva the “my OB”) 12 HOW TO USE “MY OB & ME” - THE KIT 15 RANDOM PREGNANCY THINGS THAT CAUSE CONFUSION 18 The Term “High Risk Pregnancy” 18 A Note about Insurance Companies 19 How to Find a Doctor? 21 Types of Hospitals & Points about Your Doctor’s Practice 22 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF PREGNANCY 24 The Basic Timeline 24 How Many Weeks Is Each Trimester? 26 Months -vs- Weeks 26 OVULATION AND FOLIC ACID 28 WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE SECOND YOUR “PEE HITS THE STICK” 30 YOUR G’S and P’S 33 ECTOPIC PREGNANCY 34 MISCARRIAGES & CHEMICAL PREGNANCIES 36 The Rates and Mindset 36 The Terms 38 The Causes 40 Options If It Happens 42 BLEEDING IN FIRST TRIMESTER 44 TRIBE CALLED V Page 1 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide RH AND BLOOD TYPE 46 TESTS IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER 48 The “Standard” List 49 The “POSSIBLE” List 50 GBS (Group B Strep) 53 GENETICS AND TESTS 56 The Parent’s Genetics aka the Carrier Screening 57 The Baby’s Genetics 61 Congenital -vs- Genetic 66 Anatomy Ultrasound 67 COMMON BIRTH DEFECTS 70 Club Foot 70 Cleft Lip/Palate 71 Congenital Heart Anomalies 72 ON GUILT 73 I’M NOT SURE I WANT TO KNOW THE GENDER? 75 TWINS 77 PREECLAMPSIA/HYPERTENSION 81 GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS (GDM) 86 WHAT ARE SOME TYPICAL ACHES & PAINS? 90 SKIN ISSUES 92 Intrahepatic Cholestasis (ICP) 92 Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy (PUPPP) 93 Other Skin Changes (Spots, Pigmentation, Skin Tags) 93 TRIBE CALLED V Page 2 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide Varicose Veins, Vulvar Varicosities, Hemorrhoids 94 FETAL MOVEMENT 98 The Basics 98 What Is Fetal Monitoring/Testing and Will I Need It? 100 A Note about “Changing the Due Date” 104 PLACENTAL ISSUES 105 Sub-Chorionic Hematoma (SCH) 107 Placenta Previa 107 Placenta Accreta 109 Marginal Cord Insertion (MCI) 110 Velamentous Cord Insertion 111 Vasa Previa 112 Placental Abruption 112 BLOOD ISSUES 114 Gestational Thrombocytopenia (GT) 114 Anemia 116 AMNIOTIC FLUID (AF) and AMNIOTIC FLUID INDEX (AFI) 118 THE CERVIX – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 121 PRETERM CONTRACTIONS/LABOR (PTL) 123 WHAT HAPPENS IF MY BABY IS BREECH 128 BEFORE YOUR INDUCTION OR C-SECTION 133 WHEN IT COMES TO LABOR…. 134 The Basics 134 How to Stimulate Labor? 136 TRIBE CALLED V Page 3 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide Your Numbers during Labor 138 The Stages of Labor 139 Spontaneous Labor –vs- Induction 139 The Five P’s that Affect Labor 140 Pelvic Shape & Sunny Side Up 141 The Sure Signs That the Show is “Going on the Road” 144 It’s Official, You’re In Labor – What Happens Next? 145 Pain Medication & Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring 146 Unplanned C-Section –vs- Emergency C-Section 149 Birth Plan & Mindset 151 Nuchal Cord (aka Cord around the Neck) 154 Shoulder Dystocia 155 Pooping While You Are In Labor (sh!t happens, like every day!) 159 Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH) 160 WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN TO MY VAJAYJAY?? 164 Tears and Episiotomies 164 The Vagina & Vulva after Birthing a Human 169 Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy 172 Queef (Yes, I Said It) 173 MEDICAL SECTION CONCLUSION 175 LIFESTYLE SECTION - PREFACE 175 LIFESTYLE SECTION - INTRODUCTION 176 REAL FOOD –VS- PROCESSED FOOD 177 BASIC MEAL BREAKDOWN 179 TRIBE CALLED V Page 4 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide Fiber 181 Protein 182 Healthy Fats 185 Carbohydrates 187 FOOD ISSUES! 188 Nausea & Morning Sickness 188 Hunger & Weight Gain 193 Emotional Eating 194 Food Safety, Aversions & Cravings 195 GUT HEALTH AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM 198 Gut Health & Pregnancy 199 The Microbiome & Antibiotics 200 The Immune System 202 The Vaginal Microbiome 203 VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS 205 COMMON ISSUES 207 Heartburn & Indigestion 207 Constipation 208 High Blood Sugar 211 High Blood Pressure and Lifestyle 212 EXERCISE & PELVIC STRENGTH 214 EVIRONMENTAL TOXINS 217 SLEEP 219 STRESS MANAGEMENT 222 CONCLUSION FROM JENNY & SHIEVA 225 From Shieva (the “my OB”) and Jenny (the “Me”) TRIBE CALLED V Page 5 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide INTRODUCTION You know that feeling when you meet another person and feel like you have known them forever and never lack something to discuss? That was the feeling when we were rst introduced in 2019! While we could both write books on our individual crazy, complicated and interesting life stories, we will spare you all the details and give you the bullet points instead. SHIEVA: OB/GYN veteran since 1999 Mother of 3, miscarrier of 6 Ovarian Cancer Experiencer (she hates the word survivor) Weight Battler with Gastric Bypass Fear and Anxiety Reducer JENNY: Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach Former Restauranteur Serial Entrepreneur Egg Freezing Fertility Explorer Pregnant for the rst time at age 45 (using her frozen eggs) Girl, do we have stories. When we rst met and began sharing our life journeys, there was an immediate explosion of ideas like reworks. While we both have our “day jobs”, (and Shieva jokes her “day/night job”) we decided to form a company and partnership using our shared experiences as our guide. First, we named our company Tribe Called V which, to put it simply, is the creation of a female focused “tribe”. Within it we offer myriad resources to support and educate women on ALL things related to their health – from obstetrics, to gynecology, to nutrition and overall general wellness, and perhaps most importantly a healthier mindset. TRIBE CALLED V Page 6 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide In the near future we will be launching the Tribe Called V Membership which will include educational videos and classes, Facebook live events, coaching calls, and the creation of groups of like-minded women who may need the support of other women who are experiencing similar life events. Stay tuned for this exciting endeavor as it unfolds and follow on social media @tribecalledv. When the COVID19 virus arose, another arm of our business was crystallized, called my OB & ME. In the midst of a global pandemic coupled with the rise in telehealth visits (patients were now “allowed” to have video discussion with their doctors)—we realized that obstetrics was a place where this new paradigm could be adopted!! Throughout a pregnancy, you will typically see your doctor for 14-15 visits— many of which need to be “in person”. But depending on your risk factors (something you and your doctor should address), there can be anywhere from 2-6 visits that can be done “virtually” with the aid of a home blood pressure monitor, a fetal doppler and urine dipsticks. What initially was incubated as a notion for keeping patients safely at home to avoid crowded ofces and thus viral exposure, morphed into a realization that this may actually serve a greater purpose. The busy mother of a toddler who cannot get a sitter or does not want to wake her little one; the working woman who cannot leave the ofce; the teacher who would need to take an entire personal day for one visit; the patient who will be working or travelling during part of her pregnancy. These are all examples of how a telehealth visit can improve everyone’s experience. Not to mention the value of not having to commute and then wait in the waiting room, only to discuss the same issues that could be discussed on a video call! In this new paradigm—the visit we envision can be more engaged when the other stressors like commuting, scheduling constraints and ofce frustrations are eliminated! You and your doctor can now fully focus on you and your growing human! With Shieva’s medical knowledge and deep-seated desire to decrease women’s anxiety and Jenny’s aggressive capabilities at organization and business development, we created the my OB & ME Pregnancy Kit as a useful tool for both pregnant mamas and doctors alike! TRIBE CALLED V Page 7 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide Your kit will include a blood pressure monitor, a fetal doppler to listen to the baby’s heart beat and urine dipsticks to measure protein and glucose levels. Additionally, you are receiving this e-book! A pregnancy guide as we like to call it! We are not re-inventing the wheel or trying to improve the pregnancy guides that already exist to inform you of the basics. Instead, we tackle the many events that MAY arise from beginning to end. We believe that if we can preemptively tell you what MAY happen, we can increase your knowledge (calmly) to decrease your anxiety! Knowledge, if delivered in a non-angst provoking way is power. Remember—our goal should always be a healthy baby and healthy mama— we are not striving for a pregnancy journey of perfection. Just like unicorns, this perfect journey may only exist in our imagination and clinging to the notion of “mythicism” can be damaging. Reality is beautiful in its imperfection if you approach it appropriately. Cheers (non-alcoholic of course!) to you and your growing babe! love, shieva & jenny tribe called V TRIBE CALLED V Page 8 my OB & ME: a pregnancy guide THE MEDICAL STUFF – PREFACE (from Shieva the “my OB”) Pregnancy is a time marked by stark dichotomies of intense excitement mixed with underlying anxiety—mostly of the “unknown”. Through my years as an OB/GYN, I’ve found that the more information patients receive, the more potential to quell their angst OR fuel it. So, it has been one of my main pursuits to help describe, highlight and expose many of the common concerns of pregnancy so as to encourage women to understand the bottom line fact—that the vast majority of women will birth healthy children!! I’ve found that the tone with which “issues” are discussed can have a profound effect on the receiver’s anxiety.