Exercise in Pregnancy: the Benefits of Reasonable Physical Exercise to Pregnant Women

Staying in shape while a woman is pregnant is important. With reasonable physical exercise, pregnant women will find their body always kept in good shape. Studies made on some expectant mothers indicate that being in good shape may even result in a shorter labor. But is it really a good idea to exercise during pregnancy?

Exercise is essential to good health; for as long as exercise is done in moderation, pregnant women will surely derive certain benefits from it. For one, moderate exercise can increase stamina, which will help expectant mothers in coping with the rigors of labor. Regular moderate exercise also makes it easier for pregnant women to return to normal physical tone after childbirth.

Most physicians normally recommend that the form of physical exercise practiced before a woman became pregnant should be continued even during pregnancy. Of course, this is on the assumption that such exercise or physical activity is reasonable or of the "low-impact" type. One of the best forms of exercise for women during pregnancy is walking. Gardening is another form that pregnant women may find beneficial. Certain muscle-building exercises, which are aimed at strengthening those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, are prescribed by some physicians; this will make the process of childbirth less taxing.

Moderation is the key when exercising during pregnancy. One of the dangers pregnant women face when exercising too hard is that blood and nutrients are diverted from the fetus. A good way to test if a pregnant woman is not working out too hard is when she is able to converse while exercising. It is also important for her to consider her physical condition prior to her becoming pregnant. This means, for example, that if she was not active before becoming pregnant, she should just engage in such low-impact activities as walking or short workouts on a treadmill. From the fifth month of pregnancy, pregnant women should refrain from engaging in any activity or sport that requires running.

It is very clear, therefore, that heavy physical work, strenuous physical activities, or high-impact sports (or those that involve a high degree of reflex coordination) should be avoided by women during pregnancy. Lifting is definitely a heavy physical work that must be avoided; so is stooping. Exercises that require lying on one's back, such as sit-ups and some aerobic positions, should be shunned. This is because such exercises can make the weight of the uterus to constrict blood flow through the vena cava, thus interfering with the return of blood to the right atrium of the heart.

Some of the sports that should be avoided during pregnancy are those that can cause expectant mothers to fall, such as skating and skiing. More dangerous ones that should definitely be avoided during this period are horseback riding and mountaineering. Underwater and high-altitude sports should be given up as these can divert too much oxygen from the fetus. Even those activities that involve hopping, such as jogging, should be skipped.

Adequate exercise, even during pregnancy, promotes blood circulation throughout the body and helps to maintain the tissues in good condition. But expectant mothers have to always remember that they should engage only in reasonable physical exercise or avoid extremes of exertion. [Read the Original Article]

Simple Tips for a Healthful Living During Pregnancy

It is always desirable for parents to lead a healthy life. During pregnancy, living healthfully becomes particularly important for the welfare of both the mother and her child. As a general rule, pregnant women should go on with their usual way of life; however, they should observe a lessening of intensity or avoid extremeness in everything they do. This means avoiding excesses of any kind.

Some of the excesses that pregnant women must avoid include doing heavy work or engaging in strenuous physical activities. Lifting and stooping are two specific actions that should be avoided. Those who are into such strenuous sports as horseback riding or tennis should wait until way after they have given birth before engaging in their favorite game again. And, yes, even excesses of rest should be shunned.

Some pregnant women ask if it is alright to exercise during pregnancy. In reply, most physicians confirm that reasonable exercise is beneficial to pregnant women. Two specific forms of exercise or activity that can definitely benefit pregnant women are gardening and walking. There are also special muscle-building exercises that some physicians recommend which are intended to make stronger those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, hence making the procedure less taxing.

What should a woman wear during pregnancy? Two easy descriptions immediately come to mind: simple and comfortable. Pregnant women should avoid wearing tight-fitting dresses that may interfere with the blood's circulation in the veins. A firmly-made brassiere is ideal since the breasts become larger during pregnancy. As for footwear, low-heeled shoes are always desirable.

It is during pregnancy when taking a bath daily is even more advisable than at any other time in a woman's life. This is because the skin glands are more active during this period. The water should be of the right temperature. During the last month of pregnancy, the woman should no longer be taking tub baths; this is to avoid germs from being introduced into those parts which will help to form the channel through which the fetus will pass during birth. Taking a shower instead is preferable at this stage of pregnancy.

It is natural for a woman to have less desire for sexual intercourse during pregnancy. But, observing moderation, it is proper for a couple to go on with their intimate relations even until the last month of this period. Also during this period, the couple should be able to communicate with each other easily, especially where preferences and problems are concerned. It is likewise advisable for the husband to be with his pregnant wife as much as he could whenever she visits her obstetrician-gynecologist. [Read the Original Article]

Understanding the Rh Factor as One of Pregnancy's Many Complications

At no other time in a woman's life do security and a state of well-being probably mean so much than during pregnancy. This is especially so when we consider that pregnancy carries certain discomforts and complications. Mothers surely have gone through some of them: frequent urination, morning sickness, hemorrhoids, backache, vaginal discharge, fatigue, food cravings, heartburn, muscle cramps, varicose veins, changes in the skin, premature birth, and miscarriage. But of all the many complications of pregnancy, the Rh factor is perhaps the least understood.

Understanding the different human blood types has gained much progress in recent years. We know, for example, that in a blood transfusion, the blood type to be used must be compatible with the blood type of the transfusion's recipient. The Rh factor is present in the blood of some persons; it isn't in others'. Because of this, persons are identified as either Rh-positive or Rh-negative.

Medical statistics indicate that approximately eighty percent of women are Rh-positive. It has likewise been scientifically proven that an Rh-negative woman who is married to an Rh-positive man usually has children who possess Rh-positive blood. What happens during pregnancy in this case is that an indeterminately small number of blood cells from the fetus may move to the placenta, and then enter the blood of the mother. Subsequently, the mother's tissues develop antibodies that have the ability of destroying this type of blood cells - considered as being "hostile."

The first pregnancy is usually uneventful. The second or third pregnancy, however, may be marked by the presence of enough antibodies in the blood of the mother; when these antibodies pass through the placenta to enter the blood of the fetus, they start to destroy the fetus's blood cells, resulting to anemia. To suppress the tendency of an Rh-negative mother from producing the antibodies that put in peril the babies she may bear after the first, doctors may use an injection of Rh immunoglobulin. This injection is administered within the first seventy-two hours after the conclusion of every pregnancy, whether the said pregnancy's conclusion is by childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.

The danger in an Rh-negative mother not receiving this preventive treatment at precisely the right time can result to her tissues producing the antibodies that can endanger the babies she may bear later. What's worse, the danger increases with each subsequent pregnancy. Thus, we have heard numerous times of babies dying soon after being born. In some cases, doctors were successful in saving babies with the prompt use of a method called exchange transfusion. In this medical procedure, the baby's blood is replaced with blood free from the "unfriendly" antibodies.

This stresses the significance of the supervision of a doctor during pregnancy. The importance of such supervision is that the Rh-negative blood of a woman is ascertained and appropriate steps are taken to properly deal with the condition. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/rhfactor/a/aa050601a.htm

Deformities: Circumstances that Cause a Deformed Child to be Born

Very often, we refer to the birth of an infant as the beginning of life. With due consideration, however, we realize that in some respects the series of occurrences that happen prior to birth are even more important than the postnatal happenings. This is so because if any one of those events that occur before birth takes place improperly, the child may, from then on, go through life physically disadvantaged; or the child's life may even be cut short.

Conception is that time when the characteristics of a child are determined, such as the color of his eyes and hair, the type of body build, and his mental capabilities. But it is during the next thirty-eight weeks or so of pregnancy when the body of a child goes through a series of development. Leading the process is the brain's development, with the nerve cells transmitting their fibers to all parts of the body. The heart undergoes an intricate plan of formation; starting with the second week, it pumps the child's own blood to all parts of his growing body. The lungs develop next; they, however, don't function until they fill with air (with the infant's first cry) and begin providing the child's requirements for oxygen.

Years ago, it was supposed that most infant deformities are caused by faulty heredity. That assumption has changed, and it is now known that the circumstances during those thirty-eight weeks before birth cause many deformities. It has been discovered that certain illnesses can cause deformed infants to be born. For example, a mother who, during the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy, contracts rubella (German measles) will most likely give birth to a baby with some physical imperfections.

Of course, there are inherited deformities, too. These happen when the gene that controls the development of any particular part of the body is faulty. It is fortunate that the defective genes in the cells of one person are usually not the defective ones in another person's cells. If the husband and wife are from family lines that are not related, the faulty genes contributed by one in that couple when their baby is conceived do not usually match the defective genes contributed by the other partner. But if husband and wife are related to each other (as in they're first or second cousins, for example), then the probability that their defective genes will correspond becomes greater. On occasion, a congenital deformity is caused by dominant genes so that the deformity will appear in the child despite one's union with a partner with normal genes.

The cells which make up the early embryo are so actively involved in growth and development that they require substantial amounts of oxygen, vitamins, and food materials. Insufficiencies in diet can therefore handicap the growing cells during their crucial periods of development. Likewise, a reduction in the amount of oxygen supplied to the cells can have a similar effect. An example of this is when certain kinds of anesthetics are used during the early stage of pregnancy.

Obstetricians and gynecologists alike are cognizant of the ways by which an expectant mom can avoid the circumstances that might harm the development of her unborn child which may lead to certain deformities. Apart from supervising any medicines that may be necessary so as to avoid those that might harm the mother or handicap the unborn child, these physicians will also counsel on a way of life that is marked by moderation, giving emphasis on overall physical fitness. [Read the Original Article]

Causes of Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea: Missing Periods

When my daughter turned sixteen without still having periods, I decided to accompany her to the family doctor to find out what was wrong. Several possible causes of my daughter's condition, called primary amenorrhea, were mentioned by the doctor. After the examination, the doctor advised that my daughter should give attention to her program of study, especially since it was obvious (from the results of the examination) that this was affecting her general health condition.

I had my own experience of a related condition when, for about three months at age thirty-nine, I missed having my regular periods. I thought then that I had reached menopause too early. But a visit to the doctor revealed that I was actually going through the condition known as secondary amenorrhea. Two months later, I became pregnant with my third child.

Both types of amenorrhea are symptoms rather than diseases. A teenage girl who has not started having periods past the age of fifteen is said to be experiencing primary amenorrhea. This condition occurs most often due to any of these factors: excessive study or overwork, emotional tension, infectious disease, or heart disease. In my daughter's case, it was determined that the first in the list of reasons was causing her primary amenorrhea; because of this, her particular condition was not considered a cause for alarm.

On the other hand, a woman, who has had regular periods, is said to have secondary amenorrhea if her normal menstrual flow fails to come for one or more months for reasons other than, of course, pregnancy or normal menopause. Factors that may cause this condition include strenuous exercise, stress, weight changes, or certain drugs, the latter having been identified as the cause for my having had secondary amenorrhea. This condition does not rule out pregnancy; inasmuch as ovulation comes ahead of menstruation, a woman with secondary amenorrhea can go through ovulation and become pregnant even without having a period.

For some women who had put on weight, menstrual flow may be diminished, or it may stop for one or several months. In more serious cases, the absence of periods may be due to some irregular or faulty formation of the female organs, or to an impediment in the cervical canal. In rare instances, the uterus continues to be at an infantile stage. Surgery can correct most cases of cervical obstruction and some cases of abnormal organ formation. However, most cases of primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea can be corrected by remedying their underlying causes through methods other than surgery. [Read the Original Article]

How to Get Relief for Labor Pains

For a woman having her first baby, the period involving certain internal physical activities prior to the actual giving of birth - called labor - can last for as long as a day or even longer. Labor has three stages. The initial stage begins with the onset of labor pains. This stage continues up to the time that the cervix (the narrow outer end of the uterus through which the baby must pass) is completely dilated.

The next stage involves the actual moving or passing of the baby through the birth canal, the channel that runs from the cervix to the vaginal opening. This stage ends when the baby is born. The last stage of labor takes place as the placenta, amnion, and other tissues are forced out. In subsequent childbirths, the duration of labor is considerably reduced.

In natural childbirth classes, expectant moms learn how to handle labor pains without the aid of anesthesia or other medications - by performing different relaxation and breathing exercises. Not all women, however, have the same capacity for enduring pain; some are more sensitive than others. This makes the use of any of the various methods for relieving labor pains inevitable.

A safe and simple method for relieving labor pains is with the use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, usually through a face mask. In this method, the woman, while holding the mask herself, breathes through it during each contraction. Nitrous oxide is safe for both the mother and her baby, and has a very short duration. In some cases, however, this pain relief method may not be sufficient. In such cases, the obstetrician may administer pain-relieving compounds orally or by injection; the obstetrician may also use any of the different local or regional anesthetic techniques.

Pudendal block is one example of a local anesthetic technique, so called "because a local anesthetic such as, lidocaine or chloroprocaine, is injected into the pudendal canal where the pudendal nerve is located" (www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/pudendalblock.htm). This technique is often used in combination with episiotomy, a surgical procedure done to enlarge the vaginal opening for obstetric purposes.

In epidural anesthesia, a local anesthetic is injected (in a single dose or continuously) into the area outside the protective covering (dura mater) of the spinal cord in the lower back. This pain relief method voids the body - from the waist down - of any sensation without affecting the ability to cooperate and move.

We know for a fact that no drug is completely risk-free, and avoiding them is most ideal. Of course, there can be instances - as when labor pains become too severe to endure - when a woman can't help but turn to any one of these medications for relief. Others try hypnosis or acupuncture to ease labor pains. Neither of these alternative methods, however, is necessarily suitable or effective for all women. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030915/1121ph.html and http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/pudendalblock.htm

How to Properly Insert a Pessary

A pessary is a removable device inserted into the vagina for the purpose of supporting the uterus, remedying a malposition, or preventing conception. It may be inserted by hand or with the use of a special applicator. A distinct advantage of inserting a pessary by hand (using your fingers) is that you become well acquainted with your own vagina and can feel where the pessary is going.

When inserting a pessary by hand, make sure you wash your hands before doing so. Avoid contamination of the pessary after removing its wrapping. To help the pessary slip in easily, its end part may be moistened. Follow closely how a pessary is inserted properly into the vagina.

Lie on your back exactly as you do when undergoing a pelvic examination. With the use of one hand, part the labia (the folds at the margin of the vulva); insert the pessary with your other hand, leading it gently with your index finger in the same direction as when inserting a tampon - inwards and backwards up behind the cervix (the narrow outer end of the uterus).

If you find it disagreeable or difficult to use your fingers, you may prefer to use an applicator. Some pessaries come with an applicator; or you may ask the pharmacist for one that is apt for the purpose. A pessary applicator looks much like a syringe with a sliding valve (plunger). Fit the parts of the applicator together; pull back the plunger and thrust the pessary into the applicator's open end. Do the same steps as when you're inserting the pessary by hand, except of course that instead of your index finger guiding the pessary into the vagina, it's the applicator, guided by one hand, that does it. An applicator has a mark which points out how far it should be inserted. To release the pessary, push the plunger; and then gently retract the applicator.

In case the applicator does not slip in easily, bear down a little to help make your vagina less tense; otherwise, you may be pushing the applicator too far forwards. Avoid using force when inserting a pessary with an applicator. If in doubt or are uncertain, you may check with your finger and slip the pessary up behind your cervix.

Lastly, take the applicator apart and wash it in warm soapy water; rinse it and let it dry before putting it away. It should be immediately available for use the next time. [Read the Original Article]

The Three Common Evidences of Early Pregnancy

One of the periods considered very special in a woman's life are the forty or so weeks leading up to the birth of a child. Even before conception happens, a woman's body goes through normal, monthly changes to get ready for birth. Starting at the commencement of puberty and for the succeeding thirty or so years, she undergoes ovulation, the monthly process in which the ovaries release an ovum (egg cell) for fertilization. At the same time, the hormonal system prepares the uterus for the prospect of pregnancy.

During early pregnancy, a woman is often doubtful as to whether conception has taken place. As a matter of fact, she may be unaware up to the time that the situation is made apparent by her enlarging abdomen. There are three common evidences of early pregnancy: the missing of a regular menstrual period, morning sickness, and tenderness and beginning enlargement of the breasts.

The usual initial evidence of early pregnancy is the missing of a regular menstrual period. Menstruation consists of the shedding of the uterus' lining each month, except during pregnancy. This natural process rids the uterus of its decadent lining in order that new tissue can develop in preparation for conception if it should take place the following month. When conception does occur, the developing child finds lodgment within the uterus and stays there for the next nine months. The reason for some uncertainty about whether a woman is pregnant, despite missing a menstrual period, is that certain conditions (not pregnancy) can account for a missed period. Factors such as an excessive emotional strain or a serious illness can interfere with menstruation.

Morning sickness is another common evidence of early pregnancy. This condition is a combination of nausea and some vomiting which are experienced by about half of pregnant women soon after pregnancy begins. This condition, which usually goes away after the third month of pregnancy, is primarily due to diverse changes in hormone production. While it occurs typically in the morning (as its name suggests), morning sickness may also take place at other times of the day. A pregnant woman may be able to check morning sickness by making some simple modifications in her diet. For example, she can lessen her gastric discomfort by eating boiled sweets, dried fruit, or crackers in the early morning; or she can have small but frequent meals.

A condition called ptyalism (an increase in saliva) may add to the feeling of nausea a pregnant woman may already have. Vomiting and nausea may be so severe in some cases of early pregnancy, and these are reasons enough for an expectant mother to consult her doctor.

The third common clue of pregnancy is tenderness and beginning enlargement of the breasts. This condition is a natural response to the hormones that control the occurrence of pregnancy. The breasts' gland tissue must develop gradually in readiness for producing milk after birth.

If it is necessary to be certain about a suspected pregnancy, a woman's doctor can arrange reliable tests. These pregnancy tests, which make use of the woman's urine, become dependable about a couple of weeks after the first missed menstrual period. [Read the Original Article]

Is it a Girl or a Boy? Understanding How a Child's Gender is Determined

I am a mother of four lovely girls. My younger sister (who came next to me) has two burly boys. The rest of our siblings have at least one boy and one girl in their respective broods. During family gatherings, my sister and I never get tired of kidding our respective youngest kids by saying we're going to swap them before returning home. That, of course, is a way of saying how I wish I have a boy and my sister, a girl.

Is it possible for parents to choose the gender of the baby they want conceived? Before this question is answered, it is important that we understand how a child's gender is determined at the time of conception.

Science books dealing on this specific subject tell us that a group of forty-six chromosomes are contained within the nucleus of every cell of the human body. An essential feature of the forty-six chromosomes in each of the cells is that they are arranged in twenty-three pairs. When these are traced back to the original cell formed at the time of conception, we learn that one chromosome of each pair is identical to one in the sex cell the father supplied and the other in the same pair is the same as one in the sex cell supplied by the mother.

Of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes within each cell of the body, one pair is distinguished as sex chromosomes. In the case of the female gender, the two members of this pair are designated as X chromosomes. Therefore, all cells in a woman's body have two X chromosomes. In the male gender, the two sex chromosomes are not the same - one is an X chromosome, while the other one is called Y chromosome. These sex-cell designations apply to all cells in a woman's body or a man's body, including even the sex cells in the ovaries and testes that are immature.

When immature sex cells are ready for the prospect of conception, one member of each pair of chromosomes is removed. Therefore, inasmuch as the only kind of sex chromosome present in cells of the female gender is X chromosome, what is kept will, of course, always be an X chromosome. It is altogether different in the case of the male gender's sex cells when they are prepared for the possibility of conception - some cells will contain an X chromosome and some a Y chromosome. Hence, there are two kinds of mature male sex cells: one containing an X chromosome and one containing a Y chromosome.

With the foregoing facts, let us now try to understand how the gender of a child is determined. A child's gender will be female under this scenario: a male sex cell carrying an X chromosome links up with a female sex cell (which similarly contains an X chromosome) at the time of conception. On the other hand, an offspring's gender will be male when, at the time of conception, a male sex cell carrying a Y chromosome combines with a female sex cell (which, of course, contains an X chromosome as previously mentioned).

With the ever advancing fields of science and technology, someone in the know in our family mentioned that it is now very possible for parents to choose the gender of the child they would like to conceive, albeit some people raise moral or ethical issues on this. Whatever, my sister and I agree we're both too late for this interesting development. [Read the Original Article]

What the Amniocentesis Test Can Tell You About Your Unborn Child

When my friend's daughter underwent the amniocentesis test, the results turned out normal. While her unborn child's (a girl) chromosomal make-up does appear normal, amniocentesis does not necessarily rule out all possible birth defects as many people are wont to believe. The amniocentesis test is regarded as being ninety-nine percent accurate. It isn't routine; however, it is recommended for all women over the age of thirty-six to ensure that the chromosomal composition of the fetus does not show any irregularity.

The amniocentesis test, which is usually done between the fourteenth and eighteenth week of pregnancy, is performed under a local anesthetic, with the use of an ultrasound scanner, to determine the site of a safe pocket of fluid. In this test, which takes about fifteen minutes to carry out, a long, ultrathin needle is inserted into the mother's abdomen, through the wall of the uterus, and on into the amniotic sac - the purpose of which is to take out a specimen of amniotic fluid. Because it is in the amniotic fluid where the cells and secretions of an unborn child are found, the fluid can therefore provide sufficient information about the baby.

The amniocentesis test, which, again, is almost a hundred percent accurate, allows a physician to determine the presence or existence of chromosomal irregularities, certain congenital metabolic abnormalities, and spinal cord disorders. And, yes, the test can likewise detect the unborn child's sex (as in the case of my friend's daughter, who's very happy with the baby-girl revelation). Down's syndrome - a disease known to cause mental retardation - for example, can be detected by amniocentesis. Other conditions which the test can detect include certain genetic abnormalities in the fetus that can interfere with the development of the brain or spinal cord of the unborn child. Examples of these disorders are any neural-tube deficiencies and an absent enzyme.

The condition of an unborn child afflicted with a certain type of blood disorder, called RH disease, can be monitored with the use of amniocentesis. With the test, treatments for this disease may be started even while the baby is still in the womb. In the event an early delivery is necessary, amniocentesis can also be performed late in a pregnancy for the purpose of gauging the development of the lungs of the unborn child.

A small element of risk to the mother may be involved in amniocentesis. Risks include the possibilities of vaginal bleeding, an increased risk of infection, cramping, leaking of amniotic fluid, or even miscarriage. The good thing is that the occurrences of such problems, in relation with the use of the amniocentesis test, have been very rare since the inception of this test (records on the exact year amniocentesis was first introduced as a medical procedure vary). The risks are even less likely to take place if the test is performed by a highly-experienced physician. [Read the Original Article]

When is it Necessary to Deliver a Baby by Cesarean Section?

My younger sister has two children, aged 29 and 25. Both are boys, and both were delivered by cesarean section. She had wanted a third child - a girl, she had hoped - but her particular condition prevented her from realizing that dream. Her attending physician recommended that her first boy be delivered by cesarean section because she was then having a prolonged labor. Under the same obstetrician, her second boy was delivered likewise by cesarean section, largely because of that similar surgery four years earlier.

The second delivery by cesarean section is quite comprehendible; but someone asked my sister if it was possible for her to have avoided the cesarean section on her first delivery, given her condition then of having a prolonged labor, by means of any medical method of inducing normal delivery. It was clearly explained by her doctor that a normal delivery was very risky for her at that time since her condition was made even more precarious by her having elevated blood pressure.

So when is it necessary to deliver a baby by cesarean section? There are actually a number of answers to this question. The attending physician may recommend performing cesarean section (the surgical removal of a baby from the womb through an incision made in the mother's lower abdomen and in her uterus) if, in her professional opinion, it isn't possible, or isn't safe, for a baby to be delivered normally through the mother's birth canal.

Doctors have identified certain conditions that make vaginal (or normal) delivery risky. Maternal health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, HIV, and herpes, are some of the conditions that will necessitate delivery of a baby by cesarean section. The other conditions include those three in my sister's case, an abnormal position of the placenta in which the cervix is blocked, a breech position, multiple babies, a slowing heart rate of the fetus, fetal distress as when the umbilical cord is compressed, and if the placenta fails to supply enough nutrients and oxygen to the baby. But the most common reason why delivery by cesarean section is necessary is if the mother's pelvis is too small for the baby to pass through.

Since cesarean section is a form of major surgery, it involves risks or complications. Following the surgery, for example, a mother may develop blood clots in her legs, pelvic organs, or even in her lungs. Her uterus may become infected. Compared to vaginal delivery, the mother's recovery time from cesarean section is longer, which is at least a month. The mother will most certainly require medication in the early stage of the recovery period when she experiences agonizing pain. Hospital stays for mothers who go through cesarean section average five days.

It isn't only the mother who's at risk in cesarean section. The baby's alertness may be diminished by the general anesthetic given to the mother prior to the surgery. The baby also faces certain risks associated with premature births when cesarean section is performed before the infant's full development, the most common ones being low birth weight and respiratory problems.

My sister's attending physician clarified that it is possible for a woman who has had one cesarean section to still deliver vaginally for as long as the reasons for the previous cesarean operation no longer exist - a condition that was not met in my sister's second delivery. [Read the Original Article]