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eXpeCtinG parents
An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
Working momhow breastfeeding benefi ts your employer
cell phones and pregnancy fetal development in the digital age
Growing up organicIs green your baby’s color?
the giFt oF liFeBalancing a family and career is a whole new
challenge. What to expect when you bring baby home!
September 2011
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eXpeCtinG parents
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2 · septeMber 2011 An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
CHaLLenGesBecoming informed on what to expect before, during and after pregnancy is the best way to prepare for baby’s arrival.
preparing for pregnancy
as doctors s p e c i a l i z i n g in women’s health, ob-gyns see patients through numer-ous life stages,
from adolescence through meno-pause.
Pregnancy is a signifi cant mile-stone for many women and is often accompanied by the most questions: Will I have a healthy pregnancy? What will labor be like? How will a baby aff ect my work, lifestyle, and finances? When (exactly) can I eat sushi, hot dogs, and unpasteurized cheese again?
Being informed is the best way to get ready for your baby, ease your mind, and know what to expect from your body. Having a reliable source to turn to for ques-tions and advice is of the utmost importance. Enter your trusted ob-gyn.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
recommends that all women con-sidering pregnancy talk to their ob-gyn about preconception care. Planning for pregnancy before it becomes reality provides you the opportunity to prepare your body and minimize risk factors that could stand in the way of you becoming pregnant. Your doc-tor may suggest that you lose (or gain) weight to achieve a healthy body mass index, and can help you get existing health problems and unhealthy habits, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, under control. You may also be advised to start an exer-cise program, eat a healthier diet, and take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid—an essential vitamin necessary for fetal brain development.
Regardless of whether your pregnancy was planned—or unplanned, as nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are—early prenatal care is key. You should see your doctor as soon as pos-sible after discovering that you
are pregnant and continue with regular prenatal visits thereaf-ter. Your doctor will monitor you and your baby, track your prog-ress throughout your pregnancy, and treat any problems that may arise. He or she can counsel you on nutrition, healthy weight gain, and recommended prenatal screenings.
Scheduled visits also provide you with the opportunity to ask questions, address concerns, and plan for your baby’s arrival. At each prenatal visit, be sure to discuss any special concerns you might have, such as the available types of pain relief during labor, the medical reasons for a cesarean delivery or labor induction, or how to recognize when you’re in labor.
As partners in women’s health, ob-gyns want all women to have a healthy and positive preg-nancy experience. So schedule an appointment today. Our door is open.
we recoMMenD
Mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial content that motivates them to act.
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James n. martin, Jr, md
eXPectinG Parents, tHirD eDition, sePteMber 2011
Publisher: sarah budhiman [email protected] Developer: rebecca [email protected] designer: Missy [email protected] and subeditor: ariela [email protected] Director: allan [email protected]
contributors: acoG,Danielle rig, JD, clc, Frances Verter, PhD, kimberly Danek Pinkson, March of Dimes, natali aziz, MD, Ms, sarah summers,timothy Prince
Distributed within: san Francisco chronicle, september 2011 this section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve the san Francisco chronicle or its editorial Departments.
cord Blood BankingA form of health insurance that can protect your baby, your family and help society.pAGe 6
oPT for cLEAnInG ProDUcTS MADE WITh non-ToXIc
InGrEDIEnTS
An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
oPT for
1TIP
“planning for pregnancy before it becomes real-ity provides you the opportunity to prepare your body and minimize risk factors that could stand in the way of you becoming pregnant.”
James n. Martin, Jr, MDpresident, the American congress of obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial content that motivates them to act.
Follow us on Facebook & twitter! facebook.com/MediaplanetUSAtwitter.com/MediaplanetUSA
4 · septeMber 2011 An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
news
Healthy babies are worth the wait More and more births are being scheduled a little early for non-medical reasons. Experts are learn-ing that this can cause problems for both mom and baby. If possible, it’s best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks. If your preg-nancy is healthy, wait for labor to begin on its own.
We know you can’t wait to meet your baby face to face. But getting to at least 39 weeks gives your baby the time he needs to grow. Healthy babies are worth the wait!
There are lots of important things happening to your baby in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
For example, your baby’s brain and lungs are still growing.
You might not have a choice about when to have your baby. If there are problems with your preg-nancy or your baby’s health, you may need to have your baby earlier. But if you have a choice and you’re planning to schedule your baby’s birth, wait until at least 39 weeks.
Babies born too early may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born full term. Here’s why your baby needs 39 weeks:
■■ Important organs, like his brain, lungs and liver, get all the time they need to develop.
■■ He is less likely to have vision and hearing problems after birth.
■■ Babies born too soon often are too small. Babies born at a healthy weight have an easier time staying warm than babies born too small.
■■ He can suck and swallow and stay awake long enough to eat after he’s born. Babies born early some-times can’t do these things.
The March of Dimes and obstet-ric provider groups advise that you wait until at least 39 weeks to induce labor or have a C-section if it is needed. Wait this long unless there are medical problems that make it necessary to have your baby earlier.
march of dimes
ThE MArch of DIMES foUnDATIon, a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies, recommends a full term pregnancy whenever possible. Photo: March of DiMes
Babywearing, carrying your baby or child in a sling or other form of car-rier, has been practiced for centuries around the world, gaining popularity in recent decades.
Babywearing is a practical solution for moms and dads, since it allows the wearer to have two hands free while catering to baby’s need to be held or breastfed.
Studies have shown that even three hours per day of babywear-ing reduces infant crying signifi-cantly, as the attachment between child and caregiver is more secure. Benefits of babywearing include:
■■ Maternal Bond: Mother’s oxyto-cin (the mammalian bonding hor-mone) is increased through physi-cal contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond
■■ Decreased Risk of Positional
Plagiocephaly (or Flat Head Syn-drome): Since babywearing posi-tions do not require infants to lie supine while being carried, infants are less susceptible
■■ Many sling users have found that it is easier on the back and shoulders than carrying their infant in a car seat
■■ Slings can be a fashion state-ment!
Experts recommend a baby carrier that is made of breathable fabric and one that does not press the baby too tightly against the wearer; it is best to find a carrier that allows the wearer to see baby’s face. Proper position in the sling/carrier is important for the infant’s hip, pelvis and spine growth, so be sure to try on a variety of carriers to find the best fit!
sarah summers
Carried More, Cry less
An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle septeMber 2011 · 5
insiGHtnews
You already know that breastfeeding is great for you and your baby. Did you know that it’s great for your employer, too?
For every $1 spent on corporate lac-tation programs, companies get at least $3 back in health care cost sav-ings, lower turnover, less employee absenteeism, and higher work-force morale. Staying connected to your baby through pumping can keep your spirits and your produc-tion high. It doesn’t take much for companies and moms to reap the rewards! Here are our top tips for expecting moms that plan to go back to work:
■■ Know your rights. Thanks to the
Affordable Care Act, FLSA non-exempt employees (usually hourly workers; check your pay stub) are now entitled to a private (non-bath-room!) pumping space and reason-able, albeit unpaid, break time. If your state law provides better pro-tection, it prevails.
■■ Be your own best advocate! Let your employer know that you plan to pump milk for your baby when you come back to work, and be ready
with facts on how it helps their bottom line. Be positive, proactive, and per-severe . . . you’re paving the way for other moms.
■■ Buy or rent a lean, mean, pumping machine — your body and your baby will thank you. Consider a multi-user pump you can re-sell or recycle. See an IBCLC for help boosting your sup-ply.
■■ Read success stories and get psyched. You can do it, and you’re worth it, babe!
For more information and resources go to BestforBabes.org/workingmoms
danieLLe riGG
Work it, BaBe!
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news in brieF
pregnancy and everyday radiationIn May, 2011, the World Health Organization re-classifi ed radia-tion from mobile phone use to the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform. While evidence is not yet conclusive enough to cause alarm, expecting par-ents should be wary of potential health consequences of prenatal radiation exposure.
While the jury is still out on health impacts from everyday radiation, potential risks that have been high-lighted in research include: stunted growth, developmental problems, abnormal brain function, or cancer that may develop later in life. These health risks are most pronounced
during pregnancy and with young children because this is when cell growth and DNA replication is hap-pening most rapidly.
In July, 2010, San Francisco super-visors unanimously approved legislation aimed at helping con-sumers reduce their exposure to cell phone radiation, requiring cell phone retailers to provide custom-ers with general information on how to reduce radiation exposures. For more information on pregnancy and radiation, check out: environmentalhealthtrust.org
sarah summers
nEVEr MIcro-WAVE PLASTIc (or PLASTIc
WrAP)
An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
with facts on
news in brieF
pregnancy and everyday radiationIn May, 2011, the World Health nEVEr MIcro-
2TIP
Danielle rigg, JD, clcco-Founder, best for babes® Foundation
6 · septeMber 2011 An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
inspiration
■■ Question: Why bank cord blood?
■■ Answer: cord blood contains stem cells that can save lives.
Cord Blood banking is a form of health insurance that can protect your baby, your family, and help society. The blood that is in the umbilical cord at birth is a rich source of stem cells. Those stem cells can be used for either stem cell transplants to help others, or for new therapies where stem cells help the body to repair itself.
A perfect matchCord blood has been used in over
20,000 stem cell transplants since 1988. One of them is 10-year-old Carol Mulumba. Diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, despite treat-ment with drugs and transfusions, morphine was not stopping the pain and Carol was on the brink of having strokes. Luckily, her brother Mark was born a perfect match, allowing for a transplant that has left Carol disease free for two years and counting. But 70 percent of patients who need a transplant do not have a matching donor in their family, requiring them to search for donors of cord blood or bone marrow. Carol’s family started a foundation to educate expectant parents in their home country of
Uganda about the importance of saving or donating cord blood.
Protect your babyWithin the past 5 years, about 260 children have received infusions of their own cord blood. Amy Hen-drix discovered when she was 18 weeks pregnant that her baby suffered from hydrocephalus — a build-up of fluid inside the brain. This prompted the family to save the cord blood in a family bank. Parker Elizabeth was born with so much fluid build-up in her brain that her head was the size of a two year old child. A shunt was inserted soon after birth to allow fluid to drain from her brain. A few months
after that, Parker received the first of two infusions of her own cord blood stem cells. While her doctors offered a grim prognosis, including blindness, Parker’s recovery has been remarkable. She can see, walk, and talk so well that, by 20 months,
she was considered “normal” by her Early Intervention therapists.
Stories like Carol’s and Parker’s show that saving cord blood for your family can save your newborn or a sibling, and donating cord blood to society can save a patient in need of a transplant. No matter what choice a family makes when their own baby is born, the hope is that fewer and fewer will simply allow this valuable resource to be dis-carded as medical waste.
Frances Verter, PhD, is the Founder and Director of Parent’s Guide to the Cord Blood Foundation.
frances Verter, Phd
rethinking health insuranCe
SAVING YOUR BABY’S
FOR YOUR FAMILY
MAY BECORD BLOOD
LIFESAVING
By banking your baby’s cord blood with Cord Blood Registry,® you secure an invaluable medical resource that may protect your baby and family today—and into the future.
CBR,® is the largest, most experienced stem cell bank and preferred choice of Ob/Gyns giving your family access to the best.
Call CBR today for a free information kit1-888-932-6830 or visit cordblood.com
Ultimate use of newborn stem cells will be determined by the treating physician who will consider if they are applicable for the condition and should come from the patient or a suitable donor (like an HLA-matched sibling). Source for Ob/Gyn claim: Blind survey, GfK Market Measures, 04/07, funded by CBR. © 2011 Cbr Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. • 0911 • MA02118.00
A chILDhooD rESTorEDParker Elizabeth hendrix enjoys playtime. Photo: henDrix faMily Photo
An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle septeMber 2011 · 7
inspiration
My partner and I are ready for pregnancy. What’s next? To prepare for this exciting chap-ter in your life:
■■ Schedule a preconception appointment with your health care provider (physical exam, laboratory tests)
■■ Start prenatal vitamins (400-800 mcg folic acid daily)
■■ Stop birth control■■ Track menstrual period■■ Optimize healthy lifestyle,
weight, pre-existing medical conditions
■■ Update immunizations■■ Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and
drugs
What are the most impor-tant questions to ask my ob-gyn? You’ll have lots of questions! Your list should include:
■■ Scope of care, number/type/length of visits each trimester
■■ Size/type of practice, delivery
coverage, additional services (i.e., nutritionist)
■■ Hospital services (24-hour obstetric coverage, nursery type, obstetric anesthesiology)
■■ Symptoms to report■■ How to reach doctor in an
emergency
■■ G u i d e -lines for m e d i c a -tions, travel, exercise, nutrition/food safety, weight gain, sleep positions, work
What kind of exercise, and how much, is safe for me during pregnancy?Before starting any exercise pro-gram, speak with your doctor. Gen-erally, in healthy women, walking, swimming, stationary biking, and aerobics, up to 30 minutes daily, are considered safe exercises during pregnancy. Moderate exercise dur-ing which you can talk normally while exercising ensures an accept-
able heart rate (<140 beats per minute).
What changes can I expect in my prenatal care if my pregnancy becomes high-risk?If a complex health issue (high blood pressure, preterm labor, etc.) arises during pregnancy, you may be referred to a high-risk pregnancy (Maternal-Fetal Medi-cine) specialist. This obstetrician-gynecologist with special training in complicated pregnancies will work with your obstetrician and other specialists as needed to care for you during pregnancy.
nataLi aZiZ, md, ms
adjusting to parenthoodinsiGHt
chooSE BPA-frEE ProDUcTS
G u i d e -lines for chooSE BPA-
3TIP
With over 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides used in the United States each year, even newborn babies come into this world car-rying residue and damage from killer chemicals inside their tiny bodies.
More and more, we understand that there is no diff erence between personal health and environmen-tal health.
Research shows that you can immediately and dramatically reduce the pesticide content in your and your infant’s bodies by switching to organic foods. This is important because young diges-tive tracts are more easily harmed by toxins than mature immune systems, and pesticides and hor-mones in food are one of the most common routes of chemical expo-
sure. Pesticides and synthetic hor-mones can cause cancer, interfer-ence of healthy reproductive organ development, nervous-system and respiratory system damage, dysfunction of the endocrine and immune systems, and increased risk of what’s come to be known as The 4 A’s: Allergies, Asthma, ADD/ADHD and Autism.
Organic food is made without the use of pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones and/or antibi-otics so it’s not only better for you and your child, it’s better for the environment in which we live. Since a baby’s fi rst environment is her mother’s womb, what mom eats, and puts in, on, and around her body, can help set the stage for a lifetime of good health.
KimBerLY daneK PinKson
ecomom cofounder
why organic is worth it for moms, babies, and our world
“schedule a pre-conception ap-pointment with your health care provider.”natali Aziz, MD, MS Director of Perinatal Infectious Diseases, Lucile Packard children’s hospital
8 · septeMber 2011 An Independent suppleMent by MedIAplAnet to sAn frAncIsco chronIcle
news
a closer look at prenatal careTraditionally, folic acid has been the gold standard for prenatal care.
“For 20 years in practice, I pre-scribed any prenatal vitamin(s) for patients contemplating preg-nancy or already pregnant,” says Dr. Kimberley Fillmore, ob-gyn. “About 2 years ago while reading medical journals about recurrent miscarriage, I discovered that some patients lack a particular gene (called MTHFR) needed to fully metabolize folic acid. Up to half of all women in their child-bearing years have a form of this genetic limitation.”
She continues, “MTHFR can reduce your ability to break down
folic acid anywhere from 30-70 percent of the intended amount.” Many scientifi c publications are beginning to connect MTHFR to pregnancy complications includ-ing: Neural Tube Defects, Miscar-riage, Anemia, Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight. Doctors have tried adding extra folic acid to pre-natal vitamins (most prescription prenatal vitamins contain 1 mil-ligram) but not all patients achieve success without switching to the more active form of folate.
There are now some prenatal vitamins available with prescrip-tion throughout California that contain a more “active” form of folic acid known as L-methylfolate. These have shown superiority to
folic acid in reducing several preg-nancy complications. Dr. Fillmore recommends these, “to patients who have had a previous unex-plained miscarriage, high risk…or are advanced maternal age.”
Data published in July, 2011 showed that the products con-taining L-methylfolate were more eff ective than standard prescrip-tion prenatal vitamins in reducing the risk of anemia during preg-nancy. For general health and preg-nancy, many patients still benefi t from using traditional folic acid, but for many, the advancements in better folate could mean all the dif-ference.
timothY Prince
MThfr GEnE. Before you choose a prenatal care product, consider your ability to metabolize folic acid. Photo: PaMlaB, l.l.c.
Not all pre-natal’s are created equal!
Make the connection at www.neevodha.com
M o t h e r N a t u r e ’ s F o l a t e
IPrenatal vitamins containing synthetic folic acid have limitations. See if the benefits of NeevoDHA® are for you.
Reference: Molloy Anne M., et al. : Thermolabile variant of 5, 10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase associated with low red-cell folates: implications for folate intake recommendations. The Lancet 1997;Vol 349:1591-93.
Not all pre-natalNot all pre-natalare created equal!Not all pre-natalare created equal!Not all pre-natalNot all pre-natal
