RN Insights
Pregnancy & Preparing For Baby
Baby's Second Night (dun, dun, dunnnn)
As a Mother/Baby (postpartum) Nurse working overnight in the hospital, I have had countless calls from parents of newborns during their second night of life thinking there is something wrong with their baby. Their baby who was content and slept all day yesterday is now awake all night, fussy, can't be put down and has been acting hungry all night. The reaction I get from first-time breastfeeding parents is usually concern that their baby is obviously hungry and they must not have any milk!
Postpartum Abdominal Changes
The postpartum belly undergoes arguably the most drastic and abrupt physical change the human body endures. The pregnant uterus spends 9 months stretching skin, ligaments, muscles and squishing organs. By 36 weeks of pregnancy your uterus is at it’s highest point at the sternum, tucked up close under the ribcage.
Safe Infant Formula Preparation and Handling
With all the talk about formula safety, here’s a quick rundown on proper preparation. Powdered formula isn’t sterile, so the WHO recommends mixing it with water at least 70°C (158°F) to kill bacteria, especially for high-risk infants. If making bottles ahead, store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours or keep them cold in a cooler when on the go.
Entering the Third Trimester
What to expect in the third trimester? Lots of growing! Baby gains about half of their birth weight in this last trimester!
Pregnancy Heartburn & Indigestion
Have you suffered from pregnancy related heartburn or indigestion? With all of your organs being squished, kicked and slowed down, it can be truly uncomfortable. It is usually an issue that starts creeping up more and more during the second and third trimester as your uterus grows, giving less and less space to your other organs.
Pregnancy Dreams
Although pregnancy dreams can be a funny, realistic escape from reality (I had a lot of good laughs over my squirrel baby) there are studies showing that pregnant people can have over twice as many “bad” dreams than their non-pregnant counterparts.
Perinatal Mood Disorders -It's Not Just Postpartum Depression
There are many misconceptions about perinatal mood disorders and these illnesses very often go undiagnosed. What birthing people need to know most is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This is so much more common than you realize.
The Dreaded Glucose Test
Why is it so dreaded? This test really should not be looked at as your enemy, this is an important screening tool for you and baby. Gestational diabetes can be dangerous for both of you and it is typically for reasons out of your control.
On this edition of "Things they don't tell you about birth and postpartum".... let's talk about postpartum pee...
After giving birth, more than likely you will quickly start to get a lot of questions and encouragement from nurses to use the toilet. Along with wearing diapers, it can start to feel like you are are being potty trained all over again! In some sense.. there can be some bladder re-training that needs to happen, but mostly, we just want to make sure everything is working properly and that it continues to work properly.