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B
Blocked Tear Duct
Many babies are born with a condition called lachrymal stenosis or blocked tear ducts. This can affect one or both eyes. Because of the blockage, tears that are carried from the eyes to the nose are not able to get through and may cause infection. What you should look for is:
- Watery eyes
- Tears running down the child’s face for no apparent reason
- The nostril on the side of the blocked tear duct may be dry when the child cries
- The area around the affected eye may be red and sore
- Milk-like or yellow discharge
If you believe that your child has the condition, she needs medical attention. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics for the infection. You can clean any discharge with a clean washcloth and warm water.
Breathing difficulties
If your child is experiencing belaboured breathing, she may have breathing difficulties. This may be due to asthma, bronchitis, or just something as simple as an allergic reaction. Any kind of difficulty in your child’s’ breathing should immediately reported to your doctor. He may be experiencing breathing difficulties if:
- He is lethargic
- He makes a loud wheezing noise when breathing
- If his lips turn a blueish color
Your doctor will run a series of tests to try and remedy the ailment. Any kind of difficulty breathing is an indicator that there may be a serious problem and you should report her condition to the doctor immediately.
Burns and Scalds
It is not uncommon for your baby or child to burn herself. Accidents involving hot drinks, stoves, and other household items are an extremely common occurrence. You know that your child has been burned if she is crying and her skin appears red and may even have blisters on it. If your child has a more severe scald, medical attention may be warranted. For a burn or scald, you need to:
- Immediately take of any of your child’s clothing that isn’t stuck to her body and run the cold faucet over it for a minimum of ten minutes
- The affected area needs to be covered with gauze or a clean cloth that is cold and wet to make sure the area doesn’t become infected
- Avoid rubbing creams or ointments on the scald because the medical team will need to remove it anyway
The important thing to remember when your child burns herself is to act immediately and not to wait to administer treatment.
Baby Blues
Baby blues for women who have just given birth is almost a routine occurrence. Most new mothers will experience moments of weepiness and unexplained sadness. You may feel anxious or insecure about your abilities to be a mother. These feelings are completely normal. There are a few reasons why a new mommy may experience baby blues:
- the sudden changes in your life
- stress of having an infant
- changes in your marriage
- dealing with your changing body
- coping with outcomes in your birth that you may perceive as negative
- changes in hormone levels
- fatigue
Experts say that baby blues occur in about half of all postpartum moms. There are a few ways to alleviate some of this stress and anxiety:
- fresh air-take a walk with your baby
- join a new mothers group
- exercise
- breastfeed your baby
- hire a postpartum doula
Always remember not to confuse baby blues with postpartum depression. If you are having feelings of hurting yourself or your baby, professional help may be warranted.
Back Labor
During labor, your baby will, most likely, present facing your belly button. If your baby has turned, she will be facing your back and the very top of her head will have to maneuver past your coccyx bone creating extra pressure on your back. This is called back labor.
This type of labor can be more painful than usual and you may need extra assistance in alleviating the pain. There are a few things that you and your birth attendant can do to help:
- you should try sitting on a birth ball or birthing stool
- have your labor assistant apply pressure to your back using a hand or a tennis ball
- get in a warm tub or shower
- try different positions such as squatting or getting upright
- hot and cold packs
Counter pressure may be very helpful at this stage. If your birth attendant doesn’t have a tennis ball, you can try sitting upright against a wall or your partners’ feet.
Balanitis
Balanitis is a bacterial or fungal infection that may occur on a boy’s penis or foreskin. It is accompanied by redness and swelling and general discomfort. It is caused by not changing nappies regularly or irritation due to excess urine not getting cleaned off properly. There are ways that you can be proactive in preventing or getting rid of balanitis:
- make sure to change his nappy often
- let him go without his nappy to expose his penis to the air
- when you need to re-nappy him, apply Vaseline to the infected area to protect it from further exposure
If the condition persists, a doctor’s visit may be warranted upon which a decision will be made as to whether or not he needs antibiotic or antifungal medication.
Backache (Mum)
Nearly half of all mums to be experience back pain while pregnant. The reasons for this terrible pain are because of the changes in hormone levels in your body. Your body releases a hormone called prolactin. This hormone makes all of your ligaments softer to allow for easier passage of the baby through the pelvis. Unfortunately, what happens is your muscles are under much more strain and it is more difficult to support your spine. Your overstretched abdominal muscles force you to rely more on your back to support your weight and the change in your posture creates more work for the muscles in your back. Fortunately, there are some ways in which you can prevent a backache:
- wear sensible shoes
- instead of jogging on hard surfaces, such as concrete or asphalt, try fast walking on natural surfaces like grass or sand
- try to pay attention to your posture
- avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time
- sleep on your side
If you experience backache, try taking a warm bath. Also, a warm heating pad may provide some relief. Try and get a massage, professional or ask your partner for one.
For support, contact:
British Acupuncture Council, 63 Jeddo Road, London W12
9HQ
Tel: 020 8735 0400
Go to www.acupuncture.org.uk for advice
Bed Rest
At many times during pregnancy, complications may arise when your doctor or midwife may confine you to bed. Actually, 20 percent of women are sent to bed during their pregnancies for various reasons. This may be for a short time or it may be for a good part of your pregnancy. While the outside world may see this as a break or even as a vacation, you may feel much differently. Some women who are confined to bed may become extremely bored or anxious and have difficulty coping with not being able to see the outside world. Some reasons for being on bed rest are:
- unexplained bleeding
- having contractions very early on in the pregnancy
- high blood pressure
- pre-eclampsia
- incompetent cervix
- premature rupture of membranes
- chronic heart disease
Some doctors and midwives believe that if a woman is off her feet, there will be less pressure on the baby which may decrease pressure on her cervix. Rest also increases blood flow to the placenta which improves the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the baby. If the issue is high blood pressure, rest is likely to reduce it.
Birth Plan
Most women have a clear idea of how they would like their birth to unfold. In order to assure that you and your team are all on the same page, you should consider formulating a birth plan. Some women would like a more “natural” birth with little intervention while others prefer to be more medically managed. Your labor assistants will not know what your wishes are unless you tell them. It is a good idea to have a birth plan before your labor starts when you may not be able to convey what you’d like very clearly. Things that you should include in your birth plan are:
- whether or not you’d like to have pain medication
- how you feel about trying to change positions during labor
- if you’d like to minimize the amount of vaginal exams
- intermittent fetal monitoring versus continuous fetal monitoring
- avoidance or not of an episiotomy
- the use of a shower or tub during labor
- who you would like present in the event of an emergency cesarean section
- if you would like a heplock instead of a continuous IV
There are also things that should be included in your plan for after the baby’s birth such as:
- do you wish to delay newborn care procedures
- in the event that the baby is a boy, do you choose to circumcise
- cord care such as when and who will cut the cord
Your birth plan could be made as a list or a few paragraphs stating what your ideal birth situation would be. Remember to make a few copies of it so any time a new nurse comes on, you can be sure that she’ll have a copy.
Bleeding gums (Mum)
During your pregnancy, you may experience bleeding gums. This is a very common occurrence because of the amount of blood flow. Your blood flow increases about 50 % of what it normally is. Because of the increased flow of blood, your blood vessels in your mouth appear larger and can be easily broken while brushing your teeth and eating. There are some measures that you can take to prevent bleeding gums and to keep your gums healthy:
- see your dentist at least once during your pregnancy
- floss your teeth once a day and brush your teeth after meals
- rinse your teeth with salt water
- make sure to drink at least eight glasses of water a day
It is important to recognize and treat your bleeding gums during your pregnancy. If not treated, this can lead to gingivitis. Fortunately, most cases of bleeding gums during pregnancy subside after the birth of the baby.
Bronchiolitis
Bronchiolitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the tiny airways that lead to the lungs. This virus affects babies mostly three to six months of age but occurs in toddlers up to two years old. Breastfed babies are more likely to avoid getting bronchiolitis because of the properties of the milk. Also children who are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke and are in crowded conditions tend to get it as well.
Typically, bronchiolitis starts out as a cold. It then progresses to coughing and wheezing. You may want to talk to your doctor if your child experiences:
- runny or stuffy nose
- slight fever
- wheezing
- coughing
- strained breathing
- rapid heartbeat
This condition usually last between seven and ten days. Plenty of fluids and lots of rest seem to be the common diagnosis.
For support, contact:
Action Medical Research, Vincent House, Horsham, West Sussex
RH12 2DP
Tel: 01403 210406
Go to www.actionresearch.co.uk for advice
Bleeding in Pregnancy
Around 75% of women who experience some vaginal bleeding during pregnancy go on to deliver healthy babies. You may have some bleeding or spotting at the time of implantation. It can be scary but it does not necessarily mean something is wrong with your pregnancy. Many blood vessels are being formed as your placenta grows so it’s no wonder that an occasional tiny vessel breaks and you notice staining, spotting or a little bleeding. It is important for you to know when to worry, when not to and what to do if you notice some bleeding.
Three usual and non-worrisome causes of bleeding in the early months are:
- implantation
- menstrual bleeding
- bleeding after intercourse
From two to four weeks after conception when the embryo burrows into the blood vessel-rich lining of your uterus you may experience implantation bleeding. The developing placenta makes hormones that suppress menstruation, yet in the first few weeks the hormone level may not be high enough to completely prevent a period. You may experience a slight and brief bleeding at the time when your menstrual period should occur in the second month of pregnancy.
Of more concern is vaginal bleeding accompanied by pain or cramping, heavy and/or persistent bleeding, and dark-brownish or clotted blood, which may or may not contain tissue. Report these symptoms to your doctor immediately. Bleeding may signal a possible miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.
Blood Disorders
There are many types of blood disorders including, sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, and hemophilia but the one that comes up in pregnancy the most is anaemia. Symptoms of anaemia are:
- fatigue
- irritability
- poor concentration
- tired muscles
What your doctor will test you for is your blood count. This will be a test to check your levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit. You still could be iron-deficient even though your blood count is normal. If you suspect that you have anaemia or any blood disease, alert your doctor immediately.
Breathlessness in Pregnancy
During pregnancy your respiratory system undergoes magnificent changes that enable it to take in extra oxygen as you breathe for two. Your lung capacity increases, and you may actually add a few inches to the size of your rib cage. While you may notice that you breathe slightly faster while pregnant, you may not know that you are breathing more efficiently, exhaling and inhaling more air during each breath. At times during your pregnancy you may feel short of breath. You may even have occasional moments when you feel as if you’re not getting enough air. These feelings of breathlessness do not mean that you or your baby is lacking oxygen. They just mean there is less room for your lungs to expand, and your body is protesting. During pregnancy the circulatory system, like the respiratory system, is incredibly efficient, ensuring that both you and your baby receive the extra oxygenated blood you need. Most of the time you are not even conscious that you are breathing more deeply, but sometimes you may catch yourself sighing, which is another way your body helps you take an extra deep breath. There are some ways to increase the efficiency and capacity of your breathing:
- change position as soon as you feel breathless
- slow down when you feel short of breath
- try breathing exercises to raise your rib cage and promote more chest breathing, then inhale deeply while raising your arms outward to the sides and upward. Exhale slowly as you bring your arms back down to your sides. Raise and lower your head as you inhale and exhale. To be sure you are breathing more into your chest than down into your abdomen, check for rib cage expansion by placing your hands on the sides of your rib cage. Make your ribs push out against your hands as you inhale deeply. Focus on how this deep chest breathing feels so that you can switch to it whenever the crowding of your uterus on your lungs makes abdominal breathing more difficult
- practice breathing for labor: slow, deep, relaxed breathing rather than shallow panting
- exercise regularly
- experiment with sitting and sleeping positions that help you breathe more easily
If you experience sudden, severe, shortness of breath accompanied by chest pain, rapid breathing, or a much more rapid pulse, or severe chest pain while taking a deep breath, seed medical attention immediately.
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