Sleeping Position In Pregnancy – Which Side Is Safer? - Gynaecologist in noida

One of the hardest things about pregnancy, is trying to get a good night’s sleep. You’re hot and sweaty, uncomfortable, your hips are aching, and your heartburn gets worse when you lie down.You end up wedged in with no fewer than fifteen pillows holding you in place, only to realise you need a wee as soon as you’ve turned the light off. On the rare occasions you are tired enough to overcome all of these sleep hurdles, the baby starts doing acrobatics and using your bladder as a trampoline. So, with all of that in mind, I’m now going to (hesitantly and politely) tell you about the best way to sleep during pregnancy. Please don’t throw anything at the screen in anger, I’m just trying to help.

Sleeping On Your Tummy During Pregnancy
During the early stages of pregnancy, it’s fine to sleep on your tummy. By the time it becomes dangerous to your baby, you will be too uncomfortable doing it anyway! Trying to sleep on your belly at eight months pregnant would be a sight fit for any touring circus

Sleeping On Your Back During Pregnancy 
You don’t really need to worry about your sleeping position at all during your first trimester. Once you’re into the second trimester though, you’ll need to avoid sleeping on your back. When you lie on your back, your uterus puts pressure on the vein that returns blood to your heart. If you lie in this position for long periods, this could restrict the amount of blood and nutrients that reach your placenta and baby. It could also leave you feeling dizzy and nauseous.

Sleeping On Your Right Hand Side During Pregnancy
 Lying on your right hand side is much better than sleeping on your front or back during the later stages of pregnancy, but is still not as good as sleeping on your left. This is because, sleeping on your right hand side can puts pressure on your liver which most Doctors would prefer you to avoid.

Sleeping On Your Left Hand Side During Pregnancy 
Doctors and midwives recommend sleeping on your left hand side. This position prevents the heavy uterus putting pressure on your liver, and continues to allow the baby to receive the right amount of nutrients and oxygen through the placenta. In fact, not only does this position not restrict blood flow, it actually improves circulation which means your body won’t have to work as hard to ensure you have optimal blood flow for you and your baby.

Sleeping on the left hand side on the last night of pregnancy, halved the risk of stillbirth. Since you don’t usually know when your last night of pregnancy will be, it’s best to sleep on your left hand side during the later stages of pregnancy, just in case. Don’t worry if you do as you’re told, and make sure you fall asleep on your left hand side, only to wake up on your right. There’s nothing you can do to stop yourself turning over in your sleep (although for lots of you, the giant bump might help out with that!) so don’t get upset or worry about it. As long as you spend most of the night on your left, you should be ok, so each time you wake up on your right, simply (or with the help of your partner and some kind of pulley system) turn back onto your left before you go back to sleep.

Having A Good Nights Sleep During Pregnancy 
For the toss and turners amongst you, pregnancy can be very restrictive. When you’re over tired and uncomfortable, it can be frustrating to know you need to stay in one position all night, and this can make it harder to get to sleep. To prevent that from happening, and to ensure you get a good night’s sleep, there are some things you can do. Try having a relaxing bath before bed, this will calm you down and help you to feel rested. Drinking a hot drink, like a fruit tea, will also help you to feel relaxed. If you’re suffering from pelvic girdle pain, or general aches and pains, ask your partner to give you a massage just before you go to sleep. Hopefully this should rid you of the discomfort long enough for you to fall asleep.

Genetic Counseling in Pregnancy - Gynecologist in Noida

There are many different reasons to have genetic counseling done, as well as different ways to have genetic testing done. I am going to deal mainly with genetic testing as it relates to pregnancy.
First a quick look at genetics...

Every human being has genes, these tiny little switches that determine hair color, eye color, and other traits are packed into 46 chromosomes inside our cells. The human sperm and egg cells are different from other cells in that each only has 23 unmatched chromosomes inside. When pregnancy begins and the egg and sperm are joined you start with a brand new cell, with 46 chromosomes.

Dominant Disorders

Each gene's instructions are either dominant or recessive. Examples of dominant disorders would be: high cholesterol, Huntington disease, extra fingers or toes, glaucoma, etc. Problems caused by dominant disorders can be either nonexistent or quite severe. If a parent has a dominant gene for a certain condition there is a 50% chance that each child would have the disorder.

Recessive Disorders

If only one parent has a recessive disorder gene, then the dominant gene from the other parent will prevent the disorder. If both parents were carriers of a recessive gene then there would be a one in four chance that each child would inherit the disorder. Examples of recessive disorders: sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs, phenylketonuria (PKU). Recessively inherited disorders are often more serious.

There are other types of disorders, such as X-linked disorders, and carriers.
Types of Testing

Screening Tests

Maternal Serum Alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) - This is a blood test done between 15 - 17 weeks of pregnancy. There is no risk to the baby during this screening. The mother's blood is screened for one or more substances (alpha-fetoprotein, hCG, estriadol). Higher than normal levels may indicate a neural tube defect, while lower values may indicate certain chromosomal disorders, usually Down Syndrome. The problems with this screening are that there are many false positives. This can cause more invasive testing, worry, etc. When the reason may simply be that you are further along than anticipated, you might be having twins. However, a normal test should help relieve anxiety.

Ultrasound - This screening can show if the baby has defects such as kidney problems, heart defects, and limb defects. This procedure does not detect all defects and has not been shown to be helpful in determining Down Syndrome in a fetus. A good ultrasound does not indicate that you will not have a baby with a defect, just decreases the likelihood.

MaterniT21PLUS - This test is run on maternal blood and can look for the most common of genetic disorders, including Down Syndrome. It can be done as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy and does not pose a risk of harm to the baby or pregnancy. It will also tell you if you are having a girl or boy.

Diagnostic Testing

Amniocentesis - This test will screen for all known chromosomal defects by sampling fetal cells in the amniotic fluid. It is done with the placement of a needle, guided by ultrasound, into the uterus to collect the fluid. It is usually done between 15 and 18 weeks of gestation, although some practitioners are doing early amniocentesis as early as 9 weeks. It normally takes two weeks to receive the results. The results can be very accurate, however, they cannot tell you the severity of a present defect. There is also risk to the baby from this procedure. About 1 in 200 women will miscarry after the amniocentesis, even if the baby was unaffected, and about 1 in 1,000 will experience infection. (See more about amniocentesis.)

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) - CVS can be done earlier in pregnancy, some centers are doing it as early as 8 weeks, while most are doing them around 10 weeks gestation. A small tube can be placed through the vagina, or it can be done abdominally and a tiny tissue sample is taken from the outside of the sac that contains your baby. CVS results can be done as soon as ten days. This is less accurate than amniocentesis and the rates of complications are higher. Miscarriage is 1 in 100 or 200, small risk of missing digits (fingers and toes) for 1 in 2,000 or 3,000 of babies. These risks are higher the earlier the CVS is done. (See more about CVS.)

Pregnancy Brain – Fact or Fiction? - Gynecologist in Noida

It’s not just your imagination, pregnancy brain exists. Whether it’s walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there, taking twice as long to complete an email than usual, or stumbling over how to spell your son’s name, you simply just don’t feel like yourself.

A number of studies have been completed by both psychologists and neuroscientists to try to get to the bottom of pregnancy brain. Unfortunately, no clear picture has been established as to WHY women feel so foggy, only that they do. Some hypotheses include hormones, sleep deprivation, and the fact that pregnant minds and body are doing double or triple duty as the baby grows. Some studies have shown that the changes and symptoms women have correlate to the sex of the baby and last for the duration that the mother breastfeeds. There’s a lot of fascinating research on-going, but the bottom line is that you need to survive until you can think like normal again!

The good news is that the feeling and realities of pregnancy brain are temporary. Most women feel mostly back to normal once their babies are on some sort of schedule. Coincidence? I think not! Maybe there is something to that sleep deprivation theory….

There are a few great ways to survive through your “momnesia” that will help you cut down on the time you have to search for your cell phone or keys. Here’s what we came up with:

1. Have a routine. This will help you know what and where to be.
2. Write everything down! Google Calendar, Evernote, and other apps are great for this. Or just a plain old pen and paper.
3. Have a place for everything. Keys on the hook, purse in the closet, etc. Less time looking if everything is in the right place!
4. Eat good food. You’re going to feel worse if your brain has junk fuel.
5. Give yourself a break! Making a baby is hard work. Give yourself a Mulligan and take a nap. You earned it!