Prenatal Visits: What’s a Fundus?

What is a fundus

Congrats! You’re pregnant and you may have attended several prenatal appointments by this time. Each visit has been basically the same, you may have to provide a urine sample each time, chat with your healthcare provider about your concerns, and you get to listen to your little one’s heartbeat. But as you advance in pregnancy, usually around 24 weeks or so, your provider will add something to your typical routine. She will begin to take your fundal measurement. “Wait, what’s a fundal measurement?” you may ask. It’s the measurement of your fundus of course. “What’s a fundus?” Great question! 

By definition, a fundus is a “part of a hollow organ. In the case of pregnancy, the fundus in question is your uterus. So, “measuring your fundal height,” what you may hear your provider call it, is simply just measuring the expansion of your uterus as your pregnancy progresses. This measurement doesn’t occur until around 24 weeks because in order to measure one’s uterine growth, or fundal height, the uterus has to be large enough to be palpated by your provider. It must be large enough to protrude above the pubic bone. 

Thankfully, the method used to measure your growing uterus is a painless and non-invasive process that involves your provider using a basic tape measure to determine the size of your uterus. She will begin by locating your pubic bone with her fingertips, where she will place the tip of the tape measure, and then she will run the tape measure up to the point at which she can feel the top of your uterus. Coincidentally, your fundal height often matches your gestational week within about 2cm, give or take. In other words, if your fundal height is 28cm, you are likely about 28 weeks pregnant. This measurement, in a healthy pregnancy, will increase at each visit. It will follow this trend at least until the very last few weeks where your baby may begin to burrow down further into your pelvis, in preparation for birth. At that point, your fundal measurement may actually decrease a bit. This would cause no concern. 

The fundal measurement allows your provider to know several things: 

  • how far along you are in pregnancy, which will help to verify your estimated due date
  • it assists in tracking your weight gain along with how your baby is growing 
  • it helps determine how large your baby may be
  • it provides an idea of how much amniotic fluid is in your uterus

Next time you head in to your appointment, don’t be overly concerned if your fundal height doesn’t line up exactly with the parameters listed above. Each pregnancy is different and each individual is unique. Your provider will be sure to tell you if there is a reason to be concerned. The fundal height measurement is generally a very reassuring and concrete way for you to witness your baby’s growth and your own bodily-changes throughout your pregnancy.

Your fundal height is an important part of the prenatal care puzzle. While variation from the “norm” doesn’t necessarily indicate anything is wrong, it does allow your provider to ask the right questions, order the right tests, and further help her determine how best to keep you and your baby healthy and safe during your pregnancy. Enjoy watching that bump grow! Happy pregnancy. 

 

5 Baby Shower Games That Aren’t Lame

baby shower games that aren't lame

I just attended a baby shower and I am not going to lie, I was dreading it. Not the gal being showered, particularly, but the boring and lame games that were bound to be there. You know the drill. We have all attended one too many of these. You walk in, someone takes your gift to the table, you mingle (sometimes awkwardly) thinking the entire time when you can make your break to the food line. When it’s finally appropriate to fill your plate (and your mouth), you rush over. As you’re eating, the host usually announces that it’s time to play a game. You quick bee line to the bathroom only to find that it’s locked. Someone else had the exact same idea as you. So you slowly mosey over to the couch and begin the inevitable game playing. As I was on my way home, after the shower, I was inspired to write this blog. I thought, “There just has to be shower games out there that don’t suck…” So, I hereby present to you this review of 5 AWESOME games to play in a group… particularly at a baby shower!

  1. Time Capsule

Ask the guests to bring in items that are relevant to what’s happening now in the world. For example, newspaper clippings, receipts for gas or food items, photos of the soon-to-be parents, etc. Look at the items and discuss together then place into a box to be opened when babe is a decade or two older.

  1. Play Dough Baby

This can help people avoid some of the awkward chit-chat if you provide the conversation piece for them. Give guests a ball of play dough and let them have at it. The task is to create the best (or worst) baby with their ball of dough. Compare the finished products.

  1. Baby Face Mashup

Enlarge and print out pictures of both parents. Cut the photos into strips and allow the guests to create one hybrid baby of the two partners. This is bound to get people laughing hysterically and lightening the mood a bit.

  1. Baby Photo Guess Who?!?

Ask the guests ahead of time to send you a baby picture of themselves. Create a play card with their faces and play guest guess who. For an added challenge, include some baby pictures of celebrities.

  1. The Baby Bucket List

Decorate a bucket before the shower. Have the guests write down things they hope will happen to/for the baby in their lifetime. Share aloud. You too may even be inspired to add these to your personal bucket list!

Well, there ya have it. A list of non-traditional and creative baby shower games that are bound to get people laughing and mingling. And maybe even leaving and saying… “That was a heck of a good time!”

 

Building Your Birth Team in San Antonio

pregnant woman on the phone. Building your birth team

Congratulations on your pregnancy! As you prepare for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum, it’s important to build a supportive birth team to support you throughout this transformational experience.  Choosing care providers that align with your birth goals and values is essential to having the experience you’re hoping for, so research your options and meet a variety of providers to see who is the best fit.  There are so many decisions to make during pregnancy, but be assure, this is the most important one. 

Care Provider: A care provider is who you choose to do all of your prenatal care. This person/group focuses primarily on maternal and fetal health. There are two different models of care, the Midwifery Model of Care and the Medical Model of Care. It cannot be understated that this is the most important choice you will make your entire pregnancy as it will greatly affect your desired outcome. Fully trusting your care provider brings peace and confidence as you prepare to meet your baby, so it is important that your provider’s philosophy of birth aligns with your goals. Remember, it is also never too late in pregnancy to change care providers if you are unhappy with decisions and/or approaches to your care.

  • Midwifery Model of Care- Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle. Providing the pregnant person with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support. Midwifes can work in a variety of settings and generally utilize interventions less and only if they are indicated. The midwifery model is for low risk pregnancies and if a pregnancy is determined high risk, care will be transferred to an obstetrician.
  • Medical Model of Care- This model of care focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating the complications that can occur during pregnancy, labor, and birth. Prevention strategies tend to emphasize the use of testing, coupled with the use of medical or surgical interventions to avert a poor outcome. In many cases, low risk people find themselves having the same testing and interventions as their high risk counterparts.

Doula: A doula is a professional trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, in labor, or has recently given birth. The doula’s purpose is to help people have a safe, memorable, and supported birthing experience. The support of a doula has shown to have a 39% decrease in cesarean rates, shorter labors, less interventions, and a 31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with their birth experience.  Because the doula is not medically trained, she does not attend to fetal/maternal physical health but more so focuses on mother’s emotional well being before and during labor.

Birth Educator: A birth educator is trained to teach childbirth education classes to expectant families, so they can be informed consumers. Childbirth educators are a resource for families providing information they may not have access to outside of a birth class. They help couples learn valuable coping skills and strategies to have an empowered, informed birth experience. While your birth educator may not be present at your birth, she is considered part of the birthing team.

Placenta Encapsulation Specialist: Placenta encapsulation is the process of turning your baby’s placenta into capsules to aid in your postpartum recovery. The placenta encapsulation specialist adheres to all OSHA & EPA guidelines regarding blood-borne pathogen transmission, infection prevention, standards for sanitation, and safe food handling. The encapsulation process happens within 72 hours of baby’s birth and is believed to help with increasing energy levels, lactation, postpartum anxiety/depression, increased levels of CRH (stress-reducing hormone), and restoration of iron levels in the blood.

Chiropractic Care: There are many hormonal and physical changes you’ll experience during your pregnancy. Some of changes will have an impact on your posture and comfort. As your baby becomes heavier, your center of gravity shifts, and your posture will adjust. This may also create added pressure and misalignment in the pelvis. A misaligned pelvis may pose complications during delivery. When the pelvis is out of alignment, it can make it difficult for your baby to move into the best position to be born, which is rear-facing and head down. In some cases, this could affect a person’s ability to have a natural, low intervention birth. A balanced pelvis also means your baby has a lower chance of moving into a breech or posterior position. When your baby is not in an optimal birthing position, it can lead to a longer, more complicated delivery. Evidence points to improved outcomes in labor and delivery for people who’ve received chiropractic care from a Webster Certified Chiropractor during their pregnancy. Chiropractic care can help balance the pelvis, allowing baby the room need to get in the most optimal position possible, while also allowing for a comfortable pregnancy. In fact, chiropractic care may even help reduce the length of time you’re in labor. Locate a Webster Certified Chiropractor, one who specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care, today!

Acupuncture: Many people sing the praises of acupuncture during pregnancy to ease some common discomforts such as back and pelvic pain, nausea, heartburn, swelling, and constipation. So how does it work exactly? Researchers have found that acupuncture points correspond to deep-seated nerves, so that when the needles are placed, the nerves are activated and the energy flow will regain balance. This, in turn, triggers the release of several brain chemicals, including endorphins, which block pain signals and help to relieve a number of pregnancy symptoms.

Clinical Psychologist: This support person cannot be encouraged enough. This particular birth team member will allow you to prepare for the birth as well as process and heal post birth as you enter into parenthood. Benefits of a mental health therapist encompass well being, which ultimately affect baby and partner’s well being. Becoming a new parent has the possibility of bringing in unexpected stress and anxiety. Having a safe space to process this can make all the difference.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist: This particular support involves biofeedback and exercises to encourage relaxation and strengthening of the muscles of the lower pelvis, which have the tendency to weaken in pregnancy and through postpartum. A physical therapist measures muscle tone and the strength of muscle contractions, which give you the information you need to proceed with tailored exercises. When necessary, the therapist may use a massage-like technique called myofascial release to help stretch and release the connective tissue between the skin and the muscles and bones in your pelvic region. Pelvic floor PT may strengthen your pelvic floor, re-training your abdominal function, help libido levels or painful intercourse, and treat incontinence.

Give yourself the gift of a well-rounded birth team, ready to support an expectant family every step of the way. Being uplifted and encouraged during labor makes all the difference prenatally and postnatally. Investing in getting information and support while you embark on one of the greatest (yet challenging) adventures in your life will have big pay outs in your wellness long term. Physical, mental, and emotional supports are vital in attaining the wellness you deserve.

Stay well and best wishes.

3 Ways to Encourage Labor

encourage labor

Hi! Kristie here. 39.3 weeks pregnant and searching all the ways to naturally encourage labor and give this babe a boost to exit utero. The days are long and uncomfortable and bending to pick up after my toddlers seems like the most impossible task. So on the blog today, I have some insight about encouraging your babe to make their grand entrance. Remember to speak to your care provider before trying these methods at home.

1. Sex– Yep. I said it. This is something any full-term pregnant person may cringe at the sound of, but I firmly believe it worked with my other two pregnancies. But why? Human semen is a biological source that has the
highest concentration of prostaglandins that can occur naturally. Prostaglandins are known to ripen the cervix and get it ready for labor. Also, an orgasm has been to shown to increase uterine activity in healthy pregnant people.

2. Acupuncture– This ancient Chinese practice has many benefits. One of the many is induction. Certain points are avoided during pregnancy when receiving acupuncture treatment because of this very reason. Pushing the
body into induction mode too early is an unwanted outcome. However, when a pregnancy has reached between 39-41 weeks, these particular points are treated. This treatment has been used to help soften and dilate the cervix
with the onset of labor contractions. It may provide a way of reducing labor pain and avoiding a medical induction.

3. Massage– Studies show that a massage can raise your body’s level of oxytocin, that hormone that can bring on labor contractions. Some massage therapists swear by their ability to help jump-start labor when a parent-to-be
is overdue. Many may even focus on certain pressure points to move labor along. Not a fan of massages? Meditation and even just cuddling with your partner can help relax you, which might get your oxytocin levels pumping.
So if you’re anxious about that baby who doesn’t want to leave their cozy bed, try a stress-relieving activity like one of these discussed above. What’s the harm anyway in being in a fully relaxed state of mind for when labor
does decide to begin?

**While 40ish weeks may seem close to an infinite amount of time, it truly is just a blip in your and your babe’s life. Try your best (speaking to the choir here) to enjoy and bask in the miracle of pregnancy. Easier said than done, I know, in those final weeks. Baby will be in your arms soon enough. Trek on, you got this!

Why get Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy?

chiropractic care pregnancy

Pregnancy does a number on the body! From pushing organs up and out of the way to affecting
one’s posture to restricting full-range-of-motion. There’s no question that pregnancy can be the
root of discomfort. Thankfully, there is hope! Chiropractic care during pregnancy can help keep
the spine, pelvis, and hips healthfully aligned in order to prevent or put a stop to aches and
pains you may have believed to be unavoidable. It could even make for an easier labor.

The gold standard for chiropractic care during pregnancy is the Webster-technique, named after
Dr. Larry Webster who originated this technique that prioritizes pelvic alignment and has been
shown to improve pregnancy, labor, and delivery outcomes. When considering chiropractic for
your pregnancy, please look for a Webster-certified chiropractor. This particular method of
chiropractic has a variety of benefits.

Easing Common Pregnancy Discomforts
Many women deal with various discomforts or pain during pregnancy. Low-back-pain is very
common as is hip-discomfort. Pubic-symphysis-pain, which can at times be extremely
uncomfortable, is also seen frequently in pregnancy as the pubic bones shift to allow room for
baby. Chiropractic can help in reducing pain associated with pregnancy by assuring that all the
bones affected are kept well-aligned and by reducing or negating spinal pressure which, left
untreated, can lead to pain.

Smoother, Quicker Labor and Delivery
Regular chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy can lend to a smoother and quicker labor
and delivery. Through keeping your body in ideal alignment and in turn, helping baby into an
optimal position, labor and delivery are less likely to have complications. Chiropractic has even
been cited as helping move a breech baby into a head-down position. Chiropractic primes your
body to push baby down and out so you don’t expend unnecessary energy and time during
labor waiting for your body to make the adjustments needed to help baby out.

Improved Nervous System Function
Keeping one’s spine in alignment through regular chiropractic care helps to keep the nervous
system functioning properly and can improve overall health. Having improved nervous system
function allows the body to more readily adjust to all of the internal changes pregnancy causes
and can help to keep you more comfortable and physically healthier throughout pregnancy.

Recovery after Delivery
Chiropractic care shouldn’t be limited to pregnancy alone, it also works wonders at helping you
recover after delivery. By seeing a chiropractor shortly after delivering your baby, your body will
become realigned more quickly and you’ll feel better sooner. This is particularly helpful when
you have a new baby to care for and no time to deal with pain or discomfort.

If you’re dealing with discomfort during pregnancy or just simply looking to keep yourself healthy
and properly aligned while growing your baby, chiropractic is the way to go! Optimizing your
health and bodily-alignment during pregnancy benefits both you and baby Seek out your
nearest Webster-certified chiropractic provider and make that appointment today, you will be
thankful you did.

 

If you are in the San Antonio area, check out the San Antonio Birth Network for our preferred chiropractors.

Summer Pregnancy: Tips to Beat That Heat

Comfort in pregnancy can be hard to come by. Comfort in the summer while pregnant is even more of a challenge. This summer, don’t let that summer heat get you beat. Below you find several tips and tricks to stay cool (& hydrated) during some of the hottest months of the year.

  • Getting fresh air can be vital to your mental and emotional health when pregnant. But does the thought of that make you want to wilt? Try this. Do the outdoor tasks (such as walking or exercise) in the morning or early evening when the sun in lower and the temperatures aren’t as scorching. 
  • Your clothing can contribute to the heat your body feels. Try wearing light-colored clothes that are light and breathable. This alone can make a huge difference. 
  • Remember to stay hydrated. Sports drinks with electrolytes can help replace lost salt and retain fluid. Be mindful of sugar content though!
  • A spray bottle of water can help refresh your face and neck.
  • Quick showers throughout the day can drop your body temperature and help you to stay cool.
  • Take frequent naps, if you’re able. This is the time in life where sleep really is benefiting you and another little human you are nourishing. 
  • Ask for help if you’re too tired to cook or run errands!
  • Put feet up. This helps to alleviate swelling and also forces you to relax a bit. 

Being pregnant in the summer (or delivering your baby) means that you and baby are able to get outside a bit, which could be helpful in the postpartum healing process. Stay cool, mamas! 

Pin It on Pinterest