HIV and Pregnancy

You are HIV positive; can you conceive and have a baby? Yes absolutely! You can have a healthy baby. Earlier HIV positive women were asked not to bear children because it is a disease that can get transmitted to the child during pregnancy or during labor. But thankfully with the invention of miracle treatments medications and proper diagnosis today you can have children without the risk of transmitting your illness to your baby.

Though becoming a mother for you is not going to be easy it is an uphill task you need to take care of various aspects lets go through them one by one to get a basic idea of what is best for you.

First are the things you should consider before getting pregnant-

1.How healthy are you? How is your overall health? Is your viral load high or low and how are your CD4s placed? 

The best thing for you is to have a low viral load and a high CD4s, that if ideal you will have no issues in getting pregnant.

2. Are you ready to go through all kinds of precaution in form of treatments and medications to safe guard your child from being infected?

3. Medications, treatments are great but still there is a possibility your child may get infected though the possibility is minimum but there is a chance. How will you deal with it?

4. In case you fall sick or are unwell do you have help who can handle your child when you are not up to it. For an HIV positive mom it is vital to have someone assist you with your baby.

Most of the times women realize they are HIV positive only during their pregnancy check ups but trust me with medications and care today you can have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby. Getting good quality prenatal care is what is fundamental.

 

First get in touch with the nearest HIV specialist your gynecologist can also recommend one. HIV transmission from the mother to child can happen during pregnancy or even during labor. So it is important for you to ensure you are taking treatment during pregnancy, this treatment consists of certain medications that will ensure your child is safe from transmission of HIV. If you take this treatment during pregnancy trust us the chances are very squat, as in a hundred cases only one child will get infected, without treatment the chances can go up to 25 cases in hundred.

Usually your treatment will start as soon as you are pregnant most likely in the first trimester; you need to keep a strong check on your viral load. Please keep a full time nanny or a help to take care of your during your 9 months. Please do not stop any of your medications without asking your doctor.  Regular check ups and blood test will be done in your case to see how the medications are working on you. Towards the last semester the doctor will also advice to take go in for routine ultrasound to check the growth of the baby.

In most cases depending on your viral load the doctor will decide whether you should go in for a c-section or have a normal delivery, till date this is a debate as most doctors prefer to do a c-section in this case. As soon as your baby is born the pediatrics will stat administering preventive medications to him, these medications are given till the child is about 18 months in age. During the 18 months the baby will have various tests done to confirm if he is positive or negative. The doctors never rely on one report, repeated test will be done till he s 18 months only and if all the test are negative your child will be declared clear from HIV.

For HIV positive mothers breastfeeding is not allowed if your are HIV positive, I know it hurts that you cannot feed your baby but look at the positive side you have a baby who has not been infected with your illness and because you are not breastfeeding you also do not lose out on your sleep and rest. And making a bond with a baby is important for that breastfeeding is not the only option, you can bottle feed your child with the same love and warmth and still make that bond. And please do not feel your baby is not getting enough nutrition your baby will grow up just as healthy and strong as other children who have been breast feed, formulae milk has all the vital nutrients. So for your babies security do not breast feed and do not hassle over what people say after all it is you and your baby and no one else’s business.

Best time to conceive

The period when the women is ovulating or the ovulation period is the best time to conceive a baby. This period is called the fertile period or the fertile window, when for 6 days in a month a women is most fertile and will conceive immediately. Calculating the ovulation dates is the easiest way to know when you are ovulating this calculation depends a lot on your menstrual cycle. The number of days your period lasts to how regular your periods are and then the time gap between 2 cycles. Usually the ideal gap between 2 cycles should be 28 days a day plus or minus, and if your cycle is regular and within 28 days then your ovulation will be precisely in the middle time between both the cycles. In many cases the gap between 2 cycles can be as less as 22 days and as long as 36 days, if your gap is as less as 22 days then the week after your cycle will be your ovulation time, and if your cycle gap is 30 days plus then you will ovulate between the second and third week after your cycle.

Keeping an ovulation calendar is a smart way to calculate your days, nowadays ovulation kits are also available that will help you to know your most fertile days. But it is most recommended that you have sex regularly if you intend to get pregnant, the duration of course depends on you and your partners desires but make sure you are having sex at least 3 times a week if not more, then certainly not less. Daily sex is fine but it can lead to reducing the quality of the sperm and the sperm count, keeping a days distance is better as it will improve the sperm quality as well as the count.

There are other signs also to know that you are ovulating but these signs needs to be looked out for. Like the change in the color of your vaginal discharge, in normal circumstances the discharge is transparent in color once you start ovulating this changes to milky white more like the egg white color and consistency. A women usually in her ovulating days is on her peak levels of sexual desires she will not only feel sexy but her urge for an intercourse will be higher. In some cases a mild discomfort in the left belly is also noticed though it is not always.

Keeping an active and healthy life style is a must when you are planning your pregnancy, along with keeping a check on your ovulation dates. Make sure you are eating healthy food working out as well as leading a stress less life, all these factors will contribute in conceiving normally and faster.

Abdominal Discomfort during Pregnancy

Abdominal cramps are very common in most pregnancies especially in the 1st month of pregnancy. The body goes through a lot of stress and changes and just like abdominal cramps women also suffer from calf cramps, foot cramps, back aches and some even are known to get cramps in their arms.

Many women complain of stomach or abdominal cramps in their early trimester, during the first 3 months many women get acute pain just like an acidity attack would cause or even close to the menstrual cramp you used to get earlier. These cramps are normal and not harmful as long as they are for a short period of time and are with no kind of blood spotting. The reason for abdominal cramp is because your body is expanding the baby is growing and this pressurizes your abdomen which in turn causes the cramp.

In case of a minor cramp there is no need to rush to your doctor what you can do is rest it out, lie down for some time on your back with your feet inclined on a pillow, you can also keep a hot water bottle or a heat pad on low place them where your pain is. In case the pain is causing discomfort then call your doctor and get yourself prescribed a light pain killer in some cases abdominal pain is also associated with gas, you can try taking walk or do some simple yoga stretches to ease the gas problem , you can also chew on a digestive medicine. Try and avoid having a soda when you have these cramps the soda will only aggravate your problem not solve it. Instead a cup of green tea will give you some relief.

Abdominal pain can also be caused due to constipation, constipation during pregnancy is normal that is why i insist on eating vegetable and fiber, as the fiber and vegetable will help you to ease your bowel movements, but in case you consistently have constipation then call your doctor to ask for a medicine that will ease your stomach ailment. Abdominal cramps are normal but only if the pain has subsided in a couple of hours and the pain is bearable, in case the pain has gone up

and is acute please get in touch with your doctor immediately. And in case you see some kind of spotting then please don't even want to call your doctor just rush to the nearest health center and get yourself and your baby checked. Abdominal cramps foot cramps are very normal during pregnancy if you keep yourself active with walks or yoga even some simple stretches you can keep them at bay, drinking lots of water is also a way to keep cramps away. Make sure you are drinking at least 6 to 8 liters of water daily.

Pelvic Floor Exercises Is Must For Every Women

Where is the pelvic floor region and how does it have an immense contribution to pregnancy.

The pelvic floor is a chuck of tissues, ligaments and muscles that extend from the pubic bone in the front all over to the bottom of your vertebrae in your back. It’s just like a trampoline, it can expand with the increase in weight and  compress back to original size once the weight is off, but the most important part the pelvic floor is it carries the womb weight around for a longer duration like pregnancy.

Pelvic floor is a control mechanism of the body which controls the bladder and bowel flow, and it is the support system to the uterus or the womb. During pregnancy, it is very crucial to have a strong pelvic floor to be able to manage and bear the weight of the growing womb. It is noted that the pelvic floor muscles start getting weaker around the 4^th month; a weak pelvic floor neither will be able to control the excessive bladder flow.

Constipation being a major problem in pregnant women could lead to further weakening the pelvic floor muscles. Doing proper and regular pelvic floor exercises can give your pelvic region a huge support and strength to carry the extra weight of pregnancy as well as deal with frequent urination and control unnecessary embarrassing leaks. After delivery a strong pelvic floor will help the soft tissues between the anus and the vagina to heal faster and get back to their normal mechanisms faster.

To do the right pelvic floor exercise you need to first identify the right muscle, to do that once try and control yourself from urinating the muscle that contracts the most at this time is the one which you need to work on. Though controlling your urine only to find out, not as a fun thing, it's not good to unnecessarily try and control your urine as it puts excess pressure on the bladder and uterus. Once you have found your pelvic floor you can begin your workout, make sure you do it only for 30 minutes at one time and not more.

These exercises can be done sitting or standing.

First and simplest way to do pelvic floor exercise is to hold that muscle tight begin with squeezing the muscle  for 3 to 4 seconds then go up to 10 seconds gradually . You can begin with 5 stretches and can go up to 10. Between each compressing of muscle make sure you rest for 5 seconds at least. Rest between each stretch is vital. If you tend to leak while coughing, laughing, sneezing or even bending at that time also this exercise can be done, it will prevent you from leaking and also will strengthen the muscle while doing so.

During pregnancy this exercise can be done safely for as long as you want, but also best is to check with your health care expert about the duration and number of times it's good for you. For the rest women who have a bladder control problem keep doing it for as long as possible as it will only make your muscles stronger and give you better support.

Exercise is the only way to deal with Gestational Diabetes.

I have mentioned in every article how necessary it is for a pregnant women to eat a balanced healthy meal and to have some sort of physical activity in form of exercise to remain fit and active. Pregnancy is a very delicate phase of a women's life she goes through various stresses, her body is changing there are hormonal imbalances happening you are mentally stressed about your labor your baby's health there is so much to deal with and for dealing with all this you need to be healthy. Eating right and working out will give you the strength to deal with your mental and physical pressures. Nearly 18% of pregnancies today are known to get affected by GDM that is Gestational Diabetes Mellitus this is maternal glucose tolerance that has known to affect pregnant women in their last trimester.

http://www.justthefactsbaby.com/pregnancy/fitness-and-nutrition

Exercise is a must and doing some kind of physical training like walking, yoga stretching will help keep you safe from GDM. Enrolling in a fitness class for thrice a week of simple exercise will do you good , it will help in keeping you fit active increase your stamina improve your respiratory fitness help your heart get stronger and will also help you during your labor.

Gestational diabetes can occurs in the last trimester say in the 25th to the 28th week, in some women who have the risk of getting gestational diabetes you should make sure you get your test done earlier itself.

Gestational Diabetes is now a problem many women are facing and they are facing this only because of their seditory lifestyle and indulgence in high calorie sugary and junk food, the only way out of this is to improve your lifestyle start eating right and working out. Working out I don't mean you start hard core gumming or aerobics what I mean is to start doing some physical activity you can do brisk walking, light jogging, cycling, swimming, yoga there are many options available you are pregnant not sick . And pregnancy is a reason to get fit not lethargic the fitter you are the better for your baby as your labor will be easier and you will get back to shape fatter once you deliver. Due to bad lifestyle and lack of exercise,  unfortunately you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes it's nothing to get hyper about it is not  a dead end yet, you can still control your hyperglycemia by improving your lifestyle start working out start eating rich in nutrition food and immediately stop rich in sugar foods. With alterations in your lifestyle you can control gestational diabetes but in case this doesn't work then you will have to take some medications or insulin to normalize your glucose levels. You need to take care of yourself as you are also responsible for the baby growing inside you, medicines for me are always the last resort to deal with anything first is the healthier way and that will happen only if you promise to at least workout for 30 minutes 3 times a week and eat good nourishing food. Following a strict discipline during your pregnancy will lead to a happy pregnancy and a healthy baby; it’s definitely not too much I am asking from you. Stay fit, Stay Healthy!

High Risk Pregnancy

Unfortunately not every women has a smooth journey in pregnancy, in most cases it is observed that out of 100 at least 10 to 20 are high risk pregnancies though the rate sadly has gone up instead of coming down. Our lifestyle has become worse to worst the stress levels have gone up, the pace of life has gone faster and all this has lead to more problematic pregnancies.

There are various reasons for high risk pregnancies major being stress, then is the age factor pregnancy above the age of 35  always is at a higher risk and most of all is medical issues like diabetes, blood pressure, being overweight as well as under nourished and  if the mother has battled some serious illness in the past.  Risky pregnancy occurs when due to any of the reasons mentioned above you and your baby are at the threshold of a health risk. Though it sounds freaky but that is the term used by doctors to explain how your condition is not normal and needs to be handled with way more care and caution. High risk pregnancies have to be watched at regular intervals, you will be called for your periodic checkups more regularly and you will have certain list of Do's and Don'ts that you will have to follow with complete discipline. No kind of negligence, or indiscipline can be done at your stage.

Not only medical reasons can cause high risk pregnancy if you are too young that is less than 18 and above 35 your pregnancy can be tough, if you are carrying more than 1 child like twins or triplets or more your pregnancy is very delicate and needs too much care . If you have over done alcohol drugs and abused your body you are most likely to have a high risk pegnancy if at all you get pregnant.

If your doctor has advised you to be more cautious as your pregnancy has been termed as a risky one then you will make sure you visit the doctor as many as times he has called you, you will get all the ultra sounds done to check the growth of your baby from time to time. Make sure you take all your vitamins and calcium on time to give you the strength to deal with your pregnancy. If you are suffering from asthma,  diabetes, blood pressure make sure you are eating only the prescribed medicines and getting your checkups done regularly, keeping a tab on your blood pressure your sugar levels and taking maximum rest to keep your body stable.
In some cases the doctor may also put you on complete bed rest, trust me i now it is tough but it is for your own good.

It is not the end of the world your pregnancy is high risk yes but it is still possible for you to deliver a healthy baby all you need to do is follow your doctors advice, rest well eat healthy food. Make sure you are eating your protiens carbohydrates calcium properly. Eat the medicines prescribed for you and don't forget your folic acid and calcium tablets. Please abstain from smoking as you are already at risk do not add to the risk and also strict absentee from alcohol no drinking not at all .

Stay safe make sure you do no such activity that can put you in any more kind of risk, your immune system is very low so stay away from infections. Every pregnancy needs precaution and care but a high risk pregnancy needs a little more and if you follow your doctor's advice you too are sure to deliver a healthy bouncy baby.