Un-Pause: The Results of Much Navel-Gazing

Photo Credit: E. Cohen

I've been doing a lot of navel-gazing in recent months - hence the increasingly long pauses between blog posts here at Pregnant Pause.

During this time of creative regeneration, I've been thinking a lot about the type of writing I do and how important it is that every word I write says something that really matters to me and that (hopefully) adds something useful to the conversation (as opposed to merely adding to the noise). And I've decided that I need to wrap up some of my online blogging activity so that I can put more time into book revisions and new book projects in 2007-2008.

I put as much time and effort into researching and writing a blog post as I put into putting together a magazine article or book chapter section of comparable length. That's because every time I hit the "post" button on my blog, something else goes out into the world with my name on it and I want to make sure it's going to be as helpful and accurate as I can make it. I'm finding that I don't have the time to post to this blog as often as I would like to - not if I want to have the time to enjoy my family (my husband and my four kids; my three sisters and their families; my 78-year-old Dad; and my 98-year-old Grandma; my hobbies (photography, cottaging); volunteer my time with social justice causes that are really important to me; and have time to pursue new writing projects and opportunities.

I'll still be blogging over at my personal blog -- The Mother of All Blogs, which talks about pregnancy/parenting/life/writing/creativity/etc. (the "etc." category being a catch-all term for "whatever is on my mind"). I hope you'll catch up with me over there from time to time.

I have had the privilege of being part of the WebMD community in one way or another since 1999 - writing for the site, leading and co-leading online courses for the site, and then (in recent months) blogging for the site.

To everyone I have worked with during that time and the many parents and parents-to-be who shared their stories with me during that time, thank you for the wisdom that I gained as a result of getting to know you and hearing what you experienced as you struggled to conceive; experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a baby; gave birth to your babies; shared the joys and shock of parenthood realized; found yourself on shaky relationship ground with your partner; wondered if you'd survive the sleep deprivation and the breastfeeding challenges - and were amazed to wake up one day and discover you had; and celebrated so many joyful breakthrough moments in your pregnancy and parenting journeys. Thank you for all that and much more.

And to the WebMD staff who have made all this possible -- Kathy, Kate, and the many unsung heroes in the shadows - thank you.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Preparing Young Siblings for a New Baby
• WebMD Video: Choosing a Midwife: Could it Be Right for You?

Technorati Tags: Ann Douglas, Pregnant Pause, pregnancy, baby, parenting, health and wellness

Unresolved Trauma Can Make Motherhood Harder

Becoming a mother is a life-changing event. It's a time of tremendous joy, but it can also be time when issues that you thought you'd dealt with years ago can boomerang back into your life again, whether you're ready or not.

And unresolved trauma can cause you considerable grief as you're trying to adjust to life as a new mom. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Texas-Austin and published in the journal Development and Psychopathology last year ("Does expectant mothers' unresolved trauma predict frightened/frightening maternal behavior? Risk and protective factors") found that mothers who had experienced a trauma that remained unresolved were more likely to have difficulty adjusting to motherhood than other new moms.

After observing the behavior of new mothers, the researchers concluded that mothers with a history of unresolved trauma were more likely to be frightened of their infants and to exhibit behaviors that were likely to be frightening to their infants: sudden voice changes or movements. This pattern of behavior -- which the researchers described as "frightened/frightening" -- has previously been linked to attachment problems in children which can be characterized by difficulty forming friendships, increased aggression, and anxiety or depression.

According to the researchers, in situations where one or both parents has a history of unresolved trauma and loss, therapy combined with parenting classes might help to ease the transition to parenthood and help the parents to feel more at peace with the events of the past. "It's not the traumatic events themselves that have an effect, but how [parents] have dealt these things in their minds," explains Kim Leon, assistant professor in human development and family studies in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at MU and state specialist for MU Extension.

Related Topics:

• Stress Disorder More Common in Women
• Stress Management Tips for At-Home Parents

Technorati Tags: parenting, pregnancy, PTSD, health and wellness

More Infertility Clues Unearthed This Week

Two of the big health news stories of the past week were infertility-related -- which is positive news for couples who are having difficulty trying to conceive. The more clues that are unearthed about the root causes of infertility (nature, nurture, and/or a bit of both, depending on the specific research trial being conducted), the more likely it is that new treatment options for couples living with infertility will become available.

Here's what we learned from these two new studies.

A BEEF WITH HORMONES: The hormone content in beef may be cause for concern to pregnant women -- specifically the sperm quality of male babies born to that mother. Researchers at the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester found that average sperm concentration decreased in male offspring as the mothers' beef intake during pregnancy increased.

NEW INFERTILITY NUMBERS: Researchers from Wales, Canada, and Sweden analyzed data about infertility rates from around the world. The data was drawn from 25 different population surveys and included studies conducted in both more-developed and less-developed countries. The researchers concluded that 9% of couples around the world struggle with infertility and that 56% of these couples are currently seeking medical care. They also noted that infertility rates are "lower than those typically cited and are remarkably similar between more and less developed countries."

Related Topics:

• New Trends in Infertility Treatment
• Stressing over Infertility?

Technorati Tags: infertility, trying to conceive, health and wellness, pregnancy

The Shape of Things to Come

Don't be surprised if you go through a stage early on in your pregnancy where you feel "fat" rather than "pregnant."

This stage typically hits when your regular clothes are getting too tight and yet you're still too small to make the move into real maternity clothes.

Fortunately, this stage tends to be relatively short-lived: within a matter of a couple of weeks, you'll no longer have to worry about strangers wondering if it's belly fat or a baby that's causing your waistline to thicken.

Dressing the part

So how do you dress the part of the newly pregnant fashionista? Pick up a couple of pairs of pants and skirts with an elastic or drawstring waistband (you'll get some wear out of them right after your baby is born) and treat yourself to a smart-looking jacket that can both dress up the outfit and camouflage your new contours (assuming you're still trying to keep things a secret).

Here are some more maternity fashion do's and don'ts to consider, as well as some trimester-by-trimester fashion shopping tips from maternity style diva Liz Lange.

Food for thought

Now on to a more serious topic: If you've struggled with eating disorders in the past, the "fat" stage of early pregnancy may be particularly difficult for you. Remind yourself that you're not fat at all -- you're pregnant -- and that it's important to eat properly for the sake of both yourself and your baby. It's a good idea to let your health care practitioner know that you've struggled with eating disorders in the past, even if you're not currently restricting your food intake or bingeing and purging. You may also want to seek out the services of a counselor who specializes in eating disorders so that you can get some extra support during your pregnancy.

Related Topics:

• Making the Best Choices for Your Baby
• Top Tips for Pregnancy Nutrition

Technorati Tags: pregnancy, maternity clothes, pregnancy nutrition

The Nose Knows

If you've had a permanent case of the sniffles ever since the pregnancy test came back positive, you may be starting to wonder if you're allergic to being pregnant. Of course, it's not that at all.

What's happening is that the very same hormones that are softening up your vagina and cervix in preparation for birth are also causing the mucus membrane tissues inside your nostrils to swell. The result? You feel like you're nursing a perpetual head cold.

You can deal with the problem by using saline drops (basically salt water) to keep your nasal passages moist and using lip balm to keep your lips from becoming chapped if you're breathing through your mouth a lot. And you can reassure yourself that the "cure" is a maximum nine months away.

Note: If you're still feeling completely miserable, put in a call to your healthcare practitioner to see if she can recommend an over-the-counter cold product that's safe for use during pregnancy.

Related Topics:

• Coping With the Discomforts of Pregnancy
• Taking Medicine During Pregnancy

Technorati Tags: pregnancy, allergies, colds