LIFE Baby Update 5/5/14

Life-baby-updateLast week Deanna went to Crown Point OBGYN for a checkup. She's 15 weeks along and she and the Little Lifer are doing splendid.

At the checkup, doctors checked the baby's heart rate. It was in the 150s. There is an old wives tale that states that the heart rate determines whether it's a boy or girl that mom is carrying. Medical studies tend to disagree, and if you listen carefully to these tales, they tend to flip-flop the assertions. So if your 90-year-old great aunt tells you that carrying your baby low means it's a boy, that doesn't make it fact.

Not to worry, Deanna will find out the sex of her Baby Lifer on June 5th.

The appointment that Deanna attended also marked the beginning of her tummy measurements. Throughout her pregnancy, the fundal hight of her belly will be measured  and noted by doctors and nurses. And what is fundal height? This is the measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. It allows health practitioners to monitor the baby's size, growth rate and position.

As we all know, Deanna is an avid runner. She has done multiple marathons and other races of various lengths and themes. On Sunday, she ran another marathon. This might raise a few eyebrows, but it's actually quite fine to stay active during pregnancy. Recent studies show pregnant women debunking myths about the potential dangers of moderate-to-strenuous exercise during pregnancy.

If you consult your doctor, midwife, or whatever medical medium you decide to use, and listen to your body, then there is no reason that you can't stay active during pregnancy. The shape your body was in before pregnancy largely affects that level of your activity during pregnancy. Plus, being physically active during pregnancy has its perks, such as:

  • it guards against gestational diabetes
  • faster recovery after childbirth
  • improving mood
  • makes baby healthy
  • prevents or lessens constipation
  • improves sleep
  • fights fatigue

Some food for thought. And Deanna's time for her marathon was 4:44:04. Keep reading the updates on Deanna's Baby Lifer!

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