Winnie Wagtail

Vitamin K: Prophylaxis or Poppycock

The Vitamin K injection, does seem to sometimes, albeit unfairly, get lumped into the vaccination category by some people. It’s not a vaccine. More info here…

So I’m putting it out there, I’m pro-vaccination (insert horror and all things evil). I believe in herd immunity, and I believe that vaccinations against nasties such as whooping cough and chicken pox are a good thing! The Vitamin K injection, does seem to sometimes, albeit unfairly, get lumped into the vaccination category, and therefore is shoved into the evil corner by some with all the other vaccines – so this post will be about debunking the Vitamin K ‘vaccination’ and rather putting out there all things Vitamin K ‘injection’ related. It is an injection. Not a vaccination!

Vitamin K is a vitamin that naturally occurs in our bodies and is essential in helping our blood to clot and prevent serious bleeding. Babies cannot produce this for the first few months of life….so consenting to the Vitamin K injection helps bubs have enough Vitamin K to clot their blood (and prevent HDN – a rare bleeding into the brain).

There have been no reported reactions to the injection within Australia, since its implementation 25 years ago. There are two ways in which to give a baby Vitamin K:

1. Injection at birth

2. Oral doses (more complicated- a dose at birth, another 3-5 days old, and at 4 weeks).

There are some medical contraindications as to why you wouldn’t give a bubba Vitamin K… these are if they are sick, premie or if their mama took medication throughout pregnancy for certain reasons (talk to your midwife or doctor if you’re at all concerned).

If you’re seeking more info, it’s a great topic to bring up antenatally with your partner, midwife, obstetrician or GP. Of course at the end of the day, it’s your baby, your call!

For adults wanting to increase their Vitamin K stores within the body, as it is great for bone health (Vit. K helps calcium absorption) eating varied leafy green veggies should do the trick; think spinach, kale, celery as well as carrots, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, sundried tomatoes….

For more information on Vitamin K please click resources and blog references below:

Vitamin K Royal Hospital For Women NSW

18 Foods high in Vitamin K for stronger bones

Vitamin K in neonates: facts and myths

Vitamin K for newborn babies Australian Government

The impact of 90 seconds on Bub

1/3 of a baby’s blood it outside of its body at birth. By waiting 90 seconds before cutting the umbilical cord, it has the ability to….

Delayed cord clamping was something I knew nothing about before studying midwifery. I thought, baby comes out…baby goes onto Mum’s chest…the cord gets clamped and cut. But there’s so much more to it!

Delayed cord clamping (waiting 1-3 minutes after birth) is recommended for all births of well babies, not requiring resuscitation, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines (2012). This is something that can be carried out for both vaginal and caesarean births. Simply put, it’s waiting until the cord stops pulsing and blood transfusing to the baby is somewhat completed. WHO reported that 29% of all newborn deaths around the planet, are a result of babies not getting enough oxygen at birth (birth asphyxia). So if you consider the ability to increase your baby’s blood supply…increasing its oxygen carrying components (red blood cells)….it’s something to consider.

1/3 of a baby’s blood is outside of its body at birth- the rest is still inside the umbilical cord and the placenta, the way in which Bub has been receiving its oxygen and nutrients for 9 months. By delaying cutting and clamping the umbilical cord by 90 seconds it allows iron-rich, oxygen-rich, stem cell-fuelled blood to enter Bub’s little body. This has the ability to:

give your baby 30% more blood
give it a natural iron supplement – minimising childhood anaemia risks
increase their oxygen carrying cells – whilst they’re transitioning to life outside
60% more red blood cells
transfuse stem cells – which prevent and repair damage throughout the body
improve systemic blood pressure
reduce the chance of baby needing a blood transfusion

Some people are worried that by delaying clamping, you’re giving baby “too much blood”, and there have been reports that delayed cord clamping causes jaundice. The fact of the matter is that since 1980, according to Mercer and Erikson-Owen’s, there has not been a randomised controlled study to show statistically significant findings in a link between increased jaundice levels and symptomatic polycythemia with delayed cord clamped Bubs.

So why isn’t delayed cord clamping happening all the time?! Personally, I believe the reason behind slow reimplementation of it is personal habit of practitioners as well as ‘patience versus intervention’. Living within a fast paced society, sometimes the hardest thing to do, is not much at all. We, as people living in 2015, are all trained for intervention. No one wanders lost (we have GPS and iPhones), we tap cards to pay for just about everything and have access to information (sometimes too much!) at our fingertips. We’re all about what’s next, what’s easiest, what’s faster, what’s quicker… but what if slowing down Bub’s first few moments, and allowing them the time to take a second to soak up as much nutrients as possible, before they’re officially their own little unit, is the first decision you have to make as new parents? It’s something worth reading up on, and making an informed decision about – and let your midwife of doctor know your view. After all, life is fast paced, should it have to start out that way?

Image via journeyofparenthood

References:

http://www.who.int/elena/titles/full_recommendations/cord_clamping/en/

Alan Greene’s Ted Talk: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw53X98EvLQ

Mayri Sagadi Leslie, 2015, “Perspectives on implementing delayed cord clamping, http://nwh.awhonn.org

Exercising Pregnant

Is it safe? How intensely can I exercise? What exercise in pregnancy friendly? We’ve got all the answers here!

Working out with a Bub on board boils down to the fact that exercise, whether you feel like it or not, is good for you (and Bub).

Research has shown that exercising throughout pregnancy helps to reduce headaches, anxiety, constipation, back pain, pelvic pain as well as increase your energy levels throughout pregnancy, plus it’s likely to wear you out, hopefully allowing you to sleep better during the night…meaning, more rest before Bub arrives…who doesn’t want that?!

Of course, there are going to be days where you just want to vege out on the couch, and that’s totally fine – try and plan out your week with some exercise in mind and stick to it. You’ll feel better off for it!

Below I’ve answered some of the common questions I hear antenatally from women about exercise.

Is it safe? Yes! For the majority of women exercise is safe in pregnancy, it’s actually encouraged. The Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (2014) suggests daily exercise may reduce chances of problems cropping up in your pregnancy. Speaking to your health care provider (Midwife, ObGyn, GP) about what’s best for you, is your best bet.

How intensely should I exercise and for how long? Ideally, it’s to a point where you increase your heart rate and begin to sweat. You should still be able to talk whilst exercising (moderate exercise for 30 mins, is fab!) If you’ve never been one to exercise, take it slow and steady…and make sure you warm up. Walking before you get into whatever exercise you are doing that day is really important- no pulling any muscles please, your body is doing enough already! Oh, and take a water bottle- if you’re thirsty, Bub is too.

What sort of exercise is pro pregnancy?

– Walking
– Low impact aerobics
– Prenatal Yoga (make sure you’re in a class with small numbers, it’s important that you are in a class where your movements can be observed clearly by the instructor)
– Swimming is ideal in pregnancy, and you can totally practice your nice long deep breaths (great for labour!) …and it’s no impact- bonus!
– Dancing is not only great for the soul, but a great and fun way to exercise whilst pregnant. Zumba anyone?!
– Weights (light weights- and make sure you’re supervised!)
– Later in pregnancy, rowing machines and bikes at the gym can be a great option.

What to keep in mind If you’re not feeling 100% or something in your gut is saying, “take it easy today”, then take it easy- no one is going to judge you. You’re growing a human- it’s hard work!

What exercise should you steer clear of? Contact sports are a no go. These exercises put you and Bub at risk:

– Skiing
– Hockey
– Anything involving horses
– Altitude training as well as scuba diving
– Heavy weight lifting

It really is a common sense thing. If you’re at all confused or not sure whether a type of exercise is a good idea, ask a health professional that knows your pregnancy history.

When shouldn’t I exercise? If you’ve been advised not to or have pre-existing conditions that make exercising more risky. If in doubt, speak to a healthcare professional.

Who should I speak to about exercise? Your midwife, ObGyn or GP

Happy Exercising! xx

References:

Exercise in Pregnancy- The Australian Family Physician 2014

Exercise in Pregnancy- The Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health

Fertility 411

Here are the ‘Top 5 Fertility Factors’…

There are many fertility myths flying around as fact out there! When it comes down to it though, every woman is different and will find certain things work better for her and her partner than others. But so this article isn’t a total cop out; we’ve done some research on the “Top 5 Fertility Factors” according to The Fertility Site of Australia YourFertility and medical journals (references below)..

1. Age

There isn’t a nice way to put it, the older you are…statistically, the trickier it makes things. This is considered the single most important factor in conception.

Conceiving naturally (without the help of say, IVF) statistics say:

From age 32, the odds of conceiving naturally begin to decrease gradually (but significantly).
From age 35, natural conception decline speeds up
By age 40, fertility has been reduced by half (at 30, the chance of conceiving each month is approximately 20%. At 40 it’s approximately 5%)

Not to make it all about the female biological clock…and you do hear time and time again, “oh he can have kids whenever, women have the biological clock…”… it may seem that men do to. Research has found that:

The average time to pregnancy for men 25 and under is a little over 4.5 months. Men at 40 it’s around 2 years (if the woman is under 25).
For men over 45 years, there’s a five-fold increase in time to pregnancy.
For couples travelling down the IVF route, if the male partner is 41 or over, then your chance of not falling pregnant is 5 times higher than men younger than them.
The volume of a man’s semen and their motility- their ability to move towards the egg, decreases continually between the ages of 20 and 80.
Miscarriage is twice as high for women that are with partners over 45 (and they themselves are under 25).

2. Weight

Parents to be, both sides of the parenting partnership, to better your odds at fertility, you should be within a healthy weight range.

Diet and exercise, not only for personal health gain, but in shaping healthy lifestyle habits to share with your to-be-bubs is worth taking incredibly seriously! Check out the following links to help you assess where you sit health wise, and access to some good tips re food choices.

Conversely, being underweight makes falling pregnant tricky too!

Check out your BMI here: Better Health Channel

3. Smoking

We all know smoking is bad, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s not crash hot for fertility, either! Smokers may be at twice the risk of infertility than non-smokers and are 1.5 times more likely to take more than a year to conceive. Partners that smoke may also contribute to infertility.

Something I hadn’t considered was passive smoking and the effect is has on fertility. Research shows that actively smoking is only marginally worse than passive smoking, when it comes to fertility. Female passive smokers are more likely to take over a year to fall pregnant than women from non-smoking houses.

QuitPacks are fabulous, and midwives are trained in helping mama’s and their family members make short term and long term goals to either cut back, or kick the habit altogether!

Keep in mind, smoking does affect your baby, in more ways than one. See here for more information.

4. Alcohol

In a nutshell, heavy drinking will reduce your chances of falling pregnant. Of course, once pregnant, because we are unable to gauge a safe amount of alcohol, to reduce chances of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, it is recommended that women do not drink throughout pregnancy. Please speak further to your midwife or obstetrician if you have further questions regarding alcohol in pregnancy.

Need help to reduce or stop drinking? Visit the Australian Drug Information Network for a list of national and state services in Australia.

Unsure what’s classified as “a standard drink”? Visit DrinkWise Australia.

5. Timing

Rather than trying to reword this, I’m doing the sneaky, and borrowing all words from ‘The Women’s guide to Fertility and Timing’, from YourFertility. See below:

Pregnancy is technically only possible during the five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation. These six days are the ‘fertile window’ in a woman’s cycle, and reflect the lifespan of sperm (5 days) and the lifespan of the ovum (24 hours).

If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero. If she has sex five days before she ovulates, her probability of pregnancy is about 10%. The probability of pregnancy rises steadily until the two days before and including the day of ovulation.

At the end of the ‘fertile window’, the probability of pregnancy declines rapidly and by 12-24 hours after she ovulates, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that cycle.

For those women who are not aware of their ‘fertile window’ or when they ovulate, sexual intercourse is recommended every 2 to 3 days to help optimise their chance of conceiving.

***A couple of extra things – I get asked a stack of questions about certain foods, in particular Soy. There seems to be conflicting conclusions drawn on the relationship between soy and infertility in studies found online. I personally have an opinion, however want some cold hard evidence to back it up. I’m in and out of hospitals this week, so I will keep you posted after some discussions with colleagues.

Image: static.businessinsider.com

Resources and Fact Sheets:

– QuitNow

– YourFertility

–The role of exercise in improving fertility, quality of life and emotional well-being

– The role of complementary therapies and medicines to improve fertility and emotional well-being

–Effects of caffeine, alcohol and smoking on fertility

–Pre-conception checklist for women

–Five Factors of Fertility

Breastfeeding Mamas

It’s important to be mindful of how nutrient rich your diet is. Keep W.I.I.Z. in mind!

Breastfeeding is a calorie burner, which is awesome for post bub weight loss…but because your body is working hard to produce milk for bub, it’s important to be mindful of how nutrient rich your diet is. Keep W.I.I.Z in mind – and add an extra 2-3 mindful snacks to your everyday diet.

~~Wine~~ Water No.1 thirst quencher. Water unfortunately does not increase your milk production, but breastfeeding is hard work so keeping hydrated is important. Aim for: a glass of water with each meal, a glass of water whilst feeding.

Iodine plays a key role in helping your bubs brain become Einsteinlike. The iodine requirements of a new mum are almost double the norm! Meeting these requirements can be solely diet related, supplement related or a combo of both. If you are using supplements, before use please speak to your doctor. Good Food Sources containing Iodine: bread, iodised salt, seafood, eggs and dairy.

Iron plays a part in transporting oxygen around the body. If you’re low in iron, you begin to feel sluggish, fatigued and are susceptible to a weakened immune system. Good Food Sources containing Iron: red meat, chicken and fish (these all also contain protein and zinc). Green leafy vegetables and legumes contain iron.

Hot tip: If you’re wanting to up your iron levels and help your body absorb iron more easily, squeezing citrus fruits on your greens and vegetables, allows the body to absorb the iron more easily!

Zinc is a warrior for healthy skin, good immunity and reproductive health. Good Food Sources containing Zinc: meats, cereals, brightly coloured veggies and fruit.

Image: @kauailife

Resource: Thanks to #thehealthymummy for all their fab info and recipes available online! x

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