Why are my hands tingling?

If your hands are feeling numb, tingling or if you’re experiencing a dull ache throughout your fingers, there’s a chance you might have carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s a super common condition during pregnancy as you’re retaining lots of excess fluid, which swells the tissues in your wrists and hands, and pinches the nerve that extends from the bony tunnel in your wrist, which will cause pain.

To ease your discomfort, limit movements or activities that may contribute to the pain. Doing yoga can improve hand strength and may relieve symptoms. Also try using an ergonomic keyboard or mouse and try to avoid sleeping on your hands. Also take short breaks to move your arms or hands, and avoid mindless texting/scrolling, if you can.

FAQs

Why are my gums bleeding?

Not trying to freak you out, but you could have pregnancy gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease that affects nearly half of all pregnant women. If your gums are swollen, red, tender and bleed when you floss or brush, you can go ahead and blame your hormones, which are responsible for making your gums more sensitive to bacteria.

Pregnancy gingivitis won’t harm you or your babe, especially if you practice good dental hygiene. Just remember to brush thoroughly (but gently) after every meal, floss daily and see your dentist regularly for preventative care. Let them know you’re pregnant before your check-up and discuss the best way to treat it together.

If you developed a small lump on your gums that bleeds when you brush, you could have a rare, HARMLESS lump called a pregnancy tumor or pyogenic granuloma. Pregnancy tumors can actually pop up anywhere on your body during pregnancy, but they show up most often in the mouth. It should disappear once you have your baby.

FAQs

How do epidurals work and should I get one?

Oh, girl. This is one of the most epic questions EVER. It’s right up there with, “What should I name my baby?” meaning WE CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.

Here’s what we CAN tell you. We believe that every delivery experience is a “natural” one, from a planned C-section, to a home water birth by candlelight, to everything in-between. We don’t believe in guilt over getting epidurals, or any kind of judgement on the topic.

So we’ll break it down and let you decide. (But FYI, it sounds way gnarlier than it actually is).

Epidurals are one of the most commonly used forms of pain relief for labor in the United States. It delivers continuous pain relief to the lower part of your body, while allowing you to be fully conscious. If given properly, it can reduce sensation but it won’t cause a total lack of feeling ‘cause you gotta PUSH that baby out.

The epidural medication is delivered through a catheter. Basically it’s a very thin, flexible, hollow tube that’s inserted into a space just outside the membrane that surrounds your spinal cord + spinal fluid.

An anesthesiologist will come in to give you the epidural, and you’ll lie curled on your side or be seated hunched over as she cleans the injection site, numbs the area, then inserts a needle into your lower back. (This may sound painful, but it’s NOTHING compared to actual labor.)

She’ll then pass a catheter through the needle, withdraw the needle, and tape the catheter in place. At this point, you can lie down without disturbing the catheter, and medication can be administered through it on an as-need basis.

You’ll start to notice the numbing effect of this miracle drug within minutes after the first dose. You’ll receive continuous doses of medication through the catheter for the rest of your labor. You may also have the option of controlling your own dosing through a pump that’s connected to the catheter. The amount of medication you can give yourself is limited, so there’s little chance of overdose.

After you deliver your baby, the catheter will be removed. (If you’ve had a c-section, sometimes the catheter is left in to administer postoperative pain medication.) Having the catheter removed doesn’t hurt at all beyond the sting of having the tape pulled off.

If you know you want an epidural, but you’re not sure when you’re supposed to ask for one, many providers advise you to wait until you’re in active labor as it can slow labor down. However, studies have shown that starting an epidural in early labor (compared with later in labor) is not more likely to prolong labor or lead to a c-section or other interventions.

So it’s basically up to you. You can ask for one as soon as you arrive at the hospital, or you can wait and see. As long as the baby isn’t crowning, you can usually get an epidural at just about any point. And it’s still a totally natural way to give birth, because giving birth, no matter how it happens, is pretty damn natural to us.

FAQs

Should I sign up for a birth class?

If you’re pregnant with your first and you’re the kinda gal who appreciates being informed, educated and aware of the labor + delivery process, you might want to look into taking a birth class. If you have zero interest, if you believe that whatever happens will happen, and if you have a general laissez faire attitude towards birthing (or life in general), then sit it out.

These days there are way more education options than your mother’s old school “lamaze” classes. You can opt for a birthing class that mimics almost exactly how you want to give birth. For example, if you don’t plan on using pain medication, you may want to sign up for a birthing class geared specifically to pain management, and what you can expect sans epidural. You may not know how you want to give birth, which is totally fine (and, let’s be honest, it may not matter anyway), but at most birthing classes, you can expect to be taught the following:

When to go to the hospital
Signs of labor
How to track contractions
The deets on different pain interventions + other medical interventions
What to expect from the birth process in general
Various positions the baby might be in and what that means for birth
Different pain management strategies that exist like hydrotherapy and birthing balls
The deets on fetal monitoring during labor
How dilated you are and when
Possible procedures and what to expect in the event of a C-section
What decisions you will need to make about your new baby upon his or her birth
Pain coping strategies
Infant care

If you’ve got the time + are slightly curious as to the MIRACLE waiting to happen, taking a class will help you become aware of the process, as well as your decisions + how to better advocate for yourself during labor. Just remember to bring your partner along for the ride. Anyone who considers him/herself a co-parent should join in on the fun.

FAQs

What's Round Ligament Pain?

Round ligament pain is a very common lower stomach pain associated with pregnancy, especially as your belly grows. The round ligaments are two cords of connective tissue that support your uterus on either side. These ligaments also connect the uterus to the groin + pelvic area. As your uterus grows during pregnancy, the round ligaments can stretch and spasm painfully. If you feel a deep, sharp, almost stabbing-like sensation, try to breathe through it and take comfort in the fact that your belly’s growing mama, and so is your babe.

If your round ligament pain starts to worsen or feels dramatically uncomfortable, call your doctor. Other tips are to try resting on one side, change positions slowly, soak in a warm bath, apply a heating pad, pop some acetaminophen + practice prenatal yoga to loosen ligaments and joints.

FAQs

What's meconium?

Meconium is the fetal form of stool (think dark, sticky, “tar-like” poop) that your baby will expunge in the first few days of life. The issue comes when babe might pass it while in your belly.

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When the stool is passed and enters into the amniotic fluid, your baby can then inhale it. That’s called Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) and can be potentially dangerous in that the inhaled meconium can partially or completely block the baby’s airways.

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Although air can flow past the meconium as the baby breathes in, meconium can become trapped in the airways when the baby breathes out.

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The meconium irritates the baby’s airways and makes it difficult to breathe.

Although 6% to 25% of newborns have meconium-stained amniotic fluid, only about 11% of them will have some degree of MAS.

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Treatments depend on the amount and thickness of meconium, but if your amniotic fluid looks to have meconium, your doctor might incorporate a technique called amnioinfusion during labor, where she’ll insert a small tube through your vagina into your uterus to infuse the amniotic fluid with sterile fluid.

Other treatments performed at delivery may include:

Suctioning the baby’s upper airways, like the nose, mouth and throat
Giving the baby supplemental oxygen
Tapping on the baby’s chest to loosen secretions
Antibiotics to treat infection

FAQs

What's the linea negra?

You know that feeling when you go to admire your glowing, gorgeous, bumpin’ body when suddenly, a dark line below your belly button appears out of nowhere? Say hello to your linea negra, aka your pregnancy line! Ain’t she cute?

The funny thing is that you probably had that line before, but because it’s usually light in color, you never noticed! Once you hit the fifth month or so, the line turns a brownish shade + comes out to play. Why does it appear? We don’t know for sure, but some believe it’s related to your changing hormones. The melanocyte-stimulating hormone in particular is thought to be the biggest contributor. It’s also the one responsible for your darkening nipps during pregnancy. There’s nothing you can do about the linea negra. It’s totes natural and will fade shortly after pregnancy, so enjoy it while it lasts!

FAQs

What are "kegels" and how do I do them?

Surely you’ve heard your friends talk about “doing their kegels.” Why, we’re doing ours right now! Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine + rectum. You can do kegels whenever + wherever you want – on the subway, in the car, watching tv. No one has to know! The exercise was named for Arnold Kegel, an American gynecologist who invented the kegel workout as a non-surgical treatment for urinary stress, incontinence + genital prolapse. Because childbirth wreaks havoc on your pelvic floor muscles, you will no doubt benefit from doing kegels, especially if you’re known to leak a few drops of pee while sneezing, laughing, doing jumping jacks or just existing in general. Here’s how:

Locate the muscle: To figure out where your pelvic floor muscles are, stop peeing midstream. Do you feel that muscle responsible for stopping your flow? Meet your kegels.
Squeeeeeze: Pretend you’ve got a marble, jade egg, whatever up there and you need to transport it somewhere (just go with us), squeeze that muscle for three seconds and release for three seconds.
Focus: Keep flexing + releasing that muscle (and not your abs, butt or anything else) in sets of three at 10-15 reps per set. Remember to breathe and have fun!

FAQs

What do my crazy dreams mean?

You probably anticipated many changes throughout your pregnancy, like your skin, your body, your mood. But your inner psyche? Your subconscious? Yes, it’s been reported that women’s sleep patterns + dreams can change too. Some of these changes include vivid dreams, nightmares, anxiety-based or intense dreams, or more frequent dreaming. Just remember that your body, mind and hormones are undergoing A LOT of changes, so it’s of little surprise that your dreams will be affected too. Additionally, if you’re not sleeping at the same level of rest, whether as a result of the need to pee, or your discomfort, you’ll be impacting your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. REM sleep is when dreams occur, so you might remember or experience them more vividly if you’re waking up more often.

FAQs

What if I'm gaining too much weight?

We fully endorse giving into comfort food + cravings during pregnancy, but if you’ve already hit your targeted weight gain goal, you can still aim to keep your weight on track or even moderate it through a few steps. First, talk to your healthcare provider and come up with a plan that will help you feel your best. No deprivation, no starvation, just eating happy + clean. Some of our time-honored recs? Skip the diets, cut empty calories, and eat real food. Snack on fresh fruit instead of dried, opt for sweet potatoes over fries, grill some white meat chicken over a bucket of KFC. Also load up on nutrients, proteins and watch your portion control. Focus on smart fats like salmon, nuts + seeds while cutting out those high trans fats found in cookies, baked goods and frozen pizza. And lastly, with your doctor’s OK, get moving! Make exercise a regular part of your day, whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking instead of driving or indulging your inner zen in a prenatal yoga class. Everything in moderation, mama.

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