Dr. Lori Gore-Green | Women's Health Professional

Dr. Lori Gore-Green's Portfolio of Experience as a Women's Health Professional

What to Pack for the Birth of Your Child

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When preparing for your child’s birth, you must have the necessary supplies to ensure that both the mother and the baby are comfortable and calm. Having the right gear can help make the experience as stress-free and relaxing as possible.

 

You must also have the necessary supplies to ensure the mother and the baby are comfortable and calm. To help you plan and pack the hospital bag, here are some suggestions for packing a hospital bag and what you should bring to the facility when your child is due.

 

Comfortable Clothing

Although the hospital usually provides a traditional gown, the mother might want to bring something loose that she can wear without being too attached. Wearing an open-back dress may be more convenient for epidurals. Other options include wearing an oversized cardigan over an open back.

 

Relaxation Tools

Some things you can bring that will make your partner’s experience even more relaxing include a playlist you have already chosen, a birthing statue, and a massage lotion. These items can help make the entire experience more comfortable. You can also set up photos around the room and have a birthing statue that your partner can use to focus on during labor.

 

Many people also bring essential oils and a baby diffuser to help keep the environment clean and comfortable during birth. Many recommend doTERRA’s aromatherapy oils, which can help create a relaxing atmosphere in the hospital. Another idea is to bring along positive affirmation cards, which can help the nurses identify helpful phrases for the mother.

 

Yoga Ball

Although hospitals typically provide a yoga ball, you can still bring your own if you’re in labor. Also referred to as a birthing ball, these large, portable devices can be purchased from sporting goods stores. These can help open the pelvis and relax the perineum.

 

The balls can also encourage the baby to move, and babies need movement to get moving. The gentle rocking motion can help with this.

 

Basic Hygiene Products

Even though hospitals are generally sterile, you and your partner will still need personal hygiene products. The father-to-be will need toothpaste, toothbrushes, mints, and gum.

 

Having fresh mouth smells can help keep the laboring woman’s breath fresh. In addition to the usual Dopp kit, you and your partner can bring several extras, such as a bottle of coconut oil and nipple cream. The hospital will also have pads and underwear, which can be filled with additional products.

 

New mothers will likely want to use nipple cream and can use witch hazel on the pads after birth to help with their healing properties.

 

Hair Ties

If the woman has long hair, a pair of elastics can be used to keep it in place during the hot and heavy labor. She may also want to keep it out of her face after giving birth.

 

 

3 Great TED Talks About Pregnancy and Childbirth

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When you’re looking to learn about something as an adult, you probably default to reading a book, or going online and reading articles and the like. If you’re having a baby or recently had one though, reading a book can be tough. You’re likely exhausted and might struggle to focus on it, or perhaps you just don’t have the time since reading can be time-consuming depending on your level. A great alternative to reading if you want to learn more about pregnancy and childbirth is to watch a few TED Talks on the subject. TED Talks are a great way to learn more about a subject in a concise manner from experts on that topic. Here are a few great TED Talks on childbirth and pregnancy worth checking out.

 

What We Learn Before We’re Born – Annie Paul Murphy

Annie Paul Murphy is an acclaimed science writer whose work includes the book Origins, which explores how the nine months before birth can shape the rest of one’s life. In her TED Talk, she discusses the importance of an environment that’s healthy for both the mother and the baby. Murphy explores the various aspects of fetal origins, which is a complex study that’s still in its early stages. She also talks about what babies learn in their first few months, such as the sound of their mother’s voice and the taste of food. Outside of discussing the scientific side of pregnancy, Murphy also talks about the responsibility that parents have to teach their kids.

 

Why It Matters How We Are Born – Bettina Breunig

In her TED Talk, Bettina Breunig discusses the importance surrounding how we enter the world through childbirth. Bruenig discusses scheduled births, such as cesarean sections and induction to the idea of scheduling death. The short but powerful talk (only 6 minutes!) she delivers adds to our understanding of why people schedule births and how important it is to have a healthy environment for both the mother and the baby.

 

Breaking the Silence of Pregnancy Loss – Tanika Dillard

Author and motivational speaker Tanika Dillard talks about her experiences with miscarriages and losing multiple children. She says that she always wanted to be a mother, and when she was eight years old, she had already decided on the names of nine potential children. She and her husband were thrilled when she got pregnant for the first time, and she shared the good news with everyone. Unfortunately, her water broke at only 16 weeks and she lost the baby. Over the next few years, Dillard and her husband conceived several children but lost them all. She tells these stories not because she looks for pity, but because she wants to break the silence on pregnancy loss. This is an inspiring talk that aims to normalize these difficult conversations and instill hope in women who might be afraid of trying to conceive a child.

Tips For Traveling While Pregnant

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With the COVID-19 pandemic slowly falling behind us, many people have begun traveling again. If you’re pregnant and planning a trip, you may not know how to approach the situation. Yours and the baby’s health are incredibly important during this time, and while traveling is totally okay and even encouraged, it’s best to be prepared for anything, and make sure you’re even okay to travel somewhere. Here are a few tips for safe travel while pregnant.

 

Be Cleared For Travel

One of the most important things to consider before traveling is consulting your doctor before you travel. Give your doctor all of the necessary details, and they should let you know if you’re okay to go on your trip, while also giving you any helpful information that may make you feel more comfortable. It may also be wise to look for doctors and hospitals within the vicinity of where you’re traveling, in case there are any complications and you need to quickly see a doctor.

 

Be Picky With Your Destination

Before you travel, be aware of the seasonal weather patterns that may affect your trip. For instance, if you’re planning on visiting Naples in Florida during the middle of July, it’s important to know that high temperatures and humidity levels often occur in the “miserable” or “oppressive” range. Doing some research can help you find a better weather destination. Some of the best places to visit during this time are Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Virginia Beach.

 

Bring A First Aid Kit

First aid kits are always welcome on trips, even when you’re not pregnant! Having a few supplies with you in case of injury or illness is a great way to increase the quality of your trip. You don’t need to bring your entire medicine cabinet, but bandages, hand sanitizer, and medicine for issues such as bloating and nausea will always be handy and can make or break a trip. Being pregnant is tough, so you want to be prepared when you’re thousands of miles away from home.

 

Don’t Overwork Yourself

If you’re traveling, you probably want to see as many sights as you possibly can. After all, you may never get to see this place again for the rest of your life! While that’s great, it’s also important you don’t overwork yourself. Be sure that you’re aware of your energy levels throughout each day, as well as outside factors such as the weather or the number of people at a given destination during your trip. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you relax, and have a good time.

Tips For Exercising While Pregnant

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Keeping up with our physical fitness is always great for our health, but it can be tough to get into an exercise routine if you don’t already have one. If you’re pregnant, it can be even more difficult to get into exercising! There’s a lot to think about if you want to keep yourself and the baby totally safe and healthy, and you may even become paranoid that by exercising, you’ll mess something up with the pregnancy. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. There is plenty of information and advice out there that can help you come up with a totally safe exercise regiment that will work great for you and your unborn baby. Here are a few tips to help you exercise while pregnant.

 

Fuel Up!

During the second and third trimesters, pregnant women typically need to eat around 300 additional calories a day to support their growing baby. However, if exercise is a part of your routine, you might need to add more calories to make sure that you and your child are getting the fuel they need. One of the most important factors that you should consider is having a pre-workout snack or juice 30 minutes before you start an exercise. Having a boost of energy can help you get a good workout while exercising on an empty stomach can make you feel lightheaded, sluggish, or even dizzy, which can lead to an increased risk of injury.

 

Try Pregnancy Safe Exercises

While you might not be able to do every type of exercise you did prior to your pregnancy, there are still plenty of exercises that are totally appropriate and safe for you and the baby. Walking is one of the easiest choices you have, but if you want to spice things up you should try low-impact dance classes, or pilates. There are plenty of totally safe and fun exercises you can do while pregnant as long as you keep it low impact.

 

Pay Attention To How Your Body Responds

Your body goes through a lot of changes when you’re pregnant, and exercises that worked well for you before may not be so great for you now. It’s important that you pay close attention to your body and how it responds to the various exercises you do. If you’re tired, make sure you take a break and take the workouts down a notch. You’ll want to look out for unusual symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, persistent contractions, excessive fatigue, and much more.

What to Know About Forceps Births

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Forceps deliveries are carried out to deliver a baby whose head has become stuck in a bent position or help out when all other methods have failed (e.g., ventouse).

The instruments used for forceps deliveries are called “forceps.” They were originally designed in ancient Greece and consisted of two wooden spoons with handles.

Forceps deliveries are carried out under a general anesthetic, so the mother is asleep and will not feel any pain or pressure on her body.

The forceps are placed over the baby’s head through the vagina. The blades of the forceps are then carefully positioned around either side of the chin, cheeks, top of skull, and forehead. 

Gentle, steady pressure is then applied until they lock into place. The midwife or doctor monitors this by listening to sounds inside the birth canal with a “stethoscope.” It may be necessary to apply more than one pair of forceps to ensure an effective fit, and this can take several attempts if the first attempt is unsuccessful. This type of delivery should only take about 5 minutes.

After the delivery, the midwife or doctor will check that your baby is healthy before you are allowed to wake up and meet your new little one. Forceps deliveries may leave you feeling a bit sore and bruised, and it can take a few days to recover fully from having a general anesthetic.

About 1 in 8 labors need to use forceps, so it is not too unusual. Of those, about 4 in every 100 women will need an assisted forceps birth like this. Delivery by ventouse (suction) is becoming more popular as it usually means no after-effects such as bruising or tearing; however, if this isn’t working, forceps are be needed instead of an emergency Caesarean section (C-section).

Some mothers find the use of forceps frightening from the word go, as it sounds as though they are being forced to have a cesarean section. It may be helpful to think about it as an alternative to a ventouse delivery with no bruising afterward. A good way of looking at it is as a ‘helping hand’ that can make all the difference between tearing and not tearing.

In conclusion, forceps can be a successful instrument, although not always effective. It is much easier for the mother to recover from than an assisted ventouse delivery, but it may pose a risk to both mother and baby if not used properly or if the wrong forceps are used.

When it’s Safest to Announce Your Pregnancy

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Parents face many challenges and sacrifices to make sure their babies are safe, comfortable, and well cared for. Whether it’s a first, second, third, or fourth baby, the most crucial detail of the motherhood journey is determining when to announce the pregnancy. Unfortunately, factors such as discrimination at work in some professions may delay some parents making their pregnancy announcement until the pregnancy shows. Therefore, every parent will have a different opinion of when to announce the pregnancy. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding when to make the announcement, as discussed below carefully.

After A Positive Test Result

Some parents, especially first-time parents, get over-excited to share the news of them being pregnant. Announcing at this early stage helps parents get as much support and encouragement as they require from family and those around them.

At Six Weeks after Conception

Week six of the pregnancy is when the ultrasound gets done, and the parents can feel the heartbeat of their fetus. It’s the best time to announce, especially for parents working in a hazardous working environment. At this stage, Parents are likely to experience nausea and a few complications that may cause them to miss work and other social functions. Announcing at this stage helps them get support from workplaces, family, and friends.

At Week 12 of the Pregnancy

The end of week 12 is the end of the first trimester, and the risk of miscarriage is low. The ultrasound images will show a fetus that looks more like a baby. However, parents who want to undergo genetic screening might prefer to wait and announce it after it’s done.

After Week 12

Some mothers might have a high-risk pregnancy that causes complications throughout the pregnancy. Some complications that cause high-risk pregnancies include previous miscarriages, women older than 35 years, carrying multiples, certain health conditions, and fertility assistance. All the conditions mentioned above might cause risks in all three trimesters of the pregnancy. If they are experiencing the above conditions, it might affect the parent’s decision to make the pregnancy announcement.