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You’re excited to be pregnant. You’re supposed to be glowing, but instead you look kind of green. If you feel nauseous or you just threw up, it’s probably morning sickness.

Jade Elliott spoke with Hannele Laine, here an OB/Gyn from Intermountain Healthcare To help you know how to make it through morning sickness.

Morning sickness is common and may be under-treated

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 50-80 percent of pregnant women experience nausea and 50 percent experience vomiting or retching.

Morning sickness may be undertreated. It often begins prior to the first appointment, so women sometimes wait for the appointment rather than asking for help. In addition, women may not seek treatment because they believe it is common and usually temporary or because they’re concerned about the safety of taking medications while pregnant.

What causes morning sickness?

The specific cause of vomiting during pregnancy is not known. One hypothesis is that it due to the change in hormones levels during pregnancy.

Common myths about morning sickness:

1.It only occurs in the morning. False: You can have morning sickness any time of day.

2.It’s resolves after the first trimester. False: A few women have it last into the second and sometimes even into the third trimester.

3.It harms the baby. False: Typical morning sickness does not harm the fetus.

What increases your risk of severe morning sickness?

• Severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is called hyperemesis gravidarum. It is more likely to occur with these risk factors:
• A twin or triplet pregnancy.
• A previous pregnancy with nausea and vomiting.
• In women who have family members with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
• A history of motion sickness or migraines.
• Being pregnant with a female fetus.

Simple ways to help reduce morning sickness:

• Eat small meals, every 1-2 hours to avoid a full stomach and to avoid hunger.
• Eat bland, dry foods like crackers, cereal, toast or baked potatoes.
• Eat some protein with every meal.
• Avoid spicy or fatty foods.
• Eat something before you get out of bed. Keep crackers on your nightstand.
• Take prenatal vitamins at night after a meal or switch to folic acid alone.
• Avoid unpleasant smells as they may trigger nausea.
• Try ginger capsules or candies, ginger ale or tea made with real ginger.
• Wristbands that put pressure on or electrically stimulate a pressure point on the wrist may help.

How to prevent morning sickness from becoming severe:

• Avoid getting dehydrated. Try taking little sips all day of something like Gatorade.
• Seek treatment early to prevent severe symptoms requiring hospitalization.
• Talk to your provider about how to manage your morning sickness and review possible medications that can help.
• Keep your prenatal visits and call if you are having trouble between visits.

When to call or see your provider:

• If nausea or vomiting is severe
• You pass only a small amount of urine or it’s dark in color
• You can’t keep liquids down
• You feel dizzy or faint when you stand up
• Your heart races or is pounding
• You’re losing weight
• If nausea or vomiting begins after nine weeks of pregnancy

Severe nausea and vomiting could be caused by something else:

Warning signs that your nausea and vomiting may be due to another cause:

• abdominal pain or tenderness
• fever
• headache
• thyroid enlargement or swelling on the front of the neck
• nausea and vomiting that occurs for the first time after nine weeks of pregnancy.

If you have severe nausea and vomiting, your provider may want to do additional tests to evaluate other causes of the symptoms. Some medical conditions can cause nausea and vomiting during pregnancy such as an ulcer, food-related illness, thyroid or gallbladder disease.

For more information visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/women-newborn/

For additional information, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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You don’t think much about your teeth unless there’s a problem. For babies who can’t communicate yet with words, teething can be a difficult time. Their gums become inflamed and tender as the teeth get closer to the surface and they take time to erupt or fully break through the gums.

Jade Elliott spoke with Pediatrician, Jenna Whitham, MD, Intermountain Healthcare, to discuss some tips for when your baby is teething.

When will that first tooth appear?

Babies typically don’t have teeth when they’re born, but on average babies get their first tooth at about six months of age. Typically, they have a complete set of 20 “baby” teeth by 30 months of age. The lower central incisors usually come in first and the molars last.

Signs of teething

Teething is a process that all children experience. Prior to tooth eruption the gingiva or gums may appear blue-ish and swollen. The symptoms seen most consistently with children immediately prior to and right after a tooth erupts are: biting or putting their mouth on things, drooling, rubbing their gums and fussiness. Sometime children may show less interest in eating solid foods and have mild elevations in temperature.

But teething does not cause thick congestion, severe diarrhea, vomiting, cough, fevers or inability to drink liquids/take formula. If your child is having these types of symptoms, call your baby’s doctor to find out if you need to bring your baby in for a visit.

Four simple ways to manage teething pain

1.Teething toys may be used, but liquid filled teething rings should be chilled in the refrigerator, not the freezer). Be sure to sterilize in boiling water before use.

2.Teething biscuits, crackers or cold food items like frozen yogurt or fruit popsicles may be used for children older than nine months who are used to eating solid foods.

3.Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) may be used for children over six months if needed, but you should verify correct dosage with your child’s doctor.

4.Distraction – play with your baby or take them outside or for a ride in the stroller

Whitham does not recommend using topical medications containing Benzocaine (Oragel) due to risk of overuse or ingestion.

Tips for breastfeeding once your baby has teeth

Most moms can keep breastfeeding without difficulty through tooth development. If baby bites, the feeding should be over immediately, baby will quickly learn that biting is not ok.

What foods are appropriate as teeth emerge

Babies as young as four months who have good head control can start pureed baby foods, and at six months we encourage parents to start solid food introduction. In fact, despite not having a full set of teeth, babies as young as nine months can “chew” solid foods by mashing bites with their jaw regardless of the number of teeth that have emerged.

When to start brushing baby’s teeth

I recommend parents start brushing baby’s teeth with a soft bristled brush when they notice the first tooth emerge. I recommend using a fluoride containing children’s toothpaste. Use a grain of rice sized amount or less depending on how many teeth are to be brushed. Make tooth brushing a twice daily habit.

For some ideas to make brushing teeth fun, click here.

Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

You can help prevent your baby from developing cavities or what is called Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or by beginning an oral hygiene routine within the first few days after birth. Start by cleaning your baby’s mouth by wiping the gums with a clean gauze pad. This helps remove plaque that can harm erupting teeth.

If you are bottle feeding, only give your baby a bottle with formula, breast milk or after one year of age, cow’s milk, and avoid giving them sugary beverages like juice or soda. Infants should finish their bedtime and naptime bottle before going to bed and not fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth.

Do babies need fluoride drops?

This depends on where you live. A good resource for this information is your county health department web site.

Intermountain Healthcare has pediatric dentists and adult dentists.

It’s important to establish care with a pediatric dentist by 18-24 month of age. Intermountain has pediatric dentists and family and special needs dentists. For more information about pediatric dentistry, click here.

For more information about family dentistry, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Bringing your new baby home is an exciting and stressful time for the whole family, including your family pet. Whether it is a dog, cat, bird, fish, or any other animal, there will be changes for you and for them when a new baby comes home.

Jade Elliott sits down with Kaitlin Carpenter, MD, a pediatrician with Intermountain Healthcare, to discuss the best ways to introduce your baby to a family pet on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.

Some studies have shown that children with pets in their home at an early age have less risk of developing asthma by age 7. Another study showed that children with dogs or cats in their home in the first year of life had fewer and less severe respiratory infections. While the precise cause is unclear, these positive outcomes could be a result of good exposures and possibly because the children are building a health microbiome with help from a pet.

There are some easy things new parents can do to ease the transition for babies and pets:

• Before the baby comes home, prepare your animal.

1. Mess with their food while they are eating.
2. Gently pull on ears and tails.
3. Some parents will even play loud crying noises.
4. Consider getting your stroller out so that the animal can get used to it.

• Give your animal their own space.

1. Find a good place outside.
2. If possible, block off the area with the pet’s food bowl so that it doesn’t become a temptation for babies.
3. Place cat litter boxes well out of reach
4. Make sure aquariums are high enough that little hands can’t reach them to pull them over.

First introductions are important

Even the best animal may not react normally. Always watch your animal around your baby. Cats often like to sit on babies. Dogs like to lick babies’ faces.

Just like siblings need extra attention when a new baby comes home, it’s also important to give your pets some extra attention when possible. Include them on walks with the stroller. A few extra belly rubs can go a long way.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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When you find out you’re pregnant you are faced with many choices. One of those choices is whether to have a physician or midwife care for you during your pregnancy and birth. Depending on where you live, you might think that only physicians care for women in pregnancy but, midwives are a safe choice for most women.

Jade Elliott sits down with certified nurse midwife, Emily Hart Hayes from Intermountain Healthcare , on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the philosophy of midwifery, what to look for and when you are considering who to care for you and your baby during pregnancy and birth.

In the U.S., certified nurse midwives and certified midwives attend 8 percent of births and the rate is about 12 percent if you look at just vaginal births. In Utah, midwives attend about 10 percent of births.

The philosophy behind midwifery

The word midwife means “with woman.” The midwifery model of care focuses on individualized care that is a partnership between the pregnant person and the provider. They focus on health, wellness, and prevention; and use interventions at lower rates when complications arise. Midwives approach pregnancy as a normal physiologic event in a woman’s life. While complications can arise, they are trained to identify and manage those complications, and refer or consult with physician colleagues when warranted.

The advantages of seeing a midwife

Typically, midwives allow more time during prenatal visits and can also provide additional support during labor and birth. Midwives provide the same prenatal screening tests physicians do, including lab tests, ultrasounds, blood pressure checks, and monitoring for complications. Midwives generally have the philosophy to use interventions judiciously. For example, they may not break your bag of waters to speed up the birth process as long as labor is progressing normally.

Midwives offer continuous labor support and that has been shown to decrease the chance of Caesarean section. Midwives will typically intervene as needed. They can prescribe medications and use medications to induce labor. They care for women who are laboring with or without epidural anesthesia for pain relief, and they may recommend a c-section be performed. Midwives generally don’t do a routine episiotomy or order a routine hydration IV, although an IV may routinely be placed for emergencies. They allow moms to eat and drink during normal labor if they desire.

There are many different types of midwives

There are many ways to become a midwife and the laws are different in different states. In Utah, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) earn their bachelor’s degree and become registered nurses first, and then go on to receive a Master’s or Doctorate degree in nurse midwifery. The vast majority of CNMs attend births in the hospital. Some states also license certified midwives (CMs) who pass the same certification exams as CNMs but who have entered the profession from a non-nursing background.

In Utah, there are also certified professional midwives (CPMs) who see women at home or in birth centers for pregnancy and birth. Utah also has direct entry and unlicensed midwives who attend deliveries at home. In Utah, only certified nurse midwives have privileges at hospitals, and some CNMs also practice in and out of hospital settings.

If you are considering a midwife who practices outside of the hospital, learn about their certification and licensure, and find out what the conditions are for transfer to a hospital.

Look for a midwife with formal education that leads to state licensure

Nationally, 98 percent of certified nurse midwives deliver in hospitals. If you prefer to deliver in a hospital, find out if your midwife is licensed to do so. Ask questions, share your birth goals and health history to find a provider who can attend to your specific needs.

There are many studies that show that midwifery care for healthy pregnant women is as safe or even sometimes safer than physician-led care. From a health systems perspective, midwifery care is cost-effective, because it results in fewer unnecessary interventions such as Cesarean section. Preterm birth rates are also lower in women who receive their prenatal care from a midwife.

Midwives provide general women’s care and can manage some complications during pregnancy

Midwives may care for you if you have health problem that arises before or during your pregnancy, whether independently or jointly with an OB/Gyn or maternal fetal medicine specialist. They care for women with gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced high blood pressure, depending on the setting, and they can attend births for women who have had a previous Cesarean birth.

There are even midwives who work collaboratively with physicians who jointly care for women with high risk chronic conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, or autoimmune diseases.

Midwives aren’t just for pregnancy and birth. You can also see a midwife for general women’s primary care and gynecological issues such as pap smears, annual exams, birth control and family planning, immunizations including the HPV vaccine, and breast exams. Midwives care for women throughout the lifespan, from puberty to menopause and beyond. And yes, there are some male midwives.

How are doulas and midwives different?

A doula offers guidance and help with your comfort during labor. A doula will provide physical and emotional support for you and your partner during labor and birth. A doula will also foster a positive environment and support good communication between you and your healthcare team.

A doula cannot perform clinical or medical tasks including taking blood pressure or temperature, checking fetal heart tones or adjust monitors, or do vaginal exams. A doula also cannot diagnose medical conditions or present your options for medical care.

To learn more about midwives or to find one in your area, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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It’s not something that is often talked about, but alcohol use can impact dads and dads-to-be.

Jade Elliot sat down with Marcela Smid, MD, maternal-fetal medicine, University of Utah Health, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the negative effects of heavy alcohol use in dads.

For healthy men under the age of 65: more than 4 drinks per day or more than 14 drinks per week may indicate risky drinking.

Alcohol and other drug use has a familial component, and 40-60% of alcohol use disorder are attributed to genetic/familial components.

Alcohol use among fathers-to-be may decrease fertility among couples with infertility. Among couples experiencing fertility issues, alcohol use may decrease sperm count and motility.

Heavy alcohol use is associated with decreased paternal attachment to infants and increased maternal depressions.

Any substance use disorders increases the risk of substance use disorder in children.

For more information on infertility, click here or listen to our Baby Your Baby podcast on the topic.

Click here to listen to the Baby Your Baby Podcast on alcohol use before and during pregnancy.

For information on mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.