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If you would like to prevent pregnancy, there are many different types of birth control options available to you. Depending on your health and needs, you can find a method that will work for you. There are three main types of reversible birth control. Talk to your health care provider to determine which method is best for you.

Jade Elliott sat down with Nickee Palacios, Health Promotion Coordinator, Maternal and Infant Health Program, to discuss the different options for contraception.

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARCs)

• Intrauterine Device (IUD): a T-shaped piece of plastic that is put into the uterus and prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg. IUDs are over 99% effective and can last between 3 and 12 years, depending on which type you get. You can get either a hormonal IUD or a non-hormonal IUD, which is made of plastic and a small amount of natural, safe copper.
• The implant (Nexplanon) is a small rod that is inserted under the skin of your upper arm and releases hormones. It is over 99% effective and prevents pregnancy for up to 4 years.

Hormonal Methods

• Birth control pills, patch, ring, and shot
• All four of these methods work by releasing hormones that keep your ovaries from releasing eggs and makes it harder for sperm to reach an egg. These methods, with typical use, are 91% effective.

Barrier Methods

• Condoms and Diaphragm
• These two methods work by creating a barrier so sperm and and egg cannot meet. Neither of these methods contains hormones and are about 82% effective for the typical user.
• Condoms also prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Disease.

A new Utah law allows pharmacies to dispense 3 types of birth control; the pill, patch or ring, through a standing order signed by Dr. Miner, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Health. Women, eighteen years and older, can get their pills, patch, or contraceptive ring directly from the pharmacist any participating pharmacy, such as an Associated Food Store, a Costco, or a Smith’s.

Women can come directly to a participating pharmacy to ask about contraceptives or birth control. A pharmacist will do a health screening of her medical and health history. The health screening is nothing to worry about, It is just a list of questions to help the pharmacist understand her health history. She will be asked questions like “Do you have diabetes?” and “Do you smoke?”

To find a list of participating pharmacies, click here, or call 801-273-2871.

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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Pre-term births  can happen to any expectant mother. Doctors says right now, they do not know all of the causes of pre-term birth, but there are some risk factors that can increase the chance of one.

Jade Elliott sat down with Sean Esplin, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Intermountain Healthcare, to discuss pre-term birth, the causes and how technology is helping doctors learn more about it.

Common causes or risk factors that increase the chance of pre-term birth:

• Infection is most common. There are different types of infections and it depends on how the body responds to that infection.
• Smoking or substance abuse during pregnancy
• Short time between pregnancies
• Expecting multiples, twins, triplets, etc. This is becoming more common. Identical twins who share a placenta are especially risky. 50 percent of twins come early.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Abnormal shape of the uterus or a cervix that is short or weak.
• Maternal and fetal stress

What kinds of symptoms of preterm labor should a woman call her doctor about?

• Call your obstetrician or other health care professional right away if you notice any of these signs or symptoms:
• Change in type of vaginal discharge (watery, mucus, or bloody)
• Increase in amount of discharge
• Pelvic or lower abdominal pressure
• Constant low, dull backache
• Mild abdominal cramps, with or without diarrhea
• Regular or frequent contractions or uterine tightening, often painless
• Ruptured membranes (your water breaks with a gush or a trickle of fluid)

For more information on symptoms and risk factors, click here.

Why is it so difficult to prevent pre-term birth?

Of every 100 women, 10 percent will deliver pre-term. Doctors don’t  know which 10 percent. When they have a heads up it’s easier to prevent. There’s a 30-40 percent recurrence rate if a woman has previously had a pre-term birth. In most cases doctors have no prior knowledge that a woman will have pre-term labor or deliver prematurely. Sometimes they can do surgery to stitch the cervix together if it’s opened prematurely. At 20 weeks gestation, it’s standard practice to look at the cervix in an ultrasound. Sometimes doctors insert a pessary device that helps holds the cervix closed. Sometimes doctors do everything we can, but we can’t stop the labor.

This is the Instagram account mentioned on this episode, @imamom2be.

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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Cooler weather is coming and kids will be playing indoors more often. Whether you have young children who visit or you’re bringing home a new baby, fall is a good time to reduce the risk of injury inside your house. It’s also good to make sure your safety efforts and devices are up to standard and in good working condition.

Jade Elliott sits down with Jessica Strong, Community Outreach Manager, Primary Children’s Hospital, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss how to make your home safe for kids.

Falls are a leading cause of injury at home.

• Don’t leave babies alone on beds, changing tables, or sofas.
• Secure furniture to the wall using mounts, brackets, anchors, or wall straps to prevent tip-overs.
• Keep a locked gate at the top and bottom of stairs. Replace older safety gates that are large enough to entrap a child’s head and neck.
• Always strap children into highchairs, swings, bouncers, and strollers.
• Keep windows closed and locked

Cribs

• Use an infant sleep sack instead of loose blankets to keep baby warm.
• Remove pillows and all other loose items (blankets, toys) from an infant’s sleep area to reduce the risk of suffocation.
• No older cribs w/drop sides

Heating elements

• Cover all radiators and baseboard heaters with childproof screens.
• Keep electrical space heaters at least 3 feet from beds, curtains, or anything flammable.
• Unplug and store all hot appliances, such as curling irons, out of reach.
• When cooking, turn pan handles toward the back of the stove.

Poisoning

• Store medicines and products in their original containers.
• Lock medicines and household products where children cannot see them or reach them.
• Call medicine by its proper name, not “candy”.
• Use a carbon monoxide alarm to help prevent poisoning.
• Keep the Poison Control Center’s number handy, such as a fridge magnet or programmed into your phone, 1-800-222-1222.

Other safety measures

• Learn CPR and first aid.
• Use Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns.
• Use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplaces to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges.
• Cordless window coverings are recommended to help prevent strangulation.  If your blinds were installed in 2000 or earlier and you cannot afford cordless window coverings, visit the Window Covering Safety Council.

To see Jade and Jessica walk through a home and demonstrate what they are talking about on the podcast, click here.

For more information and keeping your child safe, 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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Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. Like other kinds of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how the body processes glucose or sugar, causing glucose levels to be higher than they should be.

Jade Elliott sits down with Emily Hart Hayes, a Certified Nurse Midwife with Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together they discuss how to prevent gestational diabetes and how to manage it.

How common is gestational diabetes?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 2 and 10 percent of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes.

Why does it happen during pregnancy?

Pregnancy hormones can make it harder for insulin to move glucose from your blood into other cells in your body.

How can diet and exercise help you prevent or manage gestational diabetes?

We know gestational diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to process glucose normally. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet low in sugar, and getting regular exercise all help the body keep blood sugar under control. Exercise is especially important because it helps the body be more sensitive to insulin (the hormone that allows cells to use blood sugar for energy).

Is gestational diabetes routinely tested for during pregnancy? When and how?

Yes, most women will be tested for gestational diabetes. Typically, we test for this between 24- 28 weeks gestation (at the end of the 2nd trimester or beginning of the 3rd trimester). This usually involves drinking a sugary drink with a set amount of glucose in it, then measuring the blood glucose level an hour later to see how the body is able to process that sugar. For women who have risk factors, they may be tested early in pregnancy during the 1st trimester.

What are the warning signs for gestational diabetes?

Most people with gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms, which is why it’s so important to test for this during routine pregnancy care.

What are the risk factors?

• Being overweight or obese,
• Family history of type 2 diabetes,
• Have previously given birth to a baby who weighed more than nine pounds
• Have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
• Women who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander

Women considering pregnancy can help start the pregnancy out as healthy as possible by eating healthy and exercising to help reduce the chances of developing this disease and give their baby the best possible start in life. For women who have a body mass index in the obese or overweight category, they may reduce their risk of diabetes by losing weight prior to pregnancy.

For more information on gestational diabetes, 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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Some women have risk factors before pregnancy or events that happen during pregnancy that make their pregnancy high-risk.

Jade Elliott sits down with Dr. Sean Esplin, a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist with Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together they discuss high-risk pregnancies and what to do if you are at high risk.

When is a pregnancy considered high risk?

A pregnancy with complications that could affect the health of the mother, the baby or both would make a pregnancy high risk.

What risk factors might women have before becoming pregnant that might make them high risk of having complications?

1. Age of the mother (under 17 or over 35)

2. Pre-existing medical conditions such as:

• High blood pressure
• Being overweight or obese
• Chronic disease like diabetes or autoimmune diseases
• Heart, lung or kidney problems
• Chronic infections like HIV or STDs
• History of miscarriage
• Family history of genetic disorders

Talk to a doctor before becoming pregnant if you have one of those conditions.

What can you do before and during pregnancy to help your pregnancy be low risk?

• Take folic acid supplements or pre-natal vitamins before and during pregnancy
• Stay up to date on immunizations
• Eat a healthy diet and maintain proper weight
• Get regular physical exercise, unless advised by your doctor
• Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, except medications approved by your doctor
• Go to your pre-natal check-ups

What kinds of things might happen during pregnancy that would make it high risk?

• Expecting multiples (twins, triplets, etc.)
• Gestational diabetes
• Pre-eclampsia – characterized by high blood pressure, protein in urine. Swelling may occur.
• Premature labor
• Placenta previa – when the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix or opening of the uterus.
• Fetal development problems

What are some signs or symptoms during pregnancy that you should call your doctor about?

• Vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid from the vagina
• Sudden or severe swelling of face, hands or fingers
• Pain or cramping in the lower abdomen
• Fever or chills
• Pain or burning with urination
• Severe or long-lasting headaches
• Vision problems
• Persistent vomiting, nausea, dizziness
• Baby is moving less than normal after 28 weeks. Fewer than 10 movements within two hours
• Have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

For more information on high-risk pregnancies and maternal fetal medicine, 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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KUTV’s Jade Elliott is the new host of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. 

Jade joined 2News after spending most of her news career in eastern Washington from Spokane to most recently back in her hometown, the Tri-Cities, where she was the main morning news anchor for KAPP/KVEW-TV.

Jade is a wife and mom and, when not reading the news, she loves to sing, emcee events, wakeboard and watch football with her family. Married to a proud former Utah Ute football player, you can find them both at the stadium during the season.

Jade loves getting up dark and early to bring you the latest news from overnight and throughout the morning. You can catch her during the week on 2News in the morning.

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It’s exiting for parents to watch their baby grow and learn. During the first year, new parents will see a lot of changes in their baby from learning to smile to crawling.

Holly Menino sits down with Jackie Swan, the early Intervention Program Director at Summit County Health Department, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.. Together, they discuss the developmental milestones a baby will experience during the first year.

Question: What does a baby do at 2 months?

Answer: Begins to smile, learns to self-calm, coos, turns toward sounds, pays attention to faces, begins to follow things with his eyes, can hold head up and begins pushing up on tummy, makes coordinated movements with arms and legs.

Question: As the baby starts to grow, what can you expect at 4 months?

Answer: Smiling spontaneously, likes to play with people, copies some movements and facial expressions like smiling/frowning, begins to babble, babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears, cries in different ways to show hunger, pain or being tired, lets you know if happy or sad, responds to affection, reaches for a toy with one hand, uses eyes and hands together, follows moving things from side to side, watches faces closely, recognizes familiar people, holds head steady, pushes down on legs when feet are on a surface, may be able to roll over from tummy to back, can hold a toy and shake it, bring hands to mouth, on tummy pushes up onto elbows.

Question: Of course, the major milestone for 6 months is sitting independently. What other skills happen at 6 months?

Answer: Knows familiar faces, likes to play with others especially parents, responds to other people’s emotions, likes to look at self in mirror, responds to sounds by making sounds, babbling with vowel sounds and takes turns with parent while making sounds, responds to own name, makes sounds to show joy and displeasure, begins to say consonant sounds, looks around at things nearby, brings things to mouth, shows curiosity about things, transfer toys hand to hand, rolls over in both directions, sits with no support, in standing supports weight on legs.

 Question: What are the milestones at 9 months?

Answer: May be afraid of strangers, clingy to familiar adults, has favorite toys, understands the meaning of “no”, makes a lot of different sounds mamamamama and babababa, copies sounds and gestures of others, uses index finger for pointing, understands when you hide an object, plays peek a boo, puts things in mouth, moves things smoothly from hand to hand, pincer grasp, gives toys to you on request, stands holding onto surface, gets into sitting position, crawls, sits and reaches for toys, pulls to stand.

To see the toys Jackie and Holly are talking about during the podcast, click here.

To learn more about toys that help babies learn and develop, 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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Alcohol use is a common question for newly pregnant women or breastfeeding moms. Even though most people know to avoid alcohol in pregnancy, many people don’t know the details about alcohol use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Holly Menino sits down with Al Romeo, RN, PhD;  a registered nurse w with the Utah Department of Health’s MotherToBaby/Pregnancy Risk Line program. Together they discuss the risks of alcohol use and drinking while breastfeeding. 

 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are caused by alcohol use during pregnancy and are 100% preventable. Estimates are that FASD affects up to 5 in 100 newborns. In Utah, 3% of women report drinking alcohol in last 3 months of pregnancy, affecting approximately 1,500 births each year.

There is no known safe level of alcohol use. Daily alcohol use and binge drinking increase the risk of FASD. Some of the risks of alcohol use include miscarriage, birth defects (facial features such as a smooth philtrum (space between upper lip and nose) and thin upper lip; heart defects; skeletal defects (growth deficiencies)), developmental delays (attention deficits; learning disabilities; poor judgment (difficulty understanding right and wrong)). 

FASD is difficult to diagnose, especially when the person does not have symptoms and the mother’s alcohol use in pregnancy is unknown. There is no cure and life-long treatment, interventions, and supports are needed to address related symptoms such as inappropriate behaviors. 

Moms sometimes have questions about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. For every serving of alcohol (12 ounces of beer, 4 ounce of wine, 1.5 ounces of hard liquor), women should wait 2 to 2.5 hours before breastfeeding. So, for 1 serving, the usual 3 hours between breastfeeding should be fine. For 2 servings, mom should wait 5 hours before breastfeeding again. If moms have concerns or questions about a particular situation, she can contact MotherToBaby Utah. They will provide her with more information. Their phone number is 801-328-2229 and website is MotherToBaby.utah.gov.

For more information on FASDs, 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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Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder. About 1 in 800 babies are born with it.

Holly Menino sits down with Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Luthy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and works in the University Pediatric Clinic and the University Hospital Nursery, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss Down syndrome, how it is diagnosed and how it impacts a newborn baby.

  What are the symptoms of Down syndrome?

•  Facial features can include epicanthal folds (the way the eyelids cover the inner corner of the eye) and upslanting eyes, sometimes with white spots in the colored part of the eye (Brushfield spots); low set, small ears; flatter nose and flatter face; small mouth or tongue that sticks out.
• The body can have: short neck with extra skin at the back of the neck, a single palmar crease, wide hands with shorter fingers, short stature, a deep groove between the first and second toes.
• Mild to severe intellectual disability (most are mild to moderate).
• Low muscle tone which can make it harder to roll over, sit up, and walk as early as other kids, and can make it hard to swallow safely.
• Increased risk for: congenital heart defects, problems with development of the intestines or not swallowing safely, reflux, constipation, respiratory/breathing problems including sleep apnea, impaired hearing, vision problems like cataracts, celiac disease, Alzheimer’s disease, childhood leukemia or other blood disorders, thyroid conditions, problems with the stability of the upper spine, shorter attention span and impulsivity, delayed speech, repetitive mannerisms (tics), autism, and behavioral problems.

 How is it diagnosed?

During pregnancy:

• Routine pregnancy screening could detect about 90% of babies with Down syndrome.
• Not all choose to get the screening done. To learn about screenings and genetic testing listing to this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.
• So only about 50% of babies with Down syndrome are detected before delivery.

How can I learn more about Down syndrome?

• Medical Home Portal website
• National Down Syndrome Congress website
• National Down Syndrome Society website

  To learn about Baby Gwen and her parents’ journey after learning Gwen had down syndrome, 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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Child abuse is something we don’t talk much about, but we need to talk about in order to stop it.

Holly Menino sits down with Dr. Corey Rood, a child abuse pediatrician at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Primary Children’s Hospital, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together they discuss how to recognize child abuse and what to do if you suspect it.

 1 in 5 kids will be sexually abused nation wide before they turn 18. Last year, there were 10,600 substantiated victims of child abuse in Utah.

In 2017, 1,720 kids died nationwide due to child abuse. The number of children who die of child abuse is about the same number of kids who die of cancer in a year. Cancer isn’t fully curable or preventable yet, but child abuse is.

•  If you see something, say something! Utah adults by law are obligated to report suspected child abuse.
•  Abuse is any action that causes or threatens harm. 
  Forms of abuse can include:

1. Physical
2.  Neglect
3.  Emotional
4.  Sexual

• If you see or suspect child abuse: Report it. It’s your responsibility. To report child abuse:

1. Call the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
2. Call Law Enforcement

•  Reporting is anonymous and safe. You don’t have to confront someone you suspect is harming a child.

  For more information on preventing and reporting child abuse, 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.