From September 15th through October 15th we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a time where we recognize Hispanic culture, as well as achievements, and contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the United States.
According to the U.S. Census, there are approximately 57.5 million Hispanics in the United States– about 18% of the country’s total population and the largest ethnic or racial minority in the country. Despite this wonderful growth, there is concern over the health status of Hispanics/Latinos and their health outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our community is at higher risk for diabetes. This is a disease that affects blood sugar. Over time diabetes can cause serious health problems and complications if not treated. Many things can increase the risk of diabetes (known as risk factors). Some factors cannot be controlled, such as family health history. But other factors, such as diet and physical activity, can be controlled. There are several things we can do to reduce the risk of this disease, live a healthy life, and celebrate our culture day by day. For example:
Having a medical checkup every year is the key to prevention. Talk to your healthcare provider if someone in your family has diabetes (for example, your grandparents, parents, or siblings). Ask your provider about your risk factors and ask them to give you a diabetes test.
Cook your favorite foods in a healthy way. Use vegetables and herbs to season your food. Peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro are some of the basic and common ingredients in Latin cuisine. These ingredients provide rich flavor to any meal, and can help you cook with less salt. Instead of desserts or cookies, eat fresh fruit.
You do not need to have a gym membership to be active. You can do things in your home or community. For example, dancing is an activity that helps you stay physically active. You can organize activities with other people who enjoy dancing, or you can dance at home with your children or with your partner.
Avoid smoking, and second hand smoke. Do not let people smoke in your car or at home. Be careful about how much alcohol you consume or avoid it all together. All of this can cause serious health problems and cause complications if you already have diabetes.
If you and your partner want to have a baby, these recommendations can be helpful as you plan your pregnancy. Diabetes can make it harder to get pregnant; it can affect the fertility of you and your partner. Additionally, during pregnancy, diabetes can increase your risk of having a premature baby. That is why it is important to think about the health of your future baby before getting pregnant.
If you have more questions on this topic, or any others related to preconception health and pregnancy, you can email us at: askus@marchofdimes.org or preguntas@nacersano.org. Our bilingual health educators can help guide you and provide you with a list of questions you can ask your health care provider if you are at risk of getting, or have, diabetes and want to have a baby.
A c-section is surgery in which your baby is born through a cut that your doctor makes in your belly and uterus. If your pregnancy is healthy and you don’t have any medical complications, it’s best to have your baby through vaginal birth. However, sometimes your health care provider may suggest that you have a c-section for medical reasons. In these cases, a c-section can help to keep you and your baby safe.
You and your provider may schedule a c-section because of known pregnancy complications, such as:
You’ve had a c-section in a previous pregnancy or other surgeries on your uterus.
There are also situations that come up during labor and childbirth that may require you to have an unplanned (emergency) c-section. Here are some possible reasons you may need to have an unplanned c-section:
Your baby is too big to pass safely through the vagina.
Your baby is in a breech position (his bottom or feet are facing down) or a transverse position (his shoulder is facing down). The best position for your baby at birth is head down.
Labor is too slow or stops.
Your baby’s umbilical cord slips into the vagina where it could be squeezed or flattened during vaginal birth. This is called umbilical cord prolapse.
Your baby has problems during labor, like a slow heart rate. This is also called fetal distress.
Your baby has a certain type of birth defect.
Remember, if you’re scheduling your c-section for medical reasons,make sure to talk to your provider about waiting until at least 39 weeks of pregnancy, if possible. This gives your baby the time she needs to grow and develop before birth.
If your pregnancy is healthy and you don’t have any medical reasons to have a c-section, it’s best to have your baby through vaginal birth. But for some women and their babies, a c-section is safer than a vaginal birth. If you have questions or concerns about whether a c-section may be right for you, talk to your health care provider.
Getting early and regular prenatal care can help you have a healthy and full-term pregnancy. However, a recent report shows that the preterm birth rate in the US has increased for the second year in a row. This is an alarming indication that the health of pregnant women and babies in our country is getting worse. As Stacey D. Stewart, president of the March of Dimes states, “Every mother needs healthcare throughout her pregnancy to help avoid preterm birth and birth complications, with the goal of every baby being born healthy.”
So, what can you do to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby? You should call your health care provider to schedule your first appointment as soon as you find out you’re pregnant. Make sure you’re ready to talk to your provider about:
The first day of your last menstrual period (also called LMP). Your provider can use this to help find out your baby’s due date.
Medicines. This includes prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicine, supplements and herbal products. Some medicines can hurt your baby if you take them during pregnancy, so you may need to stop taking it or switch to another medicine. Don’t stop or start taking any medicine without talking to your provider first. And tell your provider if you’re allergic to any medicine.
Your pregnancy history. Tell your provider if you’ve been pregnant before or if you’ve had trouble getting pregnant. Tell her if you’ve had any pregnancy complications or if you’ve had a premature baby (a baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, using street drugs and abusing prescription drugs. All of these can hurt your baby.
Stress. Stress is worry, strain or pressure that you feel in response to things that happen in your life. Talk to your provide about ways to deal with and reduce your stress. High levels of stress can cause complications during pregnancy.
Your safety at home and work. Tell your provider about chemicals you use at home or work and about what kind of job you have.
Make sure you go to all of your prenatal care appointments, even if you feel fine. Going to all of your checkups gives your provider the chance to make sure you and your baby are healthy and allows you to ask any questions you may have (write them down before your appointment so you don’t forget).
The March of Dimes work to give every baby a healthy start is more vital than ever. We urge everyone concerned about the health of babies to make their voices heard by going to marchofdimes.org.
Diabetes is a serious health concern. About 9 out of 100 people (9 percent) in the U.S. have diabetes – a condition in which your body has too much sugar (called glucose) in the blood. Glucose is your body’s main source of fuel for energy. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. If your body does not produce insulin or cannot use it efficiently, then over time, high blood sugar can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerve cells. You can develop diabetes at any time in your life, including during pregnancy.
There are three different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but it can develop at any age. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In this case, your body does not make insulin or can’t use it normally. You are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes if you are older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, or do not exercise.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Seven out of every 100 pregnant women (7 percent) develop gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is tested for at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. It usually goes away after you give birth. However, if you have it in one pregnancy, you’re more likely to have it in your next pregnancy. You’re also more likely to develop diabetes later in life.
Managing your diabetes during pregnancy
If you have diabetes, it is very important that you control your blood sugar. High blood sugar can be harmful to your baby, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy when the brain, heart, kidneys and lungs begin to form.
Your blood sugar is affected by pregnancy, by what you eat and drink, and how much physical activity you get. If you have preexisting diabetes (diabetes BEFORE pregnancy), what worked to control your blood sugar before you became pregnant, may not work as well during pregnancy.
Here are some things that you can do to have a healthy pregnancy:
Follow your provider’s directions about how often to check your blood sugar. Call your provider if your blood sugar is too high or too low.
Tell your provider about any medicine you take, even medicine that’s not related to your diabetes. Some medicines can be harmful during pregnancy, so your provider may need to change them to ones that are safer for you and your baby.
If you don’t already have a registered dietician (RD), your provider can recommend one for you. An RD is a person specially trained in nutrition. An RD can help you learn what, how much and how often to eat to best control your diabetes. She can help you make meal plans and help you know the right amount of weight to gain during pregnancy. Check to see if your health insurance covers treatment from an RD.
Do something active every day. With your health provider’s OK, being active every day can help you manage your diabetes.
Diabetes can be a challenge, especially when you are pregnant. But it is possible to manage it and have a healthy pregnancy.
Diabetes is a serious health concern, especially when left untreated or undiagnosed. Today is Diabetes Alert Day. It is designed to teach the public about the seriousness of diabetes. If you develop diabetes during pregnancy, it can cause problems for your baby.
About 9 out of 100 people in the U.S. have diabetes – a condition in which your body has too much sugar (called glucose) in the blood. Glucose is your body’s main source of fuel for energy. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. If your body does not produce insulin or cannot use it efficiently, then over time, high blood sugar can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerve cells. You can develop diabetes at any time in your life, including during pregnancy.
There are three different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but it can develop at any age. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In this case, your body does not make insulin or can’t use it normally. You are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes if you are older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, or do not exercise.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Seven out of every 100 pregnant women (7 percent) develop gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you give birth. However, if you have it in one pregnancy, you’re more likely to have it in your next pregnancy. You’re also more likely to develop diabetes later in life.
Your health care provider tests for gestational diabetes at 24-28 weeks with a glucose screening test. During this test, your drink a liquid that contains glucose. An hour after you drink the solution, your blood will be drawn to check your glucose levels. If your blood glucose is too high, you will need to come back for a glucose tolerance test.
Most of the time, gestational diabetes can be controlled. But if left untreated, gestational diabetes can result in complications such as premature birth. For this reason, if you do have gestational diabetes, it is important to follow your provider’s recommendations.
Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you have your baby; but if you have it, you’re more likely to develop diabetes later in life. To help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy:
Breastfeed. Breastfeeding can help you lose weight after pregnancy. Being overweight makes you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born. If the test is normal, get tested again every 3 years. If the test shows you have prediabetes, get tested once a year. Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are slightly higher than they should be but not high enough to have diabetes.
Get to and stay at a healthy weight and stay active.
If you have any concerns about your family health history, or you think you may be at risk for developing gestational diabetes or diabetes, speak with your health care provider.
Every 4 ½ minutes in the US, a baby is born with a birth defect. That means that nearly 120,000 (or 1 in every 33) babies are affected by birth defects each year. They are a leading cause of death in the first year of life, causing one in every five infant deaths and they lead to $2.6 billion per year in hospital costs alone in the United States.
What are birth defects?
Birth defects are health conditions that are present at birth. They change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body and can affect any part of the body (such as the heart, brain, foot, etc). They may affect how the body looks, works, or both.
There are thousands of different birth defects and they can be very mild or very severe. Some do not require any treatment, while others may require surgery or lifelong medical interventions.
What causes birth defects?
We know what causes certain birth defects. For instance, drinking alcohol while you are pregnant can cause your baby to be born with physical birth defects and mental impairment. And genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease, are the result of inheriting a mutation (change) in a single gene. However, we do not know what causes the majority of birth defects. In most cases, it is a number of complex factors. The interaction of multiple genes, personal behaviors, and our environment all may all play a role.
Can we prevent birth defects?
Most birth defects cannot be prevented. But there are some things that a woman can do before and during pregnancy to increase her chance of having a healthy baby:
Talk to your provider about any medications you are taking, including prescription and over-the-counter medications and any dietary or herbal supplements. Talk to your provider before you start or stop taking any type of medications.
Prevent infections during pregnancy. Wash your hands and make sure your vaccinations are up to date.
Make sure chronic medical conditions are under control, before pregnancy. Some conditions, like diabetes and obesity, may increase the risk for birth defects.
You may know that having had a premature baby increases your risk to give birth early in your next pregnancy. No one knows for sure what causes a woman to have a premature baby. However, it is important to understand what factors may make you more likely to give birth early and understand how you may be able to reduce your risk.
Getting pregnant too soon after having a baby increases your chance of giving birth early. If possible, wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This gives your body time to recover.
Manage preexisting health conditions
Having diabetes or high blood pressure puts you at a higher risk to have a premature baby. Talk to your health care provider about how to best manage these conditions before you get pregnant again. And weighing too much or too little can also be a risk factor. Try to get to a healthy weight before you get pregnant again.
Prevent infections
Having an infection during pregnancy may increase your chance of giving birth early. Always wash your hands thoroughly and practice good hygiene. This won’t prevent all infections, but it can help. Also, get tested for STDs before you become pregnant.
Treatments for preterm labor
Some women may be able to receive progesterone treatment or cerclage in their next pregnancy to reduce their chances of giving birth early again. Talk to your provider to see if these treatments may be right for you.
In the video below, Dr. Siobhan Dolan discusses who may be a good candidate for progesterone treatment:
If you are planning on getting pregnant again, make sure you talk to your health care provider about what you may be able to do to reduce your risk of premature birth. Together, the two of you can make a plan so that hopefully your next pregnancy can be closer to 40 weeks. You can also go to our online community Share Your Storyto talk to other women who gave birth early and are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant again.
Diabetes can cause problems during pregnancy, such as premature birth, birth defects and miscarriage. But don’t panic; with some planning ahead, you can become as healthy as possible before you become pregnant.
When you eat, your body breaks down sugar and starches from food into glucose to use for energy. Your pancreas (an organ behind your stomach) makes a hormone called insulin that helps your body keep the right amount of glucose in your blood. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin well, so you end up with too much sugar in your blood.
Too much sugar can cause serious health problems, like heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. High blood sugar can be harmful to your baby during the first few weeks of pregnancy when his brain, heart, kidneys and lungs begin to form. It’s really important to get treatment for diabetes to help prevent problems like these.
If you are thinking about becoming pregnant and have diabetes, here are a few tips:
Manage your diabetes to get your blood glucose levels in to your target range. Try to get it under control 3-6 months before you start trying to become pregnant.
Take a multivitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
Talk to your provider about any medications you are taking to make sure that they are OK to continue taking when you do get pregnant. He or she may want to change some medications now, before you get pregnant.
Get support and guidance. Talk with your provider, a diabetes educator or a dietician about how to manage your diabetes.
Not sure if you are at increased risk of developing diabetes? Read our post to find out.
Remember: If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, now is the time to talk to your doctor about getting as healthy as you can before you conceive. Take small steps now toward a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Are you getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day? Flowers, handmade cards, and breakfast in bed are all lovely gifts. But one of the most important things that you can do as a mom is to give yourself the gift of a healthy pregnancy. If you are planning to have another baby sometime in the future, start now to make sure that your body is ready.
The interconception period is the time between the end of one pregnancy and the beginning of another pregnancy. This time between pregnancies allows you and your provider to address any risk factors that may have contributed to prior pregnancy complications, including premature birth, preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
Here are some things to consider during the interconception period:
Birth spacing: Before getting pregnant again, it is best to wait at least 18 to 23 months. This gives your body time to recover from the previous pregnancy.
Preexisting medical conditions:Diabetes or high blood pressure can affect your pregnancy. Making sure these conditions are under control before you get pregnant again is very important. Now is the time to alter any medication dosages or change prescriptions completely. It is also the time to modify any lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your condition.
Weight: Trying to get to a healthy weight before pregnancy is very important. Being overweight or not weighing enough can affect your ability to conceive. And if you’re at a healthy weight before pregnancy, you’re less likely than women who weigh too little or too much to have serious complications during pregnancy.
Smoking: When you smoke during pregnancy, you pass harmful chemicals through the placenta and umbilical cord into your baby’s bloodstream. This can cause health problems for your baby. Being exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy can cause a baby to be born with low birthweight. And secondhand smoke also is dangerous to your baby after birth. Try to quit smoking before getting pregnant again.
Family history: Your family health history can help you and your provider look out for health problems that may run in your family and it may help to find the cause of any past pregnancy problems.
Getting enough folic acid: Finally, make sure you continue to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. All women of child-bearing age, even if they’re not trying to get pregnant, should take folic acid. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects but only if taken before pregnancy and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman may even know she’s pregnant. Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, it’s important that all women take folic acid every day.
All of us here at News Moms Need wish you a very happy and healthy Mother’s Day!
Do you know that having gestational diabetes during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future chances of developing diabetes? About 9 out of 100 women in the U.S. have diabetes – a condition in which your body has too much sugar (called glucose) in the blood. Glucose is your body’s main source of fuel for energy. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. If your body does not produce insulin or cannot use it efficiently, then over time, high blood sugar can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerve cells. You can develop diabetes at any time in your life.
There are three different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but it can develop at any age. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is more common. With type 2 diabetes your body does not make or use insulin well. You are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes is you are older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, or do not exercise.
Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that can happen during pregnancy. Seven out of every 100 pregnant women (7 percent) develop this type of diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you give birth. But if you have it in one pregnancy, you’re more likely to have it in your next pregnancy. You’re also more likely to develop diabetes later in life.
Diabetes is a serious health concern, especially when left untreated or undiagnosed. Today is Diabetes Alert Day. It is designed to teach the public about the seriousness of diabetes especially when the disease is left undiagnosed or untreated.
You can find out if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes by taking the Diabetes Risk Test. If diabetes is not diagnosed and treated the condition can lead to serious health problems including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, amputation, and even death.
The good news though is that research has shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in persons with increased risk by losing a small amount of weight and getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, five days a week. Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference in your health. Learn small steps you can take here.
From September 15th through October 15th we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a time where we recognize Hispanic culture, as well as achievements, and contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the United States.
