deadly for your baby. Unfortunately, your baby can’t
get vaccinated and start building protection against
whooping cough until they are two months old. The
good news is that you can avoid this gap in protection
by getting the Tdap vaccination during your
pregnancy. By doing so, you pass antibodies to your
baby before birth. These antibodies help protect your
baby in the first few months of life.
What is Group B Strep and why is my doctor testing
me for it?
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is not a sexual
transmitted disease (STD). The bacteria that causes
GBS normally lives in the intestines, vagina, or rectum,
and approximately 25 percent of all healthy women
carry GBS bacteria. For most women there are no
symptoms of carrying the GBS bacteria. But, while
GBS may not be harmful to you, it can be harmful to
your baby. Because you are pregnant, you can pass it
to your baby during labor and childbirth.
Your provider tests you for GBS at 35 to 37 weeks
of pregnancy. Testing for GBS is simple and painless.
Your provider takes a swab of your vagina and rectum
and sends the sample to a laboratory. Your test results
are usually available in 1 to 2 days.
If I am GBS positive, how can I protect my baby
during childbirth?
Antibiotics will be given to you through your IV while
you are in labor. These antibiotics are recommended
during labor and delivery to reduce the chance of
your baby becoming exposed to GBS therefore
decreasing the risk to your baby. It is recommended
that antibiotics are given once labor has begun and
every four hours during active labor until the baby is
delivered.
My provider recommends that I have weekly
nonstress test. What is that?
A nonstress test or NST is a common prenatal test
used to evaluate the baby’s health by watching how
the fetal heartrate responds to fetal movement. The
term “nonstress” refers to the fact that nothing is done
to place stress on the fetus during the test.
The test is typically done if you’ve gone past your
due date, or in the month or two leading up to your
due date if you’re having a high-risk pregnancy. Some
other reasons your provider might recommend that
you have a nonstress test:
• You have a medical condition that could lead to
complications for your baby such as diabetes or
high blood pressure.
• Your baby appears to be small or not growing as
expected.
• Your baby is less active than normal.
• You have too much amniotic fluid around the baby.
I’m a first-time parent. Where do I go for prenatal
education?
UConn Health has prenatal education classes that are
open to all expectant parents. Classes include:
• Breastfeeding Class
• Childbirth Preparation Class
• Infant Care Class
All classes are taught by certified sta nurses. For
further information and schedules visit health.uconn.
edu/women. Call 800.535.6232 to register.
What are the warning signs of preterm labor?
You might be in preterm labor if you feel:
• Uterine Contractions: Occasional, irregular and
painless contractions (Braxton-Hicks contractions)
are normal with pregnancy. But if you feel
your uterus tightening or the baby “balling up”
five times or more in an hour you might be
experiencing preterm labor.
• Menstrual-like cramps in the lower abdomen that
can come and go or be constant.
• Change in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or
bleeding from your vagina).
• Pelvic Pressure: Feeling like your baby is pushing
down.
• Belly cramps, with or without diarrhea.
• Low, dull backache felt below the waistline that
may come and go or be constant.
What should I do if I think I might be having
preterm labor?
If you are concerned that you might be in
preterm labor:
• Empty your bladder.
• Lie down tilted towards your left side. This may
slow down or stop signs and symptoms.
• Avoid lying flat on your back. This may cause
contractions to get worse.
• Drink several glasses of water because dehydration
can cause contractions.
• Monitor contractions for one hour by counting the
minutes from the beginning of one contraction to
the beginning of the next.
If symptoms worsen or don’t disappear after one hour,
call your health care provider or go to the hospital.
Now that I’ve made it to 37 weeks, how do I know if
I’m in term labor?
As your due date approaches, Braxton-Hicks
contractions may become stronger or even painful.
Eventually, Braxton-Hicks contractions will be replaced
by the real thing. To tell the dierence, as yourself
these questions:
• Are the contractions regular? Time your
contractions from the beginning of one to the
beginning of the next. Look for a regular pattern
of contractions that get progressively stronger and
closer together. The contractions of false labor will
remain irregular.
• How long do they last? True contractions last more
than 30 seconds at first and get progressively
longer, up to 90 seconds. The contractions of false
labor vary in length.
• Can you stop the contractions? True contractions
continue regardless of your activity level or
position. In fact, they often grow stronger with
increased activity, such as walking. With false
labor, you may be able to stop the contractions by
changing your activity or position, lying down, or
taking a walk.
EXPECT FALSE ALARMS
The boundary between your body’s preparation for
labor and the actual process of labor isn’t always clear.
Some women have painful contractions for days with
no cervical change. Others feel only a little pressure or
backache as the cervix gradually dilates.
When in doubt, don’t hesitate to call your health care
provider. If you arrive at the hospital in false labor,
don’t feel embarrassed or frustrated. Think of it as a
practice run. The real thing is sure to be on its way!
What doctor is going to take care of my baby when
it’s born?
A pediatrician is a medical doctor that specializes in
the care of infants, adolescents, and children as old
as 21. Just as you have thought very carefully about
an obstetrician, it is also very important to choose a
pediatrician prior to the birth of your child. When you
arrive at the hospital in labor, please notify the Labor
and Delivery sta who you have chosen to be your
baby’s doctor. Once you have delivered, the hospital
sta will notify your pediatrician. After your baby is
discharged, you will follow up with the pediatrician of
your choice.
Circumcision
If you give birth to a boy, you will be asked if you’d
like him circumcised. This is a matter to be considered
carefully before the baby is born, while you have time
to think about it and discuss it with your care provider
and pediatrician.
At birth, boys have skin that covers the end of the
penis, called foreskin. Circumcision is the surgical
removal of this foreskin, exposing the tip of the penis.
It is usually done in the first few days of life before the
baby leaves the hospital. A baby must be stable and
healthy to be circumcised.
It Is Your Decision
The American Academy of Pediatrics considers
circumcision a choice for parents to make. Some
parents choose circumcision for religious or cultural
reasons. It is important to consider the pros and
cons, how the surgery is performed, and the potential
complications.
Not all insurance companies pay for the procedure.
If you plan to circumcise your son, you should contact
your insurance provider for information about
coverage.
Medical Reasons Parents Might Choose Circumcision
Research suggests that there may be some medical
benefits to circumcision, including:
• A slight lower risk of urinary tract infection (UTI).
A circumcised boy has about a one in 1,000
chance of getting a UTI in the first year of life.
A baby who is not circumcised had a one in 100
chance of getting a UTI in the first year of life.
• A slightly lower risk of getting sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including HIV.
• A lower risk of cancer of the penis. However,
this is very rare in both circumcised and
uncircumcised men.
• Prevention of foreskin infections.
• Prevention of phimosis, a condition in which it is
impossible to pull back the foreskin.
Medical Reasons Parents Might Choose Not
to Circumcise
• Risks of circumcision surgery, although rare,
include bleeding, infection, and injury to the penis
or urethra.
• The foreskin protects the tip of the penis. When
the foreskin is removed, the tip may become
irritated and cause the opening of the penis
to become too small. This can cause urination
problems that may need to be corrected by an
operation.
• The foreskin has more nerve endings than the
glans, or sensitive tip of the penis, and its removal
decreases sensitivity to touch.
• Almost all uncircumcised boys can be taught
proper hygiene that can lower the chance of
getting infections, cancer of the penis, and
sexually transmitted diseases.