Pregnancy encyclopedia: Car seat to Cystic fibrosis carrier

Car seat

Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of injury and death for young children. Nearly all of these injuries and deaths could be prevented by using properly approved, crash-tested child restraints.

The law requires any child who is less than the age of 4, under 40 pounds, and traveling in a car to use an approved car seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using a booster seat for a child younger than age 8 who weighs less than 80 pounds.

If your child is in a car, use a car seat that has been strapped in safely. Don't skip using the seat because it's a short trip or take your baby out of the seat because it's a long trip. Safety is not negotiable.

Tips on car seat use:

• Choose a car seat that meets federal standards and that is easy to install and easy to use each day (if it's tough to use, you may cut corners and skip use to save time).
• Choose a seat appropriate for your child's size (infant seat for birth to 20 pounds, convertible seat for birth to 40 pounds, and booster seat for 40-80+ pounds).
• Before you place your baby's car seat in a forward-facing position, BOTH the following criteria must be met: 1. Your baby is at least 1 year old AND 2. Your baby weighs 20 pounds.
• The preferred restraint is a five-point harness that consists of two shoulder straps, a lap belt, and a crotch strap. A padded tray shield or T-shield is not recommended for newborns and small babies.
• Use only seats less than 5 to 6 years old.
• Never use a car seat after it has been in a crash.
• Place the car seat in the middle of the back seat of the car, facing the rear of the seat. After your baby is at least 1 year old and weighs more than 20 pounds, appropriate car seats that face forward can be used in the back seat.
• Make sure the seat is properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. A properly installed car seat should not move more than 1 inch in any direction.
• Never put your baby's car seat in the front seat, especially if your car has an air bag.
• Send in the registration card attached to the car seat, so the manufacturer can contact you if the seat is recalled.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions on installation and use.
• Make sure all straps and buckles are securely and properly adjusted. The harness straps should be snug and should lie flat against the baby's shoulders.
• Cover the seat with a towel or blanket in hot or cold weather.
• If the seat has any metal parts that may touch your baby, cover them in hot weather so they don't burn your baby.
• Never leave a child alone in a car.

Cervix

The neck, or opening, of your uterus. The cervix must efface (thin) to 100 percent effacement, and dilate (open) to 10 centimeters in size during labor. Once this has occurred, you can begin to push your baby out.

Cesarean birth

In a Cesarean birth, your baby is born through an incision in your abdomen and uterus. Some Cesarean births are planned before you go into labor, for a variety of reasons. Some Cesarean births are unplanned, and the decision is made during labor. Even when you have every reason to expect to have your baby born vaginally, it's good to know what to expect in case of a Cesarean birth.

What to expect during your Cesarean birth:

• You'll be visited by hospital lab staff and other personnel who will prepare you for surgery.
• Your baby's heart rate will be monitored.
• Your vital signs will be checked.
• An IV will be started if you don't already have one.
• Your blood will be sent for a hemoglobin check (a check for anemia) and to be typed, in case you need a transfusion.
• Your abdomen might be shaved.
• A small tube, called a catheter, will be placed in your bladder to drain the urine.
• You may be given an antacid to drink.
• You'll be asked to sign a surgery consent form.
• An anesthesia department staff member will come to your room to discuss the best anesthesia choice for you and your baby (see "Medicines used during labor and birth"). For a Cesarean birth, general, spinal or epidural anesthesia is used. The type of anesthesia used depends on the reason for the Cesarean birth. With general anesthesia, you'll be asleep during the birth and surgery. With a spinal or epidural, you'll be awake but numb from about your ribcage to your toes, and you may be unable to move your legs.
• You'll be moved to the operating room.
• You'll be placed on a narrow bed with a safety strap placed across your legs. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your arm.
• A clip will be placed on your finger to monitor the amount of oxygen in your blood.
• Patches will be placed on your chest to monitor your breathing and heart rate. You'll be given oxygen to breathe through a mask.
• Sterile drapes will be placed over your abdomen and legs.
• The anesthesia personnel and your health care provider will be sure that you are numb or asleep before beginning surgery.
• The room will be bright.
• Depending on hospital policy, your partner or labor companion may be able to attend the birth. Your companion will change into scrub clothes and must remember not to touch any of the blue surgical drapes and gowns or any instruments (to protect you and your baby from infection). Your labor companion can sit on a stool behind your head. There will be a cloth screen across your abdomen to protect the sterile field. You and your labor companion will not see the actual surgery.
• The external incision on your skin will probably be a low transverse, or bikini, incision, made horizontally across the upper edge of the pubic hairline.
• The uterine incision will probably also be horizontal, or it may be a vertical, or midline, incision. Your health care provider will tell you which type of incision was made in your uterus. This is important for you to know for future pregnancies.
• When your baby is lifted out and the cord is cut, you may feel pressure at the top of your uterus. Your health care provider may lift your baby over the cloth screen so that you can see, or may place your baby directly in a heated warmer. A nurse will examine your baby.
• If your baby is premature or has special needs, he may go to a special nursery.
• If all is well with your baby and you, he can stay with you in the operating room.
• Identification bands will be placed on your baby's ankles and your wrist.
• You and your labor companion will probably be able to touch and hold your baby and take pictures.

Cesarean birth recovery

Hints to your recovery in the hospital and at home

• When you cough, laugh, move in bed, or stand up, try holding a pillow over your incision.
• You may be dizzy when you first sit up. This is natural after surgery.
• Follow the hints for dealing with constipation.
• Don't be concerned if you feel pain or spasms when you go to the bathroom the first few times after surgery. It's common.
• It's normal for your scar to itch, feel numb, or have a prickling sensation when you touch it. This can last for many months.
• Ask your health care provider when you can safely begin to drive again.
• Limit stair climbing and activities until you feel up to them.
• Don't exercise vigorously for at least 6 weeks or as your health care provider directs.
• Defer resuming sexual activity for 6 weeks or until your checkup. See "Resuming sex after birth"
• Use pillows to get comfortable when you sleep and feed your baby.

After any surgery, gas pains are common. Moving helps your organs shift slightly, and this can help relieve cramps and move gas out of your body. However, you may pass blood clots after surgery, and if you are too active, the clots will be larger. Increase your activity level modestly.

To help avoid the worst of the gas pains:

• Get up and walk around every 2 to 4 hours.
• Rock in a rocking chair.
• Use a heating pad on your abdomen.
• Avoid carbonated drinks, like soda pop, which can cause more intestinal gas.
• Don't use a straw to drink. It adds air to your digestive system.
• Drink hot water with lemon juice in it.

Child care

No matter how little or how often you use child care, it's important to find someone who will care for your child with affection and common sense.

Questions to ask potential child care providers:

• What is your background?
• Have you completed any early childhood development classes?
• Do you smoke?
• Why are you working as a child care provider?
• Are you certified in infant and child CPR?
• Are all employees in your facility licensed?
• How many other children are there? What are their ages?
• Are there working smoke detectors? Is there a fire escape plan?
• Is there adequate space for playing and sleeping? (Check out these areas yourself.)
• What kinds of activities do you plan for the children?
• What is the discipline policy?
• Do you keep any firearms in your home?
• How do you handle meals and snacks?
• What is your policy if my baby becomes ill?
• Could you provide me with the names of three or four references?
• How often do you wash your hands?

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

This test identifies certain birth disorders. A thin tube is inserted into your vagina to take cells from the placenta. Results can take a week or two. You may need to drink extra fluids to have a full bladder for the test, which can be uncomfortable. This is typically done at 10 to 12 weeks during your first trimester.

Colostrum

Before they produce milk, your breasts produce a milk-like substance called colostrum. Colostrum is rich in nutrients and is good for your baby. During your pregnancy, you may notice small amounts of colostrum dried on your nipples. Rub it into your nipples, or gently wash it away with water (no soap) and dry your nipples thoroughly after washing.

Contractions

Just like your bicep contracts when you bend your arm at the elbow, the muscles of your uterus contract when they are working hard. Uterine contractions pull the cervix up over your baby's head like pulling a turtleneck sweater down over your head. Uterine contractions shorten and thicken the muscles of your uterus, pushing your baby out.

Cystic fibrosis carrier

Cystic fibrosis is a lifelong disease that causes breathing and digestion problems. Symptoms -- and how serious they are -- can vary from person to person. Medicine can help treat digestive problems and lung infections. Therapy can help clear mucus from the lungs. There is no way to treat cystic fibrosis (known as CF) before birth.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease. This means a baby inherits it from the parents. Genes are the blueprints for growth and development. You inherit your genes from both of your parents. There does not need to be a family history of CF for a baby to be affected. If a mother and father each have this defective gene, they are known as carriers. Both parents must be carriers for the baby to beat risk. (Being a carrier does not put your health at risk.)

CF can affect any ethnic group, but it affects Caucasians more than any other genetic condition. For Caucasian couples who have the CF gene, the chance of having an affected baby is 25 percent. The chance of not having an affected baby is 75 percent. If only one parent is a carrier, there is a 1 in 1,000 chance your baby will be affected.

Cystic fibrosis carrier testing may help tell if you and/or the father of your baby carry an abnormal gene for CF, and what your risks are for having children with CF. A blood test can find most (but not all) carriers. Even if your test is negative, you still have a slight chance of being a carrier.

Having this test is your choice. If you have any questions, talk to your health care provider or a genetic counselor.

Copyright: (c)2002 Allina Health System

First published: 10/04/2002
Last updated: 10/04/2002

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts