Your Pregnancy: Week 9 for Mom
By: ePregnancy
Reality Check
So, it’s week nine of your pregnancy and reality is hitting home: pregnancy is definitely not as glamorous as that movie made it seem. So far, you are smelling weird things in weird ways, emptying your stomach twelve times a day and forgetting your own name -- and no one can even tell you are pregnant, so you aren’t getting great perks like your choice of seating. Chances are good that you are feeling pretty alone right now. Some of us tend to close off at times like this, but the best treatment is to reach out to those around you. Let them know how you are feeling and accept help when they offer. If your cubicle neighbor offers to pick up lunch for you while she’s out, take her up on it! If you need to talk and just get it all out there, do so as much and as often as you need to.
Week nine is a great time to take stock of your health. If you haven’t already done it, compile a family medical history. Your doctor will love you for it! Examine your diet -- are you making an effort to keep it balanced? We know it’s hard to do that when your food choices are dictated by your morning sickness. But if you can make an effort to keep the good-for-you foods going in, you (and that sprite inside you) will feel much better over the length of your pregnancy. Your doctor or midwife may have some creative ways to keep your nutrition in line even when you don’t feel like munching on carrots. If you haven't been exercising, this is the perfect time to start. Even a stroll around the parking lot at lunch can go a long way towards making you feel better throughout the pregnancy.
Why do I need a family medical history?
A thorough medical history can help you identify potential health risks so that you can plan for or take measures to avoid them and you'll also know which problems you may pass on to your kids. Your family doctor will appreciate having an easy history on hand, too -- it can help her diagnose a medical condition, decide which tests to run and determine a course of treatment. Just remember: your medical history isn't a crystal ball. While it can provide some insight into your present and future health, it can't predict the exact course of your future.
How do I create a family medical history?
A family medical history isn't so different from the family tree you made in elementary school -- it just contains a bit of additional information. Your history will be detailed or general, depending on the information you are able to obtain from relatives. You should ask about medical conditions, as well as habits such as smoking and drinking. We suggest collecting information from more than one family member to get a complete picture, but here's what you're looking for:
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Significant dates -- births, deaths, dates that diseases were diagnosed
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Major diseases -- At what age were the diseases diagnosed? Was treatment successful? Important conditions to ask about include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, blindess and deafness
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Other minor conditions -- asthma, allergies, migraines, frequent ear or tonsil infections
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Pregnancy-related conditions -- infertility, stillbirths, birth defects and miscarriage
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Mental health -- learning disabilities, autism, mental retardation, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, anxiety disorders and depression
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Ethnic background -- Some conditions (such as sickle cell anemia) are more common among certain ethnicities
Once you have the answers to these questions, compile them into an easily-accessible document. You should list each member of your family that is a blood relative, with their corresponding conditions. You might even want to give your doctor a copy to keep in your permanent file.