Pregnant women in their third trimester may want to make an effort to hit the sack earlier after a new study found that poor-quality sleep in the last stretch of pregnancy might lead to adult obesity in their offspring.

Sleep patterns follow health of offspring

That’s the conclusion of research from the University of Chicago, where scientists interrupted sleep patterns in pregnant mice and followed the health of their offspring.

During the third trimester of their pregnancy, scientists sent a motorized brush through their cages, forcing the animals to wake up briefly, step over the brush and try to resume their sleep.

Another batch of pregnant mice were allowed to sleep uninterrupted in another cage.

Though newborns from both groups weighed roughly the same, researchers noted that their weight and health outcomes differed significantly as they grew into adults.

Male mice born to sleep-disturbed mothers weighed 10 percent more than their counterparts — the equivalent of 15 extra lbs (7 kg) in a human adult.

A few of the animals became morbidly obese and died earlier as well. Researchers focused on male mice because their hormone levels are less complex and easier to track. 

Overall, babies born after fragmented sleep also scored poorly on glucose tolerance tests and developed disproportionately high amounts of visceral white fat or “bad fat,” as well as elevated levels of “bad cholesterol.”

The findings were published recently in the journal Diabetes.

Use these tips to prepare for a good nights sleep

The results of the study may come as poor comfort to women in their third trimester who have to deal with protruding bellies and kicking babies.

But the National Sleep Foundation in the US offers a few tips on how to prepare for a good night’s sleep. Here’s a selection:

1. Sleep on your left side to allow for the best blood flow to the fetus and to your uterus and kidneys. Avoid lying flat on your back for a long period of time.
2. Drink fluids during the day, but cut down before bedtime.
3. Exercise regularly to help you stay healthy, improve your circulation, and reduce leg cramps.
4. Try frequent bland snacks (like crackers) throughout the day. This helps avoid nausea by keeping your stomach full.
5. Special “pregnancy” pillows and mattresses may help you sleep better. Or use regular pillows to support your body.
6. Napping may help. An NSF poll found that 51 percent of pregnant or recently pregnant women reported at least one weekday nap.
7. Learn to relax with relaxation and breathing techniques, which can also help when the contractions begin. A warm bath or shower before bed can be helpful.

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And seriously, I wouldn’t want to be a man. Not just because your bodies look uncomfortable to me (which they do), or because I would be missing out on some fabulous girls’ nights or because being tackled looks painful and masochistic. But mainly because I think being a woman is awesome. All PMS and feminine hygiene products aside, this is a good club to be in.

Except for right now.

Other than 12 blissful, semi-normal weeks squished right there in the middle for our sanity, being pregnant is kind of tough. I’m going to attempt to paint a picture for you, even though I know I don’t have the artistic skills to paint one well enough for you to ever be able to vicariously experience, empathise or understand these life-creating, uterus-expanding, back-breaking 40 weeks that we call pregnancy.

All I know is that we were chosen, exclusively, to carry, labour and deliver your children that you implant within us. There is no “your turn”.

Here are some things you might consider, though, the next time you stop feeling sorry for me or any other pregnant woman…

Let’s talk bladder control

It’s as if, every 15 minutes, this tiny mite atop my bladder gains 10 kgs and starts using it as a trampoline. Well, apparently, bladder trampolines have a weight limit. And running to the toilet is not a solution. In fact, running will only speed up the inevitable. You will wet your pants when you’re pregnant. You might even think your water broke, start crying, call your doctor, your mom and your husband thinking you’re going into preterm labour, only to be told you wet your pants.

You think you are hungry?

I realise that you think you are often hungry. No. You don’t know hunger. We are hungry. All the time. This hunger is the type of hunger that makes you feel like you are going to throw up if you don’t eat something right this second.

Ever had a Charlie Horse?

You know, when your toes start curling and your calf starts cramping like you just ran a marathon? We could eat five bananas a day and still wake up at two a.m. writhing in pain. It eventually passes. For about 24 hours.

One word: backache

Every time we sit down, lie down, bend down, look down, our entire back becomes one giant nerve bundle of anger. Standing up is impossible without assistance. But I have halfway mastered the roll to the side, prop up on one arm, push up to the knees, and find something sturdy to pull up on. I am a 78-year-old arthritic woman.

No, we’re not lazy

There are no words to describe the exhaustion. Your wife is not joking when she says she literally can’t keep her eyes open. This is the tired that extends beyond drowsy, way past fatigued, right into dead-man-walking territory.

Don’t ask why we cry

I’m sorry we cry all the time. We are embarrassed by our instability. Don’t ask us why we’re crying. We don’t know. Don’t say, “well, there must be some reason”, because then we will have to think really hard and we might come up with a reason that is, in fact, not the reason at all (because, seriously, there’s not one). This fake reason will sound ridiculous (because it is), turn into a huge fight and then we will just cry some more.

Gone is the body and the mind

We not only lose our bodies – we lose our minds. For example, I will walk into a room fully intending to grab something before we leave, stand there, look around, walk out of the room and walk back in trying to jog my memory, and then just leave. It’s only once we get wherever we’re going that I realise that I have no diapers or wet-wipes and that’s what I probably went back inside for

So, dads, we’re not asking that you carry the next one. We’re not asking that you rub our feet every night or bring us breakfast in bed (but we won’t turn it down). We’re not even asking that you feel sorry for us.

We just ask that you add a dollop of patience to your personality for a few months. We ask that you give us hugs when we’re being crazy, tell us we look beautiful when our faces are as round as our bums, and let us take a few naps on occasion. Because it’s not just our bellies that are changing, it’s our entire world. And we all know that we don’t have the emotional stability to handle that kind of thing on our own.

The post Dear dads-to-be, pregnancy is tough appeared first on All4Baby.

Causes of pre-term labour

The British Medical Association says that 50% of premature deliveries occur for no known reason.

Other causes for going into early labour include;

• pre-eclampsia
• hypertension
• diabetes
• existing kidney disease
• heart disease
• infections
• multiple babies

Complications for the baby

The major complication for a pre-term baby is respiratory distress syndrome, where the lungs are not yet properly developed. Extra care should also be taken over the baby’s immunity, and his or her ability to suck.

Signs of pre-term labour

• vaginal bleeding or spotting
• leaking of amniotic fluid
• pelvic pressure (a feeling that the baby is pushing down)
• abdominal pain
• contractions or abdominal tightening
• dull backache
• vomiting or diarrhoea

Depending on the circumstances, pre-term delivery can sometimes be averted once labour has begun. Certain medications can be used to prevent contractions and relax the womb, helping to delay birth.

Lower your risk

Pre-term birth can’t always be prevented, but there are some things that you can do to lower the risk.

1. Catch any symptoms early so as to avoid actual delivery. If you are experiencing any of the signs mentioned above, contact your gynaecologist.
2. Be consistent with your prenatal appointments throughout your pregnancy. Attending monthly appointments will allow your gynaecologist to keep up-to-date with any developing conditions.
3. Maintain your health. Contact your doctor at the start of any illness and infection.
4. Manage your stress levels.

While it can be frightening to go into early labour, modern medicine ensures babies have the best chances of survival, even as early as 24 weeks’ gestation. Many premature babies catch up with their full-term playmates, in terms of development, within the first year or two.

About the Author: Dr Noluthando Nematswerani is a Discovery Health Clinical Specialist. For more information on Discovery, visit www.discovery.co.za.

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