Just over a week ago we had to deal with our first eye infection!  Already????  I suppose our first of many other bumps, bruises, scratches and illnesses.  At first I thought that maybe I had caused it because of his bath the night before.  During bath time I had washed him down with a wash cloth and later did his face again without thinking and I noticed that quite a bit of water got into his eye.  Of course the water simply drained out and everything was fine.  I didn’t think anything of it until the next morning when his eye obviously looked irritated.

How do you treat an eye infection? I boiled some water and the applied a warm cloth to it to see if that would help but over the course of a few hours his eye began to drain quite a bit of yellow sticky stuff and a little redness in the corner of his eye was concerning.

We decided not to risk it and took him into the medical clinic.  Luckily the Doctor we had did confirm that it was an infection and at his age it is important to treat with an antibiotic ointment because there remains a possibility that this infection was passed on from the womb.

He prescribed us Erythromycin which is NOT an eye drop.  In fact it is a gel like ointment which is incredibly difficult to administer.  In order to use it properly it must be applied in the “trough” of the eye, which you create by pulling the bottom eye lid down.  The tricky part is to not touch the eye with the tip of the tube as the infection can then transfer into the medication leaving it pointless.

The ointment is quite sticky making it difficult to release into the eye so if you are in a similar situation try your best to get it inside the “trough” and if you miss a little gently squeeze both eye lids together for a few seconds as the ointment will eventually melt onto the eyeball with time.  If you really miss, try, try again!

The next day our little guy woke up with a crusty eye, however after cleaning it that morning the puss never reoccurred.  This does not mean that you stop using the medication.  In fact you must use the medication twice a day in BOTH eyes for 7 to 10 days to be sure the medication has done the job.  These infections are very contagious and can very easily be transfered to the other eye and to Mom and Dad’s eyes.  It is also important not to clean the infected eye with a cloth.  Instead use a soft facial tissue and throw it out and don’t forget to wash your hands frequently.

It is important to realize that these eye infections in newborns should be treated fairly seriously as when left untreated can cause eye damage including blindness in certain cases.  It isn’t worth risking, so get them checked out!

So I am at the 25 week mark now, moving along quickly actually.  This Christmas/New Years was extremely busy with work making these pregnant weeks disappear before my eyes!  Now as we get into January, Whistler starts to slow down again in preparation for the big event in a few weeks!  The 2010 Olympic Games! These next couple of months are going to be filled with so much excitement and energy that before I know it I will be a new mother!

So this week I had to get back to the baby game, being in my 25th week I was due for another medical test for Gestational Diabetes.  What is Gestational Diabetes?  Gestational Diabetes is also referred to as GDM and is a form of diabetes that only pregnant women can develop.  If  a pregnant women develops GDM and has never had diabetes in the past than she diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

Diabetes is a concerning disorder where the body struggles to either make enough insulin or use insulin properly resulting in an excess of sugar in our bloodstream giving us high blood sugar.  When the body digests carbohydrates it transforms the food into glucose which is required by the body for energy.  This sugar enters the blood stream and awaits the hormone insulin which is created by the pancreas.  Insulin’s job is to take sugar out of the blood stream and into the cells of our body.  When the body does not create enough insulin or in someway does not work properly we end up with a diabetic condition.

Those at most risk for developing GDM are:

• A member of a high risk population such as, Aboriginal, Hispanic, African descent, South Asian and Asian
• Over the age of 35
• Obese weight
• Past history with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Use of corticosteroids
• Acanthosis Nigricans (a skin darkening disorder)
• or had a previous diagnosis of GDM

Although in most cases pregnant women who do develop GDM have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Development, GDM can have negative affects on the pregnancy as well:

• The baby’s body is larger than normal—called macrosomia. A large baby may need to be delivered by a surgical procedure called cesarean section, instead of naturally through the vagina.
• The baby’s blood sugar is too low—called hypoglycemia. Starting to breastfeed right away can help get more glucose to the baby. The baby may also need to get glucose through a tube into his or her blood.
• The baby’s skin turns yellowish and the whites of the eyes may change color—called jaundice. This condition is easily treated and is not serious if treated.
• The baby may have trouble breathing and need oxygen or other help—called Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
• The baby may have low mineral levels in the blood. This problem can causes muscle twitching or cramping, but can be treated by giving the baby extra minerals

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Gestational_Diabetes.cfm

So obviously it is important to screen for this condition.  It is recommended that all pregnant women be screened for Gestational Diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of you pregnancy.

I just had my test done yesterday and it is a little time consuming actually.  It is important that you eat in the morning and about two hours after eating is the perfect time to have your GDM test administered.  You are required to stay in the laboratory the entire time you are participating in case of any difficulties.  The test takes just over an hour.

First you are simply required to drink a bottle of what tastes and looks exactly like orange pop.  You must drink the entire bottle in under 5 minutes and then you wait for an hour so be sure to bring those pregnancy and labour books that you have been putting off!

After an hour passes, the lab technicians perform a blood test.  The results will be sent to your Doctor.  If you fail you will be asked to re-take the test on a fasting stomach.

If you are diagnosed with GDM your Doctor will help get you onto a plan to control the condition which usually includes checking your blood sugar levels daily, a healthy low carbohydrate diet, exercise plan and possibly the addition of insulin as an aid to regulate sugar levels.

It is important to remember that most pregnancies with GDM result in healthy babies and healthy mothers immediately after birth.  This condition seems to disappear after the baby is born.  That being said, this condition can also be a very important warning sign to new mothers as mothers who had GDM and the children of those mothers are at a higher lifetime risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.  This can be an important catalyst for a healthy lifestyle change for you and your child as these conditions are certainly preventable.

I meet again with Dr. Anderson on the second of February where we will discuss my results.  Fingers Crossed….XXXX

There is nothing like waking up in the morning knowing that you are a Canadian citizen, especially after hearing the story we heard the other day!

Close friends of ours from Vancouver relocated to Utah about three years ago now for work. His family business started to flourish in that state so it became evident that someone from the company should be there on a permanent basis and our friends jumped on the opportunity for a change of lifestyle and new surroundings.  This couple had a little girl while still living in Vancouver, B.C. about 5 years ago, so the three of them packed up and went on to start their new life in Utah.

Yesterday my husband phoned this friend to share the news about our new addition with him and to catch up on their lives as they are expecting their second child in December. This time though they will be having their new baby boy in the state of Utah. His wife is already scheduled for a pre-determined date to have a c-section, so they are not only preparing for that but also the costs involved with the procedure.

The American health care debate is an issue every Canadian can barely understand. Although every nation has their “nay-sayers”, the fact that we can visit a Doctor as often as we want, have anything fixed as often as needed and have access to life saving surgeons 24 hours a day is a ridiculously good deal! It only costs $96.00 per month for the two of us, and let me tell you…we have used our share, plus some, of the Canadian health care system!

So my husband was very curious to find out how our Canadian friends feel about living in a country where health care is almost non-existent. Of course knowing that spraining your ankle in the U.S.A could set you back a fortune, they immediately applied for health insurance upon moving to Utah. However they were recently told the approximate cost of their birthing procedure, and the price tag…………between $6,000 to $9,000 dollars WITH health insurance!!!!

The worst part of this is that they have to pay $750.00 per month for health insurance for their current family of three!  They are great sports about it though, they understand this is the cost of business in the states, but being from Canada they also know how unaffordable this is for the average citizen and how absurd the argument against nation wide health care is.

Our friend also went on to say that their 5 year old daughter had a fall and split her lip recently.  They took her to the nearest emergency room and had assistance immediately.  She was stitched up and sent home and after insurance the bill was…..$2,500 dollars!  Holy Crap!  I still can’t get over this story!

My problem with the American health care system is that how can anyone live their lives to the fullest in peace and happiness with a 1 million pound elephant hanging over their heads which could fall at any time!  How does anyone get by in a day knowing  that they could be bankrupt tomorrow!

For every Americans sake, I am hoping and praying that Obama can make a miracle happen once again and give his people the true gift of freedom which they DO NOT HAVE.  You are not living in a free country if you do not have the security in knowing that you are being looked after and treated equally by professionals whose sole purpose is to protect you and keep you well.

I am forever thankful that when it comes time for my big day, I will be admitted to the best hospital in British Columbia, have various surgeons beside me in case of complications, have a private room and private bath (with a jacuzzi tub) with husband where we can stay together until it is time to go home.  The best part is that we both go into the hospital to experience having our baby, with no fear of the expense, or how we can afford it, what we are going to have to do to pay this all off.

We go home without a bill, all expenses paid!  We certainly won the lottery living here!

What the heck is SIPS? I am quickly learning that being pregnant is also an introduction to new western medicine protocol and examination. I am on a 9 month journey of needles and urine samples! So for us pregnant ladies, it is important to be well versed on these procedures and our options to become better informed and more importantly to be better patients.
I thought it might be helpful to do some research on this test and relay the information I find in a manner we simple gals can better relate too!
So here it goes…
Basically new technology within western medicine has allowed for new and improved prenatal screening tests which can better detect chromosome abnormalities while  reducing the false positive rate. These blood tests screen for abnormalities such as Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 and Open Neural Tube Defects. It is important to discuss with your doctor the benefits, risks and limitations of these tests as they are not mandatory, they are only a pre-screening option available to pregnant women to help rule out potential problems with the fetus. The results are NOT diagnostic they only measure probabilities.

What are the disorders that SIPS tests for?

Down Syndrome (trisomy 21): This disorder is caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. This extra chromosome results in intellectual disabilities, impaired cognitive abilities and physical variances. Down Syndrome is said to be found in 1 of 1000 births but results vary with maternal age.

Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome): This syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra 18th chromosome. Incidences of this disorder occur more often with older women and the survival rate is extremely low. 95% of pregnancies will not survive and 95% of infants born with Edwards Syndrome will die before year one.

Open Neural Tube Defects (NTD): Neural Tube defects are one of the most common birth defects. These defects occur because of an opening in the spinal cord or brain causing such disorders as anencephaly and spina bifida. When the spine begins to develop it is actually flat and proceeds to roll into a tube. If that tube does not close completely an NTD can develop. Most NTD’s are developed often before many women even know that they are pregnant.

To complete the SIPS process, two blood samples must be taken and results are given later on in the pregnancy, usually by the 16th-22nd week. The first blood sample must be taken between the 11th-14th week. The second blood test is performed between the 15th-20th week.
The detection rate accuracy for SIPS is, “Of every 100 pregnancies with Down Syndrome, about 80-90 will be detected (80-90%).” ( http://www.health.gov.on.ca )  The tricky issue with these pre-screening tests are the false positive rates. The false positive rate for SIPS is, “About 2 to 7 out of 100 pregnancies (2-7%)” (http://www.health.gov.on.ca) This means that your test could come back positive and you would still have a great chance of not having a baby with any of these disorders.

If your test comes back positive a new mother has the option to confirm the test with another test known as Amniocentesis.  This is a diagnostic test which involves taking amniotic fluid from the uterus.  This fluid contains chemicals and cells from your baby which can hold much information about your baby’s development.

There are risks associated with this test, approximately 1 in 200 women can develop an infection or some other complication from this process that could result in miscarrage.  “Some women leak amniotic fluid or lose a small amount of blood from the vagina. A high temperature, uterine contractions and/or tenderness, or feeling chilly and hot by turns indicate an infection.” (http://www.babycenter.ca) It is important to see your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

Results can take up to 2 weeks.  If the results are poor, women have the option to continue with the pregnancy or abort depending on their situation and beliefs.

It is important to remember that most babies are born perfectly healthy!  These tests are available to help women make informed decisions about the health of their baby.  It is up to the mother to decide whether or not to go through the testing process.  It may or may not be a journey you would like to take, but it is there for you regardless.