Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA - 22

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Everything
You and Baby
Might Need

A pregnancy can bring surprises. At UVA Health, you'll
find everything you and your
baby might need. Midwives
can help you have a natural,
homelike childbirth. Or, if
you have a high-risk pregnancy or problems while
you're having the baby, you
can trust you're in the hands
of experts and your baby
will have the resources of
the area's most advanced
neonatal intensive care unit.
At UVA, you'll also find
Charlottesville's only
Baby-Friendly hospital.
This means the facility
follows practices to best
promote the health and
well-being of mothers and
their newborns by providing:
Private, beautiful suites
Your newborn by
your side
Midwives, anesthesiologists and lactation
consultants on staff
Award-winning
breastfeeding program
Because UVA knows that
becoming a parent brings
lots of questions, you
can take advantage of a
variety of free classes.
Topics include:
All about delivery
Caring for your newborn
Breastfeeding basics
Becoming a working mom
Sign up for a free half-hour
tour of our spacious birthing
suites and learn more at
uvahealth.com/pregnancy.

or difficultly initiating stream, there's nothing
to worry about-except knowing where the
public restrooms are," says Catherine Ruhl,
a doctor of nursing practice, certified nurse
midwife and director of patient education
and outreach for the Association of Women's
Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. If
you think you might have a urinary tract
infection, talk to your doctor. Without treatment, it could move to the kidneys and cause
preterm labor.

Second Trimester

Often called the honeymoon phase of pregnancy, the second trimester typically is when
nausea and vomiting subside, your bump
is adorably noticeable and you have a good
amount of energy. There are a couple of
symptoms to keep an eye on, though.
Itchiness. As the skin on your abdomen
stretches, you might expect some itchiness in
that area. But pregnant women often report
feeling itchy all over. What gives? It has to do
with the increase in blood supply to the skin.
As long as the itchiness is mild, there's nothing
to worry about. Soothe your skin by staying
hydrated, using moisturizer and wearing
clothing made of natural fibers.
If you can't seem to keep yourself from
scratching or you have additional symptoms,
such as dark urine, gray stools or jaundice,
call your doctor right away. These may be
signs of a rare yet serious liver condition
called obstetric cholestasis, and it's dangerous
for your baby.

Always tell your doctor about
any concerns you have with
your pregnancy. Know the
signs of one of the largely
unknown risks during the
second and third trimesters.
Turn to page 49.

PHOTO BY STOCKSY

Swelling. Did you know that increased
blood and fluids in the body account for
about a quarter of the weight gained during
pregnancy? It's not just in your abdomen-
increased fluids circulate throughout your
body and, unfortunately, sometimes pool
in your face, hands, legs, ankles and feet.
Swelling can occur at any point in pregnancy,
but it frequently begins around five months.
As long as it doesn't come on suddenly-a
sign of preeclampsia, a potentially serious
condition that includes high blood pressure-
it's more a nuisance than anything.
"If you have access to a pool, swimming can
be a really good thing for swelling," Ruhl says.

What Every
Pregnant
Woman Needs
to Know

SUMMER 2020 VIM & VIGOR

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4/10/20
2/21/20 1:45
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http://www.uvahealth.com/pregnancy
Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA

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