Medical Vision Dental

It is understandable that the excitement of pregnancy keeps you busy in many ways. A simple word of caution is recommended here: This is an especially important time to look after your dental health.

Actually, some would suggest that this is the time to really pay attention to overall health and well-being. There is an old saying about the number of teeth missing being equal to the number of children a mother gives birth too.

Though certainly not one-hundred percent accurate, there may be a kernel of truth in this. The fact is that women are more likely to develop gum health problems during pregnancy. Hormones have a great role to play in this scenario.

If you are a mother-to-be, pay special attention to your oral health. Do not be content with just brushing and flossing. Consider using  a good oral irrigator, such as a hydrofloss.

Another excellent product to consider would be an oxygenated, ph balanced mouthwash. There are many mouthwashes on the market but very few that harness the power of oxygen with a proper pH. The importance of this should not be overlooked. A mouthwash such as the therabreath brands might be useful.

Chew xylitol gum. Xylitol has been used in Finland since WWII and they have found that the incidence of dental disease is lower as a result. Xylitol is fine for human consumption but keep it away from pets.

Make sure there is someone looking at your gums a little more frequently during pregnancy – just to make sure that problems are not creeping in. As mentioned before, the probability for developing gingivitis / gum disease increases during pregnancy. If you do not know what you are looking for, then you need someone who can help. Besides, it is not so easy for a person to examine her own mouth.

If you prefer a natural approach, Oramd, may be helpful.

Ask your practitioner about your pocket depths and how they relate to the health of your gums and teeth.

Author:  David

Disclaimer: This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not intend to render advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, visit your periodontist or physician for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.

The birthing of a baby is one of the most cherished moments of a woman’s life.  The experience of delivering a new life is like no other.Although it has an enormous amount of pain, most women agree that it is well worth it. 

As a San Diego midwife I would like to share with you a method that you might not be aware of.It is also known as waterbirth.

Waterbirth has been described as one of the gentlest ofmethods of deliveries.It utilizes and requires the use of a bath or pool that is heated.A few woman will just use the water for the pain of the labor part.This is done because the water that is heated is very pain relieving.It is relaxing to the tissues.

Other women will also delivery the baby through it.  They stay in the water all the way through delivery.  Even all the way through delivering the placenta.

The whole process is usuallly performed and helped by someone called a midwife.  If you are in San Diego there are plenty of midwives San Diego.  You will want to find an experienced one. 

Why do quite a few women pick this way of delivering over the hosptial method? As described earlier, delivery and the labor part is extremely painful.A lot of women nowadays use drugs to lessen the pain.  But for some women, they don’t want drugs for fear of harming the baby.  Using a waterbirth method helps with the pain.Because of the
heated water it soothes the tissues and helps with the pain.

Most women will go through this procedure naturally.They won’t ask or use any drugs to help lessen the pain of labor and delivery.  Often times this actually helps the labor happen faster.  Because the use of drugs usually slows down the labor. 

It is a safe alternative of delivery.For a few women who might want to have a natural birth this could be the method to go with.  I have seen many happy deliveries as a San Diego licensed midwife.  All it takes for a woman is to research and see
how safe it really is.

Pregnancy, what a special time for women.Well, except for the sickness.  But beyond that, the expectation of a new baby coming is exciting.

Usually, for most women, how to have the baby isn’t a big question.  Because most women will go the standard route of a medical procedure involving hospitals, drugs, and doctors.

But for some women, an alternative is available.That alternative is finding a midwife to help you have a baby the natural way.  And it is that alternative I am going to share from my experience as a San Diego midwife.

For those unfamiliar, midwives help women go through a natural delivery with no drugs.This usually means no doctors.

Often times midwives in San Diego perform these services at homes.Although, not known by most people, this way to deliver a baby is a safe and regulated alternative.

The midwives in this service industry are fully regulated.They can come in two forms which are a certified midwife or a licensed midwife, both of which are regulated and overseen by a board. 

Sometimes they can be nurse midwives, but that is not a requirement. 

This form of delivery is an option a lot of women choose and includes waterbirth in San Diego. Most of the time this choice is made by women who prefer not to have any drugs during delivery so that they can keep the new baby away from drugs.Also it is for women who want to avoid invasive procedures like episiotomys.

Well when making a huge decision on how you want to deliver your baby you want to make the right choices.With anything, you want to be sure you choose the right person.

Like I mentioned before, this is a highly regulated industry. With that being the case, finding a good licensed or certified midwife is easy. 

All you are going to need to do is get the contact information for your state regulatory board that oversees midwifery and you can easily find out if there have been any complaints or issues with your prospective midwife.

With this step, you can find out if it is a quality midwife and someone you can trust.It is still obvious that even though there are no complaints or reports about your midwife, you still want to verify some references. 

You will want to find that midwife whose client base only have high praises for them.  With something as intimate and important as a delivery following these few steps will help you find the right midwife for your delivery.

Having the baby in your home? Who would even think of such a thing? Wasn’t that just back in the western days when doctor’s had to deliver babies at home out on the prairie?

Not quite.  There is a large group of women who are discovering the benefts of having a baby at home, or homebirth as it is sometimes called.

The practice of homebirths is usually called midwifery.  Although usually not nurses or doctors, the people who are in midwifery are professionally regulated.  I myself have seen the steady rise of homebirths through my practice as a San Diego certified midwife.

The people, generally women, who perform this line of work are called homebirth midwives.  Midwives is the term most people are familiar with and means a person who helps during childbirth by providing support of the labor and delivery.

Now why the midwife generally isn’t a doctor or nurse is because having your baby at home, or midwifery, is usually the belief that pregnancy and delivery are natural events.  This is contrasted with the medical model which believes that pregnancy and delivery should be accompanied by medicine to assist and improve the situation.

That out of the way, lets take a look at why women are having their babies at home.  What benefits are making women choose homebirths?

First off, with the continued presence of the midwife, the length of labor can be reduced.  Most women aren’t told that pain medications actually slows down the labor, even though it helps with the pain.  This in reality causes the pain and the labor to last much longer.

Second, midwifery techniques in reality reduce the need for forceps or other intrusive devices during delivery.  The technique of letting the birth and delivery to occur naturally is what reduces the need to use those devices.

Third, the possiblity of c-section deliveries are actually reduced.  Most c-sections happen when during labor, it was thought that a natural birth process was not possible.  Either because of the safety of the baby was in mind or the safety of the mother.  When in reality the complication was created because the natural birth process wasn’t allowed to happen.

These are 3 benefits when you have a natural homebirth.  There are many more, but I am sure most women in pregnancy would agree these are 3 huge benefits. 

  So even though some might call it strange to have a child at home, recent studies indicate that allowing a natural birth to happen is much safer for the mom and the baby.  With over 300 births attended as a homebirth midwife in San Diego, this has proven to be the case time and time again.