healthy mom

Prepare for a
great delivery

Home births are on the rise, but

they arent for everyone. Certified
doula Sunday Tortelli, president
of Dona International, tells how
to give your hospital delivery
a home-birth feel.

Minimize interruptions
At home, a woman feels
ownership and she has control
over who is present, says
Tortelli. Ask doctors and nurses
to knock before entering,
not to talk during contractions,
and to keep procedures like
fetal monitoring to a minimum.

STEPHANIE RAUSSER. WARDROBE STYLING BY MELINDA TARBELL. PROP STYLING BY SARAH CONROY. HAIR AND MAKEUP BY FRANCE PIERSON.

Dim the lights

Lowering the lights and drawing

the blinds gives a homelike
sense of safety and privacy
which can physiologically help
labor progress.

Add some aroma

Favorite scents can help you

relax (think lavender) or pump
you up (citrus or peppermint).

Play mood music

Chose some relaxing songs as

well as high-energy jams to
power you through the more
intense moments of labor.

A NEW PRENATAL TEST

Panorama, performed with a simple blood draw, can

determine with 99 percent accuracy whether a fetus
carries genes for chromosomal abnormalities such as
Down syndrome. That means fewer stressful false
positives. Panorama looks at the babys DNA, so its
better at identifying an issue than the old way that
checks biomarkers in blood, says Susan Gross, M.D.,
professor of womens health, pediatrics, and genetics
at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York
City. The test can also reveal Babys sex as early as
10 weeks gestation. Ask your doctor if its right for you.

Chec k ou t
y o u r la b o r
r oom on a
ho s p ita l to u r.

Dad on duty Plan that

girls night out! A new Israeli
study found that the brains
of fathers who are highly
engaged in their infants life are
activated the same way as the
brains of moms-to-be.
Translation: Hes primed to take
good care of Baby too!

December/January 2015 | americanbaby.com | 57

healthy mom
GET THAT FLU SHOT!
The vaccine is a must for moms-to-be,
according to the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
because pregnant women are five times
more likely than other women to
be hospitalized if they get the flu. Your
immunization is important to your baby
too, says Carol Baker, M.D., of The Center
for Vaccine Awareness and Research
at Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston.
The flu can lead to premature labor,
which may result in developmental and
physical delays, she notes. And when
pregnant women get inoculated, they
protect their babies from the flu for the
first several months of life. Thats crucial
coverage because babies cant get the
flu vaccine until theyre 6 months old.

PPD prevention A recent study found

that 35 percent of women who didnt get an
epidural had postpartum depression
at six weeks, but only 14 percent of moms
who had an epidural suffered.

Snack attack

Dip into your diaper bag for a nutritious, tasty treat to stay fueled when youre on
the go. With between 100 and 250 calories each, these options will do
the trick, says New York City dietitian and new mom Anita Mirchandani, R.D.

When you have a

chip craving, munch
on Oceans Halo
Seaweed Chips, a
good source of
potassium, folic
acid, and protein.
($4 for 3 oz.;
OceansHalo.com)

These fiber-packed
Sunsweet Ones
California prunes
stay moist and
fresh in your bag
because each sweet
piece is individually
wrapped. ($4 for
7 oz.; Sunsweet.com)

58 | americanbaby.com | December/January 2015

GoPicnic snacks
provide a punch
of protein and
multigrain carbs in
combos such as
Black Bean Dip and
Tortilla Chips.
($3 for 2 to 3 oz.;
GoPicnic.com)

Power bars

Fill up on a mighty
10 grams of protein
in Strong and
Kinds unexpected
flavors like
Thai Sweet Chili
and Honey Smoked
BBQ. ($1.79 each;
KindSnacks.com)

GETTY IMAGES.

Healthy chips Dried prunes Snack packs