Dear Childbirth Educator:

Lately I am hearing so much about fatty acids and how important they are in the development of a baby, both in the uterus and while being breast fed. I just found out I am pregnant. I’d like to know why they are so important and what I should be taking to ensure my growing fetus is getting everything it needs.

Lorraine Wells
Wilmington, DE

Dear Lorraine:

Great question!  Omega-3 fatty acids, aka polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAS, are important for fetal/newborn development.  They will be given to you to take during your pregnancy and you will continue to take them while you are breast feeding.  If you are formula feeding, today’s formulas have DHA and AHA in them.

There are several common Omega-3 fatty acids needed by the body.  Long-chain versions of them, like DHA and EPA, are critical for fetal brain and organ development.  These fatty acids also ensure the elasticity of the cell wall membranes of the human eye, brain and sperm cells.  Large amounts have been of DHA have been traced being transferred from the mother through the placenta to the fetus in the third trimester, having important roles in retinal and brain function.

Direct DHA Food Sources include:

Dear Childbirth Educator:

My sister had her first baby earlier this year and was so looking forward to his arrival.  She had what her doctor said was a great labor (18 hours, an epidural, pushed for a little less than 2 hours,) and came home after staying in the hospital one night after delivery.  Everything seemed to be going well with breast feeding, although she did have someone come to the house to help her.  Her husband was a tremendous help and my parents, and I took turns helping as well.

On about day 8 everything changed.  All she did was lay in bed.  She wouldn’t eat. She only held the baby at feeding times.  She didn’t shower or change her clothes and wanted no company.  The entire family became worried and her husband decided to call her doctor, who recommended a therapist who specialized in post partum depression.  My mom and I took turns sleeping at their house to help out and after several weeks of therapy and medication (which the therapist assured her was safe while breast feeding). Things started to get better.  But this was all so frightening.  I have never seen my sister like this before, and no one in my family has had any history of depression.

I am extremely anxious because I am now pregnant and fearful of the same thing happening to me. Is post partum depression hereditary? Is there anything I can to to prevent it from happening to me?

Julia Bunch
St Louis, MO

Dear Julia:

Dear Childbirth Educator:

I have a dilemma I don’t know quite how to handle.

I am 32 weeks pregnant with my first baby and have become more and more unhappy with my obstetrician. He seems disinterested, rushes me through exams, will not discuss my birth plan with me and has bluntly let my husband and I know that I’ve had a healthy “textbook” pregnancy and that’s the way he expects labor to go so there won’t be any need to make changes in his usual protocol at the hospital. When I have asked what he means by that, he simply states that all the nurses know what he likes done and therefore not to worry. He was referred to me by a colleague who said he wasn’t like this 3 years ago, but for whatever reason, he is no longer taking the same interest in his patients as before. I like the hospital, but I am really not looking to going through labor with this doctor, even though I know he won’t be there throughout the entire labor. What is your recommendation?

Linda Reynolds
Chicago, IL

Dear Linda:

You are right at the cut off time when it will become difficult to find another doctor to take you on but you may be able to if you act quickly.

Dear Childbirth Educator:

I just found out I am pregnant and I know there are so many things I need to be concerned with that are obviously more important than manicures and pedicures, but I am the manager of a large spa and it is important that my nails always look perfect. I am very concerned about inhaling the fumes in the nail salon as well as the products used on my nails. The owner of the spa has said I can limit the amount of time I spend in or near the nail salon, but I still inhale the fumes regularly when I am escorting clients or getting my own nails done. I know I sound very spoiled but it is my job. How can I take precautions?

Lindsey Bratman
New York City, New York

Dear Lindsey,

If it part of your job, you are certainly not “spoiled” since it is expected of you to look your best and it may actually help you to look better on those pregnancy days when you may not feel your best. Your clients at the spa pamper themselves with all sorts of treatments (and you may want to suggest to your employer that she consider catering to pregnant women, a trend many salons are doing successfully here in Los Angeles) and there is no reason you shouldn’t look and feel as good as your clients do.

This list should help you when you are being taken care of at the nail salon or spa: