Conception, Pregnancy, & Childbirth Flashcards
Does sex have any correlation with self-esteem?
yes !
Sexual Self-Esteem: feelings that we have as a sexual being
based on : sexual experience, the meaning of sex to us etc.
Biology of Pregnancy
Key points in Fertilization & Implantation:
- Ovulation, 12-24 hour window it has to fertilized or it will disintegrate. u can get pregnant even after these 12-24 hours has passed as sperms live inside the body for 48hr up to 8 days
- Sperm follow chemical signal of the egg
- **Zona Pellucida: **thin gelatinus layer surrounding the egg - it protects the egg (important)
- Hydraluronidase: enzyme that secreaded from the sperm while they around the egg which allows them to break down the zona pellucida so they can fertilize it
- Capacitation(important): the penetration of the sperm where he goes through the zona pellucida is called capacitation
-when an sperm gets in the egg is locked in and no other sperm can get in
- Implantation: zygot travels through the fallopian to the uterus
Biology of Pregnancy
- Obstacles to fertilization(that the sperm encounters)
– Acidity of vagina: because of that kills many of the sperms
– Some are deformed: they cant swim properly
– Swimming against currents of fallopian tube
– Wrong fallopian tube(one of the tube will have an egg and the other wont)
- Zygote – fertilized egg
– Travels down the fallopian tube
– Cell division begins ~36 hours after conception
– Implantation occurs 5-7 days later
in the uterus
Embryo
- 2-8 weeks
- The various organs of the body differentiate themselves out
of these layers
-The ectoderm will form the nervous system and the skin.
-The endoderm differentiates into the digestive system
-. The muscles, skeleton, connective tissues, and
reproductive and circulatory systems derive from the mesoderm.
cephalocaudal order; that is, the head develops first, and the lower body last
Fetus
- 8 weeks until birth
Improving Chances of Conception
– Track ovulation by basal body temperature
(temperature will be slightly lower before ovulation and slightly higher the day after ovulation)
– Time/track intercourse right at ovulation or 1-2 days before
– Maintain sperm count: have the sperm ejaculated 2-3 times during the week ovulation
– Gravity: the women being on the botton position
Signs of Pregnancy
-
Presumptive signs = missed period, breast tenderness,
nausea, more frequent urination, fatigue
**Missed period + 2 others **= 67% probability of pregnancy
Probable signs: 80-95% correct
HCG: is a fluid from the placent which will be detected by a home preganancy test
Hegar’s sign: softenin of the lower part of the uterus. a gynolagist is able to test this . this happers by week 7
** Positive signs**: this includes fetul heart beat,featal movment etc
calculates the fetus due date Nagele’s rule: the first date of the last menstual period - 3 months + 1 week + 1 yr (due date usualy revised in the first ultrasound)
Emotional Reactions
- Wide variation
-
Positive emotions
– Hoped to be parent: excitement and anticipation
– “Characteristically optimistic” adapt well
– Sense of wonder
– Pregnancy as transition into adulthood
– Social support correlated with psychological and physical well-being
- Negative emotions
– Fears, anxieties, concerns about pain of childbirth
– Declining body image
– Worry about health
– Lack of an identity (besides “pregnant person”)
- Pregnancy during stressful events
– Increased risk of premature delivery & low birth weight
preganacy during covid
-stresses : economics but also just simple stress
-depression
-some women got infected while pregnant - iplacent wasnt form properly,still births, premature births
The Impact of Maternal Prenatal Stress Related to
the COVID-19 Pandemic during the First 1000
Days: A Historical Perspective
simmilar to other stressfull times
-ice storm 1990 : poorer cognitive abilities and lower body mess
1st Trimester
1st trimester = the first 12 weeks
where the placenta,cord,amniotic fluid starts do develop: it provides nutrients and oxigen, temperature mentainace and protection to the fetus
organs and neuron system are already startin to develop
most rapid development
Physical Changes in Pregnant Person
breast swelling
frequent urination
bowel irregularity
vaginal discharge it increases
nausea
fatigue
Miscarriages
- Miscarriage (fetus death before 20 week)
- Preterm delivery: babies that are delivered when they are only 37 weeks(normally 40 weeks)
- Estimated up to ½ of all fertilized eggs are lost before
person knows they are pregnant - 15-20% of people who know they are pregnant experience miscarriage(quiet common)
Miscarriages
- Most caused by chromosome problems in fetus(genetic issues)
Other possible causes:
- alchool,tabacco
- obisidity
- infection
- hormonal problems
- - sometimes the body attacks the fetus
-
Risk of miscarriage increases with age
– Beginning by 30, greater between 35-40, highest after 40
Miscarriages(symtoms,tratment,preventions)
Possible symptoms
– Low back or abdominal pain (dull, sharp or cramping)
– Clot passes through vagina
– Vaginal bleeding
Treatment
– Important to be examined to ensure no tissue remaining in uterus otherswize it can cause infection
Prevention(not always preventable)
– Early prenatal care
– Detect and treat illness
– Avoid environmental hazards
Miscarriages: Psychological Effects
50% of pregnant people suffer elevated levels of anxiety,
depression, and grief
Risk factors for phychological effects:
* History of psychiatric illness
* Childlessness
* Lack of social support
* Poor relationship adjustment
* Prior pregnancy loss
2nd Trimester
risk of miscarege goes drasticly down by the second trimester
2nd trimester = weeks 13 to 26
- child become sensitive to light and sound
- movment
- imature organs
-
Physical Changes in Pregnant Person
decreased symptoms
constipation, nosebleeds
expanding belly
fetal movements
edema (water retention)
breasts fully developed (colostrum)
Psychological Changes in Pregnant Person
Calm, well-being, pride, excitement, maternal responsiveness
3rd Trimester
3rd trimester = weeks 27 to 38
Physical Changes in Pregnant Person
uterus is large and hard
symptoms from pressure on organs
aware of fetal activity(kicking,hiccups)
awkwardness
Braxton-Hicks contractions(false contraction),not painfull
engagement of head - the head drops into the pelvis - uncourftable
Psychological Changes in Pregnant Person
Impatience, concerns: health of baby & delivery
How frequent to Braxton Hicks
contractions get as you approach labour?
usually last 30 sec
comes in irregular times different then labour because they are not close together or shorter
Attitudes Towards Pregnancy
Attitudes depend on context
– Michelle Hebl (2007) field study & survey study
- condition 1 :sent a pregnant women to the store to get something from it
- condition 2 : sent a pregnant women to the store to apply for a job in it
-pregnant women experienced more rudness when they were applying for the job then getting something from the store
- pregnant women experience over the top frindness when getting things from the store
Attitudes Toward Pregnant People
- Some studies show that visibly pregnant women are judged as being less committed to their jobs, less dependable, less authoritative, more emotional, and more irrational than otherwise equal, non- pregnant female managers (2007)
is this still true?
Maternal Bias in the Workplace
(2022)
-
Formal Bias
– Compensation (wage penalties)
– HR policies and procedures (hiring, advancement,
promotion)
-**less formal bias ** -
Interpersonal Bias
– Devaluation from colleagues
– Changes in relationships at work
-** interpersonal bias still around** -
Internalized Bias(the pregnant womens bias about themselves)
– Maternal body (“there is no place for a pregnant body in the workplace”
– Role (“a good mother prioritizes motherhood, not work”)
-still happens
laws that protect women from bias/discrimination
The Canadian Human Rights Act (Canada; prohibits discrimination related to pregnancy)
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (USA)
Teen Pregnancy:Gaby Rodriguez’s “Pregnancy Project”
attitudes in teen pregnancy
- the attitude is very negative for teens as (well as older adults)
Teen Pregnancy in Canada
- Teen pregnancy rates and teen abortions declined 36.9% from 1996 to 2006
- Was 44/1000 in 2007, 30/1000 in 2017
Why?
- negative attitudes
- contraceptive avalibility
- sex education
- want to persue careers
- Lowest rates of teen pregnancy
– PEI and NB & NL
- Highest rates of teen pregnancy
– MB , NT, and NU
Prenatal Care
Medical
Nutrition
Exercise
Effects of Drugs on Fetus
(teratogens)
Alcohol
- fetal alcohol spectrum disorder:
umbrella term covering all outcomes associated with any amount of alcohol exposure in utero
- fetal alcohol syndrome(the worst):a small brain, small eye openings, and joint, limb, and heart malformations. Perhaps the most serious effect is intellectual disabilit
Smoking:low birth weight;
cardiovascular anomalies; conditions involving arteries, veins, or the heart; and asthma
Marijuan
-viruses can transfer to the baby
Birth Defects
-
Amniocentesis involves inserting a fine tube through the pregnant woman’s abdomen and
removing some amniotic fluid, including cells sloughed off by the fetus, for analysis, although it cannot detect all defects.(high chances of miscarrage) -
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is an alternative to amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis of genetic defects major problem with amniocentesis is that it cannot be done until the second trimester of pregnancy; Chorionic villus sampling, in contrast, can be done in
the first trimester of pregnancy, usually around 9 to 11 weeks postconception.
Sex During Pregnancy
Current medical advice
- is safe
Changes in sexual behaviour
- decline in first trimester
- increse in secondary trimester
- decrese in third trimester
What About postpartum sexual
function?
- Pregnancy and postpartum are a vulnerable time for couples sexual lives
- Changes to sexual function (desire, arousal, lubrication, pain) are common after having a baby
- Greater sexual distress, lower relationship satisfaction, and
more depressive symptoms are more likely to experience
persistent problems with postpartum sexual function
-most people return to their sexual life after 3 to 6 months
The Father’s Experience During Pregnancy
- Some research on fathers, very little research on other relationship types
- Couvade syndrome - ‘‘sympayhic syndrom’’ -
-changes in hormons
- Couvade ritual- make sounds like suffer pain a long with wife
- Psychological changes for fathers in Canada - way more involved today in canada, increse maturity
Birth: Beginning of labour
Mucous plug discharge:plug in the cervix
Ruptured membranes: water braking (just 10% of people)
Increased Braxton-Hicks contractions
First Stage of Labour
Effacement(thin out the cervix
Dilation of cervix(10cm)
Length: 2-24 hours
12-15 hrs 1st pregnancy,
8 hrs. 2nd + pregnancy
Contractions (become more intese, and more close apart)
- The final dilation of the cervix from 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in.) occurs during the transition phase
Second Stage Labour
- cervix is already fully dialleted
Head into birth canal
Length : minuts to hours
Urge to push
Crowning ( top of head of the baby is visible
Episiotomy(controversial ): slit is made between the vigina and the rectum when the baby requires extra room to exit
First breath
Third Stage Labour
Placenta detaches
Afterbirth expelled(placenta,menbrane fluid) - few minuts to an hour
-stiches would be made here if an tering or episiology had occured
Caesarean Section (C-section)
C-section surgical procedure used for delivery
– Baby’s head is too large
– Person’s pelvis is too small
– Baby is breech or transverse
– Cervix is not dilating
– Person is nearing exhaustion
– Placenta previa: placenta is too close to the cervix(it risks disrupting the placenta
About 31.7% of births in Canada in 2022(higher then other western countries)
c-section is increasing
- older people are having children
- more fetus monorting can detect when the fetus is in distress
- some people just ask for it
c-section are more risky
Cesarean Births
Certain risks higher after C-section
– Infection of bladder or uterus
– Injury to uterus(can cause infertility)
– Injury to baby(rare)
- C-section rates can be reduced when hospitals adopt appropriate precautions increses more labour support
Childbirth Options
- Trauma-informed care: emphasizing informed conset,support during preganacy and labour, pregnant women have power over their choices
Prepared Childbirth
– Education
– Relaxation
* Lamaze method: teaches relaxation and reduce tension it helps with pain
-Lamaze training is associated with a
shorter length of labour and less pain
Childbirth Options
- Doula: women that is present during birth that provides emotional support (not medical) - people who use dulas have shorter labours, healthy babies
- Midwives: registered medical professional no different the gynacologists, sometimes even more experience(generally rate people rate their experience most positively
- provide care even after birth
- -longer visits
- Anesthetics can use natural methods or medical methods
- epidural block : numbs the body from the waist down
- home birth seems to be more relaxing then hospitals, midwives can come to their house
- only if their is low risk pregnancy
Natural Childbirth
- Continuity of care with midwife
- Becoming educated
- Learning relaxation techniques
- Learning controlled breathing
- Social support
Myths About
Motherhood/Parenthood
- Motherhood is completely happy and satisfying
- Being a mother is a woman’s ultimate fulfillment
- New mothers will feel perfectly component due to
her “natural” mothering skills
The Reality of Parenthood
Negative Factors:
– Child care is exhausting
– 35% of babies in USA are born to unmarried women
– Fathers usually help much less than expected
– Post-birth pain in vagina, uterus, and breasts
– New mothers often feel incompetent
– Expectations different than reality
– Little contact with other adults
– Father may feel neglected by mother
– New mothers feel they don’t live up to “perfect mother stereotype”
– People blame mothers for infants behaviour
Reality of Parenthood
Positive Factors:
– Women report increased sense of their own strength
– Parenting can be fun and interesting
– Identifying and developing ability to nurture
– Fathers/partners express admiration and affection for their partner
– Enjoy watching baby develop new skills
– More abstract than negative factors(concrete)
Role of the Partner
Excitement, pride
Role in pregnancy
Same concerns as person who gave birth
Concerns re: being present at birth
Having Children
Pronatalist view( want to have a child) vs. choice to be child free
Postpartum Issues
Physical changes
Drastic drop in levels of Estrogen & Prostrageron
Psychological changes:
Blues, postpartum depression,postpartum phychosis(10-20%)
Attachment happens over time
Postpartum sexuality
* infection is easier to happen during afterbirth , thats why they should wait until 6 week to have sex
* some people feel pain
* problems in lubrification
Breast Feeding
Colostrum: a few days before the delivery colostrum is secred (not milk!), high in protein
Milk after 2-3 days
stay high during brest feeding Prolactin- hormone that produces milk?
Oxytocin- hormon that reacts to skin contact
- recommended for babies to drink only brest milk during their first 6 months
benefits of brestfeeding for the mother:
-women recovery is quicker when they brestfeed
-it delayes ovulation
-reduces negative moods and stress
it reduces brest cancer
pregnancy-Related Problems
- ectopic pregnancy (misplaced pregnancy) occurs when the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus.
causes : STI like chlamidia, IUD (contraceptive)
- molar pregnancy is a mass of abnormal tissue inside the uterus.
caused by : either by fertilization of an ovum with no genetic information or when two sperm fertilize the same egg.
- Pregnancy may cause a woman’s blood pressure to rise to an abnormal level. Pregnancy induced hypertension
serious conditions:
(1) hypertension: elevated blood pressure alone
(2)pre-eclampsia: to elevated blood pressure accompanied by generalized edema
(3) eclampsia.
The combination of hypertension and proteinuria(protein in the urine). is associated with an increased risk of fetal death
common with tennagers
D (Rh) Incompatibility
During childbirth, mixing can occur between the mother and fetus, and the blood of a D+ baby causes the formation of antibodies in a D−
woman’s blood.
During the next pregnancy, some of the woman’s blood enters the fetus andthe antibodies attack the fetus’s red blood cells.
The baby may be stillborn, severely anemic, or developmentally delayed.
Infertility
Infertility
* Refers to inability to conceive or inability to impregnate a person (after a 1 )
sterial : an absolute factor that dont allow them to have children
sucess in getting pregnant when infertile
20% 1 mo., 50% 6 mo., 80% 1 year
Causes of infertility
40% female, 40% male
causes of infertality
women:
* Pelvic inflamatory diseas
* problems with ovulation
men:
* problems due to sti
* low sperm caount
* sperm not being good swimmers
-the women might be allergic to the mens perm
Infertility
Solutions
timing, frequency & positions of intercourse
fertility drugs
assisted insemination(sperm)
sperm donor
in vitro fertilization(zygot)
-more likely to low birth weight and congenital abnormality
surrogate mother/pregnancy
-embryo transfer(embryo in another women to the one that will be pregnant/phebe
Psychological aspects of infertility
Daniluk (2001) “emotional roller coaster”
Does female orgasm help with fertility?
with orgasm fluid is retain better (sucking up the sperm)
