Prepare for a positive birth with The Birth Class
What is infertility?
The Two Week Wait
What is low PAPP-A?
Gestational Diabetes (GD)
Birthing Ball for Labour
Birth Trauma
Caesarean Birth Recovery
How to Plan Sleep in Postpartum
If you get a preconception blood test with your GP, they’ll likely test for CMV and will be able to tell you if you’ve had it in the past (read: 5 Things to do Before You Conceive).
A standard blood test will show antibodies that indicate past infection; almost half of all pregnant women in Australia are thought to have had it prior to conceiving. Like most virus in the herpes simplex family, once you’re infected the virus lays dormant inside the body, hence you’ll carry it for life.
If you’re already pregnant and blood results show you haven’t had it, you can expect your GP to discuss the importance of hand hygiene, especially if you work in the childcare sector as peaks of infection occur in children under two.
When infected with CMV, most pregnant women have no symptoms. However, cytomegalovirus can be harmful to your unborn baby if you’re infected for the first time in early pregnancy.
For women who are infected for the first time during their pregnancy, approximately one in three will pass the CMV infection on to their baby. This is known as congenital CMV (cCMV) and infected babies are at higher risk of being born with an injury to the developing brain, sometimes causing hearing loss or intellectual disability. In Australia, more than 400 babies every year are born with a life-long disability caused by CMV.
Like many viruses, Cytomegalovirus is passed on via bodily fluids – saliva, tears, urine and mucous. Prevention is as simple as practising really good hygiene which will also help you avoid the common cold and flu.
For many children with CMV, they’ll often be asymptomatic (they have no symptoms). A primary infection in adults (and some children) will usually cause a fever and mild hepatitis. Healthy pregnant women are not at special risk for disease from CMV infection, but between 1 per cent and 5 per cent are infected for the first time during their pregnancy.
Generally, bed rest and plenty of fluids are all that’s required (similar treatment to a common cold). However, in pregnancy, when your immune system is more compromised, you may require testing and monitoring so it’s best to connect with your GP as soon as you start feeling unwell.
Listen to episode 467 with Gemma who contracted CMV in early pregnancy with her twins.
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Following your 12 week combined screening test, results may show low PAPP-A. This isn’t uncommon but it’s also not something that’s commonly discussed between friends or in pregnancy forums, hence it can be overwhelming at first.
If you are preparing for your glucose tolerance test between 24 to 28 weeks (or earlier if you have a history of insulin resistance), you may be wondering what gestational diabetes is and how it affects your pregnancy.
Chances are you’ve never heard of cytomegalovirus, even though you’ve likely had it. It’s a very common virus in the herpes virus family with 50 per cent of Australians having been infected by young adulthood and up to 85 per cent by 40 years of age.
Pregnancy is a common experience but we can’t forget how miraculous it is. The fact that you’re growing new life within you - and a whole new, temporary organ to sustain that life - is mind blowing when you stop to *actually* think about it. And for these reasons, it’s so important that you prioritise rest in pregnancy because it’s true - your body is working so hard to grow and sustain your baby and keep you healthy and energised, too.
If you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you’re likely taking note of every little twinge. It can quickly become allconsuming, especially if you’re past your estimated due date and well and truly over being pregnant.
The Miles Circuit can be used as a tool to encourage your baby into an aligned and ideal birthing position.
One in every 200 pregnancies is affected by placenta previa at full term (37 weeks), where the placenta implants at the bottom of the uterus and obstructs (partially or fully covers) the cervix.
Precipitous labour is a very fast/rapid labour. A labour is considered precipitous when it lasts less than three hours from the onset of regular contractions to the birth of the baby.