Adopt a mum is a positive communication tool for the purpose of connecting woman of all ages all over the world.
Those women that are without a mum in their lives deal with issues related to the lack of mother in their lives, especially times such as having children, getting married, being faced with difficult times.
Having a mum to be of support through these times is so precious but not all women have a mum or a strong female role model in their life.
Adopt A Mum is for the purpose of bringing all women together to support one another.
For more information about this program go to: http://www.adoptamum.com
Last Updated on Monday, 06 September 2010 06:17
What is placenta calcification?
Monday, 22 February 2010 04:41
The placenta is the part of a woman?s body that attaches the baby to the inside of the uterine wall. Blood vessels in the placenta make up the umbilical cord, which attaches to the baby at the belly button. The placenta, which resembles a cauliflower in shape, allows the baby and mother to exchange oxygen, nutrients, and waste products. The placenta is delivered after a baby is delivered, and is often referred to as the afterbirth.
Placenta calcification refers to calcium deposits that appear on the placenta. These calcium deposits indicate an ?aging? of the placenta that occurs near the end of pregnancy These deposits of calcium can cause certain small parts of the placenta to die. The calcium deposits may also cause some parts of the placenta to be replaced with fibrous tissue. The calcium deposits can also obstruct parts of the placenta with clots of maternal blood. They can also harden or block the maternal blood vessels. In most cases, placental calcification does not affect the functioning of the placenta, and the fetus is generally not harmed.
The following information is from Anne Frye (CPM)'s book: "Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year" 6th edition
p. 108 "Normal hCG Levels in Early Pregnancy" "HCG is detectable in the blood serum of approximately 5% of pregnant women by 8 days after conception, and in virtually all the rest by 11 days. HCG rises progressively from conception. Levels double on the average, every 30.9 hours until values reach 6500 mIU/ml (6,500 IU/L) at approximately the eighth week after the last menstrual period (LMP). After that the rate of rise becomes individualized, peaking between the 60th and 70th day (9 to 10 weeks) LMP. HCG decreases slightly between the 12th and 16th week post LMP, and then remains constant until birth. "
p. 111 "To Diagnose Pregnancy" "A blood serum level of less than 5 mIU/ml (5 IU/L) can be considered negative and anything above 25 mIU/ml (25 IU/L) positive for pregnancy. If you are unsure, repeat the test in two days to see if there is an upward trend, which indicates pregnancy."
"Levels higher than expected for the weeks pregnant may be due to multiple gestation or inaccurate dates. ... Levels for normal pregnancy fall within the following wide ranges. You will note a discrepancy between the ranges of normal in the two tables below. The actual level can vary widely, and is not as significant as the amount and rate of rise, particularly before 10 weeks."
It depends on the type of X-ray you need and exactly how much radiation you're going to be exposed to. The greater your exposure to radiation, the greater the risk to your baby. Most diagnostic X-rays (dental X-rays, for example) do not expose the fetus to high enough levels of radiation to cause a problem. While fetal exposure over 10 rads (the unit of measurement for absorbed radiation) has been shown to increase the risks for learning disabilities and eye abnormalities, you needn't worry. It's rare for a diagnostic X-ray to exceed 5 rads.
For example, the amount of radiation that a baby gets from a mother's dental X-ray is only 0.01 millirad. Since a rad is equal to 1,000 millirads, one would have to have 100,000 dental X-rays for the baby to receive just one rad. Other estimated fetal doses are 60 millirads for a chest X-ray, 290 millirads for an abdominal X-ray, and 800 millirads for a computerised tomographic (CT) scan. For perspective, during the normal course of pregnancy your baby is exposed to about 100 millirads of natural radiation from the sun and earth.
Although the risk from diagnostic X-rays is low, experts often recommend that women postpone getting unnecessary X-rays until after giving birth. However, if your doctor feels X-rays are needed for your particular medical situation, it may ease your mind to know that the amount of radiation your baby will receive will most likely be well within the safe range. On the day of the test, make sure the radiographer knows that you are pregnant so she can properly shield you.
If you're around radiation at work, talk to your supervisor about ways to reduce or eliminate your exposure. You may want to discuss the possibility of wearing a special kind of film badge that monitors the amount of radiation you receive. Such badges can be analysed periodically to make sure you and the baby are safe. If you're concerned that your employer isn't addressing safety issues, contact the Health and Safety Executive, the government agency responsible for overseeing safety in the workplace.
If you were receiving radiation for cancer therapy before learning you were pregnant, talk to your oncologist about the amount of radiation your baby may have received, and ask for a referral to a genetic counsellor and for a detailed ultrasound of the baby.
