Jill Bellavance is a 33-year-old mother of two, a 3-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 10 years ago, she managed her RA through two pregnancies. She works 30 hours a week for an environmental consulting firm.
In planning for her pregnancy, Bellavance went off all medications except prednisone before she got pregnant. “I was really lucky. The way my doctor described it to me, one-third of the cases get better, one-third stays the same, and a third gets worse. I had less pain — at least a manageable level — and I had more energy.” She remained on a low dose of prednisone throughout both pregnancies. Read more »

If you’re planning a hospital birth, you can’t know exactly when you will have to drop everything to head to the maternity unit. As your due date approaches, your bag should be packed! Along with necessities such as toothbrush, toothpaste, and undergarments, you may want to think of some feel-good items that will make your stay more pleasant, especially if you end up spending a long time in labor.

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In addition to dealing with the changes that a pregnancy brings about, expectant fathers worry about parenting the child once it is born. Even if you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for awhile and you know you want children, when presented with the reality of a child, doubts inevitably rise about your parenting abilities — both short and long term. What kind of father will you be? Can you be like your father was — or would you want to be? Will your child trust you? Will you be patient enough? Will you have the energy it takes to raise a child? Will you have enough money to raise a child? How the heck do you change a diaper?
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You may be sore for a few weeks or longer if you had stitches. To care for your perineal area, ice the area as soon as you can after delivery to reduce swelling. Your practitioner may provide you with anesthetic for your perineum. Also, there are special perineal pads you can place between your skin and the sanitary napkins to make you more comfortable. Warm sitz baths might make you feel better. Rinse the sore area with warm water after you urinate. In general, keeping the area clean and dry will help you heal as soon as possible.

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As a woman who has suffered from a miscarriage, I can definitely say it is not something I would ever wish on my own worst enemy. Before I experienced my miscarriage in 2007, I had had a couple friends who had. I never knew exactly why they were grieving.
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