back < 1 - 2 - 3 >
Miscellaneous
Q. I'm in my third trimester. For the past couple of months, both my dog and my cat seem to want to sniff at my breasts. Have you ever heard of this before? I can't smell anything unusual myself and my breasts aren't leaking. Do you think they can smell that I'm pregnant?
-Anonymous, North Carolina
A. Most mammals, such as cats and dogs, have a much keener sense of smell than we humans do. During pregnancy, I counted this as a blessing as I found my sense of smell to be so magnified that a burning cigarette in a car a half mile down the road would make me sick to my stomach. It's very possible that your pets are smelling changes in you, including your breasts beginning to make colostrum. Your cat and dog are probably just curious and I'm sure it's harmless sniffing. They just want to know if you're preparing to give birth or if you're stashing a quart of milk in your bra.
Back to Top
Q. I'm approximately eight weeks pregnant and have just about finished bleeding for the past five days. I'm Rh negative and had the shots with my two previous pregnancies 10 years ago. I read on two different web sites that if bleeding and Rh negative, you must have the shot within 3-4 days. The shots are not particularly easy to access. I asked about needing the shot since bleeding, and the doctors said they didn't think I needed it until about 28 weeks. Do I need it now? Am I too late?
-Anonymous, Kansas
A. If you are Rh negative and the father of your baby is Rh positive, you might be at risk for developing Rh incompatibility problems. In a first pregnancy this problem doesn't become an issue until delivery, abortion or miscarriage when the baby's blood may enter the mother's circulatory system. Mixing of Rh negative and Rh positive blood will make the mother's body develop antibodies against the different Rh factor. These antibodies could seriously affect a future Rh incompatible pregnancy without treatment. Only very rarely does the Rh factor become an issue during a first pregnancy. This can only happen if fetal blood leaks backwards, through the placenta, into the mother's circulatory system. Again, that is very rare.
Since your bleeding has just about ceased, you are probably not a candidate for miscarriage and intermingling of fetal blood. I wouldn't worry. If you do have bleeding again during the pregnancy, you should insist on having the shot, just in case.
Q. I had my period a week after I started to have terrible pain on my left side. My first instinct was "cyst." That night I had painful intercourse and the next day I was bleeding. It first started out brown and then turned bright red, like a normal period. Besides that one time I didn't have intercourse after I had my period. By the following week, I was so tired, worn out and in so much pain from my side that I finally decided to go to the doctor. They tested my blood and it came out positive for pregnancy. The doctor immediately sent me to the ER thinking it was a tubal pregnancy. After confirming the HCG levels, which were about 800, they performed an ultrasound externally and internally and found absolutely nothing, except a 5cm cyst on my ovary. Yesterday, a week later, I took a home pregnancy test and it was still positive. The doctor suggested a very early pregnancy or a miscarriage. What is going on here?
-Anonymous, North Carolina
A. Although I'm no medical expert, I think I agree with your doctor on this one. Your ovarian cyst and elevated HCG levels are probably not related. If the bleeding has ceased, the pregnancy may still have a chance to develop. If you haven't miscarried I think you should question your doctor about what treatment and/or medications you will have for the cyst and if that will affect the pregnancy.
Back to Top
Q. My wife is about six months pregnant. In her last three visits to the doctor, the baby's heartbeat has been slowing down and the measurements of the baby’s size are down also. What is your opinion as to the problem?
-Scott, New Jersey
A. As the fetus grows from the size of a pea to the size of a watermelon, the heartbeat does slow down. It is normal. (See the other "rate of fetal heartbeat" question for more details.)
As for the slowing of growth, it's also normal. I don't think you need to be too concerned unless your doctor alerts you to a potential problem. The baby goes through many growth spurts, enlarging rapidly and then slowing down at times. Also keep in mind that, as time goes by, there's less and less room for the baby to expand within your wife's womb.
Q. I'm currently six weeks pregnant, have had one previous miscarriage at four weeks, and two healthy children. I have been checking my cervix for the last nine months and know it pretty well. During my miscarriage I noticed it was really open through the entire time I was miscarrying. With this pregnancy I noticed it was closed in the beginning and now it's slightly open. After two vaginal births will my cervix never fully close and always feel slightly open? My cervix also feels hard and low. At my first doctor's appointment, he said my cervix was "a little blue."
-Jazmin, California
A. After even one vaginal birth, the cervix will never fully close as it once did. The cervix takes on a "multiparous" look. That can only be described as a fish-like mouth. However, this does not occur if you've had a C-section.
For your stage of a third pregnancy, I think your cervix is behaving normally. (See the other "cervical changes" question for more details.)
Back to Top
Q. I am 35 and got my tubes tied five years ago after having three girls. I now understand that one can have the baby's sex predetermined by in-vitro fertilization, or spinning the sperm. If done by in vitro, can I select the baby's sex? Is this 100% foolproof? Would it matter that my tubes are tied? Is the spinning of the sperm a more reliable method of sex predetermination? I only want to get pregnant if I am nearly positive it would be a boy. Can you refer me to any web sites where I can learn more?
-Victoria, California
A. Sure, it is possible for you to get pregnant with in-vitro fertilization, even with your tubes tied. As far as I can tell, there is no 100% guarantee of gender selection with sperm spinning, washing, filtering or any other fertility procedure. Sperm spinning (or the Percoll density gradient centrifugation procedure) can be a costly and time consuming method for separating the X (female) from the Y (male) sperm. Success rates of gender selection with sperm spinning range from 60-65% and it costs roughly $600 per attempt. Another variation of sperm spinning, the Ericsson Albumin Method, has a success rate of 73-85% and costs about $600-$1,200 per try.
If you're not willing to risk having another girl, sperm spinning may not be for you. If you are interested, here are a few web sites with more information about how and where you can have the procedure performed: Gametrics Limited and The Reproductive Specialty Center
p.s. Beware of "all-natural" or "100% guaranteed" gender selection secrets, methods, potions or drinks. I wouldn't buy anything online that offers information or methods that can predetermine your baby's sex. The best, most honest information is free.
Back to Top
Q. I am 23 weeks pregnant with my first child and my husband was using his hand “down there” and he said, "There's an extra hole, hon." Not knowing what he was talking about, I checked myself. It seems that my cervix is slightly opened. I don't feel any pain, except the baby doing acrobatics. I've had regular discharge. I also have severe back pain. I'm really scared that something is wrong, but I don't have another doctor’s appointment until the end of the month. Should I go to the emergency room or is this normal? Could stress have caused it?
-Alison, Connecticut
A. During pregnancy your cervix becomes engorged with blood and the opening may seem slightly open from the swelling of the membranes around it. Although it may be indented, the cervix should be closed during pregnancy. If you notice a large and deep opening (wider than two fingers, deeper than 1/2 of an inch) you should make an appointment with your OB/GYN to check it out. If you are not sure how deep or wide the opening is, you can call your doctor to ask just what you should do. After all, it's your doctor's job to answer any concerns about your pregnancy.
back < 1 - 2 - 3 >
|
![](../images/spacer.gif"){kind=spacer}
![](../images/franklypregnant_07.gif"){kind=small}
![](../images/About_10.gif"){kind=small}
![](../images/franklypregnant_12.gif"){kind=small}