Whether or not to use pain medication during childbirth is black and white for some pregnant women, while others are not quite sure what they want. Many women hope to avoid medication altogether but realize — once labor starts — that asking for some pain relief may be a good idea. Giving birth is hard!

An epidural is a form of regional anesthesia that can take some of the pain out of labor and delivery by providing continuous pain relief to the body from the belly button down. With an epidural, you will be fully awake and comfortable. Women who’ve had epidurals describe the labor and delivery experience as calm, controlled and more comfortable.

The epidural is inserted into your back. You’ll feel a pinch and some pressure. A catheter is then inserted in your back which stays in place throughout your labor and delivery. The epidural blocks the pain, but you may still feel the pressure of contractions. Your legs may feel weak, numb or heavy, but your mind should stay clear — you’ll be alert and aware of what is happening.

An epidurals does have some risks:

• It may make it more difficult for you to push out the baby.
• It may cause your blood pressure to drop.
• It can cause a nasty headache.
• It may cause you to require a temporary urinary catheter.
• Some epidural medication does reach the baby, but the risks to the baby are minimal.

After the baby is born, your epidural may cause you to feel shivery. You’ll also notice numbness and tingling in your legs while the medication wears off, meaning you’ll be unable to walk around for a few hours after delivering. You may experience some soreness at the injection site. If you delivered by C-section, your doctor may continue the epidural for awhile longer to manage pain.

If you think the epidural is right for you, let your doctor know as soon as possible so, together, you can determine how early or late in your labor it is possible to get the epidural.

Opting to have an epidural is not a sign of weakness. Childbirth is one of the hardest, most painful things your body will ever go through. Wanting relief from the pain does not make you less of a mother.

Read more:

• Epidural: An option for you?
• How long does it take for an epidural to kick in?
• Quick labor and no time for epidural

Whether you’re in your first or fortieth week of pregnancy, it’s important to watch what you put into your body. Here are some things to avoid:

Alcohol
The alcohol consumed by a mother-to-be is passed along to the baby where it remains in a high concentration for a period of time. Doctors advise pregnant women to avoid alcohol altogether; there is no recommended safe amount of alcohol to consumer during pregnancy. Alcohol is one of the most common causes of birth defects. In fact, more severe abnormalities in a developing fetus are caused by alcohol than by heroin, cocaine or marijuana.

OTC and prescription medications
You should steer clear of many medications during pregnancy. Even common over-the-counter medications may be considered off-limits because of potential dangerous effects on the baby. Certain prescription medications also may cause damage to the developing fetus. If before you became pregnant you were prescribed a medication for an illness or condition you still have, consult with your doctor to weigh potential benefits and risks of continuing your prescription.

Recreational Drugs
Drug use puts unborn babies at risk for premature birth, birth defects, and behavior and learning problems. Additionally, a baby whose mother uses drugs could be born addicted to those drugs themselves. If you used drugs of any kind at any time during your pregnancy, inform your health care provider — even if you quit, your unborn child could still be at risk for health problems. If you’re pregnant and using drugs, contact a health clinic such as Planned Parenthood. With help, you can quit your habit and have a healthier pregnancy.

Nicotine
If a pregnant woman is smoking, her unborn baby is smoking, too. Nicotine and carbon monoxide are passed to the growing baby. Risks of smoking include prematurity, low birth weight, stillbirth, SIDS and asthma. If in spite of these risks you still can’t quit smoking, talk to your doctor for help breaking the habit.

Caffeine
Caffeine is found in coffee, tea and soda. Since high caffeine consumption is linked to miscarriage, you should avoid caffeine altogether. Decaffeinated products may still have some caffeine, so look for caffeine-free alternatives.

Seafood
Fish and shellfish contain omega-3 fatty acids and protein and are part of a healthy pregnancy diet, but there is some seafood to avoid. Shark, swordfish and king mackerel may contain high levels of mercury, which can cause brain damage in a developing fetus. Canned tuna also contains mercury, so consume no more than six ounces per week of light albacore or white tuna in water. Also avoid raw or undercooked fish, sushi or shellfish.

Other foods that may be dangerous
Food-borne illnesses may cause birth defects or miscarriage. Do not consume unpasteurized cheeses, milk or juice. Avoid raw eggs or food containing them such as cookie dough, homemade ice cream and mousse.

By focusing on healthy eating habits to protect your unborn baby, you many find that you’ve never felt better than when you were pregnant!

My husband once approached a former classmate in a store and asked, “When is your baby due?” She responded with a cool, “I had her two months ago.”

What is it about a pregnancy that brings out the rudeness in others? The July 2008 issue of Parents magazine offers some helpful advice for moms-to-be who just want to scream, “Leave me alone, and mind your own business!”

Here are some rude pregnancy comments and recommended retorts from Parents magazine:

Haven’t you had that baby yet?
Once the due date has passed and there’s still no baby, people just can’t resist asking this inane question. Answer with humor: “I guess he’s happy where he is,” or “I love being pregnant so much I decided to put off delivering for another month.”

May I touch your belly?
Even if someone feels compelled to rub your Buddha-like belly for luck, you don’t have to permit it. Stop it with a friendly “You may look, but please don’t touch,” or “You can touch my tummy if I can touch yours first!”

Did you have fertility treatments?
Perhaps someone asks this because you’re not in your 20s anymore. Or because they know you’re having twins. Whatever the motivation behind their curiosity, this is one of those instances in which it’s perfectly fine to say, “That’s a really personal question.”

My labor was awful…!
All too often, this unsolicited comment is followed by frightening details that serve only to terrify you. Some women try to share their story in solidarity, but you can feel free to bring it to a quick end by interrupting with “Please stop. I’m anxious enough about the big event.”

Are you sure you’re not having twins?
This comment refers to your size and is downright insensitive. Don’t let anyone get away with it. Respond with a silent, stunned look. You’ll send the message that you’ve been offended.

Share the rudest comment you ever heard when you were pregnant.

Read Things you should never say to a pregnant woman for more rude comments.

Stacy Quarty, author of Frankly Pregnant: A Candid Week-by-Week Guide to the Unexpected Joys, Raging Hormones and Common Experiences of Pregnancy, wrote her book to understand her own “strange and embarrassing” pregnancy symptoms and to let other women know that they’re not alone. Quarty, along with WebMD and top obstetricians explored some of these embarrassing pregnancy symptoms:

Flatulence
“When it comes to pregnancy side effects, excess gas is at the top of the list,” says obstetrician Laura Riley, MD. Pregnancy hormones slow stomach activity, allowing more gas to accumulate — gas you eventually have to expel. To help remedy the problem, cut back on gas-producing foods like beans, as well as carbonated beverages, and eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Vomiting
“Nausea is pretty much a part of every pregnancy. But there are things you can to do keep it from escalating to the point where you are actually vomiting on someone,” says Kathryn Macaulay, MD. Wearing an anti-seasickness band on your wrist may help morning sickness and reduce the rick of unexpected vomiting. Sucking on lemon-flavored or ginger-flavored candies may also help. Also, taking prenatal vitamins with food at night may prevent morning nausea.

Incontinence
“I can remember during my first pregnancy I went for a walk, something made me sneeze — and I felt this gush of urine. I tried to get home as quickly as I could, but another sneeze brought a second gush and, well, it wasn’t long before I felt the warm trickle of pee down my leg, heading straight into my socks and shoes. I felt like I was 7 years old again,” says Quarty.

As the uterus grows, it presses on the bladder and makes it smaller. Since you don’t want to limit fluid intake, you can bank on many trips to the bathroom — even throughout the night. Trying to strengthen the Kegel muscles may help. Meanwhile, wear an incontinence pad for those sneezes.

Mommy brain
Absentminded forgetfulness affects many pregnant women. While some may be tempted to blame it on changing hormone levels, Macaulay believes it’s much simpler.

“When you are trying to manage all your normal obligations on top of all your pregnancy symptoms, and your worries about the baby, yourself, your future, and maybe the color of the nursery, your mind just spazzes out from time to time.”  Simply acknowledging that these memory lapses are normal is one way to relieve stress, which, in turn, may improve your memory.

So there is no need to suffer in silence! Anyone who’s ever been pregnant has some idea what you’re going through. Talk to someone about your mortifying secrets. Laughing over them with a good friend will be good for you!

What was your most embarrassing pregnancy moment?

Read more about one of these at The Facts on Leakage: Bladder weakness explained

Some pregnant women have that “special glow,” while others feel downright unattractive. Your body may feel like it’s out of control, but at least you can keep your hair looking nice, right?

The debate about whether or not it’s safe to color your hair when you’re pregnant has been going on for decades. For many years, doctors advised pregnant women against using chemicals on their hair because of the possible effects they might have on the fetus.

When you apply hair dye, only a small amount is absorbed into your system, so very little - if any - would likely reach your baby. Since 2001, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has given the okay for expectant women to dye their hair.

Even so, it’s still recommended that you take precautions when dying your hair:

• Carefully follow the directions that accompany the hair dye product, including doing a patch test for allergic reactions. Do the patch test EVERY TIME.
• Wear gloves when applying hair dye.
• Do not leave the dye on your head any longer than directed.
• Rinse your scalp thoroughly with water after use, and wash your hands with soap and water.
• Do not mix different hair dye products - ever.
• Never dye your eyebrows or eyelashes. The chemicals can harm your eyes or even cause blindness. (The FDA bans the use of hair dye for eyelashes and eyebrows even in beauty salons.)

To be on the safe side, wait until after the first trimester to color your hair. You may even consider using a non-permanent vegetable dye, such as henna, to eliminate the worry. Or, instead of dyes, consider highlights, which contain far fewer chemicals and little contact with the scalp. Keep in mind that even if you use the same hair dye you’ve been using for years, your changing hormones may cause the results may be different when you’re pregnant.

What did you do during your pregnancy to feel attractive?

Read more:

• Coloring your hair during pregnancy
• Can I bleach my hair during pregnancy?

According to WebMD, a July 2008 report from the U.S. government shows a slight increase in the teenage pregnancy rate for the first time since 1991. In 2005, 21 of every 1,000 teenage girls in the U.S. became pregnant. In 2006, that number edged up to 22 per 1,000.

Also this month, Newsweek magazine presented an article questioning how Hollywood is presenting teenage motherhood, calling teen moms and their babies “a hot plot device.” Newsweek reported that OK! magazine paid $1 million for the rights to publish photographs of 17-year-old mom Jamie Lynn Spears (star of Nickelodeon’s popular kid show “Zoey 101″) with her newborn baby, Maddie. The cover of the magazine quotes Spears as saying, “Being a mom is the best feeling in the world.”

Entertainment programs, websites, and magazines devote entire spreads to young, unwed, pregnant starlets and their glamorous “baby bumps.” Designer diaper bags, celebrity-inspired maternity wear, and elaborate nurseries have mesmerized pop culture fans. Hollywood shows that the family-making process begins with pregnancy - planned or surprise - and perhaps, one day, will lead to marriage between the parents, or not.

Time magazine broke the news last month about a group of 17 high-school girls in Gloucester, Mass., who were suspected of making a “pregnancy pact.” The alleged agreement was that the girls - all 16 years old or younger - would get pregnant at the same time and raise their babies together. One teen reportedly became pregnant by a 24-year-old homeless man. The babies, the story reports, would love the girls unconditionally - a storyline made hugely popular by the recent blockbuster movie “Juno.” But any teenage girl who has faced an unplanned pregnancy knows that the experience is anything but glamorous.

As parents, we have a responsibility to teach our kids about family values, the consequences of premarital sex, and the dangers of unprotected sex. Kids will listen to somebody, so speak up and make sure your voice is louder than Hollywood’s.

Read more:

Chat about sex with your teen
Talking to a pre-teen about sex
I’m pregnant at age 16…

Pregnant women who eat chocolate just might fight off the serious complication known as preclampsia.

Basically, chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich with a certain chemical that helps the heart. Preclampsia is a condition in which blood pressure spikes during pregnancy and has features similar to heart disease.

Researchers studied 2,291 who delivered a single baby and asked them about their chocolate consumption during pregnancy. Women who ate 5 or more servings of chocolate each week in their third trimester were 40% less likely to develop preclampsia than their peers who ate chocolate less than once a week.

Researchers believe their findings definitely raise the possibility of a link between chocolate consumption and a reduced risk of preclampsia. They have encouraged others to conduct further research. Looks like chocolate might just do the body-and the baby-good!