Pregnancy

Just because you’ve had a baby doesn’t mean your struggles with infertility have come to an end. The mental, spiritual and psychological effects of having difficulty conceiving can pursue you long after the much-awaited baby has arrived. In this exclusive Q&A with Kelly James-Enger, co-author (with Jill S. Browning) of The Belated Baby: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility, we discuss the unique challenges of parenting a baby you weren’t sure you would ever have.

On  Christmas day a decade ago, my husband and I told our family we were pregnant, 11 weeks so and due in July. Upon hearing the news, my husband’s younger brother, who was sitting across the room from me, pointed at my stomach and loudly declared, “You’re having a boy.” Then he added, “You are. I’m never wrong.”I felt as if he had put a curse on me. Impending motherhood was still a hard-to-grasp concept for me. My husband’s emotional biological clock had been ticking much louder than mine, but at age 32 I knew that my physical biological clock was winding down.

Ancient Chinese secrets help you create a safe and nurturing nursery. You’ve picked out a darling theme, complementary wallpaper and bedding, and all the latest furnishings for your nursery. As you stand there, rubbing your hand over your expanded belly, you imagine this to be the most perfect nursery ever. Here’s where the needle scratches across the record, stops the music and grabs your attention. Something’s not right. Is the baby’s head pointed toward a window? Is there too much red in the room?

Almost every mother will tell you that, if she had to, she would give birth all over again to that sweet bundle of joy. But many of those mothers can also recollect a delivery that frightens even the toughest mom-to-be. If you’re pregnant, you’re no doubt wondering how to reduce the chances of a rough labor and delivery. For years, midwives have eased the emotional and physical discomforts of child-birth, helping hundreds of thousands of babies enter the world. Are the services of a midwife the right addition to your birth plan? Do you even know what the services of a midwife are? Or how to find one in our area?

When a couple announces they are expecting a baby, family and friends release a barrage of questions. Do you want a boy or a girl? Have you thought of any names? Do you plan to breastfeed? Few people ask if the happy couple has started interviewing obstetricians. Even so, it’s an important decision. One that, ideally, is made before conception — especially if this is your first child or you have a complex medical history. Dr. Alok Kumar, an obstetrician at Anne Arundel Medical Center, recommends a preconception visit to give the doctor the opportunity to review a patient’s family history, discuss good nutrition and ideal body weight, and encourage the mother not to smoke or drink during pregnancy