• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Pregnancy Logo 2018

Pregnancy Magazine

Pregnancy and infancy news, tips, and reviews

“Great
  • Pregnancy
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Buyer’s Guide

Baby Beats

08/21/2008 by Leave a Comment

Q: Before pregnancy, I felt little heart flutters from time to time when I was nervous or suddenly exerted myself. Since I’ve been pregnant, I get them several times a day and not for any obvious reason. Is that anything to be concerned about?

A: The flutters are probably heart palpitations, a sign of a temporarily fast or irregular heartbeat. Most everyone has them from time to time. Pregnancy, along with exercise, stress, and caffeine, can make them occur more frequently. If you don’t experience dizziness or shortness of breath at the same time, these palpitations are probably harmless. Rarely, they’re associated with a serious heart condition, so if you do experience dizziness or shortness of breath, I recommend a consultation with a doctor who specializes in internal medicine.

Heading Down

Q: I’m in my third trimester and my baby has flipped positions several times, from feet down to head down to feet down again. As I’m getting closer to my due date, I want to make sure she stays head down. Is there anything I should do—or not do—to discourage her from flipping again?

A: Unfortunately, there’s no position or exercise you can do that will improve your chances of a headfirst baby. Certain factors, including your uterus shape and the amount of amniotic fluid, can increase the likelihood of a breech presentation—meaning the baby is positioned with her rear end or feet toward your pelvis. But none of these factors are directly related to your actions.

As the due date draws closer, most babies settle into a head-down position—breech presentation occurs in only about 5 percent of all single-fetus deliveries. If the baby is breech when you’re within a few weeks of your due date, your ob/gyn can sometimes manipulate her into a head-down position by feeling her through your abdomen.
This is known as an external version. It can be uncomfortable for you, and there are minimal risks to the baby, so it’s usually conducted somewhere an emergency delivery can be performed if needed.

The Fuzz

Q: Now that I’m pregnant, my neck seems to have sprouted a lot of peach fuzz. What’s the reason for this? Isn’t hair growth usually the result of testosterone? If testosterone is the cause, is it because I’m having a boy? Will it go away?

A: The testosterone from a male child can’t affect you. But your skin is just one part of your body that’s affected by carrying a child of either sex. Pregnancy can cause hair to grow in new places: chin, breasts, and cheeks are all common. And overall, your body deposits more skin pigment, or melanin, during pregnancy. It can make moles look darker, give you a line on the belly from the navel down, the linea negra, or cause darkening of the skin on the face, called melasma or the “mask of pregnancy.” Darker skin can also make previously invisible hair more visible. Depending on the reason behind it, the extra fuzz should go away after you deliver, or at least become less noticeable.

Filed Under: Buyer's Guide

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

More to See

parent coaching

Parent Coaching: 3 Ways to Create a More Joyful Home

05/11/2021 By Sarah Moore

The perfect workout for pregnant women (sponsored)

03/28/2019 By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

brain body parenting

Brain-Body Parenting: 3 Ways Dr. Mona Delahooke’s New Book Can Help Families Thrive

02/22/2022 By Sarah Moore

4th trimester

4th Trimester: How to Survive Baby’s Astounding (and Exhausting!) First Three Months

02/03/2022 By Sarah Moore

Footer

Copyright 2021 Pregnancy Magazine Group

Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond

Dedicated WordPress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel

WordPress Theme: PregnancyTheme

This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

 

Recent

  • Which baby nursery theme is perfect for your little one?
  • Brain-Body Parenting: 3 Ways Dr. Mona Delahooke’s New Book Can Help Families Thrive
  • 4th Trimester: How to Survive Baby’s Astounding (and Exhausting!) First Three Months
  • Want a Happy Child? Here are 10 Scientifically Proven Ways to Raise Kids Who Love Life
  • What you might have forgotten to sort out before Baby arrives

Search

© Copyright 2021 Pregnancy Magazine Group · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT