The Claim: Fetal Heart Rate Can Predict the Baby’s Sex

Leif Parsons

The medical literature is rife with all sorts of claims about unusual ways to predict the sex of an unborn baby.

One that has been around for decades, and has even gained some acceptance, is the idea that fetal heartbeat is faster among girls. Rates above 140 beats per minute, it is said, are typical for girls; below that, look for a boy. How this belief came about is not entirely clear, but studies that have looked into it over the years have traced it to folklore.

They have also found that the belief holds little water. Typically, the embryonic heart rate starts out at about 85 beats per minute and then accelerates roughly 3 beats per minute each day during the first month. After the rate reaches an average of about 175 beats per minute, studies show, the acceleration reverses; by the middle of pregnancy, the rate averages 120 to 160 beats per minute.

In a study published in The British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers studied fetal heart-rate variations in 79 women, looking for differences between male and female fetuses. They could not find any.

Curiously, there does seem to be a difference during labor, when the female rate is considerably faster. The reasons are unknown.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies suggest there is little relationship between sex and fetal heart rate.

Would You Pay Out of Pocket for a 4D Ultrasound?

Ultrasounds used to be an exciting part of a woman's prenatal visits, something that occurred once or twice throughout her pregnancy. Today, many moms-to-be are electing to have 3D and 4D ultrasounds that allow them to clearly see and walk away with photos and videos of their unborn child's features.

These 3D and 4D sonograms are often done in luxury suites with plasma video screens, comfortable seating for your family and friends, and piped in lullabies. The biggest issue is that insurance does not cover the cost of these nonessential procedures, which can range from $150 for a basic package to more than $300 for packages that include DVDs, password-protected websites, and more.

11 weeks pg

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

Fetal Sounds

A galloping horse is what your baby's heartbeat will sound like and will be about twice as fast as the mother's heart rate. An average normal fetal heart rate is between 120-180 BPM (Beats Per Minute). Where as an average adult heart rate at rest is between 60-100 BPM.

Maternal Sounds

You may also hear sounds of your own heart or blood flow. A major artery runs through your abdomen and the swish of your blood through it is sometimes picked up by the fetal doppler. This sound is heard by the baby later in pregnancy and has been recorded and used to calm upset babies after birth.

Placental Sounds

The blood flow becomes steadier as it flows through the placenta and has a distinctive sound like wind blowing through the trees.

Instrument Noise

The fetal doppler itself may have some background noise, static, popping etc. When the fetal doppler probe is moved on the abdomen, louder popping noises may result. Sometimes, the movements of your baby in later pregnancy also produce louder noises. Ultrasound gel use is integral on cutting down on much of the static produced when positioning the fetal dopplers transducer during an exam.

found the heartbeat on my doppler!!!!

baby's heartbeat is between 168-170 bpm and my heartbeat is 70 bpm!

Pregnancy Week 10

How Big is the Baby at Ten Weeks Pregnant?
Your baby is getting big... in fact, by pregnancy week 10 your baby is big enough to start being weighed! By pregnancy week 10 your baby will measure between 31 and 42 mm or a little more than an inch and a half! Your baby is about the size of a lime, maybe slightly larger by now.

Your Baby's Growth and Development
By the end of pregnancy 10 weeks your baby will have moved past the embryonic period, and will begin the 'fetal' period. The fetal period is the time when your fetus will grow rapidly. By week ten your baby is less at risk for congenital malformations, which usually occur during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. You should breathe a big sigh of relief by the end of pregnancy week 10 now that this important developmental stage is past!

It is important however that you know that any exposure to toxins even during this time or throughout your pregnancy week by week can be damaging or harmful for your fetus. Your baby's health and well being depend in large part upon your ability to take care to protect them during the duration of your pregnancy.

One of the more common exposures that women may not consider during pregnancy is second hand smoke. Second hand smoke can be harmful particularly during pregnancy. If you find yourself in an environment where people are smoking, remove yourself as quickly as possible. Don't hesitate to address your needs or assert yourself during this all important time. Most people will certainly understand your concerns and will be more than happy to accommodate any requests to avoid exposing your baby to unnecessary toxins.

By the end of pregnancy week 10 your baby's organ systems are growing quickly. Now internal organs are starting to form and the vital organs including the liver, kidney, intestines and brain will start functioning. In the next three weeks alone your baby's length will grow exponentially. Tiny details will start appearing on your baby's body, including items such as toenails. If you were to look really closely you might even notice some peach fuzz growing on your baby's skin! By now your baby will be consumed with swallowing and kicking. That's right, your baby will swallow amniotic fluid during your pregnancy. Consider it a practice run for breathing once she is born!

Spinal nerves are also visible at this point in pregnancy, and your baby's liver is busy making blood cells.

sick of being sick

today i had to sit down in the grocery store. i am sooo exhausted. i am so sick of being nauseous

Morning Sickness May Protect Embryos

By Charles Q. Choi,

livescience.com

Posted: 2008-05-19 15:05:05

Filed Under: Health News, Science News

(May 18) - As irritating as morning sickness may be for pregnant women, it may protect embryos.

Doctors have long known that morning sickness — the nausea and vomiting usually experienced in early pregnancy — is actually a good sign of a healthy pregnancy, despite the discomfort it brings.

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Nausea Could
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Scientists say morning sickness, an uncomfortable experience for many pregnant women, may actually help a pregnancy succeed.

However, scientists have debated whether morning sickness actually helps pregnancies succeed. It could just be an annoying byproduct of a healthy pregnancy, as pregnant women and their embryos carry out a tug of war over the body's resources.

When and why

To see which explanation might be right, scientists analyzed medical research to see when morning sickness does and does not occur.

If morning sickness was just the byproduct of a healthy pregnancy, then it should accompany all healthy pregnancies. "But it doesn't," said researcher Samuel Flaxman, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Although two-thirds of pregnant women do experience morning sickness, the rest often carry their pregnancies to term.

Tell Us

Also, morning sickness does not seem to occur in other mammals, only humans, the researchers noted. If morning sickness was the byproduct of conflict between mother and embryo or fetus, one might expect other mammals to have it too.

Instead, morning sickness is usually triggered in specific circumstances — in response to:

the sight, smell, or taste of meats and strong-tasting vegetables, which were historically likely to contain foodborne microbes or birth-defect-inducing chemicals; alcohol and cigarette smoke. This all suggests morning sickness serves a useful function, evolving to protect mothers and embryos from things that may be dangerous, the researchers figure.

Also, in women who experience morning sickness, symptoms peak precisely when embryonic organ development is most susceptible to chemical disruption, between week six and week 18 of pregnancy.

The reason that humans alone have morning sickness may be due to our extraordinarily broad diet in comparison to other mammals, including other primates, the scientists conjectured. Instead of evolving a range of molecules to defend against toxins, humans just evolved a way to keep away from dangerous chemicals.

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Implications for pregnancy

A better understanding of morning sickness could have important implications for how doctors handle pregnancy.

"To say that morning sickness is uncomfortable is a real understatement, and a lot of people are looking at ways to deal with it. But if nausea and vomiting truly serve a useful function, then one has to look more carefully at strategies for dealing with these symptoms," Flaxman told LiveScience.

Despite decades of medical research and the widespread nature of morning sickness, little remains known about how it works, as it is of course unethical to experiment on pregnant women, and no other animals are known to experience it.

"We're really interested in a more exhaustive analysis to see if morning sickness really does only occur in human beings, or whether there are other animals out there," Flaxman said.

Flaxman and his colleague Paul Sherman at Cornell University detailed their findings in the July issue of the journal American Naturalist.

10 weeks

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

Kidmazing: Kid Gives Away a Million

If picking up pennies gives you good luck, this child is set for life. Ten–year–old Andrew Niemi of Carleton, MI, collected one million copper coins.

Starting on Dec. 26, 2006, kidmazing Andrew, along with some fundraising helpers, started amassing the one cent pieces. In March, the youngster reached his goal when he hit seven figures. To see how he generously applied his copper mine, read more.

Instead of spoiling himself with a new bike or skateboard, the boy wonder presented a $10,000 check to St. Patrick Catholic School. The Chicago Tribune reports:

His mother said the money would go toward equipment, including audiovisual hardware, two large classroom maps and a concrete bench for the peace garden.

Pretty unusual that a kid would be willing to give up a pretty penny, much less one million. Kudos to Andrew Niemi on paying it forward!

"Sorry, Kids, Piano Lessons Make You Smarter "

	Scales today, Harvard tomorrow?

It's sure to be music to parents' ears: After nine months of weekly training in piano or voice, new research shows young students' IQs rose nearly three points more than their untrained peers.

The Canadian study lends support to the idea that musical training may do more for kids than simply teach them their scales--it exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits.

"With music lessons, because there are so many different facets involved--such as memorizing, expressing emotion, learning about musical interval and chords--the multidimensional nature of the experience may be motivating the [IQ] effect," said study author E. Glenn Schellenberg, of the University of Toronto at Mississauga.

A decade ago, researchers led by the University of Wisconsin's Frances Rauscher found that simply listening to Mozart triggered temporary increases in spatial intelligence.

While the "Mozart Effect" has proven difficult to replicate in subsequent studies, the idea that music or musical training might raise IQ took hold in the scientific community.

In his study, slated for publication in the August issue of Psychological Science, Schellenberg offered 12 Toronto-area 6-year-olds free weekly voice or piano lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music, described by Schellenberg as Canada's "most prestigious music conservatory."

He chose 6-year-olds because their developing brains still retain a large degree of "plasticity," defined as "the ability of the brain to change and adapt to environmental stimuli."

On the other hand, children younger than 6 were deemed less suitable "because you also want the lessons to be rigorous enough, and you can't really start serious musical training with 4-year-olds," he said.

Schellenberg also wanted to separate out the effect on IQ of training in music per se, from that of training in the arts in general. To do this, he provided a third group of 6-year-olds with free, weekly drama classes. A fourth group of 6-year-olds received no classes during the study period.

The children's IQs were tested beforehand using the full Weschler intelligence test, which assesses various aspects of intellectual function in ten separate areas. All of the children, Schellenberg explained, "came into my lab in the summer before first grade and they had the entire test, which takes about three hours."

Following that initial assessment, the children "went off to first grade and to the four different groups that they were assigned. Then, in between first and second grade, they came back to the lab and were retested."

At the time of retesting, all of the students--even those not enrolled in music or drama classes--displayed increases in IQ of at least 4.3 points, on average, Schellenberg said. "That's just a common consequence of going to school," he said.

Focusing first on the children taking the drama class, Schellenberg found they "didn't differ [in increased IQ] from those in the no-lessons group." However, kids taking the acting class did tend to score higher on aspects of sociability than other children, probably due to the cooperative nature of putting on a play.

The only added boost to IQ came to kids taught either piano or voice. According to Schellenberg, children in the music groups "had slightly larger increases in IQ than the control groups," averaging 7-point gains in their IQ scores from the previous year--2.7 points higher than children placed in either the drama or no-lessons group.

This increase in IQ is considered small but significant, and was evident across the broad spectrum of intelligence measured by the Weschler test, Schellenberg said.

Commenting on the study, Rauscher said, "It certainly supports a lot of the research that we've done in the past." The Canadian researcher's results deviate from her own, she said, "in that they found this effect for general intelligence."

Rauscher's work has tended to focus on music's effects on spatial intelligence--the ability to think through three-dimensional puzzles without resorting to an actual model.

Although it remains a theory, she speculated that "understanding music, particularly learning to translate musical symbols into sound, might be transferring to other abilities, because they are sharing similar neuro pathways."

Both Schellenberg and Rauscher agreed that, ideally, music lessons should be available to children as part of their education.

"We don't have any evidence that music is unique in this regard," Schellenberg said, "but on the other hand, it's certainly not bad for you. Our studies suggest that extracurricular activities are indeed enriching to development."

Unfortunately, adults who might feel emboldened to pick up the guitar or stretch their vocal skills may not receive the same boost to brainpower.

"I really think you'll find the strongest effects for young children," Rauscher said. "That's not to say that you won't find anything in adults, but I think it would be a lot harder and would really take a lot longer."

E.J. Mundell for HealthDayNews

sick again last night.

yesterday was so great, then around 9 pm i got really sick. it didnt end until 1 am.
i really wish i could fast forward this pregnancy!

i ordered a fetal doppler/heart rate monitor

it is the Hi Bebe BT-200 Fetal Doppler/Heart Rate Monitor and Ultrasound gel from amazon.com:

The Hi Bebe baby doppler is able to detect a fetal heartbeat as early as 10-12 weeks gestation. Hi Bebe fetal dopplers are medical grade fetal dopplers used by midwives, physicians and anyone else who wishes to monitor their baby's heartbeat and movements.

babynamegenie.com

here are the names it came up with:

girl: Galilea Brooke lott
boy: Nelson Eric lott

hmmm....i dont think either of these names are working for me!!

foods that sound good today....

bagels and cream cheese (i should have ordered 2 for breakfast!!)
and big juicy oranges!

i really cannot think of anything else i would like to eat!!

i feel so good this morning!

no nausea, no gagging, and i ate my bagel and coffee with no heartburn whatsoever!

9 weeks

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

18 children??

The Duggar kids planned a big Mother's Day surprise for their mom this year. But the surprise was on them when Michelle Duggar announced on the TODAY Show that they were soon to welcome an 18th sibling.

“We’re expecting!” the happy mother told TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira and the entire Arkansas clan. “Number 18!

“They didn’t know. My girls watch the calendar like a hawk. We just found out on Monday night.”

“On Monday night she brought one of the [pregnancy] testers in,” Michelle's husband Jim Bob added. “I wanted to bring it with me, but she wouldn’t let me.”

And baby, due around New Year’s Day, would make 20.

Joshua, the Duggars’ eldest son, said the news, two days before Mother's Day was “a shock” — if only to a point.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” the 20-year-old said. “But it’s been nine months [since the birth of the last baby], so yeah.”

Family forest
To date, the Duggars’ 17 natural children range in age from 20 years to 9 months. Included in the mix are 10 boys and seven girls — Joshua, twins Jana and John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah and baby Jennifer, who arrived last Aug. 2.

With two sets of twins, Michelle has gone through 15 pregnancies that ended in 13 natural deliveries and two Caesarean sections.

Both Michelle and Jim Bob — a former state legislator who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives — are real estate agents. They claim their family is debt-free, with the entire bunch helping to build their 7,000-square-foot home in Tontitown. And they are enriched by a devout faith in their religion.

The Duggars are followers of the evangelical Christian movement called Quiverful, which teaches that children are God’s blessing and that husbands and wives should happily welcome every child they are given. In fact, the Duggars' Web site, duggarfamily.com, quotes “Children are a heritage of the Lord” from verse 3 of the 123rd Psalm.

“We just let the Lord decide,” Jim Bob told Vieira.

“They are such a gift and we’re enjoying them so much,” Michelle added. “We would love more, and the power of the Lord took our faith to give us another one.”

The Duggars married in 1984, when Michelle was 17 and Jim Bob was 19. They held off on having kids for four years before Michelle ceased taking birth control pills to have their first child. After Joshua was born in 1988, Michelle returned to birth control but wound up getting pregnant anyway. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage, which the couple attributed to use of the pill.

Michelle and Jim Bob decided to pray for as many children as God would give them. Within a year, Michelle was pregnant with the first of their two sets of twins.

Their large number of offspring has meant other large numbers for the Duggars. Michelle has been pregnant for 135 months of her life, with an average of 18 months between births. The family estimates it has used 90,000 diapers and launders 200 loads of clothes each month in a row of industrial-size washers and dryers.

Even though they go through three loaves of bread per day, they claim to feed their family for less than $2,000 a month. Transportation is facilitated by nine vehicles, led by a 21-passenger bus. They estimate that all members of the family have combined to work approximately 39,000 hours on their home.

Each child learns to play both violin and piano. And for what it’s worth, when child No. 18 arrives, they’ll have enough kids to field two baseball teams.

Most importantly, there is a unique dedication to serve the greater good of the home and family. An older child will take on the responsibility of a younger sibling throughout the day. The children help prepare meals and keep to a steady home-schooling schedule. Group studies include materials from Advanced Training Institute International, a Bible-based education program for families.

The Duggars' daily adventures are currently being chronicled in a television series on the Discovery Health channel. They previously participated in another Discovery Health series, “On the Road with 16 Kids."

Rocket's ashes

i picked up Rocket today. it definitely became "real" that he is gone now.
i hope that we will find a nice place to spread the ashes.

8 weeks pregnant

By the end of your second month of pregnancy, your baby is about the size of a pinto bean and is approximately 14 to 20 mm long. If this is your first pregnancy, you still probably will not be showing yet. However, if this is not your first pregnancy you might be able to tell that you are pregnant. You will notice a slight change in how your clothes fit and your doctor can tell that your uterus is larger than normal. Before you were pregnant, your uterus was about the size of your fist. However, by 6 weeks of pregnancy, your uterus has grown to the size of a grapefruit!
Your baby is developing at an amazing rate during these early weeks. Eyelid folds and ears are forming. Your baby's eyes are still very wide apart on the sides of her head, but will eventually center themselves out. The tip of the nose is actually present at this time as well. On ultrasound you can see that the aortic and pulmonary valves of the heart are present. The tubes that lead from the throat to lungs are branching and your baby's torso is getting longer and beginning to straighten out. Just a few weeks ago, your baby's arms were tiny buds. Now the elbows are actually present and the arms and legs extend forward and have grown longer. Fingers and toes are becoming visible also.
One of the symptoms that you might feel around this time of your pregnancy is cramping or pain in your lower abdomen or side as your uterus grows. Some pregnant women feel tightening or contractions of the uterus. Do not get alarmed if you do not feel this though. If tightening of the uterus or contractions is accompanied by bleeding, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately. Many pregnant women also experience an occasional pain that begins in their buttocks and radiates down their back or legs. This is known as sciatic nerve pain and can be extremely painful at times. More than likely the pain is caused by the pressure on the nerve and it is best to lie on the opposite side to relieve the pressure.
The tiny person is protected by the amniotic sac, filled with fluid. Inside, the child swims and moves gracefully. The arms and legs have lengthened, and fingers can be seen. The toes will develop in the next few days.
The umbilical cord contains 3 blood vessels which link your baby's system to yours. The big one supplies your baby with blood which is rich in oxygen. The two smaller blood vessels return blood to the placenta. This blood is low in oxygen, and full of waste materials. At birth, umbilical cord can be two to four feet long.

Nausea during pregnancy

In the first half of pregnancy, feeling sick or nausea during pregnancy is quite common, as is vomiting. The degree of nausea and vomiting varies woman to woman. You may just feel a little sick in the morning and throw up once, or your may suffer from constant nausea and frequent vomiting throughout the day. Mostly, nausea during pregnancy stops after the first three months of pregnancy. At times, it remains there even after four or five months.

Simple Ways Of Avoiding Nausea

In the morning, take your time getting out of bed. If you tend to feel really sick in the morning, eat a little as soon as you wake up and before getting out of bed. Ask your partner to bring the food to you, or prepare a snack the night before and leave it beside your bed nausea during pregnancy mainly happens in the morning and is also termed as ‘Morning Sickness’.

Throughout the day, eat little and often, every two or three hours - even if you're not hungry. Drink a lot of liquid, preferably 10 to 12 glasses of water, fruit juice or herbal tea each day. Avoid food containing a lot of fat or spices. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Eat dry crackers, toasted bread or rusk. Ginger tea or ginger tablets can help reduce nausea. Take rest several times, a day. Lie down with a pillow under your head and legs. Move slowly and avoid sudden movements.

After eating, sit down so that gravity helps to keep the food in your stomach and avoiding nausea during pregnancy. Avoid smells that make you feel sick or throw up. Don't brush your teeth immediately after eating because this can cause vomiting. Get some fresh air and exercise by going for a little walk every day. Avoid smoking. Not only is it harmful for you and your child, it also diminishes your appetite thereby increasing the dilemma. At night, before landing onto the bed, have a snack such as yoghurt, bread, milk, cereal or a sandwich. Take some more of light snack, if you feel like, during the night. Leave ample scope for proper ventilation in your room.

Nausea during pregnancy is the most commonly felt among women. It occurs due to several changes in the body and the body reverts back to them in different ways, one of them being Nausea.

m/s symptoms

from 6 wks 5 days i have had:
-what feels like a stomach full of acid, i kind of feel like i have the flu
-acid reflux (worse when i eat spicy foods)
-headaches (this could be due to my allergies)

macaroni and cheese!!!!

i have never enjoyed macaroni and cheese so much. i had a box for dinner and a box for lunch today. and i have eaten 4 cans of tomatoes!