You are 10 Weeks Pregnant!
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOU
This is an excellent time to schedule a dental appointment. Proper cleaning — along with an adequate intake of calcium, protein and vitamins B, C and D — will help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Moms-to-be should pay special attention to their oral health. The American Academy of Periodontology advises that pregnant women with periodontal disease may be up to seven times more likely to deliver a preterm low birth weight baby. Furthermore, when the disease affects at least 30 percent of the mouth, the risk is even greater.
Hormonal changes occur during pregnancy that can affect the gums. The gums may become swollen and inflamed in response to bacteria along the gum line. This is called “pregnancy gingivitis.” It usually appears during the third to ninth month of pregnancy.
Tips for good dental health during pregnancy:
1. Be sure to tell your dentist that you are pregnant as it may affect the type of care you need and receive.
2. Routine dental X-rays can be postponed until after delivery. If disease is suspected, or an emergency arises, dental X-rays are considered safe. You should be shielded with a lead apron.
3. Hormonal changes can contribute to inflammation of the gums if your oral hygiene is not good. Seek dental care right away if your gums are swollen or bleed when you clean your teeth.
4. Familiarize yourself with the dental care your dentist advises for your new baby. Ask your dentist for advice.
5. Stop smoking. Smoking can lead to increased risk for periodontal disease and of course will lead to health problems for you and the baby.
6. Brush teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and use dental floss.
7. Maintain excellent nutrition and avoid sweet between-meal snacks as they lead to acid which attacks tooth enamel and causes tooth decay.
8. If you are troubled by frequent vomiting, due to early pregnancy nausea, this can leave stomach acids in your mouth. If this acid is not cleared away quickly, it can damage the surfaces of your teeth and promote tooth decay. Rinse your mouth with water, or use a fluoride mouth rinse after vomiting, to freshen your mouth and protect your teeth from the damaging action of stomach acids.
9. Hormonal influences may cause a soft tissue growth along the gum line over one or two teeth. This fleshy tag of tissue is known as an “epulis.” Although they are very vascular and therefore bleed easily with tooth brushing, they are harmless and resolve quickly after delivery
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
By the end of this week, your baby will have verifiable fingers and toes. The tadpole appearance diminishes as the tail completely disappears. Eyelids fuse and will stay shut until weeks 25 to 27. Both the external ear and upper lip are complete, and the beginnings of external genitalia appear. The average size of your baby-to-be is 27 to 35 millimeters, crown to rump, or 1.06 to 1.38 inches. Your little one weighs in at a hefty four grams! At the end of the eighth week of gestation your little one is no longer an embryo; from now on he or she is refered to as a fetus.
EATING FOR TWO
Your baby needs a great deal of calcium throughout the pregnancy. If you don’t get enough, your baby will take it from your body, which may ultimately weaken your bones and teeth. To prevent these problems, plan on doubling your calcium intake. A quart of milk per day or other calcium-rich foods will meet that goal. Other sources of calcium that help you meet the daily requirement include:
- 1 cup cow’s milk or soy milk: 300 mg (Some experts say the calcium in soy milk is more easily absorbed)
- 1 cup nonfat yogurt: 452 mg
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese: 390 mg
- 1 cup collards: 300 mg
- 1 cup broccoli: 135 mg
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese: 114 mg
- Tofu (100 grams firm tofu): 205 mg
You may have heard that spinach and Swiss chard are high in calcium, however, they contain oxalic acid, which can reduce the body’s absorption of calcium. Eat them in moderation.
FACT OF THE WEEK
What exactly is the CVS test and should you consider it? CVS, or chorionic villus sampling, is usually done between weeks 10 and 13, and involves the removal of a small amount of chorionic villus tissue from the implantation site. This procedure is performed much earlier in the pregnancy than amniocentesis, and results are obtained in a few days. Its diagnostic accuracy rate is 97.8 percent, as compared to an amniocentesis, which is 99.4 percent. It also carries a slightly higher risk of miscarriage — .8 percent greater than amniocentesis. For women who have an elevated risk of passing along a genetic problem, such as Tay-Sachs, or of carrying a Down’s syndrome child, the test may be well worth the small risk. If you are considering this test, choose a center or hospital with a strong safety record and wait until after the tenth week of pregnancy.