Positive Pregnancy Resources

Nausea (the feeling like you want to vomit) and Vomiting (actually throwing up) are common at the beginning of pregnancy.  There are several reasons for it, but it is mostly because of your rising hormonal levels.

Pregnant women can feel sick in the morning, but some women may experience it at any time of the day or even all day!  Nausea and Vomiting usually go away at 3 months of the pregnancy, but some women may experience it throughout the entire pregnancy. 

Here are some tips for when you are nauseated:

• Ginger in the form of ginger ale, ginger drops, or ginger candy.
• Peppermint helps with digestion and eases nausea.
• Lemon: Sniffing it or smelling it may help.  Sips of lemonade might help.  Lemon Lime soda that has let go flat might help.
• As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, try eating a few saltine crackers (like Zesta).  Getting something on your stomach can help.

   

Medications

Zofran, or generic ondansetron, is a prescription-only medication.  It can tend to be expensive; sometimes, insurance will only pay for a certain amount in a time period. Metoclopramide is a prescription medication that may help. Unisom/Vitamin B6 combo is something that you can buy over the counter. 

• Unisom—doxylamine 25 mg one at bedtime.
• Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine 10 mg at bedtime

It is hard to find Vitamin B6 at the pharmacy.  We have found some tablets that you can buy online, marketed as morning sickness pills.  We also like Preggie Pops, Pink Stork, Sweetie Pie organics, and upSpring Stomach Settle.  You get the dose of Vitamin B6 with the benefit of ginger, lemon, and peppermint.  Most of those have 9-10 mg of Vitamin B6 in them.  Take them as the package directs. Your prenatal vitamin may have some Vitamin B6 in it, too. It is not safe to consume more than 100 mg of Vitamin B6 a day. 

Additionally, there are tummy drops and plain ginger drops that do not have vitamin B6 in them. 

If you are trying the above medications and you are still vomiting, please talk to your OBGYN. 

Hyperemesis Gravidarium (HG)

Hyperemesis Gravidarium is when pregnant women can be nauseated and vomit for long periods or can not keep down any fluids.  It can lead to dehydration.  If you vomit too much, you may also lose potassium and need it to be replaced.  If you are experiencing heavy Vomiting for several hours, are feeling very dry and dizzy, especially when standing, and have very little dark urine output, you have to be experiencing HG.  Call your OB or go to the ER if you feel like you are going to faint or can’t stop vomiting. 

What to do if you vomit:

We suggest not taking anything to drink for a short time, like 30 minutes.  You should probably rinse your mouth out with water after you vomit (if you can do that without gagging).  Waiting will rest your stomach.  Sometimes, if you drink too soon after vomiting, you will throw it back up.

After waiting, try taking slow sips of clear fluids every 5 minutes, about a teaspoon at a time.  If you go too fast and too much (like gulps), you might vomit again.  Please take it slow.

If you are keeping down sips every 5 minutes, try increasing the amount and more frequently.  Keep increasing it til you are drinking normally.  If you throw up, start over by letting your stomach rest. 

Recommended Clear Liquids:

• Gatorade and Poweraid. These fluids have electrolytes in them that can replace the salts that you throw up
• Water and lemon water

If you throw up green or yellow fluid, that might be stomach acid or bile.  If your stomach is really empty this can happen. 

If you need help, contact your OBGYN or feel free to call the nurse at WRC at 765-367-2940. 

What is Miscarriage?

In medical words, miscarriage is called spontaneous abortion.  It is the loss of an unborn baby less than halfway (20 weeks) through a full-term pregnancy.

Symptoms of Miscarriage

Some miscarriages are completely silent.  But one or more of the following events suggests (yet does NOT prove) that you may miscarry (“threatened spontaneous abortion”), or have already miscarried:

• Bleeding greater than your typical menstrual period; Cramping pain in your pelvis, lower back, or lower abdomen;
• A gush of warm liquid from your vagina; The passage of true tissue (not just blood clots) or of a small recognizable baby from your vagina (birth canal); Inability to demonstrate beating of the baby’s heart on a sonogram after six or more weeks of life

Confirmation or Diagnosis

Miscarriage may be confirmed in one or more of these ways:

Pelvic exam showing your cervix has dilated (opened up); Examination of any solids (rather than blood or clots) that have passed from your vagina; Sonogram (scan) of your pelvic organs; Falling pregnancy hormone levels, according to lab tests

Causes

It is rare for a doctor to be able to discover the cause.  It can be known with certainty in those with:

• A baby with abnormalities that prevented it from surviving; Certain infections or immune system abnormalities
• Abnormalities of shape or function of the female organs

Future Pregnancies

When considering getting pregnant again, realize that these factors may tend toward repeat miscarriage:

• A prior miscarriage; A new pregnancy less than three months after a prior birth, miscarriage, or abortion
• Pregnancy in a woman over thirty-five years old; Certain chronic conditions like diabetes (ask your doctor)
• Using tobacco, alcohol, illegal substances, or even a few specific prescription medications (ask your doctor)

Here are some things, that some women blame for their miscarriage, but which in fact PROBABLY DO NOT cause it:

• Emotional stress; Birth control pills taken accidentally in early pregnancy
• Typical work environments, activities, and reasonable amounts of exercise or sexual intercourse

Treatment

Because continued blood loss could harm you, go immediately to your obstetrician or, if you have none, the emergency room of a nearby hospital. Take the paperwork we provide and any insurance information.

• Miscarriage will either be confirmed or ruled out by one or more of the tests listed above
• If all the tissue of the pregnancy has been passed, you may be treated with medication and followed closely outside the hospital by a physician.  If tissue remains in your uterus, you may need a D & C, a minor surgery that removes it to control further blood loss.  You will be “put to sleep” (general anesthetic) or will get other effective pain relief for the D & C.  If your blood type is Rh negative, you will be given an injection of Rhogam, which prevents Rh problems in future pregnancy

Understanding Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy refers to a pregnancy that occurs outside of the uterus. The most common place an ectopic pregnancy occurs is in the fallopian tube. 

An ectopic pregnancy is suspected if the ultrasound does not show a pregnancy developing in the uterus where it would be expected at the estimated Gestational Age, as calculated by your last menstrual period. An ectopic pregnancy may also be suspected if an adnexal mass is visualized with an empty uterus. 

Ectopic pregnancies can be dangerous because the anatomy outside the endometrial cavity is not designed to support a growing pregnancy. For example, a fallopian tube cannot stretch enough for a growing baby. If the pregnancy continues to grow, the tube can rupture and cause internal bleeding. The bleeding can be a large amount—so much bleeding that the pregnant woman can die. 

If you are in the first few months of pregnancy and develop pain worse than menstrual cramps, it is very important that you seek medical care immediately. 

Risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy: 

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or Salpingitis 
• Previous ectopic pregnancies 
• Infertility 
• Pelvic or abdominal surgery (e.g. Appendectomy) 
• Endometriosis Possible Signs and Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy (Ectopic pregnancies may present with all, some, or none of the following symptoms): 
• Vaginal bleeding that may be heavier or lighter than normal 
• Abdominal or pelvic pain 
• Shoulder pain (This is called referred shoulder pain and is caused by irritation of the diaphragm due to fluid and/or blood). 
• Weakness, dizziness, and fainting.

Please visit the websites below:

• LifetimeAdoption.com    
• Brave Love  

Healing Hidden Hurts
P.O. Box 532992
Indianapolis, IN 46253
317-490-267

There are many OBGYN specialist in the area.  Our three local providers are:

Creekside OB/GYN

407 E. Market Street
Suite 101
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
765-362-8075

Franciscan Physician Network Obstetrics & Gynecology Crawfordsville

1630 Lafayette Road
Suite 400
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
765-364-4500

Women’s Health Specialist

Dr. Arun Jain, MD

1901 Lafayette Rd. Suite 100 Crawfordsville, IN 47933
765-361-8586

Social Services for Montgomery County:

Community Action Program   

www.capwi.org

765-362-3790

2985 Industrial Blvd, Crawfordsville, IN

Head Start, Early Head Start, Housing & Energy assistance, Navigator for HIP/Medicaid & WIC, and much more.

WIC 

www.capwi.org

765-362-3779 

2985 Industrial Blvd, Crawfordsville, IN

WIC provides nutrition, education, nutritious food and breastfeeding assistance, while pregnant and after delivery. 

Healing Hidden Hurts 

Debbie Miller

317-490-1267

or debbie@healinghiddenhurts.org 

Free & Confidential Peer ministry for women. 

Healing Hidden Hurts is a Christ-centered and confidential ministry leading those affected by an abortion to peace of mind and heart.

www.healinghiddenhurts.org

Family Crisis Shelter 

765-362-2023

Emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of abuse. 

https://montcares.org/family-crisis-shelter-3.html

Pam’s Promise 

765-366-3203

A 3–6-month transitional housing program for families in Montgomery County.

https://pamspromise.org/

Project Swaddle 

Text or Call 765-376-6098

Free community paramedic program through the Crawfordsville Fire Department that is helping high risk pregnant women with their pregnancy. 

https://www.crawfordsville.net/319/Project-Swaddle

The Kids Closet  

765-366-4347 (Text Only)

A small ministry providing children’s clothing that they can feel comfortable & confident in. More info on their FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/kidsclosetmontgomerycounty/

Car Seats

765-362-3028

Women’s Resource Center has appointments available with a certified car seat technician. 

Firefly 

https://fireflyin.org/

812-870-8638

50 Professional Court Suite A, Lafayette 

Finding childcare, employment, housing, budgeting, obtaining medical care and counseling.

Diaper Pantry

Through the Montgomery County Health Department 

https://www.in.gov/localhealth/montgomerycounty/healthy-communities/

For a complete list of all of Montgomery County’s help visit www.Montcares.org

Download our complete list of Social Services for Montgomery, Fountain, Warren, and Parke County

The Safe Haven Laws allow a parent to anonymously surrender their unharmed infant to a designated Safe Haven provider within a specific time after birth.

National Safe Baby Haven

24/7 Crisis Hotline: Call or Text 1-888-510-BABY (2229)

The nearest baby box locations to Montgomery and surrounding counties are:

• Franciscan Health Crawfordsville: 1710 Lafayette Rd, Crawfordsville IN 47933
• Franciscan Health East: 1701 Creasey Lane, Lafayette, IN 47905