Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and pregnancy

What is (or is there any) relationship between cancer, pregnancy, and a fetus?

raztaj — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:06:19 -0800

What is (or is there any) relationship between cancer, pregnancy, and a fetus? I have been wondering for some time about the relationship between a pregnant mother with a late stage (3 or 4) cancer, and how this affects a fetus, if at all. Does it depend on the type of cancer? Are cancerous cells ever transferred from a mother to a fetus?

Have there been any studies about increased risk of certain cancers because of pregnancy? (i.e., not just familial history, but with the added factor of being in a womb of someone with late stage cancer)

I am curious about cancers in general, but bonus insight about melanoma would be good to know. My mom found out that she had stage 3 malignant melanoma the morning she went into the hospital to deliver me. In my late 20's now, I'm in very good health, and am conscious of sun-exposure and changes to moles, but still sometimes wonder about the effect of having cancer while pregnant.

How can I have a baby in NYC without health insurance?

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:12:36 -0800

We are having a baby! We are super excited, except that we are in NYC without health insurance and really scared. What are our options? To further complicate things we are both non US citizens (Swedish and Australian), freelancers, young and broke, and live here on non-immigratant visas. My fiance and I want to stay in NYC, but only if we can find a way that is best for mother and baby. One option is to return to our home country and benefit from free health care, but this is our home now. We will do this though if there isn't any alternative, but we hope to find a solution here.

I have called around to some OBGYN offices, but they quoted around $10k, and that doesn't include tests or complications. It seems too expensive, especially considering if there are potential problems. We would get her health insurance if possible, but from reading around it seems that pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition and wouldn't be covered? Either of us can't be employed because of our visa status and so company health care isn't an option either.

My fiance is 6 weeks pregnant and we are eager to see a doctor immediately, but we haven't had much luck so far. Have you been in this situation? How can we see a doctor immediately without a huge financial burden? Can we get health insurance in NYC even when pregnant? Thanks so much for any advice, leads or suggestions.

Health Insurance for a Newborn/Pre-born?

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:38:14 -0800

I'm confused about how to go about providing health insurance for my unborn baby upon it's birth. I am on Medicare, so the child is not covered. I do not qualify for Medicaid/SCHIP, and most individual plans will not cover a newborn from day one. My job provides medical insurance for me only, not my dependents. And actually, not me, either because it does not provide coverage for those already qualifying for Medicare.

For the record, I am on MEDICARE, not Medicaid. Yes, this is the old people's insurance. No, I am not too old to have a baby. I'm on it because I have a disability. But this precludes me from qualifying for every "family plan" I've ever tried to apply for.

My other two children each have their own individual BCBS plans. Our children are also not covered under their father's plan.

The problem is, I cannot seem to apply for an individual plan for this child until he is born. Then, most individual plans have 1 to 6 month waiting periods before a newborn can be covered. If the baby has some kind of pre-existing condition in that time (even something as simple as prematurity or jaundice) he may not qualify for a plan (or the premiums could be astronomical.)

I can't seem to find any sort of coverage for him from day one. (He is due in three months.) This scares the shit out of me.

For one thing, the hospital wants a name of a pediatrician and I can find no one that will take him without insurance. If I leave the "pediatrician" line blank on the hospital registration will a ped come and see him?

What will the hospital do? Will they take us and care for him if he is uninsured? Will we be charged thousands of dollars for his care? What if something IS wrong with him? Will he be treated or will he be moved to a "public" hospital? (I'm planning on going to a private (Catholic) hospital now because I see a perinatologist (high risk OB) and that is where he practices. I'm supposed to have a C-section so cannot safely just go to any ER when I go into labor.) If he has something wrong with him, will he be uninsurable forever? (or at a very high premium, or with his "something wrong" not covered?)

Is there a way to get an as of now unborn child insured from the get-go? Who knows about this stuff? I can't seem to get any answers.

This is so confusing. I just want to go to the hospital and know that my baby will receive the care he needs and we will not go bankrupt because of it.

[HealthFilter] How much does the average no complication birth cost?

gnash — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:59:17 -0800

Had a beautiful baby girl a few months ago. Previous baby due to excellent insurance cost exactly $0. This baby, with crappy Aetna insurance close to $4k. This is after deductible, and using a doctor that was non-preferred (which we paid more for) I am still puzzled how I ended up getting charged this much. Anyway I got to thinking. Why is my out of pocket cost $4k for a birth with no complications? Why is the total cost for this birth $17 - $18k? Some detail:
Pomosin (sp?)
Epidural
Misc pain killers
2 nights stay post birth
4 - 5 hours labor @ hospital, less than an hour for the "all hands operation"
Cord blood draw

My question - what was the total cost for YOUR kiddo's birth (or your friends)? Is this really what it costs nowadays for what is, for the most part, an incredibly routine procedure?

Is it safe for my pregnant wife to be around polyurethane fumes?

bingwah — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:09:49 -0800

I want to have 2 bedroom hardwood floors refinished. My wife is about 14 weeks pregnant. Is it safe for her to be in the house with the polyurethane fumes from the floor finish? I have a raised ranch house. The 2 bedrooms being refinished are on the upper level. We have another bedroom on the lower level on the opposite side of the house where we can sleep.

I know polyurethane and pregnancy do not mix but I figured she can mostly avoid the fumes by staying on the lower level as much as possible. The kitchen is on the upper level so there would be times when she's exposed to the fumes.

Are the fumes very dangerous? As an aside does anyone have experience with water-based finishes for floors?

Help me choose health insurance?

attercoppe — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:55:14 -0800

Can you help my wife and I choose health insurance? I'm shopping for health insurance for my wife and I. I'm looking here for recommendations on good companies and good plans; tips on what to be sure to get and what to avoid; and even "Hey you sound like me, here's what I have and love."

We are 31 and 29, in good shape, and non-smokers. We live in Colorado. She currently does massage but in about three months she'll quit that, we'll move, and start trying to get pregnant. I have a desk job now but when we move I'll be looking to learn a trade - likely I'll be apprenticing as a plumber. We both snowboard now, she more than I.

So considering our current vocations and free-time activites, as well as our planned future situation...

I think we need covered: ER/broken bone, pre-natal and post-natal and possibly delivery. We lean towards home birth, alternative medicine, etc so coverage for that would be great.

I think we don't need: prescriptions, major surgery, mental health.

We might like: dental, vision, chiropractic, massage.

Bonuses would include portability (for when we move (within CO)), and a good range of choice in providers, as well as (in priority order) low premiums, low deductibles, and low co-pays. As befits insurance, this is pretty much just-in-case coverage. We don't really expect to use it much or at all. (Feel free to regale me with evidence that supports other thinking, just please no YOU GOTTA HAVE PSYCH AND MAJOR MED CUZ YOU NEVER KNOW!!1!.)

Thanks so much!

I fear the belly.

amanda — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:22:25 -0800

Tell me about the health effects of pregnancy. What are the positive and negative, short and long-term effects of pregnancy. For something that really seems to change your body and be a significant part of a woman's life, it seems like I can find little information on the negative things that happen and what you can do to head them off or minimize them. Everything seems to be about the fetus -- which is, of course, great and valuable information to have -- but I'd like to know how women keep themselves healthy before, during and after a pregnancy.

Right now the only exercise that I'm getting is regular bike commuting. This seems like not the ideal kind of physical exercise to count on in order to keep fit during pregnancy. What kind of regular exercise could I be getting into that could be sustained during pregnancy and after?

Stopping Birth Control, Mid-Pack

roomthreeseventeen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:11:13 -0800

Can I stop taking my birth control pill mid-pack? I'm having a ton of horrible side effects related to my birth control pill, and cannot fathom taking another pill, even though I've only taken a week's worth of active pills. (my second cycle on the pill). I've searched the net and found lots of contradicting information.

Is there any chance of me getting pregnant if I stop the pill, as long as we use condoms from here on out? Would any unprotected sex this past weekend be dangerous?

Get pregnant now or later?

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:53:59 -0800

Marriage, illness, medication, bad timing and having children - what should we do? This is the situation - we've been married three months (I am the female half). I'm 29, he's 39 and really wants to be a dad. I want to have kids as well but time is not pressing so much for me. Or it wasn't, until recently:

Just before we got married, my now-husband was diagnosed with a fairly rare blood condition (a myeloproliferative disorder - polycythaemia), which is essentially benign and can be kept under control. However, his condition has developed such that he is now producing too many platelets so the doctors want to put him on a chemotherapy drug (hydroxyurea) which will keep his bone marrow activity in check. This means he won't be able to try for children while on the drug, and he could well be on the drug for ever. He hasn't started on the drug yet.

In the meantime, I've had a recurrence of gallbladder problems - I have multiple small stones, which don't cause me any problems as long as I don't eat fat - if I do, they cause me very severe pain. No jaundice or fever has accompanied my attacks (yet). I've had a scan which has confirmed the stones, and will be seeing the surgeons soon.

My husband is storing some sperm at the hospital before going on this treatment. Our options seem to be:

1) wait until my gallbladder is taken out then try to get pregnant with stored sperm (which is of good quality, the sperm-storing doctors say)

2) as he's not on the drug yet, try to get pregnant now and take the chance that my gallbladder problem will worsen during pregnancy (my GP couldn't give me much advice about this except to tell me they wouldn't normally operate on a pregnant woman)

3) ask about 'holidays' from husband's drug

4) investigate the possibility of him taking another drug which will make him feel like crap but which doesn't cause sperm damage (interferon-alpha)

I'm having a lot of low-level stress about this (so is husband). Things I'm worried about:

a) a finite amount of sperm is stored, so if we use it all and I don't get pregnant, that's it - what are the chances of conceiving with stored sperm?
b) what really are the risks of getting pregnant when I know I have gallbladder disease? could I do myself permanent damage/risk my life?
c) what are the risks if my husband doesn't take the drug? I have read research that says that young patients have a low risk of thrombosis - does he really need it?

We're both seeing the relevant doctors (separately and together) and are trying to come up with a plan, but am setting out my story here in case anyone else has had a similar dilemma or can shed some light in any way. Also the process of writing this has calmed me a lot (though I know this isn't what the site is for!)

We're in the UK so health insurance is not an issue (except that we've got some coverage through his job which may mean I don't have to wait long for a gallbladder operation).

Who should store our baby's cord blood?

sublivious — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:51:42 -0800

Who is the best cord blood bank? I'd like to enlist your experiences with cord blood banks. Who's easiest to deal with? Can we count on the cord blood being available no matter if the bank suffers financial hardships? Cost is an issue as well but that's not to say I want the cheapest bank I can find. Ideally I'd like to find a good balance between ease of use, dependability, and cost.

Help me out of this downward spiral?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:45:07 -0800

So I'm clinically depressed. And right now I likely can't take medication or see a therapist. If things get worked out with medical coverage I might be able to do one or both. But, I'd like to avoid medication if at all possible. What are the things I can do/take (vitamins?) to feel better until ? I'm off medication because we are trying to have another child. Our first is nearly 6. I have had 3 miscarriages and a huge number of problems in the last year (stepfather stroking a number of times, the last on Xmas day, surgery, a recent move away from a city and to a small town, deaths, pet deaths and more...2007 just sucked).
I'm also unemployed currently, which isn't a financial problem, I left work to be with our child, but she's 6 and unless I'm actively raising a wee child, there’s no need for me to be at home and I’m wasting a large education. I am trying to change my career from IT (15 years) to Education which requires study for the Teacher exams but I can't concentrate.

I've lost my drive, my passion, my ambition. I used to have big energy and a wide ranging interest and all I want to do now is sleep, read and sleep some more. I'm managing to pull it together around my daughter and to keep our house running, but I'm a void otherwise. I'm going through the motions and that is not me.

After we determine that I either cannot carry another child or after a successful pregnancy I'll be back on meds like a flash, but for now I can't. And until our therapy coverage is figured out I can't do that either.

I've stopped writing (I’ve had a blog since 1998); stopped participating in online discussions, stopped interacting much with anyone. When I do, I keep ending up in situations I am uncomfortable in (like a bar) then I drink too much and make an ass out of myself and of course hate myself even more. I need to see my friends though or I'll isolate further. Also I don't drink every day or every week, but go overboard when I'm in certain social situations or sometimes when blindsided by something horrible (not always but sometimes). It’s hard to give up drinking entirely because that is about the only time I feel some relief and ease.

Also--I have a congenital defect which makes exercise difficult (I only have about 70 lung capacity and my organs are not all located exactly where they should be, wheee). I know I need to though. But what? And how to get off your butt when everything is a huge effort?
I have had episodes of major depression in the past, all dealt with by some very competent doctors and I've survived more or less. I have a great daughter and husband and live in a good town with good friends. This exam is coming up and if I don't get my brain back I'm going to fail and hat myself more. Becoming a teacher is something I wanted when younger and was talked out of, now is my chance, the jobs all just opened up and if I can get my butt in gear and take these tests and get in the non traditional licensure program I will get to do what I wanted to do in my 20s. But I can’t think or remember or even learn right now. It's all a bad spiral. And I’m also around mid life crisis age too, give or take. Which means I’m running out of time to be pregnant too .

I'm usually more linear but it is hard to describe all this. So vitamins? Which ones? How much? Motivation? Exercise? What kind. I’d jump off the roof, but it would really piss off my cats and probably be worse for my family then even how I am right now. Throwaway email is soverysadnow@gmail.com

deciding to be a parent with chronic illness

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:49:35 -0800

Having kids or not when you have chronic health issues: how did you decide and come to terms with it? I have severe and frequent migraines that have been interfering with my ability to hold work. I'm continuing to try different approaches to sort these things out and I'm trying to stay hopeful in this process. Now in my early 30s, I realize that I really want to have kids and finally believe that I might be okay at it. But I'm also starting to question how possible it would be for me to be pregnant and/or to be a good parent given how often my migraines affect my life. Given the medication I take preventatively and prophylactically, I can't imagine how I'd be able to endure without it for nine months no matter how much I'd want to. And given the needs of any child, let alone an infant, I really wonder how I'd be able to respond with the pain, no matter how much love, instinct, and help are involved.

These doubts and realizations have been hitting me hard lately. I've been open to being pregnant, to adopting, or choosing to not have kids at all, but I think lately it's the thought that perhaps I *shouldn't* have kids because of migraines that is the most painful to sort out. And I don't like the thread of entitlement in that reaction either. My partner would like to have kids but he'd rather see me suffer less; he is unwaveringly supportive. I feel really muddled in this and while of course, this is our decision, I'd really appreciate reading others' honest thoughts on this sort of situation.

This must happen more often than I think? How did you decide to have kids (in any way) or not if you have distracting health issues? How did you deal with medication? What do you wish you had or hadn't done? What perspectives and insights helped you accept your situation and choice? Thank you.

First they take away my tuna fish...

Asparagirl — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:04:20 -0800

California legal/medical/ethical question: In advance of my going to the hospital to give birth within the next few weeks, I decided to download and fill out California's standard Advance Health Care Directive form, i.e. a living will (and to have my husband fill his out too, as long as we were at it). However, Google informs me via multiple sources that this form, even if signed and notarized, is "not valid if pregnant". WTF? Some sources, possibly older ones, say that a "living will" and a "health care power of attorney" are (or were) two separate things under California law. However, the only actual form I have found online, the Advance Health Care Directive form from the California Hospital Assiciation, is exactly the same as the one listed in the actual California Probate Code, except more nicely formatted for printing, and while it is considered the former of the two categories, a "living will", the California Medical Association's very helpful FAQ states that this Advance Health Care Directive Form now supersedes the old health care power of attorney. It's the form to fill out for California residents. But if it's also considered a living will, then does the "not valid if pregnant" rule come into effect?

I have not found any explanation as to why a pregnant woman would be unable to declare her own health care preferences, especially since California law goes out of its way to mention that a woman's right to abortion can be neither compelled nor denied, regardless of what her health care directive says.

So:
1) How can I declare my health care wishes in a legally binding manner prior to my giving birth?
and
2) The form is (or maybe was) considered invalid while pregnant? Seriously, WTF?

my wife is pregnant; we need easy healthy things to cook.

BigBrownBear — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:50:01 -0800

my wife is pregnant; we need easy healthy things to cook. on the weekends we make great thing: homemade pastas & pizzas, fresh fish, stews, etc. but during the working week we don't have the time or energy to prepare elaborate dishes.

any suggestions for things quick and easy (that will also be good for the bun in the over)?

Ovulation kit

tom123 — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:44:06 -0800

Can someone recommend me a good ovulation kit for detecting LH surge...I am in U.S.A.

Are mosquito lamps effective and do they pose any health risks to pregnant humans ?

matholio — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:21:06 -0800

Are mosquito lamps effective and do they pose any health risks to pregnant humans ? I have a mosquito problem and I have friends coming round for dinner.

If I use a mosquito lamp such as...
http://www.scjohnson.com.au/prd_02_Raid_FIKLamp.html
http://www.offprotects.com/mosquito-repeller/

Are they harmful to humans ?
I have a couple of pregnant friends and would like to be sure they will be safe.

(I'm looking into long term solutions too)

Judging possible wifi health risks?

ericbop — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 08:45:24 -0800

My question has two parts: -What are some reliable resources that would allow me to form an intelligent opinion about the possible health-risks of wifi exposure - specifically for a pregnant woman surfing the 'net wirelessly from a laptop for a few hours a day. -Where is the built-in wifi antenna on a Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop? (If it's in the screen vs. the keyboard area, then at least it's a few inches further from the womb-area - but again, I have no idea if that even matters). Our general attitude can be summed up as follows:

-Right now, we're not paranoid about having electronic devices (TV, computers, cell-phones) in the same room as us, but we probably wouldn't stand directly in front of a microwave while nuking our morning cereal
-We let our two-year-old son talk to his grandparents on the cordless phone, but not a cellphone.

So, we're looking for a range of opinions, focusing on the less-radical ends of the spectrum.

How to judge risk of brief asbestos exposure.

BT — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:04:57 -0800

Asbestos exposure and pregnancy: at my wife's workplace, they've announced that they are closing off a bathroom for asbestos removal over a weekend. Is it wise for her to avoid the office (all in close proximity to the space) on, say, Monday? Longer? Or needlessly paranoid? She's feeling especially cautious as she is five months pregnant. The asbestos type in question is chrysotile. I've already explored what resources I could find, although most on the Web seem to be offered by legal outfits looking to drum up lawsuits, and therefore aren't of interest. I found this through the EPA's asbestos pages; but it seems hard to find any resources to help you decide whether the kind of potential exposure we're looking at here is a pointlessly small increase in risk, or something to be taken quite seriously. Anyone have any serious knowledge on the subject, or a better source for plain-English information than what I've found?

How to deliver a baby in the US without health insurance?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:06:57 -0800

Having no health insurance, how can we possibly afford to pay for the delivery of our coming child? How do freelance/self-employed American families survive without health insurance? Anyone have any experience with Medicaid? My wife and I recently returned to the US after many years abroad and we've just discovered she is pregnant. Neither of us have health insurance yet as we are both (low-paid) freelance writers. We know little about health insurance as neither of us have had to deal with this issue before. How can we possibly afford to pay for the delivery of the child and the child's health care? What options do we have? Would we qualify for Medicaid? Is the care you get on Medicaid reasonable? What do other freelancers/self employed people do for insurance? Sorry for the laundry-list of questions, but I'm worried.

This Baby Is Eating My Brain!

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 18:42:24 -0800

I am about 7 weeks pregnant, and still at the stage where we're keeping it a secret from almost everyone. I feel fine, except I'm so mind numbingly tired that I can't seem to function normally, which is increasingly becoming a problem at work. My midwife has made some suggestions, but none have worked for me. Any suggestions for foods/supplements/strategies that can help me feel less exhausted and non-functional would be greatly appreciated.

Ibuprofen and Pregnancy

blueshammer — Wed, 16 Jun 2004 08:02:00 -0800

IANAMDFilter: My wife is in her 25th week of pregnancy and has developed costal chondritis -- that is, her last rib on the righthand side is being displaced a little bit by her uterus, making it inflamed, swollen and very tender. It was recommended to her by an OB doctor at her clinic that she take 600mg of ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory) every six hours for a few days, and to repeat this if the pain returned. Wanting a second opinion, another doctor at the same clinic said this would be OK for a few weeks, but that during the third trimester, ibuprofen should not be taken because it contains prostoglandin, and during the third trimester, the baby is sufficiently developed to react to the increased prostoglandin levels, which can cause one of its heart valves to shut prematurely, resulting in, well, unpleasantness. Specifically, the second doctor said that the baby was sufficiently developed to have this reaction by week 32, and recommended taking ibuprofen no later than week 28. But my wife is a nurse from a family of nurses, and still thinks that taking a course of ibuprofen even at this stage is too much of a risk because, apparently, not a lot of research has been done with fetuses and ibuprofen. So, rather than medical advice, I'd like to ask: Does anyone have any resources they'd like to recommend that we consult? The pain is intense enough to make tasks like traveling by car or picking up our 19-month-old pretty unpleasant, so we'd like to be able to take something (besides percocet) to make things more bearable, but there's something ominous-sounding about a prematurely closed heart valve. Any pointers?