Relationship Issues During Pregnancy

Many couples are simply thrilled at the prospect of being parents, so much so that they almost forget that pregnancy brings with it, its own shares of ups and downs! There are innumerable instances wherein the initial euphoria to become parents dies down when relationship issues during pregnancy start showing their ugly head. Knowledge of these marital problems before hand, helps the couple in dealing with them as and when they arise.

Lack of Understanding
According to estimates, around 20% of the pregnant women feel depressed, experience mood swings and irritability as well as constant fatigue. Hormones play havoc with the woman's mind and body during pregnancy. A man might not be able to fully understand what a woman expects from him and the woman on her part, may often taunt a man that he does not do anything to help her situation. To the man, the woman's behavior might seem very strange. On the other hand, the woman feels that he is being insensitive towards her. This lack of understanding can cause lots of relationship problems during pregnancy.
Lack of Physical Intimacy
Relationship strain during pregnancy could be attributed to the unmet sexual needs of the man and the woman. Usually what happens is that when a woman gains weight during pregnancy, she does not feel comfortable being intimate with her partner. Somehow she feels that she is not attractive enough. Also, the other pregnancy symptoms such as tiredness, body pain, nausea, etc, may further alienate her from getting close physically with her partner. The man on his part, due to lack of knowledge, starts believing that if he has sex, it might hurt the unborn baby in some way! Due to these reasons, the couple does not have sex and it further deteriorates the relationship.

Lack of Communication
One of the worst changes in your relationship during pregnancy is when both the partners fail to convey their needs to one another. The woman might feel neglected by her husband, who on his part could be working round the clock to meet the added expenses which a pregnancy and a new born can bring. This can create a rift and communication issues between the two, with the woman feeling angry that her husband is not caring enough and the man feeling overwhelmed, managing both work and his wife's hormonal outbursts!

Lack of Finances
Relationship issues during pregnancy may also arise due to finances, especially if it's only the man who is working. Pregnancy and taking care of a child costs a lot, so if the couple have not planned the finances in advance, it can trouble their relationship.

Lack of Attention
It's not just the women who feel neglected, even fathers can experience the same things. When it comes to pregnancy, it's all about the woman, although technically, it takes two to make a baby! So, if a man is not directly involved during medical check-ups or social events like baby showers, he might find himself isolated from the woman and the unborn baby, causing a lot of disconnect between them and leading to marital problem slack Of Finances.

Managing Relationship Issues During Pregnancy

If couples feel that these issues will resolve on their own, they are sadly mistaken. They have to be worked upon constantly by the man and the woman. Here, a useful relationship advice for them is to communicate their feelings of fear, insecurity, isolation, happiness, etc. with one another. If they both know what each one is going through, they will be in a better position to help one another. Also, it is the woman's responsibility to see to it that the father does not feel isolated. So, both of them should together go, whenever the woman needs to get examined by a doctor.

To improve upon their physical intimacy, a man has to constantly assure the woman that he finds her desirable, irrespective of the changes in her body. The couple may even consult a doctor and ask her to suggest some sexual positions that are safe during pregnancy. As for the finances, ideally, they should be taken care of before the couple thinks of getting pregnant. However, if they have not, buying for the baby stuff from second hand stores might cut down the costs and put finances in place.

In the end, it can be said that relationship issues during pregnancy should be dealt with immediately, before they become reasons for a relationship break-up. Also, any kind of stress or tension that a mother feels, due to these relationship issues, can be very harmful for the health of the baby. So, to avoid such scenarios, couples need to keep the communication between themselves strong and plan the pregnancy, well in advance!

Group B Strep During Pregnancy

Group B strep pregnancy affects a large population group. So let's get into the details of this common bacterial infection during pregnancy.
Group B Strep during Pregnancy Causes
Not all pregnant females suffer from this condition, however, if the mother has had a previous baby with the GBS disease, then there is high risk that the second child will be infected. Since GBS is associated with the vagina, it commonly results in urinary tract infections which could lead to GBS in the baby as well. Many a times, if the disease remains undiagnosed, the baby might die inside the womb due to a GBS carriage without the mother being aware of it. Also, high fever during labor, and rupture of membranes before approximately 18 hours from the delivery are some other reasons leading to GBS. If the mom-to-be happens to suffer from any chronic medical conditions like cancer or diabetes, then the risk of infections and complications increases. GBS can be transmitted by contact and hence can easily be passed from the infected mom's uterus to the baby.

Group B Strep during Pregnancy Symptoms
Females are many a times carriers without showing any symptoms. Generally GBS infects the baby before or after delivery. Usually, the infection occurs in the first week and thus termed as early onset disease. However, many a times the infection might appear from 1 week to 3 months leading to some symptoms which are mentioned below;

• fever
• breathing problem
• seizures
• limpness
• stiffness
• abnormalities of heart rate and blood pressure
• poor feeding
• fussiness
• uneasy feeling

Group B Strep during Pregnancy Treatment
Diagnosis at the right time is very important in this case wherein a test needs to be carried out by taking the swab from the vaginal or rectal areas of the female and the result is obtained within a span of 24 hours. Also, you can be diagnosed with the group b strep pregnancy in urine sample as well. If tested positive, the doctor recommends antibiotic therapy, either orally or intravenous (in case of baby). If you are allergic to certain antibiotics then see to it that the treatment varies accordingly; your doctor will surely suggest you alternative antibiotics during pregnancy. Proper diagnosis reduces the chances of the baby getting infected and has helped many women to deal with this life threatening condition. Apart from this, it's really important to undergo the routine tests and screening during the 9 months of your pregnancy to prevent such an infection to invade your body. This bacterium is the normal flora which is normally harmless but certain conditions can provoke it to cause the infection so maintaining a healthy lifestyle and hygiene is a prerequisite.

As I mentioned, Group B strep pregnancy is a fatal condition which might lead to death of the new born. Vaccine treatment has not been developed as of now but could be a good treatment option in the near future according to the research going on. If you happen to be a carrier then don't get hyper and follow the appropriate treatment measures. Take care of yourself and your baby.

P.S: Group B strep is not to be confused with Group A strep throat and pregnancy which causes strep throat.