Prenatal Education
Prenatal Education Sheets
Click the icon below to download our Prenatal Education Sheets.
Onsite Prenatal Education Sheets
Diabetes During Pregnancy:
Additional information:
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/during.html
March of Dimes
https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/ preexisting diabetes.aspx
Diabetes during pregnancy:
What does this mean for my baby?
How can diabetes affect my baby if my sugar is not able to stay at a normal level?
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Before birth:
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May cause serious problems in how the baby's heart, brain, and spine form.
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After birth:
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Large baby weighing more than 9 pounds, which can lead to problems during birth.
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Low sugar levels in the baby that can cause harm.
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If there are problems with the heart, brain, or spine, then your baby may need surgery to help. This can lead to other health issues in the future.
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What will my baby need after he or she is born?
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Regular sugar checks by the nurse or doctor
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Possible need for extra feeding support or certain medicines
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Possible need for admission to the NICU (a special area in the hospital for babies)
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This means your baby may need to stay in the hospital for a longer time than normal.
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What can I do to help my baby?
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Talk with your doctor about diet changes, lifestyle changes, or medicine you may need and follow their advice.
KEY MESSAGE: More normal sugar levels = less risk to your baby
High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Websites:
March of Dimes
https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/ preexisting diabetes.aspx
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High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy:
How does this affect your baby?
High blood pressure in pregnancy can cause many problems with your baby, including any of the following:
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Delivery of your baby earlier than normal, which may health issues as an adult
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Possibility of death from problems at delivery
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Slow growth while in the womb, which increases the risk of high blood
pressure, heart problems, and problems with blood sugar as an adult -
Extra help with breathing at birth and a higher chance of needing oxygen
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Low blood sugar
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Other abnormal blood work
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Problems with feeding
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Low blood pressure​
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Who will help my baby after delivery?
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Your baby may need help at delivery because of early delivery and need the care
of highly skilled baby doctors in small baby ICU (intensive care
unit).
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What can you do to help your baby?
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Talk to your doctor about Talk to your doctor about how you can control your blood pressure, eat healthy
Drug Use During Pregnancy:
Drug Use in Pregnancy and What it Means for Your Baby​
How Can Drinking Alcohol in Pregnancy Harm Your Baby?
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Alcohol can cause abnormal facial features and issues with how the brain grows and develops
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Alcohol can hurt the baby at any point during pregnancy
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The sooner a woman stops drinking, the better it will be for both her baby and herself.
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How Can Smoking Tobacco Harm Your Baby?
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Smoking hurts your baby’s lungs and brain, which can affect your baby for many years.
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Your baby may born much smaller or born early if you smoke
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Smoking raises your baby’s risk for having problems with how the face or lips are formed.
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Smoking after birth causes a higher risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
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How Can Marijuana Harm Your Baby?
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No amount of marijuana, whether it’s smoked, eaten, or vaped is safe to use during pregnancy.
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Marijuana use during pregnancy may cause many problems for your baby, including:
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Poor growth of your baby
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Higher risk of early birth or death of your baby
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Long term problems affecting your baby’s memory, learning, and behavior
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It is NEVER too late to quit. 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) for free support
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Talk to your doctor and seek support from friends, loved ones, or community sources.
Opioids Use During Pregnancy:
Opioids in pregnancy:
What does this mean for your baby?
What are opioids?
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A group of drugs used to reduce pain
- Common opioids prescribed by a doctor:
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Morphine
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Methadone
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Codeine
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Oxycodone
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Fentanyl
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Heroin is an illegal opioid
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How do they affect your baby?
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Can be born early (before 37 weeks)
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Have poor growth in the womb
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May have birth defects
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May have problems with withdrawal,
called Neonatal Abstinence
Syndrome-
Withdrawal may be worse if other drugs were also used, such as tobacco or alcohol. ​​​​
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What will your baby need after birth?
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A longer stay in the hospital for
observation for withdrawal - Some babies require medication to
treat withdrawal​ -
Most babies are able to breast
feed -
Babies may need special doctors
and
therapists to take care of them after
they leave the hospital
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What can I do to help my baby?
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Go to all of your doctor's visits
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Follow your doctor's
recommendations about lifestyle
changes, such as reducing the
amount or quitting certain drugs.​​​​
Websites:
March of Dimes
https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/pregnancy/prescription-opioids-during-pregnancy
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Barnes Jewish Hospital
Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy:
Hypothyroidism in pregnancy:
How does this affect my baby?
How does hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) affect my baby if it is not
controlled?
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Before birth:
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Can hurt the brain development of your baby
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After birth:
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Low birth weight
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Problems with low body temperature
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High risk of your baby being very short (less than 4 foot 10 inches tall) as an adult
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Low blood count (called anemia) and problems with jaundice
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Congestive heart failure when the heart has trouble pumping
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Long Term
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Poor development as baby grows​
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Higher chance that your baby may have lower than normal intelligence
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What will happen to my baby after delivery if my thyroid levels remain too low?
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Thyroid levels are tested routinely by state screening but your baby may need
additional blood testing if the screening is abnormal. -
Your baby may require admission to a baby intensive care unit for more treatment.
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What can I do to help my baby?
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Talk with your doctor about what medicine you should be taking to keep normal
thyroid hormone levels.
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KEY MESSAGE: More normal thyroid levels = less chance of harm to your baby
Websites:
March of Dimes
For Hospitals
For Patients
