I had a fairly good experience regarding the docs and weight and what to eat and not to eat until the day of delivery. The pediatricians at the hospital tried to tell me that if there were any animals in the house that they should stay outside at all times, and also that nobody except for DH and I should touch the baby . And then there was one of the doctors who constantly criticized me because I had gained more than 9 kilos and that I should have NEVER have done that.
However up until that day I had maintained a little comical battle with my OBGYN about my weight (he always to me to diet, I always laughed and told him what I planned to eat for snacks and dinner-a big cheesecake followed by McDonalds). I was also told that the prosciutto cotto was ok as well as cream cheese and so we got along fine .

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also that nobody except for DH and I should touch the baby

My MIL won't let anyone go near her son's new baby unless we have washed our hands. As it happens, the SIL still hasn't even offered to let me hold the baby and basically no one other than her or her husband touches her. The whole house is heated (despite 30 degree heat) and during bath time, there is also a heater going on and it feels like a sauna, especially as you cannot be in the bathroom with them with the door open.

What I want to know is where do these ideas come from? Boiling is the only method that actually cooks meat? Pregnant women cant touch dogs? Why are these doctors so happy to pronounce things that have no basis in scientific fact?

The sheet of instructions mentioning the boiling of meats goes on to say that deli meats must be avoided with the exception of prosciutto cotto, which can be eaten if the fat is removed. But that's not even consistent advice.

I am worried about my doctor giving me a hard time about weight. He has the reputation for being obsessed with it, and I was surprised that he didn't give me a diet. I am not thin, and am probably considered overweight here, although I think my weight is healthy (and I am within the recommended range for my height in the U.S.) But why are they so obsessed with the weight? Everyone I ask tells me because "it's better for the mother." How, exactly? What do those women do when they're hungry? If I don't eat when I need to, I can't do anything but rest in bed. I become weak, and that's how I was before getting pregnant!

Diana, 9kg! That is insane!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Professoressa,

The advice all seems so random. And it's weird that it differs so much between countries and between different doctors in Italy. I'd never heard of pregnant women being told only to gain a certain amount of weight before I came here but here everyone I've known IRL and here has been told not to gain more than X kilos (and the amount seems to vary!)

It kind of makes me wonder if they base all of their medical knowledge of such "old wives tales."

If you are overweight in the UK they will tell you not to put any more on. This is now quite common. What they won't do is put you on a diet as this is seen to be dangerous.

My (Italian) ex-coworker was on a diet while pregnant and I was amazed. Everyone else in the office seemed to think it was normal but I was horrified. She had to limit her intake of meat, fats, nuts, cheese, sweets etc. at 6-9 months pregnant. She started out very thin and had apparently "gained too much." She looked like a normal pregnant woman to me.

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Originally posted by Professoressa:
What do those women do when they're hungry?

Oh C'mon K, that's simple...THEY CLEAN! Oh, and then there is the occasional cigarette too that helps curb hunger.

The weight issue can be a tricky one. I gained a good 40 pounds with my first child (think Italian superstitions, mangia mangia), yet, only 16 pounds (cause I got over the superstition cr*p) with my second. Was it harder to get rid of it the first time? HECK YEAH! The second time around, it was gone in no time.

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Originally posted by Cristina:
My body, my child! Do not put 100% faith in ANY doctor in any country.

I'd apply this same rule to everyone. You are going to get an endless amount of advice, sometimes unsolicited, from people all around you now. No two women are the same. What may have worked well with "Jane's" pregnancies, may do harm during yours. "So and So" couldn't eat "this type of food" yet, you may be able to eat it in abundance! What's important is that you do what YOU feel is right for you and your baby and, most importantly, that you listen to your body.

Professoressa -- Sorry I forgot to say before -
AUGURI!!

As far as the weight goes, my doc was also very obsessed about it. I was already 5 kilos overweight (my healthy weight- not the italian view) and my doc already started to treat me as if I was obese. I am 165cm and my 'healthy weight' is around 60-63 kilos. He told me every time that I needed to loose weight and I laughed at him every time. My mother gained 20-25 kilos with all 4 babies even though she did aerobics up until the week before the due-date. I tried to watch what I ate for a month during the pregnancy and I still gained the same amount as I did when I ate everything, so I just ate everything that I wanted. Final result: 19 kilos lol
I think that a little part of the reason why they are so obsessed with the weight here is because women tend to be obsessed with their weight. When the baby arrives there is already enough stress and with someone who is so obsessed about their weight, it could make it even worse which would make them at risk of PPD. This is not a good reason in my opinion, but it might be in theirs.

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Originally posted by Ramona:
She had to limit her intake of meat, fats, nuts, cheese, sweets etc. at 6-9 months pregnant.

Another possibility for her going on this 'diet' is to control her glucose level. I had to monitor my food intake at 8 months pregnant because I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Besides to help the baby's blood sugar level once born, a woman who's been diagnosed with gestational diabetes is more susceptible to developing diabetes later in life -- of course this all depends on lifestyle, genetics, etc. I agree that some doctors can be extreme, therefore I believe in doing a lot of your own reading/research and getting a second/third opinion. And yes, everyone is different. And everyone has an opinion on what is 'right' and 'wrong'. Listen to your body and educate yourself to be better informed. Congratulations!!

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Originally posted by Ggriv77:
Oh C'mon K, that's simple...THEY CLEAN! Oh, and then there is the occasional cigarette too that helps curb hunger.

Silly me! I was intending to use the pregnancy to justify doing less cleaning!

From tonight's Evening Standard (London):

American Institute of Medicine has produced following guidance on how much weight women should gain during pregnancy.

Those who start off underweight (BMI less than 20) should aim to gain 12.5-18kg (28-40lbs).

Those with healthy BMI (20-25) should aim for 11.5-16kg (25-35lbs).

Those who are a tad heavy (BMI 26+) should restrict gain to 7-11.5kg (15-25lbs). Note that restricting weight gain does not = dieting. Dieting is something you do to lose weight and is not recommended when pg.

Obviously all depends on the woman concerned but these are the guidelines.

Hi and Auguroni and thanks for your comments on my blog...you are that KC, vero?

Anyway, is your doctor in Naples? Where are you in Campania exactly? I'm sure I can figure that out by reading more, but I am too lazy and my baby is napping, and who knows for how long?

If you do want to change doctors, I know of one with a fantastic record, who works at the lovely Fate Bene Fratelli. His name is Dr. Vigorito (Roberto, I think) and many American and English moms I know here in Naples had their babies with him and were 100% satisfied.

As for all the dietary rigamarole (sp?), I know pregnant women who eat sushi, though I would avoid it; prosciutto crudo is cured, so not a problem, I ate loads of it while pregnant; getting meat to the required temperature is the key, methods aside, etc. I am sure you were tested for toxoplasmosis, and if you were positive you could probably eat dirt. The point is, I am SURE you are careful enough.

Italian doctors are notorious for taking the worst case scenario tack and running with it. Keep calm. As you said yourself, no good for you or baby to stress a lettuce leaf.

And you need to eat! A lot!

If you want me to put you in touch with any of the aforementioned moms, I would be happy to do so.

In bocca al lupo!

Sima

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If you do want to change doctors, I know of one with a fantastic record, who works at the lovely Fate Bene Fratelli. His name is Dr. Vigorito (Roberto, I think) and many American and English moms I know here in Naples had their babies with him and were 100% satisfied.

That hospital isn't private, is it? So does that mean the doctor is a public doctor too?
Can I ask, Rompipalle, did you have a c-section with him, or not?

Thanks for the advice, Sima. (And yes I am that KC.) I wish I could change doctors, but I can't because of family issues. (There are just some battles that aren't worth fighting.) I live about an hour from Naples and we probably wouldn't bother going there were in not for this family connection. If we could choose any doctor, we'd probably look for one nearby, likely in Formia, because it's closer.

These doctors' alarmism really drives me crazy because when it comes to health, I'm a nervous enough person to begin with. Anyway, I've been eating sensibly (according to American advice,) and somehow I've managed to convince DH that the temperature is what actually matters when cooking meat. Either that, or he just can't bear the idea of eating boiled meat for several months either. It's hard to tell, but when we shop together he always suggests buying steaks and cutlets. I never bother to remind him about what the ob said.

On the c-section issue, I've heard that they don't like to do them at Policlinico in Naples. At least that's what my BIL said. For anyone worried about the high rate of c-sections down here, that might be a place to look into.

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That hospital isn't private, is it? So does that mean the doctor is a public doctor too?
Can I ask, Rompipalle, did you have a c-section with him, or not?


Hey Delinissima,

FBF is public and Vigorito is too. If you want him to absolutely be the attending physician at your birth, you need to shell out some cash, not sure how much. I had a private doctor -- great guy, gave birth naturally at a private clinic (Ruesch).

HI KC. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Italy is completely overmedicalized, as is the rest of the western world, when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. A really good resource to check out is Motheringdotcommune. It presents another point of view.

I'm just reviving this thread rather than starting a new one as I notice that there is some discussion upthread about heparin injections. Maybe some of you who have gone through this can shed some light?

Everything seems to be going fine with my pregnancy (knock on wood!) - I'm now at almost 29 weeks and getting bigger by the day. However, I saw my gynaecologist yesterday and he told me that my latest blood test had come back positive for something called Factor V Leyden. Apparently I'm heterozygote which is better than being a homozygote (not totally sure what that means!) Apparently the usual treatment is to take aspirin but I have a severe aspirin allergy so he gave me a prescription for heparin injections for 30 days.

I'm kind of confused by this, though, as:

1) who will do the injections? My husband is scared to do them as he's never done it before and they seem to expect a family member to do it for me. Has anyone found any other way of doing this? My only family in Rome is my husband and he is not keen on the idea.
2) my general practitioner (who gave my husband my impegnativa) said that the injections have to be done into my stomach Can this be right? I'm almost 7 months pregnant and I'm all stomach. The idea of someone sticking a needle in there makes my hair stand on end. Surely, the doctor isn't advising that a non-medical professional stick a needle into my stomach every day?

Any advice or experience with such things would be very welcome.

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Surely, the doctor isn't advising that a non-medical professional stick a needle into my stomach every day?

Yep! I had to do these injections for two weeks - although AFTER giving birth. Get your doctor to show you how to do the first one and then you will see that actually it is much easier than it seems - basically you grab a fold of fat (!) and stick it in! I had a few bruises the first few days until I got the angle right. You have my sympathy!

Think you'll find that the tummy is the usual site but legs and arms too sometimes. It's a sub-cutaneous injection so dosn't go in very far, anywhere there is a layer of fat or skin, never into a muscle. The brand we supplied from the hospital pharmacy that I worked in was "Clexane". Mums usually do it themselves alternating sites to avoid too much bruising.

I did this for ALL 9 Months with Antonia! He is telling you correctly - you grab a fold of fat on your tum, to one side, just above the crease of your thigh. Sit down and lean forward slightly and you will see how it loosens up a bit or a lot depending on how much fat you have there!! Grab this between thumb and forefinger and stick in the needle as fast as you can. They are very sharp and if you do it right won't hurt as much as you think. Depress the plunger - pull the needle out without pulling the plunger back out as this will cause a little bleeding and increases the bruising you will get.

Some days it did hurt but most of the time not at all - I'm not trying to make you feel better! I would do it yourself, your OH is likely to dither and hurt you or stick it in the wall which is what you are worried about.

Anything else, just ask!

Ramona, have you got a neighbour who has any experience in giving needles? A friend of mine had to have injections at the start of her pregnancy (upper thigh) and a nurse who lived in the next building passed by each morning to give them. Ask around. Othewise you'll just have to do it yourself. I'm sure you'll get used to it. Don't med students practise on oranges?

What do these injections do? - in layman terms.

They thin the blood and prevent clots forming, which, if they crossed the placenta to the baby, could be very harmful - I think it's unecessary to more suggestive! However, what it also does is help the placenta implant more firmly, so placenta abruption is less likely and it should improve the overall working of the placenta too.

Heparin is a step down from Warfarin and they all originally come from rat poison! The injections as Valli has said, are a modified form anyway. Normally Heparin and Warfarin are given through a drip, but because of the long period of use this would not be feasible for a pregnancy! Most people are on these drugs for a few weeks to a couple of months, I was on them from about week 8 to 24 hours before giving birth.

Ramona - you will probably now be booked in for induction rather than left to go naturally. Because this stuff thins your blood they like to control when you come off it before birth. I would definitely start asking questions though, you don't want to be blindsided by this in a few weeks time. I'm going to be really negative and even suggest you may be in for a highly controlled birth rather than being allowed to go with the flow. I'm only suggesting this so you start asking questions NOW!!