Good morning everybody and welcome to The Balancing Act.
We are so glad you joined us.
I'm Julie Moran.
And I'm Olga Villaverde.
You know preterm births, it's a medical condition that affects
that nearly half a million pregnant mothers - It's hard to
believe.
I know, and then newborns every single years.
Well, today, Julie, great news on how to manage and cope.
That's good, and we'll also look at some of the latest products
when it comes to whole body cleansing, which is also good
to.
Not partial?
No, whole.
Got it.
The Balancing Act starts right now.
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Each year in the US nearly 1 in 9 babies are born pre-term,
meaning less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, or more than 3 weeks
prior to the expected due date.
That's nearly half a million babies every year born too early
in this country.
Here to discuss preterm birth and provide guidance to women
who might be at risk for preterm birth, is Dr. Aaron Deutsch from
Boynton Beach, FL, who is a specialist in maternal fetal
medicine.
Also, coming up a little bit later, we're going to meet two
moms, very special ladies, who are going to share their
personal experiences delivering a baby prematurely.
Good morning.
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate the opportunity.
No, thanks for being here.
I think this is important, and you know, I'm the first one to
say, both my daughters were born two weeks early, and I gotta
tell you, I was frightened, I was scared, and I'll touch upon
that a little bit later, but I can relate to preterm birth, but
let's first talk about it.
What is it?
So, first off, preterm birth, we have to understand what term
birth is, and when a woman is given her due date of 40 weeks
gestational age as full term, term is considered 37 to 40
weeks, so if a woman delivers earlier than 37 weeks, that's
pre-term.
The reason why it's so important is pre-term birth is the leading
cause of neonatal death, also associated with a high risk of
medical complications, and there's a financial impact on
the health care system with that, as well.
What most people don't realize is how common pre-term birth is.
It occurs in almost 12% of all pregnancies.
That high?
Yes, absolutely.
And why is that?
Well, nobody knows for sure of course, and there's multiple
risk factors that go into that as well.
So, the goal is 40 weeks, or full term.
So, what can happen, doctor, when a baby is delivered
pre-term.
Well, first off, you're absolutely right, and that's
what I think women should focus on, is a goal of 39-40 weeks,
and there's multiple medical studies that show that babies
born after 39 weeks have the best outcomes.
Okay.
But if the baby is born premature, there's a host of
medical problems associated with that.
Essentially, every organ system in the baby can be adversely
affected.
Now, the earlier a baby delivers, the worse the risks
and longer term problems, but anything from the brain, the
lungs, the intestines, infections, long stays in the
hospital, so the goal is try to stay pregnant as long as
possible till your due date to minimize these risks.
So, let's say, right now, I'm sure we have so many women out
there who are pregnant, and they wonder "well, are there any risk
factors that I should be aware of?"
Are there?
Absolutely.
Now, many preterm births are unexpected and can't plan for,
but there are specific risk factors that are associated with
a higher risk of preterm birth.
One of the most important things for all pregnant ladies is to
establish their prenatal care early with their health care
provider.
Get in with them, have a discussion about their medical
history, their obstetric history to find out if they have any of
these risk factors.
One of the biggest ones would be having delivered preterm
previously.
Okay.
So, having had a baby preterm, puts you in about a 15 to 30% of
having that recur in the next pregnancy.
If you've had two babies preterm in a row, your risk can be as
high as 60% in the next pregnancy.
Wow.
So, very high.
That's probably your biggest risk factor.
Other risk factors, things like multiple gestations, which would
be twins or triplets, cervical problems, a short cervix,
certain medical complications and there are socioeconomic
factors that kind of play into it also.
Now, I gotta tell you, when it does happen, when there is a
preterm birth, I've seen such progress, remarkable progress,
especially in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Let's talk about that progress today.
Sure.
I would say some of the biggest accomplishments in the medical
field have been caring for these premature babies, and it's true.
Babies are born at earlier gestational ages surviving
longer than they ever had before and the capabilities in the
neonatal intensive care have improved to the point that the
medical problems are much less now.
I would say the key point, though, is there are still
problems, even now with the capabilities that they have, and
some of these can be life long, so the goal would be to have the
baby maturing inside, in the uterus, getting bigger,
developing, close to that due date, after 39 weeks, to
minimize any risk of having to use the great facilities and the
neonatal intensive care unit.
So, quick question here, in your opinion do many pregnant moms
know that their baby's growth and development continues even
after the latter part of their pregnancy?
Yeah, I would say most people tend to have a general
appreciation that it's better to stay pregnant as long as
possible, but what I think is underestimated is the risks even
having a baby several weeks early, and the impact that can
have.
Now, also importantly, there are certain indications where babies
are purposely delivered pre-term, and that would be
called an indicated pre-term birth, where there's a medical
complication, mom has diabetes or high blood pressure, there's
a problem with the growth or development of the baby, a
placental problem.
These rare instances, we would prefer to deliver a baby
preterm, but aside from these occurrences, the goal for every
woman should be getting to that 39-40 week time frame.
You just hit it with me.
What happened with me was my heart rate shot up, Samantha's
heart rate shot up, and the doctor said "we gotta go in" and
that's why they delivered her.
Alright, stay right there, doctor, because when we come
back, we're going to have two moms that are going to share
their personal story with delivering their child preterm.
You don't want to miss it.
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Welcome back, joining me now are two moms, Kate and Lynn, both
mothers of children born prematurely,
and adding his medical expertise to our discussion this morning,
Dr. Aaron Deutsch, a maternal fetal medicine specialist.
Good morning.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Kate, let me start with you.
I know your son Gabriel was born five weeks early?
Tell me about that.
Yes, I had a normal pregnancy up until 34-weeks.
My water broke.
Wow.
Totally unexpectedly, and I was admitted to the hospital and had
him 8-days later, at 35 weeks, which is 5 weeks too early.
I was totally unprepared for that.
I didn't know anything about it.
My expectations were really kind of shattered as to how my
delivery was going go.
I was expecting a really joyful time, and it was really serious.
I didn't even get to hold him right away after he was born.
They kind of wisked him away and the extra NICU doctors had to
check him out and make sure he was alright.
I could only imagine at that moment, your fear and just
wondering now what.
Holding my breath.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh, Lynn, tell me your story, please with your son,
Lamar, right?
Yes, Lamar.
When I was pregnant with Lamar, I went to the doctor for my
regular visit and I was telling about these pains I was
experiencing, and she told me no those are contractions, so she
sent me over to labor and delivery and I got a little
excited seeing the little crib in the room with me, and I
thought my son is going to come early, this is a great thing.
But, then she warned me that if he was born this early he would
end up going to NICU.
Eventually, he was born 4 weeks too early.
Doctor, I'm hearing these two stories.
They're quite common.
Typical circumstances?
Absolutely.
Things that a typical obstetrician would deal with on
a daily or weekly basis are stories just like these.
You can see how it really kind of turns the life of the family
upside down, so certainly things that commonly happen here and
having a pre-term birth can really change things.
Kate, I was telling the doctor earlier, I don't know if you
heard, but my children came two weeks early.
For me, that was just, I was a wreck.
Tell me about your emotions at that moment.
It was definitely scary for me.
Once I kind of was clued in to this is a serious situation, I
was just totally unprepared for that emotion.
I wasn't expecting that at all.
But so much progress in the hospitals today, and everything
worked out well.
Yes, yes.
My son didn't have to spend any time in the NICU, which my
husband and I were so grateful for.
Oh, thank goodness.
And Lynn?
Your emotions at that moment when they told you Lamar is
coming?
When Lamar got here, he seemed perfectly fine, and I was very
excited.
I thought I would be able to take him home, but while I was
in recovery, he started having issues holding his temperature
and being four weeks too early, he wasn't able to suck quite
well, so he ended up spending 19 days in the NICU.
It was really challenging.
We were excited to take him home, but instead had to take
all that time in the hospital, and it was, you know, not the
experience that you want for your first child.
And doctor, let's be honest, having a child is stressful, and
after you deliver, there's so many changes in the body, I can
only imagine when you have a preemie, it's even more.
Absolutely.
Certainly.
A full-term healthy newborn is stressful enough.
Exactly.
And then dealing with the questions of the health of your
baby, the consequences of having a baby preterm, visiting your
baby in the hospital rather than coming home with you, so huge
huge stressors, not to mention a financial impact.
Medical bills add up of having a baby in the NICU, and people
don't realize the stress that that could have on the family,
certainly.
Well, ladies, thank you so much for sharing your story.
I am so glad both children are doing fine and they're beautiful
and wonderful.
We're going to have more kids?
Hopefully.
I'm done.
Doctor, any closing thoughts for anyone out there right now that
could be carrying a child right now, thinking of having one?
I would say the first thing, which I mentioned previously, is
most importantly getting in early to see your health care
provider.
Determining if you have risk factors for preterm birth,
particularly if you've had a prior baby born preterm, the
importance of letting them know.
The other thing which I think is really important is the signs
and symptoms of preterm labor, which certainly can lead to
preterm birth, so if a woman is having contractions, bleeding,
leaking water like her water broke, let your health care
provider know early, to get in to be evaluated.
Thank you so much for your time, doctor.
Thanks for having me.
Great information, and ladies again, God bless you and your
children.
Thank you.
And if you're pregnant, or planning on becoming, or know
someone who is, you can visit us at TheBalancingAct.com for
additional information on today's topic, and get social
with us as always.
Share with us your thoughts, concerns, or experiences.
Log on to Facebook.com/TheBalancingActFans
(music).
Even if you haven't done one, chances are you know folks who
have, and it's gaining in popularity, and for good reason.
We're talking about an intestinal cleanse.
Many swear by it, but some of us are simply uninformed to it's
benefits.
Here to clear it all up, and the mystery behind it, and educate
us on why cleansing can be a very vital part of our overall
health, is Jeff Fenheck, national sales manager for a
company called Yerba Prima, a consumer company dedicated to
great intestinal health.
So glad to have you in the studio.
You can educate me as well this morning.
Thank you Julie.
Pleasure to be here.
Great to have you.
Alright, Jeff, let's start with the big picture, and what
exactly is a cleanse, and what occurs during a cleanse?
Well, the fact is that our environment has become
contaminated as a result of the overproduction of chemical
compounds.
These chemical compounds can be found in everything from our
food supply to our water, and even the air we breathe.
Typically, they can be found as herbicides, pesticides, heavy
metal toxins, like mercury.
Even plasticizers commonly found in water bottles and carpeting.
Wow.
Once in the system, these chemical compounds are toxic,
and they wreak havoc in the body, so it's very very
difficult to remove them.
Whole body cleansing is really the most effective to be able to
be able to do that, and it will do it through all seven channels
of elimination.
The bowels, the kidneys, the lungs, the skin, the lymphatic
system, along with the blood and the liver.
Wow.
That's intense, but amazing that it can do all that.
Can you do this right at home?
You can do it in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
It's very gentle.
It won't have any harmful or unwanted side effects.
It's a 30-day supply, very easy to use, and we're not asking
anyone to make any drastic changes to their lifestyle, just
use the product and go about your daily life.
I know you've brought some products to our kitchen.
They are specifically formulated for women.
Tell us what we've got here.
Well, we have our Women's Renew Whole Body Cleanse System.
Okay.
Yerba Prima is the only company that manufactures a whole body
cleanse system for both male and female body types.
The difference between the two is that we've added support
nutrients for the male and female body types - Okay.
So the women's renew contains chase tree berry and dong quai,
which are two very good female tonic herbs.
We've also added B vitamins for energy.
In addition to that, we have our herbal guard formula, which is
actually our anti-parasite formula.
This has triphala, black walnut hulls, cloves and ginger, and it
will help to aid the body in removing any parasites.
Then finally, we have our fiber component, which is the prima
cleanse formula.
This has all five different types of fiber, selenium,
magnesium, and calcium to help strengthen and rebuild the
lining of the colon.
FOS, or fructo-oligosaccharides, to feed and multiply the good
bacteria and some our Great Plains bentonite, which is a
very potent detoxifier, and it will aid in removing heavy metal
toxins, herbicide, and pesticides, so very complete,
very gentle.
30-day supply.
Why should women be careful about what type of whole body
cleanse they're using?
A lot of the cleanse systems on the market contain harsh
stimulant laxatives, which can create, what we refer to as a
laxative dependency, which actually shuts the body's own
ability down to evacuate or eliminate, so you want to make
sure you're very careful as far as what type of cleanse you're
using.
A lot of others actually require a strict fasting regimen, which
can also be very unsafe, so you always want to use a product
that's natural, try to take a fiber approach when you can, and
use it over a longer period of time to work naturally with your
body.
Good advice.
Your product literature states that Yerba Prima pioneers the
use of fiber and whole body cleansing.
Can you explain that a little bit?
Yes, we were actually the first company in the natural foods
industry, 35-years ago, to have a whole body cleanse.
There are a lot of other companies in the industry that
had stand alone herbal ingredients or fiber components,
but none were really putting it all in one kit, addressing all
avenues of the elimination cycle.
We also were the first company to launch a full line of dietary
fiber supplements and blends, containing no artificial
sweeteners, binders, or fillers - Wow.
Ensuring that our customers got the highest quality, cleanest
product available.
You know, fiber, we hear, is so great for weight loss, and
really how much weight are we talking about with women and
this product and using this cleanse.
Well, it's true.
Fiber is very good in aiding in weight loss, and it varies by
individual, but what fiber does is it helps to create a feeling
of satiety, so you feel fuller longer.
It also helps to promote good digestion and helps to feed our
food transit times, so it's very very effective for weight loss,
and again it varies by individual.
There's a lot of different factors that play a roll in
that, and it could be physical activity, eating habits, a
woman's body chemistry - Sure.
But, one thing for sure, fiber and cleansing is definitely good
for helping to lose weight.
You're going to lose weight.
Absolutely.
One final question, where can our viewers find this?
You can find our products at any health food store throughout the
country and a lot of the specialty grocery stores that
have health food sets, or you can find us online at
YerbaPrima.com.
Thanks so much for coming in.
Great information.
Thanks so much for having me here, Julie.
Alright, if you'd like to come clean and learn more, you can
also visit us at TheBalancingAct.com or share
with us your reasons why you want a cleanse.
Log on to Facebook.com/TheBalancingActFans
(music).
Well, it's almost time to start that day, so I hope you make it
a great one.
Remember to check out our website, TheBalancingAct.com so
you can find lots more information right there for you.
We're also on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow us, like us, Tweet us.
Be social, right?
Yes.
Until next time, remember, find your balance.
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