LiveWorld Transcripts

Women.com presents

Tori Kropp, RN
Pregnancy and Childbirth

February 04, 2000

Tori Kropp, RN, known as the "Dear Abby of pregnancy," answers questions about pregnancy, childbirth and other related women's health issues.

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HomeArts: Good afternoon and thanks for joining our one-hour chat with Tori Kropp, RN. Tori, Women.com's resident health expert, is a Prenatal Registered Nurse and the founder of Stork Site. Tori, known as "the Dear Abby of pregnancy," has helped deliver more than 5,000 babies. She advocates a common-sense approach to women's health issues. Tori is here today to talk to you about pregnancy and childbirth. Welcome, Tori!

Tori Kropp: Hi everybody! It's great to be here today and I wanted to share that I had a lot of fun yesterday helping triplets to be born! Okay.let's get started.

Dev Girl: Are there any side effects to taking fertility drugs other than having a litter?

Tori Kropp: Well, that's an interesting way to put it.! There aren't any long term side effects, although many women do feel the effects of drastic hormonal changes that fertility drugs cause. These are things like hot flashes, water retention and mood changes. But these are more symptomatic than dangerous.

Elivira: Is ankle swelling common among pregnant women? Is it something to worry about? I didn't have this with my first pregnancy.

Tori Kropp: No, it's certainly nothing to worry about and yes, it's very common. When you are pregnant you have 30 percent more blood volume, and oftentimes this causes fluid retention. If you are standing during the day it's easy for fluid to collect in your feet. Try elevating your feet occasionally throughout the day, and if you are standing, to occasionally move your legs in sort of a marching fashion to keep your blood circulating. It's also a great idea to decrease your salt intake, as this causes fluid retention also.

Sigmagirl: Are there any early warning signs of pregnancy - things I can look for in the latter parts of my cycle before my period is late?

Tori Kropp: No, there really aren't any. Many women look for signs, and there is no consistency prior to actually becoming pregnant. In truth, pregnancy symptoms usually don't occur until your period is three to four weeks late.

TAelectric: Just how long is the gestation time? My friend says it's closer to 10 months than to 9.

Tori Kropp: This is an age-old confusing issue for moms. The actual gestation for pregnancy is 40 weeks. So, loosely, this seems like ten months. However, this is only a calendar calculation. What I mean is the day you conceive your due date calendar says you are two weeks pregnant. This is based on the variation of women's ovulation. It's a lot less confusing if you think of pregnancy in terms of weeks, rather than months.

Dawn: What is the most common thing first-time moms do wrong during delivery?

Tori Kropp: Hmm. Actually, nothing a mom does is "wrong" during labor or delivery. Everybody responds differently to pain and to the stresses that happen during labor. I really encourage women not to think that they "should" behave a certain way during labor. You get to behave however is best for you. It does help to have support, and to have taken classes so that you're not afraid and that you've learned some coping methods.

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