Photo by sstepph

I recently took my glucose test and just got the results that I do not have it. But during the wait, I was worried, of course, like every mom-to-be who took the test.

All these tests during pregnancy can certainly add stress.

One of my friends, sstepph, was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. I wanted to find out what she had to do to keep herself and her baby boy, who she named Garrett, healthy.

I can't say I was free from all psychotic tendencies when I was a teen. I had some moments that I'm sure had my parents questioning what the heck was going on with me.

But according to this study, it wasn't me being boy crazy or my hormones in a rage, it was because my mom smoked when she was pregnant with me.

See...not my fault!

Me at 21 weeks pregnant with twins

There are lots of big babies being born and plenty of them are very healthy. A women I know birthed a 10.7 pound baby and another had one at a little over 11 pounds. And of course, the news of this woman who had a 19 pound baby.

Like I said before, plenty of bigger babies are healthy, but there are some that aren't, so says a recent study in Norway examining over 35,000 births, found in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Photo by dstny157

A mom in Newcomer's who's on bed rest until delivery joked that she didn't know what was worse -- the pain from her premature contractions or laying around doing nothing all day.

Looking back, I almost wished that I was put on bed rest during my pregnancies. Because once that baby comes, mom will forget what "rest" means for another 18 years or so.

The reality is that bed rest is not leisure, especially when you consider that women are put there because of serious complications, including high blood pressure, an incompetent cervix, premature labor, history of stillbirths, or multiples.

Since you can't do much with your body, it's vital to keep your mind sharp to avoid depression, anxiety, and loss of connection so you'll be in good emotional shape when your newborn is finally here.

Here are some bed rest coping strategies from DiscoveryHealth.com:

Amniocentesis is a test that may be recommended by an OB/GYN following an abnormal test, genetic concerns, and/or age of the mother (35 or older). An amnio can detect chromosome abnormalities, neural tube defects, and genetic disorders. It also can be done to test lung development and provides access to DNA for sampling.

There are risks involved and according to American Pregnancy, the chance of miscarriage is 1 in 400 for facilities that are highly skilled in this procedure, to 1 in 200 for others.

Some women choose not to test, but others want to know particularly if they are at-risk. And a compelling reason to test is so the mom can arm herself with knowledge to better prepare herself if in fact her child is born with special needs. As one mom said in a thread I was reading on CafeMom: Knowledge is power.

Concern over the swine flu may have quieted a little, but it was just last week that a pregnant Texas woman died from the disease. She was one of three deaths in the U.S. so far and we now have more than 3,000 confirmed cases (20 of those are confirmed or probable swine flu infections in pregnant Americans.)

Now, given that pregnant women -- with their weakened immune systems -- are more likely to suffer from pneumonia or dehydration when they catch the flu, health officials are urging that they be treated immediately with the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

A friend of mine landed in the hospital this week with signs of preterm labor but, thankfully, not experiencing contractions. It is looking like she might be placed on bed rest, though.

It's not uncommon for a woman to be placed on bed rest for a portion of her pregnancy and it can happen for a variety of reasons, from high blood pressure to concerns over carrying multiples. Here are some ideas for coping with bed rest.

Tell me, have you, or has someone you know, been placed on bed rest? Share what the reason was, and for how long, in the comments below.

I didn't call my midwife every two minutes when I was pregnant, but there were definitely some instances when my concern or instincts took over and I had to call for some reassurance over a specific symptom or new development. Late in my pregnancy, I felt the baby wasn't moving as much as she should have been. I called my midwife and she had me come in ASAP. Everything was fine, but I was glad I went in to be checked.

I see posts from CafeMoms all the time asking if they should call the doctor about some new symptom they're experiencing. Here's a list of what warrants a call.

I felt really lucky to have a pregnancy free of complications, but I know not all mamas do. One worry you read about in all of those pregnancy books and online is preeclampsia (or pregnancy-induced hypertension), a condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. It occurs in at least 5 - 8 percent of all pregnancies, and it poses a threat to both you and your baby.

Could you have it? Here are the signs to look for.

This is Cafe Cynthia, stopping by to chat in Pregnancy Buzz today.

It's hard to think about it, but miscarriage is a very real and very sad part of some pregnancies. Every mom finds her own way to deal with the loss -- and one of them is naming the deceased baby.

I was fortunate enough not to have experienced this, but I still felt a dagger through my heart talking to some moms in The CafeMom Newcomer's Club who've been sharing names of children they had miscarried.

Joseph Moses

David Johnson

Ria Ann ...

Why some moms decided to name their babies:

-- "I miscarried five children, and named each one. It helped us realize we have our angels in Heaven, looking out over us, and whom we are looking forward to meeting in Heaven one day."

-- -- "I named one of them only because we knew the gender and we desperately wanted him."