Oscar winning actress Mira Sorvino is on top of the world. According to recently published reports she has just given birth to a baby boy. The newborn is her third child with husband Christopher Backus. Their other children are 4-year-old Mattea Angel and 3-year-old Johnny Christopher King.

Placenta Previa Threatened Mira’s life.

Mira developed the condition called placenta previa. This condition occurs when the placenta is attached to the uterine wall sometimes covering the cervix. It generally occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Less than 1% of pregnancies are affected by this condition.

Thankfully, after being placed on nine-weeks bed rest Sorvino was able to welcome her baby into the world. As a mom she had a rough time being away from her husband and children. She was quoted as saying, “I developed a blood clot due to all the inactivity and had to be anti-coagulated for months to prevent a pulmonary embolism. I spent another two-and-a-half weeks at the hospital, during which time, missing the children and my husband and knowing what the separation was doing to the kids became almost unbearable.”

Life After Pregnancy

Like most moms who go through difficult pregnancies, all problems were forgotten once she met her second son. Sorvino said, “As soon as they placed him in my arms I knew it had all been worth it.”

Sorvino and Backus met when Backus waited on her at a restaurant in West Hollywood in 2003 and have been married since June, 2004. It is certainly good news to hear that Sorvino came through this difficult pregnancy and is now able to enjoy her new baby. Congratulations to her and her husband on the newest addition to her family.

This week, I took my 30 minutes recommended cardio per day and saved it all up for one day! Trust me, ladies, this is not a good idea!

My husband, my niece, her friend and I decided to walk from 10th Street in New York City’s East Village all the way up Broadway and 52nd Street. I held up better than I could have imagined, walking at a fairly rapid pace and I drank enough water to stay hydrated during the trek. I felt pretty good having survived the journey, and I know that exercise is good for me and the baby. But my body paid for it today with a new-to-me pregnancy pain.

When I first got a sharp pain in the right side of my abdomen this morning, I figured it was just the baby kicking, although I didn’t feel the pressure of a kick. This same pain came and went several times throughout the day; it was sudden and sharp enough to cause me to double-over twice.

However, with no bleeding, spotting, cramps, chills, fever, dizziness, contractions or anything else that would be cause for concern, I chalked it up to “just another pregnancy pain,” and turned to the Internet. A few quick searches reassured me that this pain is quite common, and is called “round ligament pain.”

With a name for my most-recent pregnancy symptom, a quick search on Babies Online turned up even more details and information on round ligament pain, which is extremely common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

The pain is caused by the stretching and thinning of the thick ligaments that suspend your uterus within your abdomen. The pain may be worse (or, in my case, appear for the first time) after extensive exercise. If this is the case, rest should help alleviate the pain. I’m hoping to feel better tomorrow!

I found that changing positions (from sitting to standing) or, if I was already standing when the pain struck, bending or stretching, helped. After one particularly sharp pain that left me nearly breathless, walking around my house alleviated the discomfort. Rubbing the spot gently also helped.

Your doctor or midwife may recommend Tylenol if the pain is so bad that you can’t sleep or it’s keeping you from functioning normally. You can also try applying a heating pad, taking a warm bath or standing under a warm shower, although pregnant women are advised to avoid hot tubs or extremely hot baths.

Some symptoms may seem similar to round ligament pain but may actually point to a dangerous medical problem. When should you be concerned?

If the pain emanates from the lower right portion of your abdomen and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever, this could signify appendicitis. Since some statistics show that 1 in every 2,000 pregnant women are diagnosed with appendicitis, it is important to get treatment immediately if you suspect this may be the cause of your pain. Pain from appendicitis will typically get worse over time rather than coming and going in short bursts.

If the pain is accompanied by blood in your urine, you could be passing a kidney stone.

Ovarian cysts or an ectopic pregnancy could be the cause of sharp abdominal pains, but this is more common in the first trimester.

Several articles I’ve read about round ligament pain describe my symptoms exactly, and I don’t have any “warning signs” of these other problems. This was enough to put my mind at ease. However, if you are in pain and can’t pinpoint the cause, call your health care provider immediately. It is probably nothing, but peace of mind is important during pregnancy.

As for me, I’m going to take a hot shower and hope these newest pains subside and don’t wake me during the night. And I’ve certainly learned my lesson about overdoing it with exercise.

The good news? Like any other pregnancy symptom, they will be gone in a matter of months.

The information in this post intended solely as a general educational aid and is not a substitute for medical or other professional advice and services from a qualified health care provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

I officially enter my third trimester tomorrow. Last night, the baby kicked me in the ribs for the first time. While I’m still not huge by my perceptions of what a woman who is seven months pregnant should look like, the baby has shifted further up, is very active, and, in spite of my previous post about loving pregnancy, everyday tasks are getting to be a challenge.

When someone asks me if I can do them a favor, I frequently respond with, “As long as it doesn’t require bending down.” I found myself winded after washing the floor yesterday. And I’m still hungry all the time!

All in all, I shouldn’t complain. This has been a stress-free, relatively easy pregnancy so far, and I still feel pretty good. I can still imagine doing this again. Ideally, so that I’m pregnant through the winter, and not the hottest months of the summer!

The worst part is finding myself gasping for air for no reason at all. Sitting up straight helps; I will probably buy an exercise ball this evening to keep my back straight while I work. (And strengthen my abs while I’m at it, something that will certainly help during labor and delivery).

I also get tired more quickly, once again. I have a feeling that is from the shortness of breath, however. I do wish this baby would move!

I’m trying to maintain my healthy eating, get plenty of calcium and iron, and continue with at least 30 minutes of cardio a day (even if it’s just walking around the mall shopping for baby gear!)

I’ve also noticed another emotional (hormonal?) side effect of pregnancy that’s a bit disconcerting–I feel as if the world should revolve around myself and this baby I’m growing. I don’t like this trait in myself. I’ve seen it in other pregnant women, and faulted them for it.

But I feel like I am doing this important task, and I deserve special consideration for it. I want the closest parking spots. People should get out of *my* way in stores (and traffic). Men should give up their seats on the subway for me. After all, I’m a mother-to-be.

I want to talk about myself, my pregnancy and the baby constantly. Everything else pales in significance to growing a life. It doesn’t help that being pregnant does afford a woman some added attention from friends, families and acquaintances; that only fuels the fire. I want more. I want it all. We’ve all heard of bride-zilla. Is there such a thing as mom-zilla?

How do I keep this in check, while also getting through some of the physical challenges ahead of me in the next three months? I remind myself that billions of women have done this before me. While it is a beautiful thing, a miracle, it is indeed, a common miracle. Keeping this in mind reminds me that 1). I’ll survive all the physical discomfort and 2). yes, it’s special, but other people have lives, too, and their achievements, concerns and feelings still matter.

Or do they?

As my due date draws near, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s all about me, my husband and our little girl. That is what my life is about right now. Is that so wrong?

Reality checks, advice and observations are welcome… What odd feelings and physical symptoms have other moms out there experienced?

I’ve heard many interesting stories from my friends about how their husband’s reacted to their wives’ pregnancies. Stories range from the husbands putting their wives on veritable thrones throughout the pregnancy to simply bolting from the relationship because they just couldn’t handle everything.

My favorite stories about dad-to-be’s involve those guys who really go above and beyond the call of duty…those guys who don’t get weird in their over-protectiveness yet who manage to make their wives feel as though they are truly being taken care of like a pregnant person should be.

Here is the best one I’ve heard: A friend of mine was pregnant with her first baby. She and her husband had a tiny house with a loft bedroom, meaning every time she had to go to the bathroom she actually had to scale down a ladder. This wasn’t too much of a problem until she got really huge in her third trimester and woke up several times a night to visit the toilet. She didn’t want to sleep on the couch downstairs because it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the bed, but this whole ladder deal was taking a toll on her every night.

Her husband is an engineer, so using his designing brains he actually constructed her a temporary toilet upstairs in the bedroom. I never got to see it, but apparently it involved a lot of wood and a big bowl. It was all very medieval, from what I imagine. Think about how awesome this guy was:

1. He made a toilet – from scratch – for his wife so she wouldn’t have to go up and down the ladder all night long.

2. He helped her clean it out every morning.

3. Perhaps most importantly of all, he never made her feel as though it was weird that she was peeing in the bedroom.

Now THAT’S a supportive husband.