Health & Pregnancy

Statistics show that the fatality rate among pregnant women with the H1N1 is six times that of the national average. The death rate among expectant mothers could climb to as high as 10%. During...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects 3 to 5 percent of all American children. The cause of ADHD is unknown, but recent research conducted by Dr. Wolff Schlotz indicates there may be a...

Approximately halfway through your menstrual cycle (two weeks before your flow starts) you ovulate, releasing a mature ovum in preparation for fertilization and eventual pregnancy. A woman's...

Women will often report having a period while they are pregnant. Sometimes bleeding occurs during pregnancy that resembles a period. The reasons behind the bleeding range from normal, mild side...

Pregnancy is an exciting time, and new parents often wonder when exactly their little one was conceived. Although the exact date of conception is often difficult to determine, it is possible to...

Levels of the hormone hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, climb during pregnancy. It can be assessed through blood tests sent to a laboratory. hCG tests may be either qualitative or quantitative...

According to the American Pregnancy Association, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced when a woman is pregnant. This hormone is made by the cells that form the placenta and...

With the help of a caring woman, many parents are able to have the child they've dreamed of. Using a surrogate mother, one or both of the intended parents can be of biological relation to the...

Pregnant women in the second and third trimesters frequently experience leg cramps. They often occur at night while sleeping and can be quite painful. However, there are a number of options to...

Despite what people may think, "eating for two" when you are pregnant is a myth. As disappointing as this may be, the baby inside of you is not big enough to warrant that many extra calories. In...

With pregnancy comes a host of body aches and pains that can be unbearable at times. Over-the-counter medication can offer relief for these pregnancy pains, but be sure to first consult your...

In the world of childbirth, there are numerous classifications of professionals who help deliver babies. One popular option is a nurse midwife, a registered nurse trained and certified in...

Garlic can be used in some at-risk pregnancies to aid in fetal growth. Garlic has little effect on a normally developing fetus. However, in a situation where medical or environmental problems are...

Start by submitting an application to become a surrogate mother. Surrogate mothers carry fetuses for women who are unable to bear biological children. A surrogate mother can allow a woman to have...

If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant and experience spotting or bleeding, you should immediately call your doctor, even if the bleeding stops. Bleeding isn't necessarily a sign that...

An expectant mother can use many methods to speed up the end of her pregnancy and induce labor naturally. One of the most popular methods is using evening primrose oil to help ripen the cervix and...

During your first trimester of pregnancy, you don't need more food--only about 200 to 300 additional calories per day. What you do need are plenty of extra vitamins, minerals, complex...

Hyperemesis is a condition related to the changes happening during pregnancy. The symptoms and complications of hyperemesis differ in every pregnant woman. Intensive care early in pregnancy is a...

Planning for a child is one of the most important decisions you will take in your life. Before you embark on this wonderful journey, you need to prepare yourself mentally and physically. Here are...

Pregnancy can seem like an eternity and by the beginning of the 8th month, many women are ready to have their babies and be a mother. For this reason, many women begin trying natural induction...

The average American woman gains about 30 pounds during a pregnancy. After delivering a baby who weighs about 8 pounds, and losing another 10-12 pounds that were gained in excess blood volume,...

Nausea is one of the many undesirable side effects during pregnancy. For most women the nausea will subside after the first trimester. However, for a select few, this nausea may last throughout...

Elective C-sections (also called "cesarean birth by request") refer to any cesarean section performed before labor begins without a medical reason. For some women, requesting an elective C-section...

Maternity RN nurses must have several years of training. Maternity RN nurses help in the pre-delivery, during delivery and post-delivery processes of birth.

Breastfeeding gives your child a healthy start in life, saves money on formula and baby foods and some women use it as natural birth control. But is this method effective?

Hemorrhoids are common, especially in pregnant women. Hemorrhoids can be brought on by excessive straining during a bowel movement or while a pregnant woman is pushing in labor. Hemorrhoids are...

If you have just learned you are going to have a baby, you may wonder how much weight you should gain when you are pregnant. Both your weight at the beginning of pregnancy and the amount of weight...

By the end of the third trimester, many women are more than ready to deliver. As much as people tell you that you are glowing, you're probably feeling sick of your hips and back hurting and your...

Do you know that during pregnancy, you can still work out? In fact, a work out during pregnancy is great for both the expectant mother and the baby. Some of the benefits are: help reduce...

Mederma is an over-the-counter medication designed to reduce the appearance of scars through regular external use. The cream can be extremely effective when used to treat stretch marks caused by...

Your blood pressure is made up of two numbers--the systolic (top) number and the diastolic (bottom) number. These numbers record how much pressure is being exerted by your blood as it courses...

Egg donation, no matter what the motivation, is a wonderful way to help infertile people and couples live their dreams of parenthood. While usually safe for the donor, egg donation is a medical...

Herbs and spices have long been associated with the culinary world, but they also have a place in the medicine cabinet for many people. Fortunately the use of herbs and spices in general cooking...

When you are pregnant and struck with illness, taking medicine is a hard decision. Try the most natural approach you can find and consult your doctor before taking anything.

A cesarean section or C-section is used to deliver a baby through the mother's abdomen. According to the National Health Institute, approximately 25 percent of babies are delivered through a...

A Pap smear is a quick procedure that is used to collect a sample of cells from a woman's cervical area in order to test for abnormalities. Pap smears are not meant to determine existing pregnancies.

When performed in a sterile environment by a trained professional, there are few risks associated with abortion. In the United States, less than one percent of those who have abortions experience...

Most babies come when they're ready; some a bit before the due date, some after. But sometimes an expectant mother goes into labor far too early. According to Science Daily, the earliest preemies...

Aciphex, or rabeprazole sodium, is used to treat acid reflux disease. Pregnant women often experience symptoms of acid reflux, and may wonder if Aciphex is safe for them.

Egg donation is the process through which a woman can provide her eggs to women or couples who are having trouble conceiving on their own. A woman may do this for selfless and charitable reasons,...

Medical researchers have studied the safety of dextromethorphan---a commonly used cough suppressant---during pregnancy. Most have found no conclusive link between dextromethorphan and birth...

More than 50 percent of women will develop some sort of fibroid tumor in their life time according to PregnancyInfo.net. It's common for a woman to be unaware of the tumor until she becomes...

The integumentary system is vital in protecting humans from the elements. Its development begins shortly after conception and progresses quite rapidly.

It is normal for pregnant women to have headaches occasionally, but you have to be careful since the medicines you take can affect your growing baby. Even though your options are limited, there...

During pregnancy, dramatic shifts in hormones can affect the liver. Some liver problems in pregnancy are harmless, but others can seriously damage the mother and the fetus if not treated promptly...

During pregnancy, a woman will not get her period because pregnancy hormones prevent ovaries from releasing an egg, and a menstrual period occurs when the body sheds the uterine lining. However,...

Shortly after getting pregnant, it is possible for a woman to have period-like bleeding. However, this isn't a menstrual period because during a menstrual period, your body sheds the lining of the...

Pregnancy hormones can cause serious depression, but antidepressants may pose risks to a woman's unborn baby. The choice to take antidepressants during pregnancy is a personal one that women must...

During pregnancy, the umbilical cord delivers nutrients and stem cells from the placenta to the baby. When baby is born, placental cord blood can be donated for research into cancer treatments or...

Pregnancy can be one of the most joyful times in a woman's life. However, with pregnancy comes an almost endless number of questions. Some of the most common questions relate to adopting healthy...