Health & Pregnancy

Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection during pregnancy can cause health complications for baby and mother. GBS bacteria can be found in the vaginas of up to 40 percent of healthy women, but during...

The importance of proper thyroid function increases during pregnancy. If you think you may have a thyroid imbalance while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy, consult your doctor.

Prenatal tests help doctors diagnose problems during pregnancy, so they can be addressed early on. Tests can also rule out key concerns to put your mind at ease.

Group B streptococcus (GBS) lives primarily in the small intestine, but may venture into the rectum or vagina. It is not a sexually transmitted disease, and it's very difficult to prevent. Babies...

Pregnant women, as a general rule, need some sodium intake to increase blood volume properly and because women excrete more sodium in the urine when pregnant. Doctors no longer recommend sodium...

You just had a baby! Congratulations! Now you'd like to subtract the added pounds you gained over the last 9 months. There is only ONE proven method for achieving this goal. Eat right, exercise,...

Maintaining a healthy body and a positive attitude can benefit both mother and baby. Circumstances like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes may place an expectant mother on bed rest and can often...

Fibroids are non cancerous growths that occur on or around the uterus. Though the risk is small, fibroids can cause complications during pregnancy. One-third of all women over 35 have fibroids,...

Because contraceptives are recommended throughout the entire cycle for women trying to avoid pregnancy it might seem like conception is possible every time you have sex. But pregnancy can only...

During your pregnancy, your two main concerns are keeping yourself and your growing baby as healthy as possible. Perhaps you wonder whether cranberry juice or supplements can be taken during...

Cord blood is a good way to help save someone's life. Taking the blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby to extract stem cells is a great way to study, reverse and cure serious diseases....

The due date for a pregnancy is an estimation of when your baby will be born. A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, and most women will deliver their baby within two weeks before or after...

Blue and black cohosh are herbs often used as part of a tea to induce labor because of their ability to strengthen contractions and ripen the cervix, preparing it for birth. Cotton root bark is...

The umbilical cord is what keeps the baby alive during pregnancy. When the baby is born, it is no longer needed for life. The cord is normally cut and clamped immediately after birth. A flat...

Fetal growth occurs in three trimesters, and each trimester lasts for approximately three months. The first trimester is from conception to 13 weeks. The second trimester is from 14 to 27 weeks....

Group B strepococcus (GBS) testing is done between the 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy. The test is important because a positive result dictates a particular protocol at the time of birth to...

Receiving adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy is important to the health of the developing fetus. According to the American Pregnancy Association, most women will require a...

Pregnancy can be a wonderful, life-changing experience. Hearing the heartbeat of your unborn baby is one of many momentous and unforgettable events during this time, and is an important part in a...

While daily exposure to radiation occurs naturally in soil, food, building materials and in the air, according to the Health Physics Society, medical x-rays, radiation tests and radiation...

Many women find that their allergies seem to worsen during pregnancy while other pregnant women develop allergy symptoms for the first time in their lives. If you're pregnant and suffering from...

The decision to induce labor at 36 weeks is made when there is significant risk to the mother or unborn baby. According to MarchofDimes.com, 99 percent of babies born at 36 weeks will survive with...

Suffering a spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage, can be an emotional and overwhelming experience. Although they rarely can be prevented, there are some risk factors that seem to increase your...

After fertilization of the egg by the sperm, the egg passes through the fallopian tube into the womb. All inherited characteristics such as hair and eye color, gender, and personality have already...

Pregnancy can be one of the most nerve-wracking 40 weeks of a woman's life, since she is concerned with the baby's health and preparing the home for the baby. Try to eliminate or lessen stress...

Many women deliver babies in hospitals, but some choose the option of a home birth. There are certain supplies that are needed at the time of delivering a baby, in order to have a comfortable and...

Down Syndrome is a common birth defect that is the result of a chromosomal abnormality. The most common way to screen for Down Syndrome is through a chorionic villus sampling in the first...

Laboring and birthing in water was initially used in Russia and France over 50 years ago. Birth movements and positions in water are proven to relieve the pain of contractions and aid in the...

Astragalus is the common name given to a group of plants used for alternative and complementary medicine. It has been the subject of numerous scientific studies on its effectiveness in treating a...

Having children is a joy and a blessing. The chance to conceive and bear children is an opportunity that not many women pass up. The sad part comes when trial and error conclude with no results...

There are two instances when an obstetrician will induce labor: when a mother and/or child is in medical jeopardy, or when a pregnant woman decides to schedule an induction for reasons of personal...

According to the Mayo Clinic, a C-section, which is also called a cesarean delivery, is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through the abdominal wall. Some C-sections are planned, and...

When you're feeling stressed, either about getting pregnant or about other factors in your life, you can postpone, or even stop, ovulation. Too much stress can cause your hypothalamus, which is a...

If you're expecting a baby, one of the first things you'll want to know is when your little one will arrive. The average pregnancy is about 40 weeks long, so if you figure out the date you...

One of the big questions on parents' minds during pregnancy is whether they are having a boy or a girl. While some parents decide to find out via ultrasound, others may want to wait and be...

Pregnant countdown tickers track your pregnancy by calculating how many days remain until your due date. Commonly attached to e-mail, blog, social networking websites or bulletin board/forum...

Progesterone is a hormone your body produces that is essential to maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Ovulation (release of a ripe egg to be fertilized) during your menstrual cycle normally causes...

Shaking after delivering a baby, whether a vaginal delivery or via c-section, is very common. Typically there is no need for concern since it passes rather quickly. There are many different...

In the U.S., all live births of any birth weight or gestational age must be reported. Some countries have a different standard regarding what qualifies as a live birth. These differences in...

Many doctors will perform a pap smear at your first OBGYN doctor's visit to check for various conditions that could cause problems in the pregnancy; such as harmful bacteria in the cervix that can...

A resting pulse varies broadly, and is influenced by such factors as physical fitness, smoking, emotional state, body weight and use of medications. Pregnancy raises the resting pulse...

During pregnancy, many women experience dry eyes. According to the organization Prevent Blindness in America, using lubricating eye drops during pregnancy is a safe and easy way to remedy...

The average pregnancy lasts between 40 and 42 weeks, though it has become a recent trend to terminate pregnancies earlier. This is most often not because of a medical reason, but simply because it...

Hearing your baby's heartbeat while you are pregnant can be reassuring. Having a fetal doppler--a device that uses sound waves to capture an unborn baby's heart rate--on hand means you can hear...

Human chorionic gonadotropin can be measured from the urine or blood serum. HCG measurements may be quantitative (measuring the amount of hCG) or qualitative (indicating if hCG is present or not).

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, also known as morning sickness, is common in the first trimester, affecting up to 85 percent of pregnant women, according to the American College of...

Pregnancy changes your body in so many ways. These changes include your hair. You may begin to experience hair loss during and after pregnancy.

Constipation is never a good experience but constipation during pregnancy is just miserable. But there are constipation remedies that you can try to relieve constipation quickly and naturally. ...

Pregnancy is a time of many changes in a woman's body. Although often women are excited and happy for the birth of the baby, depression during pregnancy is possible.

Pregnancy is often associated with gaining weight. However, in the first trimester women can lose weight due to morning sickness and general loss of appetite. Women should not be alarmed by this...

Although many pregnancies progress into active labor naturally, some women will continue well past their due date. Not only can this be uncomfortable for the mother to be, but it can also be...