Health & Pregnancy

Becoming a mommy is a life-changing experience. While nature prepares you for much of the process, there are some tips and forms of external help you may wish to consider as you embark on this...

If you are considering having your first child and find yourself frozen out of fear of childbirth, you are not alone. Several women find themselves in this position, including experienced mothers....

There are many reasons to plan a water birth. Giving birth in the water reduces pain and enhances relaxation. It may even speed labor. Women who give birth in the water are less likely to...

A surrogate mother is a woman who agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another woman or couple. Surrogates help infertile people, those for whom pregnancy would be dangerous and same-sex...

Premature labor occurs when a woman goes into labor before the 37th week of her pregnancy. Signs of preterm labor include contractions less than ten minutes apart, pelvic pressure, lower abdominal...

Sonography or ultrasound is the technique of using computer-generated sound frequencies to view internal objects, in this case, a baby. Through ultrasound technology, a doctor can view a baby's...

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,...

When a person dies, the loved ones that they have left behind are provided with many opportunities for mourning. Funerals are held to give the people who are grieving a chance to say goodbye...

When a woman has gone passed her due date, she may be ready to begin the labor process. However, she may not want to begin labor by an unnatural process. One natural process is to strip the...

Babies are wonderful, but the pain that comes during and after labor is hard to cope with, especially when you have a brand-new little one to take care of. A fourth degree tear is when your...

For many people getting pregnant is very difficult and for others it takes no time at all. Determining an ovulation schedule for conception is a key factor for getting pregnant.

Toxemia is a dangerous condition that pregnant women face. When toxemia occurs, your blood pressure becomes elevated and the protein levels in your urine will be excessive. If it isn't treated,...

Unassisted childbirth, or freebirthing, is the technique of giving birth without the assistance of doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals, usually in the woman's home. It can be...

What is a Cervical Cerclage? It is a stich done by doctors to prevent premature delivery of a baby. Read on for a more indepth explanation and who it is a candidate for.

Ultrasound is a very challenging imaging modality to comprehend. Sonograms are two-dimensional, grayscale images. Ultrasound waves are sent into the body in pulses. Before another pulse is sent,...

There are many reasons for wanting to give birth drug free. For the mother, it is an invigorating and empowering experience. The baby arrives in a much more active and alert state. Bonding between...

Any pregnancy loss is a devastating thing to go through. It is especially hard if you are recovering from an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself...

If your delivery was complicated by an emergency Cesarean section (C-section), you may be extremely fatigued, sore, weak, and emotionally overwhelmed - not to mention engorged! Plus you have a...

Having a miscarriage is one of the most painful experiences I have ever know. To have multiple miscarriages on top of that can leave you feeling hopeless and empty. It is so important for you to...

Going into labor is something that your body does naturally, but sometimes people want to know how to go into labor because the baby is overdue and they're concerned, or perhaps just tired of...

You may think the symptoms you have mean you're pregnant but there may be another explanation. However, any sexually active woman could be pregnant unless she has had a complete hysterectomy even...

The due date your doctor or midwife gave you at the beginning of your pregnancy is a generalized estimate of when your baby will be born and is counted as 40 weeks from the first day of your last...

Healthy babies which are delivered at full term are vulnerable to numerous risks and illnesses. Add in a factor such as being premature and these are multiplied greatly. Although many risk...

So you are thinking of having a baby! Congratulations to you as you embark on a most amazing journey. Please talk to your GYN or midwife professional before you start trying to conceive, they...

You're finally in labor and as you feel each contraction increase in strength, you're getting a little nervous. Just how hard is this going to be? Maybe you should have taken that childbirth...

Since the beginning of time women have been delivering babies, and it never gets any easier. Many different forms of pain relief have come and gone throughout history and, thanks to modern...

Hundreds of thousands of men and women across America find that they are unable to conceive children and must turn to fertility drugs to increase their chances of getting pregnant. Unfortunately,...

HELLP, which stands for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, is a potentially fatal condition that affects approximately 10% of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. A...

Tubal ligation is a fancy term for "getting your tubes tied." This is done to prevent a woman from getting pregnant. While this procedure is thought of as permanent, there are ways to make it...

Despite the fact that you've been planning for it for nine months (or longer), the exhaustion and emotions of the first month of motherhood can still catch you off guard. Use these strategies to...

Preeclampsia (sometimes called toxemia) is a pregnancy-related condition that affects women by raising blood pressure and creating excess protein in your urine. Women can experience nausea or...

Considering an epidural for the birth of your baby? The following are the steps in receiving one.

Research indicates that an unmedicated birth is healthiest for mom and baby. So how do you do it? Try this...

Natural birth is so far from the norm these days that when many people hear the phrase, they just think of a baby being delivered vaginally rather than by cesarean. However, natural birth can...

As the world of modern medicine advances more and more men and women are living longer and healthier lives with the HIV virus. Many of these women are now considering becoming pregnant or are...

Getting pregnant can be complicated by many factors, and for women with Polycycstic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS for short, the complications can vary. From having irregular periods or cycles to...

By: Patrick Foye, M.D., Director of the Coccyx Pain Service at New Jersey Medical School, Newark, N.J. (www.TailboneDoctor.com) TAILBONE PAIN (Coccyx Pain) during or after PREGNANCY can be very...

Understanding the procedures surrounding a hysterectomy or Cesarean abortion gives the woman an educated choice as to what actually occurs during a hysterectomy or Cesarean abortion to both her...

Miscarriage is a relatively common and unfortunate experience, but that fact of life does not make it any easier to accept if it happens to you or someone you love. Ending a pregnancy without a...

Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs during pregnancy and can negatively affect the health of the mother and baby. Although the severity of the condition can vary, the disorder can rapidly...

Nuchal Umbilical Cord, a condition in which the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the baby's head, occurs in about 25% of deliveries. Nuchal cord can be life-threatening but doctors normally...

Footling breech presentation, when one or both of the baby's feet present to the birth canal, is a rare complication that requires extreme care during delivery. Whenever possible, footling breech...

In frank breech presentation, the baby is aligned vertically within the uterus with the buttocks facing down. The hips are flexed with legs extending up toward the head. Most breech babies must be...

Vacuum extraction isn't necessary in most vaginal deliveries. It's an unpleasant experience, both for the mother and the baby, so avoiding it is in the best interest of all parties. Avoiding...

Chorioamnionitis is a potentially life-threatening infection that affects both the mother and baby, both before and after birth. Proper medical treatment is necessary, preferably before the baby...

Pregnancy in itself is a stressful time. Being responsible for the life of another human being is a great deal of responsibility. Add to it a situation that makes the pregnancy high risk, and the...

Hearing that a pregnancy has a poor prognosis, or a likely unfavorable outcome, is every woman's worst nightmare. Along with this news comes some difficult choices, including whether to carry the...

A birthing ball is a simple exercise ball and it is a great tool to use during pregnancy and birth. Using it during pregnancy will help with posture, may eliminate common pregnancy aches and pains...

If you must deliver a baby without any help, don't panic. Follow these steps and everything should be fine.

Not every woman is comfortable with a home delivery, yet a sterile hospital delivery is not very appealing either. Find a hospital that is warm and open-minded to the natural birth philosophy...