Health & Pregnancy

It seems from the moment you learn of your pregnancy, the question, "Is it a boy or a girl?" consumes your thoughts. You are eager to pick out that perfect pink or blue sleeper outfit. You long to...

Of the three trimesters in a pregnancy, the third one can be the most exciting yet worrisome trimester of all. During the third trimester the baby's weight gain is of utmost importance. Along with...

Wondering how to find out your baby's due date? New moms- and dads-to-be are almost always curious about when to expect their new arrival from the moment they find out they're expecting. There's...

Thanks to ultrasound testing, expectant parents are able to find out long before birth if they are having a boy or a girl. Similar to sonar used by the Navy, sound waves are passed through the...

Live or vaginal childbirth is a beautiful and miraculous thing to behold. A baby travels down past bones and muscle to finally leave its watery home and enter the arms of its mother. Live birth...

You just found out that you are pregnant---congratulations! Now is the time to be thinking about how the things you do can affect the baby growing inside of you. There are many ways to keep...

Pregnancy is an exceptionally exciting and sometimes difficult time. It is important that you do everything you can to prevent too much stress from entering the body. It is said that stress causes...

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...

Many parents wish to determine their baby's sex before birth. The most common way to tell the baby's sex is by ultrasound examination. This test is non-invasive with very few risks or complications.

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters for a total of about 40 weeks. The first trimester lasts from week one to week 12. During the first trimester, your baby begins to develop a heart, brain...

If you are pregnant, or thinking of having a baby, the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" can be a comprehensive resource to guide you through your pregnancy and childbirth experience. If...

Premature refers to a baby that's born at least three weeks before the due date. Premature birth can cause many health problems to a baby.

You can determine the sex of your baby before 20 weeks with varying degrees of accuracy depending on the method you use: ultrasound or amniocentesis.

The earliest you can determine the gender of a fetus is at about 14 weeks gestation, if you undergo amniocentesis, and 16 weeks through ultrasound. Most doctors recommend that you have an...

While numerous studies, including a 1993 one led by sonographer Terry J. Dubose, have firmly debunked the mythical correlation between gender and heart rate, many doctors, midwives and mothers...

As a pregnant mother, you do not want to face the possibility of your fetus not gaining weight properly. Since we cannot control everything, it makes sense to focus on the factors that we can...

Medically induced labor for pregnant women can be pretty intensive and painful. But there are some ways to induce labor naturally. According to MaternityCorner.com, some of these methods are OK to...

Early labor signs may go unnoticed at first because they start off rather low-key before accelerating to active labor. However, by paying attention to your pregnant body, you can learn to...

Being pregnant at a young age can be scary. Often you may feel alone and weighed down with all of the life changing events that are going to take place. You may be wondering where to start,...

The average pregnancy lasts between 40 and 42 weeks. Labor is best left to the body's natural process, though in some cases, induction is medically necessary. Three basic ways to go into...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

According to Childbirth.org, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) has been identified as the number one cause of life-threatening infections in newborns. GBS is a bacteria that is normally found in the...

4D ultrasounds combine 3D scanning technology with the element of time, creating a live video that shows the physical features of a baby inside the uterus.

If you are trying to get pregnant, it is understandable to get stressed out, especially if you have been trying for a while. However, stress can hinder your chances of getting pregnant, since it...

Pregnant women should be aware of the dangers of foods that can be eaten normally outside of pregnancy. Avoiding these foods during pregnancy is important to the health of the mother as well as...

4D Ultrasound is the newest technology in prenatal testing. If you are pregnant and considering this procedure, you may be wondering whether the test poses a risk to you or your baby.

Pregnancy is a joyous time in a woman's life. As the due date approaches, many women become anxious to meet their new bundle of joy. Once the baby has reached full term, there are many methods...

Finding a doctor you trust to take care of both you and your baby while you are pregnant can take some time. Before you call the first doctor you see listed in the phone book, follow these steps...

As you draw closer to the end of your pregnancy, you may be wondering when your baby will come. You are tired, and ready to just have your baby and start life with your new bundle of joy....

There are three main stages of labor. The first stage is the dilation of the cervix, when you will feel contractions. The second stage is pushing and the actual delivery. The third stage is...

A c-section, or cesarean birth, is a surgery used to deliver a baby when vaginal birth is not possible, according to the Mayo Clinic. In some cases it is done as an emergency procedure when the...

Myths about pregnancy abound across the globe. One such myth is consuming saffron while pregnant will result in a light-skinned baby. Whether you're a believer in home remedies or just enjoy...

According to Dr. Spock, you can hear your baby's heartbeat 22 days after conception. Hearing this sound is one of the magical moments in your life. You have a new-found motivation and go on a...

While acute fatty liver of pregnancy is uncommon, it can have fatal side effects if not accurately diagnosed and treated. Supportive maternal care and early delivery are necessary for an optimal...

You’ve just spent nine months watching your body change and expand in ways you never imagined, but the birth of your beautiful baby was well worth it. Now it’s time to return to your pre-pregnancy...

One of the most exciting moments of pregnancy is hearing baby's heartbeat for the first time. The baby's heart can be heard as early as ten weeks into pregnancy, and doctors are able to better...

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,...

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.

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...

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...

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...

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, doctors may induce labor when a woman is past her due date or when the baby or mother's health is at risk.