Pregnancy & Childbirth
127 Articles & Excerpts
Disturbances of the Heart
by Oliver T. Osborne, M.D.
It is so serious a thing for a woman with valvular lesion or other cardiac defect to become pregnant that no young woman with heart disease should be allowed to marry. Perhaps every normal heart during pregnancy hypertrophies somewhat to do the extra work
Parent and Child, Volume III
by Mosiah Hall
In common with every organism the infant develops from a single germ cell of almost microscopic size. Wrapped in this tiny cell are all the possibilities of structure and character that combine to form the complicated bodily organism and the particular
Maintaining Health
by R. L. Alsaker
It is commonly believed that a pregnant woman must eat for two. The wise woman will not increase her food intake. If she is not up to par physically at the time of conception she will generally find it advantageous to decrease the food allowance.
Your Pregnancy Self-Care Plan
 Body, Soul, and Baby: A Doctor's Guide to the Complete Pregnancy Experience, From Preconception to Postpartum
by Tracey W. Gaudet, M.D., Paula Spencer
In a culture that rarely sees pregnancy as a journey to self-discovery, Body, Soul, and Baby offers a fresh perspective on this transformative life experience by showing women how to tune in to the cues offered by their bodies and souls
A Complementary View of Fertility
 What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Getting Pregnant: Boost Your Fertility with the Best of Traditional and Alternative Therapies
by Raymond Chang, M.D., Elena Oumano, Ph.D.
If you're struggling to conceive, you may be surprised to learn that there are many simple fertility-enhancing strategies that are painless, health-promoting, and inexpensive-and can result in pregnancy.
The Effects of Tobacco Use During and After Pregnancy
by National Institute of Health
Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy have both been associated with a number of adverse effects on the growth, cognitive development, and behavior of the exposed child.
Managing Gestational Diabetes: A Patient's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
by National Institute of Health
Gestational diabetes is one of the most common health problems for pregnant women. It affects about 5 percent of all pregnancies, which means there are about 200,000 cases each year.
Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy
by National Institute of Health
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes, or high blood sugar, that only pregnant women get. In fact, the word gestational means pregnant. If a woman gets high blood sugar when she's pregnant, but she never had high blood sugar before
When You Are Pregnant ...: How Drinking Can Hurt Your Baby
by National Institute of Health
When you are pregnant, your baby grows inside you. Everything you eat and drink while you are pregnant affects your baby. If you drink alcohol, it can hurt your baby's growth.
Daddy's Little Girl and Preventing Teen Pregnancy
by Jeremy G. Schneider, MFT
The research on the importance of fathers grows every day; the role we play in helping our children develop social skills, better test grades, and future career success. But I want to take a moment to talk about the special impact fathers have
Folic Acid and Pregnancy
by CDC
The purpose of these questions and answers is to educate women of childbearing age on the importance of consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of spina bifida by up to 70%.
X-rays and Pregnancy: The Risks to a Fetus
by Health Canada
Diagnostic x-rays are sometimes needed during pregnancy to provide a doctor with important information about a woman's medical condition. However, x-rays may involve risks to an unborn child. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light.
Unborn Babies: Fetal Ultrasound for Keepsake Videos
by Health Canada
Health Canada is recommending parents not expose their unborn babies to fetal ultrasound for the purpose of making "keepsake" videos. Fetal ultrasound creates images of the unborn baby in the womb.
Folic Acid and Birth Defects
by Health Canada
If you are a woman who may become pregnant, taking folic acid on a daily basis before pregnancy can help prevent serious birth defects in your unborn baby. All women who could become pregnant are at risk of having babies with neural tube defects.
Pregnant and Thinking About Adoption?
by Child Welfare Information Gateway
If you are pregnant and not sure that you want to keep the baby, you might be thinking about adoption. Pregnancy causes many changes, both physical and emotional. It can be a very confusing time for a woman, even in the best of circumstances.
Great Expectations
 Pregnancy Blues: What Every Woman Needs to Know about Depression During Pregnancy
by Shaila Kulkarni Misri, M.D.
It should be a time of joyous anticipation - the happiest time in a woman's life. But for many women, the joys of pregnancy are clouded by feelings of fear, sadness, and confusion. And unlike postpartum depression, which is widely portrayed in the media
Overactive Bladder
 Ever Since I Had My Baby
by Roger Goldberg, M.D., M.P.H.
Stress incontinence refers to the sudden accidental leakage of urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift a heavy object, hit a tennis or golf ball, or quickly change your position - in other words, during any activity that creates pressure or stress
Recognizing Your Postreproductive Problem
Ever Since I Had My Baby
by Roger Goldberg, M.D., M.P.H.
Pelvic-floor disorders are much more common than you might think - millions of women suffer from one or more symptoms of pelvic-floor injury. These problems often stem from the strain placed on the body during pregnancy and childbirth, although symptoms
Parents with Mental Illness : Pregnancy, Victimization and Trauma
by SAMHSA
Pregnancy brings a unique set of challenges to adults living with mental illness. The percent of unplanned pregnancies among women with serious mental illness is high. Mothers with schizophrenia have higher rates of spontaneous miscarriages, stillbirths
Ultrasound Keepsake Images : Not a Wise Choice
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
For every reason a mother-to-be wants a keepsake video, there are good reasons she shouldn't have one. Women cite early bonding with their babies, determining the baby's sex, and a desire to share their prenatal experiences with friends and families
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