Many women enjoy a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a good diet. It can be tough to maintain that lifestyle when she becomes pregnant, especially during the later stages. But it is possible, and in fact preferable, to maintain an exercise regiment at least up until the last month.
Pregnancy brings many changes. Hormone [...]

Pregnancy can be uncomfortable in many ways throughout the nine months period. But some aspects are within normal range, others can signal serious issues. Only your physician can provide you with definitive answers, but knowing some of the common risk signals can help mothers decide whether to seek professional advice. Always err on the side [...]

Vaginal childbirth, in which the new baby emerges through the uterus and vaginal opening, has been the most common method of childbirth for millennia. But Caesarean sections - delivery by creating an opening through the abdominal wall - has been used for centuries, too. But no matter how long each practice has been used, every [...]

Pregnancy involves a range of issues, both physiological and emotional. Though complex, dealing with physical issues is very well understood. There are hormonal changes that have been thoroughly studied and medical technology is up to the task of maximizing the odds of a good outcome. Dealing with the psychological issues is less straight forward, but [...]

Pregnancy presents a time of big changes in every dimension. There’s the obvious weight gain and changing shape. Over time, it will be more difficult to maintain a regular exercise regimen of the same type as before pregnancy. Less obvious changes are taking place, too. Estrogen and progesterone levels are increasing. All those, and many [...]

As many couples know, becoming pregnant is not simply a matter of having intercourse near a selected date. Fewer than two-thirds of couples trying to conceive succeed within six months. Fortunately, 90% of women trying to get pregnant do so within 18 months.
There are dozens of factors that affect the odds of conception, some more [...]

Anywhere from 5-25% of women who give birth get some form of post-natal depression. One reason for the wide range in the numbers is the difficulty of pinning down exactly what it is. But women who have had it know too well what it feels like.
Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after [...]

Once the first stage of labor is passed, the placental sac has broken, the cervix has dilated and contractions are regular and frequent, the second stage of labor - actual delivery - begins. Of course, there’s no bright line dividing the first from the second. Where one leaves off and the other begins will vary [...]

Everyone is familiar with the nausea and other conditions that sometimes accompany pregnancy. How common are they, and is there anything an expectant mom can do to relieve them?
Early pregnancy nausea and vomiting occurs in about half of pregnant women, beginning about two weeks after the first missed period. This lasts usually no longer than [...]

Once labor begins, you’ll need to prepare yourself mentally for the day. For some women, especially after a first child, this is a very easy task. For others, anxiety builds and builds. The best way to relieve that tension is to find out what to expect on that golden day.
During labor the cervix will dilate [...]