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The end goal for every pregnancy involves delivering a healthy baby at full term to a healthy mother, as there is no better environment for babies to grow and develop other than in-utero. Unfortunately, many women enter pregnancy with pre-existing medical conditions that predispose them to complications, which could compromise their baby’s health. Even the healthiest of women could face a preterm delivery.
Similarly, preterm delivery is also a frightening reality for healthy mothers of babies with high-risk conditions including congenital...
Images courtesy of Kristi Kline
When my husband, Matt and I were in New Orleans for our first ultrasound visit, we were in for a surprise. We were waiting to hear a sweet baby’s heartbeat, but instead we heard two! I remember how the technician displayed the imaging and asked: “What do you see?” It looked like an amoeba to me, but my husband muttered the word “two.” I almost fell over as I thought: “There’s no way I can do twins!” This was just the start to our wild twin journey.
During our next appointment, my obstetrician noticed the twins were in the same chorionic sac, sharing a placenta. We discovered we were having...
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For expecting women, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common condition of glucose intolerance in which the pancreas struggles to adjust to an increased demand for insulin and/or insulin cells become resistant during pregnancy. There are typically little to no symptoms, but heightened blood sugar levels can impact you or your baby’s health. Screening for GDM is usually completed between 24-28 weeks gestation, when insulin demand begins to elevate. This can be done sooner if risk factors are present.
Screening for GDM is usually...
The “morning-after pill” is a type of emergency contraception used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected intercourse. There are several brands of emergency contraceptive pills containing levonorgestrel, a type of hormone, available and packaged for purchase. Some of these include Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, Take Action, My Way and AfterPill. If these are taken within three days of unprotected intercourse, success rates of preventing pregnancy can go up to 89 percent. They can be taken up to five days following intercourse, but they’re most effective when taken as soon as possible.
How does it work?
The emergency contraceptive pill...
What exactly is postpartum anxiety?
If you recently gave birth, postpartum anxiety can occur alongside depression or distinctly from it. For many women, the abrupt decrease in estrogen and progesterone at the time of delivery can lead to a greater sensitivity to stress, causing some to feel overwhelmed, fearful or panicky. Sleep deprivation from newborn care can also contribute to these feelings. In addition, especially for first-time mothers, the responsibility of caring for a newborn and the feelings of wanting to protect and keep the baby...
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