OBGYN.net Staff

by Anne Montgomery

by Mary Renfew, Chloe Fisher, and Suzanne ArmsCelestial Arts, 1990

by Joan Marie Butler, RNC,

Do pregnancy and childbirth affect bladder control? Yes. But don't panic. If you lose bladder control after childbirth, the problem often goes away by itself. Your muscles may just need time to recover.

Are you planning to have a baby? Do you think you will ever have a baby? You need to know about the vitamin folate.

Genetic counseling researches the family and medical history of potential parents using perception tests, which determine the risk of having a child with a genetic birth defect or disorder. Prenatal diagnosis tests an already conceived fetus for genetic abnormalities.

Some BIRTH DEFECTS or CONDITIONS can be inherited ("run through the family") and may potentially increase the risk to one's own offspring. These include:

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found naturally in dark-green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and whole grains. It plays an important part in the development of the fetus' spinal cord and brain.

Clomiphene Citrate, or "Clomid" is often referred to as the "fertility pill". It is used to treat infertile women who have an ovulation problem. It works by helping the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) improve the stimulation of developing follicles (eggs) in the ovaries.

In order to stimulate an adequate milk supply, newborns need to nurse a minimum of eight times, and optimally ten to twelve times or more during a twenty-four hour period.

You and your baby have been happily nursing for several months. You have overcome the common problems nursing couples have in the early weeks, such as sore nipples or engorgement, and things are progressing nicely.

Many babies switch forth effortlessly between breast and bottle from day one. Others become “nipple confused” if artificial nipples are introduced during the early days of nursing.

Candida (also called yeast, or thrush) is a fungus that occurs naturally in the mucous membranes and on the skin. Use of antibiotics promotes the overgrowth of yeast by killing off the ‘good’ bacteria that normally keep the yeast from multiplying too quickly.

Breast fullness is a normal part of lactation which nearly all women experience when their milk comes in 2 – 5 days after birth.

There may be times when, for a variety of reasons, nursing mothers need or want to leave their nursing baby with a caregiver. This may be a ‘once only’ event, or a regular daily arrangement.

Find out how your income, bonus structure, overhead, and work hours compare to that of your peers.

Whenever possible, pregnant women should be immune to the diseases that pose the greatest and most common risks during pregnancy and for which there are effective vaccines.

A collective from medical interview records written by various paramedics, emergency room receptionists, and (we are afraid) a doctor or two at major hospitals.

While breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, babies are not born knowing how to nurse (although some do get the hang of it sooner than others). The art of breastfeeding in something that you learn by doing, and it gets easier with practice.

Although concern about not having enough milk is the number one reason that mothers wean their babies early, having too much milk can also be a problem.

Mother’s nipples come in many shapes and sizes. While most nipples protrude and are easy for baby to grasp, there are some variations in size and shape that make it difficult for them to nurse successfully.

My husband Bryan and I have been married 10 years. We tried for the first 3 years of our marriage to get pregnant to no avail. Three months after we were married we found out that I had pre-cervical cancer and had laser surgery to get rid of the bad cells.

The end of my pregnancy with Nicole was, in a word, swollen. My last few prenatal check-ups were spent discussing the size of the baby, my high blood pressure and swelling.

Over the past several years, scientific studies from several sources have linked bacterial vaginosis (BV) with premature labor 1-3.

Every woman giving birth is embarking on a wondrous journey. Fortunately, it's a journey that countless women before them have taken so the territory is not entirely uncharted. In preparation for labor, thousands of women participate in childbirth education classes every year in the United States.

To determine whether strict glycemic control during diabetic pregnancy combined with elective early induction of labor reduces the rate of macrosomia, birth trauma, and it’s influences on the C/S rate.

Of course people will have very different reactions to this idea. Some will think it’s terrific, a really wonderful shared experience for parents and child as well as a powerful bonding moment for the child and his new sibling.

For most of us the impending prospect of labor and delivery is both exciting and frightening. It is easy to get caught up in a cycle of worry about every aspect of the process, including fears about the baby.

The things you do for yourself and your baby during your pregnancy are very important. Preparing for labor is one of the most essential. Below is a list of some of the many things you may want to consider as you plan for your labor and delivery.

If I had to pick the one question that every woman asks as she prepares for her birth, it would be a fairly easy choice: How will I know when I’m in labor?