Pregnancy and Birth

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.

According to B. Russell’s “bad luck” mathematical paradox, a decision is bound to be false if based on the probability of success of another decision. Thus, a decision to perform a cesarean section (CS) based on the probability of a successful vaginal delivery (VD) is likely to be wrong.

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.

Objective To examine the effect of relaxation on preterm labor outcome. Design Quasi-experimental, with women who experienced preterm labor randomly assigned to a control or experimental group.

One of the most controversial topics in modern obstetrics is cesarean section. Cesarean section refers to a major surgical procedure where a baby is removed from the uterus by making a cut into the abdomen, then into the uterus.

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?

For the mother's use during labor, For the birth partner's use, For the mother's use during the postpartum period, and For the baby.

Cord blood stem cells (CBSCs) first appear in the yolk sac of the human embryo, and then migrate to the liver as the fetus develops. The fetal liver continues to produce blood cells until shortly after birth, when the bone marrow becomes the primary factory of blood.

What do you do when a patient has a recurrent yeast infection? This conundrum recently became a discussion on the OBGYN.net forum.

Over the years, researchers and clinicians have made great strides in reducing the number of maternal deaths associated with cardiac disease, infection, and hemorrhage.

A complete uterine rupture is a tear through the thickness of the uterine wall at the site of a prior cesarean incision. It is a potentially life threatening condition for both the mother and/or the baby and requires immediate surgical intervention.

In most term pregnancies, the fetus will be in the vertex, or "head-down," position at delivery. When the fetus is not in this position, it is referred to as breech. Early in pregnancy the breech position is common.

A healthy placenta is the single most important factor in producing a healthy baby. The placenta, which is in fact part of the fetus, is critical for all aspects of pregnancy from implantation to delivery. As early as three days after fertilization, the trophoblasts, the major cell type of the placenta, begin to make human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone which insures that the endometrium will be receptive to the implanting embryo.

Diagnostics in the OB/GYN Setting

Whenever I think about women's health delivery I am struck with apparent confusion of roles that currently exists among the various providers. To understand this problem a review of the dramatic events in women's health in the 20th century is necessary.

Grief is an emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual response to loss. The depth and the complexity of grief often feel overwhelming and baffling. Unfortunately, arming ourselves with knowledge about grief does not reduce the depth of grief, nor simplify grief.

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) is issuing the first new guidelines in more than a decade for managing asthma during pregnancy. The report reflects new medications that have emerged and updates treatment recommendations for pregnant women with asthma based on a systematic review of data on the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy.

A substance found in the urine of pregnant women can be measured to predict the later development of preeclampsia, according to research from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most dangerous activities encountered during pregnancy. It is also the largest preventable cause of death and illness among American women in general. It is estimated that over 22 million women in this country smoke, and among women of reproductive age (those between the ages of 15-45), almost one-third are smokers.

Of all the aches, pains, and discomforts of pregnancy, morning sickness is probably one of the most dreaded. Up to 80% of all pregnancies will be affected by some degree of nausea and vomiting. Although this can happen at any time during the day, the mornings tend to be especially troublesome for most pregnant women. Although the exact cause is not known for sure, most likely it is related to the rising levels of hormones associated with the pregnancy.

The inability to easily remove Norplant has surely frustrated many physicians and patients. We have developed a technique for removal of these implants that simplifies this time-consuming procedure.

Almost 25% of the babies born in this country are delivered by cesarean section. Of these cesarean deliveries, one-third are repeat cesarean sections. In the past, it was believed that once a woman had a cesarean section, that all of her subsequent deliveries should also be cesarean. However, the current medical opinion is that most of these women can attempt a natural, vaginal delivery.

It is not always necessary for pregnant women to give up their exercise routines. In fact, studies have demonstrated that mild to moderate amounts of exercise could result in certain benefits such as shorter labors, less preterm deliveries, less cesarean deliveries, and less fetal distress during labor. Proper exercise programs could also increase your daily energy levels, and improve your quality of sleep.

One of the most devastating events in a couple's life is the loss of their baby through a miscarriage or stillbirth. Even though magazines and other media sources have begun discussing this sensitive subject, most people are unaware that a high number of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage, usually during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is a common and frustrating problem for up to 3/4 of all pregnant women. Although this is commonly called "morning sickness," many pregnant women report nausea and vomiting throughout the day. Surprisingly, even though the symptoms may make a pregnant woman miserable, morning sickness only rarely causes serious problems for the mother or her baby.

One of the most controversial topics in modern obstetrics is cesarean section. Cesarean section refers to a major surgical procedure where a baby is removed from the uterus by making a cut into the abdomen, then into the uterus.

About 25% of all babies in the United States are born by cesarean delivery, creating a situation where many women have to choose whether or not to have a repeat c/section, or to undergo an attempt at vaginal delivery for their next pregnancy. In medical terminology this is called a "vaginal birth after cesarean," or VBAC, and is pronounced "V-BACK."