Pregnancy & Prenatal Care A pregnant woman can have diabetes. If she didn’t have it before the pregnancy, it’s called gestational diabetes. (Gestational refers to pregnancy.) It can begin any time during pregnancy. It usually begins in the last half, though. It goes away after the baby is born. But the woman has a greater […]
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care What to Do First * Choose where you want to have your baby. * Choose a health care provider. How to Get Ready * Read books on pregnancy and childbirth. * Take a childbirth class, if you can. * Get regular prenatal care from your health care provider. Childbirth Classes Do
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Heart & Circulation Problems The medical name for high blood pressure is hypertension (hy-puhr-TEHN-shun). High blood pressure (HBP) is when blood moves through the arteries at a higher pressure than normal. The heart strains to pump blood through the arteries. Signs & Symptoms High blood pressure (HBP) is a “silent disease.” Often there are no
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care An ectopic pregnancy is when an embryo starts to develop outside the uterus. (Ectopic means out of place.) This happens less than 2 percent of the time. In normal pregnancies, an egg travels from a woman’s ovary to the uterus. It travels down the fallopian tube to get there. Somewhere along
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care What It’s All About Eating right is a big part of prenatal self-care. You need to eat wisely for your baby’s health and yours, too. You need to eat right during these periods: * Before you get pregnant * While you are pregnant * After delivery. This is most important if
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care Exercise can help ease muscular aches and pains and other discomforts women sometimes experience during their pregnancies. Yoga, walking, swimming, and other forms of low-impact or stretching exercises are best. Follow your health care provider’s advice for exercising during your pregnancy. General guidelines for exercising during pregnancy follow: * You can
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care Read the options below. Discuss them with your health insurance carrier. Do this before you get pregnant. Who you choose will partly depend on: * Your health insurance coverage. * You may need to choose from a certain list. Find out who is on it. Ask if there is a waiting
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care In the U.S., about one out of 33 babies is born with a birth defect. This includes cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, heart defects, sickle cell disease, spina bifida, and Tay-Sachs disease. A baby’s neural tube starts to develop about 3 weeks after conception (before many women know they are pregnant). Females
Pregnancy & Prenatal Care What to Pack For Labor * A watch with a second hand. This will help you time your contractions. * Hard candies or lollipops. These will help keep your mouth moist. * Lip balm. This will keep your lips moist. * A small paper bag. This will help if you hyperventilate.
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Pregnancy & Prenatal Care Pregnant women sometimes have light spotting. That’s when a tiny bit of blood leaks from the vagina or the surface of the cervix. It may happen after a vaginal exam. It may also happen after sex. If the blood starts out pink or red and turns dark brown, it is not
