pregnancy

Chronic pain is just one health concern women can struggle with after giving birth. Some who have complicated pregnancies or deliveries can experience long-lasting effects to their physical and mental health, researchers find.

'4th Trimester' Problems Can Have Long-Term Effects On A Mom's Health

5:50pm January 24, 2019

by Lauren Bavis

A woman's health issues related to pregnancy don't always end at the baby's birth. Scientists say complications from childbirth, such as hypertension or diabetes, increase her risk of heart disease.

Lisa Abramson holds her firstborn child, Lucy, in 2014. A few weeks after Lucy's birth, Abramson began feeling confused and then started developing delusions — symptoms of postpartum psychosis.

She Wanted To Be The Perfect Mom, Then Landed In A Psychiatric Unit

6:49pm January 19, 2019

by April Dembosky

Postpartum psychosis is rare but very real, doctors say. And, unlike in some countries, U.S. moms who need inpatient psychiatric care can't bring along their babies, adding to the trauma.

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Dr. Lisa Hofler runs a University of New Mexico clinic that stocks mifepristone but doesn't routinely provide prenatal care. She and her colleagues can schedule same-day appointments for women diagnosed with miscarriages elsewhere.

Health & Safety

A Drug That Eases Miscarriages Is Difficult For Women To Get

6:07pm January 10, 2019

Despite evidence that mifepristone can help recovery from miscarriages, access to the medicine, which is commonly used to provide abortions, remains limited.

Health & Safety

Federal Legislation Seeks Ban On Shackling Of Pregnant Inmates

4:56pm December 05, 2018

Incarcerated pregnant women are often shackled during medical appointments and childbirth. A provision in a criminal justice bill aims to end the practice in federal facilities.

Kristen Philman first tried methamphetamine in her early 20s, as an alternative to heroin and other opioids. When she discovered she was pregnant, she says, it was a wake-up call, and she did what she needed to do to stop using all those drugs.

Health & Safety

Another Drug Crisis: Methamphetamine Use By Pregnant Women

11:27pm November 29, 2018

by Rhitu Chatterjee

As illegal meth use has made a comeback across the U.S., pregnant women have not been spared, doctors say. New research shows rural areas in the South, Midwest and West have been hit hardest.

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Four-year-old Violet (right) supervises as her mom Margaret Siebers pours a first-ever spoonful of honey for 1-year-old Frances to try. Siebers spent much of the end of her pregnancy with Frances confined to bed rest at her home in Milwaukee.

Rethinking Bed Rest For Pregnancy

5:06am November 26, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Research indicates bed rest does not improve birth outcomes and can be risky for the mom. So why is it still prescribed by many doctors and midwives for about 20 percent of pregnant women in the U.S.?

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Becky Shaw's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage in 2014. The following year, she and her husband, Ben, had Parker, their "rainbow baby," as babies born after pregnancy loss are often called.

Health & Safety

Michelle Obama's Miscarriage Story May Help Other Women Share Theirs

10:44am November 16, 2018

by Emmarie Huetteman

A memoir from the former first lady is bringing fresh attention to miscarriages and could help illuminate and normalize the common loss of a pregnancy.

For older mothers, it can feel like there's little time to waste before trying for another child. But there are real risks linked to getting pregnant again too soon.

How Long Should Older Moms Wait Before Getting Pregnant Again?

7:58pm November 01, 2018

by Carey Goldberg

As a woman ages, choosing when to try for a second or third child means weighing fertility odds against the risks of getting pregnant again too soon. A new study provides more data to help decide.

Inducing labor at 39 weeks may involve IV medications and continuous fetal monitoring. But if the pregnancy is otherwise uncomplicated, mother and baby can do just fine, the latest evidence suggests.

Pregnancy Debate Revisited: To Induce Labor, Or Not?

12:22am August 09, 2018

by Richard Harris

Young women with simple pregnancies can safely ask a doctor to induce labor, a study finds. It doesn't increase their risk of needing a C-section after all and can even offer potential benefits.

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A vaccine given during pregnancy protects the baby against whooping cough, but only about 50 percent of pregnant women get it.

Pregnant Women: Avoid Soft Cheeses, But Do Get These Shots

5:53am June 25, 2018

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Doctors want to remind moms to get certain vaccines while pregnant. Whooping cough in particular can be deadly for newborns, but only about 50 percent of pregnant women get the vaccine.

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