Birth Plan Checklist

Keep on track with your birth plan with this helpful checklist. read more

Conversation Starter: What Is a Birth Certificate?

Every year, there are over 4 million births in the United States alone, and most of these births are recorded on a birth certificate. Your birth certificate is a family document that holds the details of your birth: your first and last name, date and time of birth, your gender, the city in which you were born, and the country of which you are a citizen. In short, a birth certificate proves your existence. read more

Day 11 of your Menstrual Cycle

What's happening insideThe lining of the fallopian tube, seen here, has a moist mucous membrane. This contains cells (brown) that protect the tube's surface. The hairlike cilia (blue) move the eggs along the tubes following ovulation. read more

Developing a Birth Plan

Developing a Birth Plan Daddy Alert! Make sure you know what's in your partner's birth plan. When she goes into labor, it will be up to you to make sure her wishes are honored whenever possible. You might also want to make sure your own desires are included in the plan. If you want to be in the labor and delivery room at all times, and if you want to "catch" your baby as he comes out of the birth canal, say so! read more

Planning for Your Birth

When planning the type of birth experience you would like to have, you'll need to consider a number of factors. One of the most important decisions is where you would like to give birth. read more

Questions to Ask About Your Birth Plan

When planning where and how you ideally want to give birth, you need to consider both what you would prefer and what the hospital or birthing centers can offer. The following questions may act as helpful prompts.Questions to ask yourselfWho would you like to have with you during the labor and birth?Do you want an active labor? read more

You are 15 Weeks and 5 Days Pregnant

Your baby todayHere the baby is seen within the amniotic sac. For the first time, her head is smaller than her body, marking another developmental milestone. Having a large, heavy head is not a problem in the nearly weightless environment of the uterus. read more

You are 26 Weeks Exactly Pregnant

Your baby todayThe space between the two frontal bones of the forehead (the dark line) has now nearly closed. The bones on the left and right sides come to lie very close to each other with a small gap to allow for further growth of the head and brain. read more

You are 39 Weeks and 1 Day Pregnant

Your baby todayIf you are having a planned cesarean delivery, this is usually offered now-in order to balance the chance of labor starting unexpectedly with that of delivering your baby too soon. It is best for babies to be delivered as close to the due date as possible. read more

You are 4 Weeks and 3 Days Pregnant

Your baby todayAs the embryo transforms from two cell layers into three, a groove develops along the back of the embryo. This groove will develop in the embryo's neural tube-the forerunner of the brain and spinal cord. read more