Concerns and Complications

The news of Zika virus spreading is pretty scary, particularly if you're pregnant or trying to conceive (TTC). If you're expecting, what steps do you need to take to protect yourself and your baby? Can you still take a babymoon, and where is it s...

Bed rest during pregnancy is no walk in the park. While it's a necessity for many women in order to have a healthy pregnancy and baby, it can be frustrating to be confined to bed and relying on others. Use these tips to help make your bed rest pr...

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than half of twin births in the U.S occur preterm. It's important to know the signs of preterm labor in a multiple pregnancy so that you can get help in time. There are some clues, but t...

Premature labor The normal length of pregnancy is 37 to 42 weeks. A baby born before 37 weeks is called premature or preterm (see Premature Birth). Fetal distress During labor, the baby is monitored for signs of distress, which can indicate t...

Diabetes that develops for the first time in pregnancy is called gestational diabetes and affects between two and seven percent of pregnant women. In this condition, the pancreas produces insufficient insulin to move glucose (sugar) from the bloo...

This occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterine cavity. The vast majority of ectopic pregnancies are in the fallopian tube, but they can occur on an ovary, in the cervix, or in the abdominal cavity at the site of a previous cesa...

Your baby's lungs won't be fully developed until late in pregnancy, but the foundations are being laid down right now. ...

Your baby may be born prematurely either because an early delivery is advised on medical grounds, or you go into spontaneous preterm labor. The earlier the birth, the higher the chance of complications in the baby, such as breathing problems or i...

An early miscarriage is usually due to a problem such as a chromosomal or structural abnormality in the fetus. It may also be caused by a fibroid (a non-cancerous growth in the uterus), an infection, or an immune system disorder. Miscarriage occu...

Different terms are used to describe miscarriage, depending on what is found during an ultrasound scan or an internal examination.Threatened miscarriage is the term given to bleeding early in pregnancy, but in which the cervix remains closed. In ...

Your baby todayThe embryo, still less than 3 mm long, now has a deep and narrow groove extending along its entire length. This groove will soon become so deep and its edges will curl over so much that it forms into a tube running along the length...

Taking medications during pregnancyDuring the first three months of pregnancy, it's best to avoid all over-the-counter medications. Once you are past the first trimester, some other medications are considered safe, but always consult your doctor ...

Whether you have a preexisting medical condition, or acquire an illness or infection during pregnancy, always consult your doctor before taking medication or before stopping any prescribed medication.If you have a condition such as high blood pre...

I'm asthmatic. Can I use my inhalers during pregnancy?It's essential that you keep asthma under control in pregnancy, which means continuing to use your inhalers, since the risks from uncontrolled asthma are greater than any risk from taking asth...

Your baby todayHere the back of the embryo can be seen lying over the yolk sac. The opening overlying the developing brain has now closed (left side of image) and this will be followed two days later by closure of the opening at the base of the s...

When you're pregnant, your immune system is slightly suppressed. This is necessary to stop you from rejecting the baby, who is genetically half the father's! This means that you may be slightly more susceptible to common problems such as colds, c...

Exposure to chickenpox or rubellaChickenpox in pregnancy can cause problems for the baby and can be severe in a pregnant woman, possibly leading to pneumonia. If you contract rubella for the first time in early pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage...

Your baby todayThe placenta, shown in red above the baby's green profile, is now receiving half a liter of blood each minute from your circulation. In order to accommodate this increase your blood volume expanded dramatically in the first few mon...