The procedure

An assisted birth is a birth in which either forceps or a vacuum suction cup (also called a vacuum or ventouse extractor) are used to aid a vaginal delivery. There may be some mild side effects such as bruising after an assisted birth, but major complications are rare.

As with all medical interventions, the use of forceps or a vacuum extractor will only be offered when it is thought to be necessary for the health of the baby and/or mother.

Building the Case for a Pregnancy Recovery Program

Many women have observed that they started to suffer from various symptoms shortly after giving birth. Many of them believe that they have postpartum depression, but other symptoms are just as commonly mentioned.

The complaints that tend to appear in women soon after giving birth are many and varied, and include the following:

There is a lot of support for mothers and birthing parents during the prenatal period, but postpartum care looks a bit different. Upon leaving the hospital following childbirth, you will be armed with supplies like maxi pads, diapers, and witch hazel wipes but may be feeling a little uncertain, overwhelmed, and uncomfortable as you embark on the next journey — the fourth trimester.

While pregnancy brings many wonderful experiences it also, unfortunately, brings some negative ones too. Some of the most unfortunate possible side-effects of being pregnant are an increased risk for urinary tract infections, painful urination, yeast infections, and stress incontinence.

To help you navigate and understand the symptoms and risk factors related to these health problems, we’ve gathered information from healthcare professionals and put it all together in one go-to place for your reference.

Birth Control While Breastfeeding

Many women who relied on oral contraceptives before starting a family feel at a loss when it comes time to think about birth control again. We believe that oral and injectable hormonal contraceptives should absolutely not be used by nursing mothers. The estrogens contained in oral contraceptives can dramatically diminish the quality and quantity of a mother's milk. We recommend against other hormonal forms of contraception as well.

Types of cesereans

A cesarean section is the delivery of your baby by means of a cut in the abdomen. A cesarean rate of around 10-15 percent is thought to be reasonable, although in most Western countries the rate has risen beyond 20 percent and around 30 percent of all babies in the US are now delivered by cesarean, an all-time high.

Everyone knows that when your monthly bleeding stops, it's a common sign of pregnancy. So what does it mean when a pregnant woman starts to bleed?

Well, it can mean a number of things, so don't automatically panic and assume your pregnancy is in danger.

More: Common Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

Finding the right birth control can seem a bit overwhelming-- after all, there are more than 20 methods to prevent pregnancy. Before making your decision, it's important to research options and educate yourself and your partner. We're here to inform you about the most commonly used methods, and key factors to consider to help you make the best decision possible.

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life, and preparing for the actual labor and delivery can practically feel like a full-time job. There are so many choices to consider. Natural or medicated delivery? Midwife or doctor? Birthing center or hospital? The list goes on and on. One particular birthing decision that has become a fairly popular one in recent years concerns whether or not to delay cord clamping after birth.

More: The Role of the Umbilical Cord

It is a terrifying moment when you find yourself in pain when you are pregnant. While rare, two percent of all pregnancies are ectopic, and when left untreated, they can be life-threatening. Thankfully, when addressed in a timely manner, you will not only recover, but you can also go on to have a healthy pregnancy in the future.

For those concerned that they may have a tubal ectopic pregnancy, we go over the signs and symptoms of this condition and what to expect if treatment is required.

Breastfeeding: The Hospital Experience

After months of preparation and anticipation, your baby has finally arrived. Exhausted and exhilarated, you are ready to begin your breastfeeding experience: your pregnancy has culminated in this special moment. After nourishing your baby in the uterus, your body is prepared to continue to provide all your baby's nutritional needs outside the womb.

I Have a Beautiful Baby. Why Do I Feel So Terrible?

A friend of ours says that when she was about six months along in her pregnancy, it seemed as if every woman in her life who had ever been pregnant – from her mother to her friends, cousins, and coworkers – began recounting their worst horror stories about pregnancy. However, when her water broke and she went into labor, it began to dawn on her that no amount of shared experience could ever prepare her for what is one of the most intense, intimate rites of passage in a woman's life: the initiation into motherhood.

The third trimester is dedicated to intensive fetal growth. Your fetus will gainfully half its weight during this period. In the final months, there will be further essential lung and brain development.

Building Nutrient Reserves with Diet

One of the classic medical textbooks on obstetrics, an imposing volume titled Williams Obstetrics (McGraw-Hill, 2001), devotes only three of more than sixteen hundred pages to the postpartum period. This makes sense in light of the fact that the average obstetrician (OB) does not participate much in postpartum care.

Using Supplemental Hormones While Breastfeeding

Previously, we recommended the use of natural progesterone cream for women with postpartum depression. Women with depression that has held on for years after giving birth seem to benefit most, but it is safe for you to use even while nursing. In physiological doses, progesterone very rarely affects milk flow, and if it does, the flow returns to normal within a day or two of discontinuing it.

Along with the weight gain, hormone fluctuations, and other bodily changes during pregnancy, the last thing any woman wants to deal with is a yeast infection! Unfortunately, yeast infections are more common during pregnancy than at any other point due to changes in your body’s chemicals and vaginal discharge.

In a low-risk pregnancy, sex is perfectly safe, although your levels of desire may fluctuate throughout pregnancy. Most women report that their interest in sex is the same or slightly reduced in the first trimester. In the second trimester, it varies from woman to woman, and in the third trimester libido often falls.