22 Jun The Effects of Pandemic Stress on Pregnant Women
During the pandemic, pregnant women were twice as likely to experience depression than were pregnant women before the pandemic.²
Good news Mama! COVID-19 cases and deaths have been declining for the last year. So, the World Health Organization recently downgraded the COVID-19 pandemic from a global health emergency to a health “threat.”
12 Jun HIV: The Importance of Knowing Before Pregnancy
Know Your Status! HIV positive women who know their status and take HIV medications during pregnancy and delivery significantly reduce transmission of HIV to their babies.¹
Hey Mama! June 27th is HIV testing day! If you’re of childbearing age and are at risk of exposure to HIV due to sexual history, an infected partner or IV drug use, then this information is for you. It’s also for you if you know you have HIV and want to get pregnant.
05 Jun Fertility After Cancer: What You Should Know
If you have a new cancer diagnosis, talk to your doctor about ways you can preserve your fertility before treatment.
Hey Mama! In honor of National Cancer Survivor Day on June 4, 2023, let’s take a closer look at how cancer affects a woman’s fertility and some of the current options to preserve it.
22 May Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure: the Warning Signs of Preeclampsia
Hey Mama! May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It’s time to focus on the signs of high blood pressure, the risks, and what you can do to avoid it. This is especially important information for pregnant and postpartum women! High blood pressure during pregnancy is called preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a part of a spectrum of high blood pressure disorders that occurs during pregnancy: gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy), preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome.
17 Mar Endometriosis and Your Fertility
Hey Mama! Are you having painful menstrual cramps, pain in your lower back or pelvis, digestive problems, painful bowel movements, or bleeding between periods? Are you struggling to get pregnant? If you answered yes to some of these symptoms, you’ll want to get checked out for endometriosis.
22 Feb Eating Disorders and Your Fertility
Can You Get Pregnant With an Eating Disorder? There’s never been a time in history when women experience more pressure to achieve a physical ideal. Societal pressure to achieve a physical ideal exists before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum. There is hardly a phase in a...
18 Jan Reducing Risk of the Top 5 Birth Defects
Posted at 15:33h
in Baby, Birth Defects, Health, Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns, Pregnancy
0 Comments
3% of infants in the U.S. are born with birth defects.¹
If you’re thinking about becoming pregnant or just found out that you’re pregnant, you may also be thinking about birth defects. January is Birth Defects Awareness Month so it’s a good time to discuss the basics and learn how they occur. Knowing the risk factors can help reduce your baby’s risk of developing a birth defect in the womb.
04 Jan Cervical Cancer, Pregnancy and Fertility Preservation
95% of Cervical Cancers are caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus) mainly contracted through sex.³
What is Cervical Cancer?
Talking about cervical cancer can be scary. It’s a disease that affects women in childbearing age, which means very young to middle aged women. 95% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is spread mainly through sexual intercourse.³
30 Nov What you Need to Know about Pelvic Girdle Pain during Pregnancy
Hey Mama! December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. While pregnancy is not often associated with disability, there is one condition that affects some pregnant women and presents similar acute and enduring challenges: Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP). Pelvic Girdle Pain is usually related to Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). SPD happens when the ligament that joins the right and left pelvic bones becomes too soft and stretchy. The pelvic bones often lose alignment and become unstable.
30 Nov HIV: Mother to Baby Transmission during Pregnancy and After Birth
Mother-to-baby HIV transmission disproportionally affects black/African American people. In 2019, 61% of new mother-to-baby HIV diagnoses were black/African American.²What is Mother-to-Baby HIV Transmission?
Hey Mama! December 1 is World Aids Day and a time to bring awareness to HIV transmission from mother to baby. There is so much to plan and prepare for when you are thinking about becoming pregnant for the first time or growing your family. No matter your circumstances, it’s always best practice to get tested for HIV (and other sexually transmitted infections) before you conceive.
01 Nov Effects of Gestational Diabetes on a Developing Baby
Posted at 11:04h
in Baby, Birth Defects, Delivery, Gestational Diabetes, Health, Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns, Pregnancy
0 Comments
High blood sugar around the time of conception and throughout pregnancy increases risks of: birth defects, still birth, preterm birth, c-sections, and the baby developing obesity and diabetes later in life.¹
What is Gestational Diabetes?
November is American Diabetes Month and a great time to put a spotlight on diabetes during pregnancy, which is a rising trend in the United States. In the United States, gestational diabetes (diabetes developed during pregnancy) has increased by 56% from 2000-2010.¹
29 Aug Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Infertility
5-10% of U.S. women of childbearing age have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and often find out when they are trying to have a baby.²Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility of women in the United States. It affects all races and ethnicities. The good news is that it’s also a very treatable condition.
28 Jul Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe During Pregnancy?
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy reduces the risk of pregnancy complications if infected with the COVID virus.² The last two years have been a scary time for women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or newly postpartum. The novel Coronavirus is new to the medical landscape. Society, including medical providers, have been navigating month by month what it means to live, prevent and be sick with COVID-19. For many women, the stakes are high as they consider the risks of contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy.
31 May Scleroderma and Pregnancy Risks
Scleroderma, a connective tissue disease, most often affects women of childbearing age (30-50).¹Scleroderma is a fairly rare disease, affecting 75,000 - 100,000 people in the United States. Women are affected more than men, mostly during childbearing years from ages 30-50. For this reason, it’s thought that hormones play a role in the development of Scleroderma, but the cause is still unknown.¹
31 May COVID-19: Pandemic to Endemic – Pregnancy and COVID Prevention
As summer approaches, it’s natural to want to break out of the confines of the house and get out and about, enjoying BBQs, beach days, June weddings, and more. Warm weather and sunny days make you want to let your hair down and go mask-less! In addition, there has been a lot of talk about the transition of COVID-19 from a pandemic (disease spreading over multiple countries or continents) to an endemic (disease with constant presence in a specific location). This may give you the feeling that COVID prevention measures don’t matter anymore, but keep in mind this is a “novel” virus, meaning we are still learning a lot about it, especially when it comes to its effects on pregnancy, new mothers, and newborns.
02 May Smoking While Pregnant: Tobacco Harms Babies and Children from Conception to Adulthood
Babies whose mothers smoke are three times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).¹May 31st is World No Tobacco Day. It’s a day when the World Health Organization shines a light on the dangers of tobacco use and exposure for mothers, babies and children. Studies show that few smokers are aware of the serious risks to babies and children.²
31 Mar Reducing Black Maternal Mortality During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Posted at 09:39h
in Delivery, Health, Labor, Maternal Mortality, Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns
0 Comments
Black women are three times more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than white women.¹
What Factors Affect Black Maternal Mortality Rates?
April 11-17 is black maternal health week. It’s an inadequate window of time where there is an acute lens focused on the healthcare disparities that black women experience during pregnancy and postpartum.
23 Feb Endometriosis & Infertility
Endometriosis is a chronic immune and hormone disease affecting 11% of girls and women in the United States and a leading cause of infertility.¹What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis or Endo is when endometriosis tissue (tissue similar to the lining of the uterus) grows outside the uterus. Scientists have theories on why this happens, but no concrete answer.
23 Feb Body Image During Pregnancy and Postpartum
For many women, pregnancy and postpartum can trigger concerns with food, body weight and/or body image. For women with a history of eating disorders, the risk is greater and concerns can lead to obsessions.
31 Jan Preventing Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection During Pregnancy
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading viral cause of intellectual disabilities and non-genetic hearing loss in newborns and is highly preventable.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an infectious disease related to the viruses that cause herpes simplex, chicken pox, and mononucleosis (“Mono”). Once you have the virus, it stays in your body forever but may not be active. It can reactivate later in life such as during pregnancy.
23 Dec Reducing Risks of Thyroid Issues During and After Pregnancy
Posted at 06:59h
in Medical Concerns, Medical Concerns, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Thyroid, Thyroid
1 Comment
January is Thyroid Awareness month. When it comes to women’s health, understanding what your thyroid is and how it should be serving – not stagnating – your health and wellness is crucial. This knowledge is especially important during pregnancy and the postpartum period, when hormone fluctuations can leave you feeling like you’ve been through the physical and emotional ringer.
01 Nov You Can Have a Healthy Pregnancy with Gestational Diabetes. Here’s How!
Hey Mama! Did you know that 10% of pregnant women develop diabetes during pregnancy?1 This is called gestational diabetes. It usually develops in the 2nd trimester, which is when your provider will test for it. If you test positive, you can still have a healthy pregnancy....