Forty weeks of pregnancy is a long time and can put a toll on a woman’s body. She’ll experience every emotionfrom stress to excitement to feeling out of control. Pregnancy can put a strain on a relationship as well, and without the emotional and physical support of a partner, a woman…
[caption id="attachment_9982" align="alignright" width="346"] Click to view larger size[/caption] April is National Donate Life Month, and we featured a few blog posts about transplants and organ donation. We dispelled some of the common misconceptions about organ donation with our Setting the Record Straight post and Organ & Tissue Donation infographic.…
Spoiler alert: Your body is going to change when you get pregnant. It’s healthy and normal to gain weight throughout your pregnancy, but at the same time you can gain too much weight. Keeping yourself in shape may not be in the forefront of your mind, but doctors say that…
Gestational diabetes is a common condition that affects up to 10 percent of pregnant women. We talked to Annelee Boyle, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at UVA Health System to find out more about it. [caption id="attachment_9620" align="alignright" width="350"] Join us as we journey through preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and beyond…
Laura Aimone’s pregnancy was progressing along normally, although she did feel tired in her second trimester, which she didn’t expect. “I just kind of figured that’s what me being pregnant was,” she says. Her baby was measuring small, but doctors at University Physicians for Women at Northridge were monitoring it.…
You’ve found the right job, you’ve got the right guy, you feel those maternal instincts kicking in. You want to get pregnant. It’s the natural next step, right? Although we realize that sometimes pregnancies just happen without any planning, learning the best practices to plan your pregnancy is helpful for any woman…
“Should I take prenatal vitamins before conception?” [caption id="attachment_9620" align="alignright" width="350"] We took you through preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and beyond in the Maternity Monday series.[/caption] “Why doesn’t anyone talk about miscarriage?” “Does the baby really need all this stuff?” We looked at these questions and more in our maternity series: Preconception Planning…
To many women, having a baby at 37 weeks may seem about the same as having the baby at 39 weeks. Why endure another two weeks of backaches and swelling when you could induce labor? [caption id="attachment_7994" align="alignright" width="300"] Babies born at 37 weeks are more likely to require NICU…
Leah Yetzer, 30, was 37 weeks pregnant with twin boys in 2009 when doctors discovered she’d developed HELLP syndrome, a rare but serious condition that occurs during pregnancy or just after delivery. HELLP reduces red blood cells and increases liver enzymes. Leah was airlifted to UVA, where she had a…
Katie Norcross is a first-time expectant mom and a program coordinator at UVA. She recently took UVA’s Preparing for Birth and Baby class and shared her experience with us. Katie’s little girl is due July 8. [caption id="attachment_795" align="alignright" width="300"] Expectant mom Katie Norcross took UVA's Preparing for Birth and…
Get stories & health tips every week