Search Results
You searched for labor-and-delivery
-
Pregnancy
Every pregnant woman wonders, “How long will my labor last?” Friends and families are often quick to share their labor stories, ranging from, “My labor was so quick and easy!” to “It took forever.” It can leave many expectant moms...
-
Pregnancy
From the moment you get the big news you are pregnant, you spend time preparing yourself mentally and physically for “labor day.” While this big event will come in good time, be aware there may be a few false starts before the actual day arrives....
-
Blog
This is sponsored content. Tennis balls, hard candy, acupuncture, belly dancing…across the world and throughout the years, women have been trying all kinds of different ways to deal with the pain of labor and delivery without using pain...
-
Pregnancy
As your due date nears, you might be wondering how your body decides one day that it is time to give birth. What exactly kicks things off, and why do some women give birth on their due date while others seem to stay pregnant forever until they are...
-
Pregnancy
When you are pregnant and deciding where you want to deliver your baby, most expectant parents think about many of the same things: How close is the hospital to my house? Does the doctor or midwife I like deliver there? Have my friends had babies...
-
Pregnancy
Deliveries that are performed with a vacuum extractor or forceps are referred to as “operative deliveries.” They account for approximately 10-15 percent of all vaginal births. Although they used to be somewhat routine, operative deliveries today...
-
Pregnancy
-
Blog
If you think that all you are hearing about nowadays are the announcements of babies being born by what seems like the bucketful, rest assured you are not hallucinating. It turns out that in the United States, most births occur in the late summer...
-
Pregnancy
The most common procedure done on labor and delivery in the United States is electronic fetal monitoring, or EFM. This is when a monitor is applied on your abdomen in the form of a belt so that your baby’s heart rate can be heard and recorded. An...
-
Pregnancy
When his wife gave birth to their son George in 2013, England’s Prince William ventured to a place most royal dads hadn’t gone before: the delivery room. For many decades, a dad’s place during delivery was in the waiting room. Today, however, it’s...
-
Pregnancy
Induced labor is a procedure in which contractions are triggered prior to a woman going into labor on her own. Approximately 22 percent of labors in the United States begin this way. When should labor be induced? Labor induction should be reserved...
-
Pregnancy
Unfortunately there is no one thing that always happens to all pregnant women when they go into labor. In fact, what a woman experiences as her body prepares to give birth can vary greatly between different women and even different pregnancies. But...
-
Pregnancy
When the subject of pain control in labor comes up, most women automatically think of an epidural. While an epidural might provide the most relief, it is not your only choice. There are multiple ways your obstetrics provider can make labor less...
-
Pregnancy
You see it in dentists’ offices nationwide, but until about five years ago, there was one place you didn’t see nitrous oxide (laughing gas): in the delivery room. But this isn’t true everywhere. Nitrous oxide is an anesthesia option for laboring...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
If you’re about to give birth, surely your friends and family have told you exactly what their deliveries were like — and how yours should go, too. After reading the books and searching Dr. Google, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Here...
-
Pregnancy
A recent study done from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) shed some interesting light on how epidurals may impact the amount of time you’ll spend pushing your baby out. Even though we already knew that epidurals do prolong the...
-
Pregnancy
Most pregnant women put together a bag to bring to the hospital well before they go into labor so that when the time comes, they can just grab and go. However, some lists include so many items that, were you to include them all, you’d need multiple...
-
Blog
A new study has been making the rounds on the news and social media outlets that you may have heard about, especially if you are pregnant. This study, called the ARRIVE trial, found that in low-risk women having their first baby, being induced in...
-
Pregnancy
Chances are if you are pregnant, someone has talked to you about back labor (whether you asked them to or not). They may have also mentioned that their baby was “facing the wrong way” or “sunny side up” in labor. What they are referring to is when...
-
Pregnancy
An epidural is a type of anesthetic that can provide pain relief during labor and delivery. Specifically, it is a regional anesthetic that blocks nerve impulses of the lower spine. It decreases sensations of pain in the lower half of the body. The...
-
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant and anxious to meet your little one, you’ve probably spent some time looking into methods to kick-start your labor. There is no shortage of suggestions when it comes to ways to get the process started, but which methods have...
-
Pregnancy
A cervical exam tells your doctor or midwife a few things about your cervix. However, the number most pregnant women focus on is how open, or dilated, the cervix is. Sometimes it can be confusing to know exactly what this number really does (or...
-
Pregnancy
Chorioamnionitis is when an infection develops in the uterus during labor. This condition complicates 1-4 percent of all deliveries. Also known as intra-amniotic infection, the diagnosis is made when a mom develops a fever during labor and no other...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
The Lamaze method is a popular childbirth approach that teaches expecting parents strategies for handling pain during labor, potentially reducing unnecessary medical intervention. The Lamaze method is America’s oldest, most popular childbirth...
-
Pregnancy
Having a baby can be an expensive proposition, but not all childbirths cost the same. In general, you can expect to pay more for a C-section—but not always. When comparing a vaginal delivery versus a scheduled C-section, there are a few factors...
-
Pregnancy
When gearing up to deliver a baby, most moms have spent time considering how they might cope with labor pain. While many options exist, some women prefer to avoid the use of narcotic drugs. Here are some ways to prepare for an unmedicated delivery....
-
Pregnancy
When it comes to how your baby is positioned in the birth canal, being head down is the best way to be. Other positions (known as “presentations” in the medical community) are known as malpresentations. Some malpresentations may make a vaginal...
-
Pregnancy
Unfortunately, complications do arise over the course of some pregnancies. Issues like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or bleeding may make a previously carefree pregnancy filled with anxiety, worry, and sadness. A delivery that comes too early...
-
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant with your first baby, your doctor or midwife has likely told you that contractions can be a sign of labor and that at a certain point, you should come to the hospital to be seen. But how exactly do you time them, and how do you...
-
Pregnancy
A preterm birth happens when a woman gives birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. With this issue complicating about 12 percent of all pregnancies in the United States, many parents wonder how it could affect their future pregnancies. For the woman...
-
Pregnancy
Everyone knows that babies can arrive in one of two ways: vaginally or by C-section. But does that mean it’s a good idea to schedule a C-section so you can meet your baby once you are full-term? Or is it better to let nature take its course? In...
-
Pregnancy
Many women are told that when they are admitted to the hospital in labor they will have restrictions on what they can eat and drink. Some are told they can only have ice chips, while others are allowed to drink liquids but are not given any solid...
-
Pregnancy
Pitocin is a drug that is used daily in every Labor and Delivery unit in this country. This medication is actually the brand name of the man-made form of oxytocin, which is a hormone made in the pituitary gland located in the brain. Pitocin can be...
-
Pregnancy
While a vaginal delivery is often the goal for most mothers-to-be, there are a few scenarios where that just isn’t possible. Sometimes this only becomes obvious in labor, when a baby is not fitting through the birth canal or his heart rate shows...
-
Pregnancy
Every expectant mom has her list of what to bring to the hospital when she has her baby. And while that list is certainly important (don’t forget the car seat!), sometimes what not to bring is just as important. 1. Anything valuable. Here’s the...
-
Pregnancy
While it is true that we don’t completely understand why labor really begins, there are some things that can make your chance of giving birth preterm — or before 37 weeks gestation — much more likely. Here’s a list of issues that can lead to...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
Congratulations! You’re in the final month of your pregnancy! After weeks of rapid weight gain, you can expect things to slow down a little bit from here on out. Both you and baby have gained the majority of the weight you’re going to gain, so you...
-
Pregnancy
Preterm labor is defined as labor that starts between 20 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. Approximately 10 percent of babies are born preterm in the United States. This can be an overwhelmingly scary time, especially if you are earlier in your pregnancy....
-
Pregnancy
We’ve already discussed some old wives’ tales that have not yet been proven to help get you into labor, but fear not—there are some things that actually do work! If you are interested in trying either of these methods, be sure to discuss it with...
-
Pregnancy
If you’ve had a C-section before and are pregnant again, chances are you have been thinking about what your delivery will look like this time around. The good news is that your options are still open—but you should be aware of what your choices are...
-
Pregnancy
It’s no secret that giving birth can be a painful endeavor. But a growing number of women are opting against using pain meds and epidurals during labor and instead trying to find more natural methods of combating contractions. One such method is...
-
Pregnancy
Welcome to Week 33! You’re now less than two months away from your due date. It won’t be long until you’re on weekly visits to your healthcare provider, and it will seem like everything is about to happen all at once. Until then, remember to...
-
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant and planning for your delivery, you may or may not have heard of birth plans. A birth plan is simply a document to help expectant parents communicate their wishes during labor and delivery to their healthcare providers. In a...
-
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant and know you are going to be delivering by a cesarean section, it can be helpful to plan ahead for what your baby’s birthday is going to look like. Having the advantage of knowing you are going to be having surgery can get you a...
-
Pregnancy
You’ve just given birth to a beautiful baby. And you may be anxious to get your baby home and begin your life together. But the time you stay in the hospital after delivery is an important time for you to heal. The length of time you will be in the...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
Epidurals are a popular method of pain control for laboring women, but what are the risks? Is the pain relief worth it? Here are some of the specific questions women often have about epidurals. Will an epidural make my labor longer? Having an...
-
Pregnancy
It is important to fully understand why a scheduled C-section is recommended as opposed to a trial of labor. While it is true that in some instances a C-section may be recommended, certain criteria should be used in making this decision to avoid...
-
Pregnancy
Most times, the placenta — which is the organ that your body specifically grows to help nourish your developing baby — attaches to the wall of the uterus for the duration of your pregnancy and detaches within minutes of giving birth. Sometimes,...
-
Pregnancy
In a perfect world, labor always goes smoothly and every mom is able to have a quick, painless vaginal delivery. The reality, however, is that sometimes issues arise during labor that make a C-section necessary. Furthermore, if a problem occurs...
-
Pregnancy
A shoulder dystocia is a complication encountered at the time of vaginal delivery. This occurs when a baby’s head has delivered, but the shoulders are stuck in the birth canal and do not deliver using standard delivery technique. Complicating...
-
Blog
Starting when you were a little girl, you dreamt of the day you became a mother.Even the thought of how many children probably crossed your mind. If the thought of becoming a mother is wonderful, but the actual delivery part is terrifying,...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, it is only natural to want to avoid stepping foot inside a hospital. However, what about when it comes time to deliver your baby? Would it be better to skip the hospital and deliver at home? Home births...
-
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, having a partner who can help you before, during, and after labor can be essential. For some families, that partner is your husband or wife, while for others it may be your mother, close friend, or other family member. Whoever...
-
Pregnancy
One of the most common questions many pregnant women hear is, “When are you due?” While a due date is a carefully calculated and important part of your pregnancy, it is at best an educated guess. Considering that only 5 percent of babies arrive on...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
A doula is a type of specialist who has been trained to support a laboring woman before, during, and after her birth. The word doula derives from the Greek term “a woman who serves” and they do just that: they provide emotional and physical support...
-
Pregnancy
It’s normal to be a little scared of the unknown, and giving birth is no exception. In this day and age, when everyone shares every detail of giving birth, it is not uncommon to hear horror stories and wonder if you can handle the labor and...
-
Pregnancy
Mothers have many choices when it comes to creating a birth plan, and some of them are quite controversial among the medical community. Water births — also called immersion births — have long been viewed as problematic for a variety of reasons, but...
-
Pregnancy
A submersion birth is exactly what it sounds like: giving birth while partially submerged, usually in a bathtub or a special submersion birth tub found in some hospitals and birthing centers. Already popular overseas, submersion births have been...
-
Pregnancy
Welcome to the end of your pregnancy! Hopefully you’re feeling calm and ready and prepared. But even if you are worried that so many things feel undone—Is the nursery decorated? Do we have enough frozen meals? Do I have all my breastfeeding...
-
Pregnancy
If you just found out you are pregnant and plan to see an obstetrician for your pregnancy and delivery (as opposed to other providers), you may be wondering how best to select the doctor who will be involved in this very important time in your...
-
Pregnancy
When preparing to give birth, many expectant moms have heard about episiotomies and wonder if they will have one performed when they deliver their baby vaginally. A common question that they may ask their OB/GYN or midwife is if it is better to do...
-
Blog
Not only do women bear the burden of carrying and birthing the human race, but we have to learn a whole new language to do so. Labor and delivery medical terms are either outdated, repulsive, or downright confusing. Here is a guide that I hope will...
-
Blog
When one hospital in California was found to be performing a higher-than-average number of C-sections, an insurance company stepped in and led to some big changes. They said that unless this hospital could lower their number of surgical births,...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
Defined as the loss of more than 1 liter of blood in the first 24 hours after giving birth accompanied with signs of low blood volume (such as passing out or low blood pressure), postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the deadliest complication of...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
Meconium aspiration syndrome, or MAS, occurs when a fetus inhales fecal material—called meconium—into the lungs from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Meconium is the term for the dark green, thick stool that a newborn usually passes in utero or soon...
-
Pregnancy
Medicine is rarely so straightforward that it can offer a “one size fits all” pattern. In fact, there is a reason it is called the “practice” of medicine or the “art” of medicine — because oftentimes a doctor or midwife needs to carefully consider...
-
Pregnancy
If you know ahead of time that you are going to birth by having a C-section, you can use this time to prepare emotionally, physically, and logistically. When you come home from the hospital you will not only be mastering the art of new parenting,...
-
Pregnancy
Despite planning otherwise, sometimes babies arrive a little too quickly! While the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists doesn’t endorse home births, you may find yourself going into labor before you even reach the hospital. Here’s...
-
Pregnancy
A cervical exam is when your doctor or midwife inserts two fingers into your vagina to assess your cervix. This can be done at a prenatal visit if you are having contractions or are close to your due date, or when you are in labor to see how your...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
A research team at the University of Minnesota just delivered some news about cesarean sections: not only are C-sections the most common inpatient surgical procedure in the US, they are currently used in about one-third of all deliveries. While...
-
Pregnancy
Giving birth does not end once you deliver your brand new baby boy or girl, though it may feel that way to you! The final stage of labor is actually when your placenta delivers. Usually this happens in a matter of minutes and goes smoothly, but in...
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy
-
Blog
Just like we’ve given you a glimpse into the mind of your pediatrician, here are a few tips your OB/GYN might want you to know: I can’t tell you when you’ll have your baby. While I may be able to provide a really good guess, short of you having a...
-
Pregnancy
The use of bed rest or extreme activity restriction is a common first-line treatment for many complications of pregnancy, including: preterm labor, being pregnant with multiples, placenta previa, and preeclampsia or high blood pressure, to name a...