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How you experience labor and birth will be unique for you. While each labor is different, there is a typical path that all labor follows. This article overviews labor and birth and will walk you through the start of labor until you are on your own at home with your newborn. Plus, tips for what you should do to navigate each stage of the labor process best. Read the  full article and resources  tha...

Essential oils are naturally occurring oils made by steam distillation or cold pressing the flowers, roots, seeds, fruit, or bark of plants. These concentrated extracts retain the essence of the plant's fragrance. Essential oils have long been a part of complementary and alternative medicine in aromatherapy, topical application, or ingestion. Natural remedies, like essential oils, are an attractiv...

Essential oils are naturally occurring oils made by steam distillation or cold pressing the flowers, roots, seeds, fruit, or bark of plants. These concentrated extracts retain the essence of the plant's fragrance. Essential oils have long been a part of complementary and alternative medicine in aromatherapy, topical application, or ingestion. Natural remedies, like essential oils, are an attractiv...

Flu is an infectious disease caused by the influenza virus. The flu typically isn't severe in healthy adults, and symptoms usually subside in about a week. When you are pregnant, your body's inflammatory response to the flu puts you at a higher risk for some complications. The medical community recommends that pregnant women get the flu vaccine to protect them and give their babies passive immunit...

Pregnancy affects every system in your body, including your immune system. It is so important to take care of your health when you are expecting. Even when you take precautions to avoid getting sick, you can get a cold, flu, or COVID-19 at some point over the nine months of your pregnancy. Being sick is never fun and can be especially challenging when pregnant. Learn how to treat symptoms safely t...

Research shows that pregnancy can negatively impact foot health. One study showed that 50% of pregnant women reported issues in the feet, including unsteady gait, swelling, and increased foot width. While some foot issues disappear after you have your baby, others can create permanent changes in the structure of your feet. Many care providers will tell expecting mothers that foot problems regularl...

You may be completely regular as far as going to the bathroom before getting pregnant, and then suddenly, you are stopped up and have issues when you need to go #2. If you are constipated, you have difficult or infrequent bowel movements, your stools are hard, and you may have pain or discomfort in your stomach. The prevalence of constipation is 40% in pregnant women and 52% in women postpartum. S...

There are many common questions about alcohol when trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Does drinking alcohol make it more challenging to get pregnant? Can you drink any alcohol during your pregnancy? Does it affect your baby? How much is okay? Can you pump and dump if you drink while breastfeeding? Doctors and midwives usually give you one of two answers. You hear, absolutely...

Caffeine is a psychoactive drug because it changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant found naturally in the seeds, nuts, and leaves of over 60 species of plants. This stimulant is commonly in coffee, tea, and energy drinks and is the most widely consumed drug in the world. Caffeine is one of the first thi...

Many physical changes during pregnancy can impact your back and potentially cause issues like pain or discomfort. Back pain during pregnancy is almost always lower back pain within three categories; lumbar spine pain, posterior pelvic pain, or a combination of these two. The prevalence of back pain in pregnant women is estimated to be 50% in the first trimester, 40-70% in the second, and 70-80% in...

Milk supply is the number one reason mothers quit breastfeeding early or supplement with infant formula. The first line of defense for maintaining or increasing supply is establishing breastfeeding early and frequently breastfeeding or pumping. For many mothers, this is easier said than done. Get tips on what you can do to establish breastfeeding in the first few days and weeks and how to gauge yo...

New mothers go into breastfeeding with the best intentions. Unfortunately, many run into issues that make breastfeeding difficult or impossible. By six months of age, three in four babies are fed infant formula. Many researchers have examined why mothers supplement with formula or wean their children before age one to address the low rates of exclusive breastfeeding. There are recurring themes thr...

Week 28 until your baby's birth, around 40 weeks, is the last stretch until you meet your baby. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the third trimester. Your baby is going through many changes this trimester to prepare for life outside your womb. This trimester can be challenging as your belly keeps growing, and you have some new symptoms resulting from carrying more weight...

Weeks 13 to 27 of your pregnancy tend to be the favorite period for many expecting moms. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the second trimester. Your belly will start showing, and you will be able to feel your baby kicking. By this point, morning sickness should be subsiding. You have adjusted to many lifestyle changes to have a healthy pregnancy. Your moods and emotions...

The first 12 weeks of your pregnancy are the most significant adjustment period. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the first trimester. Your baby is building organs and structures. You will experience some physical and emotional symptoms of pregnancy. Understanding common first trimester symptoms can help you cope with some of the uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy....

There are over 3.6 million babies born every year in the United States alone. That creates a big market for companies that sell products geared toward new parents. Companies make everything you could imagine a new parent could use. This massive industry is estimated to reach over $225 billion in 2022. Preparing for a new baby makes it easy to get caught up in the consumerism of thinking you need e...

If you are pregnant and are expecting gifts, there are several reasons you should consider a baby registry. A registry helps friends and family know what you need and want. Without a registry, you will end up with items you do not need that you cannot return or exchange. A registry eliminates duplicates because once someone buys an item, the list updates to show someone purchased it. There are als...

The tradition of baby showers as we know them today began in the 1930s. The term "shower" comes from showering the expecting mother with gifts. Baby showers are so much more than presents. A baby shower is a celebration of becoming a mother and the new baby joining your family. You can choose to celebrate with all the prim and proper of a traditional baby shower, or you can opt for a get-together...

A babymoon is a vacation expecting parents take before their baby is born. This is a relatively newer tradition with no strict rules. The point is to set aside time to enjoy yourself with your partner before your baby arrives. That could mean an all-inclusive resort on a tropical island, or it could be a day-long adventure in your city. This episode has tips for planning your babymoon to help you...

Most aspects of having a baby rest solely on the mother. One of the biggest things I hear from partners during pregnancy, labor, and after their baby arrives is that they don't know what to do. They feel useless and like they can't help. Or they feel like there is nothing for them to do. There are so many things partners, and dads can do to support mom and baby. This episode gives you a solid idea...

One of the first things you do when you find out you are pregnant is to determine your due date. This date rules everything about your pregnancy, from your prenatal care to the timing of your baby shower. This is also the most common question from friends, family, and strangers. As you get close to your due date, there can be a lot of anxiety, especially if your due date comes and goes and you are...

Once you see the positive result on your pregnancy test, you are sure to have a crazy mix of emotions. You are probably excited, nervous, and maybe a little freaked out. Finding out you are expecting a baby can change your life instantly. It can be overwhelming to think about the amount of information you need to consume and what you need to do before your baby arrives. If you take it one step at...

A birth plan is your plan of how you envision your birth and what happens directly following the birth of your baby. A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. It is the process you go through to prepare for the birth experience you want. This process will lay the foundation for you to be prepared for the scenario in which everything goes exactly as planned and...

A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. A birth plan is a process you go through to prepare for the birth experience you want. This process will lay the foundation for you to be prepared for the scenario in which everything goes as intended and for what should happen if things do not go as planned. While parents write a birth plan and go into labor with the...

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree. While dates are high in sugar, they also contain nutrients like fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6. There are many claims about the health benefits of eating dates. Among the many claims is that dates can naturally induce labor and make labor shorter. Sounds pretty great, right? Thankfully, several studies are available to examine these cla...