Learn about pregnancy and childbirth
Whether you are thinking about getting pregnant or already are expecting, our topics on pregnancy and childbirth can answer your questions. You can find information ranging from how to find out your due date, to exams and tests during each trimester, to labor and delivery, and much more.
Browse our pregnancy and childbirth topics, or start with one of the following:
- Pregnancy
- Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Period
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
More Information
Health Topics
- Abortion
- Activity, Rest, and Breast-Feeding
- Alcohol Effects on a Fetus
- Alcohol or Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Birth Defects Testing
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast-Feeding
- Breast-Feeding and Your Milk Supply
- Breech Position and Breech Birth
- Cervical cerclage to prevent preterm delivery
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cesarean Section
- Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Screening
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Emergency Contraception
- Episiotomy and Perineal Tears
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- External cephalic version (version) for breech position
- Fallopian tube procedures for infertility
- Fertility Problems
- Gamete and zygote intrafallopian transfer (GIFT and ZIFT) for infertility
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) During Pregnancy
- Gestational Diabetes
- Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns
- High-Risk Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- In vitro fertilization for infertility
- Infertility Tests
- Insemination procedures for infertility
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
- Interactive Tool: When Are You Most Fertile?
- Interactive Tools
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for infertility
- Intrauterine fetal blood transfusion for Rh disease
- Labor Induction and Augmentation
- Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Period
- Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (ovarian diathermy) for PCOS
- Maintaining a Healthy Pregnancy
- Mastitis While Breast-Feeding
- Medicines During Pregnancy
- Miscarriage
- Missed or Irregular Periods
- Molar Pregnancy
- Multiple Pregnancy: Twins or More
- Myomectomy
- Nutrition and Weight Gain During Pregnancy
- Obstetric Panel
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Placenta Abruptio
- Placenta Previa
- Postpartum Depression
- Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy After Age 35
- Pregnancy and Epilepsy
- Pregnancy and the Increased Risk of Developing Blood Clots
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Premature Infant
- Premature Ovarian Failure
- Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Preterm Labor
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy
- Rubella (German Measles)
- Signs That Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breast Milk
- Smoking During Pregnancy
- Spina Bifida
- Stillbirth
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Travel During Pregnancy
- Umbilical Cord Care
- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
- Vaginal delivery in breech position and breech birth
- Varicocele repair for infertility
- Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy)
Medical Tests
- Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Blood
- Amniocentesis
- Antisperm Antibody Test
- Biophysical Profile (BPP)
- Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
- Contraction Stress Test
- Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring
- Fertility Awareness
- Fetal Ultrasound
- Folic Acid
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Home Pregnancy Tests
- Hormone Inhibin A
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
- Postcoital Test
- Progesterone
- Rubella Test
- Toxoplasmosis Test
Medications
- Antenatal corticosteroids for fetal lung development
- Antibiotics for mastitis while breast-feeding
- Bromocriptine mesylate or cabergoline for infertility
- Clomiphene citrate for infertility
- Gonadotropin treatment for infertility
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for infertility
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for infertility
- Hydralazine for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Indomethacin for slowing preterm labor
- Insulin for gestational diabetes
- Labetalol for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Magnesium sulfate for preterm labor
- Magnesium sulfate for seizure prevention during pregnancy
- Metformin (Glucophage) for polycystic ovary syndrome
- Methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy
- Methyldopa for chronic hypertension during pregnancy
- Nifedipine for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Nifedipine for preterm labor
- Rh immune globulin
- Ritodrine or terbutaline for slowing preterm labor
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for postpartum depression
- Tricyclic antidepressants for postpartum depression
Make a Wise Decision
- Depression: Should I take antidepressants while I'm pregnant?
- Diabetes: Should I get pregnant?
- Fertility problems: Should I be tested?
- Fertility problems: Should I have a tubal procedure or in vitro fertilization?
- Infertility: Should I have treatment?
- Miscarriage: Should I have treatment to complete a miscarriage?
- Multiple pregnancy: Should I consider a multifetal pregnancy reduction?
- Pregnancy: Should I bank my baby's umbilical cord blood?
- Pregnancy: Should I have amniocentesis?
- Pregnancy: Should I have an early fetal ultrasound?
- Pregnancy: Should I have an epidural during childbirth?
- Pregnancy: Should I have CVS (chorionic villus sampling)?
- Pregnancy: Should I have the maternal serum triple or quadruple test?
- Pregnancy: Should I try vaginal childbirth after a past C-section (VBAC)?
Take Action
- Depression: Managing postpartum depression
- Gestational diabetes: Checking your blood sugar
- Gestational diabetes: Counting carbs
- Gestational diabetes: Dealing with low blood sugar
- Gestational diabetes: Giving yourself insulin shots
- Pregnancy and diabetes: Planning for pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dealing with morning sickness
Credits
| Author | Sandy Jocoy, RN |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | November 9, 2009 |
| Author: | Sandy Jocoy, RN | Last Updated: November 9, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine | |
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