Search powered by AI

pregnancy and parenting

Jennifer Alvarez

Halfway Through My “Normal” Pregnancy, I Was Told We’d Have to Deliver the Baby or We’d Both Die

I didn’t have gallstones. I had HELLP syndrome.

pregnancy
pregnant young woman standing in the bathroom at home

FAQs on Gestational Diabetes

Here’s what you need to know about gestational diabetes, an increasingly common pregnancy diagnosis

pregnancy
new born baby hand hold mum index finger

Can Living in the U.S. Increase Your Risk of Preterm Birth?

Women in the U.S. are more likely to give birth early compared to women in other developed nations. What makes the U.S. different?

postpartum
Smiling young pregnant

Heart to Heart: How Pregnancy Can Affect Your Heart Health Throughout Your Life

Complications during pregnancy are far from temporary when it comes to your health, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk

pregnancy
Folic Acid and Birth Defects: What’s the Connection?

Folic Acid and Birth Defects: What’s the Connection?

Why all women of reproductive age should make sure they’re getting enough folic acid

pregnancy
Tired new mother holding her baby

New Moms Are Busy Checking on Their Babies. But Is Anyone Checking on Them?

New moms may need support

postpartum
Crying and upset baby

Born Too Soon

A closer look at Covid-19, health inequities, race and preterm birth

pregnancy
Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’

Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’

Fear of the pandemic and historically poor outcomes for Black women giving birth in hospitals is fuelling a demand for home births.

covid-19
How to Keep Your Kids Healthy This Fall

How to Keep Your Kids Healthy This Fall

Whether they're going back to school in person or online, these tips can help your kids maintain good health.

parenting
Black pregnant woman hugging her tummy at home

Vaccines During and After Pregnancy

A pregnant woman should get vaccinated against whooping cough and flu during each pregnancy to protect herself and her baby, with immunity for the first few months of life.

vaccinations
doctor speaking with woman about vaccines

Vaccines Before Pregnancy

Before you become pregnant, learn how to protect yourself and your child from serious diseases. Talk to your healthcare professional to make sure you're up to date on all your vaccines.

vaccinations
Vaccines for Family and Caregivers

Vaccines for Family and Caregivers

A baby's family members and caregivers should be up to date on their vaccinations to help form a circle of disease protection around the baby.

vaccinations
Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each Pregnancy

Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each Pregnancy

Only you can give your baby protection against whooping cough before your little one is even born.

vaccinations
Vaccines & Pregnancy: Top 7 Things You Need to Know

Vaccines & Pregnancy: Top 7 Things You Need to Know

Did you know a baby gets disease immunity (protection) from mom during pregnancy?

vaccinations
The Importance of the Tdap Vaccine During Every Pregnancy

The Importance of the Tdap Vaccine During Every Pregnancy

Remember that many crucial steps in protecting your baby's health need to take place during your pregnancy, like taking your prenatal vitamins, eating healthy and making sure you get necessary vaccines.

vaccinations
black mother breastfeeding her baby

Closing the Racial Gap in Breastfeeding

More Black mothers are choosing to breastfeed and changing the narrative around breastfeeding in the Black community.

breastfeeding
My Journey From the NICU to Postpartum Depression and Back to Health

My Journey From the NICU to Postpartum Depression and Back to Health

I was grieving a birth experience and suffering PTSD, but I believed I needed to do it all on my own.

postpartum
How A Single Obsession Led to My Hospitalization for Postpartum Psychosis

How A Single Obsession Led to My Hospitalization for Postpartum Psychosis

My thoughts started spiraling out of control, and I wondered if I was like one of the women who could hurt their babies.

postpartum
I Thought My Postpartum Pain Was Normal, But It Wasn’t

I Thought My Postpartum Pain Was Normal, But It Wasn't

The pain was unbearable. Was this how every woman felt after giving birth?

postpartum
mother and child playing in a field

Why I Wrote My Living Will During the Pandemic

Facing my own mortality, I leaned into the difficult conversations I’d been dreading.

Real young mother with little son

What Parents Should Know About Coronavirus as Kids Return to Babysitters, Day Cares and Camps

Reopening states after the COVID-19 lockdown raises unnerving questions for working parents who depend on some form of child care, from nannies to day camp.

parenting
Without Child Care, Work and Family Are Impossible

Without Child Care, Work and Family Are Impossible

I am a political science professor and researcher, but lacking child care, I count myself lucky to work a few hours each day.

covid-19
A Mysterious Illness Is Striking Children Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic – but Is It Kawasaki Disease?

A Mysterious Illness Is Striking Children Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic – but Is It Kawasaki Disease?

Critically ill children have been ending up in intensive care units with shock-like symptoms in recent weeks, adding yet another mysterious layer to the coronavirus pandemic.

covid-19
baby girl sleeping on her mother's chest

New Moms & Babies Are Leaving Maternity Wards Earlier Than Usual Due to Coronavirus

Here's what you need to know about the Covid-19 pandemic causing moms and newborns to leave the maternity ward earlier than usual.

postpartum