Thinking about pregnancy while also worrying about weight can feel stressful. You are not alone—about 6 in 10 women in the U.S. are overweight or have obesity. Talking about weight can be hard, but it is an important part of planning for a healthy pregnancy. This blog will explain how weight can affect pregnancy, what GLP-1 medications are, and what we know so far about their use before and during pregnancy. Why Is Managing Weight Before Pregnancy So Important? Being overweight or …
The Baby Blog
About Our Baby Blog
Every person wants to know what’s best for their baby, especially when it comes to knowing how to minimize exposure risks. Our relatable stories are packed with practical information from our rotating staff of MotherToBaby expert bloggers. Whatever topic you’re looking for, our blogs will provide you a great foundation to learn more.
When The Sniffles Strike During Pregnancy: Cold Meds & Your Questions Answered
Is it a cold? The flu? It’s just miserable. It’s Friday afternoon and you have had a tickle in your throat since you woke up this morning, along with pressure behind your nose and in your forehead, and a drippy nose. You are sure that you have a cold and not the flu or COVID-19. You have been trying to contact your doctor about what you can take because you are pregnant and worried about taking the wrong medication. With each hour that passes, you know it is unlikely that you will get in touch …
From Diapers to Decisions: MotherToBaby & NDBN Tackle Parents’ Top Concerns
By Lorrie Harris-Sagaribay, MPH, President of OTIS/MotherToBaby, in partnership with Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO and founder of National Diaper Bank Network. MotherToBaby is proud to partner with the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) as the organization marks its 15th anniversary in 2026 - celebrating a decade and a half of supporting families across the country by ensuring access to diapers and other essential material needs. Through our partnership, we’ve learned that many parents and …
ADD/ADHD: Focusing on What’s Best for Mom and Baby during Pregnancy
By Beth Kiernan, MPH, Interviewer & Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby Kristin called MotherToBaby one afternoon saying, “I just took a home pregnancy test and it’s positive.” Kristin sounded beyond worried. “I’ve been taking a medication for ADHD since I was eight years old, and when I searched the internet it said it was harmful and that I should stop taking it before getting pregnant.” Kristin hadn’t planned on getting pregnant. Now, not only was she terrified she had hurt …
RhoGAM and Rh Negative Moms: A Life-Saving Match
Having worked as a Teratogen Information Specialist at MotherToBaby for close to 10 years, I have become well versed in the different exposures people commonly ask about. Allergy medications in the spring, sunscreen and bug spray in the summer, and cough and cold medications all winter long. So, when I logged onto our live chat service at mothertobaby.org on a Tuesday morning, I was surprised to see a question that doesn’t come up very often. Natalie, pregnant with her first child, asked: “I’m …
