By Sonia Alvarado, MotherToBaby California Teratogen Information Specialist I wrote a blog about marijuana and pregnancy three years ago and it’s become the most visited blog on the MotherToBaby website. No surprise, considering that marijuana is an even hotter topic today than it was previously! Three years ago, two states had laws allowing recreational use. Now, 29 states allow medicinal use, recreational use or both (with limits on amounts varying from state to state). I was recently asked …
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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.
Guest Blog: CMV. The Most Common Viral Infection Affecting Newborns That You’ve Never Heard About
By Kristen Hutchinson Spytek, National CMV Foundation President C-M-V. Three letters that keep me up at night and shake me to the core. Three letters that have managed to routinely shatter my expectations, body slam my optimism, expose my vulnerability, alter my perspective and even now, force me to recalibrate daily. My daughter, Evelyn Grace, was born on March 12, 2013 at 36 weeks with congenital cytomegalovirus. Or CMV. Evelyn was my first pregnancy; I was thirty-one years old. My husband …
Breathing for Two: Managing Your Asthma during Pregnancy
By Jennifer Namazy, MD, Allergist & Immunologist, MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies Asthma Study Consultant My first patient of the day was an urgent visit for a woman with shortness of breath. Her name was Heather and she had found out she was pregnant about two months ago. She was thrilled since she had been trying to have a baby for about two years. Once she found out she was pregnant she did three things: she shared the wonderful news with family, she began plans on her new nursery and …
Boosting Milk for Baby: The Supply & Demands of Breastfeeding
By Bethany Kotlar, MPH, Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby Georgia Being a new mom is overwhelming. Trying to figure out this brand new role can seem like climbing Mount Everest! Many new moms have questions about breastfeeding, and of those questions, how to increase or maintain supply is one of the most common. Luckily for all those new moms out there, MotherToBaby has teamed up with a lactation consultant to answer all of your burning supply questions. First, a quick …
The Cat Can Stay: Debunking Pregnancy Myths about Toxoplasmosis
By Robert Felix, MotherToBaby Past President I’ll never forget the panic in her voice. “The web said, ‘stay away from cats when you’re pregnant because your baby can be mentally retarded!” It was the first thing this soon-to-be mom could get out the second I picked up the phone. “It is true? I got rid of my cat immediately because I was so worried and I feel terrible about it,” she breathlessly explained. As a teratogen information specialist (someone trained to answer questions about exposures …