By Patricia Olney, MS, CGC, Genetic Counselor & Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby Georgia Emily’s call to MotherToBaby came in late at night. Her voicemail message sounded a bit garbled, almost as if she had been crying. I returned her call the next day and heard her anxious voice say, “My psoriasis flared up last week…it’s been several years. I’m really worried because I just found out I’m pregnant.” I replied calmly, “Emily, I’m glad you called MotherToBaby for information. …
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.
A Main Course Of Knowledge With A Side Of Support, Please! 3 Tips That Help My Patients Prevent Birth Defects
By Lori Wolfe, Certified Genetic Counselor and Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby North Texas It’s pretty much a fact - ALL pregnant women worry…about what they eat, what they do, what they breathe. Basically, they worry about everything. That’s simply because every expectant mother wants to do the very best she can for her developing baby. As a genetic counselor who runs the North Texas affiliate of MotherToBaby, I get calls every day from pregnant woman who want to know what to do …
When Measles Strike, It’s Not The Happiest Place On Earth For Pregnant Women
By Sonia Alvarado, Senior Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby CA “Martha,” a 27 year-old pregnant woman from Long Beach, anxiously cried out over the telephone, “What if I have measles?! I’ll never live with myself if my baby suffers because I may not have gotten vaccinated?!” “Let’s take a deep breath, Martha, and walk me through the last couple of weeks,” I calmly replied. “When exactly did you visit Disneyland?” Granted, this is not the typical conversation one would expect from …
How You Can Protect Your Baby from Pertussis “Whooping Cough” Before and After Birth
By Chelsea Flores Reviewed by Elizabeth Salas, MPH Are you currently pregnant? Are you aware of the risk of pertussis to your baby? Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious problem throughout California. Public health officials confirm our state is currently experiencing a pertussis epidemic. In 2010, there were more pertussis cases in California than had been reported in over 60 years with approximately 9,000 cases including 10 infant deaths. In 2014 10,831 cases were reported. …
FDA Pregnancy Risk Categories: Going Away for Good
By Lynn Martinez and Julia Robertson, CPM, MotherToBaby Utah During the more than 30 years MotherToBaby affiliates have been serving the public with education regarding exposures during pregnancy, many women have called who are very distressed, sometimes in tears, about finding out they were pregnant while taking a drug categorized as an X or D in the FDA system. “I’ve been on birth control pills and I still got pregnant! Does this mean my baby will have birth defects? It’s a category x drug …
