By Mara Gaudette, MS, CGC, Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby California The chat message came through promptly at my morning start time. The words and exclamation marks clearly highlighted worry. “Just found out I’m pregnant! Taking a statin medication to lower cholesterol since 6th grade! Talked to my doctor and stopped taking it yesterday. But what damage have I already done? I know it’s a class X drug! Need info – please help!” Mae agreed to a phone call, and I logged off from …
The Baby Blog: Mom's Health Conditions
Shedding Light on Atopic Dermatitis and Pregnancy: Understanding Light Therapy
Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a condition that makes the skin itchy and inflamed and can cause red or darker colored patches during a flare-up. Symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe and can come and go. If you are one of the many people who are pregnant and dealing with this itchy, inflamed skin issue, you are not alone. Atopic dermatitis is common in pregnancy. Over half of people with eczema develop symptoms for the first time during their pregnancy. Hormonal changes in …
The Baby-Making Preconception Prep Guide
Emily called MotherToBaby and confided, “My husband and I are thinking about getting pregnant…I am so excited but scared, too. I am wondering what I can do to make it more likely we will have a healthy pregnancy and baby.” I assured Emily that we love it when people call ahead of their pregnancy and ask these questions. Preconception health is a topic that does not receive as much attention as it deserves, and it is important for both Emily and her husband. Good preconception …
Don’t Fight It Tooth and Nail: Your Dentist is on Your Side during Pregnancy!
By Beth Conover, APRN, CGC MotherToBaby Nebraska, UNMC “There are so many risks to the baby if I go for dental work, right?” “What about x-rays?” “I don’t like going to the dentist anyway, so I’ll probably just wait until my baby is born. That should be fine, right?” Worries, excuses, we’ve heard it all at MotherToBaby when it comes to dental procedures during pregnancy. We often receive questions from women wondering whether dental care is safe. In short, the answer is….yes! What better time …
Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Hypertension and Pregnancy among the Black Community
My baby sister was 35 years old and pregnant with her first child. As a family, we were ecstatic. The family was expanding, and I was about to be an aunt for the third time. She was in her 3rd trimester and very pregnant, but she was up there in the choir singing and dancing her heart out at a memorial concert. I, along with many others, was shocked at how energetic and agile she was that far into pregnancy. However, when the concert was over, I looked at her feet and they were very, very …
