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 …
The Baby Blog: Mom's Health Conditions
Navigating Constipation During Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Guide
Dealing with constipation can be challenging, and the struggle intensifies during pregnancy. The struggle is real, and I know it firsthand! I have struggled with constipation ever since I was a teenager. But once I started college, the stress of my day-to-day life intensified my symptoms which led me to suffer from chronic constipation. Once I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was only a matter of time until I experienced the discomfort, pain, and bloating all over again. But I knew that, …
Balancing Act: The Importance of Medication Dose in Pregnancy
By: Kirstie Perrotta, MPH and Becky Spencer, PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, IBCLC, PMH-C, FILCA Shannon was newly pregnant and had been referred to MotherToBaby by her doctor. She was taking 50 mg of sertraline per day for general anxiety and her doctor thought that she may need to wean off the medication now that she was 5 weeks pregnant. Shannon had been taking the medication for 3 years and was feeling great on her current dose, so she had some concerns about this plan. On the MotherToBaby website’s …
Don’t Stress Me Out: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Pregnancy
These were the sentiments of pregnant individuals going through the pandemic. It was an unprecedented event and as MotherToBaby Specialists we were challenged with dealing with the anxiety of expectant parents as they tried to get reliable information and deal with their fears, anxiety, and frustrations. Fortunately, as time went on, the infection did not appear to increase the chance of birth defects but now there is a question of the emotional toil it put on pregnant women. Post-traumatic …
The Headache of Dealing with a Migraine during Pregnancy
“I can’t get rid of it fast enough!” Caroline was 5 months pregnant and at her wits end when she contacted MotherToBaby. “My migraine is so bad that I can barely get out of bed, but I feel like there’s nothing I can do about it since I’m pregnant. I don’t want to harm the baby!” We often get questions like Caroline’s from women planning a pregnancy or already pregnant who would like information on the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches, so I start by asking Caroline what she would …
