Pregnancy comes with plenty of surprises but getting bitten by a nonvenomous animal like a dog, cat, or squirrel is not on the top of the list. The good news is that most animal bites can be managed safely during pregnancy. Knowing what to be concerned about can help protect both you and your developing baby. When Are Animal Bites a Concern in Pregnancy? Most concerns after an animal bite are related to the possibility of an infection. Animals have bacteria in their mouths, and even …
The Baby Blog: Other Common Exposures
Same Exposure, Different Story: Why Advice Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
You are pregnant. You ask, "Can I take my medication?" If you ever heard, “it depends...", you are not alone. Things affect people differently. So, what is going on? This has to do with genetics. Genetics is the study of genes. Genes are a part of our DNA. Genes tell your cells what to do. Genes tell us how to process the world around us. What Do We Mean by “Exposures”? Anything that comes into contact with your body is an exposure. Food, drinks, and drugs are exposures. Getting sick …
That Bites! Rattlesnakes and Pregnancy
At MotherToBaby we receive all kinds of questions about exposures during pregnancy. Most often, we teratogen information specialists get similar questions no matter what state or part of the country we work in. Commonly asked questions cover topics like medications, supplements, and alcohol. We also get questions about less common exposures too, such as someone taking their pet’s medication or a chemical spill in the workplace. Working in Arizona, we sometimes get questions that specialists in …
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 …
Empowering Education and Support for Breastfeeding Women Living in Rural Communities
For breastfeeding people living in rural areas, it is often difficult to find appropriate breastfeeding and lactation resources as they can be few and far between. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infants in rural areas are less likely to ever breastfeed than infants living in urban areas. Emma, a new mother to a baby boy, lives in a rural area where the nearest town with a healthcare facility is over an hour away. Even by phone, it was difficult to reach her …
