This sheet talks about anxiety in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is anxiety? Anxiety is excessive and uncontrollable worry. It is common to worry about your pregnancy or your baby’s health. Worry becomes an anxiety disorder when the worrying thoughts are frequent, time-consuming, intrusive and irrational. Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome thoughts or images that are upsetting. …
The Baby Blog: Cannabis
Cigarette Smoke
This sheet talks about exposure to cigarette smoke in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is in cigarette smoke? Cigarette smoke is made of gases and very tiny particles that are released when cigarettes are burned. It has over 4,000 compounds including nicotine, tar, arsenic, lead, and carbon monoxide. When you breathe the cigarette smoke into your lungs, the gases and particles get …
Cannabis
Why the High Isn't Worth it if Pregnant or Breastfeeding Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to cannabis in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional. Many moms may not want to hear this, but medical experts agree: cannabis (commonly known as marijuana, weed, or pot, among many other terms) should be avoided if you …
Alcohol
This sheet talks about exposure to alcohol in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is alcohol? Alcohol, ethanol and ethyl alcohol are all names for the ingredient in beer, wine, or hard liquor that gives an intoxicating effect to the drinker. The same amount of alcohol is found in a standard serving of beer (12 ounces), wine (4-5 ounces), or hard liquor (1.5 ounces). I drink alcohol. …
Depression
In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called her background risk. This sheet talks about whether exposure to depression may increase the risk for birth defects over that background risk. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider. What is depression and how common is it in pregnancy? Depression is a serious medical illness. It can change how someone feels, thinks and …
