By Beth Kiernan, MPH, Interviewer & Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby “I just found out I’m pregnant, and while I am glad, I’m also pretty overwhelmed,” lamented Marian, a never-pregnant, newly-married woman who had struggled with Crohn’s disease since her teenage years but was finally in semi-remission. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable taking my medications now, even though my doctors say they are fine. I can’t even sleep! I am worried I’m harming my baby. I wonder if there will …
Search Results for: medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Baby Blog: Breathing for Two: Managing Your Asthma during Pregnancy
By Jennifer Namazy, MD, Allergist & Immunologist, MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies Asthma Study Consultant My first patient of the day was an urgent visit for a woman with shortness of breath. Her name was Heather and she had found out she was pregnant about two months ago. She was thrilled since she had been trying to have a baby for about two years. Once she found out she was pregnant she did three things: she shared the wonderful news with family, she began plans on her new nursery and …
Baby Blog: Planning a Healthy Pregnancy
Tanya called in on a Monday morning. “I’m getting married in a few months and we want to start trying to get pregnant right away. What should I be doing now to have the best chance of a healthy baby?” Preconception health and pregnancy planning present a terrific opportunity to assess a wide range of factors that can give your baby the best start. This blog will outline the things to consider, as I relayed to Tanya: Your Personal Health Are you generally healthy? If you already get …
Baby Blog: Is It Normal To Be Anxious During Pregnancy?
*May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month* By Elizabeth Salas, MPH, Teratology Information Specialist, MotherToBaby California If you are feeling anxious during your pregnancy, you’re not alone. It seems every year there are more articles and news stories on the latest health hazards. Whether you read it online or in a medical journal, hear it on the news or from friends and family, there’s no shortage of information on health concerns. This seems especially true during pregnancy. Having …
Baby Blog: We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby! What Have Four Decades Taught Us about Alcohol and Drugs in Pregnancy?
By Lorrie Harris-Sagaribay, MPH, Teratogen Information Specialist and Coordinator, MotherToBaby North Carolina Back in the early 1970s, pregnant women and their health care providers didn’t talk about alcohol and drugs in pregnancy. Birth defects caused by alcohol? Unheard of! Then, along came two pediatric specialists at the University of Washington who changed everything: Drs. David W. Smith and Kenneth Lyons Jones noticed that a group of babies who had been exposed to high amounts of …
