Labor and delivery is both an exciting and scary time for expecting mothers. Therefore, knowing what to expect can give you the knowledge you will need to prepare for this special time.

Answers provided by ChatGPT about pregnancy issues

My fetus is in breech presentation and my doctor recommends a cesarean delivery. But I want to delivery normally. Can I refuse a cesarean? ... read more »

Experts Remain Divided on Safety of Home Births

Some people childbirth think an act so natural as giving birth can be accomplished safely at home, without medical intervention. ... read more »

What Happens in the Delivery Room After Labor is Over?

All women, no matter who they are, go through the same general process after labor, as long as the birth was uneventful from a medical perspective. The cord is clamped and cut and baby is placed on your chest. ... read more »

Labor, Delivery, and Birth Guide

All about the stages of labor, delivery options, anesthesia and more. ... read more »

Am I In Labor?: The Online Test

Are you in labor? Could your symptoms be labor signs? ... read more »

Children in the Delivery Room

Having other children in the delivery room is an option some parents choose, however, parents need to be prepared for every possible scenario. ... read more »

Medications and Baby: The First Days

After moving to the nursery, baby will likely be given a vitamin K shot.The shot promotes blood clotting as babies aren't born with the natural ability to clot properly. ... read more »

Failure to rescue fetus, baby, and mother during a homebirth

The concept of "failure to rescue" (failure to recognize, or act upon, early signs of distress) was first introduced in the 1990s as a measure of hospital performance in the care of the adult posts ... read more »

What Is Labor Induction?

Labor induction or inducing labor is usually done to start contractions of the uterus or to prepare the cervix to soften and/or dilate for a vaginal birth. It usually involves the stimulation of uterine contractions during pregnancy before labor begins on its own to achieve a vaginal birth. ... read more »

When Are Pain Medications Offered During Labor?

You may think you're ready for those pain medications as soon as you check-in to the hospital, but you may have to wait around a while before you can ease that pain and settle into labor land. ... read more »

Signs of Labor: Early Symptoms

What are the true and false signs of labor? ... read more »

Infertility Quiz: Do We Need To See a Fertility Specialist?

Answer the following questions and find out if you should see a specialist regarding your fertility! ... read more »

I Lost My Mucus Plug: Will Labor Start Now?

Losing your mucus plug and seeing bloody show could mean labor is on the way, but how long will it take until labor starts? ... read more »

Umbilical Cord Prolapse

An umbilical cord prolapse occurs when the umbilical cord which connects the baby to the placenta slips before the baby's presenting part close to or into the vagina. ... read more »

Top Childbirth Fears: Questions and Answers

There are so many worries and concerns when it comes being pregnant, with perhaps the largest surrounding what might potentially happen during labor and delivery. Knowledge is power so we compiled top worries about labor and delivery along with information on how to conquer them! ... read more »

Is This True Labor or Braxton Hicks Contractions?

Are these Braxton Hicks or real contractions? ... read more »

Practical Labor Day Preparation

Before the time comes to rush off to the hospital, you need to think about preparing for labor, not just packing for your hospital stay. ... read more »

Dr. Amos Photographs Historic 12/12/12 Baby

Wednesday 12/12/12 was a special day. Dr. Amos Grunebaum snapped a photo to commemorate a unique delivery. ... read more »

Labor and Delivery: Birthing Choices

The traditional birthing choice in the United States involves having a doctor-assisted delivery in a hospital setting. Despite the popularity of the traditional hospital birth, there are other birthing options women may want to consider. ... read more »

First Trimester Umbilical Cord Cysts

Researchers from Tufts Medical Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts recently completed a study attempting to relate umbilical cord cysts found via sonography in the first months of pregnancy to specific pregnancy outcomes. ... read more »

Nausea and Vomiting During Labor and Delivery

Isn’t going through labor enough without having to add feeling sick to the whole experience? Unfortunately, nausea is common during labor. ... read more »

Stages of Labor

There are three stages of labor starting from the time of the beginning of contractions and cervical dilatation up to the delivery of the placenta. ... read more »

Operative Procedures: Forceps, Vacuum, Episiotomy

The use of operative procedures, such as forceps, vacuum, and episiotomy during a vaginal delivery provides a little boost to mom's birthing process. ... read more »

Labor and Delivery Room Behavior

The big day is about to arrive. You're filled with questions about what to expect on this special day - the do's and don'ts of delivery room etiquette, what will happen and who will be there to witness. ... read more »

7 Huge Don'ts in the Delivery Room

The delivery room can be both a wonderful place and a horrible place. Before hitting the labor and delivery ward, make a list of rules that everyone needs to follow. ... read more »

5 Ways to Say No to Your Mother-in-Law in the Delivery Room

You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but if you've discussed it with your partner and you both agree that your mother-in-law will not be allowed in the delivery room, you may want to think of a few ways to tell her that won't hurt her feelings. ... read more »

Should You Choose a Birth Center for Your Pregnancy Care?

From the first minutes after finding out you're pregnant, you areconstantly making decisions. Decision making will be a major part ofyour life for the next 18 years or so ' but before you jump intoparenthood, you may want to decide where you'll give birth. ... read more »

Doulas and their Role in Pregnancy

A doula is a nonmedical person to help mom through the birthing process with her emotional and physical needs. Comforting, caring and understanding, the doula essentially mothers the mom-to-be. ... read more »

When Is It Too Late For Pain Medication?

For a pregnant woman who has decided on using pain medication for labor and delivery hearing the words, “It is too late to relieve pain” can be frightening. Why, and more importantly when, is it too late for pain medication during labor and delivery? ... read more »

Umbilical Cord Blood Gases Normal Values

Umbilical Cord Blood Gases Normal Values ... read more »

Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes - PROM

Premature rupture of fetal membranes (PROM) is when the fetal membranes break prior to labor. ... read more »

Can I Eat Solid Food During Labor?

Solid food is that source of energy you could really use about five hours into labor, but the one thing you will be denied if you think of solid food as a full meal. ... read more »

Scheduling the Hospital Tour Before Labor and Delivery

The hospital tour is a great time to get to know staff at the hospital and the layout of the labor and delivery room. Women generally schedule the tour sometime between weeks 20 and 35 of pregnancy, though some women wait until the 36th or 37th week. ... read more »

Post-term Pregnancy: Going Past The Due Date

Once you go more than a week or two past your due date, the risk of pregnancy complications increases, both for your baby and for you. ... read more »

When to Work on Birth Preparation

The birth of your child is a physically intensive process many women are not ready to undertake. Making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle early in your pregnancy can mean a world of difference when labor begins. ... read more »

What is a Birth Plan?

A birth plan is a simple, clear, flexible plan expressing the birth mother’s preferences during birth. The plan is not a medical guide or definitive declaration of how the birth will go, but it does give everyone involved an idea of the pregnant woman’s wishes. ... read more »

Labor Signs and Symptoms: Diarrhea

As your body gets ready for giving birth, muscles loosen in the entire body, and this includes the muscles that regulate bowel movements. Often, diarrhea can be a sign that baby is on the way! ... read more »

Can I Bring Clothes from Home for Labor?

Some hospitals give moms the chance to wear her own clothes, after approval from the hospital staff during labor. However, the clothing must be similar to hospital clothing and non-restrictive. ... read more »

Tips to Naturally Induce Labor

As you near the end of your pregnancy, you may be ready for the entire process of carrying your baby to be over. Several things can be done to induce labor naturally that might make you have contractions and begin labor, but they'll only work if your body is ready! Follow these labor induction tips. ... read more »

First-Time Fathers and the Delivery Room

Euphoria, agony, and everything in between. Back and forth, for hours. Those are the emotional memories of ten fathers participating in a Swedish study of first-time fathers in the delivery room. ... read more »

Will I Poop When I Push During Labor and Childbirth?

Women have many concerns during pregnancy regarding the dreaded fear of pooping while pushing. This is why it is important to understand the facts around this as well as a few tips that can help. ... read more »

What Is an 'En Caul' Birth?

Learn what it means to be "born with the caul" and all about "en caul" births. ... read more »

Labor Monitoring: What Are All These Wires?

The first few hours you spend in the labor and delivery department are hectic. You will have little to no alone time as medical staff prepares you for delivery. ... read more »

Interactive Apgar Score Calculator

The Apgar score is done on every baby at 1 and 5 minutes of life to assess whether the baby needs resuscitation. This interactive Apgar Score Calculator will help you determine your baby's Apgar score. ... read more »

Back Labor and Back Pain In Pregnancy

Back labor is a type of labor in which the mother feels most if not all of her contraction pain in her lower back. ... read more »

Induction of labor

In most women, labor induction is not necessary because labor begins spontaneously without anyone having to do something about it. ... read more »

Top Reasons to Choose a Hospital Birth

So many reasons to deliver the baby in the hospital. ... read more »

Vasa Previa - Vasa Praevia and En-Caul Delivery

Vasa previa is a rarely (1:3000) reported condition in which one or more fetal blood vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord cross the entrance to the birth canal, beneath the baby and just clo ... read more »

Cesarean Section Delivery Calculator

The calculator below calculates your chances having a cesarean delivery based on your age, whether this is your first baby or not, and whether labor is induced. This applies only to women without a prior cesarean section, who are over 37 weeks pregnant, have a singleton fetus, and whose baby is head down (vertex). ... read more »

What Is an Episiotomy?

For decades, episiotomies have been routinely performed to help speed delivery during the pushing phase of labor and to prevent tears to the vagina. ... read more »

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