Amniotic fluid plays a very important role in a baby’s health and development during pregnancy, helping the baby grow and move while also protecting it from being injured before birth. If levels of amniotic fluid aren’t where they should be, it can potentially cause complications. Oligohydramnios is a condition where amniotic fluid levels are too

There are many different reasons a newborn might need to spend time in a NICU after delivery. Very often, it’s because the baby was born prematurely, but it can also be because of medical conditions like jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome, infections, and hypoglycemia. The NICU is supposed to be a place where a baby with

After a baby is born, one of the first things that will happen is that its Apgar scores will be checked. Typically, this is done one minute and five minutes after birth, but in some cases, may also be done ten minutes after birth. Basically, these tests are done to look for signs that the

For an unborn baby, the umbilical cord is an essential connection to the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow and thrive. If that knot becomes too tight and restrictive, it can potentially pose a serious risk to the baby. A true knot is a type of umbilical cord knot that occurs when the cord

If you’ve ever been in the situation of eagerly awaiting the news that a baby has been born, you know that going through labor often takes a long time. There are multiple stages of labor and each stage can easily take several hours. According to the March of Dimes, the first stage of labor can

Blood clots happen to anyone, but there are a wide range of factors that can potentially increase a person’s risk of experiencing them. One of those risk factors is pregnancy or having recently given birth. Blood clots in the lungs are one of the most common causes of pregnancy-related deaths. According to the CDC, women

Throughout any pregnancy, it’s critical for the mother’s medical condition to be carefully monitored by her doctor. There are a lot of things that need to be watched to make sure everything is progressing as expected and to detect signs of any potential complications. The sooner potential signs of complications are detected, the sooner they

Over the years, births by cesarean section have become increasingly common. According to a report released by the CDC, 31.8% of all births in the United States in 2020 were through a C-section. In some cases, C-sections are planned, either due to the mother’s personal preferences or for reasons that were identified before labor began,

While planned cesarean deliveries have become more common in recent years, there are some cases where a mother-to-be intends to have a natural delivery, but ends up needing to have a C-section instead. Sometimes, a doctor may detect a situation that would make a natural delivery too risky, such as if the baby is in

Having an appropriate amount of amniotic fluid is an important part of a healthy pregnancy. It helps support fetal growth, cushions the baby, and prevents the umbilical cord from becoming compressed. In some cases, typically in the third trimester or when a baby is overdue, an expectant mother might develop a condition known as oligohydramnios,