The last trimester of pregnancy can be enervating. At a minimum, you're carrying an additional 20 to 30 lbs of combined baby and body weight. By the time you near the end of your third trimester, you will need an additional 300 calories a day....
The best foods for a woman to eat during the last four weeks of pregnancy are essentially the same as what she should eat from the beginning. Penn Medicine recommends getting proper nutrition, minimizing stress, getting plenty of rest and avoiding...
Black and blue cohosh are two unrelated herbs commonly used for women's health issues. Both of these herbs have a long traditional use as a uterine stimulant, both for the induction of labor and to trigger abortion. Midwives and herbalists may...
In the last weeks of your pregnancy, you may notice increased pressure in the pelvic area. This is usually caused by your baby dropping into position. If your due date is right around the corner and your baby has not yet dropped into position,...
The pains of labor are typically associated with the belly and perineal area. However, some women do experience pain in the lower back as part of their labor process. Most often, back labor pain is contributed to the baby coming down the birth...
As you approach the end of your pregnancy, it's natural to feel anxious about going into labor and getting to meet your baby. Many women find that their increasing discomfort and desire to have the baby in their arms leads them to look for natural...
Pregnancy causes your body to change and a variety of symptoms to emerge as your baby develops. The often severe symptoms of the first trimester give way to the comfort of the second trimester, which eventually leads to the contrasting discomfort...
Many women experience abdominal cramping during the latter stage of pregnancy. While some cramping is normal and nothing to be concerned about, other times it is more serious. Understanding what to expect with regards to cramps during the last...
Symptoms such as itchy eyes tend to worsen during the end of your pregnancy. Itchy eyes during your 37th week of pregnancy are sometimes so bothersome that they interrupt daytime activities and sleep. Because they sometimes worsen or lead to an...
The last weeks of pregnancy are uncomfortable for most women, meaning that it's common to want to hasten the onset of labor. Conversely, many women worry about what labor will feel like and want to do anything they can to shorten it. There are...
The herpes simplex virus, also known as HSV, comes in two forms, HSV-1 and HSV-2. These variants show a preference for the site of infection, with HSV-1 being more common as an oral infection and HSV-2 being more likely to infect the genital area....
Exercising throughout your pregnancy, even into the last month, can help keep you and your baby healthy, according to FitPregnancy.com. If you have continued an exercise program that you began before you were pregnant, you can safely continue to...
Once you've hit the 35th week of pregnancy, you might not be up for some of the more strenuous exercises you did in the earlier prenatal stages of your pregnancy or before you became pregnant. Reaching a late stage of pregnancy doesn't doom you to...
Abdominal cramping is a common and usually harmless ailment that many women experience during the late stages of pregnancy. Third trimester cramping can be due to a variety of factors, only some of which are serious. Understanding the symptoms...
After nine months of pregnancy, any expectant mother is understandably eager to meet her new baby. There are signs that precede the birth of a baby and knowing these can help mothers-to-be recognize when their body is preparing for birth and when...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. In babies, especially newborns, meningitis can be a serious condition that can lead to death if left untreated. In babies younger...
There are many different herbal preparations and teas thought by some midwives and practitioners of alternative medicine to induce labor. While inducing labor is sometimes medically necessary, it's not something you should try to do without...
As you approach the end of your pregnancy--particularly once you get past the 37th week, making you officially "full term"--you're likely to eagerly anticipate going into labor. Both because late pregnancy is uncomfortable and because it's natural...
During the last weeks of pregnancy, many women feel uncomfortable and impatient. It's natural to want to get labor started, but there isn't a proven herbal method for doing so. Drinking ginger won't help induce labor. Consult with your...
Acupressure is a system that comes from traditional Chinese medicine and has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. There are a number of active points located throughout your body along meridians, which are lines that run through your body...
Many different substances have gained the reputation for being able to induce labor in late pregnancy, with cod liver oil among them. However, no scientific evidence supports the use of cod liver oil in inducing labor, and it is likely...
Whether this is your first pregnancy or your fourth, the prospect of laboring to deliver your baby can be both exciting and frightening. As you count down the last weeks of your pregnancy, remember that very few babies are born on their due dates....
After 40 long weeks of carrying a baby, an expectant mother is often eager to speed up the labor process. Although some women experience a quick labor and delivery, many others stay in labor for many hours and sometimes days. Some strategies can...
Abdominal cramping is a common pregnancy ailment. Symptoms of cramping can begin as early as the first trimester and usually continue throughout a woman's pregnancy. Understanding the possible causes of abdominal cramping can provide peace of...
Meningitis, or inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, can develop at any age, but is particularly dangerous in newborns, a condition called neonatal meningitis. Neonatal meningitis is typically fatal if untreated and even...
Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is a common pregnancy complaint due to the effects of hormones that relax muscle tone in the digestive tract. Symptoms may include a feeling of fullness during or after meals, nausea, bloating or heartburn. Depending on...
Many alternative medical practitioners and midwives use herbs and other supplements as a way to "tone" the uterine wall, which consists largely of muscle. Most of these herbs are used only in late pregnancy, because toning herbs can cause...
As your due date grows nigh, you may find yourself looking for signs that your baby is ready to be born. Your doctor may notice physiological changes in your body that indicate that labor could start at any time. However, if you've kept in tune...
It is natural for a pregnant woman to wonder how the baby inside her is developing. Pregnancy is filled with all kinds of marvels, and thanks to modern science and technology, doctors have a fairly accurate idea of what goes on in the womb before...
How to use a home pregnancy calculator. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
How to use a home pregnancy calculator. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
