Finding a doctor with whom you can feel comfortable is especially important for women seeking a midwife or gynecologist. Women often have high expectations for their obstetrician and gynecologist, also called an OB-GYN. Many women prefer a female...
Finding out that you are going to have a baby can be both a frightening and exciting experience, especially for a first-time mother. It is easy to feel at a loss when you don't know the first thing about carrying and giving birth to a healthy...
According to the American Pregnancy Association, an obstetrician or OB-GYN is a doctor specially trained to manage prenatal care, labor and the delivery of your baby. In addition to a PHD, this type of doctor also receives special training in the...
A Pap smear, the common term for a Papanicolaou test, is used to test for cancerous cells on the cervix. According to Harvard Medical School, women who are at least 21 years old should have a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years. Additionally, women...
Gynecologists and obstetricians work together to ensure the reproductive health of women throughout their lives, from puberty through menopause and beyond. In most cases, the training is identical and a doctor is certified in both fields, although...
Obstetrical and gynecological (OB-GYN) surgery is performed for a number of reasons. While cesarean sections are the most common OB-GYN surgery, surgery may also be performed to improve fertility by removing endometriosis or adhesions, to treat...
The most common methods of dating a pregnancy use the first day of your last menstrual period and the most common length of menstrual cycles, which is 28 days. According to Epigee.org, however, 30 percent of women have menstrual cycles outside of...
If you have experienced the miracle of birth, you may also have wondered just what goes on inside a woman's body during pregnancy. From conception to birth typically takes nine months; plenty of time for organs and bones to develop. Birth may be a...
Thirty minutes of daily exercise is optimal for a healthy pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but if you've lived a sedentary lifestyle leading up to your pregnancy, this regimen is easier said than done....
When you get your first positive pregnancy test, one of the lingering questions you might have is when you actually become pregnant. To calculate the exact date of pregnancy, also known as the date of conception, you must first understand your...
Few people see their stretch marks as badges of accomplishment for giving birth or losing weight, as most see them as ugly canyons of scarred skin that are solely an annoyance. The marks are caused when the skin is stretched so far that the middle...
A labor and delivery doctor is a physician who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, a field commonly referred to as OB/GYN. These doctors have graduated from medical school and have completed an additional four years of training in...
Getting enough vitamin D during pregnancy is important for your baby's bones and teeth. Vitamin D may also help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. Because vitamin D is naturally found in few foods, you may need to get this important...
Exercise can help promote a healthy pregnancy and an easier time getting back in pre-pregnancy shape after you've had your baby. You'll find that most exercise programs, especially those that you participated in before you became pregnant, are...
As soon as a woman finds out she is pregnant, one of the first things she wants to know is when she is due. Knowing this date is particularly important in our society, where women often need to schedule a maternity leave far in advance of the...
Eating healthy may mean different things to different people. Of course, if you have a specific ailment to consider, some foods may be appropriate and others may not. For example, if you have a heart condition, it may be appropriate to eat celery...
A woman's body goes through many changes during pregnancy, and a temporary elevation in cholesterol can be one of them, according to Dr. Howard Kurtz, an obstetrician-gynecologist at New York OBGYN and a clinical instructor of ob-gyn at Mount...
For many years, natural family planning was the only source of birth control available. Modern couples choose to use natural family planning as a means to avoid pregnancy without using artificial birth control contraceptives. Natural family...
Too much caffeine can cause irritability, an irregular heartbeat, anxiety, insomnia and muscle tremors. According to MayoClinic.com, consuming more than 500 mg of caffeine a day can prompt these and other unwanted side effects. If you're trying to...
Spotting in between periods can be a normal occurrance due to several factors. Women just starting or stopping birth control pills can have light spotting in between periods, as can perimenopausal women or girls just starting their periods. In...
Delivering a baby is one of the highlights of a mother's life, along with other friends and family members who are patiently awaiting the new arrival. Baby delivery isn't always as easy as it seems, there are several things that come into play and...
Infertility patients often start treatment with their obstetrician or gynecologist but move on to treatment by doctors with a specific interest in infertility. These doctors are usually, but not always, doctors with a background in OB/GYN...
Exercise is part of a healthy pregnancy, so only rarely will a woman be encouraged to avoid exercise during the gestational period. Still, women who engage in dangerous or especially strenuous exercise during pregnancy might have a slightly higher...
The changes that your body goes through during menopause can make you feel like you are living in a stranger's body. Your hormone balance and physiological status become altered in a way you've never dealt with before. After menopause your body...
Changes in eating or exercise habits can lead to changes in your menstrual cycle. A sudden change is generally a sign of hormonal imbalance but could also be symptomatic of deeper health issues. To be safe, consult with your doctor to pin down the...
While pregnant, no known quantity of alcohol is considered safe for the baby, therefore many obstetricians recommend that pregnant women avoid alcohol completely as soon as they know they are pregnant. According to the American Pregnancy...
Your adrenal glands produce cortisol, a hormone your body requires for proper function. Its primary purpose, though, is helping you meet the challenges stress imposes by providing you with energy, keeping you alert and maintaining a healthy heart...
Progesterone is a hormone that helps regulate monthly periods in women or support a pregnancy. It collaborates with estrogen during a monthly cycle to build up the lining of the uterus and release an egg from the ovary. During the second half of a...
Delivering a baby has several steps. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
