Tag: pregnancy

Unlike postpartum depression (PPD), many people are unaware of postpartum anxiety (PPA). This is true despite the fact that research shows it impacts approximately 10-15%...

Have you and your partner decided you’re ready to be parents—or have another baby?

According to Baby Center, 85 percent of couples who actively try to get pregnant will conceive within about one year, or 12 menstrual cycles. If they are not able to conceive after one year, it is recommended at that time that they may want to consult a fertility expert. (This time period is reduced to six months before seeing an expert if the woman is over 35 years old.)

Regardless of whether you’re in the early stages of trying to conceive or have been trying for a while, here are a few science-backed tips that may help get your body primed for fertility success.

Pregnancy is an exciting time. Despite a lengthy preparation list of name selection, nursery decorating and baby registries, it’s important to keep your relationship a priority—especially since it’s soon to change from a twosome to a threesome or more! Date nights are a great way for couples to maintain a happy connection, yet parents-to-be may feel less motivated—physically and emotionally—to take the time, energy and money to nurture themselves. However, the effort is well worth it! Here are several date ideas for expectant couples:

Boy, do I wish someone had told me how important a healthy microbiome is for pregnancy when I was young and impressionable! Although would I have listened? …Maybe not. Years of miscarrying and fertility treatments in my mid-twenties brought me to my knees as the desire for a baby overshadowed every other part of my life. No one seemed to have a solution except to head to the fertility clinic to find out why I was "broken."

Becoming a parent is supposed to be an instinctive and natural process, a rite of passage for every woman willing to take that path, but that was not the path that I was destined to take.

There was so much I took for granted when my husband Marty and I first decided to start a family using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). For starters, I just assumed that my body was in tip-top condition and that I would be a wonderful candidate for IVF.

Oh, the joys and worries of pregnancy! Whether you are considering having a baby or are already on your way to welcoming a little bundle of joy, it’s natural for myriad questions to arise. If you’re like most people, the thought of having a child brings alive many hopes and fears.

Bringing a baby into even the healthiest of relationships is no simple task, and partners know that life will never be the same once the baby has arrived. One prevalent fear that many couples share is a deep concern about the impact of pregnancy on sexual intimacy.

As soon as that plus sign first appears, your life is changed forever. The next 21 months (nine for pregnancy, 12 for the baby chaos that follows) are a whirlwind of adjustments, uncertainties, and expectations…with a really steep learning curve. You’re sure to get advice—on everything from birth plans to breastfeeding (or not) to baby gear—from everyone. (Grandma, the grocery clerk, and even that grumpy neighbor lady with the 15 cats will weigh in!)