Heartburn during pregnancy is a burning feeling in the chest or throat caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. It is one of the most common complaints of pregnancy, affecting well over half of expecting mothers, and it tends to get worse as the months go on. Pregnancy heartburn is not harmful to…
DetailsPregnancy asks more of your cardiovascular system than it will at almost any other time in your life. Your blood volume rises sharply to supply the placenta, your heart pumps more blood with every beat, and your blood vessels relax to keep pressure steady. Those changes begin in the first trimester and peak in the…
DetailsA prenatal vitamin is a daily supplement designed to deliver the nutrients you need most when pregnant, in amounts that are hard to reach from food alone. It is a safety net for the handful of nutrients where even a good diet tends to fall short: folate, iron, DHA, calcium, vitamin D, and choline. The…
DetailsPregnancy vaccines are a small set of shots that protect two people at once. You make antibodies in response to each vaccine, and those antibodies cross the placenta to inoculate your baby. Newborns cannot get most vaccines for weeks to months, so what you pass along covers that gap. In 2026, four vaccines are part…
DetailsPregnancy weight gain is the expected, healthy increase in body weight that supports a growing baby. It is not extra fat to be shed. Most of it is the baby, the placenta, amniotic fluid, a larger uterus and breasts, and a big jump in blood volume. How much you should gain depends mostly on where…
DetailsInsomnia during early pregnancy is common, and it often occurs long before there is any bump to blame it on. Studies of pregnant women consistently find that sleep problems begin in the first trimester and affect a large share of patients, even those who slept easily before conceiving. The frustrating part is that early pregnancy…
DetailsStillbirth is the loss of a baby at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later. In the United States it affects roughly 1 in 175 births, and CDC data show that in 2024, there were about 5.4 stillbirths per 1,000 babies born. This is the lowest rate of stillbirths in decades but is still close to…
DetailsPregnancy-related leg cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions of the calf or foot muscle that lock the muscle tight for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. They are one of the most common complaints of the second and third trimesters, and studies suggest somewhere between a third and a half of pregnant women…
DetailsBack pain in pregnancy is caused by a set of changes that begin far earlier than most women expect. Within the first trimester, your body starts producing relaxin, a hormone that loosens the ligaments and joints of your pelvis to prepare for delivery. Progesterone rises sharply and relaxes smooth muscle throughout your body. Blood volume…
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