Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Pregnancy Concerns and Complications

  • Provides links to info on pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. Offers interactive tool to calculate your due date. Also links to interactive tool that shows how an embryo grows into a baby.

  • Learn how care providers help release a baby's shoulder if it gets stuck in the pelvis during delivery.

  • Find out the important things that happen to your baby near the end of pregnancy.

  • Learn about some of the negative effects of induced labor, including effects on your baby and to your body.

  • Learn how vaginal tears can happen with any size baby. Tears can be treated, and they heal quickly.

  • What is cervical insufficiency? Cervical insufficiency means that the cervix can't stay tightly closed during the second trimester of pregnancy. Instead, the cervix opens (dilates) with little or no pain, usually before 24 weeks. This can lead to miscarriage or birth of a premature baby. You may also hear this...

  • Cervical cerclage is the placement of stitches in the cervix to hold it closed. In select cases, this procedure is used to keep a weak cervix (incompetent cervix) from opening early. When a cervix opens early, it may cause preterm labor and...

  • Depression is common during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. If you have symptoms of depression during pregnancy or are depressed and learn you are pregnant, make a treatment plan with your doctor right away. If you are being treated for depression and are planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor ahead of...

  • Discusses ectopic pregnancy (tubal pregnancy), a condition where a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus. Covers tests and treatments. Discusses complications, including fallopian tube damage. Covers risk factors like smoking, PID, or tubal ligation.

  • Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a group of rare diseases in which abnormal trophoblast cells grow inside the uterus after conception. In gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), a tumor develops inside the uterus from tissue that forms after conception (the joining of sperm and egg). This tissue is made of...

  • Polyhydramnios is a condition in which there is too much fluid in the amniotic sac, the sac that holds the developing baby (fetus). This liquid is called amniotic fluid, and it surrounds the fetus throughout pregnancy. In many cases, the cause of polyhydramnios may not be found. But causes may include: Problems...

  • This topic is about high blood pressure that some women get while they are pregnant. For information about preeclampsia, a more serious kind of high blood pressure, see the topic Preeclampsia. It's normal for blood pressure to go up and down...

  • Learn what it means for you and your baby when you're pregnant and have high blood pressure.

  • Women with chronic high blood pressure require special medical care before, during, and after their pregnancies. Some blood pressure medicines are not recommended for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor if you take blood...

  • Learn how care providers help release a baby's shoulder if it gets stuck in the pelvis during delivery.

  • Find out the important things that happen to your baby near the end of pregnancy.

  • Learn about some of the negative effects of induced labor, including effects on your baby and to your body.

  • Learn how vaginal tears can happen with any size baby. Tears can be treated, and they heal quickly.

  • Expectant management is the close monitoring of a pregnancy for complications. It may involve some bed rest at home or in the hospital. Being on expectant management may mean you are advised to stop working, reduce your activity level, or possibly...

  • What is bed rest? Bed rest is limiting physical activity during your pregnancy. It can last a few weeks or even months. It may be at home or in the hospital. Your doctor may put you on partial bed rest or full bed rest. Partial bed rest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short...

  • Antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that has been closely linked to some cases of recurrent miscarriage. This syndrome increases blood clotting. It can cause dangerous blood clots (thrombosis) and problems with blood flow. For some women, the only sign of this condition is an early miscarriage. Or...

  • What is a high-risk pregnancy? Your pregnancy is called high-risk if you or your baby has an increased chance of a health problem. Many things can put you at high risk. Being called "high-risk" may sound scary. But it's just a way for doctors to make sure that you get special attention during your pregnancy. Your...

  • Covers questions about asthma during pregnancy and labor. Looks at treatment with medicines including inhaled albuterol, budesonide, salmeterol, and formoterol. Includes treatment of allergies. Covers safety of steroids for pregnant mother and baby.

  • Low amniotic fluid means that there is too little fluid around your baby in the uterus during pregnancy. The medical term for this problem is oligohydramnios. Amniotic fluid protects your baby from being bumped or hurt as you move your body. And it...

  • During pregnancy, the placenta is normally attached to the upper wall of the uterus. A placenta that forms low in the uterus without overlapping the cervical opening is referred to as a low-lying placenta. It is not a high-risk condition. It often gets better on its own as the pregnancy progresses. If you have a...

  • What is a molar pregnancy? A molar pregnancy happens when tissue that normally becomes a fetus instead becomes an abnormal growth in your uterus. Even though it isn't an embryo, this growth triggers symptoms of pregnancy. A molar pregnancy should be treated right away. This will make sure that all of the tissue...

  • Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a group of rare diseases in which abnormal trophoblast cells grow inside the uterus after conception. In gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), a tumor develops inside the uterus from tissue that forms after conception (the joining of sperm and egg). This tissue is made of...

  • Learn tips for dealing with morning sickness, no matter what time of day you have it.

  • Many women have problems with nausea and sometimes vomiting ( morning sickness) during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. For some women, morning sickness may be one of the first signs of pregnancy. The term "morning sickness" can be misleading, because symptoms can occur at any time of the day. The causes of morning...

  • Briefly discusses managing morning sickness. Offer tips to manage nausea and vomiting. Provides links to more extensive info on pregnancy and pregnancy-related problems.

  • Certain antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate or doxylamine, taken as your doctor advises, may relieve morning sickness. Doxylamine (Unisom SleepTabs) is available over-the-counter. If one of these antihistamines alone does not relieve your morning sickness, you can try taking it with vitamin B6. Talk to your doctor...

  • Ginger may relieve nausea and morning sickness after a few days of treatment. There are several ways you can use ginger to relieve your symptoms. Try: Ground ginger in a capsule, taken several times a day. Buy ginger capsules that are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not mixed with...

  • Studies suggest that taking vitamin B6 for morning sickness greatly improves nausea, though not vomiting, for many pregnant women. There has been no sign of harm to the fetus with vitamin B6 use. A typical dose of vitamin B6 for morning sickness is 10 mg to 25 mg, 3 times a day. Talk to your health professional...

  • Acupressure may help relieve or shorten the duration of your morning sickness symptoms. Acupressure is based on Eastern medicine practices used to open up blocked energy pathways in the body. Instead of using acupuncture needles, you or a practitioner presses on a small area of the body to treat a given ailment...

  • Most pregnant women have healthy babies—and that includes women who are obese. But being very heavy does increase the chance of problems. Babies born to mothers who are obese have a higher risk of: Birth defects, such as a heart defect or neural...

  • What is placenta previa? Placenta previa is a pregnancy problem in which the placenta blocks the cervix. The placenta is a round, flat organ that forms on the inside wall of the uterus soon after conception. During pregnancy, it gives the baby food and oxygen from the mother. In a normal pregnancy, the placenta...

  • What is placenta abruptio? Placenta abruptio is a pregnancy problem in which the placenta separates too early from the wall of the uterus. The placenta is a round, flat organ that forms during pregnancy. It gives the baby food and oxygen from the mother. In a normal pregnancy, the placenta stays firmly...

  • Most babies are born at 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy. (Those weeks are counted from the first day of your last menstrual period.) A pregnancy that has reached 42 or more weeks is called a "post-term" or "post-date" pregnancy. You might also call it...

  • Most women who are older than 35 have healthy pregnancies. But as you age beyond your mid-30s, some risks do increase. If you are an older mother-to-be, you can increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. See your doctor for a checkup before you become pregnant. Keep a regular schedule of prenatal checkups when...

  • Learn what to expect and what you'll need to know if your premature baby is in the NICU.

  • Is this topic for you? This topic is for people who want to know what to expect when a baby is born early. For information about early labor, its causes, and its treatment, see the topic Preterm Labor. What is premature birth? Pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks. A baby born 3 or more weeks early is premature...

  • After your infant is discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you may need to take special precautions for car travel. In most cases the safest way for a healthy premature infant to travel is in a car seat. But some premature infants...

  • If your premature infant was born before the gestational age of 32 to 34 weeks, he or she cannot feed by mouth. This is because of: Poor coordination (or lack) of sucking, swallowing, and gag reflex. Weakness of both the oral and stomach muscles. Small stomach capacity. Until your infant becomes stronger and more...

  • Routine immunizations Starting at 2 months after birth, premature infants need all the recommended immunizations that full-term infants get. The one immunization that your preemie may not get on schedule is the hepatitis B vaccine, which is usually given at birth. This vaccine doesn't work as well in very small...

  • Infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy are called "extremely premature." If your infant is born this early, you likely will face some hard decisions. Your premature infant has a much greater chance than ever before of doing well. A baby has the best chance of survival in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that...

  • Delivery before the 37th week is called a premature, or preterm, delivery. A premature delivery can cause problems for the infants if their organs are not fully developed. Infants delivered before 32 weeks have greater health risks than those who...

  • What is bed rest? Bed rest is limiting physical activity during your pregnancy. It can last a few weeks or even months. It may be at home or in the hospital. Your doctor may put you on partial bed rest or full bed rest. Partial bed rest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short...

  • Stretch marks (striae gravidarum) are lines on the skin that may appear late in pregnancy. They look like slightly indented pink, red, dark, or white streaks, depending on your skin color. Stretch marks are most common on the belly, but they can...

  • During pregnancy, the cervix is a closed and sealed tunnel between the uterus and the vagina. Before or during labor and delivery, the cervix stretches and flattens ( effacement). At 24 weeks of pregnancy, the average cervix is about 35 mm (1.4 in.) long. A short cervix has a length of less than 25 mm (1 in.). Women...

  • Learn how care providers help release a baby's shoulder if it gets stuck in the pelvis during delivery.

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