Search: pregnancy

Distraught woman looks to the side of the frame while an unseen partner puts a comforting hand on her shoulder

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Trying Again After Pregnancy Loss: How to Take Care of Your Emotion...

It’s a heartbreaking statistic—about 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Just because pregnancy loss is common, however, doesn’t mean it’s easy to process. “Perinatal loss can feel like psychological jujitsu to work through,” says Julia Riddle, MD, a UNC Health psychiatrist with a focus in reproductive mental health. Dr. Riddle and UNC Health OB-GYN…

Grief, Mental Health, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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tilt down shot of woman holding her pregnant belly

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COVID-19 Shots During Pregnancy Help Mom and Baby

Editor’s note: This article originally ran June 14, 2021, and was updated January 26, 2023. Part of living through a pandemic is the reality that doctors and researchers learn about the virus in real time. Recommendations change and knowledge evolves. Thankfully for pregnant women, the answer to an earlier question has become clear: Should pregnant…

Coronavirus, Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Vaccines

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Pregnant woman exercising outside

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5 Things to Know About Pregnancy Past Age 35

Are you wondering if you’re too old to have a baby? More women are waiting to start a family, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median age of mothers giving birth in the U.S. now is 30. The number of women ages 35 to 39 giving birth increased by 67 percent from 1990 to…

Health, Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Women's Health

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Pregnant woman sitting

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How Pregnancy Can Affect Your Mental Health

Most of us have heard of the “baby blues,” but did you know that many moms-to-be face mental health challenges that start while they’re expecting? Anxiety and depression are the two most common psychological disorders that arise during pregnancy, says UNC Health psychiatrist Mary Kimmel, MD. She shares how pregnant women can be vigilant about prioritizing…

Mental Health, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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Pregnant woman in swimming pool

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How to Exercise Safely During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body is working overtime to sustain you and your growing baby. Even a simple task like going to the grocery store can feel like an Olympic sport. With your body going through so many changes and tiring more easily, is it safe to exercise during pregnancy? Absolutely, says Mary Hale, a certified…

Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Wellness, Women's Health

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Pregnant woman eating bowl of berries

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How to Eat Right Before, During and After Pregnancy

When you’re pregnant, it’s easy to adopt the mindset that you’re eating for two and can indulge in any food, any time you want. But experts say that approach may not be the best for you or your baby. UNC Health registered dietitian Natalie Newell shares how to eat healthy before, during and after pregnancy.…

Nutrition, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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Pregnant woman feeling pain in her belly lying in bed with insomnia at night. The concept of pregnancy and health

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Pandemic Pregnancy: 6 Tips for Managing Stress

Being pregnant is never easy, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brings new challenges to pregnant mothers, who are considered to be a high-risk group. This means that if infected, pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized and require ventilation, and their risk of preterm birth increases. Besides health concerns for mothers and…

Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Stress Management

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Illustration of three pregnant women holding their bellies

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Pregnancy Timeline: Here’s What to Do and When

You’re pregnant! Congrats! You might be feeling excitement, anxiety, joy, trepidation or all of the above. That’s normal. Not only are you on the verge of a new chapter in life—especially if this baby will be your first—but it also seems there is so much to keep track of in those approximately 40 weeks of…

Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Women's Health

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Photo of marijuana plants

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Marijuana or CBD During Pregnancy: Is It Safe?

Though not everyone talks about it openly, marijuana and related products like CBD (cannabidiol, one of the active ingredients in marijuana) are a big topic in the world of motherhood. While there is limited research available on what effect marijuana has on a baby in utero, researchers and physicians warn against its use by moms-to-be.…

Babies, Breastfeeding, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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Illustration of woman sitting on a couch, touching and reflecting on her pregnant belly

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What Moms-to-Be Need to Know About Pregnancy Blood Tests

Today, obstetricians have many tools at their disposal to learn important information about the health of a baby. Most people are familiar with ultrasounds, in which a technician runs a wand over the belly to pick up high-frequency sound waves and make an image of the developing baby. But moms-to-be might be surprised that much…

Maternal Health, OB-GYN, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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UNC Health pediatric patient Mackenzie as an infant

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Correcting Spina Bifida with Surgery During Pregnancy

When Nicole Starling was 18 weeks pregnant, she found out she was having a girl. And she learned that her baby girl had myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. “At first, we were super excited to hear we were…

Patient Stories, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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close-up of woman holding her pregnant belly, lying in bed

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Navigating Pregnancy with a Mental Illness

Pregnancy can be a very exciting and rewarding time in a woman’s life, but for the 1 in 5 women who experience a mental illness—including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions—it might also bring new challenges. We talked to Mary Kimmel, MD, medical director of UNC’s Perinatal Psychiatry Inpatient Unit about pregnancy,…

Mental Health, Pregnancy and Maternal Health

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