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…
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.…
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…
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…
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,…
The cries of babies whose mothers used cocaine during pregnancy have increased amounts of “hyperphonation,” a new study finds.
UNC researchers found that Chiari type 1 malformations of the brain are more common in children of depressed mothers treated with a certain group of antidepressants during pregnancy; genes and severity of illness may be involved.
Women are told many stories about how they will or should feel after childbirth: overjoyed, blissful, totally in love with their new babies. These expectations can cause pressure on new moms and ignore the reality that every woman will feel different, and not all emotions will be positive. In fact, many women feel sadness and…
CenteringPregnancy is a national program offered at UNC Health that brings together women and their partners who are expecting babies at the same time. Through this program, patients experience better health outcomes, more time with their provider, learning, support and friendship. What is CenteringPregnancy? CenteringPregnancy is offered through the UNC Midwives practice in Chapel Hill.…
When you imagined the day (or night) you give birth, you probably didn’t envision it would be in the midst of a pandemic. Parents-to-be have extra concerns and challenges because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but rest assured that your medical team is prepared to deliver your baby safely. Some of what you planned for…
Taking an antidepressant is incredibly common—more than 1 in 10 Americans do. But despite their prevalence, these drugs are often misunderstood, in part because of stereotypes and stigma around mental health. That may keep some people who could benefit from an antidepressant from learning more, says UNC Health psychiatrist Elizabeth Cox, MD. “Medication is an…
