During pregnancy, you see your care team regularly to ensure everything is on track. You might take classes and read books to get ready for the baby or write a birth plan and make checklists of supplies to buy. Still, nothing can truly prepare you for bringing a newborn home, where there may not be…
The transition to menopause is a natural and normal part of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In the years before and after your menstrual period stops, you can experience hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, insomnia, and vaginal and urinary symptoms. For some, these symptoms are subtle and short-lived; for others, they are…
This article originally ran June 6, 2018, and was updated April 11, 2024. Like most things, you don’t realize how crucial your pelvis is until you have problems with it. You need a healthy pelvic region to move comfortably, control urination and bowel movements, give birth and enjoy sex. About 15 percent of women of childbearing…
You may think that anything goes regarding food during pregnancy. You may have heard friends and coworkers talk about “eating for two” or surviving on pickles and ice cream for nine months. And when you first find out you’re pregnant, you may struggle with morning sickness, where the last thing you’ll want to do is…
When you find out you’re pregnant, your to-do list instantly becomes much longer. There are people to tell, nurseries to decorate and names to consider. You also need to establish where you’ll receive your prenatal care. Your first prenatal appointment should be scheduled seven to nine weeks after your last menstrual period. “Early prenatal care…
In between deciding on nursery colors, which brand of stroller to buy and whether you want to breastfeed, it can be helpful to give some thought to your labor and delivery experience. Sharing a birth plan ahead of time with your care team and loved ones can help them support you and make this moment…
James Faber is an avid rock and mountain climber, which requires constant lifting and straining. Over time, he developed hemorrhoids. For a few years, Faber controlled the issue with a change in diet, but eventually things got worse, to the point that walking up steps was uncomfortable for him. “When I finally looked into treatment…
Sandra Barnes still remembers how difficult it was to walk before her heart transplant in 2006. “I was a teacher, and I had to climb 10 steps to get to my classroom,” Barnes says. “I would dread getting out of the car because of those 10 steps. Walking long distances would make me nauseous, and…
Heart and Vascular Health, Heart Failure, Organ Donation, Transplants
When life gets busy, is your workout the first thing you eliminate so you can get everything done? It’s just one workout, you think. But then weeks have gone by, and you haven’t returned to your exercise routine. If you’re not exercising, you’re not alone. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends…
In recent years, there have been heartbreaking accounts of new mothers harming or killing their children and attempting or completing suicide. In these shocking news stories, experts usually attribute a mother’s actions to postpartum psychosis, a severe mental health condition that can occur after birth. Although postpartum psychosis grabs headlines, UNC Health psychiatry specialist Anne Ruminjo,…
Along with a dip in temperatures and a rise in pumpkin spice-flavored fare, the hallmarks of fall include respiratory illnesses such as the flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. Cases of COVID-19 are also increasing. This year’s flu shot is now available, and there’s a new vaccine for RSV. Plus, another COVID-19 booster is…
Medical providers have a new tool to help identify people at risk for severe preeclampsia, a potentially fatal high blood pressure condition that occurs in pregnancy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a blood test that can predict with 96 percent certainty whether a pregnant patient will develop preeclampsia within the next two…
