Pregnancy comes with many decisions—what tests to get, whether to learn the gender, where to give birth—and soon, women who are pregnant or planning to conceive, will have to decide whether to get a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Now there are two COVID-19 vaccines, one made by Pfizer and the other by Moderna, that…
Childbirth is life-changing: Not only is a new baby born, but also a new mom. Many women experience a flood of emotions, some happy and some not, and the postpartum period can be a difficult time for mental health. Most people have heard of postpartum depression, but there are other postpartum mood disorders, too. We…
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…
For Wilson resident Ashley Long, it was a wonderful surprise: seeing not one but two heartbeats during a routine prenatal ultrasound. “They told us about the twins at our nine-week appointment in October. We were super shocked, excited and scared,” Long says. That early ultrasound was at Arbor ObGyn in Raleigh; for her more in-depth,…
There’s more than one way to give birth to a baby. There is vaginal delivery, of course, and then there are cesarean sections, or C-sections, which account for nearly one-third of U.S. births. This surgical delivery of a baby from the mother’s uterus is a common and safe procedure, but it comes with more risks…
If you’re pregnant as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads rapidly worldwide, you may be worried about what this pandemic means for you and your baby. Brian Brimmage, MD, an obstetrician who delivers babies at UNC REX Healthcare, answers common questions and offers advice on how moms-to-be can take care of themselves and their babies. What…
If you’re thinking about starting a family or are newly pregnant, you have an exciting journey ahead of you. One of the most important people on that voyage will be the health care provider who takes care of you during pregnancy. Most women in the United States choose to have their babies delivered by an…
Sometimes vaginitis—or vaginal inflammation—can be so mild you may not think anything out of the norm is happening. Other times, vaginitis is accompanied by pain and discomfort, which may point to a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. The problem? Both issues share common symptoms, which can make it hard to distinguish which one you are…
From Serena Williams to Chris Bosh, it’s a big story when a famous athlete develops a blood clot. It seems almost counterintuitive that someone so fit and young would face this medical issue. “Blood clots can be scary,” says Stephan Moll, MD, a hematologist and professor in the UNC School of Medicine. “But people hear…
