Maternity & Newborn
Explore trusted health resources on maternity and newborn care — from conception through early infancy — all in one place.
Popular Topics
Management
Preparing for Your Next Pregnancy
Are you ready to start thinking about a younger sibling for your baby? If so, here’s what you need to keep in mind before you prepare to keep growing your family.
Medical Genetics: How Genetic Testing Is Used
Genetic testing can help find diseases that run in a family or don't yet have symptoms.
Breast Milk: Pumping, Collecting, Storing
"Fresh breast milk" contains the most active anti-infective properties. Refrigerated breast milk has fewer anti-infective properties than fresh milk, and frozen breast milk has the least.
What to expect during pregnancy
In Focus: The NICU
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Definition
Welcome to the NICU
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Definition
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
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Understanding Healthcare
Equipment That Is Used in the NICU
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Treatment
Does every NICU have every treatment a baby might need?
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Management
Interacting With Your Premature Baby in the NICU
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Recovery
Discharge Instructions: Taking Your Premature Baby Home From the NICU
Preparing for Labor
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Treatment
Labor: Preparing for the Hospital
You may be told to call your healthcare provider when it becomes hard to walk or talk during contractions or if your amniotic sac breaks.
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Treatment
Managing Labor Pain Without Medicine
There are many ways to manage pain during labor. It can often be done with no anesthesia or strong pain medicines. Talk to your healthcare provider about any choices you would like to explore.
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Symptoms
Labor and Childbirth: Active Labor
During active labor, your contractions will be stronger and more rhythmic than with early labor. They peak and subside like waves. They may happen 3 to 5 minutes apart and last about 45 to 60 seconds. Read on to learn more.
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Management
Labor and Childbirth: Your Body Prepares
Learn about the physical changes that often signal that your baby will soon be born.
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Management
Labor and Childbirth: Thinking About a Birth Plan
A birth plan is an outline of your wishes for your labor and birth. This plan helps your healthcare providers know what you want and expect. Work with your healthcare provider to create a plan that leaves room for the unexpected.
Helpful tools for a healthy pregnancy
Due Date Calculator
It is important to know your estimated due date in order to help plan for the baby's birth.
Ovulation Date Calculator
When you are trying to have a baby, fertile times are an important factor. Use this information about your cycles to help to predict your more fertile times and when you will ovulate.
What Do You Know About Having a Healthy Pregnancy?
Test your knowledge of which behaviors are most helpful and harmful to your developing baby.
