Following a new publication in the British Medical Journal there has been renewed media coverage regarding antidepressants and their impacts during pregnancy. The Swedish study revealed that women who used antidepressants throughout pregnancy have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with high persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). PPHN refers to high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs and it can be life threatening. PPHN causes shortness of breath and other difficulties breathing, it also has strong links to heart failure. The specific antidepressant drugs that cause these anomalies are serotonin reuptake antidepressants (SSRIs) such as paroxtine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) and fluoxetine (Prozac).
Read the full article, No “Anti-depressants” if Pregnant.
The Center for Disease Control did a study on thousands of teenage moms and found that they didn’t believe that they would get pregnant. The finding of some other researchers was that some teen moms felt they couldn’t get pregnant the first time, or at that time of the month, or thought they were sterile. In one study over 4 years of 5000 teenage moms, almost half of the girls were not using birth control. Thirteen percent of those said that they did not use birth control because they had difficulty getting it. Twenty five percent didn’t use any birth control because the guy did not want to use anything.
Even with these results, the teen birth rate is the lowest it’s been in 70 years. One thing the studies show is that the girls not only need the educated on anatomy and birth control, they also need education on how to respond to unwanted pressuring.
The truth is that the only birth control that is 100% effective is abstinence. How about educating our girls to save their virginity as a gift for the one that wants to win it through marriage. Honor, respect and self-control are not educationally out of reach.
Source: Washington Post
In the United States, 1 in 32 births result in twins. The rate of twin births has increased 70 percent since 1980s, and it is mostly due to more women taking fertility drugs and using assisted reproductive technologies (like in vitro fertilization, or IVF) to help them conceive. A majority of the twins born today are fraternal twins. The rate of identical twins is one in 250 – which is roughly the same statistic since the 1980s.
Twin pregnancies accounts for over 90 percent of all multiple births in the United States. There are two types of twins – identical and fraternal (non-identical).
Read the full article, How Twins are Conceived
No birth control method is 100 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. Out of all birth control types, the intrauterine device (IUD) is more than 99 percent effective, and one of the best ways to prevent pregnancy. Hormonal contraceptives can be 99 percent effective if used properly and consistently. This includes birth control pills, the birth control patch (OrthoEvra), the birth control ring (NuvaRing), and birth control injections (Depo-Provera). Male condoms are 94 to 97 percent effective; the female condom is less effective than that.
Read the full article, Conception While Using Birth Control.
Pregnancy isn’t possible without conception – an intricate and complex process that involves the release of an egg from the woman’s ovary, fertilization by the man’s sperm, and implantation in the lining of her uterus. Conception is a beautiful process that joins one egg (sometimes more), to one (sometimes more) sperm cells to create life.
Read the full article, The Business of Conception: Sperm Meets Egg .
Q. Can you get pregnant if you have unprotected sex on your period?
A. Your period doesn’t necessarily protect you against pregnancy. Although the risk of conception during your period is highly unlikely, there is always a small possibility.
You’re more likely to get pregnant on your period if you have a very short menstrual cycle and you end up ovulating early. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days (with ovulation taking place on day 14), but if you have a short cycle that’s 22 days long, for example, you may ovulate a few days after your period ends. Since sperm can stay alive in your body for as long as five days, pregnancy is theoretically possible under this circumstance.
Even if you don’t have a short menstrual cycle, there’s always a small chance of pregnancy if you happen to ovulate early. There are many factors that can affect when you ovulate, including stress, your overall health, lifestyle habits, medications you’re taking, etc.
Some women also experience spotting (light bleeding) between their periods. This can be mistaken for a regular period, especially in women who may have irregular periods. If you happen to spot right around the time of ovulation, and you end up having sex, you could get pregnant.
Read all the questions and answers for the article Commonly Asked Questions About Conception.
Now that you’re trying to conceive, you have to pay attention to your menstrual cycle and the changes in your body during the month. You need to be tracking your menstrual cycle, if you haven’t already. This means keeping tabs of when your period starts, how many days it lasts, and the average length of your cycles. All of this information can help you pinpoint your ovulation and your most fertile period during the month.
Read the full article, Your Menstrual Cycle: Why You Should Keep Track of It
Are you ready to have a baby? The first step is to stop taking contraceptives (birth control). If you’re using condoms during sex, that’s an easy fix. You simply have unprotected sex from here on out, and you’ll get pregnant. If you use a diaphragm, it’s possible to conceive immediately after you stop use.
For women using hormonal contraceptives, conception may take a little longer than expected. 
Read the full article, How to Stop Birth Control to Have a Baby.
Your diet and nutrition in pregnancy are vital elements of a healthy pregnancy, but did you know that eating healthy can also help you conceive faster? More and more research studies have linked food to your fertility health. The healthier you eat, the healthier your body is and the higher the likelihood that you’ll conceive and give birth to a healthy baby in 40 weeks.
Eating a balanced diet before you get pregnant will ensure that your baby has the best environment to grow in for nine months, and it also decreases the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies that can complicate your pregnancy.
Read the full article, What You Need to Know about Nutrition Before Pregnancy.
After you decide that you’re 100 percent positive that you want to conceive, you should schedule a pre-pregnancy appointment with your healthcare provider. This doctor’s appointment is also called a preconception checkup, and it’s a smart move for any woman – especially those who have underlying health problems or a family history of obstetrical complications.
Read the full article What Happens at a Pre-Pregnancy Appointment?
