If you’re pregnant and feeling worried, nervous, or even scared about what’s coming, you’re not alone. Many people have fears or worries about giving birth. It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious about labor and delivery. The good news is, by learning what these fears are and how to manage them, you can shift from feeling...
Many pregnant women wonder if lifting weights or doing strength training is safe while they’re expecting. For most healthy pregnancies, the answer is yes! Staying active, including doing strength exercises, is usually safe and can be very good for both mother and baby. However, every pregnancy is different-so you will need to make some changes...
Cardio workouts are usually safe for every trimester of a healthy pregnancy. In fact, staying active with cardio exercises can help both pregnant women and their babies. Pregnancy is not a sickness where you need to stop all physical activity. Instead, keeping up with regular exercise-including cardio-can help your body handle physical, mental, and hormonal...
Hip and leg cramps can show up suddenly and cause sharp pain that interrupts your day or sleep. The good news is that a regular stretching routine can help relieve and prevent these cramps. Proper stretching improves how your muscles move, increases blood flow, and helps you relax, which all work together to lessen how...
Pregnancy is an incredible time, but it often brings its own challenges. For many pregnant women, lower back pain is very common. In fact, about two-thirds of pregnant women deal with this type of discomfort. The pain might be a dull ache in the lower back, or it can feel sharper and sometimes even reach...
Yes, many abdominal exercises can be safe and helpful during pregnancy, as long as you make the right adjustments and pay attention to how your body is changing. The goal isn’t to get defined abs, but to build a strong core to support both you and your baby. Strong core muscles can help reduce problems...
Delayed cord clamping (DCC) means waiting a short while after birth to clamp and cut the baby’s umbilical cord, instead of doing it right away. This short pause can offer many benefits for newborns, including higher blood volume, better iron levels, and improved early development. For many years, doctors clamped cords quickly, mostly out of...
A birth plan is basically a written list of what you hope for and prefer during labor, delivery, and the early days with your newborn. For first-time moms, it’s a great way to sort out your thoughts and tell your medical team how you want things to go. Your birth plan can include things like...
Perineal massage before giving birth means gently stretching the skin and muscles between the vagina and anus with your hands. Many people choose to do this to help their bodies get ready for a vaginal birth. But what exactly does it involve, and how can it help? The idea is to help the perineum-the area...
As your due date gets closer, the eagerness to meet your baby often brings a mix of excitement and impatience. While no one can say exactly when labor will start, your body usually starts giving you some hints that it’s getting close. These signals can show up anytime in the last few days-or even hours-before...
