Parenting & Child Development: From Infancy to Adolescence

Parenting success relies on understanding developmental benchmarks, managing maternal health during and after pregnancy, and implementing effective behavioral strategies for toddlers and teenagers.

Baby small twins and newborn and heart

HCG Levels When Pregnant With Twins

The hormone HCG, which stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, helps to communicate to your body that you're pregnant and maintains the pregnancy during its early weeks and months.

Read more →

Can I Eat Yogurt During Pregnancy?

If you're pregnant, you probably often find yourself wondering whether a particular food that you typically eat -- or are craving now that you're pregnant -- is safe. Yogurt is an example of a food that, within certain restrictions, is not only safe to eat, but also has health benefits for you and your baby.

Read more →

Is it Safe to Use Sodium Bicarbonate During Pregnancy?

Sodium bicarbonate is the chemical name for baking soda, which has the formula NaHCO3. If you're pregnant, you may be wondering whether it's safe to use sodium bicarbonate in foods and in other household applications, particularly because many chemicals that are otherwise safe can be toxic to an unborn child.

Read more →

The Role of hCG in Pregnancy

The abbreviation hCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is a hormone produced by a developing embryo during pregnancy. The hormone has an important role in both the detection and the maintenance of pregnancy.

Read more →
Tired or Depressed Businesswoman Outside

A Headache in the Back of the Head as Indicator of Pregnancy

Whether a woman wants to be pregnant or would prefer not to be, if she's getting unusual around the time she expects her menstrual period, she's likely to want to know whether they might indicate pregnancy. Headaches can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy, and many women experience them.

Read more →

A Metal Taste in the Mouth in Early Pregnancy

One common early sign of pregnancy is a metallic taste in the mouth. Some women feel as though they're chewing on aluminum foil, while to others, it seems that they have a penny tucked in their cheek.

Read more →

A Burning Sensation in the Pelvic Area in Pregnancy

Women's bodies change significantly during pregnancy. Because the growing baby is in the pelvic cavity and also has to pass through the pelvis during delivery, many of these changes are localized to the pelvis. Women experience a variety of sensations during pregnancy, which may include pelvic discomfort or burning.

Read more →

Pregnancy & Numbness in Fingers

The stresses on a woman's body during pregnancy are significant and come from a variety of sources. Hormones cause the body and mind to function differently than normal in preparing the body for the rigors of bringing a baby to term and caring for a newborn.

Read more →

Causes of Tingling Hands in Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes a woman’s body to such a significant extent, it’s no wonder that some women experience unusual or unanticipated symptoms at one time or another during their nine months.

Read more →

Early Urine Smell Signs of Pregnancy

Many women who are trying to conceive, or who’ve missed a period, examine each symptom they experience as a potential sign of pregnancy.

Read more →

Causes of Lower Right Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

With all the changes that take place during pregnancy, it’s easy for women to wonder whether what they’re feeling is normal or a sign that something is wrong—particularly when what they’re feeling is painful.

Read more →

Painful Signs of Early Pregnancy

Early pregnancy is a time of major change for a woman’s body. Particularly if the pregnancy is her first, her body organs shift considerably to make room for a uterus that begins to expand surprisingly soon after conception.

Read more →
Ultra sound scan of fetus

Fetal Lung Development Stages

Lung development in a fetus starts during the embryonic phase, at around four weeks of gestational age. Very early in development, what will eventually be a baby is nothing more than a cell ball, where none of the cells are yet specialized.

Read more →
Pregnant woman putting headphones on her belly

How to Teach a Baby in the Womb

Learn how to teach your baby while they're still in the womb, with expert tips on prenatal learning, fetal development, and preparing your child for life outside the womb.

Read more →
Waiting for pregnancy test outcome

How to Know If a Girl's Pregnant

Determining whether a girl is pregnant can be difficult, particularly if the girl is young or not yet regular in her menstrual cycles.

Read more →
Body - Measurement

Causes of Bloating When You Are 4 Weeks Pregnant

Many women are surprised to learn that even very early in pregnancy, it’s possible to feel -- and look -- several months pregnant. This is due to abdominal bloating, which begins as early as the first few days after conception and can last well into the first trimester.

Read more →
Pregnancy test - positive large group

Medications That Will Affect HGC Testing for Pregnancy

Whether a woman has missed her menstrual period or simply “feels pregnant,” home pregnancy tests offer the convenience of testing without having to make a doctor appointment. Home tests sense the hormone hCG, which is produced by the chorion (part of what will become the placenta) of a developing embryo.

Read more →