Labor’s a tricky thing to navigate. It lasts some women days and others hours. It’s difficult to accurately estimate how your second delivery will progress. Many women find their second labor comes on quicker and that they delivered their babies faster. For other women, it’s the exact opposite. Your births can be similar, or two completely different experiences. If you know the general signs of labor, you can act accordingly so if your second baby’s coming in a hurry, you can act right away.

High cholesterol isn’t just a medical condition that affects adults. Cholesterol problems in children are increasing as childhood obesity increases. Obesity is one of the three main factors that cause high cholesterol in children, along with diet and heredity. Experts are conflicted about the best approach to treatment because cholesterol medications haven’t been thoroughly tested in children, but lifestyle changes alone don’t always drop cholesterol levels as low as they need to go — especially in cases of hereditary high cholesterol.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that happens when your baby has an extra chromosome, usually a copy of chromosomes 18 or 21. That extra chromosome leads to developmental delays and characteristic facial features associated with Down’s. There’s no way to prevent Down syndrome, but genetic counselors may be able to help you predict how likely you are to have a Down syndrome baby. Screening tests during pregnancy can help you find out if your baby has this condition.

Not everyone gets pregnant the old-fashioned way anymore. Gay and lesbian couples, couples suffering from infertility and surrogate mothers are a few examples of people who often become pregnant without having intercourse. There are several effective methods for conceiving without traditional intercourse. Of these methods, the least expensive and clinical is artificial insemination at home. Jokingly called the “turkey baster” method, artificial insemination at home involves introducing sperm to the mother’s vagina with a needless syringe instead of through intercourse.