2 mins read

Upper Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy

If you have upper abdominal pain during pregnancy, it’s not necessarily to automatically switch into panic mode, according to the March of Dimes. But any severe and long-lasting stomach pain or discomfort accompanied by dizziness or bleeding is considered a medical emergency; prompt medical help is essential in such circumstances to protect you and your future son or daughter.

3 mins read

How Does IVF Work?

“In vitro,” which means “in glass,” is a procedure in which a woman’s eggs are fertilized with a man’s sperm outside the body. There are many reasons why a couple might consider IVF (in vitro fertilization): blocked fallopian tubes, lack of response to infertility medication, low sperm count or sperm that are slow, or unexplained infertility. One cycle of IVF can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 months and, according to the Center for Human Reproduction, is successful about 50 percent of the time.

3 mins read

Signs of Allergies to Infant Formula

If you introduce infant formula to your baby, you’ll probably want to be on the alert for signs of an allergy, especially if allergies run in your–or the baby’s father’s–family. Most infant formula includes cow’s milk or soy products in the ingredients. In cases of infant formula allergies, cow’s milk protein is the most common allergen. Still, allergies to formula are not all that common; according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than 3% of babies in the United States have an allergy to milk protein. Since half of the babies who are sensitive to cow’s milk protein also turn out to react badly to soy, soy-based formula is not necessarily the solution if your baby does turn out to have a dairy allergy. Check with your baby’s physician before switching to a hypoallegenic formula. It may reassure you to know that there’s good chance your baby will outgrow an allergy to infant formula within a few years.