pregnancy

Farida Azizova-Such inside the nursery rocking her son to sleep. "He was 5 weeks when we started coming. It's just my husband and I taking care of him, so I was alone at home. I wanted to find new moms to connect with and a safe space to be able to come and learn about how to take care of a baby, and also my identity shifted when you become a mother."

Health & Safety

A look at what could be the future for postpartum care in America

6:30am May 19, 2024

by Ali Lapetina

Postpartum care in America leaves most facing a critical and often overlooked "fourth trimester" in isolation. Metro Detroit-based Fourth Tri Sanctuary offers support.

Medical debt is as much a hallmark of having children as long nights and dirty diapers. The Crivilare family, Andrew, Heather and Rita, 2, are pictured at their kitchen table in Jacksonville, Ill.

Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won't have another.

7:18pm May 09, 2024

by Noam Levey

Millions of new parents in the U.S. are swamped by medical debt during and after pregnancy, forcing many to cut back on food, clothing, and other essentials.

Queue Listen Now

One in seven women experiences depression during or after pregnancy. The good news is that perinatal depression is treatable. Here are five things to know about perinatal depression, its symptoms and treatment options.

Health & Safety

For Mother's Day, a bouquet of useful health advice for new moms and moms-to-be

10:52am May 09, 2024

by Life Kit

Expert guidance on the realities of pregnancy and new motherhood from Life Kit. Find episodes on the menstrual cycle, egg freezing, postpartum depression and more.

Missouri law requires women seeking divorce to disclose whether they're pregnant — and state judges won't finalize divorces during a pregnancy.

Pregnant women in Missouri can't get divorced. Critics say it fuels domestic violence

5:00am May 03, 2024

by Katia Riddle

The state's law requires women seeking divorce to disclose whether they're pregnant — and state judges won't finalize divorces during a pregnancy. Texas and Arkansas have similar laws on the books.

Queue Listen Now

Illustation of a sad pregnant woman who needs prenatal care and support. A young woman expecting a child is depressed. Psychological and medical vector illustration. A pregnant woman wearing blue looks downcast. Her hair spreads behind her, filling the frame.

In 'The Unexpected,' Emily Oster tackles the emotional toll of difficult pregnancies

10:14am May 02, 2024

by Scott Detrow

The economist made a name for herself using data to challenge the accepted rules of pregnancy. Now, she's returning to the topic with a book on how to navigate its complications.

Queue Listen Now

The medical community dates pregnancy to the first day of a woman's last period, even though fertilization generally happens two weeks after that. It's a long-standing practice but a confusing one.

Why is a 6-week abortion ban nearly a total ban? It's about how we date a pregnancy

9:49am May 01, 2024

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The time a person has to decide whether to have an abortion in Florida and other states with six-week abortion bans is at most two weeks. Why? It's has to do with how we date early pregnancy.

Employers are required to make accommodations for pregnant women and new moms like time off for doctor's appointments.

What abortion politics has to do with new rights for pregnant workers

7:00am April 27, 2024

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

A new regulation to protect the rights of pregnant workers is the subject of an anti-abortion lawsuit because it includes abortion as a pregnancy "related medical condition."

The new analysis of death certificates says the U.S. maternal mortality rate is in line with other wealthy countries, contradicting an earlier report from the CDC.

How bad is maternal mortality in the U.S.? A new study says it's been overestimated

5:12pm March 13, 2024

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The peer-reviewed study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says a pregnancy checkbox on national death certificates inflates the death rate.

Most Americans also say women should be allowed to travel for medical care – including an abortion, a new KFF poll finds.

Most Americans support abortion for pregnancy-related emergencies

5:39am March 07, 2024

by Maria Godoy

The majority of American voters, including Republicans, support protecting access to abortion for women who are experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies, such as miscarriages, a KFF poll finds.

She had a panic attack during preterm labor. Then a nurse stepped in

5:54am January 03, 2024

by Laura Kwerel

As Teresa Hernandez was about to go into preterm labor, she had a panic attack. The nurse put her hand on Hernandez's head to comfort her. She says she felt as if her mom was there.