What vaccines do I need during pregnancy?
If you are pregnant during flu season, you should have a flu shot as soon as it’s available. We also recommend that you stay up-to-date with any needed COVID booster…
When can I get induced?
Inductions happen for lots of good reasons – but also some not so good ones. Unless there’s a medical reason to do so, you shouldn’t be induced before 39 weeks’…
When will the doctor check my cervix?
There’s no reason to check your cervix unless you’re having signs of labor, like regular contractions, or bleeding or leakage of fluid. If you’re considering an induction, checking your cervix…
Should I have a water birth?
Probably not. This is a trick question, though. You have to separate out laboring in the water and actually giving birth in water. Most of the known advantages of water…
Should I VBAC?
If you’ve had a previous Cesarean delivery (or two), you may be a candidate for a trial of labor after Cesarean (TOLAC). This is a complicated issue. The short answer…
Will I need a Cesarean?
We hope not! But some women do, of course. Cesarean delivery is definitely over-used in the United States. There are some good reasons why a woman might need one: Those…
Will I need an episiotomy?
No! Except in some very rare emergency cases, episiotomies should never be performed. If your doctor performs routine or frequent episiotomies, then he may not be practicing up-to-date medicine. We…
Why am I so tired?
Pregnant women are often excessively tired in the first and third trimesters, but probably for different reasons. In the first trimester, your body undergoes rapid physiological changes accompanied by high…
Is my water broken?
You can’t always tell; but, in general, once your water breaks, it keeps coming. Ruptured membranes are not just a small gush or a little bit of spotting; if you…
How can I tell if I’m in labor?
Every pregnant woman at some point in her pregnancy will begin to wonder if she is in labor. Most women have a few false starts. Braxton-Hicks contractions can be confusing…