Expecting, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrics, Planning Your Pregnancy

Water labor helps first-time mom have natural birth experience she wanted

Vanessa Aho’s grandmother gave birth at home in a small town in Portugal. Her mother also had experienced a natural birth. When Vanessa became pregnant with her first child, she knew that she wanted to have a similar experience. “It was what my family had done before me,” Vanessa said. “Plus, the more I learned…

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Heart, Heart Failure, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Women’s Heart Program, Womens Health

High blood pressure during pregnancy can put you at risk for heart disease

Hypertension during pregnancy and preeclampsia can indicate heart disease or other cardiovascular conditions later in a woman’s life. High blood pressure during pregnancy, also known as gestational hypertension, can be common. Preeclampsia is high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy, which affects organs in the body such as the liver and kidneys….

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Labor and Delivery, Norton Hospital, Norton Womens & Childrens Hospital, Obstetrics

New Year’s babies at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s

A boy and a girl were the first babies of 2020 at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital. Mathias Isaiah was born Jan. 1 at 1:35 a.m. at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital, weighing 7 pounds, 6.3 ounces and stretching out to 19 inches. He is the first baby for Alexis Dow and…

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Gynecology, Planning Your Pregnancy, Womens Health

Important doctor appointments for women to schedule

Finding time for regular checkups can be difficult, but it’s important to catch issues before they get worse. Visiting providers who focus on particular aspects of a person’s health gives women more power to prevent illnesses. Your doctors work best as a team, contributing unique abilities and expertise to collaborate in protecting your health. Every…

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During Your Pregnancy, Expecting, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrics, Planning Your Pregnancy

Doula vs. midwife: Who does what?

If you’re pregnant, you may be weighing the differences of a birth doula versus a midwife. You may think that the roles are interchangeable, but the roles they play in the delivery room are very different.  What Is a Midwife? A midwife is a trained medical professional who helps women before, during and after pregnancy….

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Planning Your Pregnancy, Urogynecology, Womens Health

Does cranberry juice help with a UTI? What about incontinence?

If you have had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you have probably heard that cranberries can help relieve symptoms and even prevent UTIs. But, is it true? Does cranberry juice help with a UTI? And what impact does it have for women who experience incontinence? Myth or Truth: Does Cranberry Juice or a Cranberry Supplement…

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Behavioral Health, During Your Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrics, Postpartum Care, Womens Health

Help prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome by talking to a loved one

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is a baby born with symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) or neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) every 15 minutes in the United States. It can be scary for pregnant women to seek treatment for substance use disorder due to fear of repercussions and possible stigma….

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During Your Pregnancy, Expecting, Obstetrics

Alternatives for pregnant women who use ranitidine — also known by the brand name Zantac

Pregnant women who use ranitidine — also known by the brand name Zantac — to relieve heartburn and acid reflux should stop taking the medication and consider alternatives, according to obstetricians with Norton Women’s Care. Pregnant women often suffer heartburn, and ranitidine has been a popular remedy. Recent recalls of the over-the-counter medication, however, have…

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During Your Pregnancy, Expecting, Flu, Obstetrics

Pregnant? Here’s why you need a flu and whooping cough shot

Getting a flu shot is important for everyone, but it’s even more critical for women who are pregnant. The same is true for the whooping cough vaccine. Why? The vaccines help protect you and help your baby fight off the flu and whooping cough after birth. Both can be deadly for a young infant. Despite…

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Expecting, Gynecology, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrics, Planning Your Pregnancy

Because pregnancy is not an illness, midwife avoids intervening

For Danielle Roberts, her job as a certified nurse midwife (CNM) is “a great marriage of Westernized medicine and holistic care.” “We see patients from their first prenatal appointment all the way through their delivery and postpartum recovery,” Danielle said. “We provide the same evidence-based medical care as an OB/GYN, with an emphasis on personalized…

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Labor and Delivery

Nurses organize hospital wedding when early labor scare interrupts plans

The bride beamed as she walked down the aisle on her wedding day, albeit at a different venue than the one she had originally planned. At 25 weeks pregnant, Kendall Brady, of Campbellsville, Kentucky​​​​, went into preterm labor. She was brought by ambulance to Norton Hospital a week before her and fiance Matt Howell’s planned…

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Obstetrics

Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital team delivers record number of babies for 2nd month in a row

For the second month in a row, the number of babies born at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital has broken a record. In August, 543 babies were born, beating the July record of 537. Norton Hospital also saw an upward trend, delivering the highest number of babies since September 2017. This included 11 sets of…

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