Artificially sweetened drinks are advertised as a salubrious alternative to sugar-sweetened soft drinks, but they may boost the risk of giving birth to the child prematurely if the mother-to-be indulges in them, a recent study informs. Full story

Finding out that you are pregnant is a very special feeling for the woman and the whole family. The signs of pregnancy are joyous as well, although they bring in a lot of worries. Full story

Pregnancy rumors around Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem reignited again. The rumors were fueled by Magaly Solier, a Peruvian actress and Penelope's close friend. Full story

Although scientists have already proved the advantageous influence of prenatal supplements on expectant mothers (most beneficial for ones in developing countries), it appears that unnecessary pill-taking late during the pregnancy may lead to undesirable results. Full story

Abdominal pain during pregnancy is always frightening to women. That’s why pregnant women should continuously consult their obstetrician or gynecologist who could identify the causes of abdominal pain and take action to eliminate it if necessary. Full story

Australian researchers dismissed a silly non-scientific assumption that women literally "can't be sensible during pregnancy and early motherhood". Full story

Women who drink milk during pregnancy reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis in their children, according to neurologists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Full story

Traveling during pregnancy can be challenging. With baggage rooms, overcrowded airport waiting rooms and having to sit twisted in uncomfortable seats, you can lose your interest in going anywhere. To avoid discomfort, you have to follow some precautions. Full story

No sooner than all news agencies had reported a triumphant comeback of the 90-s iconic model Claudia Schiffer that she brought another surprise. She recently confirmed being pregnant with the third child, according to the UK newspaper Grazia. Full story

As a rule ultrasounds for expecting mothers – if there are no complications - are confined to two, one ultrasound test for the first and one for the second trimester, to ensure that there is no risk. More is usually regarded as unnecessary and even harmful, for the test requires withdrawing fluid from the sac around the fetus. Full story

Jill Hawkins, a British surrogate mother, never wanted to have children of her own but found that she liked being pregnant so much that she just can’t stop. Having borne seven babies, she had decided to give up on the job back in 2006 only to find that she was sorely missing the state. Full story

CareerOne initiated a new survey touching on the subject of family and career in women’s lives. It appears that working women are inclined to find family obligations obstructing their careers and interfering seriously with their promotion possibilities. Full story

Hormonal changes during pregnancy bring on plenty of psychological changes, apart from the much-talked-of mood fluctuations. A new study by British scientists published in the Hormones and Behavior reveals that pregnancy heightens women’s ability to read the expressions on people’s faces. Full story

Although nowadays the issue of dangers that taking certain drugs poses for pregnant women is often brought up, it remains a pressing one since many expectant moms continue to take medicines without giving a thought to their possible pernicious effect on the fetus. Full story

While the general belief opts for shunning exercising during pregnancy for fear of endangering the fetus, an opposite approach to that issue is growing stronger. A joint team of specialists from Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, prove in their new study that it presents no actual danger Full story

Many expectant moms must have heard about the benefits of wearing a maternity support band. Yet deciding on the need to wear maternity support band and choosing this orthopedic garment correctly is not easy and requires your doctor's advice. Full story

Preeclampsia is a condition brought about by high blood pressure. If your blood pressure rises way beyond the normal level and doesn’t come down for some time, it can lead to convulsions, disorder in heart and kidney function in both mother and fetus; it may even result in death. Full story

A study recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology advises pregnant women to go for ear acupuncture if they experience pain in the pelvis and in the back near the base of the backbone. This is a frequent pregnancy complaint which requires a good treatment course yet to be worked out. Full story

Some glorious day in December Gisele Bündchen, 29, is going to give birth to a girl; meanwhile she is walking about with a baby bump that has visibly grown. Saturday, October 24, was the latest she let us admire the way her child is coming on while she was having lunch in a West Village restaurant. Full story

A series of researches has led Polish scientists to sad conclusions that air pollution levels directly impact fetus growth. For instance, even small increase in air pollution levels (like the difference between the lake air and the busy street air) will reduce the weight of newly born by 5-7 percent below normal. Full story

Women who smoke during pregnancy, increase the risk of asthma, heart conditions and respiratory diseases in their babies. A new study could now help to explain why this happens. Maternal smoking imposes health risks not only on the mother but also on her baby, and the findings show this may affect both the child’s health later in life and the health of succeeding generations, according to the authors of study. Full story

Physicians warn that pregnant women are in the risk group for developing severe health problems during the flu season. So in this year marked by swine flu threat, they have to be even more on the alert. Dr. Keith Reeves from Methodist Hospital in Houston says that physicians don't want pregnant women to be panicked by this virus, but they do want women to be more responsible for taking precautions typical for the flu season. In particular, women should be vaccinated. Full story

Arkansas woman got pregnant while pregnant, according to MSNBC. The expectant mom Julia Grovenburg from Fort Smith had the appointment for scheduled ultrascan. While doing the test, obstetrician observed the heartbeat of a second fetus, at earlier stage of development. According to specialist, a boy fetus was conceived two weeks later than his "older sister". Both fetuses attached inside the womb and began growing normally. Full story

Pregnant women can safely travel by air at any point during their pregnancy if it is uncomplicated, according to Committee Opinion issued by non-commercial organization American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The revised guidelines will be published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. William Barth, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston claims that a series of studies conducted since 2001 showed that air travel was safe for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Full story

There exist many studies dealing with the use of antidepressants in pregnancy. Some of them lay stress on the dangers imposed on the unborn babies, for some antidepressants have been discovered to make women more vulnerable to the risk of preterm delivery or miscarriage, and baby having low birth weight. The baby may develop certain heart defects under the influence of antidepressants. Full story