When you think medication or vaccine safety, you think clinical drug trials. Right?! Clinical drug trials are research studies designed to gather information to determine whether a new medication or vaccine is safe and effective in people. However, what most people don’t know is that pregnant women are excluded from these studies when a new drug is being developed. Essentially, this means that once a medication is approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), it’s prescribed to …
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About Our Baby Blog
Every person wants to know what’s best for their baby, especially when it comes to knowing how to minimize exposure risks. Our relatable stories are packed with practical information from our rotating staff of MotherToBaby expert bloggers. Whatever topic you’re looking for, our blogs will provide you a great foundation to learn more.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot! COVID-19 Vaccines
Question 1: I work in healthcare and received the first dose of COVID vaccine. But after receiving the shot, I found out I was pregnant. I changed jobs so that I am not at significant risk anymore. Should I get the second shot? Question 2: I’m pumping and supposed to get the COVID vaccine. I know there isn't much to say on the COVID vaccine but wondering if you would recommend getting it or not? These are just a sample of the questions that we have received from …
Battling Obesity Ahead of Pregnancy is ‘Beautifully Individual’
The year of the pandemic has not been easy. It has left most doctors and essential workers drained from the added stress. But I just got off a telehealth visit (sadly, a part of my new normal) with my long-standing patient and I am so excited! My patient (and myself) has struggled to lose weight for most of her life, but considering some of her chronic medical conditions, she was so motivated to lose weight prior to her pregnancy. I am so ecstatic because I love my patient! My patient, beautiful …
Maternal Alloimmunization: Protecting My Baby from My Body
A Guest Blog by the Allo Hope Foundation's Bethany Weathersby I grew up in a large family, loving both the chaos and the built-in friendships that came with having four siblings. My mom had five normal pregnancies and five healthy children, and I always (naively) assumed my experience would be the same. Seven weeks ago my dream of having five kids — just like my mom — became a reality when I delivered my fifth living child, a beautiful 8-pound boy we named August. But while my mom’s path …
Navigating the Holiday Menu during Pregnancy
Holiday festivities sometimes include eating foods and drinks that might not be part of our everyday diet. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, we need to give a little more thought to what we should eat and drink. “Is it ok for the baby?” often goes through our minds during these times. As a teratogen information specialist at MotherToBaby who answers a lot of the questions we get via our texting service (855-999-3525), these types of questions ramp up during this time of year! So, here’s some …
