“I just found out I’m pregnant. Can I keep drinking my energy shake in the mornings?” “My doctor gave me the go-ahead to work out. Okay to have a protein shake after the gym?” “My immunity-boosting drink is a life-saver. Can I keep using it while I’m pregnant?” These are common questions during pregnancy, and ones that we hear a lot at MotherToBaby. Perhaps you’ve wondered the same thing yourself. As teratogen information specialists, we provide facts about how a person’s exposures in pregnancy …
The Baby Blog: Vitamins, Minerals, & Supplements
The A.B.C.’s of Prenatal Vitamins
If you are researching prenatal vitamins, we are guessing that you might be considering a pregnancy, or you just found out that you are pregnant. How exciting! We’re also guessing that you have some questions. Pregnancy does that to a woman: it makes us start questioning the safety of everything that we used to take for granted. At MotherToBaby, we answer many types of questions about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But hands down, the most common question I’m asked about involves …
Natural Remedies, Fertility and Lead: An All Too Common Mix
By Kurt Martinuzzi, MD, Asst. Professor in the Dept of Ob/Gyn at Emory University and Claire D. Coles, PhD, MotherToBaby Georgia Director Aryan* and Shanaya had been married for two years and very much wanted to start a family. When they were not successful at getting pregnant, they were tested for fertility (all tests came back as normal) and months of expensive medical treatments were tried without success. Emotionally and financially spent, the couple sought the counsel of friends and …
A Slippery Topic: The Use of Essential Oils during Pregnancy
By Chris Colón, Certified Genetic Counselor at MotherToBaby Arizona We here at MotherToBaby are always looking for new and interesting topics to write about in our monthly blog series. We like to make sure that we do our best to target questions and concerns that are important to our readers. We of course spend a lot of time focused on over-the-counter and prescription medications, but not everyone feels comfortable taking traditional remedies. In fact, more and more people are looking to …
Prevention in a Pill: Help Choosing the Right Prenatal Vitamin
Photo Credit: © Bernd Esche | Dreamstime Stock Photos By Lauren Bryl, MS, Certified Genetic Counselor, MotherToBaby IL It’s National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and you’ve found yourself here – standing in the pharmacy aisle in search of prenatal vitamins. You think, “I should start taking one of these if I want to have a baby, right? At least that’s what I’ve heard…” Your eyes are swimming and head is spinning with all the options. “Should I choose the old-fashioned tablets, the …