Pregnancy & birth

Pregnancy roughly doubles your iron needs, and low iron is common. Here's how anemia is defined, the symptoms to watch for, why craving ice or chalk can signal a deficiency, and how iron is checked and treated.

From around 28 weeks, falling asleep on your side — left or right — is safest; going to sleep on your back is linked to higher stillbirth risk. In early and mid pregnancy, position doesn't matter. Here's what the evidence shows.

Practice contractions are irregular and ease when you move; real labor is regular and builds. Here's how to tell them apart, the 5-1-1 timing rule, and exactly when to call — including the urgent signs that can't wait.

How much coffee is safe (the 200 mg/day rule), where caffeine hides, the truth about alcohol, and what to drink instead. Concrete amounts for coffee, tea, and cola so you can stop second-guessing every cup.

A clear list of foods to avoid (deli meats, soft cheeses, raw eggs), how much fish is safe and which to skip, plus the 165°F rule that makes risky foods safe again. Practical, not panicky.

When to pack (about 3 weeks before your due date), and exactly what to bring — split into a labor bag and an after-birth bag — for you, your baby, and your birth partner. Nothing forgotten, nothing wasted.

The intense burning as your baby crowns is normal, and tearing is common — but evidence-based steps like antenatal perineal massage and a warm compress during pushing can lower your risk. Here's what actually helps.

That quick, stabbing pain low in your belly when you stand up or sneeze is most likely round ligament pain — a normal stretching of the tissue that holds your growing uterus. Here's how to tell, how to ease it, and when to call.

A sudden, shooting nerve-type pain in your pelvis or vagina late in pregnancy is usually a normal sign of your baby pressing on nerves or settling lower. Here's why it happens, how to ease it, and when it's worth a call.