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Your blood type is determined by your genes, and until you need a blood transfusion, your blood type doesn't have any effect on your health. If you get a blood transfusion, it is essential to match the donor's blood type with your blood type, so your body does not reject it. Having Rh-negative blood isn't a concern until pregnancy. If you are Rh-negative, and your baby is Rh-positive, then you have an Rh incompatibility. This means that there is a mismatch between the blood of you and the blood of

It is essential to stay hydrated during your labor and birth, and if you are dehydrated, it will affect your labor. You can become lethargic and lack energy, and your uterus is going to have a hard time contracting efficiently, which can slow down or stall your labor. There are three ways you can stay hydrated during your labor, by drinking fluids, receiving fluids from an IV or a combination of the two. IV is short for intravenous, and IV fluids are delivered via a needle directly into a vein. In

Deciding whether to have your child or children attend the birth of a sibling is a very personal choice. Expecting moms fall all over the spectrum on this from not being able to imagine a birth without their other children present to not even willing to consider the idea. If you do have an older child or older children, there are a lot of considerations you can take into account when deciding whether to have them present at your birth. If you ultimately do decide to include siblings, there are many

Writing your birth plan is an integral part of preparing for the birth experience you want and getting clear about your preferences. One of the recommendations when writing your plan is to limit it to one page. There are several reasons to make your birth plan one page, both for you and your care provider. This episode addresses an email from a listener who has trouble narrowing down her birth plan, explains why your birth plan should be a maximum of one page, and tips to narrow your birth plan down

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. I suspect we will see more states jump on the bandwagon and legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use in the future. Of course, just because something is legal doesn't mean it is 100% safe, but the more common its use is, the more accepted it is, the more research will be done on the effects of marijuana use on fertility, pregnancy, and babies. The active component of marijuana is THC, which has been shown to have