What we all worry about during pregnancy is that our baby is healthy and doing well in our womb. And if there is something wrong, you hope for a miracle. That's exactly what Marci Barney hoped for when she learned the baby in her belly had Spina Bifida.
Spina Bifida is when the fetus' spinal cord doesn't close all the way during development. It can cause paralysis and learning disabilities, and in severe cases lead to hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid on the brain, which can be fatal.
But there is a radical open-fetal surgery that can be performed while baby is still in the womb -- it used to be only done right after birth. Marcy and her husband Tracy decided on this procedure while the baby in her belly was 24 weeks gestation with hopes to repair the spine. Most pregnant women who undergo open-fetal surgery go into labor 10 weeks later, but Marci didn't make it that far.
Read More
Mastectomy Photos Banned in Another Facebook Fail
Arrest in Etan Patz Missing Child Case (VIDEO)
A Chilling Past Life Experience Recounted
3 Red White & Blue Cocktails
Controversy: Gwen Stefani Bleaches Her Son's Hair
A '50 Shades of Grey' Shortcut for Busy Moms
Latest on Baby in Washing Machine Case (VIDEO)
Are People Who Eat Organic Judgy & Mean?
A Dad's Perspective on Playdates
Bagged Salad Recall Sparks New Fears
Help Dying 4-Year-Old Fulfill His Bucket List (VIDEO)
Melissa McCarthy & Sandra Bullock's Buddy Cop Movie
Do Working Moms Have It Easy?
Your Morning Coffee Could Save Your Life
Join the Fight Against Toxic Kids' Products
When I was pregnant with my first son, I was just starting to hear about 3D/4D ultrasounds and I couldn't wait to try it out. For those who aren't familiar, a 3D ultrasound uses fancy computer technology to render 2D into a 3D image, so in theory, you get a more comprehensive view of your growing fetus than those black and white Skeletor pictures. The 4th dimension is time, which means ... uh, let's see, I think it means the machine tunnels a wormhole into space and risks the very fabric of the universe via the classic time traveler's paradox.
If you could find out the gender of your baby while you were still in your first trimester, would you? Apparently, you can: A recent study found that a certain type of prenatal blood test is highly accurate at
For some pregnant women, the potential risks of getting an amniocentesis (about 1 in every 200 to 400 cause a miscarriage) outweigh the benefits: Detecting possible birth defects like spina bifida, Down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis. Having known someone who had a post-amnio miscarriage, I was too scared to get the test done during either of my pregnancies.
Most pregnant women experience some degree of stress about the possibility of miscarriage; I know I did. But now researchers have figured out a way to predict which pregnancies are most likely to end in miscarriage, meaning ... pregnant women don't have to worry anymore? Not exactly.
I've often wondered what pregnancy was like for my mother's generation, and the generations before that. It used to be expectant moms didn't even have the choice of finding out whether their baby was going to be a girl or a boy, never mind
I've always felt weird about the super-intimate pregnancy details people
Obesity is a huge problem, especially in the US, since it's often joined by many the health problem (though not all overweight people are unhealthy). We've discovered over decades that obese mothers often have children who are also obese, though there's plenty of argument as to whether that's genetic or lifestyle, but research points to both.
You take so many tests when you are pregnant -- the nuchal fold scan, the 20-week sonogram, genetic testing. We all have to do that glucose test. We pee in so many cups, we could have a tea service for 50 at the end of it.
When you're old enough to start making hanky panky with members of the opposite sex, you're old enough to know that it comes with the risks of makin' babies. Even when you take all the precautions in the world, short of having a hysterectomy, you can get knocked up, or at least have a pregnancy scare.