Birth Day

For some women, a condition known as "short cervix" means they can never carry a baby full term, but a procedure known as a "cervical cerclage" can make a difference for many expecting mothers.

It may surprise many women, but doctors consider any pregnancy after age 35 to be at higher risk for some complications, but these two women -- one a cancer survivor -- in the medical category known as "advanced maternal age" deliver healthy babies.

Sickle cell anemia is a life-long chronic and painful medical condition affecting a large percentage of the African-American community in the United States. Doctors at Emory University in Atlanta discuss its effect on pregnant women.

More women are opting for "medically unassisted" childbirth done inside the confines of a medical facility. Certified nurse midwives play an important role in this kind of birth, combining old, natural methods with modern technology.

If mothers-to-be are healthy during pregnancy they are more likely to have healthy babies. Doctors reveal the proof that when women stay healthy while they're pregnant, they can give the best gift possible to their anticipated newborn baby.

Birthing is an individual experience at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital. Mothers-to-be choose from a birthing center staffed with nurses and midwives and a more technological approach with the full medical intervention of induction and pain-relief drugs.

A genetic condition called lung white out affects a very small percentage of babies. Explore the problems and outcomes associated with this condition.

Visit one hospital to explore how the birthing process has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. A diary of recollections written by mothers who have come through this bustling labor and delivery unit reflects changing times and techniques.

Fathers go through a range of emotions during labor and delivery. From the squeamish dad to the totally supportive partner, he's there with the mom from beginning to end.

Explore two of the most-advanced neonatal intensive care units in the US and follow the stories of three babies who make temporary stops in these units before setting off to join their families at home.

Learn how women make decisions on treatment to control pain during labor and delivery. From breathing techniques and visualization to a body-numbing epidural, follow four women who use four different ways to control birth pain.

Find out why incidents of multiple births, especially among older woman, continue to rise in the US. Learn the complications associated with delivering twins, and meet two expectant moms, both delivering twins.

In hospitals across the US, doulas and midwives enjoy an increase in demand for their services from mothers during labor and delivery.

Learn about pre-term labor and see a patient expecting twins who need as much time as possible to develop properly inside the mother. Learn how doctors use various drugs to slow down the labor and speed up the baby's development.

A mother has her second set of twins, back to back. Although rare in the US, this woman's family has at least one ancestor with the same occurrence. Find out how genetics plays into the chances of having twins.

Once a woman gives birth by C-section, her chances of ever delivering a baby vaginally decrease. But just how much of a decrease, and why? Learn about the issues involved in determining whether a woman can give birth vaginally after having a C-section.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a birthing center with a family who chose to deliver in this unique environment. Learn how birthing moved from home to hospital as medical advances ensured safer births, and see what may have been lost in that transition.

Doctors and other medical staff are urging fathers to take a more active role in the whole birth experience. Learn about research that shows that fathers can have a calming impact on the mother and baby.

Complications arise when a C-section, already considered major surgery, must be performed on a Chinese woman with no medical records. Doctors must take extra precautions to insure a healthy outcome for both mother and child.

Forty-something Patricia and husband Jose are expecting their first baby since losing their two children in a car accident. Patricia's gestational diabetes may be causing macrosomia, a condition that causes the fetus to grow unusually large.

Six weeks pregnant, Morshica's abdomen grew to the size of a full term pregnancy in a matter of days. Doctors perform surgery to remove a huge fibroid growing on the outside of her uterus. She makes it to term. See the complicated surgical delivery.

A mom has a high fever and painful contractions. She has a serious infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid known as chorioamnionitis. She needs an emergency c-section to save her baby. A Spanish-speaking mother is helped through premature labor.

An expecting mom deals with stress after her husband is in a serious car accident. Stress has been linked to low birth weight and birth defects. Another mom worries about her ability to carry her baby to term. Both moms deliver healthy babies.

Pulmonary hypertension has doctors monitoring Denise's labor very closely. The pain stresses her heart, but an epidural is incompatible with her heart medication. Delivery progresses smoothly, but her newborn must go to the NICU with mild pneumonia.

Third babies prove to be the trickiest deliveries for these two moms. When Karla's water breaks, her fluid is stained greenish-brown with meconium. Due to a uterine prolapse during a previous delivery, Mende must deliver number three via c-section.