Empowering women to live healthier lives!
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Becoming a mother is one of the most exciting times in a woman's life. This section of womenshealth.gov will help you learn what you can do before, during, and after pregnancy to give your baby a healthy start to life.
Topics
Before you get pregnant: Information for all women |
You're pregnant: Now what? |
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Getting ready for baby |
Childbirth and beyond |
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Mom-to-be tools
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Government in action on pregnancy
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Share your storyChristine from Virginia says...
Before I had my baby, the 8-week maternity leave I had arranged with my employer seemed like an eternity. But after giving birth to my beautiful son, that time flew by in a blink of an eye. Although I... (more)
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Fact sheets
- Birth control methods
- Breastfeeding
- Depression during and after pregnancy
- Emergency contraception (Emergency birth control)
- Endometriosis
- Female genital cutting
- Folic acid
- Infertility
- Menstruation and the menstrual cycle
- Ovarian cysts
- Pap test
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Pregnancy and medicines
- Pregnancy tests
- Prenatal care
- Uterine fibroids
Features
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) – Pregnant women and mothers can check to see if they are eligible for WIC benefits.
- The Affordable Care Act – Pregnant women have more protections and options. Learn more from healthcare.gov.
- Text4Baby – Sign up to receive free text messages each week, timed to your due date or baby's date of birth.
- What Pregnant Women Should Know About Flu – If you are pregnant, you should get vaccinated against flu as soon as possible. You need only one vaccine to be fully protected during the 2010-2011 flu season. This year's seasonal flu vaccine includes protection from the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. Pregnant women should not receive the nasal-spray flu vaccine. Learn more from flu.gov.
- National Breastfeeding Helpline – Our trained breastfeeding peer counselors can help answer basic breastfeeding questions. Call us at 800-994-9662 (TDD 888-220-5446) today!
Healthy Pregnancy was reviewed March 2009 by:
John W. Schmitt, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Virginia Medical School
Content last updated September 27, 2010.
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Pregnancy news
- October 15, 2012 - Language Barrier Blocks Epidural Use in Childbirth: Study
- October 8, 2012 - Antidepressants in Pregnancy May Affect Babies' Language Development
- October 8, 2012 - Fresh Blood as Good as Older Blood for Preemie Transfusions: Study
- October 8, 2012 - Prenatal Mercury Exposure Tied to ADHD Symptoms in Kids
- October 5, 2012 - Late-Preterm Babies Needing ICU Catch Up With Other Preemies: Study
- October 4, 2012 - BPA Exposure Impacts Pregnant Women's Thyroids, Study Suggests
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.200 Independence Avenue, S.W. • Washington, DC 20201
202-690-7650 • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST (closed on federal holidays).
womenshealth.gov
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
200 Independence Avenue, S.W. • Washington, DC 20201