Mental Illness and Pregnancy

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year, and 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) will experience a severe mental disorder at some point in their lifetime. With such high statistics, mental illness is not an issue to be taken lightly. 

Enjoy the Nice Weather! Exercise & Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial, just as exercise when not pregnant is beneficial. When you’re pregnant, exercise can help keep weight gain in check, reduce a woman’s risk of gestational diabetes, decrease discomfort during pregnancy, and may help ease labor and delivery. Summer is Arriving! With a turn of the calendar page, we are into a new

Dealing with Post-Partum Depression: Allow Friends and Family to Help

The birth of a new baby brings on a variety of emotions from joy to anxiety. However, some women experience post-partum depression after childbirth. While many new moms experience “the baby blues,” a short-term condition that includes sadness, irritability, mood swings, and trouble sleeping, some women have a more severe, long-lasting sadness known as post-partum depression. This

Stress and Pregnancy

Life is filled with stressors, from jobs (or lack of) and relationship issues to missing project deadlines, missing your period, and finding you have a positive pregnancy test. Even if being pregnant is exciting for you, feeling stressed during pregnancy is common, according to the March of Dimes. Some stress in our lives is okay;

Use of Prescription Pain Killers May Increase Risk for Birth Defects

If you are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant and are taking pain killers, talk with your doctor. A recent report issued by the Center for Disease Control states that use of opioid medications such as such as codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, or morphine may increase the risk of birth defects. Experts estimate about half

Alcohol and Pregnancy Don’t Mix

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) affect nearly 40,000 babies every year, according to experts. Today (Sept. 9) is FASD Awareness Day, and September is FASD Awareness Month, a time to educate and encourage pregnant women to not drink alcohol during pregnancy. What is FASD? This term refers to the range of effects that can occur in a

Five Tips for Dealing with Morning Sickness

The vast majority of pregnant women experience morning sickness. This most often occurs from the sixth or seventh week through the twelfth to fourteenth week, according to experts. The nausea and oftentimes vomiting that occurs during this time can impact a woman’s ability to work and socialize, and even to function in general depending upon

Options for an Unplanned Pregnancy, Part 2

Last week we talked a bit about True Care and the services we provide for women in and around Natrona County who experience an unplanned pregnancy. We highlighted the options a woman has for her pregnancy and provided some information about abortion. This week, we’ll look at the option of carrying to term and the

Options for an Unplanned Pregnancy

You believe you’re pregnant. You’ve taken 10 pregnancy tests at home, hoping the first nine were mistaken and really didn’t show a positive result. After that 10th positive reading and the constant churning in your stomach and chewing on your lip, you decide it’s time to learn for sure – what do you do?  Where

4 Reasons You Need a Confirmation Ultrasound for Your Unplanned Pregnancy

Why get a Confirmation Ultrasound? True Care patients with a positive pregnancy test who meet certain medical criteria are routinely offered an ultrasound to provide important information about their pregnancy.  While many women are excited to have an ultrasound and see their unborn baby, some women, especially if they are considering the option of abortion,