Beautiful, painful, overwhelming. These words are true and don't even begin to describe the labor process. These feelings are magnified if labor fails to progress.

The opinions keep flowing in. If a woman cares about the health of her newborn, she has no choice but to quit smoking. A comprehensive review dispels any remaining myth that smoking during pregnancy is harmless.

Picking up the pieces for Gulf Coast residents has been no small feat. In early 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill leaked nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, possibly causing a public health crisis.

Pregnant women are at an increased risk for a number of possible diseases and conditions. A new study suggests that they may also be at a heightened risk for heart disease due to high blood pressure syndromes.

Nicotine addiction is one of the toughest habits to kick. Expecting moms have an added incentive: their newborn's health. For your baby, quitting early in pregnancy is almost as good as being a non-smoker.

Typical American families run on the unspoken motto, "If Mamma's not happy, then nobody's happy." Can a depressed, expecting mom distress the health of her unborn child?

Even after achieving conception, women who've been through infertility treatments often experience fragile pregnancies. This can cause excessive anxiety and fear. Perhaps a newly developed test will put some of these fears to rest.

Old wives tales regarding pregnancy are plentiful, such as carrying the baby high means it's a girl and exercise during pregnancy will hurt the fetus. The one about exercise hurting the baby can be laid to rest.

What should a woman expect when she's expecting? Expect a flu shot. It's safe and protective for both the mom and unborn child and it only hurts for a few seconds.

The FDA has issued a safety alert regarding valproate sodium drugs (Depacon, Depakote, Depakote CP, Depakote ER, Depakene, Stavzor, and their generics) taken during pregnancy.