Credit: iStock/AsiaVision Many people assume poor sleep during pregnancy and the weeks after giving birth is simply part of the experience. The physical changes of pregnancy—and the demands of caring for a newborn—can make rest feel out of reach. But research shows sleep does far more than fight fatigue. It plays a direct role in … Continue reading Why Sleep During Pregnancy is a Health Issue, Not a Luxury
Pregnancy
Protecting Pregnancy When Blood Types Differ
A classical depiction of Queen Niobe grieving her child, intertwined with symbolic antibodies and red blood cells to represent Rh incompatibility. Credit: Amin Mohajeri In Greek mythology, Queen Niobe’s pride led to her children’s death, and her endless grief turned her into stone. The human body, too, can be undone by its own devotion: A … Continue reading Protecting Pregnancy When Blood Types Differ
Spotlight On: Diabetes
Credit: iStock We hear a lot about diabetes, but you may wonder what exactly it is. Diabetes mellitus (its full name) is a chronic disease caused by dysregulation of the endocrine system. Diabetes affects how our bodies turn food into energy. There are three main types of the condition: type 1, type 2 and gestational. … Continue reading Spotlight On: Diabetes
Turning Up the Heat: Enjoying Summer When You’re Pregnant
Credit: iStock Pregnancy affects everyone, even if you’re very healthy. Pregnant people experience a wide variety of body changes to be able to accommodate growing a baby. You may have heard someone say they have an increased appetite, random pains or even feel hotter when they’re pregnant. An increase in body temperature is normal during … Continue reading Turning Up the Heat: Enjoying Summer When You’re Pregnant
COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
Credit: iStock The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change our everyday lives while we await the progress of new treatments and vaccines to combat the risks of the illness. People who are pregnant and nursing are more susceptible to severe infections from respiratory viruses, such as the flu. This susceptibility may also put pregnant people at … Continue reading COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
Pregnancy, Altitude and Exercise: One Serious Set of Challenges
Frequent readers of the I Spy Physiology blog will know that topics such as altitude, pregnancy and exercise are some of our favorites to write about. All of these conditions provide a challenge to our body’s homeostasis, or ability of the body to regulate all of its systems and functions. Until recently, scientists did not … Continue reading Pregnancy, Altitude and Exercise: One Serious Set of Challenges
Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
Lady Sybil Crawley—the feisty youngest sister of a wealthy British family on the PBS television series “Downton Abbey”—made her way into viewers’ hearts. Devotees of the show were shocked when, in a surprise twist, she died soon after giving birth. Lady Sybil died from high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia) that developed into a more … Continue reading Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
Skip the Nightcap: Your Sperm or Eggs May Thank You
Alcohol may grease the wheels in the short-term and make trying to get pregnant a little more fun, but in the it long run it could throw a wrench in fertility. Roughly 10 percent of men and women in the U.S. report having difficulty getting pregnant. Worldwide, close to 49 million couples were considered to … Continue reading Skip the Nightcap: Your Sperm or Eggs May Thank You
Research and Education Help Babies Born Too Early
A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but about 10 percent of babies in the U.S. are born preterm (before 37 weeks’ gestation) or premature. Less time in the womb means the infants’ organs are immature and not yet ready to function on their own. Generally, the earlier a preterm birth happens, the more likely it … Continue reading Research and Education Help Babies Born Too Early
Depression + Pregnancy = Diabetes?
Morning sickness, swollen ankles and a growing belly are just a few of the many physiological changes that women experience during pregnancy. The changes we can see are just the tip of the iceberg. Blood volume, bones, heart rate, skin and many other parts of a woman’s body function differently during pregnancy. Pregnancy-related changes can … Continue reading Depression + Pregnancy = Diabetes?