For the Week December 16, 2018.
A model placenta
The “afterbirth” is hardly an afterthought. The placenta is formed early in gestation, primarily from fetal cells, and is vital to nourishing the growing embryo. But it has been very difficult to study, especially during the first trimester when it is most important. Scientists have made a model, so placental functions can now be analyzed in a lab. Read more here.
This is important for you because as much as we know about pregnancy, there is still so much to learn – fortunately, people are still researching things like placenta formation.
Although many pregnant women are still put on bed rest, there is little evidence that it can lead to a good outcome – and it can actually be physically harmful, beyond wreaking havoc on the woman’s social, professional, and psychological life. Read more here.
This is important for you because if you are prescribed bed rest, it may be worth examining if it is really necessary and feasible.
Babies are unpredictable – so photoshoots featuring them do not always go as planned. See some candid shots here.
This is important for you because with a baby photoshoot, you might not get the photos you wanted – but they will be adorable nonetheless.
The US is the only industrialized country in which the mortality rate is rising. Congress just passed The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act to allocate more resources to figuring out why and how to stop the upward trend. Read more here.
This is important for you because childbirth should be as safe as possible. And right now in our country, it isn’t.
The way most popular article on The Pulse this week was Why Drinking Plenty Of Water Is So Important During Pregnancy. Read it here and share it.
