Pregnancy + Postpartum

I am sure the below information is going to gross people out. I am so sorry for that. I am fully aware of how gross this may seem – however, I know I am not alone. So here it...

This editorial series, Stork Stories, is brought to you by Des Moines Moms Blog and MercyOne. All 8 original articles from the Stork Stories series can be found here. I will always remember that weekend. I was 38 weeks pregnant with our second...

As you are reading this I'm probably running around like crazy getting things ready for Charlie's 1st Birthday Party on Saturday. Where does the time go? I feel like I was just in the hospital cuddling with my newborn,...

As an engineer, I love numbers and step-by-step instructions. The life I expected to live was going to take effort, but I could predict the next step. Step 1: Work hard in high school, get as many scholarships as possible,...

1 in 8 couples struggle with infertility. The reality is someone you know is currently immersed in the world of trying to conceive. Their lives revolve around family planning, tracking ovulation, timed intercourse, peeing on a stick (or five), doctors...

August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week; and Des Moines Moms Blog is joining people in more than 170 countries in the celebration. We are pleased to bring you a series of posts this week on the topic of breastfeeding,...

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a common disorder of pregnancy affecting roughly 9 percent of all pregnancies. What is Gestational Diabetes? GDM develops due to hormones associated with pregnancy that make your body more resistant to the effects of insulin. Risk factors...

I had a very idealistic view of how my pregnancy would go: prepping the nursery, bump pictures, childbirth classes, etc. Everything as expected for 40 weeks and in the spring we would welcome home a healthy baby. That all changed...

I love talking about baby names! Naming our daughter was stressful, but also fun. We're spiritual people, and many people thought our daughter's name would be biblical and full of meaning. Well, we basically went the exact opposite of that. Her...

At 30 weeks with my second child I was terrified when they told me the baby was breech. What does that mean? What happens next? They told that they would check again at 36 weeks to see if she had...