Gynecology Blog

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are peak times for women to experience depression, and routine screening for the condition should be a priority, say the authors of an opinion paper issued today in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

An estimated 14% to 23% of pregnant women experience depression, while 5% to 25% will have postpartum depression. The illness carries serious repercussions for both mother and baby, noted the authors of the paper. More...

According to the CDC, about 4.3 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2007. During pregnancy, a woman needs to provide nourishment for herself and for the growing fetus. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued updated guidelines on pregnancy weight gain, recommending women of normal pre-pregnancy weight gain 25 to 35 extra pounds.

By the end of the pregnancy, the weight of the baby accounts for about one-fourth of the total weight gain (roughly 7 to 8 pounds). Another seven pounds is for maternal stores of nutrients, protein and fat. The rest of the weight can be attributed to the placenta (1 to 2 pounds), amniotic fluid (2 pounds), uterus (2 pounds), breast tissue (2 pounds), body fluids (4 pounds) and maternal blood (4 pounds).

Nyree Paten gained so little weight during her recent pregnancy that some of her neighbors did not even realize she was expecting. A few days before her due date, she weighed only two pounds more than she had at her first prenatal visit.

But Ms. Paten, 35, of the Bronx, was under doctor’s orders to gain no more than 10 or 15 pounds — she was already about 100 pounds overweight. More...

Obstetrics and gynecology is a medical specialty which focuses on the care of women. Obstetrics focuses on childbirth, providing prenatal care and pregnancy support along with post-partum care, while gynecology is geared towards general female healthcare, with a focus on the female reproductive organs. A specialist in obstetrics is called an obstetrician, while a specialist in gynecology is a gynecologist.More...