Huma Farid, MD

If you are pregnant, naturally you have concerns about COVID-19 and its potential effects on you and your fetus or newborn. Although there is limited data on the new coronavirus and pregnancy, some questions can be answered.

Women who are hoping to become pregnant want to do everything they can to ensure that their babies will be as healthy as possible, which means following recommendations to minimize the possibility of birth defects.

Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition marked by hypertension that affects some women during late pregnancy or early weeks after birth. Rising rates of high blood pressure and maternal age increase risk for it. A recent study finds monitoring blood pressure at home may help.

During early months of pregnancy, many women experience nausea and vomiting (morning sickness). A small percentage struggle with persistent, severe nausea and vomiting, a condition called hyperemesis. Certain treatments –– or time –– sometimes help.

Many women feel uncomfortable talking about health issues or concerns relating to the vulva or vagina. This brief primer on vulvar health can help.

Women who have experienced sexual violence or trauma are more likely to have anxiety about medical visits, particularly seeing a gynecologist and receiving a pelvic exam. Open communication in both directions is crucial for women to feel safe during these visits.

Many women have urinary tract infections (UTIs), but researchers found that when women with recurring UTIs drank significantly more water each day, their frequency of infection was cut in half.