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In most cases, a cesarean section birth is not expected. It may be needed because of concerns about the baby, the mother, or the baby's passage through the birth canal.

When your baby is delivered by C-section, it means the surgeon makes a cut in your belly to reach the infant and remove them from the womb. In many cases, a C-section is unexpected. It is done to make sure that you and your baby have the safest birth.

The pelvic floor muscles may weaken due to aging, pregnancy and vaginal childbirth, injury, surgery, chronic cough, or lack of exercise. If the pelvic floor is weak, your bladder and other pelvic organs may sag out of place. The urethra may also open too easily and allow urine to leak out. Kegel exercises can help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles so they can better support the pelvic organs and control urine flow.

Nonstress and contraction stress tests check if your baby is getting enough oxygen and nutrients from your blood. Here's what to expect.

During ultrasound, high-frequency sound waves pass through your body and your baby. You can't hear the sound waves, but the ultrasound equipment can.

If your baby doesn't move into a head-first position on their own, your healthcare provider may attempt to do an external version. Your healthcare provider will try to rotate your baby by pressing down on your belly. Your healthcare provider may give you medicine to relax your uterus. This can make it easier for them to rotate your baby. During a version, your healthcare provider will use ultrasound to watch your baby.

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that happens only during pregnancy. Changes that occur in your body during pregnancy cause your blood sugar (glucose) to be too high. This can cause problems for the baby and for you.

Here are tips for first, second, and third trimesters to cope with issues like nausea, fatigue, mood swings, and headaches.

Your healthcare provider may describe the progress of your labor in terms of your baby's position and station, as well as by the effacement and dilation of your cervix. Learn more about the 3 stages of labor.