It's EverywhereScientists Detect Microplastics in Placentas of Live Pregnancies for the First Time While the health effects of microplastics aren't yet known, "it is obviously preferable not to have foreign bodies while the baby is developing." By Devrupa Rakshit
False AlarmEverything You Need to Know About Pseudocyesis, or Phantom Pregnancy Phantom pregnancies are common in patriarchal countries like India, where undue importance is given to a person’s ability to reproduce. By Rajvi Desai
Crossed WiresStress, Anxiety, Depression During Pregnancy Can Affect Fetal Brain Development: Study Researchers are calling for more mental health support for pregnant women amid the anxiety of the global pandemic. By Devrupa Rakshit
Young Girls Set FreeIndia’s Teen Pregnancy Numbers Have Dropped Steadily for 20 Years: Report Researchers say interventions that target disadvantaged groups are critical to continued success. By Aditi Murti
Don't Make It WorseThe Most Traumatic Thing About Abortions Is the Judgment Women describe the processes surrounding an abortion as carrying more trauma than the abortion itself. By Rajvi Desai
Choose WiselyWomen With Previous C‑Sections Reported Lower Rates of Conception: Study Scarring of the inside of the uterus, and low-grade infections caught during surgery, could be possible explanations. By Anubhuti Matta
No ShameJamia Activist Safoora Zargar’s Pregnancy Is Not Relevant to Her Unfair Imprisonment Talking about Zargar's pregnancy instead of her unfair imprisonment gives bigots the opportunity to malign her sexual agency. By The Swaddle Team
No Country For Pregnant WomenOdisha’s Maternity Benefits Are Touted as a Success; That’s Only Half the Story The state has made strides in providing wage compensation and nutrition to pregnant women, but access to quality health care is still lacking. By Sweta Dash
Ghost of Childbirth PastSome Women Feel Baby Movement Years After Giving Birth, and Scientists Don’t Know Why As many as 40% of women may experience phantom fetal kicks after pregnancy. By Liesl Goecker
Sick To One's StomachA Primer on Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or Extreme Morning Sickness HG is a pregnancy condition resulting in dehydration, malnutrition and weight loss in women who experience it. By Anubhuti Matta
HallelujahScientists Are Developing a Once‑a‑Month Female Birth Control Pill This invention can help reduce unintended pregnancies that arise from women forgetting to take their daily dose of the pill. By Pallavi Prasad
Study: Women Are Going Into Labor Earlier Because of Heatwaves Caused by Climate Change Extreme heat can send pregnant women into cardiovascular stress, which may induce early labor. By Pallavi Prasad
Get Off My BackWeight‑Shaming Pregnant Women Affects Their Mental and Physical Well‑Being Pregnant and postpartum women experiencing weight-related stigma are at risk for depressive symptoms, unhealthy eating behaviors, and stress. By Anubhuti Matta
BackfiredStudy: Helping Pregnant Colleagues With Work Might Demoralize Them The benevolent sexism behind shielding pregnant colleagues from work can undermine women's confidence and deter their postpartum return to work, researchers say. By Liesl Goecker
Life And DeathMore Mothers and Newborns Are Surviving Childbirth Than Ever — But Only in Some Parts of the World In countries with poor access to good medical facilities, one newborn or mother still dies every 11 seconds, per a WHO-UNICEF report. By Anubhuti Matta
Of Mice And MenBreakthrough Mouse Research Spotlights Bone Marrow’s Role in Fertility The findings suggest a day when bone marrow transplants may be helpful in treating infertility. By Liesl Goecker
No Safe PlaceStudy: Air Pollution Breathed by Pregnant Women Can Cross Placenta to Reach Fetus “This is the most vulnerable period of life...For the protection of future generations, we have to reduce exposure." By Liesl Goecker
Breathe CleanBreathing in Dirty Air During Pregnancy May Affect Children’s IQs It gets worse if to-be mothers also consume less folate-rich foods while breathing contaminated air. By Anubhuti Matta