Southwestern Virginia Health Region has launched a new Maternal Health website to provide vital resources for mothers, families, healthcare providers and community organizations!

Congenital syphilis, a condition where babies are infected with syphilis in the womb, is surging across the United States, including Virginia.

Lindsay Lohan is expecting her first child.

It's been 50 years since the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, and all around the country people are facing uncertainty because of its reversal.

A local author is commemorating pregnancy and infant loss awareness month with an interactive book for grieving parents.

Horizon Behavioral Health in Lynchburg is dedicating more than $670,000 in state funding, to reduce substance abuse for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as mothers with children up to age five.

Last summer, we asked: “Are you or your partner pregnant -- or have you delivered in the past few months?” ... “We want to hear from you.”

Pregnancy: It's not all aches, pains and morning sickness! Carrying a child has been shown to help ease symptoms in some of these cases.

In 2016, Valerie Collignon gave birth at 35 weeks, which resulted in a week-long NICU stay that she described as “traumatizing.”

Hilary Blevins wasn’t sure if she’d ever be a mom.

In writing this series, I’ve enjoyed hearing and learning about what’s been different, how people have been coping and adapting, and think about my own family’s timing and how we’ll manage it all.

ROANOKE, Va. – Expectant mothers planning to welcome a child during the coronavirus pandemic have an important decision to make: should they get the COVID-19 vaccine? Many pregnant women fear backlash for making either decision. “Given that pregnant women are at increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19, the vaccine is definitely a good option for women, especially if they’re likely to be exposed,” said Silverman. “The risk of getting COVID-19 while your pregnant far outweigh the risks of this vaccine,” said Dr. Nunziato. AdThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the vaccine doesn’t contain the live virus, so it won’t infect pregnant women or their babies.

It certainly wasn’t planned this way, but Claire Nackashi had to deal with almost every aspect of her pregnancy, pandemic-style.

Past studies have shown that women who go through menopause before the age of 45 have an increased risk of early death, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

51-year-old Julie Loving was the gestational surrogate for her daughter, Breanna Lockwood, who was told by doctors that she can’t have children. According to Lockwood, she and her husband pursued other avenues to parenthood before deciding on having her mother as the surrogate. “The biggest supporter in my life is giving us our biggest blessing. My beautiful mama is carrying her first grandchild,” Lockwood wrote in a February Instagram post announcing the soon-to-be arrival of her baby. Briar Juliette Lockwood was born this November and her mother said they are all “doing fantastic and healthy."

In an effort to be proactive about her health, last summer, Julianne C. scheduled a test. She had no idea where it would lead: Namely, to two life-changing discoveries.

Author’s note: This is not MY personal story, per se, (despite the “my pandemic pregnancy” headline), but a story told by our readers, week by week. Today’s is shared by Yvonne.

When Kayla Molina found out she was pregnant, she felt excited, hopeful and optimistic.

When she was six months along in her pregnancy, Patricia Alvarez tested positive for coronavirus.

When Delicia Garza’s newborn daughter underwent surgery, an operation that required an overnight hospital stay, the San Antonio woman said it felt like the walls were closing in on her.

When Hillary Calhoun’s fertility doctor brought her in for a procedure and then a nurse called her just a few short business days later, asking her to come into the office immediately, the now-36-year-old had a hunch something wasn’t right.

Going though in vitro fertilization, or IVF, under normal circumstances, can be a challenge, both mentally and physically -- and for some, that’s phrasing it mildly.

Are you or your partner pregnant -- or have you delivered in the past few months? We want to hear from you.

Whether you’re pregnant now or you were hoping to be in the next few months, this might feel like an overwhelming time, living through the current coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic. Time magazine recently reported that fact in an article this week about COVID-19 and how it relates to pregnant women. Yes, pregnant women are generally more susceptible to viruses, for example, the flu. It’s true that there’s limited information and published literature about exactly how susceptible pregnant women are to COVID-19, and the severity of infection. If you’re pregnant or had been trying for a baby, stay in even better contact with your doctor or health care provider.