#Prenatal Risk Assessment

[shubhragoyal]

Pre-pregnancy counseling: Your stepping stone to parenthood. Get expert guidance and prepare for a healthy and informed pregnancy journey.

Learn more: https://www.drshubhragoyal.com/welcome/blogs/pre-pregnancy-counseling:-a-stepping-stone-to-parenthood

[artisticdivasworld]

Maternal Nursing: Combatting the Rising Maternal Mortality Rate

Maternal nursing is a critical care sector focused on the health and wellness of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. In recent years, a concerning trend has surfaced worldwide: an increase in maternal deaths during childbirth and the postpartum period. This escalating problem underscores the urgency for nursing interventions aimed at safeguarding mothers’ health and minimizing…

[gigabyte-flare]

He Comes Alive (Part 7)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Summary: You awake in a top secret facility where you learn of Leon's true nature

Word Count: 5.9k

Pairing: vampire/plagas!Leon Kennedy x fem!reader (afab)

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Actions depicted in this story are not condoned in real life. You are responsible for your own content consumption. If any of the following warnings trigger you, please read at your own risk. Minors do not interact, this story is 18+ only.

Warnings: Biting, blood, gore, murder, unprotected p in v, masterbation, oral (m and f receiving), stalking, pet names, kidnapping, breeding kink, blood play/kink, age gap, dubcon, pregnancy, monster f*cking, body horror, lactation kink, DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT [More warnings may be added in future entries]

A quick reminder that I no longer do tag lists

“Where’s Leon?”

“In this building.”

“Where am I?”

“At the BSAA North America headquarters in Washington D.C..”

“BSAA?”

“The Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance.”

“Did Leon do something wrong?”

The man called Clive lets out a chuckle, leaning back in his chair, “that’s a loaded question.”

You feel a lump form in the back of your throat. You swallow it back, remaining silent in hopes that Clive will continue.

“Nine years ago, the president’s daughter was kidnapped by a cult in Spain called Los Illuminados. D.S.O. Agent Leon S. Kennedy was sent to rescue her. Both of them had become infected with a bioweapon-- a parasite the cult called Las Plagas. Leon had successfully removed the parasite from the president’s daughter, however…”

Clive pauses and you can feel your heart start to race at the implication, but still you press, “however, what?”

Clive clears his throat, “by the time the U.S. government realized Leon was still infected, he was long gone, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. He’s been on the run for nine years.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The hikers? That man at the festival? Your father? They’re all his victims,” Clive states.

“You’re lying!” you shout, standing up from the chair and slamming your hands onto the table.

“The plaga feeds on blood in order to survive; it seems to have an affinity to human blood, too.”

“You do realize this sounds absolutely insane, you’re making it sound like Leon’s a vampire or something.”

Clive chuckles again, “that honestly wouldn’t be that far from the truth,” you watch his eyes glance to your swollen belly, “I take it that’s Leon’s baby you're pregnant with?”

“Yes,” you reply curtly before sitting back in the chair, crossing your arms, “it is.”

“Shit…”

“What?”

Clive takes a deep breath before continuing, “I hate to tell you this, but your baby isn’t entirely human.”

Your eyes widen, “excuse me?! Now you’re fucking with me, this is insane!”

“Don’t you find it odd that Leon hasn’t taken you to a single prenatal appointment? Odd that your pregnancy seems to be progressing awfully fast?”

You stand back up again, angrily shaking your finger at Clive, “you are full of shit!”

“Deny it all you want, it’s the truth. Unfortunately you’re too far along in your pregnancy to safely abort, we’ll have to wait until you give birth so we can euthanize it; we’ll make sure it’s done humanely.”

“No one is coming near my baby! You’re just trying to scare me!”

You watch Clive reach into his jacket, pulling out a photo and placing it on the table in front of you. What you see immediately makes you pause and stare. It’s a poorly lit room, a person is tied to the support beam, covered in blood and what you assume is bite marks on their neck.

“This was taken in Leon’s basement after we apprehended him. This is why he kept the basement locked.”

You can’t take your eyes off the photo, especially after you realize you recognize the clothes; it’s a woman that had gone missing after coming out of a work Christmas party in Plymouth; you had seen a photo of her at the party on the news. You feel chills go up your spine.

"Unfortunately she died from blood loss when we were transporting her to our clinic," Clive states.

You swallow hard before making eye contact with Clive, “what the hell is going on…?” 

“I think it will be easier to show you, come with me,” Clive replies, standing up from his chair and motioning for you to follow him. 

You hesitate for a moment before you decide to follow, going back out into the hallway. The two of you eventually make your way to a single elevator, watching Clive swipe a card and then call the elevator. It beeps before the doors slide open and the two of you step inside. 

“How long have you been watching us?” you ask, figuring out that based on what Clive had said to you about Leon not taking you for prenatal check-ups, that someone was watching you and Leon’s every move.

“Shortly after Halloween, a police officer in Oakvale had reached out to the FBI to ask about Leon; in turn the FBI reached out to us. We had to ensure that it was definitely him before making our move.”

You nod, shifting uncomfortably on your feet and unconsciously rubbing your belly. After a couple minutes, the elevator door opens and Clive steps out, you follow him closely. Several men in lab coats turn and greet Clive.

“Director O’Brien! For what do we owe the pleasure?” one of the scientists asks before looking at you, “is this…?”

“Yes she is,” Clive replies, “has he been fed yet?”

The scientist looks back at Clive, shaking his head, “not yet, we were just about to get ready to.”

“Excellent, bring us to the observation room.”

“Of course, director.”

The scientist leads the way bringing you down another hallway that’s barricaded with several large steel doors. At the end, he turns to a door on the left, swiping a keycard and inputting a passcode, causing the door to slide open. You can’t help but feel like you somehow woke up in a science fiction movie. You pinch yourself again to make sure you’re definitely not dreaming.

Once in the room, the scientist pulls up the blinds on a large window and you see Leon, still in just his sweatpants, sitting on a basic metal bed hunched over, staring at the floor. Your heart seemingly skips as you rush up to the window, putting your hands on the glass.

“Leon…” you say softly.

From what you can see, there is nothing out of the ordinary about Leon and you start to reckon that they have the wrong man. Leon wouldn’t hurt anyone. Looking around the room, you notice there is a purple hue. You look up at the room’s ceiling and see that between each fluorescent light is a purple one; the same lights that you saw when you and Leon had gotten ambushed at home.

“What are the purple lights?” you ask, turning to Clive as you remove your hands from the glass.

“High powered ultraviolet lights. The plaga can’t stand sunlight. That’s why he only hunts at night.”

Suddenly, a walkie talkie that is sticking out of Clive’s outer jacket pockets goes off, “We’re ready to commence feeding if you are, director.”

Clive grabs the walkie talkie out of his jacket and replies, “proceed.”

On the left side of the room, a door slides open and a blindfolded man is pushed in and the door closes. The man practically falls onto his face. The man sits up on his knees and you see that his hands are bound behind his back.

“He’s a death row inmate,” Clive says, answering a question you hadn’t even asked, “we have a partnership with the penitentiary and they supply us with inmates that are going to be executed.”

Your attention is drawn back into Leon’s room when the UV lights are switched off and the fluorescent lights dim. Your eyes are drawn to Leon when he suddenly lifts his head, his eyes locked on the man that’s in the midst of a panic attack in the middle of the room. Before your eyes, you watch dark, inky veins start to spread over Leon’s exposed skin. Leon suddenly stands up, walking towards the man like a predator stalking its prey. Movement coming from behind Leon makes your breath hitch; a long, jet black tail comes out  of Leon’s back; the closest thing you can compare it to is a scorpion’s tail.

That isn’t all, four more appendages come out of his back, these looking like claws. You want to close your eyes, you want to run, but you can’t; your eyes remain locked on Leon. In a split second, Leon pounces onto the man, the man’s cries for help going unanswered as you watch Leon’s mouth latch itself onto his neck. The four claws latch onto the man as his tail whips itself back and forth as Leon feasts upon him. You suddenly feel your baby shift in your belly.

Leon suddenly stops, unlatching himself from his meal and looking directly at you. 

“Can he see us?” you ask, your voice shaking.

“No, it’s a two way mirror,” Clive replies, rubbing his chin with his fingers.

Leon stands up walking right up to the window, his eyes locked onto you. To your horror, you see his eyes are red, seemingly glowing in the dim light. His blood stained mouth hangs agape and you can see that all four of his incisors are elongated and sharp. Leon puts his hands onto the glass, his gaze still locked onto you.

“Angel?” he says, his eyes widening, “is that you?”

His tail moves back and forth as he stares at you and that’s when your baby inside you starts moving erratically, causing you to wince in pain as you grab your belly. 

“I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” Leon continues, his hands running down the glass, leaving trails of blood behind, “this is not how I wanted to show you my gift.”

“Gift?” you whisper, taking a couple of steps back from the window.

“He’s referring to the plaga.” Clive replies.

“Our little girl has the gift, too,” Leon continues, his right hand pets the glass as you watch his gaze shift to your belly, made even more unsettling knowing that he can’t see you, “isn’t that right, sweetie?”

Your baby shifts again, feeling your baby’s foot go up your rib cage, causing you to yelp as you once again grab your swollen belly. 

There’s no way your baby is reacting to him right? Right?

You watch as Leon’s crimson eyes narrow, one of his fists balling up and punching the glass, causing it to crack. You scream, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor as Leon throws another punch at the glass, cracking it further. Clive rushes over, picking you up off the floor as he grabs his walkie talkie.

“Turn those damn UV lights back on! NOW!” he shouts into the walkie talkie as he pulls you out of the observation room.

You turn and look back as the UV lights are powered back on, Leon letting out the most inhuman scream you’ve ever heard in your life and in an instant, you watch his grotesque appendages retreat back into his body as he stumbles away from the glass, clutching his head with his hands.

As you and Clive retreat back to the elevator, Leon’s cries of your name fill the halls.

You have no idea how much time has passed since the incident with Leon. Clive had you relocated to a more comfortable room at the facility; it has furniture, a small refrigerator and a window to look outside. You’re sitting in a rocking chair next to the window, rubbing your pregnant belly unconsciously as you watch a gentle snowfall outside. Over and over, your brain plays out the last few months since you returned home from dropping out of college.

Every little thing you had noticed that was odd suddenly made sense: eating the rarest meat imaginable, that one time you thought he had sharp teeth when he bit into his burger, him suddenly going into the basement, him getting up in the middle of the night to ‘check traps,’ the day they found what was left of your father, that smile he had on his face was burned into the back of your mind. Your eyes unconsciously widen at another revelation; the red eyes you saw in your window that night, they were Leon’s.

“It was him… he was the B.O.W. the whole time…” you whisper to yourself, a single tear rolling down your cheek. 

The sound of the door opening startles you and you watch Clive walk in, giving you a gentle smile and wave as he steps into the room.

“I just spoke with your mother,” Clive says, taking a seat on your bed across from where you sit, “I let her know you were experiencing complications in your pregnancy and that you had to be taken to a specialist in D.C., so she at least knows where you are. I didn’t mention Leon to her.”

“Thank you,” you reply softly, letting out a sigh as you return your attention back out the window.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, the concern evident in his voice.

“Empty? Lost? I’m not sure what to feel… I feel like the last few months have been a cruel lie,” you reply honestly, wiping more tears that run down your face away with the back of your hand.

“I know and I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how hard this has been for you.”

“Is it true that you can’t cure him?” you ask, looking back over at Clive.

Clive nods, “unfortunately. The parasite has completely taken over his body, if we try to remove it, he will die.”

“How… how is he?” you ask, not really sure you actually want the answer.

“He’s refusing to feed. We’ll have to execute him sooner than we intended,” Clive replies, leaning forward, resting his forearms onto his legs.

“Execute?!”

Clive nods, “yes, he’s too dangerous to keep alive. Our hope was to study the plaga inside of him before putting him out of his misery, but he’s making that difficult.”

“Is there any chance I could say goodbye to him before he’s executed?”

Clive stares at you puzzled for a moment before replying, “I believe I can have that arranged.”

“Good,” you say with a soft sigh of relief.

Despite everything, you still love him. You still love the baby growing inside of you. The thought that both of these things that you love so dearly are going to get taken from you absolutely kills you.

“I’ll make sure to come get you when that time comes,” Clive says, standing up from the bed and walking over to the door, “don’t hesitate to give us a holler if you need anything.”

You believe another few days passes, you awake one morning to the sound of wind howling; a blizzard seems to have come in. Just after you get yourself dressed and cleaned up, Clive once again comes into your room.

“It’s happening tonight,” Clive says, his look solemn.

You acknowledge him with a nod before following him out of your room and back to the elevator that brings you to the underground research facility. This time, instead of bringing you to the observation room, Clive brings you to the door leading to Leon’s containment chamber.

“Remember,” Clive begins, causing you to draw your attention to him, “we’ll be watching. We won’t let him hurt you.”

You nod as the door to his containment chamber slides open. You step inside the small chamber inside the door, it sprays some kind of mist on you which you suspect is some kind of sanitizer. After that, the final door opens and you see Leon, laying on his back staring at the ceiling. You step inside, listening as the door slides shut and locks, making your heart jump in nervousness. At first, Leon doesn’t acknowledge you, instead he continues to stare at the ceiling.

“Leon?” you finally speak up, your voice soft.

Leon lifts his head, staring at you for a moment before he sits up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, practically running to you. He places his hands on your shoulders, looking at you in disbelief.

“Angel! You’re ok, I’ve been so worried!” he exclaims before planting a kiss onto your forehead.

Now you’re able to get a good look at him. His skin is extremely pale and you can see the faint, inky black veins all over his exposed skin. It reminds you of the time you had gone to the festival, before he had killed that man behind the fairground. Now you know why Leon had looked so terrible that day.

“I’ve been worried about you, too,” you say hesitantly, avoiding eye contact with him.

“What’s wrong Angel? It’s just me,” Leon coos, his hand gently grasping your chin, forcing you to look at him. 

His gaze shifts down to your belly, a smile slowly overtaking his lips as he stares down in awe; once again feeling your baby move inside you.

“My God… you’ve gotten so big! Our little girl is growing like a weed!” he says, the excitement evident in his voice as he places a hand on your belly, rubbing it slowly.

A hint of sadness hits you, knowing that as soon as your baby is born, it’s going to be humanely euthanized, but you don’t want to do anything that could cause Leon to lash out, so you keep that knowledge to yourself. 

“How do you know it’s a girl?” you ask, genuinely curious.

“She told me,” Leon explains, his gaze shifting back to you, “because of our gift, we are constantly connected.”

You feel your pulse pick up, feeling your baby continue to writhe inside you as Leon continues to rub your belly.

“I’m going to give you the gift, as well. We’ll be together in both body and mind. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Before you can even process what he just said to you, you notice there’s a sudden change in the lighting; your eyes dart around to see what changed when you notice the subtle purple hue is gone. The UV lights have been turned off. You want to panic, but you take deep breaths to try to keep yourself calm. You reckon it must be a mistake, they’ll turn the UV lights back on in any second. However, more agonizing seconds go by and you realize that they are not coming back on.

Leon slowly looks up, a smirk spreading across his lips when he realizes the UV lights are off, “well… that's convenient.”

He closes his eyes, rolling his neck and shoulders as you watch in horror as the dark veins on his skin get even darker. When he opens his eyes again, you are once again met with the crimson eyes that have haunted your subconscious since the day you saw Leon from the observation room. But now that he’s right in front of you, everything inside you is telling you to get away. You take a couple steps back away from him, his smirk immediately turning into a frown.

“No, no, no! It’s ok, I won’t hurt you, Angel,” he pleads, reaching out to you and grasping your upper arms to stop you from moving away, “I just want to take care of you.”

You watch as his tail snakes out from behind him, moving between the two of you. The end of it goes under your shirt and you watch as the blade-like end of his tail moves upwards, slicing through your shirt. Once your shirt is completely sliced open, his fingers gingerly push the remains of the shirt off you, exposing your swollen breasts to him. He brings one hand up, brushing one of your sensitive nipples under his thumb, causing a small white bead of liquid to come out before running down your breast, pooling onto your pregnant belly.

“Aw look, you’re making milk. Our little girl will need blood, not milk. No matter, I’ll make sure it won’t go to waste,” Leon says before leaning down, wrapping his mouth around the leaking nipple and sucking hard.

“L-Leon!” you cry out, trying to push him away.

You look over at the mirror, knowing that there are people watching. Does Leon know there are people watching? You want to cry out for help, to get someone to come get you out, but you can’t; you don’t want to risk invoking Leon’s fury. After what seems like an eternity, Leon unlatches himself from your breast, his crimson eyes staring down at you lustfully. A grin slowly forms on his face, showing off his long, sharp canine teeth.

He grasps you gently, coaxing you over to his bed where he spins you around, forcing you to bend over onto the bed with your knees on the floor. You rack your brain over what on Earth he’s doing when you feel a very sudden sharp pain in your shoulder, causing you to scream. You then hear a low moan; Leon’s mouth is latched onto your shoulder, his fangs sinking deep into your flesh as blood starts to pour out from the wound. 

He releases his mouth from you briefly, his breaths heavy as he grips onto your waist, his hands then reaching around to undo your belt and pants, “you taste just as divine as I remember, Angel,” he purrs into your ear.

You start to question mentally what he’s talking about until you recall back to the first night you stayed at Leon’s house when the two of you had sex for the first time. He wasn’t just eating you out that night. He was feeding off you. This newest revelation causes a sudden wave of nausea to come over you, causing you to gag. You quickly cover your mouth with one hand while the other grips the sheets on his bed, tears burning the corners of your eyes, threatening to pour out. 

He bites back down into your shoulder as his hands make quick work pulling down your pants and underwear, his fingers rubbing your slit slowly, gathering up the slick of your body’s arousal on his fingertips. While still feeding off you, he pulls down his sweatpants and you feel the head of his cock prod at your entrance. Your eyes widen when you watch two of the claw-like appendages stab down onto the bed in front of you while the other two wrap around your waist, trapping you against him; you feel one of his hands rest on your hip while the other grips your hair, pulling your head back. It takes everything in you not to scream.

With a quick thrust of his hips, he buries his cock inside you, unlatching his mouth from your shoulder with a loud moan as his grip on your hair tightens. You cry out at the feeling of him practically splitting you in half; he feels so much larger than you remember. There’s also another sensation inside you, one you don’t recognize at all. It’s almost hard for your mind to even describe; like a thousand fingers are stroking your inner walls and your cervix and with each quick thrust of Leon’s hips, it feels amazing. You can’t help but let out a loud moan as Leon pistons himself into you, hurtling you towards your release. 

“That’s it Angel, you’re doing so well for me. My perfect mate,” he purrs as he picks up the pace of his thrusts, the hand on your hip gripping so tight that it’ll surely leave bruises, his other hand running down your neck before resting onto your other shoulder, “now, be a good girl and take my gift.”

Against your better judgment, you turn your head to look at him. Leon is opening his mouth and you watch as four mandibles come out from the depths of his mouth and you can hear something squealing from inside his throat. No longer able to put on a brave face, you start to scream, thrashing your body in a desperate attempt to get away from him. The strange sensation you noted inside you suddenly starts to sting as you try to get yourself off him and you feel the claws wrapped around your waist start to cut into your skin as they grip you tighter. 

The door to Leon’s room suddenly opens and Clive along with two men with tactical gear and guns swarm in. Clive holds up a large UV flashlight, shining it directly at Leon’s head. Leon roars, the mandibles going back inside his mouth as he falls backwards, freeing you from his grasp. You quickly pull your underwear and pants back up before running over to Clive, using your arms to cover your exposed breasts. Clive positions you behind him as the two men move to either side of Leon, their guns drawn and pointed at him. One of the scientists then rushes inside the room, Clive turns his head to address him.

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Clive shouts at the scientist right before the UV lights turn back on.

You wince when you hear the inhuman cry come from Leon as he scrambles to crouch himself into the corner of the room, gripping his head and trembling.

“We just wanted to see what he would do, that’s all!” the scientist says, pleading with Clive.

“She nearly got infected! Was that part of your plan?!” Clive shouts, walking up to the scientist, getting in his face.

“Well, no…”

“The lead researcher will be hearing about this, now get out of our way, I need to take her back to her room,” Clive continues, practically shoving the scientist out of the way as he gently grasps your upper arm to lead you out of Leon’s containment chamber.

As you walk out, you turn and look at Leon, who’s still crouched in the corner; his eyes are locked onto you, a smirk spread across his lips.

Leon stays seated in the corner of his containment chamber for the majority of the day, only moving to relieve himself in the toilet inside his containment chamber. Scientists have been in and out of his containment chamber as well, almost as if they’re preparing for something, though he didn’t have the slightest clue of what that could be until the lead researcher comes in with his young assistant, who looks vaguely familiar to Leon. 

The lead researcher takes Leon’s vitals and a blood sample, staying completely still through it all, watching the assistant take a seat on Leon’s bed, taking notes with a clipboard and pen.

“Dr. Jacobs, a question if I may?” the assistant suddenly asks.

“Go ahead, Chambers.”

Chambers. Rebecca Chambers. That’s why I recognize her…

Rebecca was a former member of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team prior to the Raccoon City outbreak incident on September 30, 1971; Leon’s first day as a police officer. A part of him wishes he had died that day.

“How did he manage to infect the fetus? I thought you said it was transmitted via the bloodstream, hence why he bit her.” she asks, setting the clipboard and pen down onto the bed next to her.

Dr. Jacobs swallows hard as he turns to address her, “we believe there are plaga larvae in his semen, which fused with the embryo upon fertilization even though we found no larvae in the semen samples we were able to get. Somehow… the plaga inside him can control when a larva is released… absolutely extraordinary, a real shame we’re executing him tonight.”

Leon subtly raises an eyebrow.

“What about the baby?” Rebecca presses.

“The baby will be humanely euthanized upon birth, the BSAA wants to put the plagas parasite to bed for good even though the child could provide valuable data. I tried to fight it but O’Brien wouldn’t budge.”

What?

Leon remains calm on the outside, but on the inside, he is panicking. He has to protect his offspring at all cost, but how? That answer comes on a silver platter when he watches Rebecca stand up from the bed, grabbing the clipboard but leaving the pen behind on his bed. He waits a couple minutes to see if they realize she had left the pen in here. When he’s confident they’re not coming back in, he stands up, walking over to the bed and collapsing onto it, clutching the pen in his hand as he lays down. He turns, his back facing the camera that’s on the opposite wall pointed towards the bed. 

During his stint in the military after surviving the Raccoon City outbreak, Leon picked up a few tricks, one being how to make lockpicks out of just about anything. He meticulously takes the mechanical pen apart, using the metal parts to make a crude lock pick, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand.

Later that evening, the door to his containment chamber opens and Dr. Jacobs comes in along with another man in tactical gear with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder and a pistol strapped to his leg. Dr. Jacobs is carrying a metal folding chair, which he hands to the guard for him to set down onto the floor after opening.

“Sit,” the guard orders Leon, pointing at the chair.

“Yeah, yeah…” Leon replies, standing up from his bed and sitting in the chair.

“Hands behind your back. Now,” the guard barks.

Leon does as he’s ordered, putting his hands behind his back around the back of the chair. The guard walks behind him, handcuffing his wrists together. Unbeknownst to the guard, Leon has his makeshift lock pick wedged between two of his fingers, completely concealing it. The guard walks back around, standing in front of Leon as Dr. Jacobs prepares a syringe of bright green liquid. Slipping the lock pick out, he begins to pick the lock on his cuffs.

“It pains me to do this Leon, it really does,” says Dr. Jacobs as he approaches, the guard moving to the side of Leon to let him through, “you were a brilliant agent. I admit this will not be pleasant, but you won’t suffer for long, I promise.”

Leon manages to free himself just as Dr. Jacobs kneels down to inject him with the deadly serum in the syringe. In the blink of an eye, Leon snatches the syringe from Dr. Jacobs, stabbing it into his neck and pushing the syringe. Dr. Jacobs’ expression contorts as he collapses onto the floor, his body going into a seizure in what Leon imagines is the painful thralls of death.

The guard curses as Leon stands up from his chair, pointing his AK-47 at him to shoot. However, Leon’s too quick, he side steps and grabs the AK-47, using the strap slung around the guard’s body to strangle the man, all the while, the gun is still firing, shooting out all the lights in the ceiling, including the UV lights. Inky black veins quickly envelope Leon’s body and his eyes shift into the deep crimson as Leon bites into the guard’s exposed neck, drinking as much blood as he can in a short period of time.

He then kneels down to Dr. Jacobs’ lifeless body, searching his pockets to find a fob. With this fob in hand, the door to the containment chamber opens, allowing Leon to make his escape. He can sense his offspring is several floors above where he is, so he quickly finds the elevator, the fob allowing him access to it. 

When the elevator doors open, several guards are waiting for him, guns drawn. In an instant, Leon’s tail and back appendages emerge and he practically leaps out of the elevator pinning one of the guards down and ripping out his throat while his tail whips around, decapitating and fatally stabbing the other guards. Just when Leon thinks he’s in the clear, he hears more footsteps coming towards him. He looks up, blood dripping from his mouth and chin and finds Director O’Brien with about 10 more guards behind him.

“I should have known you wouldn’t go quietly, Leon,” Director O’Brien says, crossing his arms.

“Where is my mate?” Leon growls, standing up to face them, using his back claws and tail to make himself look bigger.

“In a place you won’t get to, Leon. You’re not leaving this hallway alive,” Director O’Brien replies.

“We’ll see about that.”

Leon begins to step forward, his legs and arms mutating, turning black like his claws and tail. His fingers become more claw like and his legs contort to become more insect-like; his feet also transform into three toed claws. His jaw splits open to reveal rows of sharp elongated teeth, his four incisors still longer than the rest. His four mandibles also come out of his mouth and he lets out an inhuman roar as he charges towards Director O’Brien and the guards. This is the furthest Leon’s ever let himself transform and he’s honestly eager to see what he can do.

The guards shoot at him, but the bullets do little to no damage to Leon as he rips through them like paper with his razor sharp claws, blood and guts spilling everywhere. In the chaos, Director O’Brien slips away, running down the hall. Leon sees this and quickly gives chase, what’s left of the guards strewn all over the white marble floor in his wake. Director O’Brien comes around the corner with his angel, his mate in tow, both of them stopping in their tracks upon seeing Leon.

Leon opens his mouth wide, letting out a loud hiss as he glares at Director O’Brien. Unfortunately in his current state, he’s unable to speak. His crimson stare shifts over to his angel, who to his dismay, is visibly frightened.

Angel, don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. I could never hurt you…

He curses internally about not being able to give her his gift; if he had been successful, he would be able to communicate with her easily. His gaze then shifts to her swollen belly, sensing his offspring is strong and healthy inside her. He watches as she grips her belly, flinching.

“Back off, Leon!” Director O’Brien shouts, pulling out a small flashlight from inside his dark green coat and turning it on, pointing its purple beam directly into Leon’s face. 

Leon, turns his face away, growling as he feels the light sting his mutated parts. His tail whips forward, slicing off the hand holding the UV flashlight before he turns back to Director O’Brien, stalking towards him and using one of his clawed hands to pick him up and pin him against the wall. Letting out a guttural growl, his mouth and mandibles open wide only stopping when he feels his mate’s hands on his arm.

“Leon, don’t kill him, please!” she cries, “don’t kill him and I’ll… I’ll go with you…”

His mutated mouth closes, turning to her to see her bloodshot eyes staring up at him, pleading with him. He lets out a soft purring sound, turning back to Director O’Brien and abruptly dropping him. He falls to the floor with a gasp, Leon’s attention back onto his mate as he grabs her by her wrist. She looks up at him, the fear evident in her eyes as she starts to panic, pulling against his grasp as she hyperventilates. 

Angel, don’t do this… it’ll be ok, I promise…!

She then faints; Leon’s quick reflexes catch her before she collapses onto the floor. He picks her up into his arms bridal style, stalking into one of the rooms that has a window. Using his tail, he smashes the window open, the blizzard raging outside now blowing snow into the room. Leon leaps out of the window, carrying his mate into the stormy winter night.

Part 8

[maykitz]

i read a (20 year old) study that found prenatal down syndrome diagnosis leads to an elective abortion in 92-95% of cases, whereas for an immediately fatal birth defect like anencephaly it's roughly 76%. which really surprised me- knowingly continuing a pregnancy with a high likelihood of eventual uncontrolled miscarriage and if not, a guarantee of death of the infant within minutes or hours after birth with all the risks that has for both appears to be a significantly more common choice than having a down syndrome kid with a life expectancy of >60 years. and an even lower 72% elective abortion rate was found following spina bifida aperta diagnosis, which is also severely disabling but statistically allows living for up to a few decades while requiring constant, extensive and lifelong care. so it seems down syndrome is outstandingly intolerable to expecting parents despite being, in my layman assessment, the least impactful on quality of life and causing the least dependence on care throughout life. the condition with the longest life expectancy and the only one of those three with a possibility for a (near-)independent life at all, in fact. so i genuinely wonder why that is. purely the social stigma of intellectual disability? sort of a silver medal effect, too close to "normal" and yet not?

[ineptitude-in-grey]

On death, dying, and birth

Many view death as the final curtain, drawing life to a close and silencing all experience. Yet, death itself is not inherently tragic—it’s the loss of future dreams, desires, and pursuits that stirs our sorrow. In death, we no longer see, feel, or hold meaning; we are emptied of all that once made life vivid. Since death robs us of consciousness, we can neither feel nor judge it. The beauty and weight we attach to things, like the joy of camping under a vast sky or the thrill of wandering foreign streets, come only through experience. Death, however, is a realm beyond experience, an absence rather than an event we can assess.

What truly frightens us, then, is not death itself but the slow approach—the steady departure from all we know and love. The process of dying, with its echoes of separation and fears of pain, is what casts the shadow we fear. And while death sometimes bestows gifts unlooked for, as when an artist’s work finds fame only after they’ve passed, we still choose life, with all its risks and sorrows, over the blankness of the unknown. Death, by its nature, lacks feeling; but the letting go, the closing of all that is alive within us—that is what haunts our hearts.

The asymmetry of existence is a curious thing. We dread the silence that follows life, yet never think to mourn the silence that came before it. We stir in fear at the thought of death, not because of death itself, but because it marks the end of all we know, all we desire, all we imagine still lies ahead. But what of the eternity before birth, that vast stretch of nothingness? Why does it not haunt us in the same way? Perhaps because we are creatures made of memory, of presence, of senses—there is no ache for something we never touched.

Imagine someone longing to have been born in an earlier time, wistful for those unspent years. But such a longing is only possible because they are already here, already alive to imagine what might have been. Life itself gives birth to regret and dreams. Yet even if we could conjure ourselves into another era, would we still be ourselves? The plans and passions we nurture are woven into the fabric of our own time; take them from that context, and they unravel, reshaped by the circumstances of another world.

Some suggest that if we could somehow spring into life earlier, as if plucked from some ancient thread, we might have seized more from time. But this presumes that time itself would lay gifts at our feet, a generous master who owes us joy. In truth, time makes no such promises. To say an earlier birth would be “better” is a fantasy, built on the illusion that life is a garden of predetermined riches, waiting only to be gathered. Life, more truthfully, is a gamble with no guarantees.

It all depends on where we cast our gaze. Some, consumed by the longing for lost opportunities, find more sorrow in what came before than what comes after. But most of us look forward, seeing in death the thief of possibility, the door that closes on every half-formed dream. If we knew the hour and day of our passing, perhaps we would wish for more years, a head start on life. Yet without that knowledge, we carry on, grasping at goals, savoring the journey, urged onward by life’s impermanence.

Death unsettles us because, once we taste life, we learn its richness, its wonders, its pangs—and we shudder to lose them. Before birth, we had no such sense, no way to know what was missing, and so no reason to mourn. Death may not be evil, nor may that vast prelude before birth, but we cannot help fearing the end of something we have come to cherish. Those who claim death is not to be feared might say the same of prenatal nonexistence—both lie outside the realm of our experience, indifferent to the notions of good or bad, merely states of being beyond the reach of memory or longing.

[mcatmemoranda]

I'm on OB rotation again. I asked the attending what are things the PCP should know about prenatal and postpartum pts. Stuff we discussed:

SSRIs can be continued during pregnancy. I often see patients on Zoloft during pregnancy if they need an antidepressant. In fact, I just started a prenatal patient on Zoloft the other day in clinic. It is safe to continue SSRIs during pregnancy because you should treat the patient's depression. Babies can come out sort of jittery because of the SSRI, but that goes away.

Postpartum patients will have bleeding somewhat similar to a menstrual period right after giving birth. It starts to decrease and becomes like a brownish color and can last up to 6 weeks postpartum. Any bleeding beyond that point is abnormal.

There is some evidence that if you have estrogen-containing birth control, it can decrease milk supply. Actually, I had a patient in clinic recently who was seen by an attending and he started her on a progesterone only birth control so that it would not affect her milk supply. Estrogen decreases the patient's milk supply, so patients who plan to breast-feed should not be started on estrogen-containing birth control. Right after giving birth, your body has increased amounts of estrogen, so you would not start estrogen containing birth control until at least 6 weeks postpartum anyway. Increasing estrogen immediately postpartum increases risk of blood clots. For patients who plan to breastfeed and want to be on an oral contraceptive, use progesterone only oral contraceptives until she stops breastfeeding.

If the mother is breastfeeding at least every 4 hours, then this can be used for contraception. It's about 80% effective. Once baby starts sleeping through the night or once baby starts feeding more than every 4 hours, this method won't work! If you go more than 4 hours without breastfeeding, breastfeeding will not protect you from pregnancy! You can also ovulate before your menstrual period returns, so you can't say you can't get pregnant because your period has not returned yet!

I asked the attending I worked with today about how she goes about prescribing birth control. She said she will usually start with Sprintec. It's usually covered by insurance and if it's not covered, it's pretty affordable. She also said Junel is pretty well tolerated. Certain progestins in certain brands of birth control may work better for certain things like acne control, but she didn't have as much knowledge on that. I'll ask another attending again about that. I usually start people on Sprintec as well.

PCP should know that alkaline phosphatase is high in pregnant patients. It comes from the placenta. So don't be freaked out by that.

You should know HTN in pregnancy and preeclampsia workup. High BP is 140/90. Severely high BP is 160/110. Swelling occurs in many pregnant pts, but that should also alert you to start preeclampsia workup.

[Preeclampsia w/u from UpToDate:

Diagnostic evaluation

•Laboratory – Patients with suspected preeclampsia should have a complete blood count with platelets, creatinine level, liver chemistries, and determination of urinary protein excretion.

•Fetal status – Fetal status is assessed concurrently or postdiagnosis, depending on the degree of concern during maternal evaluation. At a minimum, a nonstress test or biophysical profile is performed if appropriate for gestational age. Ultrasound is used to evaluate amniotic fluid volume and estimate fetal weight, given the increased risk for oligohydramnios and growth restriction.

•Consultation with the neurology service is generally indicated in patients with neurologic deficits/abnormal neurologic examination, which may include ocular symptoms or a severe persistent headache that does not respond to initial routine management of preeclampsia.]

An important thing to review is physiology of pregnancy. Blood volume increases during pregnancy, so there are lots of new RBCs and that will throw off a HgbA1c reading, therefore HgbA1c is not measured during pregnancy and will not be accurate! My attending today told me there was a midwife who offered pts either HgbA1c or oral glucose tolerance tests to screen for gestational DM. The HgbA1c is not accurate in pregnancy, so this should not be done. That would be bad to miss a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. You have to wait until 3 months postpartum to measure HgbA1c to get an accurate reading. Had a pt who did not have a PCP prior to getting pregnant, was on insulin during the pregnancy, and after giving birth, still needs to establish with PCP for diabetes f/u. After you give birth, you insulin needs drastically change, so you don't need as much as you did when you were pregnant. So I stopped her insulin and advised that she f/u with her new PCP for diabetes care.

I still need to review fetal heart tracings. The attending today said the first thing to look at is the baseline (the baseline HR should be about 160 beats/min), then the variability, then look for accelerations and decelerations. If more than 32 weeks GA, accelerations are 15 beats/min above the baseline lasting at least 15 seconds. Early decelerations are representative of compression of the fetal head, which is normal during labor as baby moves down the pelvis/birth canal. Variable decelerations look sharper like a "V" and can represent compression of the umbilical cord. Late decelerations represent placental insufficiency.

ACOG has very helpful practice bulletins.

I can't take screen shots on my work laptop, so I'm just going to summarize gestational HTN w/u from UpToDate:

Gestational HTN: New onset of systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg on at least 2 occasions 4 hours apart after 20 weeks of gestation in a previously normotensive individual

And:

No proteinuria

No signs/symptoms of preeclampsia-related end-organ dysfunction (eg, thrombocytopenia, renal insufficiency, elevated liver transaminases, pulmonary edema, cerebral or visual symptoms)

Preeclampsia: New onset of systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg on at least 2 occasions at least 4 hours apart after 20 weeks of gestation in a previously normotensive individual. Patients with systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg should have blood pressure confirmed within a short interval (minutes) to facilitate timely administration of antihypertensive therapy.

And:

Proteinuria (≥300 mg per 24-hour urine collection [or this amount extrapolated from a timed collection], or protein:creatinine ratio ≥0.3, or urine dipstick reading ≥2+ [if other quantitative methods are not available]).

In a patient with new-onset hypertension without proteinuria, the diagnosis of preeclampsia can still be made if any features of severe disease are present.

Preeclampsia with severe features: In a patient with preeclampsia, presence of any of the following findings are features of severe disease:

Systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg on 2 occasions at least 4 hours apart (unless antihypertensive therapy is initiated before this time)

Thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/microL)

Impaired liver function as indicated by liver transaminase levels at least twice the normal concentration or severe persistent right upper quadrant or epigastric pain unresponsive to medication and not accounted for by alternative diagnoses, or both

Progressive renal insufficiency (serum creatinine concentration >1.1 mg/dL [97 micromol/L] or doubling of the serum creatinine concentration in the absence of other renal disease)

Pulmonary edema

Persistent cerebral or visual disturbances

Eclampsia: A generalized seizure in a pt with preeclampsia that cannot be attributed to other causes.

HELLP syndrome: hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets. Hypertension may be present (HELLP in such cases is often considered a variant of preeclampsia).

Chronic (pre-existing) hypertension: hypertension diagnosed or present before pregnancy or on at least 2 occasions before 20 weeks of gestation. Hypertension that is first diagnosed during pregnancy and persists for at least 12 weeks postpartum is also consider chronic hypertension.

Blood pressure criteria during pregnancy are:

Systolic ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥90 mmHg

Prepregnancy and 12 weeks postpartum blood pressure criteria are:

Stage 1 – Systolic 130 to 139 mmHg or diastolic 80 to 89 mmHg

Stage 2 – Systolic ≥140 mmHg or diastolic ≥90 mmHg

Chronic HTN with superimposed preeclampsia*:

Any of these findings in a patient with chronic hypertension:

A sudden increase in blood pressure that was previously well-controlled or an escalation of antihypertensive therapy to control blood pressure

New onset of proteinuria or a sudden increase in proteinuria in a patient with known proteinuria before or early in pregnancy

Significant new end-organ dysfunction consistent with preeclampsia after 20 weeks of gestation or postpartum

*Precise diagnosis is often challenging. High clinical suspicion is warranted given the increase in maternal and fetal-neonatal risks associated with superimposed preeclampsia.

Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia with severe features:

Any of these findings in a patient with chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia:

Systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg despite escalation of antihypertensive therapy

Thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/microL)

Impaired liver function as indicated by liver transaminase levels at least twice the normal concentration or severe persistent right upper quadrant or epigastric pain unresponsive to medication and not accounted for by alternative diagnoses, or both

New-onset or worsening renal insufficiency

Pulmonary edema

Persistent cerebral or visual disturbances

A reduction in blood pressure early in pregnancy is a normal physiologic occurrence. For this reason, women with chronic hypertension may be normotensive at their first few prenatal visits. Later in pregnancy, when their blood pressure returns to its prepregnancy baseline, they may appear to be developing preeclampsia or gestational hypertension if there are no documented prepregnancy blood pressure measurements.

BP: blood pressure.

* Blood pressure should be elevated on at least two occasions at least four hours apart. However, if systolic pressure is ≥160 mmHg or diastolic pressure is ≥110 mmHg, confirmation after a short interval, even within a few minutes, is acceptable to facilitate timely initiation of antihypertensive therapy.

¶ The onset of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension is almost always after 20 weeks of gestation. Preeclampsia before 20 weeks of gestation may be associated with a complete or partial molar pregnancy or fetal hydrops. Postpartum preeclampsia usually presents within two days of delivery. The term "delayed postpartum preeclampsia" is used for signs and symptoms of the disease leading to readmission more than two days but less than six weeks after delivery.

Δ Significant proteinuria is defined as ≥0.3 g in a 24-hour urine specimen or protein/creatinine ratio ≥0.3 (mg/mg) (34 mg/mmol) in a random urine specimen or dipstick ≥1+ if a quantitative measurement is unavailable.

◊ Almost all women with the new onset of hypertension and proteinuria at this gestational age or postpartum have preeclampsia, but a rare patient may have occult renal disease exacerbated by the physiologic changes of pregnancy. An active urine sediment (red and white cells and/or cellular casts) is consistent with a proliferative glomerular disorder but not a feature of preeclampsia. Women with chronic hypertension who had proteinuria prior to or in early pregnancy may develop superimposed preeclampsia. This can be difficult to diagnose definitively, but should be suspected when blood pressure increases significantly (especially acutely) in the last half of pregnancy/postpartum or signs/symptoms associated with the severe end of the disease spectrum develop.

§ Photopsia (flashes of light), scotomata (dark areas or gaps in the visual field), blurred vision, or temporary blindness (rare); severe headache (ie, incapacitating, "the worst headache I've ever had") or headache that persists and progresses despite analgesic therapy; altered mental status. Seizure occurrence upgrades the diagnosis to eclampsia.¥ The differential diagnosis of preeclampsia with severe features includes but is not limited to:

Antiphospholipid syndrome

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

The laboratory findings in these disorders overlap with those in preeclampsia with severe features. (Refer to table in the UpToDate topic on the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of preeclampsia.) The prepregnancy history, magnitude and spectrum of laboratory abnormalities, and additional presence of signs and symptoms not typically associated with preeclampsia help in making the correct diagnosis, which is not always possible during pregnancy.

In addition, a variety of medical disorders may be associated with hypertension and one or more of the signs and symptoms that occur in women with preeclampsia with severe features. These patients can usually be distinguished from patients with preeclampsia by taking a detailed history, performing a thorough physical examination, and obtaining relevant laboratory studies.‡ In contrast to preeclampsia, gestational hypertension is not associated with end-organ involvement, so neither proteinuria nor the symptoms or laboratory findings of preeclampsia are present.

[vohannesvotrov]

so hi good morning this is a post very outside of my normal posting but i am so mad that this is happening here now

the beginning of this story is that i am attending a virtual two-day conference regarding the implications of revising the regulatory definition of lead-based paint. and for the first presentation, there were these two graphs shown.

i got really mad because no recent study would use the words "'mentally retarded'", and so i had a feeling that this had to be outdated as all hell.

i did a deep dive into this, trying to figure out where the hell it could have come from. i found one article, paywalled of course, that referenced these conclusions, and had the same graphs but of higher quality.

these two graphs were part of Rice, D. (2020). Neurodevelopmental toxicants1. In J. Nriagu (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Environmental Health. That visual reference listed the source as being Weiss, B. (1988). Neurobehavioral toxicity as a basis for risk assessment. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 9, 59–62.

one really obvious thing that stood out to me is that this paper cited is only 3-4 pages long. there's no way this is the original study. i found the 1988 paper, which had these graphs as Figure 4. the source of this information is introduced as follows:

"A recent study^12 of lead levels in umbilical cord blood assigned children to three groups: low, medium and high, with respective means of 1.8, 6.5 and 14.5 mcg/dL. Even the high lead group fell far below the value considered to present a hazard; yet children in this group, at the age of 24 months, scored about 8% below the other children on the Mental Development Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development".

the recent study, noted as superscript 12, was Bellinger, D., Leviton. A., Watemaux, C.. Needleman. H. and Rabinowitz. M. (1987) N. Engl. i. Med. 316, 1037-1043, or "Longitudinal Analyses of Prenatal and Postnatal Lead Exposure and Early Cognitive Development". i skimmed through this study, and noted that there is no discussion of IQ, as the study utilized the Mental Development Index (MDI) for infants up to 24 months of age. MDI and IQ are not at all equivalent measures, so then were did this bitch Weiss get the conclusions on IQ?

the answer shortly follows the introduction of the data. it is that "Individual attribution of risk would not apply to this study because none of the children displayed any demonstrable deficits. Viewed in societal terms, however, the implications are compelling."

so what does this mean? that this pair of graphs from 1988 have been touted as truth, when it is merely based off of implications of societal harms that weren't even measured in the 1987 study!!!!! the conclusions of these graphs from 1988 are potentially entirely baseless, at the bare minimum because MDI is not mappable onto IQ, and even moreso, because the author just made it up!!! the bitch Weiss saw the conclusions of the 1987 study and just went "hmmm but what if society...."

[benecare-hospital]

4 Little-Known Factors That Cause high  Risk Pregnancy

Introduction

Pregnancy risk can be increased by several factors, such as pre-existing medical illnesses, the mother's age, lifestyle, and health problems that develop before or during pregnancy.

In this blog, we list a few potential causes that might lead to High-Risk Pregnancy. Since each pregnancy is unique and this list is not intended to be comprehensive, certain hazards that apply to one pregnancy might not apply to another. Women should consult a healthcare professional if they have any inquiries about their pregnancies. Following factors that might cause a high risk of pregnancy

Existing Health Condition

1. High Blood Pressure

Although having high blood pressure during pregnancy can be dangerous for both the mother and the fetus, most women with mild hypertension who do not have any other conditions have good pregnancies and births because they manage their blood pressure before becoming pregnant.

2. Diabetes

Diabetic women must control their blood sugar levels throughout pregnancy as well as before becoming pregnant. High blood sugar levels can result in birth abnormalities during the first few weeks of pregnancy, frequently before a woman even realizes she is expecting.

3. Thyroid

A little gland in the neck called the thyroid produces hormones that help regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm. A fetus who has an uncontrolled thyroid disorder, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid, may experience heart failure, poor weight gain, and issues with brain development.

Your Age

1. Young Age

Teenagers may be less likely to receive prenatal care or to keep prenatal appointments. Prenatal care is essential because it enables a healthcare professional to assess, detect, and treat risks—for example, by advising teenagers not to take specific medications during pregnancy—often before they materialize into actual issues.

2. First-time Pregnancy After Age 35

The majority of older first-time mothers have healthy pregnancies, however, evidence indicates that older women are more likely than younger women to experience several issues, such as:

Gestational hypertension, often known as gestational hypertension, and diabetes (called gestational diabetes)

loss of pregnancy16

Ectopic pregnancy, a potentially fatal condition that requires a cesarean section, occurs when the embryo is connected to tissue outside the uterus.

Lifestyle Factors

1. Alcohol Use

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy raises the baby's chance of problems like sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), and other issues. FASDs are a group of outcomes for the fetus caused by the mother's alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

2. Drug Use

According to research, using drugs and smoking marijuana while pregnant can both be harmful to the fetus and have an impact on the health of the baby. According to one study, the chance of stillbirth was increased by taking illegal drugs and marijuana.

Healthy Diet in Pregnancy

1. Eat Vegetables and Fruits 

Fruits and vegetables, particularly those that include Vitamin C and Folic Acid, supply numerous essential nutrients during pregnancy. Vitamin C, which is found in foods like broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and honeydew, is essential for pregnant women and should be consumed daily in doses of at least 70 mg.

2. Dairy products

The daily requirement for calcium to maintain pregnancy is at least 1000 mg. Calcium is crucial for healthy blood coagulation, muscle and nerve function, and the development of strong teeth and bones. If you do not get enough calcium through your food, since your developing baby needs a lot of calcium, your body will extract calcium from your bones (which can lead to future problems, such as osteoporosis).

[sweetpeamidwifery]

Midwives in Dallas, TX: Navigating Prenatal Care and Birth Planning

For many expectant parents in Dallas, TX, choosing the right birth plan and prenatal care provider is one of the most important decisions they will make during their pregnancy journey. While obstetricians remain a popular choice, midwives offer a unique, personalized approach to prenatal care and birth planning. Midwives in Dallas provide women with comprehensive, holistic care, supporting families in making informed decisions about their birth plans, whether they are planning a home birth, birth center birth, or hospital birth.

In this article, we will explore how midwives in Dallas guide expectant mothers through the prenatal care process and assist in creating a birth plan that aligns with their preferences and values. From the first prenatal visit to the final moments of labor, midwives offer continuous support, fostering a relationship of trust and empowering women to make choices that are best for their health and the well-being of their babies.

What is a Midwife and What Do They Do?

A midwife is a trained healthcare professional specializing in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care. Midwives are experts in supporting women through natural, low-intervention births and emphasizing personalized care. In Dallas, midwives are available for a range of birth settings, including home births, birth centers, and hospitals. They provide care that is holistic, focusing not only on the physical health of the mother and baby but also on the emotional and mental well-being of the family.

Midwives are trained to handle normal, low-risk pregnancies, but they are also equipped to recognize when medical intervention is necessary and can refer families to specialists or hospitals if needed. They foster a supportive, intimate environment for expectant mothers and often spend more time during prenatal visits than obstetricians, allowing for a more thorough discussion of concerns, preferences, and birth plans.

Prenatal Care with a Midwife: What to Expect

One of the key benefits of choosing a midwife Dallas TX is the personalized and holistic prenatal care that is provided throughout the pregnancy. From the early stages of pregnancy to the weeks leading up to labor, midwives offer a wealth of knowledge and hands-on support. Here’s an overview of what to expect when you choose midwifery care for your pregnancy.

1. Comprehensive Initial Assessment

The first prenatal visit with a midwife typically involves a thorough health history review, physical exam, and lab tests. Midwives take time to listen to the mother’s concerns and answer any questions she may have about the pregnancy process, birth options, and prenatal care.

During the initial assessment, midwives will check vital signs, discuss any past medical conditions, and address any concerns regarding the pregnancy. Blood tests, ultrasounds, and screenings may be performed to assess the health of both mother and baby and to identify any potential risks or complications. This initial meeting sets the foundation for the care and support that will follow.

2. Regular Prenatal Visits

Once the initial assessment is complete, midwives typically offer monthly prenatal visits during the first and second trimesters, followed by bi-weekly or weekly visits in the third trimester. These visits allow midwives to monitor the progress of the pregnancy, assess fetal development, and provide emotional and educational support.

During each prenatal visit, midwives will:

Monitor the health of the baby through routine checks, including listening to the fetal heartbeat and measuring the baby’s growth.

Check the mother’s vital signs such as blood pressure, weight, and urine to ensure that there are no signs of complications like gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.

Provide educational support on topics such as nutrition, exercise, labor techniques, and preparing for childbirth. Midwives will often educate women on how to manage discomfort, alleviate common pregnancy symptoms, and reduce stress.

Midwives often take a more holistic approach to prenatal care, discussing lifestyle factors like diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management, all of which can contribute to a healthy pregnancy and a positive birth experience.

3. Building a Birth Plan

A significant part of midwifery care is working with expectant mothers to develop a birth plan that aligns with their desires and preferences. Midwives in Dallas work closely with families to create a birth plan that reflects their values, ensuring that they are informed and empowered to make choices about how they want their birth to unfold.

A birth plan is a document that outlines a woman’s preferences for labor and delivery. This can include everything from pain management options to preferred positions for labor, who will be present at the birth, and whether they want to avoid specific medical interventions like epidurals or cesarean sections.

Midwives are particularly helpful in guiding mothers through the birth planning process by:

Explaining all options: Midwives help parents understand various birth options, including the use of pain relief techniques, water birth, and different birthing positions.

Addressing concerns: If there are any fears or anxieties about birth, midwives provide reassurance and give advice on how to manage these emotions.

Ensuring flexibility: While a birth plan is important, midwives also help families prepare for the unexpected. Birth is unpredictable, and midwives emphasize the importance of being open to changes in the plan if circumstances require it.

Midwives also take the time to discuss your options for prenatal testing, home birth vs. hospital birth, and how to handle potential complications should they arise. Having these conversations early in the pregnancy ensures that both the mother and the midwife are aligned on the expectations for the birth experience.

Birth Planning with a Midwife: Home Birth, Birth Centers, or Hospital Birth

Midwives in Dallas are trained to attend births in a variety of settings, including home births, birth centers, and hospitals. When planning your birth, your midwife Dallas TX will help guide you through the options and help you determine the best setting for your needs. Here’s an overview of what each option entails:

1. Home Births with a Midwife

For women who want the most intimate, low-intervention birth experience, a home birth with a midwife may be the ideal choice. Home births allow women to labor in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by loved ones, and without the constraints of a hospital environment.

Midwives provide all the necessary equipment for a home birth, monitor the progress of labor, and assist with delivery. In the event of complications, they are trained to transfer to the hospital if needed. Midwives also offer postpartum care, ensuring the health of both mother and baby after the birth.

2. Birth Centers

Birth centers are a great option for women who want a natural birth but feel more comfortable being outside of the home. Birth centers offer a home-like environment with medical support available if necessary. They are often equipped with birthing tubs, comfortable beds, and other amenities that promote relaxation during labor.

Midwives in Dallas who attend birth center births ensure that mothers receive personalized care while having access to necessary medical resources. Birth centers often have a more relaxed atmosphere compared to hospitals, allowing women to move freely and labor at their own pace.

3. Hospital Births

Some women in Dallas may prefer to give birth in a hospital where they can have access to more immediate medical interventions, such as pain relief options or emergency cesarean sections if needed. Midwives can support natural childbirth in a hospital setting, advocating for the mother’s birth preferences while ensuring that hospital policies are followed.

Midwives who attend hospital births in Dallas offer a supportive role, helping to facilitate a natural birth experience within the medical environment. They work with the hospital staff to ensure that the birth plan is respected while maintaining a safe and healthy environment for both mother and baby.

Why Choose a Midwife for Prenatal Care and Birth Planning?

Choosing a midwife Dallas TX for prenatal care and birth planning offers numerous benefits, including:

Personalized, Holistic Care: Midwives provide comprehensive care that considers not just the physical health of the mother and baby but also emotional well-being and family dynamics.

Increased Birth Satisfaction: Studies show that women who choose midwifery care are more likely to have a positive birth experience, feeling empowered and in control of the process.

Greater Birth Options: Midwives support women in making informed decisions about their birth options, whether they choose a home birth, birth center, or hospital birth.

Continuity of Care: Midwives often provide continuous care throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, offering consistent support and building a trusting relationship with the family.

Conclusion

Midwives in Dallas, TX, provide comprehensive prenatal care and birth planning support that focuses on empowering women, building trust, and promoting a positive, low-intervention birth experience. From the first prenatal visit to creating a birth plan and navigating birth options, midwives ensure that expectant parents are well-informed, supported, and confident in their choices. Whether you’re planning a home birth, birth center birth, or hospital birth, working with a midwife allows you to have a personalized, holistic experience that aligns with your desires and values for childbirth.

[healthcarefuture]

Innovations Transforming the Prenatal Diagnostics Market Landscape

Prenatal Diagnostics refers to a range of medical tests and procedures conducted during pregnancy to assess the health of the fetus. The primary goal is to detect any genetic abnormalities, chromosomal disorders, or other potential health issues early on, enabling parents and healthcare providers to make informed decisions about care. These diagnostics are essential for ensuring the well-being of both the mother and the baby, offering insights into conditions like Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, neural tube defects, and other congenital anomalies.

The Prenatal Diagnostics Market Size was projected to reach 16.02 billion USD in 2022, according to MRFR analysis. By 2032, the prenatal diagnostics market is projected to have grown from 16.79 billion USD in 2023 to 25.7 billion USD. Over the course of the forecast period (2024–2032), the prenatal diagnostics market is anticipated to develop at a CAGR of approximately 4.84%.

Prenatal diagnostics can be broadly classified into screening tests and diagnostic tests. Screening tests, such as blood tests and ultrasounds, are non-invasive and provide an assessment of the risk of certain conditions. In contrast, diagnostic tests like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) are more invasive but provide definitive information about genetic abnormalities.

Size and Share of the Prenatal Diagnostics Market

The Prenatal Diagnostics market has experienced significant growth over the past decade and is projected to continue expanding. As of recent reports, the global market size was estimated at over USD 5 billion in 2023, with an anticipated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 10% from 2024 to 2030. The increasing demand for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), advancements in genetic screening technologies, and rising awareness about prenatal health are major factors driving this growth.

North America holds the largest market share due to advanced healthcare infrastructure, high adoption rates of prenatal testing, and robust healthcare policies. Europe follows closely, with increasing government support for early genetic testing and a growing aging maternal population. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest growth due to rising healthcare investments, improving diagnostic capabilities, and an increasing number of pregnancies in countries like India and China.

Prenatal Diagnostics Analysis

The Prenatal Diagnostics market analysis reveals a dynamic landscape characterized by rapid technological advancements, increasing consumer awareness, and a focus on non-invasive testing methods. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has emerged as a game-changer, offering a safer, more accessible option for detecting chromosomal abnormalities. The test analyzes cell-free fetal DNA circulating in the maternal blood to identify potential genetic conditions, making it less risky than invasive methods like amniocentesis.

Technological innovations, such as the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, have enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of prenatal tests. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in data analysis is further improving the reliability of diagnostic results, reducing false positives, and enabling personalized risk assessments.

Furthermore, regulatory approvals and increasing investment in research and development (R&D) are driving market growth. Companies are investing in developing cost-effective, efficient, and less invasive diagnostic solutions, catering to the rising demand from expecting parents.

Prenatal Diagnostics Trends

Several key trends are shaping the Prenatal Diagnostics market:

Rising Demand for Non-Invasive Testing: With the increasing awareness of the risks associated with invasive procedures, there is a growing preference for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which poses no risk to the fetus and offers early detection of chromosomal abnormalities.

Technological Advancements: The adoption of advanced genetic sequencing technologies, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray analysis, is enhancing the accuracy and scope of prenatal diagnostics. These technologies allow for more detailed genetic profiling, improving diagnostic outcomes.

Increased Awareness and Early Detection: Public health initiatives and educational campaigns are raising awareness about the importance of prenatal care, leading to higher adoption rates of prenatal diagnostic tests. Early detection enables timely interventions, improving maternal and fetal outcomes.

Integration of AI and Machine Learning: The application of AI in prenatal diagnostics is streamlining the interpretation of complex genetic data, reducing human error, and enabling more precise risk stratification. AI algorithms are improving diagnostic accuracy, particularly in complex cases with ambiguous results.

Expansion in Emerging Markets: The growing healthcare infrastructure in emerging markets, coupled with rising disposable income and increased awareness about prenatal care, is driving the adoption of prenatal diagnostic tests in these regions.

Reasons to Buy Prenatal Diagnostics Market Reports

Comprehensive Market Insights: Obtain a detailed analysis of the Prenatal Diagnostics market, including size, share, growth potential, and competitive landscape, to make informed business decisions.

Up-to-Date Market Trends: Stay updated on the latest technological advancements, emerging trends, and regulatory developments shaping the prenatal diagnostics industry.

Strategic Planning: Gain insights into key growth drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the market to develop effective business strategies and investment plans.

Competitive Analysis: Understand the competitive landscape, including key players, their market strategies, and innovations, to identify potential partnerships or areas for investment.

Market Forecast and Predictions: Access accurate market forecasts to anticipate future developments and adjust business strategies accordingly.

Recent Developments in Prenatal Diagnostics

Advancement in NIPT Technology: Companies have been developing advanced NIPT solutions that offer higher sensitivity and specificity, reducing the need for follow-up invasive testing.

Regulatory Approvals: Recent approvals by regulatory bodies like the FDA have expanded the use of certain prenatal tests, making them more widely available and reliable for detecting a broader range of genetic disorders.

AI Integration: The integration of AI in prenatal diagnostics is enhancing data analysis capabilities, providing more accurate and timely results to healthcare providers and patients.

Expansion into Emerging Markets: Major players are increasingly investing in emerging markets to tap into the growing demand for prenatal diagnostics, driven by rising healthcare awareness and improved medical infrastructure.

Collaborations and Partnerships: Key industry players are forming strategic collaborations with biotech companies and research institutions to advance prenatal diagnostic technologies and expand their product offerings.

The Prenatal Diagnostics market is poised for substantial growth as innovations continue to enhance the accuracy, accessibility, and safety of prenatal testing, ultimately improving maternal and fetal health outcomes.

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[shubhragoyal]

Pre-Pregnancy Counseling: A Stepping Stone to Parenthood

Do you have a baby bump? Yes! Then, before you jump in the air with joy, you should take a look at pregnancy counseling, because expecting a baby requires a lot of acceptance and awareness, and that makes it a stepping stone to parenthood, a path of responsibility and mindfulness.

Pre-pregnancy counseling is a motto that pre-empts the certain risk factors pertaining a women’s, the fetus and neonatal health from entering an unfavorable phase. The one-to-one interaction with the professional can be a great aide in optimizing the health care of mother and child, which also extends to the family ties, as their care is invested from the first days.

Education about the pregnancy journey in pre-pregnancy course is open to all genders, sexualities and parents, as they offer a holistic approach to better parenting. Regardless of whether you are planning a pregnancy or using contraception, the pre-pregnancy counseling is applicable to both parties.

As the saying goes, health status can't be the same forever, over growing time potential risks can occur anytime. Thus, pre-pregnancy counseling does not last for a day, but it occurs several times for ensuring a healthy and happy baby journey!

Day in and out whenever an expectant mother gets counselled, fresh knowledge is added to her advantage for handling the situation. There is a certainty of several chronic conditions viz; diabetes, hypertension, thyroid and mental health require monitoring during pre-pregnancy for a desirable outcome.

In the pre-pregnancy counseling sessions, a crucial assessment for examining STDs is a must with a vivid screening for any probable genetic conditions that might pass down to the life growing inside.

The other important matter of concern here is to debrief on possible strong addictions namely, liquor, nicotine consumption, drugs or any other medicines taken for some underlining or nonmedical reasons.

There is also a significant survey conducted on partner violence during intimacy during prepregnancy counseling as it has entirely a direct impact on the mother and child both.

The expert guidance - Suggestions from the desk of the American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists

The ACOG institute emphasizes the opportunity to stroke the iron hard and discuss overall wellness, and healthy habits as a routine irrespective of the patient for a successful outcome.

“Would you like to become pregnant next year?” Serves the purpose, of the right to speak out one's heart for suitable guidance without coyness.

The goal of prepregnancy counseling is to ensure a pregnancy that is away from the instructions and if any challenges occur one has the tact to handle it with expert guidance.

An annual influenza inoculation is mandatory for every patient unbiased as it is for additional benefit.

Prepregnancy is not limited to basic health checkups and discussions a patient's lifestyle and underlining conditions are crucial to tap on! If discovered to be a specific virus prone or any infection or allergies due to climate/ certain food types must be cautioned beforehand as travelling is a massive no.

Appropriate nourishment and vitamins are so significant for a healthy pregnancy tenure. Always fall back on your medical adviser for the proportion of food intake that suits your body the best during the prepregnancy period.

Read More: https://www.drshubhragoyal.com/welcome/blogs/pre-pregnancy-counseling:-a-stepping-stone-to-parenthood

[doctorrupalichadha]

Expert Women’s Health Care: Meet Dr. Rupali Chadha, the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi

When it comes to women’s health, choosing a trusted and highly skilled gynecologist is crucial. Dr. Rupali Chadha, widely regarded as the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi, is at the forefront of women’s health care, offering comprehensive, compassionate, and expert services to her patients. With extensive training, years of experience, and a commitment to patient-centered care, Dr. Chadha has become a go-to specialist for women in Delhi and beyond. Here, we provide an in-depth look into why Dr. Rupali Chadha is recognized as one of the leading experts in gynecology, obstetrics, and overall women’s health care.

Who Is Dr. Rupali Chadha?

Dr. Rupali Chadha is a renowned gynecologist based in South Delhi, known for her expertise and dedication to improving women’s health at every stage of life. From adolescence through menopause and beyond, she offers an array of services designed to cater to the unique health needs of women. Her reputation as the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi is built on her profound medical knowledge, compassionate approach, and patient-centric philosophy that makes her stand out among her peers.

Also Know About, PCOS Doctor in Delhi

Services Offered by the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi

Dr. Rupali Chadha provides a full spectrum of gynecological and obstetric services, tailored to each patient’s needs. Here’s an overview of the specialized care you can expect:

1. Comprehensive Prenatal and Postnatal Care

Dr. Sanchayan Chadha ensures that every mother-to-be receives thorough and attentive care throughout her pregnancy. From initial checkups to delivery and postnatal support, her prenatal and postnatal care services are structured to promote the best possible outcomes for both mother and baby.

High-Risk Pregnancy Management Dr. Chadha has specialized training in managing high-risk pregnancies, helping expectant mothers navigate potential complications with confidence and care.

Prenatal Ultrasound and Testing Utilizing advanced technology, Dr. Chadha performs detailed ultrasounds and necessary prenatal tests to monitor the health and development of the baby.

2. Routine Gynecological Examinations and Preventive Care

As the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi, Dr. Chadha is committed to helping women prioritize their reproductive health. Regular check-ups and preventive screenings can catch potential issues early on, ensuring women stay healthy and informed about their bodies.

Pap Smears and HPV Testing Dr. Chadha offers Pap smears and HPV testing to screen for cervical cancer, helping patients detect any abnormalities early.

Breast Examinations and Mammography Referrals Regular breast exams are part of routine care, and Dr. Chadha refers patients for mammograms if needed, helping in early detection of breast cancer.

3. Menstrual Health and Hormonal Management

Many women face challenges related to menstrual health and hormonal imbalances, which can significantly impact their quality of life. Dr. Chadha provides compassionate care and effective solutions for issues such as irregular periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis.

PCOS Diagnosis and Treatment Dr. Chadha is experienced in diagnosing and managing PCOS, a condition affecting many women of reproductive age. Her approach includes lifestyle guidance, medication, and hormone therapy where needed.

Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Management For women experiencing endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain, Dr. Chadha offers advanced treatment options aimed at relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.

4. Fertility Counseling and Reproductive Assistance

Understanding the complexities of fertility can be overwhelming. Dr. Rupali Chadha’s expertise in reproductive health has made her a trusted resource for couples experiencing fertility challenges.

Fertility Assessments and Treatments Dr. Chadha offers fertility assessments, advising on potential treatments to help couples achieve their family goals.

Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) Working closely with fertility clinics, she supports patients through various ART options, providing guidance and emotional support at every step.

5. Menopausal Care and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Menopause can bring about significant changes in a woman’s life. Dr. Chadha provides empathetic care and effective treatment options to manage symptoms of menopause, helping women transition smoothly.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) For those seeking relief from menopausal symptoms, Dr. Chadha offers hormone replacement therapy, tailored to each woman’s needs and health considerations.

Lifestyle and Nutritional Guidance In addition to medical treatment, Dr. Chadha advises on lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments that can alleviate menopausal symptoms and promote overall well-being.

Why Choose Dr. Rupali Chadha, the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi?

Experienced and Qualified Specialist

Dr. Rupali Chadha has earned her reputation as the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi due to her vast knowledge, experience, and commitment to staying current with the latest advancements in gynecology and obstetrics. Her qualifications and dedication to continued learning enable her to offer her patients the highest standard of care.

Patient-Centric Approach

Dr. Chadha’s philosophy is centered around understanding and empathizing with her patients. She believes in open communication, actively listens to her patients’ concerns, and ensures they are involved in every step of their treatment.

State-of-the-Art Facilities and Advanced Treatment Options

Located in a modern, well-equipped facility, Dr. Chadha’s clinic utilizes advanced medical technology and equipment, ensuring her patients receive top-tier care. From diagnostic tools to minimally invasive surgical options, her clinic is equipped to handle a wide range of gynecological conditions.

Holistic and Compassionate Care

Dr. Chadha’s compassionate approach is what makes her stand out as the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi. She understands that women’s health care is not just about treating physical symptoms but also about addressing emotional and psychological needs. This holistic approach is why so many women in Delhi and beyond choose her as their trusted health care provider.

Testimonials: Patients’ Experiences with the Best Gynecologist Doctor in Delhi

Many patients have shared their positive experiences under Dr. Rupali Chadha’s care. Testimonials often highlight her empathy, thoroughness, and the comfort she provides her patients through clear communication and reassurance. These stories underscore her reputation as a top gynecologist who makes a profound difference in her patients’ lives.

How to Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Rupali Chadha

Booking an appointment with Dr. Chadha is straightforward. Her clinic’s team is known for being responsive, ensuring every patient feels welcomed and cared for from the moment they call. As the Also Best PCOS Doctor in Delhi, Dr. Chadha is dedicated to offering convenient appointment times to suit her patients’ schedules.

Whether you’re seeking routine gynecological care, planning for a family, or facing menopausal challenges, Dr. Rupali Chadha is here to provide expert, compassionate support. Her dedication to women’s health and commitment to excellence make her the preferred choice for countless women in Delhi.

Get more information:

Name: Dr. Rupali Chadha

Phone No:. 8826008865

Address: B-404, LGF, B Block, Bipin Chandra Pal Marg, next to Bangiya Samaj, Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi, Delhi 110019

Website: https://drrupalichadha.com/

Direction: https://goo.gl/maps/u9p5uQdEzFZRyrPM6?coh=178571&entry=tt

[marketsupdates78]

What is Obstetrics And Best Gynecologist

What is Obstetrics?

Obstetrics is a medical specialty that focuses on the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It involves the monitoring of the health of the mother and the developing fetus, as well as managing labor and delivery. Obstetricians are trained to handle a variety of issues related to pregnancy and childbirth, including:

Prenatal Care: Regular check-ups and screenings during pregnancy to ensure the health of both mother and baby.

Labor and Delivery: Managing the childbirth process, including both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.

Postpartum Care: Providing care and support for the mother after delivery, including monitoring recovery and addressing any complications.

High-Risk Pregnancies: Managing pregnancies that have increased risks due to health issues, multiple births, or other factors.

What is Gynecology?

Gynecology is a medical specialty that focuses on the female reproductive system, encompassing a range of issues from puberty through menopause and beyond. Gynecologists are responsible for:

Routine Examinations: Conducting annual pelvic exams and Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer and other conditions.

Menstrual Disorders: Diagnosing and treating irregular periods, PMS, and other menstrual issues.

Reproductive Health: Addressing issues related to contraception, infertility, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Menopause Management: Providing care and treatment for symptoms related to menopause.

Best Gynecologist

Finding the best gynecologist can vary depending on personal needs, preferences, and location. Here are some tips to consider when searching for a top gynecologist:

Qualifications and Experience: Look for a board-certified gynecologist with relevant experience, particularly in areas of concern for you (e.g., fertility, menopause, etc.).

Recommendations: Ask for referrals from friends, family, or primary care physicians. Online reviews and ratings can also provide insight into patient experiences.

Communication Style: It’s important to choose a gynecologist with whom you feel comfortable discussing sensitive health issues. Consider scheduling a consultation to assess their communication style.

Specialization: Some gynecologists specialize in specific areas, such as reproductive endocrinology, oncology, or maternal-fetal medicine. If you have specific needs, ensure the doctor has the relevant expertise.

Hospital Affiliations: Check the hospitals where the gynecologist is affiliated. Quality hospitals often reflect the standard of care you can expect.

Accessibility: Consider the location of the practice, availability for appointments, and whether they accept your insurance.

Follow-Up Care: A good gynecologist will provide clear information about follow-up care, tests, and any necessary treatments.

Conclusion

Obstetrics and gynecology are crucial fields dedicated to women’s health, covering everything from reproductive health to pregnancy and childbirth. Finding the best gynecologist involves considering qualifications, experience, and personal comfort. With the right provider, women can receive comprehensive care tailored to their unique health needs.

[industrynewsupdates]

Understanding Preimplantation Genetic Testing Market: Trends and Insights

The global preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) market was estimated to be valued at USD 802.2 million in 2023, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2024 to 2030. This growth is largely driven by the increasing prevalence of single-gene, mitochondrial, and other genetic disorders, which is anticipated to elevate the demand for preimplantation diagnostic and screening processes in the upcoming years. According to the Florida Department of Health, around one in every 33 babies born in the U.S. is affected by a congenital disability, resulting in nearly 120,000 affected infants annually. As new testing options are introduced, demand for these services is expected to rise. For instance, in July 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. launched two next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based tests specifically designed for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

The integration of aneuploidy screening in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has significantly enhanced in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. By utilizing aneuploidy testing in IVF centers, healthcare providers can identify embryos with chromosomal abnormalities, which leads to improved pregnancy success rates. Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) assesses embryos for chromosomal integrity, ensuring they possess the correct number of chromosomes. The benefits of PGT-A—such as higher chances of pregnancy, lower miscarriage rates, and fewer IVF cycles required to achieve a successful pregnancy—are expected to further stimulate the adoption of these tests in the forecast period.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Preimplantation Genetic Testing Market

Industry Dynamics

The preimplantation genetic testing market has experienced considerable innovation, marked by advancements like PGT-A and PGT-M. These developments enhance diagnostic accuracy, mitigate risks, and improve pregnancy success rates, which collectively drive market expansion and deliver better outcomes for individuals dealing with genetic and fertility challenges.

The market landscape is characterized by key players who engage in moderate levels of product launches and merger and acquisition (M&A) activities. Companies are increasingly consolidating their resources to harness advanced technologies, broaden their market presence, and enhance their service offerings. This trend is instrumental in fostering growth and innovation within the sector, ultimately improving outcomes for patients seeking genetic and fertility solutions.

Regulatory frameworks play a significant role in shaping the preimplantation genetic testing market, ensuring that safety, efficacy, and ethical standards are maintained. Stringent regulations govern the development and implementation of testing procedures, thereby building trust among patients and healthcare practitioners. However, the complexity of these regulations can also present challenges for market entry and innovation, potentially affecting the speed of technological advancements.

In terms of alternatives, the preimplantation genetic testing market faces competition from traditional prenatal diagnostic methods, such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Unlike PGT, these conventional methods assess genetic disorders only after pregnancy has been established, which can lead to difficult choices if abnormalities are detected. While these alternatives provide diagnostic options, they do not offer the early intervention advantages that PGT presents.

Order a free sample PDF of the Preimplantation Genetic Testing Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[drpoonamgoyal]

Best Doctor for Fetal Scan in Delhi: Dr. Poonam Goyal

When it comes to prenatal care, selecting the right doctor for fetal scans is critical for expecting parents. If you're searching for the best doctor for fetal scan in Delhi, look no further than Dr. Poonam Goyal. With a stellar reputation in fetal medicine and advanced ultrasound techniques, Dr. Goyal offers expertise that can make all the difference during your pregnancy journey. Let’s dive into why fetal scans are essential and why Dr. Poonam Goyal is a trusted name among parents-to-be.

Why Fetal Scans are Essential During Pregnancy

Fetal scans, also known as prenatal ultrasounds, are vital diagnostic tools that provide a clear picture of your baby’s health before birth. These scans help in:

Monitoring Development: Tracking the baby’s growth, structure, and organ development ensures they are progressing healthily.

Identifying Anomalies Early: Early detection of potential abnormalities allows parents and doctors to make informed decisions about any necessary medical interventions.

Detecting Multiple Pregnancies: Fetal scans confirm the number of fetuses and ensure each is developing well.

Locating the Placenta: This check ensures the placenta is in the correct position, minimizing delivery risks.

Choosing the best doctor for fetal scan in Delhi means ensuring accurate results, clear guidance, and expert insights. Dr. Poonam Goyal stands out as a leading choice, thanks to her advanced skill set and compassionate approach.

Why Dr. Poonam Goyal is the Best Doctor for Fetal Scan in Delhi

With years of experience in fetal medicine, Dr. Poonam Goyal has earned the trust of countless families across Delhi and beyond. Here are a few reasons why parents-to-be choose her:

Advanced Imaging Technology: Dr. Poonam Goyal uses state-of-the-art imaging technology that provides high-definition scans, helping in the accurate diagnosis of fetal health and development.

Comprehensive Experience: As an experienced practitioner, Dr. Goyal is well-versed in assessing fetal health and addressing complex cases, giving her an edge in recognizing even the slightest of concerns early on.

Holistic Care: Dr. Poonam Goyal takes a comprehensive approach to prenatal care, ensuring you and your baby receive well-rounded support. Her guidance extends beyond scans to include advice on nutrition, lifestyle, and emotional well-being.

Empathetic and Personalized Service: Dr. Goyal’s patients appreciate her caring and empathetic approach. She takes time to address each patient’s concerns, answer questions, and provide personalized advice for a stress-free pregnancy.

Fetal Scans Offered by Dr. Poonam Goyal

Dr. Poonam Goyal’s clinic in Delhi provides a full range of fetal scans, including:

First-Trimester Screening: To confirm pregnancy, determine the due date, and assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities.

Anomaly Scan (18-22 weeks): A detailed scan to check the baby’s organs and physical structures.

Growth Scan: Typically done later in pregnancy to ensure the baby is growing as expected.

Doppler Ultrasound: To measure blood flow, ensuring that the baby receives adequate oxygen and nutrients.

Each scan is performed with precision and care, ensuring you have peace of mind and a clear understanding of your baby’s health.

What to Expect During Your Fetal Scan Appointment

During your visit, Dr. Poonam Goyal will walk you through each step of the scan process, explaining the findings in simple terms. You’ll leave with high-quality images and a clear report, along with Dr. Goyal’s recommendations for any follow-up steps. This dedicated attention to detail and clarity is why she’s regarded as the best doctor for fetal scan in Delhi.

Schedule Your Fetal Scan with Dr. Poonam Goyal Today

If you’re expecting and want to ensure the best possible prenatal care, book an appointment with Dr. Poonam Goyal—the best doctor for fetal scan in Delhi. With her professional expertise and compassionate approach, you’ll be in good hands as you look forward to meeting your little one.

For more information or to schedule your appointment, visit Dr. Poonam Goyal’s clinic in Delhi. Take the first step towards a safe and healthy pregnancy journey with the best in fetal care.