Free Republic

From 2021 to 2022, abortions, not screenings, made up approximately 97 percent of Planned Parenthood’s ‘pregnancy resolution services.’Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortion provider in the nation, wants Congress, its donors, and its allies in the corporate media to believe that its existence is necessary to deliver health care to women in need. A new analysis from the Charlotte Lozier Institute, however, found that community health-care centers with resources devoted to women’s health instead of prioritizing abortion outnumber Planned Parenthood locations 15 to one.The researchers found that 5,500 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) across the U.S. provide a “full range of...

In the biblical stories of barren women, maternity is further complicated in order to heighten the drama of the arrival of the promised son, emphasizing the divine role in conception and birth. In the case of the patriarchal stories in Genesis, the matriarchs’ barrenness emphasizes that it is God who disrupts continuity, in the transition from one generation to the next, and then selects the true heir to the covenant… There are six barren women in the Bible: three of the four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel) in Genesis; Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2); the anonymous...

It’s high time for Protestant denominations to take a firm and authoritative stance on reproductive technology. Since the birth of “Baby M” by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, reproductive technologies have outpaced public understanding, policy development, and theological reflection...By 2030, it is likely that they will be well on their way to developing artificial wombs for conception through birth. American Evangelicals haven’t kept up. Indeed, most Protestant denominations in our country still lack a biblically informed stance on childbearing, infertility, and the most basic reproductive technology, such as IVF, surrogacy, and stem cell research. Even fewer have a coherent...

Mamamia spoke to six women about their experiences giving birth in seven different countries, where expectations around pregnancy, birth and postpartum care were distinctly unique. Simone is an Australian who moved to LA with her husband and two dogs for a planned two-year work (and life) adventure. They returned home eight years and two babies later. ‘In America, they allow you one or two nights in hospital but that’s it. You’re out,’ This was pretty much the opposite of Jodie’s experience in Tel Aviv, Israel where she had her first two babies. ‘They had a health centre dedicated to pre-natal...

In 2022 there were approximately 22 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the United States — far above rates for other high-income countries. U.S. maternal mortality is lowest for Asian American women and highest for Black women. Maternal death rates increased in Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.S. during the height of the pandemic, between 2020 and 2021. In Chile, Norway, and the U.S., where 2022 data are available, maternal death rates have begun to decline. Nearly two of three maternal deaths in the U.S. occur during the postpartum period, up to 42 days following birth. Compared...

Global Market Insights estimates the surrogacy market will grow from $14 billion in 2022 to $129 billion by 2032. One of the forms of surrogacy is known as gestational surrogacy, which is when a woman carries a baby that she's not genetically related to for another person. Atrium Health CMC’s Women’s Institute Medical Director and Director of Fertility Preservation Dr. Michelle Matthews said in the past 20 years gestational surrogacy is used more often for family building. “Women are waiting until they’re older to have children, so as we wait until we get older, we can have more gynecologic conditions...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., spoke out Sunday to deny rumors spread on social media that she was expecting a baby. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, took to her Instagram story to blame what some believed was her pregnant appearance on extra portions eaten on Thanksgiving.Responding to a commenter who said she was “glowing,” the progressive Democrat revealed that a Republican congressman recently asked her the same pregnancy question on the House floor.“Everyone keeps asking me if I’m pregnant. Actually, a member, a Republican came to me on the floor this week and asked me if I was pregnant,” she said in a video....

ALBANY, N.Y. (WCAX) - New York on Jan. 1 will become the first state to require employers to provide up to 20 hours of paid time off during pregnancy. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the goal of the program is to make sure expecting mothers don’t have to decide between losing pay and missing appointments. “That means they can not be missing the prenatal appointments — which are so important for a mom’s health to keep a regularly scheduled appointment with her doctor to make sure that if anything is going wrong with her health or the baby’s, they’re...

New research reveals that many prenatal vitamins don't contain enough of the nutrients that are essential for a healthy pregnancy, while others contain harmful levels of toxic metals. The researchers tested a sample of 47 different prenatal vitamins (32 nonprescription and 15 prescription products) bought from online and local stores where people commonly shop. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends dietary reference intakes for choline at 450 mg/day during pregnancy and 550 mg/day during lactation, with a tolerable upper limit of 3,500 mg/day. For iodine, the recommended dietary reference intake for females aged 19 and...

Pregnancy triggers vast changes in a woman's body — hormonal, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and more. And, as a new study reveals, the brain undergoes major changes too, some fleeting and others more enduring. Researchers said on Monday (Sept 16) they have for the first time mapped the changes that unfold as a woman's brain reorganises in response to pregnancy, based on scans carried out 26 times starting three weeks before conception, through nine months of pregnancy and then two years postpartum. The study documented a widespread decrease in the volume of cortical grey matter, the wrinkled area that comprises...

Light smoking is also tied to poor birth outcomes, even if the mother quits during pregnancy. Smoking even one or two cigarettes a day before or during pregnancy can lead to serious health problems for newborns, according to a new analysis of more than 12 million families. Globally, an estimated 1.7 per cent of pregnant women smoke, though that rate is 8.1 per cent in Europe and 5.9 per cent in the Americas. Smoking during pregnancy can negatively affect the newborn’s health, increasing their risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, restricted infant growth, and death. In the study, which...

Chemicals commonly found in sunscreen, makeup and other personal care products could be putting pregnancies at risk, a new study warns. Phenols and parabens in these products increase a pregnant woman's risk of high blood pressure by 57%, particularly at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, researchers reported. Phenols and parabens are used as UV filters in sunscreens, and to prevent the growth of harmful mold and bacteria in makeup and cosmetics, researchers said. Parabens alone are used in about 80% of personal care products, the research team said in background notes. For the study, researchers tracked the health of...

People with higher intakes of calcium and zinc before pregnancy appear to have a significantly lower risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), according to research. Liping Lu, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues used data from 7,737 pregnant women without chronic hypertension participating in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be to assess the association between preconceptional calcium intake (three months before pregnancy) and odds of HDP. There was a modest inverse association between energy density-adjusted calcium intake and HDP when adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, clinical, and other dietary factors. The odds of HDP were 21 percent lower for participants in...

Last night at the ESPY Awards, tennis star Serena Williams took a pointed jab at Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. After her sister and fellow tennis star Venus Williams said, “Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” Serena Williams chimed in, “Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you.” Butker attended the awards, which are hosted by ESPN. After Serena Williams’ comment, “Elementary” star Quinta Brunson added, “At all. Like, ever.” But while Butker’s remarks about the value of women who choose to be homemakers stirred plenty of controversy in...

Florida will soon launch new pregnancy and parenting website, thanks to the passage of HB-415, which took effect July 1. The website will be run by the Florida Department of Health, in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Health Care Administration. It will include educational materials on pregnancy and parenting, mentorship programs for fathers, adoption services, and financial assistance, along with other information. Included within the legislation was $466,000 for a third party to develop the website. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Berny Jacques, passed in May mostly along party lines, as many...

Are ectopic pregnancies increasing? A notable increase in the number of women seeking emergency care for ectopic pregnancies is causing obstetricians and emergency room physicians to take notice. A recent large-scale study of nearly one million pregnancies over a decade found “significant increase” in ectopic pregnancies. The study confirmed ectopic pregnancy remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States. In addition to highest trends for younger women, the incidence was particularly higher for mothers over 40 years in age and non-Hispanic Black women. * 2006–2010: The rate of ectopic pregnancy diagnoses per 1,000 pregnancies increased...

People with higher intakes of calcium and zinc in the three months before they conceived were significantly less likely to suffer hypertensive disorders during their pregnancy compared with those who had lower intakes of these essential minerals, according to new research. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most common disorders of pregnancy and can harm both the pregnant person and the developing fetus. Considering the potential adverse effects of antihypertensive medications during pregnancy, researchers have focused on opportunities to prevent dangerous hypertension-related disorders such as pre-eclampsia through modifiable factors like nutrition. The researchers conducted two separate studies...

New York Attorney General Letitia James has already lost the first battle in corut after she tried to shut down pro-life pregnancy centers. The New York attorney general is facing multiple lawsuits for using her power to censor pro-life pregnancy centers because they tell women about the option of using progesterone for abortion pill reversal. Progesterone is a safe and naturally occurring hormone that can be used to counteract the life-ending effects of abortion drugs. James recently sued 11 faith-based pro-life pregnancy centers and a network of affiliated centers in the state, alleging—despite evidence to the contrary—that the centers are...

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama introduced a bill today that would require child support throughout pregnancy and create a clearinghouse of adoption and anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers to combat decreasing birth rates. Britt introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act (MOMS Act) alongside co-sponsors Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Britt said the bill is an effort to strengthen support for pregnant women and new moms. “This legislation is further evidence that you can absolutely be pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family at the same time,” Britt said. “The MOMS Act advances a comprehensive culture of...

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom released an ad on Sunday showing Alabama police forcing young women to undergo pregnancy tests. “Alabama’s abortion ban has no exceptions for rape or incest. Now, Republicans are trying to criminalize young women’s travel to receive abortion care. We cannot let them get away with this,” Newsom said on X as he shared the video.