Pregnancy-related deaths rise in California, but state officials have held onto report. The mortality rate of California women who die from causes directly related to pregnancy has nearly tripled in the past decade, prompting doctors to worry about the dangers of obesity in expectant mothers and about medical complications of cesarean sections. (click to read full article)

The boom in unnecessary surgeries is jeopardizing women’s health, the U.N. health agency warned in the report published online Tuesday in the medical journal The Lancet.

Unnecessary C-sections are costlier than natural births and raise the risk of complications for the mother, said the report surveying nine Asian nations. It noted C-sections have reached “epidemic proportions” in many countries worldwide…(click to read article)

For the second straight year, the U.S. earned dismal marks in its effort to reduce the national rate of premature births. The March of Dimes, which issues an annual state-by-state report card on the problem, gave the U.S. an overall D on Monday…(from Time.com)

For Release: August 21, 2009
* Recommendations Relax on Liquid Intake during Labor *

*Washington, DC* — Women in labor may be allowed to quench their thirst
with more than just the standard allowance of ice chips, according to a new
Committee Opinion released today from The American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists (ACOG) and published in the September issue of *Obstetrics
& Gynecology*. Although the guidelines on prohibiting solid food while in
labor or before scheduled cesarean surgery remain the same, ACOG says that
women with uncomplicated labor, as well as uncomplicated patients undergoing
a planned cesarean, may drink modest amounts of clear liquids during labor
if they wish….

“As you know, getting materity health insurance is difficult, particularly if you’re already pregnant. Fortunately, there are options available.

Here are some programs providing low cost maternity insurance in California that can help you get adequate coverage during your pregnancy and beyond.”