Your doctor or midwife may recommend a variety of different screenings, tests, and imaging techniques throughout your pregnancy. Certain routine procedures (especially those that are noninvasive and low-risk) are offered to most pregnant people but others are generally only recommended if you have certain risk factors that may affect your health or your baby's health. Ask your doctor to explain the tests in detail to make sure you have as much information as possible to help guide your decision. For example, ask your doctor why he or she is recommending this specific test and what it will tell you. Make sure to ask which tests will give definitive answers and which are simply indicators. You may also want to ask about the accuracy of the test. Prenatal screening, like most medical testing, is not perfect. The rate of inaccurate results, known as false-negatives or false-positives, varies from test to test. Increasingly, all pregnant people, regardless of age or risk factors, are offered prenatal genetic testing. A genetic counselor is trained to help you understand how genes can affect your baby's health, including the risks of certain birth defects, chromosomal conditions, and other medical conditions that may run in your family. Certain prenatal tests, such as an ultrasound (which uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of your baby), have no known risks. Other tests, such as amniocentesis, carry a slight risk of miscarriage. Make sure to speak to your doctor about the potential risks of any prenatal test to help you decide. Even for low- to no-risk procedures, it is important to visit a well-trained medical professional who can correctly interpret the results of the test. For example, while ultrasounds are considered quite safe, an untrained interpreter may misread the results, miss an abnormality, or create unnecessary concern about the baby's well-being. Not all prenatal screenings and tests are covered by all insurance plans. If you have health insurance, you may want to call your health insurance provider before deciding to undergo an expensive procedure. While this may or may not change your mind about the test, it can help you make a more responsible plan. While 96-97% of babies are born healthy, it's important to understand that prenatal testing can reveal some undesired complications, such as birth defects, medical conditions, and genetic abnormalities. Some of these results may leave you with the difficult decision of whether or not to continue the pregnancy. This might be scary or overwhelming, but it can be helpful to take the time to think about what you will do with the test results, no matter how they turn out. Some prenatal tests detect problems that can be treated during pregnancy. In this case, prenatal testing can help you improve your prenatal care with increased office visits, dietary changes, additional medications, or other doctor recommendations. Speak to your health care professional about whether the test results could help guide prenatal care decisions. Some conditions cannot be treated through prenatal care. However, testing results may still help you plan for your baby's care in advance. They can also alert your health care provider to conditions that will require immediate treatment after birth, ensuring faster care. Knowing that your child has a certain condition may also help you prepare to raise them successfully. For example, if you learn that your unborn child has Down syndrome, you can prepare for their birth by learning more about the condition, networking with other Down syndrome families, and preparing medical and educational resources. Whether they are routine tests or not, know that you have the right as the parent of the unborn child to refuse any test that you are uncomfortable with. If you decide that the risks of the testincluding anxiety, pain, or possible miscarriageare not worth the value of knowing the results, speak to your health care professional about your decision to refuse the test. While your doctor may provide additional information and advice, you should never feel forced to undergo a test you do not want.

Summary: Speak with your health care professional about their recommendations. Inquire about genetic testing. Ask about the risks of the test. Talk to your health insurance provider to determine what they will cover. Consider how the results might affect your decision to continue the pregnancy. Determine how the information might shape your prenatal care. Understand that you have the right to refuse a test.

If you have started weaning from breastfeeding, or have decided not to breastfeed in the first place, it will take your breasts a few days to adjust to this. Normally it takes between 1-5 days for your breasts to adjust to the reduced (or absent) demand for milk, and to begin producing less (or not producing milk altogether). Until then, here are some strategies to try: applying cold compresses to the breasts wearing a loose-fitting bra trying cold cabbage leaves pumping or using your hand to remove a little bit of the excess milk (note that it is important not to remove too much, or this will stimulate your breasts to produce more milk; however, a small amount is okay). These include: Heat or warmth to the breasts, as this encourages milk production. Stimulation or massage to your breasts, as this also encourages milk production. Use ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) as needed to alleviate pain and discomfort in the breasts. These are available over-the-counter at any pharmacy.

Summary: Learn about strategies to reduce discomfort in your breasts. Avoid certain things when dealing with breast engorgement. Try medication.

You might hate to see your child struggling, but slip-ups are part of the learning process. Let your adult child make their own mistakes and then figure out how to fix them. This will improve their resilience and give them a sense of agency. This does not mean that you cannot be there to offer advice and help. It just means that they will have to do the work themselves and that you will not solve your adult child's problems for them. Talk with your child about saving money, living frugally, and avoiding debt. Start doing this as early as possible. It is best to begin talking to your child about these things when they are still young. However, if you did not do this with your adult child, then you can do things to help them now. Help them come up with a weekly or monthly budget so they'll be prepared to manage their money when they move out. Charging your child a reasonable amount of rent is a good way to prepare them for paying bills later. Offer to look over your child's resume, do mock interviews with them, or help them pick out professional clothes. If you know people who might be able to help with networking, give your child their names and phone numbers. Avoid doing any of the actual work of job hunting. For instance, don't call your professional contacts yourself let your child do it. If your adult child is working hard to become less dependent on you, cheer them on. Poor self-esteem often contributes to low achievement in young adults, but genuine support and encouragement can help give your child the confidence they need to make it on their own. You might say something like, "I'm so proud of you for getting this big job interview. Even if you don't get the job, it's still a great start!" Failure to launch syndrome is often caused by underlying problems like mental illness or substance abuse. If you think your child may be struggling with depression, addiction, or a similar issue, help them set up an appointment with a therapist. Seeking help for your child may even be a requirement if they are living with you.
Summary: Avoid sheltering your child from mistakes and consequences. Teach your child good financial skills. Help your child prepare for finding a job. Encourage your child's efforts. Consider whether therapy could help your child.