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As a childbirth educator, I am often asked whether or not someone should take childbirth classes. I explain my bias towards taking a childbirth class and the education process it promotes. I extol the virtues of shorter labors and knowledge of procedures and complications that may cross your path. To say I am biased would be an understatement, though the scientists and practitioners back me up. The bottom line is that childbirth classes are beneficial to everyone, no matter what type of birth you are planning: medicated, unmedicated, cesarean, or VBAC....

Establishing a clear curfew is a helpful way for you to balance your teen’s need for freedom with your responsibility to make sure they are safe. Arriving home on time is a good way for your teen to show you they can behave responsibly. But of course, most teens break curfew at least a time or two. The way you respond to your teen coming home late makes a big difference in how often it happens....

The Verywell Mind Review Board is a team of board-certified physicians and established mental health experts who ensure our content is high-quality and inclusive. They join us in our mission to be a compassionate resource that helps you prioritize your mental health and well-being. Learn more about the experts who review our articles to make sure they are accurate and trustworthy. Get to know the passionate psychotherapists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, mindfulness coaches, and other mental health professionals and educators who make up the Review Board....

Counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists often work directly in this field. Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with psychopathology and abnormal behavior, often in a clinical context. The term covers a broad range of disorders, from depression to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to personality disorders. The term “abnormal” is the subject of considerable debate. What exactly is “normal” and who gets to decide? The social norms that are often used to determine what is normal versus abnormal can shift over time, so settling on a standard definition isn’t simple or straightforward....

What Is Conventional Wisdom? This type of knowledge can have both benefits and drawbacks. Sometimes these ideas allow people to understand the majority consensus and reach conclusions quickly. In other cases, conventional wisdom can make it more difficult to think creatively and come up with alternative solutions to problems. Conventional Wisdom Conventional wisdom refers to commonly held and widely accepted ideas and beliefs. It can encompass ideas that are generally held by the majority of people as well as long-accepted expert opinions within a field or institution....

During pregnancy, you have a variety of options for prenatal testing—some are screening tests and some are diagnostic tests. What’s the difference? Prenatal screening tests tell you the chances that the fetus has any anomalies (irregularities), whereas prenatal diagnostic tests can tell you whether the fetus actually has a certain condition. Various tests are done during each trimester, including a nuchal translucency screening. A nuchal translucency screening test is typically done during the first trimester between weeks 11 and 13....

The Clomid challenge is a type of ovarian reserve test (ORT) sometimes performed before in vitro fertilization (IVF). It is also known as a clomiphene citrate challenge test or CCCT. Clomid challenge tests are meant to predict whether your body will respond favorably to certain fertility drugs and ovarian stimulation. Since IVF is expensive—financially, emotionally, and physically—performing this test before you begin treatment can help you avoid disappointment and save time and money....

While not the same as Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting has its own set of devoted athletes and fans. It may seem simple: lift the most weight to win. But successful youth powerlifting requires dedication and attention to technique. Does your child have the power and passion for powerlifting? What Is Powerlifting? Powerlifters compete in three events, attempting to lift the heaviest weight in each. Competitions may include one, two, or all three events....

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a policy statement on child passenger safety with recommendations and guidelines for car seats. These recommendations change over the years as new research and information become available. See what their current guidelines say for keeping children safe in a vehicle. AAP Car Seat Guidelines The AAP’s car seat guidelines include recommendations for car seats, booster seats, and safe use of vehicle seat belts. These guidelines were most recently updated in November 2018....

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex, multilayered condition that’s as difficult to diagnose as it is to treat. One of its paradoxes involves lying. People with BPD fear abandonment and have trouble maintaining relationships. Nevertheless, they tend to lie, which ruins trust and intimacy, fosters resentment, and harms the very relationships they fear losing. Many family members and friends of those with BPD cite lying as a major problem in their relationships....

What Is Bulimia? Bulimia, also known as bulimia nervosa, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating following by compensatory purging or other methods to avoid weight gain or to relieve the physical symptoms that a person feels after binging. Purging usually involves vomiting, but it may also include the use of laxatives, excessive exercise, or fasting. Like other eating disorders, people who have bulimia are often secretive about the condition due to feelings of shame or guilt about their behaviors....

Most parents picture a crying baby when they think about kids and sleep problems. Many older kids and teens have problems sleeping too, including trouble going to sleep and waking up frequently in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, not getting a good night’s sleep can affect your child’s mood and behavior during the day, leading to school and discipline problems. Childhood Insomnia Like adults, children with insomnia either have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or are simply not well rested after what should be a normal amount of time sleeping....

If it seems like your child has a constant runny nose, that may very well be so. A runny nose (rhinorrhea) is a common symptom of many childhood illnesses. As a result, parents sometimes find it hard to determine the root cause and find the most effective treatment. A runny nose can mean a variety of things, from something as simple as a cold or allergies to something more significant, like a sinus infection....

If you’re like most parents, when someone asks you which one of your children is your favorite, you probably respond with an emphatic “none of them!” Turns out, this response may not be completely accurate though. Even if you don’t fully recognize it, research indicates that there’s a good chance that you actually do have a favorite. Typically, this favoritism has nothing to do with loving one child more than other though....

Esketamine is an NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist used to treat adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Esketamine (brand name Spravato) comes as a nasal spray and is said to rapidly reduce suicidal ideations and depressive symptoms. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March of 2019 to treat TRD, esketamine nasal spray must be used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant. It is the first FDA-approved psychedelic medicine and the second drug approved to treat TRD....

Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, and most experts recommend that both children and adults eat a high fiber diet.​ According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in their Guide to Your Child’s Nutrition, “people who eat a lot of fiber are less likely to…have heart disease, or develop problems affecting the bowel, including constipation and cancer.” Eating foods high in fiber is especially important to prevent and treat constipation in your children....

Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that looks at the human mind and behavior as a whole. When trying to make sense of the world around us, Gestalt psychology suggests that we do not simply focus on every small component. Instead, our minds tend to perceive objects as elements of more complex systems. A core belief in Gestalt psychology is holism, or that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts....

Gestational diabetes occurs when you develop high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Thanks to some hormonal disruptions that interfere with your body’s use of insulin, the sugar remains in your bloodstream, rather than being used for energy. Usually, gestational diabetes goes away after you deliver your baby, but it does raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. We consulted some experts to find out more about this condition and how you can effectively manage it while you anticipate the birth of your baby....

Depressants are drugs that inhibit the function of the central nervous system (CNS) and are among the most widely used drugs in the world. These drugs operate by affecting neurons (nerve cells) in the CNS, which leads to symptoms such as drowsiness, relaxation, decreased inhibition, anesthesia, sleep, coma, and even death. Many depressant medications also have the potential to be addictive. While CNS depressants all share an ability to reduce activity in the central nervous system and lower levels of awareness in the brain, there are significant differences among substances within this drug class....

It takes effort to protect, nurture, and grow a marriage. Between work schedules, children, and other obligations, sometimes it can seem impossible to maintain that partnership. When problems arise, some couples find that it’s healthier to divorce and go their separate ways. For others, it’s a better choice to work on the relationship. If you want to stay with your partner and avoid divorce, there are proactive measures you can take....